Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Grandma Shi was old, but she was in a rural place and had been working all year round. Her body was very strong.
Her palm was wide and rough. Shi Mengwan’s face would be swollen with this slap.
Not wanting to back down at all, Shi Mengwan gritted her teeth and stood there.
The silent Mother Shi finally came over. She quickly pulled Grandma Shi’s hand away and yanked Shi Mengwan behind her.
“Mom, if you have something to say, say it properly. It’s rare for Nannan to come back. Do you have to do this?”
“I say it properly? How didn’t I say it properly? It’s been so many years. Have you given birth to a son for the eldest son yet? Huh? I let you step into the third family for your own good. Why? Do you have to be so ungrateful?”
“Mom.”
“Grandma, How was she grateful? Tell me.” Shi Mengwan stood behind Mother Shi. She was so angry that she almost laughed. “My cousin will already be eleven this year, right? If he knew who his parents long before, if you let my mom take over, would my mom be more intimate with him than his real mother? If she can’t kiss him, what can she take over? Raise a son for someone else? Besides, my mom is doing pretty well now. She has a daughter, so why would she want to take over someone else’s son?”
Shi Mengwan’s grandma was so angry that she pointed at Shi Mengwan.
“Can a son be the same as a daughter? Let me tell you, a son has to carry on the family line. Can you do that?”
“Why can’t I do that?” Shi Mengwan took a step forward. “Grandma, let me tell you, I’ll just pick a man for my family and give my child the surname of Shi. What’s wrong with that?”
When she said that, all the neighbors who had been watching the show gasped.
Even Shi Mengwan’s mother looked at Shi Mengwan in shock. “Wanwan, what nonsense are you spouting again?”
Shi Mengru was still young, but she could tell from the reactions of the people around her that Shi Mengwan’s words were incredible.
She looked at Shi Mengwan worriedly.
“Mom, I’m not spouting nonsense.” Shi Mengwan turned around and looked at her mother’s face, which was no longer young.
For so many years, her mother had sacrificed so much for this family. But even so, it couldn’t compare to the sin of not giving birth to a son in Grandma’s eyes.
She couldn’t take it anymore. She turned around and looked at Grandma Shi. “Grandma, I’m recruiting a husband. The child born will be surnamed Shi. This way, it can be considered as carrying on the Shi family’s lineage, right?”
“You, you –”
“What about me? Can’t I? I think this is a good idea.”
Shi Mengwan stood there with a determined look on her face. “There are so many families that didn’t have daughters. It’s not like there’s no such thing. If I recruit one, what do you think, Grandma?”
“If you have the ability to recruit one and give birth to a child with the surname Shi, then of course it will be counted.”
“Okay, this is what Grandma said.” This was what Shi Mengwan wanted. “I hope Grandma won’t go back on her words again in the future.”
At this moment, Grandma Shi was so speechless that she couldn’t say anything. In the end, she nodded hard. “Okay, that’s fine too. I’d like to see which man would agree to such a thing.”
As she spoke, Shi Nainai sneered. “Do you think you can find such a good man? Willing to be a son-in-law? And also willing to give birth to a child with your surname?”
Zhan Haoze’s face flashed through Shi Mengwan’s mind. For a moment, she wasn’t sure herself. However, she wouldn’t lose if she lost. At this time, she definitely wouldn’t admit defeat.
“That’s right. I can find him. If I find him, Grandma, can you stop talking about letting my parents raise another child?”
“Sure. If you can do it, I won’t talk about it anymore.”
As Grandma Shi spoke, she glanced at Shi Mengwan with obvious contempt in her eyes. “But you can’t keep looking, right? What if you can’t find him or if you’re using procrastination to trick an old woman like me?”
“Then what do you want, Grandma?”
“We need to set a time.” Grandma Shi thought about it for a moment. “One year. I’ll give you one year. If you can find a man who agrees to be your son-in-law and is willing to give your child the surname Shi, I won’t mention the adoption anymore.”
