Chapter 30

The afternoon sun at three o’clock slanted lazily into the villa’s spacious living room, casting geometric patches of light across the floor.

The air carried a faint scent of coffee; everything felt warm and soft.

Liang Auntie, the current head of the Jin family’s trusted tailor shop, had already arrived with two assistants and was waiting in one corner of the living room.

Beside them stood several movable clothing racks, hung with swatches of fabric in every color, half-finished sample garments, and a few completed, exquisite dresses sealed in dust covers.

The moment Wen Yan and Jin Zijin stepped through the door, Liang Auntie came forward with a smile, her gaze landing first on Jin Zijin as she greeted her respectfully, “President Jin.”

Jin Zijin nodded. Then the other woman’s professional, razor-sharp eyes locked onto Wen Yan like a precision scanner.

“This must be Miss Wen Yan.” Liang Auntie’s smile was warm and sincere, with the special sparkle of a craftswoman who had just encountered the perfect material. “President Jin gave me advance instructions; today we’re mainly taking your measurements and choosing styles.”

“Come this way; the light is good here.”

Wen Yan wasn’t unfamiliar with this kind of setting, but being studied so intently still made her unconsciously straighten her back. She inclined her head slightly. “Thank you for your trouble.”

Jin Zijin handed her coat to a maid who had come up to take it, then patted Wen Yan’s lower back and said softly, “Don’t be nervous. Liang Auntie’s very good at what she does; she just talks a lot.”

There was an unfinished smile in her eyes as she turned and walked toward the desk by the window on the other side of the living room.

Her laptop and several open documents were already laid out there; a cross-border video conference was waiting for her.

The two of them each entered their own “territory.”

Under Liang Auntie’s guidance, Wen Yan stood in the center of the living room where the light was strongest, took off her coat, and was left in only a fitted cashmere sweater and trousers.

She was 181 centimeters tall, with a balanced, elongated frame. Years of combat training and equipment-based fitness had shaped her into a remarkably lean and powerful physique.

There wasn’t an exaggerated bulk of muscle, but the lines of her shoulders, back, arms, waist, abdomen, and even her legs were all exceptionally clear and clean.

A thin, resilient layer of muscle covered her body, like alloy forged through countless temperings, combining strength and fluidity to perfection.

It was the kind of body that, shaped by natural exercise, carried a full sense of functional beauty.

Simply standing there in quiet stillness, she already had a steady, mountain-like bearing.

“Oh my, what a frame this is…” Liang Auntie’s eyes lit up at once.

She circled Wen Yan slowly, clicking her tongue in admiration, her fingers making vague measurements in the air. “Look at those shoulders and that waist-to-hip line; that’s a textbook inverted triangle. She was born to wear a suit.”

“And these legs, these Achilles tendons… ballet dancers don’t even have muscles this pretty.”

She motioned for the assistants to begin recording the measurements, while she herself picked up a soft measuring tape and handled the work personally.

“Miss Wen, relax; we’ll take it slowly.” Her movements were professional and gentle, her fingertips touching Wen Yan’s skin through the thin cashmere, bringing with them a cool sensation.

“Shoulder width… 52. Very good, excellent.” Liang Auntie called out the numbers as she measured, unable to stop praising her. “It’s rare to see such a standard build that’s also so full of strength these days.”

“Is Miss Wen a skier?”

“No.” Wen Yan’s voice was steady, though the tips of her ears had already started to warm faintly. “I usually work out; my job requires physical strength.”

“No wonder.” Liang Auntie measured her arm length and bust circumference, and let out another round of admiration. “The thickness of these chest and back muscles is full without being excessive; in a shirt or suit, they’ll look incredible. Nothing will pull, and nothing will look loose.”

“Waist measurement… 70! With this waist-to-hip ratio, tsk tsk, even classical sculpture would only come to this…”

The assistant recorded everything quickly on the side, the corners of her mouth also pressed into a smile.

Wen Yan did her best to stand there like a statue, eyes fixed straight ahead, trying to ignore all the overly enthusiastic praise falling directly on her body’s measurements.

She could feel blood rushing uncontrollably toward her cheeks and ears.

