CHAPTER 39: CHAPTER 39: PROMISE

After the enamel cooled, Su Lingzhi carefully polished it and held it up to the light to admire.

One was a pink, white, and green lotus pod; the other was an orange and red koi fish, perfectly blending with the golden base, with a delicate and vibrant color transition, giving a sense of eternal vitality.

Su Lingzhi displayed the enamel before him, "Which one do you want?"

Fu Yinli glanced at them and took the koi fish.

"Wait a moment."

Fu Yinli’s hand paused as Su Lingzhi snatched the enamel from his hand, clasped her hands together, made a sincere wish, and then reached out to him, "Give me your keys."

As she threaded the pendant onto his car keys, Su Lingzhi said, "They all say I have the attributes of a koi, so I’m sharing half of my good luck with you through this. You need to carry it with you every day."

Fu Yinli was amused by her childish act, "What if I end up taking all your luck?"

"Then that would be another story."

Su Lingzhi spread out the other lotus pod pendant, "I want you to promise it, that you’ll protect me, and never let me down."

"Even without it, I would protect you."

"No way." Su Lingzhi pushed the lotus pod into his hand, coaxing and persuading him for a while before he agreed to "bless" it the way she just did.

Fu Yinli returned the pendant to her, "Satisfied?"

Su Lingzhi nodded, her eyes sparkling with a crystalline smile, "Satisfied."

Outside, the sunset painted half the sky red, and the summer heat persisted.

On the way home, Fu Yinli suddenly stopped at the entrance of a convenience store, got out alone, and returned shortly.

Su Lingzhi looked at him quizzically, "What did you buy?"

Fu Yinli took the item out of his pocket and showed it to her without any shyness.

Upon seeing what was written on the package, Su Lingzhi was stunned, her face flushed red, and she quietly turned her gaze to the car window.

Regarding matters of intimacy, Fu Yinli was always very straightforward with her and never hid his desire for her.

"To your place or mine?" Fu Yinli asked.

Su Lingzhi lowered her gaze, hesitated for a while, and said, "My place."

Intimacy between men and women is the most normal thing; it’s not that she doesn’t want to be with him, it’s just that...

It’s just that she doesn’t want his desire for her to be confined to such things.

Perhaps she’s overthinking it.

In any case, it’s hard to say what she’s feeling.

Just then, her phone chimed. Su Lingzhi glanced at the screen, and all her sensitivity dissipated at that moment.

It was Jiang Chenglin’s message.

It read simply: [Hope you won’t disappoint me, see you next week]

Su Lingzhi subconsciously tightened her grip on her phone, her attention entirely diverted by the message.

At the next traffic light, Fu Yinli glanced at her and immediately noticed something wrong.

"What’s up?"

Su Lingzhi shook her head, "Nothing."

"If something’s bothering you, just say it. I won’t force you." He wanted her honest feedback, not to have to guess.

"Since you’ve noticed I’m bothered, you should abandon those thoughts toward me."

Caught by her counter, Fu Yinli chuckled suddenly, "So you’re bothered by this? Don’t want to be with me?"

Su Lingzhi avoided his gaze, saying nothing.

Fu Yinli ruffled her hair gently, cooing, "I’ll keep them handy for when you’re ready."

Finding it hard to get used to such barefaced words, Su Lingzhi leaned slightly to the side, reminding him, "The light’s green, focus on driving."

Right after she spoke, a car horn honked impatiently from behind.

Fu Yinli calmly released the brake and continued driving.

The koi fish enamel pendant on the car keys swayed slightly, adding a touch of liveliness to the otherwise solemn space.

Su Lingzhi lit up her phone screen and booked a ticket to return home.

Later, Fu Yinli received a phone call and dropped her off at her apartment before leaving.

...

The next day at work, as soon as Su Lingzhi entered the office, Rika called her in.

"Madam."

"Lindie, long time no see."

"Long time no see." Actually, she hadn’t seen Rika in the studio since the fashion show last week.

Rika gave her a hug and asked, "Didn’t you say you didn’t have a boyfriend last month? How come you’re in love so soon?"

The news about her having a boyfriend was already public, so Rika wasn’t surprised.

Su Lingzhi found herself in a dilemma, unsure whether to tell her that her boyfriend was the client for that custom suit.

"I..."

"But you’re at the right age for love, and it’s normal for love to come quickly."

Love comes fast and goes fast—Rika didn’t say the second part, her sunny and elegant demeanor revealing a touch of clarity.

Su Lingzhi replied, "To be honest, my boyfriend is a client of ours at Lyrae."

Rika was puzzled for a moment, then her eyes lit up, "Mr. Fu?"

Su Lingzhi nodded.

"He once called and specifically requested you to design a suit for him. I guess that was his plan." Rika asked, "Did you know each other before?"

"No."

Rika furrowed her brows, letting out a low sigh as she advised her, "To a mature man, love is the cheapest thing. But for most women, love has a fatal allure, leading them astray. There’s nothing wrong with being in love, I just hope you don’t become a slave to desire."

Though not quite understanding her words, Su Lingzhi remembered them and nodded in agreement.

Rika had her take a seat and got down to business, "I called you over today because your internship is about to end, and I wanted to discuss your transition to a permanent position."

Su Lingzhi looked troubled, "Madam, I mentioned my career plans before joining."

"You still want to return to Beijing?"

"Yes."

Rika hesitated for a moment, knowing she couldn’t retain her now. After a moment of silence, she said, "No worries, I believe you’ll come back one day; Lyrae will always welcome you."

Su Lingzhi smiled with relief, "Thank you."

Rika held her hand, saying, "With me, there’s no pressure; you can treat me as family or a friend. You’ll be leaving my studio in two days, and I’ll genuinely miss you."

"You’ve been so good to me, I don’t want to leave you either."

Though three months was a short time, she was emotionally attached to this place. Even if she didn’t make a great friend, Rika’s kindness wasn’t just noticed by her, but by everyone.

Unfortunately, this was not where she belonged.

"If you can’t bear to leave, stay, and I’ll register a sub-brand for you to play with."

Register a brand for her to play with...

Su Lingzhi hadn’t expected such contrasting words from a sophisticated and elegant creative director, taking it as a joke, "If you keep spoiling me, I’ll grow arrogant."

"I’m serious."

Su Lingzhi’s smile faded, suddenly feeling that Rika’s kindness was not unfounded but had some underlying reason.