One Year?
Shi Mengwan thought of Zhan Haoze again. She bit her lip and closed her eyes.
“Grandma, I don’t even have a boyfriend right now. You said you’ll only give me one year? Where can I find one? Especially when such a condition is proposed. It’ll take at least three to five years, right?”
“Three to five years? I don’t know if I can live until that day.” Grandma Shi sneered as if she had seen through Shi Mengwan’s thoughts. “You want to drag it out until I die? Shi Mengwan, there’s no such thing.”
The surrounding neighbors whispered to each other. Many people looked at Shi Mengwan, who agreed toGrandma’s words. They felt that she was deliberately stalling for time.
“Two years.” Shi Mengwan gritted her teeth, “Grandma, two years. Within two years, I will definitely find a man who is willing to be my husband and allow the child to be born with my surname. When that time comes, you can’t mention this matter anymore.”
“Okay.”
Grandma Shi nodded and sized Shi Mengwan up and down. Her gaze was really uncomfortable. However, Shi Mengwan didn’t mind. Instead, she stood there openly for her to look at, as well as for the other neighbors to look at.
She meant what she said. These people were all witnesses.
“Miss Wanwan, your abilities have grown over the years. I’ll wait and see. I’d like to see if you can find the man you’re talking about in two years.”
Hmph. Having achieved her goal, Grandma Shi left the courtyard. She despised Shi Mengwan’s mother for not having a son, so she wasn’t willing to live with her eldest son’s family. Instead, she stayed at her second son’s house.
The neighbors who were watching the show dispersed.
Mother Shi looked at her daughter and her face was full of anxiety. “Wanwan, how could you agree to something like this with your grandmother? In this society, which man would be willing to be a son-in-law?”
If there really was such a man, he must be a man with no ability or very poor conditions.
Which man with ability and good conditions would be willing to?
Even though Shi Mengru was only 13 years old, she was looking at Shi Mengwan with a worried expression.
“Yes, sister. How could you say such conditions to grandmother?”
“It’s fine. I know what to do.”
Mother Shi looked troubled. She wanted to persuade her again, but father Shi had already returned.
He had gone out for a wedding banquet today and had heard about what had happened at home as soon as he returned.
He didn’t even have time to stop the car and quickly got out. He first looked at his wife and daughter before his gaze finally landed on Shi Mengwan.
“Wanwan? Are you alright?”
“Dad, I’m fine.” Shi Mengwan had very complicated feelings towards her father. She knew that he treated her mother very well, but sometimes, she still felt that he was too soft.
At least, she really had some resentment towards her grandmother.
“Wanwan, I heard that you agreed to your grandmother’s conditions just now. What conditions?”
“Dad.” Shi Mengwan just wanted to say that she was fine, but Shi Mengru couldn’t take it anymore. She repeated what Shi Mengwan said to father Shi.
Father Shi’s face was red with anger. He looked at Shi Mengwan. “I’ll go look for your grandmother. I’ll tell her. I can’t let you agree to something like this.”
Even if his daughter was a girl, she was still the treasure in his hands. How could he watch as his daughter might lead an unhappy life in the future.
“Dad.” Her expression was very calm, Shi Mengwan looked at father Shi. “I’m serious. “Dad, don’t go to Grandma. Even if you can make grandma give up today, she will bring it up in the future. Since that’s the case, why don’t you listen to me? At least, Grandma will give us two years of peace.”
“But…” His eyes full of heartachem father Shi looked at Shi Mengwan. “When two years are up, are you really going to recruit a man?”
“Why not?” Shi Mengwan didn’t think her actions were wrong. “I think it’s pretty good.”
“Wanwan.” Mother Shi wanted to say something but hesitated. She looked troubled. “You don’t understand. Things aren’t as easy as you think. You might have forgotten about your third aunt’s cousin back then.”