Very few people had ever praised her so directly and fervently, simply because she had a good body.

Compared with being watched by everyone in the operating room, this feeling of being meticulously appraised for her physical traits left her even more at a loss.

She could even clearly hear Jin Zijin on the other side of the living room, speaking into her computer’s microphone in fluent, composed English, discussing the parameters of some data model with the people on the screen.

The two voices intertwined, forming an odd, slightly awkward harmony.

“President Jin usually prefers crisp suit fabrics, and the cuts are sharper.”

While measuring Wen Yan’s thigh circumference, Liang Auntie chatted casually, “Miss Wen has a calm temperament, but a heroic frame. I think we can try fabrics that have both flexibility and structure.”

“For example, blended wool, high-count cotton-linen…”

“As for colors, aside from the classic tones President Jin usually chooses, some low-saturation Morandi shades, or cooler gray-based tones, should suit you very well too.”

“Mhm, I’ll leave it to you,” Wen Yan replied, feeling Liang Auntie’s fingers slide along the outside of her thigh as she recorded the numbers.

She instinctively tensed that small patch of muscle.

“Relax, relax.” Liang Auntie smiled and patted her calf. “Your muscles are in great condition; the lines are so smooth.”

“Miss Wen, honestly, with your figure, it’d be a waste not to be a model.”

“And you’d look absolutely stunning in formal dresses too, especially mermaid cuts or full A-line skirts that need presence to carry them; they’d be like they were made for you…”

The praise grew more specific, and more and more intimate.

Wen Yan’s neck was starting to turn red.

Unable to help herself, she darted a quick glance toward Jin Zijin.

Jin Zijin seemed to have just finished a phase of speaking; she was lifting her coffee cup when her gaze, by chance, passed over the top edge of the laptop screen and precisely caught Wen Yan’s look.

She saw Wen Yan’s slightly reddened ears, and the faint, embarrassed plea on her face.

The corner of Jin Zijin’s lips lifted almost imperceptibly.

She said something into the microphone: “Please hold on for a moment,” then calmly muted it and leaned back slightly, turning toward Liang Auntie’s side.

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly across half the living room, with unmistakable amusement. “Liang Auntie, if you keep praising her like this, our Dr. Wen won’t be getting measured for a suit anymore; she’ll be performing live reenactments of spontaneous combustion.”

She had used “our Dr. Wen,” the tone affectionate and natural.

Liang Auntie froze, then reacted immediately. Seeing that Wen Yan’s ears were indeed red all the way through, she couldn’t help bursting out laughing. “Oh dear, look at me; occupational habit. I can’t help talking when I see a good frame.”

“Miss Wen, don’t mind me. I really do like your figure; it’s so full of life, so good.”

Being teased by Jin Zijin like that only made the heat on Wen Yan’s face worse, to the point it felt like it might catch fire.

She looked at Jin Zijin helplessly, only to get in return a slightly mischievous smile.

“It’s fine, Liang Auntie; please continue.” Wen Yan drew a deep breath and forced her heartbeat to calm down, shaking her head at Liang Auntie. “I’m just not used to it.”

“All right, all right, I’ll rein it in, I’ll rein it in.” Liang Auntie laughed, her hands moving even more briskly. “But President Jin’s right; Miss Wen is thin-skinned.”

“President Jin, you’d better keep a close eye on your lady. With a face and figure like this, who knows how many looks she’ll draw when she accompanies you to events in the future.”

At that, Jin Zijin arched a brow. Her gaze returned to Wen Yan, deeper now, carrying undisguised possession and appreciation.

She didn’t answer Liang Auntie. Instead, she looked at Wen Yan and silently mouthed two words: “Mine.”

Wen Yan understood.

Her heart gave a hard thump, and the cheeks that had just cooled flared hot again in an instant.

She quickly looked away, pretending to focus on the measuring tape in Liang Auntie’s hand, but inside, it felt like a little horse was wildly charging around.

An urging voice came from the video conference. Only then did Jin Zijin unhurriedly unmute herself and return to work.

But in the gaps between typing, her eyes would always drift involuntarily back to the center of the living room.

Wen Yan was standing there like a tall white poplar in the glow of the winter sun.

