Susu seized the opportunity to pinch his flesh, saying with lingering resentment, "You bad guy, big bad guy."
"A little hitting and scolding is just affection; I like it."
"How did your skin become so thick? I can't stand it…"
They returned to the villa bickering and flirting, finding everyone else asleep.
As soon as Susu entered the villa, she took off her shoes, afraid of waking up Little Star, Chen Ma, and Xiao Mei.
Qin Tianyi scooped her up in his arms. As he went upstairs, he complained, "Why have you gotten so heavy? You've gained quite a bit of weight lately. If you get any heavier, I won't be able to carry you."
Susu tilted her head and leaned into his embrace, saying, "No way, I haven't gained weight. Who asked you to carry me? I have legs, don't I?"
"Is it not enough that my heart aches for your feet?" Qin Tianyi looked down at her tenderly.
Susu was resigned to his constant sweet talk, but her heart felt incredibly sweet.
…
After enjoying his myriad romantic gestures, Susu's price was yawning incessantly at the studio the next day.
Fortunately, her studio hadn't officially opened yet, and there were no clients. She simply slumped onto her desk, on the verge of falling asleep.
"Excuse me, is this Biyi Studio?" a woman's voice inquired from the doorway.
Susu immediately perked up, got up, and walked to the door. She saw an elegant middle-aged woman dressed in a stylish purple suit. The woman parted her red lips and asked, "May I ask if you are the designer Gu Susu?"
Susu smiled and nodded, "Hello, how can I help you?"
"Mrs. Wang introduced you to me, saying your evening gowns are very special and won't be the same as others."
Susu said modestly, "You're too kind. Do you need a dress designed?"
The elegant middle-aged woman hummed in affirmation, "My surname is Jia, Jia Nanfang. You can also call me Mrs. Shu."
"You said your name is Jia Nanfang?" Susu couldn't help but feel a little surprised.
They had actually met before, but they had never paid much attention to each other.
Susu remembered seeing her from afar in a hospital once, and she hadn't gotten a clear look at her at Shu Yan's wedding or Huo Jin's funeral.
This was the first time they were face-to-face at such close proximity. Susu figured Jia Nanfang had never noticed her either.
The last time she visited the countryside where Shu Yan had lived, she had heard the villagers talking about the Jia family's affairs. She was quite curious about this Mrs. Shu.
"Miss Gu, do you know me? Have we met before?" Jia Nanfang asked with a smile.
Susu quickly replied, "I've met Mrs. Shu a few times, but you might not have noticed me."
"Oh, is that so? Then we are quite fated," Jia Nanfang said, appraising her. The more she looked, the more Susu resembled her mother-in-law when she was young.
She had previously had Gu Susu investigated. The report said she was the daughter raised abroad by the Ai family, but in reality, she had been abandoned in an orphanage.
The Ai family had concealed the fact that she had been in prison and had a child out of wedlock, then married her off to Qin Tianyi.
But she never expected that such a woman with a past so shameful could still firmly hold Qin Tianyi's heart, have on-again, off-again relationships with him, and even have other men, yet still steadily remain Mrs. Qin.
She truly couldn't understand what made Gu Susu better than her own daughter, Shu Yan.
It seemed Gu Susu not only looked like her troublesome mother-in-law but had also inherited the trait of making men fall madly in love with her.
Her mother-in-law, Wen Shuman, came from a prestigious family. In her youth, she was stylishly educated at a school run by foreigners and had even traveled abroad.
Upon her return, she couldn't escape the arranged marriage her family had set for her and married into a prominent clan.
After three years of marriage, they had a son and a daughter. However, due to incompatibility, Wen Shuman boldly divorced him in that era and came to the unfamiliar city of Lancheng to work as an English teacher.
It was in Lancheng that she met Shu Zhongze's father, Shu Xinxu.
At that time, Shu Xinxu was one of Wen Shuman's students and was six years her junior.
In that era, the Shu family was also a prominent family in Lancheng, and such a romance was absolutely forbidden. However, Shu Xinxu was so infatuated that he wouldn't marry anyone but Wen Shuman.
This unbelievable romance caused a huge stir in Lancheng during the old days. To marry Wen Shuman, Shu Xinxu even threatened suicide, and in the end, they broke through all obstacles and got together.
Later, Wen Shuman's ex-husband found her, causing even more trouble. The story was long and complicated.
She had only heard bits and pieces from the older generation of the Shu family. Whenever the older generation of the Shu family talked about these matters, they were filled with jealousy and envy towards Wen Shuman, still not understanding what charm Wen Shuman possessed to make two exceptionally outstanding men of that time love her to distraction.
One could imagine how passionate and unconventional that love must have been back then, defying societal norms.
And Gu Susu before her, with Wen Shuman's bloodline, possessed an innate ability to captivate men.
Susu felt a bit uncomfortable under her gaze and touched her face, asking, "Mrs. Shu, is there something on my face? Excuse me, please come in and sit. I'll go wash my face."
"No, no, I just didn't expect Miss Gu to be so beautiful in person," Jia Nanfang said as she walked into the studio.
Susu knew she was just being polite. She had looked in the mirror when she woke up that morning and saw two panda eyes, clearly from lack of sleep.
Qin Tianyi had told her to stay home and catch up on sleep, but she was too restless and came to the studio, thinking she could get some work done and open the studio sooner.
However, she hadn't expected someone introduced by a former client to show up. If there was business, there was no reason not to accept it.
"Mrs. Shu, you jest. What kind of evening gown do you want me to design, and for what occasion?" Susu asked, getting into work mode.
Jia Nanfang said, "I want to wear it when accompanying my husband to formal events. I don't like overly grand gowns, nor do I want bright colors, but I hope it can be eye-catching."
Susu jotted down her requirements and asked, "When do you need it by?"
"Is about a week enough time?" Jia Nanfang calculated the date and said, "Because I'm afraid it might not fit and I'll need time for alterations."
"Yes, no problem," Susu agreed and took her measurements.
After Jia Nanfang left, Susu, considering her demeanor, already had a general design plan in mind. At the same time, she wondered if Jia Nanfang knew about the bad things Shu Yan had done.
Jia Nanfang had seemed composed when facing her earlier, not like someone looking for trouble.
Her studio was open for business, and there was no reason not to take Jia Nanfang's order.
She wanted to see Jia Nanfang's true intentions, so she would wait and see.
Alas, she couldn't be lazy today; she had to work diligently.
…
After leaving Susu's studio, Jia Nanfang felt that this illegitimate daughter, whom even Shu Zhongze himself didn't know about and who was living out in the world, was not easy to deal with.
She had come to Susu's studio by reputation, but it was only to test the waters first. She understood the principle of knowing yourself and your enemy to win a hundred battles.