Chapter 26: Shall We Share a Kiss?

Song Xi tearfully opened the website, entered the information, and placed an order for the same style and size.

Just as she closed the page, her phone rang—it was her eldest aunt. Song Xi swiped to answer.

"Hello, Xi'er, are you having fun in the capital? How is work going?" her aunt asked with customary politeness.

Having fun? She was having more than just fun; she had even managed to anchor her husband here.

Song Xi replied obediently, "I'm having a great time, and work is going well. Did you call for something, Auntie?"

Her aunt said, "Your cousin Yuanyuan is getting married on the 28th of this month. You need to come back for the wedding and stay at home for a couple of days; Grandma misses you."

Only then did it dawn on Song Xi that her cousin, Song Yuanyuan, had gotten engaged before the New Year, and the family had picked an auspicious date during the holiday for a post-New Year wedding. She had always gotten along well with her cousins, so she knew she had to attend such a major event.

"Okay, I'll make sure to clear my schedule and come home," Song Xi said.

"By the way, I’m planning to make a new outfit for your cousin’s fiancé. This shop also does excellent qipao craftsmanship, so send me your measurements, and I’ll have one custom-made for both you and your cousin," her aunt instructed.

Make clothes for the man?

Song Xi remembered her grandmother mentioning when she was a child that, according to Suzhou tradition, a bride should not only bring a dowry but also make a new set of clothes for her husband. Her grandmother had teased her back then, saying that when she got married, she would have to make the finest suit for her future husband.

Song Xi agreed while on the phone and provided her measurements.

After hanging up, she remained deep in thought. The custom in the capital was for the groom’s family to prepare gold jewelry for the bride, which Jing Zhuo had already gifted her upon his return from a business trip in Hong Kong. Even though they hadn't met each other's parents yet, he had followed all the proper etiquette. He had even entrusted her with his safe and personal assets.

In the spirit of reciprocity, she should follow the Suzhou custom and make him a suit that signified her new husband.

Action followed thought. Not wanting to ask Jing Zhuo for his measurements directly—and hoping to surprise him—she slipped into the walk-in closet, secretly retrieving a tape measure to check the sizes of his everyday clothes. Following his daily measurements should be perfectly fine.

As she finished noting down the dimensions and stepped out, she saw Jing Zhuo sitting on the living room sofa reading. Seeing her, he cast a clear, refined gaze in her direction and closed his book.

"Come over and have some water," Jing Zhuo offered, lifting a hand to pour her a glass of lemonade.

"The doctor said to drink plenty of water after detoxing to speed up your metabolism," he added.

Hearing this, Song Xi went to the living room, sat on the sofa beside him, and took a few sips from the glass.

"Thank you."

The temperature of the lemonade was just right, as was the balance of sweet and tart. It felt soothing as it slid down.

Song Xi thought of her dear, thirsty best friend. While sipping, she pulled out her phone to message Zhang Hening, telling her to drink some lemonade when she woke up. Zhang Hening was already awake and replied intermittently.

Song Xi was so absorbed in the conversation that her fingers tapped rapidly against the screen, the sound echoing in the quiet living room. Jing Zhuo leaned back on the sofa, watching her silently as she looked down at her phone, her lips occasionally pursing into a lovely curve, signaling her happiness.

"You really love your best friend, don't you?" Jing Zhuo asked during a pause.

Song Xi put her phone away and chatted with him. "Yes, we’ve known each other since high school. When she moved to Suzhou for school, we were roommates, and she would often come home with me to stay at my grandmother's place."

"So you stayed at her house too?"

Song Xi nodded. "Yes, I spent two summers at her place during the holidays."

"Have you met her family?"

"I have."

"What do you think of them? Did you get along?"

Why was he so interested in her friend? Song Xi was a bit surprised but answered, "Her family is wonderful. Her father is easygoing, her mother is gentle, and her second brother is very enthusiastic... it's just her older brother who is a bit fierce."

Jing Zhuo’s eyes flickered slightly, and he tightened his grip on his glass.

"Has he ever been fierce to you?"

"No," Song Xi shook her head. "I've never even met her older brother."

"Then why say he's fierce?"

Song Xi explained, "Well, I haven't eaten pork, but I've heard pigs bite. It's just what I've heard; my friend is often scolded by her brother, forced to do push-ups as physical punishment, and back in school, he would even cut off her allowance for a whole month. Wouldn't you call that fierce?"

Jing Zhuo: "..."

Are you sure that wasn't your friend bringing it upon herself?

His internal retort was stuck in his throat, impossible to voice.

Just as they were talking, the phone chimed incessantly—it was a video call from Zhang Hening. Song Xi was about to answer when a hand suddenly fell over the screen, pinning it down.

"Song Xi, we need to talk," the man said, his voice low over the ringing.

"Your bond with your best friend is already very intense; it doesn't need any more cultivating."

Song Xi: "Hmm?"

"But our relationship hasn't made any progress at all."

"We are husband and wife, destined to support each other, grow old together, and be each other's lifelong companions."

"As a married woman, shouldn't you be fair and spare some time for us to cultivate our relationship?"

Jing Zhuo took a deep breath and let it all out in one go, "After all, I haven't even had hot pot with you, chatted for this long, or had a video call this frequently."

It felt as if he were just a tool. It was as if her best friend were actually Song Xi’s husband.

Song Xi was stunned, and after a moment, she blurted out, "Ah... are you being jealous, sour, and narrow-minded again?"

Jing Zhuo was frozen by her words for several seconds. He suddenly remembered that the last time he was jealous, it was because of Zhang Hexing, and this time it was because of Zhang Hening. This brother and sister pair was truly annoying.

Jing Zhuo replied with a deadpan, "Yes."

He reminded her, "You have a photo shoot on Saturday afternoon and location shooting on Sunday; you’re completely booked. From now until you go to work this afternoon is the only time I have to build a relationship with you."

The phone was still ringing, sounding incredibly irritating. Jing Zhuo muted it and flipped the phone face down, leaning in until his face was mere inches from hers, his warm breath fanning across her skin.

"Wife," he whispered, his voice deep and raspy.

"Shall we... share a kiss?"