Perhaps because she was shy, or perhaps because she was focused, her lips were lightly pressed together; the line of her profile was clean and soft, her long lashes lowered to hide the emotions in her eyes.

The cashmere sweater clung to her body, outlining the smooth and powerful shape of her shoulders and back.

Sunlight gilded her entire figure in a hazy golden rim, making even the fine hairs on her skin visible.

Liang Auntie and the assistant circled her, speaking softly, taking notes, the rustle of fabric filling the air.

Everything moved slowly and in order, with an unusual and grounding sense of steadiness.

Watching her, Jin Zijin suddenly felt that this kind of afternoon… was very much like years ago, when she had been accompanying Grandma fishing while flipping through picture books of her own.

The tangled strategies and data battles in the meeting seemed to fade away for the moment.

Only the figure in front of her remained so clear.

In the midst of busy work, glancing at the other person’s eyes from time to time seemed to give her endless strength.

Perhaps that was what they called the small happiness in life.

Jin Zijin even drifted off a little.

She imagined those soft, expensive fabrics wrapping around this body she knew so well and desired so much; what kind of breathtaking beauty would they bring out?

It wasn’t until the person on the other side of the screen raised her voice again to ask for Jin Zijin’s opinion that she abruptly came back to herself.

She gathered her thoughts and gave clear, decisive instructions; yet the tenderness lingering in her eyes did not fade for a long time.

The measurements were nearly finished, and Liang Auntie held the record book to confirm the last few details.

“Miss Wen, as for the formal dresses, aside from the ones for the year-end banquet, do you have any preferences for the styles for President Jin’s mother’s birthday banquet?”

“President Jin instructed that your opinion should come first.”

Wen Yan thought about it; she really didn’t know much about these things, so she answered honestly, “I don’t have much of an idea. Liang Auntie, you and Zijin can decide. As long as…”

She paused, her voice lowering a little. “It’s not too revealing, and it’s convenient to move around in.”

Jin Zijin was still in the middle of her meeting, but her ears caught every word.

The corners of her mouth curved.

Liang Auntie wrote it down with a smile. “Understood, understood. Dignified and elegant, but still striking, right? Don’t worry, leave it to me.”

With everything measured, Wen Yan finally let out a breath of relief and put her coat back on.

Liang Auntie then took out some fabric samples and design sketches for Wen Yan to look over first and see what she liked.

Wen Yan sat down on the sofa and studied them seriously, her side profile quiet.

Jin Zijin’s meeting finally ended as well.

She closed her laptop, rubbed the space between her brows, and got to her feet.

She sat naturally beside Wen Yan, resting one arm along the back of the sofa in a half-embrace, and leaned in to look at the album in Wen Yan’s hands.

“See anything you like?” she asked, her voice carrying the slight hoarseness left by work, brushing past Wen Yan’s ear.

“They’re all very nice,” Wen Yan said honestly. Her fingertip landed on a sketch of a dark blue velvet gown with a simple design. “This color feels pretty calm.”

“It suits you.” Jin Zijin nodded; her fingertip tapped lightly beside the sketch. “Liang Auntie, make this one the focus.”

“Also, make her a white suit-and-trousers set. The fabric should be crisp and structured.”

“Got it, President Jin.” Liang Auntie agreed with a smile, her eyes moving between the two of them with a knowing look.

She quickly packed up her things and left with the assistants, setting the time for the next fitting.

The living room returned to quiet, leaving only the two of them.

Jin Zijin still kept that close posture, not moving away.

She tilted her head and carefully studied the faint blush still lingering on Wen Yan’s earlobe, then suddenly chuckled under her breath. “Liang Auntie wasn’t wrong.”

“What?” Wen Yan turned to look at her.

“The way you look in formal dresses,” Jin Zijin said, her gaze lingering on her face, deep and intent. “It’ll definitely be beautiful.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Wen Yan met those smiling eyes of hers, and the light within them made her heartbeat falter again.

She lowered her gaze and smiled too.

“Then… look forward to it.”

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Happiness can be felt in every little detail of being together.

It makes one think: I worked all day, I tried so hard; I deserve this [pat head]