Hearing this, Fu Xiaoxiao lowered her head somewhat embarrassed, but couldn't help but steal glances at the old lady.
Noticing Fu Xiaoxiao's little actions, Su Huaiming and the old lady both laughed.
The old lady invited Su Huaiming and Fu Xiaoxiao into the house for tea.
The entire courtyard is decorated in the same style as the old lady, dignified and elegant, a very traditional Chinese style, but the furnishings are also modern, a perfect blend of old and new styles.
The old lady brewed a pot of black tea for Su Huaiming and brought Fu Xiaoxiao a glass of orange juice.
Grandma didn't have any other drinks, so I made you a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. I don't know if you'll like it.
Fu Xiaoxiao held the cup in her little hands, clearly liking the grandma in front of her, and unconsciously started to act cute, "Xiao Xiao likes it! I like anything Grandma gives me!"
Su Huaiming raised an eyebrow as he looked at Fu Xiaoxiao.
I never expected the little guy to have two faces. He's mischievous and naughty in front of me, but incredibly well-behaved and sweet-talking in front of people he likes.
The old lady was easily coaxed into laughter by Fu Xiaoxiao, and then she found a lot of snacks and placed them in front of Fu Xiaoxiao.
Su Huaiming did not disturb the old lady and Fu Xiaoxiao.
The old lady comforted Fu Xiaoxiao for a long time before remembering Su Huaiming, who had been forgotten beside her. She looked at him apologetically, "I'm sorry, I neglected you."
"No, it's me who's bothering you," Su Huaiming paused, "I need to borrow your sewing machine this time, thank you for your trouble."
The old lady smiled. "It's alright. My husband isn't here, and it's quite lonely. I'm so happy that you and Xiao Xiao came to visit me."
Fu Xiaoxiao really liked the Chinese pastries at the old lady's place. She stuffed her mouth full, and her cheeks puffed out, making her look like a greedy squirrel.
Seeing that Fu Xiaoxiao was sitting obediently, the old lady led Su Huaiming to the inner room.
This is the old lady's workshop. In the center stands an antique sewing machine. Although it is not as convenient as an electric one, it is fully functional and embodies the wisdom and hard work of more than ten generations. If it were on the market, its price would probably buy hundreds of modern sewing machines.
"Are you making clothes again?" The old lady looked at Su Huaiming with admiration and praise. "I really liked the clothes you made last time, but the finish wasn't very good. Do you want to improve them, or do you have a new design idea?"
Su Huaiming paused, unable to bring himself to say it, and could only say, "Xiao Xiao insisted that I make a few small things for her father using leftover materials. They're quite simple, nothing that needs design."
The old lady nodded and kindly said, "I have some extra fabric here, do you need it?"
Su Huaiming was about to refuse when he saw the fabric the old lady was casually pointing to, and his expression froze.
"Is this... Gambiered Silk?"
The old lady smiled and nodded. "My good friend is the inheritor of the Gambiered Silk; this is a gift he just gave me."
Su Huaiming held the Gambiered Silk in his hands. The surface was covered with intricate patterns, while the back was dark black. It was light, soft, and yet had a substantial feel.
This is the only silk fabric in the world dyed with pure plant dyes. It is still handmade to this day, with a complex process and high price. In ancient times, only royalty could use it. Now it is known as soft gold and can almost outshine the world's high-end fashion brands. It is a true luxury item.
Such precious fabric, yet the old lady casually lent it to him, a stranger she had only met once. Su Huaiming became even more curious about the old lady's identity.
The old lady looked at Su Huaiming with a smile and said, "Nowadays, very few young people know about Gambiered Silk. How did you find out?"
"My grandmother..." Su Huaiming paused, then suddenly remembered that the original owner's identity was different from his, so he said vaguely, "I had the honor of seeing Gambiered Silk."
"Have you designed it into clothing?" the old lady asked.
Su Huaiming nodded. "I did one before."
"Where is that dress now?" the old lady asked.
I gave it to someone else.
To be precise, it was his grandmother.
His grandmother worked as a tailor when she was young, and she was exposed to many high-end fabrics. Her skills continued to improve. Later, his grandmother became one of the most famous designers in the country. She had many friends in the industry, and she often brought them to visit Su Huaiming. The elders also taught him their skills without reservation.
Su Huaiming was intelligent from a young age and learned things very quickly. Many complex things became very simple in front of him. What others took more than ten years to do, Su Huaiming could do in just one month.
