Chapter 199: Hubby
Zhao Lifei woke up in the afternoon, boggled and dazed, not believing she had slept for that long. All she remembered was telling Yang Feng to go brush his teeth and then lying back down on the bed. She didn't think that in just a blink of an eye, she would fall asleep.
She texted Huo Qiudong for her schedule at Feili and he replied, [None.] She shrugged it off, understanding Wei Hantao probably took over the majority of what needs to be done in the company. She figured the only times she would make her presence known would be during meetings and once she made her debut, her schedule would most likely be packed.
When she noticed something in the corner of her eyes, she got out of the bed. Sitting on the black nightstand was a crisp white note in the familiar and neat handwriting of Yang Feng.
'I went to work, will be back before the sun sets. Remember to eat breakfast, I will know if you skip it.' -Hubby ♥
Her eyes widened at the way he addressed himself. Hubby? HUBBY?! She was further boggled by the messily scribbled heart. Shaking her head, she did not realize a tiny smile was beginning to form on her face.
She placed the note down and got ready for the day. After brushing her teeth and taking a shower, she walked out of the bathroom, smelling like him. She wandered the halls in search of Yang Ruqin's closet. After a while of failed exploration, she finally stopped a maid in the hallway who guided her to a room that was not quite as large as Yang Feng's. She could tell by the pastel pink and lavender furniture that this was most definitely Qinqin's room.
She walked into the closet, pulled out a random pair of clothes, placed them on and then breezed downstairs where the housekeeper was already waiting for her by the dining room.
"Good afternoon, Miss Zhao!" She brightly greeted the woman, "Young Master Yang has instructed the chefs to begin cooking once you've awoken. Please give us ten minutes and the food will be served." She humbly bowed her head before taking Zhao Lifei into the large dining room.
Exactly ten minutes later, a wide variety of dishes were placed in front of her ranging from prawn fried rice to spaghetti. She was overwhelmed by the different spices of the dishes and dug in regardless.
She was already skinny as she was. She knew if she got any lighter, Yang Feng would throw a fit. After eating to her stomach's content, Zhao Lifei decided to go back to her grandfather's house. She grabbed the cuff links that she never had the chance to give him, placed it safely inside her purse, then made her way to do some light street shopping.
Zhao Lifei did not know why, but her wandering took her to Granse. Her lips tugged downwards when she remembered the rude treatment she received. With shopping bags in hand, she was about to turn around and walk away before a girly voice called out.
"Wait, don't go!" Wu Subing ran out of the store upon spotting the familiar woman by the window. He was in such a rush that he forgot to change his indoor slippers for proper shoes, for he did not want to miss the opportunity to apologize again. Yesterday, he had seen Yang Feng's black Maybach pull up in front of the store, only for it to strangely drive away, missing the assigned appointment.
Zhao Lifei paused and looked back to see a woman calling after her and upon closer inspection, she saw it was Wu Subing dressed in female clothing.
"In regards to your dress, it was never bought out by anyone!" He hurriedly explained, running forward to grab her hands. "Someone paid my store representatives a hefty sum of money to lie to you. The situation has been dealt with and my entire store has a new set of employees—"
"Who paid them?" Zhao Lifei skeptically asked, wary of the man. She eyed him, her eyes filled with distrust and suspicion. She was never one to trust people so easily.
"Well, that's what I've been trying to figure out for a while now. They contacted my representatives through a burner phone and I only found out about this the day after the banquet. It really was not my intention to do you dirty." He babbled on and on, his long speech reminding Zhao Lifei of Yang Ruqin when she was in trouble.
"Think about it, why would I be stupid enough to go against Yang Feng's woman? I've seen firsthand on how he dotes on you, the man is wrapped around your pinky. What would I gain from offending you?" Wu Subing was so nervous, he could not help his word vomit.
"The day you tried to pick up the dress, I was not at the store, but the studio designing something else. Please, you have to believe me!"
Zhao Lifei patiently listened to his childish rambling, for she was practically used to conversations like these. Whenever Yang Ruqin needed help, she would recite an entire speech just to reach the final conclusion.
Wu Subing became antsy when she did not respond, her expression remaining the same. She neither looked happy nor did she look particularly upset. He continued on, "I'll make it up to you, okay? How about this, I heard Old Master Yang's birthday banquet is coming up. I'll design a dress specifically for you? One of a kind, with only a single stock in the entire world!"
Zhao Lifei looked at him incredulously, blinded by his enthusiasm to mend their rift. This poor man must've suffered from Yang Feng's wrath. She wondered what misfortune befell on his shoulders for his behavior to change so quickly around her.
Sighing, she said, "Do whatever you want."
Wu Subing saw it as a chance of redemption, his heart soaring in relief, the mountain weighing down his shoulders finally gone. Oh my god, does this mean I get to live?!
"Okay, let me get another measurement of your body then!"
"Why?"
"Just for safety measures."
He grabbed her wrist, pulling her into the store, the bell dinging. True to his words, Zhao Lifei saw a new batch of employees, fresh-faced and young, yet the way they behaved made them look very experienced in the field. Upon seeing her, they bowed low, reverent smiles on their faces, properly greeting her with a "Good afternoon, welcome to Granse!"
She wondered if it was because their boss was practically dragging her into the store or if it was because they were truly this attentive. Brushing it off, she stood in the same room where she saw the mannequins, however, this time, it was empty except for a desk and a circular stand in the middle.
"I have some dresses in the back that you can take before you leave. Just use it as uh, casual streetwear!" He waved his hands, a woman stepping forward with a tape measure. He remembered how nitpicky Yang Feng was when it came to the people that touched her body and assigned one of the female staff to measure her.
Zhao Lifei nodded to herself. Yep, Yang Feng must've threatened this man to his grave and beyond for him to be this courteous. "You know, you don't have to change so much just to please me. A simple apology would suffice."
Wu Subing turned around, nervously scratching his wig, an awkward laugh coming out. "Haha I-I don't know what you're talking about..." He went into the back room to pull out three dresses, too fancy for casual wear.
Wu Subing thought she would still have the Diva attitude that she was notorious for in the past, smashing things when she was upset, and making people go beyond their limits just to apologize to her.
He remembered an incident in the past where she made headlines for forcing a socialite to eat a literal cake made from mud just because the woman soiled her dress. He shuddered, thinking his punishment would be much worse, and with the threats made by Yang Feng breathing down his back, he thought he would be a goner!
"You can keep your dresses as well, they're too fancy for streetwear."
"But—"
"I don't like to attend social gatherings anymore, it's too tiring. The dresses will go to waste and most likely rot away in my closet."
Maybe it was because she was standing on the circular platform with the lights glaring down on her, but Wu Subing was beginning to see her in a different light. She did not seem as bad as the media portrayed her, nor did she still have that same horrendous behavior tying her down.
Clearing his throat, he slowly nodded, "Okay."