Mother Shi glanced at father Shi. She was helpless. “Her family didn’t have a son either. They got a son-in-law, but that son-in-law said that he was recruited and that it was fine if he ate, drank, and didn’t work. He even went out to look for women later on, then said that the child he gave birth to didn’t take his surname anyway so couldn’t be counted as his.”
“Yeah.” Father Shi also sighed. That cousin’s matter, he knew. “Your aunt was tormented by that man and died before she reached 50. Wanwan, it’s not that I don’t want you to find a son-in-law, but no man in this world is willing to do that.”
“Mom, Dad, stop talking. I know what to do. Don’t worry, I’ll find a suitable man.”
Shi Mengwan didn’t believe it herself, but so what?
Compared to her parents’ dilemma, her sacrifice was nothing.
After spending the night with her parents, unable to fall asleep, Shi Mengwan tossed and turned in her bed.
She agreed readily during the day, but she forgot about Zhan Haoze.
She had never thought of being with a man other than Zhan Haoze, but she didn’t know what Zhan Haoze was thinking.
She remembered that a long time ago, she had asked her Dear Brother about his parents.
He replied to her coldly with two words: dead.
She could feel his disdain for his parents from his usual behavior.
Since that was the case, was it possible that he would agree to marry into the family?
She suddenly burst out laughing. Did Zhan Haoze have a future with her?
He had long forgotten everything that had happened between them. He was no longer her big brother.
How could he have a future with her? Not to mention marrying into the family.
Shi Mengwan tried her best to let go of that thought and stop thinking about it. Before she fell asleep, her last muddled thought was…
She gave herself two years. Two years. If she couldn’t get Zhan Haoze’s heart, if she couldn’t make Zhan Haoze fall in love with her, think of her, and be with her, then she would give up.
Before that, she still had to work hard.
..
Shi Mengwan only stayed at home for one day before returning to Lin City. It was the end of the year, there were many banquets, and their studio was also busy.
She put all her attention into work and whenever she was free, she would look for Xiang Caiping. It was almost the new year, and she had to settle some things before the spring festival.
A week before the new year, she saw Zhan Haoze again. This time, he came with Chen Feifei.
The moment Shi Mengwan saw Zhan Haoze, she froze for a moment, but only for a moment.
“Miss Chen. Hello.”
Because Chen Feifei had specifically asked Shi Mengwan to serve her, Shi Mengwan could only buck up and socialize with Chen Feifei.
“Hello.”
The weather was getting colder. Chen Feifei was wearing a rabbit fur coat, which was Chanel’s new winter coat.
The heater was turned on in the room. She took off the coat and handed it to Zhan Haoze.
“Brother Hao, help me with this.”
Shi Mengwan used a lot of willpower to force herself not to say that they had a place for VIP clothes.
“I have two parties to attend during the spring festival. I want you to help me choose two dresses.”
Chen Feifei had a subtle smile on her face. The way she looked at Shi Mengwan was kind on the surface, but if one looked carefully, one could see that she was guarded and displeased.
Chen Feifei appeared were delicate and fragile.
She didn’t like women who were too glamorous, especially women like Shi Mengwan. That was why she was willing to come to Song Searching Studio.
Why? Because she wanted to torture Shi Mengwan. So what if she was beautiful? She could only make clothes.
If Shi Mengwan knew what Chen Feifei was thinking, she would be speechless.
A fashion designer and a clothes maker weren’t the same thing.
“Miss Chen, our studio has released a new cherry blossom collection. There are a total of nine styles in this cherry blossom collection. You can take a look.”
Shi Mengwan’s cherry blossom collection was actually ten pieces, but the first one was ordered by the client. There were nine pieces remaining.
Although the styles were different, it could be seen that they were similar designs, but the details of each piece were handled differently.
“Cherry blossom collection?” Chen Feifei’s eyes lit up. “Sure, let me take a look.”
Shi Mengwan brought her to try on the clothes. From the beginning to the end, her gaze didn’t even glance at Zhan Haoze.
Chen Feifei liked that cherry blossom collection very much. As she looked at the clothes, she thought of something.
