Chapter 100: The Queen’s Dress
Chapter 100: The Queen’s Dress
Tang Qing arrived to teach Li Xiaomei math. She gave Xiaomei a problem: 2 + 2 = ?
Li Xiaomei glared at her fingers like they were her enemies. How do you even show “two”?
Li Zian stood by the door watching. But he wasn’t looking at Xiaomei; his eyes were on Tang Qing. He sensed something was bothering her. She seemed downcast. She’d been like this yesterday too. He’d asked her about it, but she’d said nothing, forcing a smile instead.
Tang Qing noticed someone at the door. She looked up and saw Li Zian watching her. Instinctively, she tugged her snug-fitting dress. It wasn’t actually short, but her half-sitting, half-kneeling posture had hitched it up slightly, risking exposure.
Li Zian felt awkward. She’d clearly misunderstood. He hadn’t been looking at her dress this time; he’d been studying her face. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have noticed she was troubled.
Should he ask her again?
He hesitated. He’d asked yesterday, but she hadn’t wanted to talk. Asking again today would probably get the same result. Consulting the divination could solve it, but only if she drew the symbols on his palm willingly. His Anatomy Physiognomy Technique wouldn’t help here.
Xiaomei stopped staring at her fingers. She looked at her dad. Not three seconds passed before she stuck her tongue out at him, just shy of making faces.
Li Zian glared at Xiaomei, trying hard to look stern. Xiaomei just stared back, completely unafraid.
In this house, only one person scared Li Xiaomei: Yu Meilin.
Tang Qing got to her feet and walked softly towards Li Zian. “Brother Zian, your presence is distracting Xiaomei’s lesson.”
Li Zian smiled apologetically and stepped away from the doorway. “Xiao Tang,” he said quietly, “a word?”
Tang Qing emerged, looking a little nervous.
Li Zian lowered his voice. “Meilin and I see you as family, like a little sister. You don’t need to keep troubles hidden. If you don’t tell us, how can we help?”
Tang Qing hung her head, saying nothing.
Li Zian tried again. “Did that old man swindle your brother again? If you’re short of money, just say the word. I have some.”
Tang Qing shook her head silently.
Frustration tugged at Li Zian. If shaking her by the shoulders could spill out whatever was troubling her, he might have been tempted.
A small head popped out from the doorway. His “Little Cotton-padded Jacket” was stealthily spying again.
Li Zian looked at Xiaomei pointedly. “Did you solve that math problem yet?”
Xiaomei stuck her tongue out at him again.
Tang Qing glanced back at the doorway. Xiaomei yanked her head inside immediately.
Besides Yu Meilin, only Teacher Xiao Tang could make Xiaomei behave.
“Brother Zian, I need to get back to teaching Xiaomei,” Tang Qing said.
Li Zian sighed. “Go on.”
She wouldn’t talk. He was helpless. Maybe it was private, something hard to speak of. He could only assume that.
Tang Qing took two steps, then stopped.
Li Zian looked at her. A strange feeling told him she might talk now.
Tang Qing hesitated, then turned back. “Um… it’s because my mother wants me to go back home to marry.”
Li Zian froze on the spot.
He desperately wanted to help, but how could he possibly have helped with this?
Tang Qing said only that one sentence, then went back inside and closed the door behind her.
Li Zian gave a rueful smile. This was truly something he couldn’t fix. But he also felt puzzled. Tang Qing had never mentioned having a boyfriend. How could a fiancé suddenly appear?
“Zian.” It was Yu Meilin’s voice.
Li Zian turned and saw Yu Meilin peeking her head out from a doorway, looking rather like she was sneaking around.
“Come help me with something,” Yu Meilin said.
Li Zian walked towards her. “With what?”
“Just come in first,” she said evasively, pulling her head back inside.
Li Zian walked through the door and promptly froze.
Yu Meilin was wearing a black figure-hugging mermaid dress. Strapless and low-cut, the fabric made her skin appear incredibly pale and smooth. The skin of her shoulders, exposed to the air, shone like polished jade. Her collarbones were delicate, sexy, and utterly captivating. She had her arms crossed over her chest, but the position only allowed the lovely view to emerge quietly, impossible to hide.
“Zian, please pull up my zipper? I can’t quite reach,” Yu Meilin said, turning her back to him.
Her back was flawlessly smooth like jade, her waist slender and soft. There were no straps or buttons, just an unzipped zipper.
Women often don’t wear undergarments beneath such dresses, striving for the most seamless lines.
Li Zian walked closer. He took hold of the zipper pull. He glimpsed the wide white elastic band beneath, the fabric below it almost sheer. He felt inexplicably nervous. His hands trembled slightly. The zipper teeth caught on the fabric and refused to go up.
“What’s wrong? Is the zipper broken?” Yu Meilin asked.
“No. It’s caught on the fabric,” Li Zian explained. He brought his other hand over. One hand gently pulled the dress fabric taut while the other carefully guided the zipper pull down.
Perhaps he was too nervous or too hasty. Maybe the force was too rough. Instead of freeing the trapped fabric, he pulled the entire dress downwards! Yu Meilin made a frantic grab, but her hands couldn’t snatch the falling silk in time. The dress slid out from where she’d weakly pressed it against her body and tumbled silently to the floor.
“Ah!” Yu Meilin gasped.
White light flashed! It felt like holy light was filling the whole room.
Li Zian turned into a statue, frozen in the motion of fixing an imaginary zipper.
