After buying the gifts, they drove to the Embroidery Association.
“If anyone bullies you or gives you a hard time, remember to tell your husband. I’ll have your back.” Xiao Cheng parked the car and turned to Lin Aiyun, speaking earnestly.
“Don’t worry—do I look like someone who lets others push me around?” Lin Aiyun raised an eyebrow.
Xiao Cheng laughed, unbuckled his seatbelt, and leaned over to ruffle her hair. “I know you’re tough.”
Then his brow furrowed slightly, and he couldn’t help adding a word of caution: “Still, you can’t let your guard down. Keep an eye on that Xiao Ping. Just because she’s Auntie’s apprentice doesn’t mean you should trust her completely. You have no grudge and have only known each other for a few days, but sometimes jealousy can be terrifying.
“There are so many people at the association—make sure to keep your personal belongings safe. Losing them is one thing, but the worst is if someone with ill intentions gets their hands on them.”
…
Xiao Cheng went on at length until time was nearly up before finally stopping. Lin Aiyun took mental notes of every point. Before getting out of the car, she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thanks, honey.”
“I’ll pick you up tonight.” Xiao Cheng was clearly pleased. He got out and helped her carry the gifts from the trunk. They hadn’t bought much to avoid drawing attention, but every item was genuinely high quality.
They parted at the entrance. Xiao Cheng watched her walk in before driving off.
Though association members didn’t have to report to the association every day and could take their embroidery home to work on, quite a few still showed up on time daily. The association offered the most comprehensive selection of needles and threads, as well as the perfect environment for embroidery.
It was like how university students flocked to the library during finals—the atmosphere there was unmatched.
Lin Aiyun didn’t know a soul yet. When she caught curious glances, she offered a small, friendly smile and continued down the corridor, finally stopping at Room 119—the embroidery room she’d been assigned to yesterday.
Staring at the closed wooden door, Lin Aiyun took a deep breath before mustering the courage to knock. After a moment, a voice came from inside.
“Come in.”
“No, no—I’ll get it!”
Hearing that, Lin Aiyun pulled her fingers back from the doorknob. The next second, the door swung open to reveal a woman in her early thirties, with two braids and a cream-yellow outer jacket.
Their eyes met in midair. The woman’s gaze visibly brightened, and a smile of delight spread across her face.
“You must be the new one, right?”
“Yes, hello. I’m Lin Aiyun.”
“My name is Yang Xi. Come in, come in!” Yang Xi flung the door wide open and waved Lin Aiyun inside, her round eyes crinkling into slits. “You’re really beautiful—the rumors didn’t lie at all.”
“My son had a fever yesterday, so I missed the association gathering. I’m sorry I missed such a big scene—we could have met then. But at least we got assigned to the same room!”
Lin Aiyun let out an awkward chuckle. She didn’t quite understand what Yang Xi meant by “such a big scene,” but her gut told her it was about what happened at the entrance yesterday. She decided to gloss over that and instead exclaimed with concern, “Is your son okay now?”
“He’s fine—his father’s looking after him.”
Yang Xi was an easygoing, friendly type. She quickly changed the subject, pulling Lin Aiyun over to her workspace. “This is your embroidery frame and cabinet. Over here are the needles and threads—all free to use. But if you want better quality or more colors, they’re on the third floor in the warehouse. Some you have to pay for, some are free, but everything has to be logged.”
Lin Aiyun followed Yang Xi’s pointing finger and took in the room’s layout. It was a moderate-sized space, with an entire wall of cabinets filled with needles, threads, and embroidery fabric. The rest of the room was evenly divided into four workspaces.
Each space had a wooden frame, a comfortable-looking chair, and a tall floor-to-waist cabinet beside it for storage.
“This is my spot—right across from you.”
Unlike Lin Aiyun’s empty area, Yang Xi’s showed clear signs of use, cluttered with everyday items. On her cabinet sat a vase holding a bouquet of handmade flowers crocheted from thick wool yarn—delicate and adorable.
“The other two should be here soon. That’s Qin Shuang, and that’s Zhang Yaoyao. Yaoyao’s pretty too. You two are closest in age—you’ll probably have a lot to talk about.”
Qin Shuang? Not the one from yesterday, was it? Lin Aiyun’s mind conjured the image of a brash, fiery-tempered woman.
“Actually, this room used to be full, but the person in your spot went back to her hometown to get married—she’s already processed her withdrawal from the association.” Yang Xi’s tone carried a hint of frustration. “Staying in the association is so much better—good pay and prestige. Now she’s marrying into the countryside, where you can see her whole life laid out ahead.”
Still, it wasn’t her place to judge. With parents like that, anyone involved would be dragged into the mire.
Sensing she’d said too much, Yang Xi laughed and was about to change the subject when the door was pushed open from outside. Both of them turned to look.
“Yaoyao, you’re here?”
Hearing that, Lin Aiyun guessed who it was—Zhang Yaoyao. She was indeed very pretty, with a delicate, oval face—small head, small features, but strikingly attractive. Her fox-like eyes tilted upward, framed by thick lashes that added a hint of allure and charm.
She wasn’t very tall and was wrapped in an oversized black suit jacket that didn’t quite fit, making her look like a kid wearing adult clothes.
“Sister Yang Xi.” Zhang Yaoyao’s voice didn’t quite match her appearance—cool and detached, with little emotional inflection. If not for the slight upturn of her lips, others might have thought she was upset.
After greeting her, she naturally turned her gaze to Lin Aiyun, curious about the unfamiliar woman who had suddenly appeared in their embroidery room.
“This is our new room member, Lin Aiyun. She just joined the association yesterday—the one recommended by Vice President Yang.” Yang Xi played matchmaker, introducing the two, and even reminded Zhang Yaoyao in case she’d forgotten.