“Miss Shi, you said that there’s only one piece of each design of these clothes, right?”
“Yes.” Shi Mengwan nodded. “I can guarantee that there won’t be a second piece of these clothes.”
All of the clothes she designed had a LOGO that she had specially created. On it, there were dark patterns unique to Song Searching Studio. It was inside the clothes.
“Then, look. Although these styles are different, I can tell that they are a series. If I buy them and others buy them, won’t I be wearing the same clothes as others?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Shi Mengwan patiently explained, “This was a series to begin with. More importantly, we handle the details differently, so there won’t be the problem you mentioned.”
Chen Feifei didn’t say anything, then as if she thought of something, she said, “How about this? I’ll take all of these nine pieces. You’re not allowed to make the same style again. I don’t want to wear the same clothes as others.”
“Okay.” Shi Mengwan had nothing to say when she met such a straightforward customer.
It was one thing to dislike Chen Feifei. It was a fool not to earn money.
Chen Feifei tried on one of the pieces and then went out to look for Zhan Haoze.
“Brother Hao, you’ve been waiting for me for a long time, right? I’ve picked out the clothes. What do you think?”
Layer by layer, the color gradually changed from light pink to dark pink. The thin silk fabric was elegant, and the dark patterns of cherry blossoms danced with the hem of the skirt.
Looking at it carefully, it seemed as if there were petals flying.
Zhan Haoze glanced at the clothes, then nodded and snorted softly.
“What do you mean by snorting? Is it good or not?”
Chen Feifei hooked Zhan Haoze’s arm with a coquettish expression on her face. Zhan Haoze looked at the hand that she hooked his arm with. Taking a step back to look at the clothes, he pulled her hand away without a trace.
“Not bad.”
Chen Feifei smiled and finally went to change.
She went to change, but Shi Mengwan didn’t follow. She stood there and glanced at Zhan Haoze’s face. There was a flash of mockery and disappointment in her eyes.
She was actually thinking about working hard for two years? Now, it seemed that there was no need to work hard for two years. Zhan Haoze already had a choice.
Ignoring Zhan Haoze, Shi Mengwan turned around and walked towards Chen Feifei. Zhan Haoze’s voice sounded behind her.
“The clothes aren’t bad.”
The sudden four words made Shi Mengwan stop in her tracks. She turned around and glanced at Zhan Haoze.
Zhan Haoze was also looking at her. He cleared his throat and said, “When I say not bad, I mean the clothes aren’t bad.”
Shi Mengwan realized what he meant and couldn’t help but smile.
“Needless for you to say.”
If she didn’t have some real ability, how could she make Song Searching Studio become so famous in Lin City in such a short time?
At this moment, her face was full of confidence and flamboyance. She was originally glamorous, but she was charming but not trashy, gorgeous but not demonic.
Zhan Haoze’s eyes darkened slightly, and his gaze suddenly changed.
Shi Mengwan lowered her head and turned around to head towards the fitting room.
Chen Feifei picked out the nine dresses and two pairs of shoes. Other than the clothes, they also had shoes and bags in case the customers didn’t have accessories to go with the clothes.
The price wasn’t comparable to the top designer brands, but it wasn’t something that ordinary people could afford.
Shi Mengwan didn’t give Chen Feifei a discount. She watched Zhan Haoze take out his card to pay for it. She really wanted to charge twice as much, but in the end, she gave up.
After Zhan Haoze left, Xiao Ji, Xiao Qiu, and a few other designers all heard about the overbooking today. The group of people were very happy. Although it was the New Year, the studio’s business was very good, who would complain about having too much money to make?
Shi Mengwan looked at her subordinates and thought about the fact that she didn’t give Chen Feifei a discount just now. She generously expressed that this year’s year-end bonus would be given an extra month.
Under the cheers of her subordinates, Shi Mengwan returned to the office, but the joy on her face was gone.