But Su Huaiming can never compare to those who dedicate their entire lives to accomplishing one thing.
Su Huaiming has no hobbies and doesn't settle down to delve into anything deeply. He's not just a dabbler, but he's not an expert either. However, his talent is so dazzling that it almost overshadows the drawback of spending too little time on research.
"Could you bring it so I can see it?" The old lady's words interrupted Su Huaiming's thoughts.
Su Huaiming snapped out of his daze and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I can't find that dress anymore, so I can't show it to you."
The old lady nodded, her expression revealing deep regret.
Her meeting with Su Huaiming was fate. She had seen Su Huaiming's casually drawn design sketches and felt Su Huaiming inspiration and talent.
As a senior colleague, seeing such a promising talent, I couldn't help but want to lend a helping hand.
However, the old lady was very sensible. Seeing that this had touched on Su Huaiming's privacy, she did not continue to ask. She only chatted for a few words and then left Su Huaiming with some space.
After confirming that no one was in the room, Su Huaiming, like a thief, secretly took the light green fabric out of his bag.
He made a hat, underwear, and socks out of fabric with the fastest speed he had ever used, not even caring whether the loose threads were properly tucked away, and put them directly into the very back of the bag, afraid that the old lady would see them.
When Su Huaiming came out again, he saw the old lady coaxing Fu Xiaoxiao. The Little Black had also joined in, lying obediently beside Fu Xiaoxiao and occasionally nudging Fu Xiaoxiao palm with its wet nose, making Fu Xiaoxiao laugh heartily.
It was almost lunchtime, Su Huaiming felt he couldn't disturb them any longer, so he took the reluctant Fu Xiaoxiao and left.
Back at the cabin, Ji Mingzhe and the others were all curious about where Su Huaiming had gone.
After Su Huaiming finished explaining, everyone looked surprised, completely unaware that there was another secluded courtyard on the mountain, and that the black dog belonged to that family.
The children were clamoring to go, but the adults, worried about disturbing the old lady, persuaded them not to.
The variety show's live broadcast was ending in one day, and the production team didn't assign any more tasks, allowing everyone to enjoy their time there. The atmosphere was very peaceful and friendly, but online opinions turned into a mess.
Fu Xiaoxiao's outfit yesterday was so well-designed that it seemed like something a novice could make. Su Huaiming's fans and casual observers were amazed, which propelled Su Huaiming to the top of the trending topics. Many netizens related to the design industry also gave positive feedback.
But at this moment, another voice emerged online—that Fu Xiaoxiao's dress was too ugly and an eyesore.
[Help! Seeing Fu Xiaoxiao wearing that dress gave me nightmares all night!]
[I'm offering a hefty reward for a pair of eyes I've never seen before]
[That color is so awful, it doesn't suit Fu Xiaoxiao at all, yet the fans are blindly praising it, using incredibly awkward language. I reasonably suspect that Su Huaiming hired trolls to promote it.]
[Hilarious! The clothes aren't even nice, but they call them high-end and well-designed. They really know how to flatter!]
Su Huaiming's fans are very similar to him; they are both very laid-back, but they were still angered by these comments.
[Why is everyone attacking the color? Fu Xiaoxiao chose the color. When making clothes for children, of course you have to choose colors they like!]
[I'd like to offer my condolences to the netizen who had nightmares last night; your mentality is far too fragile.]
[I majored in fashion design, so I have a superficial understanding of it. The most basic functions of clothing are warmth and coverage, and only then can aesthetic elements be incorporated. When I say clothing has a sense of design, it's because it conveys a certain idea. In such cases, the artistry outweighs the practicality. As you can see, clothes on the runway are not suitable for everyday wear.]
The two groups were locked in a war of words, with the insults becoming increasingly offensive and even involving Fu Xiaoxiao. They attacked the child with vicious language and brought up Fu Xiaoxiao's bad temper again.
Just as the topic was escalating, a well-known influencer spoke out.
Behind this influential figure is a veteran designer in the fashion industry, who founded one of the most well-known brands in China. In his later years, he retired to his home. His granddaughter helped him register Weibo and often writes for him, posting his comments on Weibo.
This family has a wealthy background. The grandfather speaks gently, but his comments are quite sharp. Most importantly, he is very genuine. Many fashion design students regard the grandfather as an idol, and he has a very good reputation online.
This time, the granddaughter again relayed her grandfather's words on Weibo.