“Oh, right! Hello, I saw your peony piece. It’s very good—I like it.” Zhang Yaoyao gave Lin Aiyun a friendly nod.
“Hello.”
They’d just met, and both were a bit reserved. After that stiff exchange, they weren’t sure what else to say. Fortunately, Yang Xi was good at keeping conversations going, and since it was still early with no rush to start embroidering, she happily got the ball rolling.
“I’m older than you, so you can call me Sister Yang Xi just like they do. I’ll call you Xiao Lin.”
Lin Aiyun didn’t have strong preferences about titles. Hearing this, she thought it fitting and nodded obediently. Recalling how Zhang Yaoyao addressed Yang Xi, she smiled and said, “Sister Yang Xi.”
“We’re about the same age, so I’ll call you Aiyun, and you can call me Yaoyao.” Unexpectedly, Zhang Yaoyao wasn’t as aloof as she appeared. She was actually quite approachable, speaking gently and unhurriedly—clearly a cultured person.
Lin Aiyun had no reason to refuse and felt a bit closer to Zhang Yaoyao.
The three had just settled on how to address one another when the door was pushed open again. Seeing that familiar face in the doorway, Lin Aiyun marveled at the strange twists of fate—it really was Qin Shuang from yesterday.
“Aaaah! You got assigned to our room?” Qin Shuang had a personality much like Yang Xi’s—quick and fiery, even more explosive, and loud to boot. With the door not fully closed, her shout echoed down the entire hallway.
“Qin Shuang, keep it down this early!”
“Going crazy again? I just misplaced my stitch because of you!”
Within moments, a chorus of half-joking complaints came from nearby rooms. Qin Shuang wasn’t embarrassed at all. Hands on her hips, she shouted back like a heroine from a martial arts novel: “Sorry, everyone! I’m just too happy!”
With that, she slammed the door shut.
Zhang Yaoyao smiled helplessly. “Qin Shuang, come sit down.”
“Okay! What were you guys talking about? Tell me everything!” Qin Shuang’s eyes were glued to Lin Aiyun. She dragged her chair over from her own spot, and the four of them formed a circle.
“We were just discussing what to call each other.”
After hearing the gist, Qin Shuang patted her chest. “That’s simple—just call me Qin Shuang. I’ll call you Aiyun like Yaoyao does. It sounds nice and makes us seem close, hehehe.”
“Sure, that works.”
As they chatted, Yang Xi brought out twisted dough sticks she’d brought from home to share. Seeing this, Lin Aiyun remembered she’d prepared welcome gifts too. Since everyone was here, she took the opportunity to hand out the beautifully wrapped boxes.
“I embroidered these little coin purses myself, and my mother made some dried cured meat. They’re not valuable gifts—I hope you don’t mind.”
The others accepted them graciously. After admiring the delicate stitching on the purses and tasting the cured meat, they all praised Lin Aiyun and her mother for their skill. Lin Aiyun was getting a bit embarrassed by all the compliments before they finally stopped.
“Aiyun, where do you live? If we’re close, we can visit each other often.” Qin Shuang munched on cured meat and dough sticks, her words a bit muffled.
Lin Aiyun named that iconic landmark building. The others exchanged glances. Qin Shuang, never one to hide her thoughts, gasped. “That area’s not somewhere ordinary people can afford!”
“It’s my husband’s house.” She told them honestly.
“Huh? You’re married? You look so young!” Not just Qin Shuang—everyone was surprised.
“Yes, I’m twenty. We just held our wedding banquet here not long ago.”
Seeing the smile and happiness on Lin Aiyun’s face as she talked about it, combined with where she lived, everyone could tell she’d married well and that her husband was caring and attentive. They were all happy for her and offered their congratulations.
“We’re all married too. You’re the youngest here—no kids yet, right?” Yang Xi casually asked.
Lin Aiyun was caught off guard by the personal question. Her ears burned slightly, and she lowered her voice. “Not yet.”
“There are benefits to having them early and benefits to waiting. Look at me—most of my time is tied up with my kid. It’s hard to find a moment alone with my husband. Unlike Yaoyao—her and her husband are still all lovey-dovey. Tsk, so blissful.”
Yang Xi winked and teased Zhang Yaoyao, pointing at the jacket draped over her shoulders. “See? He even gives her his coat, worried she might catch a chill. Dr. Gu really dotes on his wife.”
“Sister Yang Xi!” Zhang Yaoyao looked ready to get up and cover Yang Xi’s mouth, her cheeks flushed bright red. The jacket on her shoulders suddenly felt less like clothing and more like a hot potato.
See? She’d told Gu Yuan not to give it to her, but he insisted! So annoying.
“Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you.” Yang Xi clutched her stomach, laughing uncontrollably.
Through Yang Xi and Qin Shuang, Lin Aiyun learned a lot about them and the association’s rules. The knot of tension in her chest gradually loosened. She’d worried before about getting stuck with difficult roommates, but it seemed she’d been overthinking.
During the conversation, Lin Aiyun and Zhang Yaoyao found they had a natural rapport. They could pick up on each other’s cues instantly and clicked quite well, so their bond grew closer. They even made plans to eat lunch together at the cafeteria.
Yang Xi and Qin Shuang, however, would be going home for lunch—they both lived nearby and rarely ate at the association.
Seeing that it was about time, the other three had embroidery to finish, so they wrapped up the chat and returned to their own spots. Lin Aiyun still hadn’t decided what to embroider yet, so she planned to deliver her thank-you gift to Zhuang Dongping first. After asking Qin Shuang where Zhuang Dongping usually was, she headed out.
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