Little Rice Cake didn't have a one-month party, nor did he have a hundred-day banquet; Chi Chi never really cared much about these things.
The child is still so small—exposing him to too many people isn't ideal either. Fu Zhiyan thought it was best to wait and just throw a big birthday party for his first birthday.
The two of them agreed, and the grandparents simply deferred to their wishes.
Little Rice Cake's fever had broken, but he still seemed listless, clinging to his mother all day and even reluctant to let Fu Zhiyan hold him.
Chi Chi sat in the sun with her daughter on her lap, nestled in a rocking chair by the floor-to-ceiling window. Drowsy, with her rosy cheeks resting on her mother, Little Rice Cake soon fell asleep. The rocking chair was soothing, and Chi Chi herself drifted off as well.
Fu Zhiyan pulled the curtains halfway closed and carefully lifted their son from her arms. How could Chi Chi sleep well with all that weight on her?
Little Rice Cake kicked his legs, hovering on the edge of wakefulness, but lulled by Fu Zhiyan’s gentle patting, soon slipped back into sleep.
After settling their son on the sofa, Fu Zhiyan tucked a light blanket around his wife.
They stayed home for another day, waiting until Little Rice Cake made a full recovery before Chi Chi went with Mia Moore to look at wedding dresses.
The bridal salon had cleared out an entire hall just for Mia Moore’s dresses. In this respect, Charles Chase and Fu Zhiyan were exactly alike—anything Mia Moore so much as glanced at, Charles Chase had ordered for her to try on. They truly spared no expense.
Little Rice Cake was only just recovering, so Chi Chi didn’t bring him along. Aunt Xu looked after him at home, while Chi Chi went ahead with Mia Moore.
Both Charles Chase and Fu Zhiyan would be coming by a bit later. Chi Chi and Mia Moore actually felt even happier this way. Ever since Chi Chi told her about Charles Chase and his pastel-pink bedroom design, Mia Moore had stopped having any illusions about her fiancé’s taste.
"Chi Chi, darling… Ugh, I feel like my tummy's got a little bump—will I still look good in the dresses?" Mia Moore placed Chi Chi’s hand on her stomach, brow furrowed with worry.
"You'll be fine! By December 20th, you’ll only be just over three months along—it’ll barely show," Chi Chi reassured her.
Precisely because Mia Moore was worried about showing early, they had scheduled the wedding for next month.
When the car stopped at the entrance, they had just stepped out when someone came to greet them.
"Miss Mu, Miss Ye, please come in."
The salon manager personally welcomed them, respectful and attentive. "We’ve made sure not to accept any other appointments today—well, except for two other clients who had already reserved this date, but they won’t disturb you. You’re in our private VIP suite."
Mia Moore nodded casually; the designer she chose was the owner of the salon, but he was usually overseas. Still, he had specially designed her wedding dress, which had just arrived by express shipping.
The other dresses she ordered, for the sake of convenience, had all been shipped to the same location for her to try on.
They headed straight for the VIP room—although 'suite' was an understatement, as it was actually a massive room. Double wooden doors slid open on an expanse of understated white; the place was elegant and quietly luxurious.
The minimalistic décor set off the wedding dresses’ beauty and splendor. After all, here the real stars were the beautiful bride and her gowns.
The arched chamber was lined with soft ivory walls and warm, hidden lighting. Vintage gold garment racks on either side seemed less like furniture and more like pieces of art.
Exquisite wedding dresses hung on both sides, five to the left, five to the right, while the three most lavish pieces stood proudly in the center, each displayed on plush velvet mannequins.
Chi Chi and Mia Moore exchanged equally astonished glances—no girl could remain unmoved by so many gorgeous dresses.
They were breathtaking. There were romantic, vintage ballroom gowns, sleek mermaid dresses in fine satin, poofy princess-style dresses, dreamy off-shoulder butterfly-hem gowns, and even a hand-crocheted Chinese-style wedding dress.
"They're so beautiful, Yao Yao. I feel like you'd look stunning in every single one." Chi Chi’s eyes sparkled—they really were gorgeous. What girl doesn’t wish to wear a dress like these?
"So pretty! Charles Chase is taking forever; let’s not wait. Let's try them ourselves first!"
"Of course! Let me help you with the first one," Chi Chi agreed cheerfully.
The two of them immediately gravitated to the central gown.
Amid all the pure white dresses, this one had a subtle layer of iridescent gold tulle beneath its skirts, shimmering faintly underneath the white organza. The effect was understated, yet dazzling.
Exquisite white satin bows, embroidered to look like butterflies, were scattered on the skirt. The off-shoulder neckline exposed the collarbones and shoulders, while the back descended in intricate vintage lacing—a perfect frame for a beautiful back.
Mia Moore disappeared into the changing room. Trying on such elaborate dresses alone was impossible; no wonder she needed help.
Two salon assistants followed her in to help. Chi Chi waited for a while, then called out, "Yao Yao, I’ll pop to the restroom real quick!"
She heard Mia Moore’s reply and, after asking for directions, left the room by herself.
The corridor glowed with the same warm white light, thick carpets muffling her every step. Clearly, Mia Moore's designer had impeccable taste.
The bridal salon was unusually quiet, just as the staff had said; no walk-in customers today. As for the two other brides-to-be—well, who knew what their stories were.
They must be feeling so happy, Chi Chi thought—to get to choose a wedding dress in such a stunning place. When she’d married Zhiyan, because it had been a contract marriage, everything was simple and modest.
Back then, she’d just arrived at the Fu family home, and never expressed her own opinions—she left it all up to him.
But it’s all turned out well, she thought with satisfaction.
Exiting the restroom, Chi Chi quickened her pace, worried that Yao Yao might already be finished—she wanted to see the dress on her as soon as possible.
The thick carpet muffled her footsteps, so she didn’t notice someone following behind her.
Trailing her was none other than Xu Ran, whom she’d last seen months ago at S University, where Fu Zhiyan had kicked her out. Not long ago, Xu Ran saw on Song Ying’s social media that their art studio had opened.
She hadn’t expected Song Ying to ignore her now, keeping close company with Ye Chi Chi instead. So what if she’d sought out wealthy men? Wasn’t Song Ying now cozied up to Ye Chi Chi as well?
It all came down to the Fu family’s wealth, but no matter—if she couldn’t latch onto Fu Zhiyan, there were plenty of other men who would spend money on her. Her current man was married, but as long as she acted sweet, he’d given her free run of this top-rated bridal salon. It wasn’t hard at all to get what she wanted.
Hmph, Ye Chi Chi was already married, wasn’t she? When Xu Ran dug around about Fu Zhiyan before, she’d learned plenty—not only did the couple never have a wedding, Ye Chi Chi probably never even wore a wedding dress.
As the woman ahead pushed open a door, Xu Ran called out to her.
"Ye Chi Chi!"
At the sound of her name, Chi Chi paused and turned, looking back with a questioning expression at the person in the hallway.
The last time they’d met was in the dim lobby at S University—hardly the best lighting. Chi Chi didn’t really get a good look at Xu Ran then, and after all this time, she didn’t recognize her at all.