Jiang Lai’s hand loosened its strength a bit; she stared blankly at Xu Ruobing, gloom crept up and covered her entire face. Even the light under Xu Ruobing’s eyes seemed like a snuffed candle, and the corners of the mouth drooped along with it. Her usual calm and elegance vanished completely, and she looked exactly like a little kid whose beloved toy had been snatched away.
She repeated this sentence, voice as light as a sigh, Fingertip unconsciously drawing circles on the back of Jiang Lai’s hand, carrying a trace of blank helplessness, “So you want to wear a Suit…”
“That would be such a waste. Isn’t this Wedding Dress pretty? Why must you wear a Suit?”
Jiang Lai looked at her like this, and her heart felt as if it were being gently pricked by fine needles, soft beyond measure.
She turned her hand to grip Xu Ruobing’s cool Fingertip, and explained in a low voice, “It’s not that I don’t want to wear a Wedding Dress, I just think a Suit is a bit more convenient. And if two people wear Wedding Dresses together, wouldn’t that be a little inappropriate?”
“How is it inappropriate…”
Before she could finish, Xu Ruobing gently interrupted her. Xu Ruobing raised her eyes to look at her, the disappointment under the eyes had not yet faded, but she had already tried to squeeze out a bit of a smile.
Only that smile carried a trace of reluctant accommodation, “The Wedding Dress is so pretty, you should wear pretty clothes. If you don’t wear a Wedding Dress, it’s simply a waste… Of course wearing a Suit would be more convenient, but…”
Xu Ruobing leaned forward a bit, her forehead gently pressed against Jiang Lai’s forehead, with a coquettish tone, “But Jiang Lai, I just want to see your appearance in a Wedding Dress, okay?”
Warm breath brushed past Jiang Lai’s nose tip, voice soft like cotton candy, “Think about it, the gauze skirt hem, setting off your pretty shoulder and neck lines, standing under the light, Jiang Lai would surely look like a fairy who walked out of a painting, as beautiful as can be. I beg you, just let me take one look, as long as I can see it once, I can die without regret!”
Jiang Lai’s ears began to burn again. She turned her head away, avoiding Xu Ruobing’s overly burning gaze, and said softly, “The actual situation isn’t that exaggerated, I’m not as pretty as you say… Also, I don’t like keeping things like dying or not dying on your lips. I only want to stay with you, I don’t want to be apart from you.”
“Of course, I won’t be apart from you.”
Xu Ruobing immediately took the words, her tone certain beyond doubt. She simply sat down beside Jiang Lai, reached out from behind to wrap around her waist, placed her chin on her shoulder, and clung to her whole body like a spoiled cat, “But Jiang Lai… okay? Just try one, just one. After trying, if you feel it’s not suitable, we’ll go choose other clothes, okay?”
“First try the Wedding Dress? If the Wedding Dress doesn’t look good, we’ll go pick again, okay?”
As she spoke, she rubbed her cheek against Jiang Lai’s Neck Hollow. The soft, plush touch carried a warm temperature, making Jiang Lai unable to help shrinking her neck.
“Don’t mess around…”
Jiang Lai reached out and pushed her with Gentleness, but was hugged even tighter.
Xu Ruobing’s voice was muffled, carrying a bit of Nasal Tone, sounding extremely full of Grievance, “I’m not messing around, I just want you to wear a Wedding Dress once for me to see. You’re about to marry other people, can’t you let me see it? I only have this one tiny request.”
Her fingers gently stroked the soft flesh at Jiang Lai’s Waist Side, her tone carrying a bit of cautious Ingratiating Tone, “Just treat it as fulfilling one of my wishes, okay? After trying the Wedding Dress, whatever you want to wear I’ll accompany you. Even if you want to wear a hoodie and jeans for the Wedding, I’ll go along with you.”
Jiang Lai was pestered by her until she had no way out, and the little hesitation in her heart had long been scattered by her soft and hard pestering. Feeling the undisguised expectation of the person behind her, she could not bring herself to refuse. She sighed lightly, turned her head to look at Xu Ruobing, and with a helpless smile under the eyes, said, “Just one, no going back.”
Xu Ruobing’s eyes instantly lit up, like stars that had been lit, so bright they dazzled the eyes.
She immediately straightened up and gave Jiang Lai a “smack” kiss on the cheek. The disappointment and Grievance under the eyes were swept away, replaced by full joy, “I knew Jiang Lai was the best! No going back, absolutely no going back!”
By then, as long as it could be worn on Jiang Lai’s body, whether it could be taken off would all be her decision. She could guarantee that once a pretty Wedding Dress was put on, one would be reluctant to take it off.
“Now let’s hurry and choose one, choose one you like, then have the shop assistant send it over, and we’ll try it on, okay?”
Xu Ruobing pulled Jiang Lai’s hand, her gaze roaming over the several Wedding Dress catalogs spread open on the coffee table, Fingertip brushing past page after page of Photos.
“How about this one!”
Xu Ruobing’s Fingertip suddenly stopped on a Photo, her tone carrying undeniable joy. She pushed the catalog toward Jiang Lai.
Jiang Lai followed her Fingertip and looked over. The Wedding Dress in the catalog was indeed very exquisite, layer upon layer of skirt hem like crushed starlight. The off-the-shoulder design just happened to reveal pretty shoulder and neck lines, and the lace bow at the waist added a touch of romance.
In her heart, a trace of expectation actually quietly arose, but she still stubbornly held out verbally, “Isn’t it too exaggerated? Such a long skirt hem, it’s inconvenient to walk.”
“It’s convenient, how is it not convenient?”
Xu Ruobing immediately retorted, reaching out to wrap around her arm and shake it, full of coquettishness, “When the time comes, I’ll hold your hand and walk with you, definitely won’t let you trip. And a Wedding Dress, it has to be a bit grand to look good. Plain and ordinary is so boring.”
‘Xu Ruobing holding her own hand?’
Jiang Lai listened, and couldn’t help wondering what part of the ceremony would require Xu Ruobing to hold her hand, but she didn’t say it out loud. After all, none of the various details of the Wedding had been decided yet. What if there really was such a part when the time came?
And Xu Ruobing, afraid Jiang Lai would go back on her word, immediately called the shop assistant over, her tone light and certain, “Please bring this one over. According to this young lady’s size, it should fit.”
The shop assistant smiled and agreed, then turned and quickly went to fetch the Wedding Dress.
Only then did Xu Ruobing sit back on the Sofa with satisfaction, still clinging to Jiang Lai’s side, her arm wrapped around her waist, chin placed on her shoulder, eyes staring at her without blinking, as if afraid she would run away.
“Jiang Lai, do you know?”
Xu Ruobing’s voice was soft, carrying a bit of longing, as if she had suddenly thought of something, and very seriously explained in advance what might happen next, “I’m worried that when the time comes, I won’t be able to control myself. Seeing your appearance in a Wedding Dress, if you’re too beautiful, I might even make a Proposal to you on the spot.”
“There doesn’t seem to be a ‘what if,’ it’s certain. I definitely won’t be able to help making a Proposal to you. When the time comes, don’t blame me, I just can’t control myself a little! If you must blame someone, blame yourself for being too charming.”