Huo Yuping’s eyes burned with intensity. “Does your mom want a teacher?”
Shen Xi replied, “Do you mean you want to take my mother as your student?”
To her knowledge, the Huo family’s art of Kesi was passed down in the family and not shared with outsiders.
That was Huo Yuping’s intention. “Frankly speaking, my kids may be talented, but compared to your mom, they’re nothing!”
The only one who breathed life and had a gift in the art and aesthetic of Kesi did not care for the family craft and was bent on dance.
This person was blessed with a gift that no hard work could make up for.
As the head of the Huo family, he hoped the art of Kesi would improve and the heritage of the Huo family’s craft in its entirety would carry on for generations to come.
“Allow me to thank you for your kindness on behalf of my mother.” Shen Xi’s eyes lit up with joy.
“We will be a family soon. No need for the formalities.” Huo Yuping pretended to be angry.
“Grandpa Huo.” Shen Xi was wise to address Huo Yupin differently. “However, I need to ask my mom to get her consent on the apprenticeship.”
“Call your mom right now and ask her quickly.” Unable to wait, Huo Yuping urged her.
Shen Xi grinned cheekily. “Roger that.”
“Aren’t you a kid?” Huo Yuping smiled lovingly at the smarty-pants.
Perhaps because she saw him as family, the girl let her guard down and behaved freely without an air of distance and aloofness. She really looked the part of someone in her youth.
It never occurred to Shen Xi that she would find her mom a teacher while learning art. In a way, she got her teacher a teacher.
Yun Jinping was filled with joy when she heard that Mr. Huo wanted to take her in as a student. Once the elation dissipated, she turned dubious, “Are you joking with me?”
Of course, she knew who Huo Yuping was. Yun Jinping needed to have a certain understanding of various materials and crafts when making clothes. Hence, she was no stranger to the art of Kesi.
Mr. Huo was a craftsman she respected.
“Grandpa Huo, my mom doesn’t believe it.” Shen Xi laughed. “I’m handing the phone over to Grandpa Huo. You can tell him.”
They had Kesi products at home. Mom cherished the three Kesi circle fans she bought and used them as decorations at home. There was once when Shen Xi had no idea what it was made of and fanned herself with it, giving Mom quite the distress.
Later, Dad told her that Mom used connections and asked someone to purchase them for her. The price of one Kesi circle fan was around 50,000. The fans were for the eyes to marvel and not for her to fan herself with.
Kesi products were delicate, high in demand, and low in production. Each piece was handmade. A Kesi-crafted outfit alone cost a house in the capital.
It never crossed Shen Xi’s mind that Mom and Old Master Huo had a lot to say to each other. Shen Xi had been sewing for two hours and they were still in conversation. By the looks of the old master smiling ear to ear, they must have hit it off.
“Old Master.” The butler of the Huo family knocked on the door. Gazing at the old master who was beaming, he wondered who was on the other line for the old master to look so happy.
Shen Xi lifted her chin and nodded a greeting to the butler.
The butler waited until the old man hung up before stating, “Old Master, the Su family is here again.”
It was not just Young Master Su from yesterday, but his father, Su Yi was also here. With both father and son requesting to meet with the old master, the butler was not in the position to decline. Hence, he came over to seek the old man’s opinion.
Huo Yuping was in a good mood. The arrival of the Su family did not bring him down. “Tell them I’m not seeing them. What? Don’t they understand?”
“They say they are here to visit you.” The butler changed the topic. “But Mr. Su also mentioned that he wants to meet Ms. Shen and said that Ms. Shen is his daughter.”
“Her last name is Shen. His is Su. How is she his daughter?” Finding it odd, Huo Yuping looked at Shen Xi. “Do you know him?”
Without lifting her head, Shen Xi concentrated on the stitching. “I don’t know him.”
Huo Yuping waved his arm. “Send them away and tell them not to come ever again.”
The butler answered, “Sure.”
He then dismissed himself.
Huo Yuping popped the question to Shen Xi. “Do you know them?”
Judging by the girl’s reaction, she must know them.
“I do.” Shen Xi came clean, but her tone turned cold. “However, I have nothing to do with that family. Don’t worry about it.”
The butler talked too much. She was aware of the Su family’s ulterior motive.
Su Yi wanted to buy out the Kesi technique for mass production. This would, in turn, create a supply chain to dominate the market.
However, Kesi was a high-end handcraft and should be created by highly skilled craftsmen who put their heart into the art.
The craftsmanship would be compromised following a mass production, leading to inconsistencies, and diminishing of quality to the finished product. As a result, Kesi’s reputation would only be tarnished.
Since Old Master Huo despised businessmen who were all about the profits, there was no way he would agree to the proposal.
“Okay.” Huo Yuping nodded and stopped with the questions.
No one was in the position to comment about the father and daughter’s relationship. There must be more to it than meets the eye.
Shen Xi never thought that the more she avoided the people she hated, the more these people appeared before her. They sure had the nerve.
Su Yi and Su Muxuan bumped into Shu Baiyu who came to the residence and followed her in.
Shu Baiyu may be aloof, but she found it hard to say no directly. She never agreed to it but the Su father and son brazenly walked with her. It was not as though she could drive them away.
Shen Xi was taken aback by Shu Baiyu’s presence and almost choked on last night’s dinner when Su Yi and Su Muxuan came up from behind Shu Baiyu. Giving the Su family the cold shoulder, she turned to the beautiful woman. “Ms. Shu.”
Furrowing his brows, Huo Yuping was not having it. He threw Su Yi and Su Muxuan a fleeting glance and asked Shu Baiyu. “Yu’er, what’s going on?”
“Uncle.” Shu Baiyu affectionately and politely greeted him before adding, “Mr. Su is looking for you and came in with me.”
Shen Xi was amazed by the coincidence. Mr. Huo turned out to be Ms. Shu Baiyu’s uncle. In a way, they were family now.
Shu Baiyu remained composed when she saw Shen Xi.
She had heard from Jiang Yin that her darling student came to learn from her uncle. Shu Baiyu found it hard to let that go no matter how many times she met the girl.
Who said a person could only have one teacher in the world?
The educators who taught her from whence she was in kindergarten to university were her teachers too.
Su Yi politely greeted Huo Yuping before gazing at Shen Xi intimately and worriedly. “My dear, why didn’t you tell me you’re here? Do you have a place to stay? Are you causing trouble for Mr. Huo?”
