Chapter 388: Returnee from Milan
Leaving her tailor workshop at 8pm, wearing a faint green dress that bordered on white, Li Wanâer was walking alone on a quiet street, feeling shy as she smiled to herself in a foolish mannerâŚ
For a woman to be able to smile this way, it was definitely because her heart was filled with happiness and anticipation.
Over the past half year, her colleagues at the workshop, Mister Angelo as well as her teacher would often joke, âThe most beautiful designer on our street has finally started liking to dress herself up. Hmm, let me think. I know, this is probably related to that handsome oriental guy from last timeâŚâ
âDefinitely! Havenât you noticed! Sheâs even smiling much more now! Sheâs looking younger and more beautiful too,â Some others said.
âSheâs being winning more prizes too, even several big ones. I think that this place of ours wonât be able to house her very soon.â
âItâs better if she soars higher! If she continues staying here, refusing to accept the invitations of all those big companies, I think that I will really have to play the bad guy. Iâm considering how to fire her right now.â
Li Wanâerâs teacher was not just joking about this. In fact, he had approached her and earnestly discussed this with her a few times before, having expressed that he hoped she could leave the tailor workshop, accepting the invitation of those well-known brands.
The situation was that Li Wanâerâs designs had been spurting out as if from an endless well over the past half year as she had won so many prizes it would make oneâs arms ache. She was already beginning to receive attention from Milanâs top fashion brands and personages.
To obtain recognition in Milan or Paris where the fashion industry was virtually dominated completely by westerners was actually not easy at all for somebody of Oriental descent.
Some were already predicting that this beautiful woman named Li Wanâer was set to be the most influential Chinese fashion designer for mainstream fashion in the future.
âArenât I doing magnificently? Part of the credit lies with you, tooâŚâ
Li Wanâer recalled that person. During their flight to Milan back then, Xu Tingsheng had randomly described some designs to her. While unsystematic and haphazard, these had provided her with many new elements, tracks of thought and leading modern concepts too.
Having begun sufficiently exerting her abilities atop this foundation, Li Wanâer had soared up to win several major prizes for fashion, both internationally and in Milan. She had shocked Milanâs entire fashion industry within a mere half year.
Yet, such a talent who was also a beautiful female designer who was destined for success was actually still working in a tiny tailor workshopâŚvarious major companies had begun offering her high annual wages in a show of their sincerity, with higher individual prices for her designs too.
Actually, Li Wanâer would not mind accepting the invitations of those major brands. Her entire life had consisted of her aspiring towards a larger stage in her dream as a designer. She had once experienced the pain of not having any money. If she could obtain greater wealth even while striving towards her dream, she would feel very blessed indeed.
Moreover, she would have a child to raise too. She wished to give him or her only the best.
Right, this was about that very child. In Li Wanâerâs mind, the foremost thing right now was to give birth to a child with that âlittle hoodlumâ. Only afterwards would she accept the invitation of those renowned brands, pursuing her dreams.
As for money, there was no need to worry for the time being with what she had originally saved up coupled with the proceeds from the designs that she had sold off at medium to high prices over the past half year.
Yet, it was already the 20th of July nowâŚ
The two of them had actually still communicated via text every once in a while previously, with the occasional call tooâŚneither had changed their minds. Yet as the fateful day approached, Li Wanâer had instead gotten shyer as she had ceased to text him or call his number.
Whyâs that guy also stopped contacting me recently all of a sudden? Itâs already time now.
Opening the door, entering her house, closing the door, locking and latching it.
Li Wanâer looked at the furniture that had just been changed over the past half year to ones that were more pregnant woman-friendly and more toddler-friendly tooâŚ
âThis actually seems kind of overly hasty. Heâll definitely laugh at me when heâs here and he sees it. That mouth of his is just so badâŚoh, I remember. He actually used to call me old woman, Auntie Wanâer beforeâŚalright, Auntie Wanâer is gonna become the mother of your child. Letâs see what you call me thenâŚâ
âThough, that big bedâŚat least that shouldnât be considered hasty, right?â
âHe himself said that itâs not like the first time will definitely succeed. Because of that, he should be staying here for a period of time. In that case, besides trying for a child, weâd surely have to do something else, right? Like taking a stroll together or somethingâŚor could it be that itâll just go on all day and all nightâŚâ
Li Wanâer felt like she was nearly unable to stand herself at this point as she exclaimed inwardly, âHey, Li Wanâer, since when did you become like that?!â
She placed a few beautiful sets of underwear that she had specially bought to make him happy at the lowest level of her wardrobe. When buying these, she had been imagining her satin-clad self, his fiery-hot gazeâŚ
âBut with his personality, he clearly holds the upper hand. Heâd probably just laugh at me again. I should just hide this till he begs and requests them of me.â
She stacked up the neatly folded towels and pajamas which she had prepared for him. Actually, she did this again and again an undefined number of times.
âAlright, if you wonât send me a message, Iâll send you oneâŚâ
Li Wanâer clenched her teeth and whipped out her phone. Yet in the end, she became conflicted over what she should send. It couldnât be: âHurry up and come make a child with meâ, right? How would that be any different from what had been said that night, âhurry andâŚmeâ?
After pondering for a long time, Li Wanâer finally sent the following text: Iâve calculated the time. It appears that there may be a higher chance of success if it begins two days from now.â
How perfectly nondescript a message this was. Anyone not in the know might even think vegetables were to be planted or something.
âNo, I want to delete thatâŚno, itâs too lateâŚright, thatâs fine.â
Li Wanâer flopped down on the large bed, sprawled out on it like a little girl. This bed really was largeâŚ.she had dreamed of it many times alreadyâŚ
Breaking out of her reverie with a somewhat reddened face, Li Wanâer found that Xu Tingsheng had still yet to send a reply. She cast all thoughts to the back of her mind, not giving herself any time to hesitate as she rode on the momentum and dialled his number straightawayâŚ
âHis phoneâs turned off? âŚIs he regretting his decision and avoiding me?â
Her inner monologueâs mood turned from sweet to sorrowful.
A perturbed Li Wanâer sat in front of her computer and turned on a Chinese search engine, entering his name withinâŚshe had found herself missing him so many times over the past half over year. Whenever she read news about him, which was virtually all good news, she would feel happy every time.
âHucheng Tongchengâs and Xingchen Technologiesâ Xu TingshengâŚcivic-mindedly rushing heroically into the flamesâŚcomatose, on the brink of deathâŚcompanies shakenâŚâ
Li Wanâer stared blankly at the computer screen, freezing up completely.
âIt isnât real. It definitely isnât realâŚâ
Li Wanâer checked the source of the reports. They were all from official publishers, and quite a few of them as well. Published on official mediums, they were full of praise for Xu Tingshengâs heroic, self-sacrificial actions.
It seemed an indubitable truth.
Discussion was rife on the internet too. There were various scoops and speculations, though there certainly were well wishes and encouragements too. Someone had even kicked off a collective prayer for Xu Tingsheng on WeiboâŚ
Yet, Li Wanâer cared not about all these. The only words visible to her on the screen were: Comatose, on the brink of death.
âComatoseâŚon the brink of deathâŚâ
Tears streaming uncontrollably down her face, she frantically dialled his number all throughout that entire nightâŚyet no one would answer whether she called once or a thousand times. She just could stop herself, though. She felt like she might really go crazy if she did not cling on to that meagre scrap of hope.
Early the next morning, the exhausted, agonised Li Wanâer boarded a plane heading from Milan to Shenghai City.
So it had never been about a single child in the first place. She was in love with this young man.