Chapter 29: Struggling Mightily to Suppress a Laugh

"Why are you back so suddenly?"

This question was one that both Wei'an and Liang Suhua were curious about.

No sooner had Kuang Yunxiao, dusty from his travels, finished washing up and come downstairs, than Liang Suhua posed the question.

"Just passing through."

Kuang Yunxiao offered no further elaboration.

Wei'an: "..."

She realized he was likely passing by home due to some mission, and since today happened to be Liang Suhua's birthday, he had dropped in for a quick visit. Still, wasn't his answer a bit too concise?

He seemed very different from the way he was described in the stories he told her mother about his childhood. According to Qu Xiurong, the young Kuang Yunxiao had been a bold chatterbox. Now? He seemed to be the type who wouldn't open his mouth unless absolutely necessary.

"Then when are you leaving?"

"This afternoon."

"Take Wei'an to see a movie this afternoon, take some photos while you're at it, and go to the department store to see if there's any suitable clothing for her."

If it weren't for the presence of Wei'an and her mother, Liang Suhua wouldn't have bothered talking to this boy. It was one thing to be a man of few words, but couldn't he at least try to make an effort in front of his fiancée and future mother-in-law?

"I can stay until five at the latest."

He glanced at Wei'an, who was keeping her head down, eating her breakfast in silence. She hadn't gotten up until nearly nine o'clock; was she always this lazy?

Wei'an felt a nudge against her calf. She looked up.

"Mom, our train is tomorrow morning."

She had plenty of time. Never mind a movie, photos, and shopping—she could handle several more activities if needed.

Qu Xiurong glared at her helplessly and kicked her again.

Kuang Yunxiao’s expression remained unchanged as he set down his water glass.

"It's not yet ten. Let's go take those photos."

The words were phrased as a suggestion, but his manner left no room for debate. Without a word, Wei'an put down her bowl, stood up, and went upstairs to get her bag.

The two soon headed out. There was no conversation along the way, not even when they arrived at the photography studio where they had already taken pictures just yesterday afternoon.

"Sir, lean a little closer to the lady. Right, just like that, don't move."

"Sir, give us a smile."

Wei'an didn't even need to look at Kuang Yunxiao to guess that his smile was stiff.

"If you can't smile, then don't. It’s an eyesore." He looked far too grave, and his posture was so rigid that their portrait was bound to look strange.

Kuang Yunxiao: "..."

Was she implying he wasn't good-looking? Subconsciously, he looked at Wei'an’s face. It was still the size of a palm, and the long lashes on her large eyes looked like two soft brushes. Her ears were delicate and dainty.

Kuang Yunxiao looked away, wondering why he had used the word "dainty" to describe her ears. He felt he was more than a match for her, yet she was so thin and frail that he felt he could pick her up with a single finger.

He sighed inwardly. "Let’s go to the department store." Best to finish what his mother had ordered as quickly as possible.

...

Wei'an kept her eyes lowered, following quietly behind Kuang Yunxiao the entire time. Whatever clothing he told her to look at, she looked at. Finally, much to his surprise, she chose a long-sleeved white shirt with a Peter Pan collar.

As for pinks and the like, she politely declined. She still preferred simple, elegant colors like white and black.

Passing a tailor shop, Wei'an stopped.

"I want to have a suit made for you."

She happened to have enough fabric coupons on hand—half given to her by her mother when she left, and half by Liang Suxia.

Kuang Yunxiao actually wanted to refuse. He wore his military uniform all the time; he had no time or occasion to wear a suit.

"To wear for the homecoming visit."

Wei'an noticed his hesitation and was quite satisfied that he hadn't outright rejected her suggestion.

Kuang Yunxiao: "..."

The wedding was still three or four months away, and she was already thinking about what he would wear for the homecoming visit?

Guided by the master tailor, they selected the fabric for Kuang Yunxiao's suit. While the tailor measured him, Wei'an walked to the side to look at the ready-to-wear garments. Unfortunately, she didn't see anything she liked. It wasn't that the styles were bad, but they were all long dresses. Styles were limited in this day and age and relatively conservative; there were no short sleeves, and the shortest were elbow-length lantern sleeves. At five-foot-seven, she really didn't suit long dresses.

"Do you usually prefer to keep it on the left or the right?"

The master tailor's dry, slow voice came from nearby. Wei'an turned to see him half-crouched in front of Kuang Yunxiao, looking up expectantly for an answer.

"Keep what on the left or right?"

Kuang Yunxiao was clearly unaccustomed to the tailor being so close, especially in a crouching position. He stepped back twice.

"The inside, of course." The tailor switched the measuring tape to his other hand and persisted stubbornly, "If you prefer to keep it on the right, the trouser seam needs to shift to the left, and if you prefer the left, the seam needs to shift to the right."

Kuang Yunxiao suddenly realized what he meant. He retreated another two steps in a hurry, his hands instinctively shielding his crotch.

Wei'an: "..."

Well, that was an education. Did men's suits really have such nuances? She turned away, pretending not to have heard the tailor, and "diligently" flipped through the fabric bolts.

"Is that really necessary?" Kuang Yunxiao’s voice was so low that even with her ears perked up, Wei'an could barely hear him.

"A suit is different from other clothing. We have to be meticulous," the tailor said with a hint of an old Shanghai accent.

"I never noticed." Kuang Yunxiao was extremely embarrassed; even the tips of his ears were red.

"There must be a fixed place to keep it, so which is it, left or right?" The tailor was also feeling frustrated. In their line of work, some things truly required refinement.

Kuang Yunxiao closed his eyes, regretting ever agreeing to come in for a suit. But the tailor was waiting quite seriously for his answer. He had to shift his legs, struggling for a long moment before whispering, "Left."

The tailor nodded and went to the cutting table to pick up a pencil and record the details: "Comrade Kuang, twenty-six years old, black, usually prefers to keep it on the left."

Perhaps due to his advanced age and poor memory, he repeated the details aloud as he wrote them down.

Wei'an was shaking with suppressed laughter, struggling mightily to keep from bursting out.

Kuang Yunxiao: "..."

He had been alive for nearly thirty years, and this was the most humiliated he had ever felt. He swore that never again in his life would he set foot in a tailor shop!

...

Leaving the shop, Wei'an watched Kuang Yunxiao’s retreating back, which looked as though he were fleeing from a battle, and still couldn't stop herself from smiling.

"Xiao Liu, do you want to go take a look? I heard someone is causing a public nuisance over there."

A group of people, both men and women, ran past them. Seeing the commotion, Wei'an felt a spark of curiosity.

"I'm not very hungry yet."

Seeing that Kuang Yunxiao remained indifferent and continued to head toward the state-run restaurant, she reached out and tugged on the back of his jacket.

"I'm hungry."

He hadn't eaten breakfast, and after arriving home, he had expected his mother to have steamed rice cakes for him, only to find she had completely forgotten him.

"Don't go looking for trouble."

Kuang Yunxiao took a step, but the back of his jacket was pulled again.

"Do you believe someone would actually cause a scene in the middle of the street?"

The phrase "causing a scene" instinctively made her think of Du Haibo. He had left the house at the crack of dawn today!