Chapter 126: When the Time is Ripe

Busy days pass by in a blur, and it was soon the middle of May.

In the past few years abroad, Wen Jiu had always spent her birthdays in a rushed, perfunctory manner, but this year was different. Wen Jiu herself didn’t feel anything particularly special, thinking it would be much the same as previous years. However, Gu Zehuai had brought up celebrating "520" with her several days ago and insisted on celebrating her birthday as well. Wen Jiu felt it was a good idea; this year was indeed different.

Over the weekend, Shen Mengxia dragged Wen Jiu out to buy a mountain of clothes.

"Jiu Jiu, you have so many beautiful little dresses, yet I never see you wear them. It’s such a waste of such a great figure!" Shen Mengxia lectured while holding outfits up against Wen Jiu to measure them.

Wen Jiu felt that Shen Mengxia had an unusually high level of energy today. She was nearly exhausted from walking, yet Shen Mengxia remained brimming with excitement.

"I have to wear work attire during office hours, of course," Wen Jiu explained. "I wear those dresses at other times." With summer approaching and the weather turning hot, wearing something light and airy was a necessity.

Shen Mengxia joked, "It wouldn’t be because Gu Zehuai doesn't let you wear them, would it?"

"Impossible. If he dared to stop me, I’d wear them all the more."

Indeed, the previous weekend, before heading out with Shen Mengxia, Gu Zehuai had caught sight of the camisole dress Wen Jiu was wearing, and his eyes had darkened significantly. Although he hadn't voiced any objection, he had silently reached out to pull the neckline of her dress higher and fished a small shawl out of the closet for her to wear. Wen Jiu had found it amusing, but since they were in a rush to leave, she had let him have his way. That night, when they returned home, she had been thoroughly "punished."

Recalling this, Wen Jiu’s face warmed slightly, but she continued to let Shen Mengxia pick out dresses.

A day after that incident, Gu Zehuai had explained his reasoning for not wanting her to wear the low-cut dress: "Jiu Jiu, it's not that I don't want you to wear it. I think you look truly beautiful in it. But have you ever considered that, from my height and angle, I might see things differently than others do?"

Only then did it dawn on Wen Jiu that from Gu Zehuai’s perspective, it was quite easy to catch a glimpse of what lay beneath the neckline. This realization genuinely startled her. Since then, she had consciously chosen clothes with higher necklines or opted to wear a small shawl, as Gu Zehuai’s logic was sound.

—

Wen Jiu and Shen Mengxia spent the entire afternoon shopping, and the results were quite fruitful.

Shen Mengxia smiled and said, "Jiu Jiu, since your birthday is in a few days, you’ll definitely be spending it with 'him,' won't you? I won't disturb you two, then. Wishing you both a wonderful birthday evening." Shen Mengxia cast a suggestive look toward Wen Jiu.

Wen Jiu was not one to be outdone and retorted, "Then I wish you and Senior Ye a wonderful evening as well. Oh, by the way, Xia Xia, I haven't given you your return gift yet."

Wen Jiu acted as if she had just remembered, but in this situation, the usually brazen Shen Mengxia actually blushed. Wen Jiu found this quite novel, but having some experience of her own, she chose not to tease her further. *I'll just quietly place an order for a small gift for her tonight,* Wen Jiu thought to herself.

Shen Mengxia, naturally, had her mind elsewhere. Ever since Ye Chen had opened up to her, she had been trying to change as well. The result was that Ye Chen had become increasingly proactive, leaving Shen Mengxia feeling completely overwhelmed. He hadn't been like this before.

But ever since the day Shen Mengxia had stayed at Ye Chen’s place due to a heavy rainstorm, she had truly witnessed a completely different side of him. Yet, because of this, she was even more willing to delve deeper into knowing him, for a Ye Chen like that was far more vivid and alive. When their affection reached its peak, everything happened naturally.