[@UnwaveringPassion: My granddaughter showed me a clip from the live stream. I put on my reading glasses and carefully studied Su Huaiming's designs. I can see that this young man is very talented and insightful, but his design concepts are a bit immature...]
The Weibo post first affirmed Su Huaiming's design, giving it high praise, but also pointed out the flaws of its low completion rate without reservation. It also urged Su Huaiming to continue to improve and to complete the next design with a careful and serious attitude.
The grandfather's words carried great weight. Many people who saw this Weibo were moved by his sincerity as a senior and did not participate in the online flame war.
Su Huaiming's haters are still not done, saying that Su Huaiming used Fu Jingfan's influence to bribe his grandfather, using very harsh language.
Seeing that even such a sincere old man wasn't spared by the haters, netizens couldn't take it anymore and bombarded them with criticism until they dared not show their faces in the comments section.
The official Weibo account of the children's variety show also released videos and photos, showing Su Huaiming's design sketch on a napkin and the entire process of him making the clothes.
Previously, Su Huaiming borrowed the old lady's sewing machine. Considering the old lady's privacy, the production team cut off the live broadcast, so there was no footage of the creation process. This gave anti-fans an opportunity to spread rumors that Su Huaiming cheated and that the clothes were designed by someone else. However, after the design drawings and videos were released, those anti-fans no longer dared to make a fuss.
After the public outcry subsided, Su Huaiming learned about the incident and asked the director where the video came from.
The director told him that it was the old lady who contacted the production team, asking them to release the video to help Su Huaiming clarify the rumors.
Su Huaiming was surprised and astonished upon hearing this.
He still doesn't know the old lady's real name, but he is well aware that her identity is mysterious and special, and she doesn't want to have any more contact with the outside world, otherwise she wouldn't have gone to live in seclusion in the mountains.
The old lady chose to release the video for his sake, even though it was just a small favor. He must remember this kindness.
Su Huaiming bought several gifts and took Fu Xiaoxiao with him to visit the old lady.
But this time the door was tightly shut, and the two stood at the door for a long time, but even the Little Black didn't come out.
Since the old lady wasn't home, Su Huaiming left the gifts at the door and also left his contact information.
They returned to the cabin, said goodbye to Ji Mingzhe and the others and the local villagers, and then left with their luggage.
The recording of the second episode has finished, and everyone has boarded a plane and arrived in their respective cities.
Su Huaiming slept soundly on the plane, and Fu Xiaoxiao was also infected by his sleepiness, not waking up for a moment the whole way. When they arrived at the villa, both father and son were in particularly good spirits.
The butler and others were waiting at the door. As soon as they saw Su Huaiming and his group, they went up to them warmly and asked them what was wrong.
The group chatted at the door for a good ten minutes before the butler remembered the important matter. He winked at Su Huaiming and lowered his voice, saying, "The master is waiting for you in the greenhouse."
Su Huaiming paused, then asked, "Didn't Fu Jingfan go to the company?"
The butler's smile grew even more suggestive. "The master knew you were coming back and was waiting at home, eager to see you as soon as possible."
Su Huaiming: "..." Butler, you're really overthinking it.
Su Huaiming couldn't see through Fu Jingfan, and didn't want to spend too much time on him, but one thing he was very clear about:
Fu Jingfan didn't care about him and wouldn't do something like waiting for him.
But Su Huaiming couldn't say it outright, so he just smiled and walked towards the transparent greenhouse with Fu Xiaoxiao.
When Fu Xiaoxiao saw her father, her eyes lit up, and she ran quickly towards him, throwing herself into Fu Jingfan's arms.
Fu Jingfan showed no tenderness; his expression remained indifferent and aloof as he looked down at the soft-looking Fu Xiaoxiao and picked him up.
Fu Xiaoxiao took the opportunity to hug her father's neck, snuggling sweetly in Fu Jingfan's arms like a kitten.
Every time Su Huaiming saw Fu Xiaoxiao like this, he felt quite uncomfortable and even wanted to expose Fu Xiaoxiao true colors.
Fu Jingfan sensed Fu Xiaoxiao's movement, extended his long, thin fingers, and gently patted his head.
Fu Xiaoxiao immediately became obedient, climbed down from her father's arms, and stood properly to the side.
Fu Jingfan's gaze then fell on Su Huaiming.
He stood there tall and slender, his eyes and brows cold and indifferent, like a pine branch covered in frost in winter, exuding a chilling aura even without getting close.