Yu Meilin clasped her hands over her front, too embarrassed to turn around, radiating tension.
But her back was completely exposed – long legs making up a good two-thirds of her frame. A perfect full moon perched atop a column of ivory, round, flawless, leaving nothing to criticize.
“Zian, you…” Yu Meilin was mortified. She knew he was looking, but she couldn’t turn around.
Li Zian finally jolted back to reality. He scrambled to crouch down, grabbing the fallen dress and pulling it back up. “Sorry! It wasn’t on purpose!” he muttered.
Yu Meilin risked a glance back at Li Zian, clearly wary he might lose control and do something inappropriate.
This car belonged to her, but Li Zian had the key. If he decided to try and start the engine with it now, she’d be hard-pressed to handle the situation.
Thankfully, Li Zian just pulled the car cover back over the car. He showed no sign of retrieving any key or wanting a drive.
Yu Meilin quickly reached down to adjust the front of the dress to its proper place and held it there tightly.
This time, Li Zian managed to zip up the dress successfully. He let out a quiet sigh of relief when the zipper hit the top.
Yu Meilin turned around. Her snow-white neck, low neckline, refined features – she looked regal and icy.
She looked at Li Zian without speaking. Her eyes seemed to hold the power to command everything.
Li Zian looked back at her.
He wasn’t the same man anymore. Yesterday he’d undergone his ‘rite of passage’. No longer a rookie, he felt he had a little more grit against temptation than before.
“Does this dress suit me?” Yu Meilin asked.
“Looks great. Everything looks good on you,” Li Zian replied.
“You barely even looked. That’s just empty flattery,” Yu Meilin teased.
Li Zian: “…”
“Let’s go. We need to pick up some gifts,” Yu Meilin stated.
Li Zian shook his head. “No need to buy anything. I’ll bring some Medicinal Plasters.”
“Giving Medicinal Plaster for a first meeting… is that appropriate?” Yu Meilin sounded unsure.
Li Zian smiled. “That Du Zhishan lacks nothing… except my Medicinal Plasters. He’ll appreciate it.”
Yu Meilin nodded. “Okay. I trust you. Let’s go then.”
The elevator descended.
Li Zian kept glancing at Yu Meilin’s chest area, seeming like he wanted to say something but held back.
“Is there something on your mind?” Yu Meilin finally asked.
Li Zian pointed vaguely at his own chest, looking genuinely concerned. “You’re… not wearing anything under there. That dress has no straps or anything… is there any danger of it… uh… falling?”
Yu Meilin burst out laughing. “So that’s what you’re worried about! Afraid you’ll get a bad deal?”
Li Zian gave an embarrassed chuckle.
A marriage on paper or not, they were still legally married. If her dress slid down and revealed too much, he would feel like he was getting the raw end of the deal.
Yu Meilin laughed reassuringly. “Relax, it’s a custom-made gown. It won’t fall down.”
Li Zian flicked a quick glance downwards with the corner of his eye, then quickly looked away.
His mind, however, couldn’t help making a comparison – between Yu Meilin and Mu Chuntao. Yu Meilin was decidedly larger, but Mu Chuntao was firmer and rounder. Like spareribs with sweet and sour sauce versus steamed spareribs – both were spareribs, but the flavors were distinct.
Stop! Master Li, what in the world are you thinking?
“Oh right,” Yu Meilin said suddenly. “If that Mr. Wen visits Shanghai again, I’d like to invite him for dinner here. I need to thank him properly.”
Li Zian recalled yesterday’s web of lies. A wave of guilt hit. “Hmm,” he mumbled vaguely, swiftly changing the subject. “Speaking of which, I noticed Teacher Xiao Tang seems down these last couple of days. I asked her earlier. She said her mother wants her to go back home to marry. Has she mentioned a boyfriend or fiancé to you?”
“No, never. But it makes sense, right? She’s not young anymore, she’s already graduated college. Parents pressuring her to come home and marry is normal. It’s also common for women to feel nervous or scared before getting married. Don’t overthink it,” Yu Meilin replied.
Li Zian wanted to ask her if she’d been nervous or scared when she married him. But he swallowed the question.
Back then, she’d been poised to become the Chairperson of the Dajiang Group, while he’d been a peasant youth from the mountains. More than just scared? She’d probably felt disgust and pain too! The answer was obvious. Why even ask?
Yet, he still couldn’t stop worrying about Tang Qing.
To Yu Meilin, Tang Qing was probably just an expensive Home Tutor for Li Xiaomei. But to Li Zian, Tang Qing was practically the nanny who’d helped raise Xiaomei. How could he not be concerned about her?
Besides, if Tang Qing went back home to marry, and her husband wouldn’t let her come to Shanghai to teach Xiaomei, finding another Home Tutor wouldn’t be nearly as easy. Her rapport with Xiaomei was special.
I’ll try asking her again later. She clearly didn’t want to go. There must be some difficulty she couldn’t talk about, he resolved silently.
They reached the underground garage. Yu Meilin changed into her driving shoes and started the car.
“Zian,” she said as they pulled out, “you should learn to drive one of these days. It’d make things much easier. And you wouldn’t always have to rely on Chuntao to chauffeur you around.”
Li Zian’s answer was immediate. “No.”
Yu Meilin glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “Why not?”
Li Zian stated flatly, “Have you ever seen a Master drive himself?”
Yu Meilin: “…”