She sat behind the desk and thought about the moment when Zhan Haoze took out his card and paid for it. In fact, she really wanted to question him, but she didn’t know what she could ask him later.
Her eyes were a little swollen and a little sore. She took a deep breath. That moment of discomfort inspired her again.
After pressing the call button and telling Little Ji that she wanted to draw, Shi Mengwan started drawing after telling them not to disturb her.
This time, she chose a blue background color. Blue represented melancholy. Just like her current mood.
She started drawing and lost track of time. After she was done with the things in front of her, she went downstairs and planned to go home. However, she found Zhan Haoze standing next to her car.
He was holding an unlit cigarette in his hand. Seeing that she was here, he threw the cigarette into the trash can next to him.
“…”
Shi Mengwan looked left and right. It was already very late. At this time, there weren’t many people in the business district that she was in.
She didn’t quite understand why Zhan Haoze was here, so she directly got into the car. Just as she sat down, the other car door was opened, and Zhan Haoze followed.
Shi Mengwan’s expression didn’t look too good. “Zhan Haoze, please get out of the car.”
“What? You don’t call me Mr. Zhan anymore?”
Previously in the studio, she had called him Mr. Zhan.
Zhan Haoze’s words made Shi Mengwan gritted her teeth. “Zhan Haoze, at this time, you should be accompanying Miss Chen, right?”
“She doesn’t need me to accompany her.”
“Yeah, she doesn’t need you to accompany her, so you came looking for me? Zhan Haoze, can you be any more overbearing?”
Shi Mengwan misunderstood the meaning of his words. She couldn’t help but mind, mind Chen Feifei’s existence, mind Zhan Haoze’s attitude.
Not giving Zhan Haoze a chance to speak, her attitude was rather cold.
“Get out of the car.”
Zhan Haoze looked at her. When she was angry, her lips opened slightly. The lights in the country weren’t very bright. The street lights outside shone in, and caused Shi Mengwan’s face to be covered in a layer of light.
He thought of her smile today. It was different from the cold sneeer now, but they were both equally beautiful.
“Get out of the car.”
Shi Mengwan said again, and Zhan Haoze made a move.
He reached out his hand. Just when Shi Mengwan thought he was going to push the car door, he turned around and reached out his long arm, pulling her into his embrace.
He lowered his head and kissed her lips easily.
The space in the car was narrow. Although there was a handbrake between the two of them, it made their lips even closeer.
Ever since Zhan Haoze left her apartment on New Year’s Day, it had been almost a month since the two of them had seen each other.
Shi Mengwan didn’t want to admit it, but she had to admit it. She missed Zhan Haoze’s kiss and his embrace.
His lips, his hands, his kiss, and his touch made her body go soft.
His overly domineering kiss made her almost unable to breathe. In the midst of the almost suffocating kiss, Zhan Haoze finally let go of her.
Shi Mengwan panted heavily, but she almost couldn’t sit still in her seat.
If it wasn’t for the back of the chair behind her, she might have already slid down.
She glared at Zhan Haoze, and when she met his deep pitch dark eyes, she weakly withdrew her gaze. She clearly wanted to chase him away, but his kisses always made her lose her sense of rationality.
This Zhan Haoze was really her nemesis.
No matter how “unwilling” Shi Mengwan was, how could she chase Zhan Haoze out of the car? In the end, she brought Zhan Haoze home again.
She was so upset that she didn’t notice that like a hungry wolf, Zhan Haoze’s gaze was constantly on her. It was filled with a predatory aura.
The moment she entered the room, Shi Mengwan’s body was in Zhan Haoze’s arms. He urgently and impatietly kissed her lips.
Shi Mengwan’s lips were hurting from his aggressive force. Her coat, clothes, and pants fell off one by one.
She followed the living room all the way to the room.
Shi Mengwan had just entered the room and hadn’t turned on the air conditioner yet. The moment her skin touched the air, she shivered from the cold.
However, that cold was quickly chased away by Zhan Haoze’s next move. Her body began to heat up.
