The manager hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "Mrs. Fu, do you really intend to wear it?"
"Can't I?"
"It's not that you can't," the manager felt it was necessary to preface. "If you want to buy it, I'll certainly sell it to you. But you're not the first person to fancy this cheongsam."
His words were tactful yet clear.
Not being the first to fancy this cheongsam meant that before her, many others had wanted to take it, but for various reasons, none had succeeded.
The reason why...
The manager felt it was best not to elaborate.
Shen Qingqing, however, was somewhat curious. "Go on, I'd like to see if it can make me back down."
The manager, hesitant and afraid, even stole a glance at Fu Jingshu.
With Master Fu here, who would dare say his wife couldn't carry off this cheongsam, couldn't embody its nobility and elegance? Saying so would be tantamount to seeking death!
Yet, the more he stammered, the more curious Shen Qingqing became.
"Just say it, I'm very curious. Don't worry, no one will blame you."
As she spoke, she looked up at Fu Jingshu, leaning intimately against his chest, the corners of her lips slightly upturned, her smile as bright as the morning sun. "Right, hubby?"
Her smile, at this moment, outshone even the bright lights of the store.
Fu Jingshu's expression remained unchanged, but upon closer inspection, one could see his pupils were darker than before, as if a vortex was churning in the depths of his eyes, threatening to engulf anyone and never let them escape.
"What you mean is what I mean."
He answered without hesitation.
Only then did the manager understand that the rumors were true. Master Fu wasn't just a doting husband, he was practically henpecked. He no longer dared to conceal anything and explained truthfully, "The embroidery on this cheongsam is special, and its color is elegantly pleasing. But such a cheongsam has a fatal flaw."
"It's very discerning. Ordinary people simply can't carry it off."
At least, the ladies from prominent families nowadays lacked the elegance and nobility cultivated through the traditional arts of zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Moreover, this cheongsam was extremely picky about one's figure.
Worn well, it made one a noble lady embodying elegance and dignity. But if worn poorly...
It could easily turn into a monstrous hybrid.
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingqing found it even more challenging. "Bring it here, I'll try it on."
The manager hesitated slightly.
Fu Jingshu's cold gaze swept over him.
The manager shivered and casually pointed to a sales assistant. "You, take the cheongsam and Mrs. Fu to the fitting room to try it on."
"Yes."
After they went in, they waited for nearly half an hour.
The manager, fearing Fu Jingshu might grow impatient, explained, "The way this cheongsam is worn isn't complicated in itself, but there's still something to be carefully considered underneath."
He was embarrassed to be more explicit.
Fu Jingshu knitted his brows and looked at him. "Speak clearly."
He had never heard of needing to wear something underneath a cheongsam.
The manager swallowed hard and, steeling himself, said, "In any case, when Madam comes out, you'll understand what I mean."
He couldn't help but secretly wipe the sweat from his forehead, feeling that things might become even more complicated once Madam emerged.
Soon, the fitting room door opened.
Shen Qingqing stepped out.
The pale purple cheongsam clung tightly to her body's contours, outlining a seductive curve. The peonies embroidered from her shoulders downwards exuded an aura of nobility and elegance.
Her face was delicate and beautiful, her long, lustrous black hair simply pinned back with a white jade hairpin.
She wore no elaborate jewelry, yet she exuded an air of dignified grace. Combined with her strikingly delicate features, she was like an empress from ancient times in terms of her bearing, but like a seductive concubine favored by the emperor in terms of her face.
How could one person embody such contradictory qualities?
The manager was utterly mesmerized.
She had actually managed to wear the cheongsam to achieve the designer's intended effect!
"So many people tried it on before, yet none could achieve this effect. It seems this cheongsam was tailor-made for you!"
Shen Qingqing stood before the mirror, looking at her reflection with satisfaction. "I didn't expect this cheongsam to suit me so well."
She paused and looked at Fu Jingshu.
"Hubby, would I be too formal wearing this cheongsam to the banquet? If everyone else is wearing evening gowns, won't I be out of place..."
Fu Jingshu walked over, his tall frame standing close behind her, his large hands encircling her waist along its curve.
He lowered his head slightly, his hot breath misting her ear.
"You look stunning."
Receiving her husband's praise, Shen Qingqing naturally felt pleased, and a more charming and radiant smile bloomed on her face.
"Then I'll wear this to the banquet."
Fu Jingshu, however, said, "No."
"Why?"
Fu Jingshu remained silent, but his deep gaze slowly slid from her profile to her earlobe, then down her fair neck, tracing her slender waist before finally stopping at the hem of the cheongsam's slit.
He said nothing, yet the oppressive atmosphere around him was almost palpable.
Shen Qingqing shifted her long legs slightly, revealing a expanse of fair skin from the slit, so white it was dazzling.
The manager beside them swallowed hard.
Immediately after, Fu Jingshu shot him a chilling glare.
The manager felt like crying.
He had heard rumors that Master Fu was jealous, but he had never witnessed it firsthand. Seeing it today was an eye-opener.
But it was illogical for him to be jealous of her!
She was a woman!
Fu Jingshu, however, didn't care if it was a man or a woman. Anyone who lingered their gaze on his wife for too long would receive a warning glance from him.
As a result, all the sales assistants and the manager in the room stared at the ceiling, or at the chandelier, at the nearby gowns, or at the patterns on the floor tiles.
In short, they avoided looking at Shen Qingqing.
Fu Jingshu's broad palms clasped her waist tightly, being careful with his strength so as not to hurt her. "Change into something else."
"Doesn't it look good?" Shen Qingqing's waist swayed slightly, her extremely seductive waistline becoming incredibly obvious, making one's face flush and heart race.
"You're not allowed to show it off outside," Fu Jingshu said in a low voice.
Shen Qingqing glared at him, somewhat annoyed. "You told me to try it on with confidence, and you said I could wear this dress to the banquet, but now you're saying I can't. What exactly do you want? Are you deliberately toying with me?"
"No."
Fu Jingshu glanced again at the fair skin revealed by the slit. He then promptly took off his jacket and tied it around her waist.
Shen Qingqing: "..."
She was a little angry and reached out to untie the jacket, but Fu Jingshu stopped her. At this moment, the man was more resolute than ever.