"Where have you been?! Do you know how worried we were? You weren't answering your calls and Xu Chi can't get through you. What on earth have you been doing?" Chun Fan, his mother, began scolding him.
She sat down on the bed next to his father who was busy reading documents. His job as a lawyer always made him busy and unable to come to most events. It was a good thing that Mo Chou had managed to persuade his stubborn father to attend.
"I woke up late."
His mother's eyes softened. Her understanding towards her one and only son wasn't clear but she knew the reason.
"Did your insomnia keep you up again?"
Mo Chou nodded. He took a seat on a nearby armchair and settled down. His muscles relaxing. The tiredness still settled deep in his bones that a mere night's sleep to keep away the exhaustion.
Chun Fan sighed. She looked at her husband whose wrinkles were apparent, his serious expression reflecting on his own. "Your sister is upstairs managing the staff. Your suit is in the closet. The tailor we hired is on standby in case you feel the need to adjust the suit."
Mo Chou nodded again. He was nervous about his parents' reaction to being late however, the lack of it made him relax. "I'll put on the suit an hour before the event."
"Try it out first so the tailor can make the proper adjustments. After that, go grab breakfast downstairs. I believe your assistant is there."
Mo Chou sighed. There were too many things to do. Although he was looking forward to the event, the process was what he disliked. "Okay."
He stood up and shook off the sleepiness he felt. Hopefully the event was worth the wait. It was the time to reveal everything after all.
...
"Do I really need to shave? Wasn't my dress knee length?" Zhi Ruo complained.
They were currently at Catherine de France. The whole place was empty of customers except for the two of them, making Zhi Ruo confused.
"I told you! We need to bring out your beauty! You may think you're average but your face has potential! I can feel it."
Zhi Ruo felt weird. She was currently being shaved by two women. "You're just biased because we've known each other for so long. Also, do we really need two women to shave my legs? I'm not even that hairy!"
Xiao Tong nodded. "You're right about me being biased but! I do think you're pretty. Also, we need your legs to be smooth as a baby's butt. Like those webnovels you keep reading. Just try to relax for once. Forget your work. Forget your vegetables. Also, it's already half past three. We need to speed up the process."
Xiao Tong clapped her hands twice and two more women appeared. "Work on her nails. No colors but polished."
The two women nodded and began meticulously working on Zhi Ruo's nails.
"Ah! By the way, I'll go grab your favorite cake. It's almost four right? I remember you're favorite bakery is just a few blocks down. Sit tight and relax, I'll be back soon!"
Zhi Ruo pouted. She was left all alone now. The four women who was as quiet as a ghost continued to do their work with nimble hands. There was nothing but the occasional sounds of the nail file. Soon, Zhi Ruo found herself fast asleep.
The hours quickly passed as Zhi Ruo already found herself all dolled up for the first time since she attended her aunt's wedding. Which was years ago.
They were already at the apartment with Xiao Tong fretting over every little thing.
"If you don't stop fussing over me I'll mess my makeup and hairstyle. I'm not a child. I know how to be careful," Zhi Ruo snapped as she sat down on the sofa.
Xiao Tong shut up and switched to carefully pulling out the dress from the box. She was afraid of pulling it out quickly for fear of ripping something off the dress.
Though the design was simple, it was elegant and exuded an air of calmness. Zhi Ruo loved the simplicity of the design and how aesthetic it was. Although she was never a fan of wearing dresses, this one made her want to put it on.
It seems that her grandparents influence on her wasn't to be underestimated. They understood her better than anyone.
"See? Beautiful. It really is the perfect fit for you," Xiao Tong hung it on a velvet hanger she conveniently carries and hung it by the glass sliding door leading to the terrace.
"I guess..." Zhi Ruo muttered.
"Well, go get changed. There's only like, an hour before the event starts," Xiao Tong pulled her into her own bedroom and shoved the dress in her arms.
Zhi Ruo didn't think that the dress would look good on her, as she's always been insecure about her body. But just as she felt the dress slide smoothly and fit snuggly on her body, she realized she looked quite good.
It matched well with her preferred light makeup and updo. Her bangs, which usually looked childish, was now styled into something that made her look more youthful.
As she put on her white ankle strap heels, which were the only pair of heels she had, she smiled and felt satisfied with her outfit for the first time.
Zhi Ruo walked out of the bedroom with a smile on her face, a genuine one. Xiao Tong's eyes lit up with surprise.
"Holy shit! You look amazing!"
Zhi Ruo laughed. "Thanks, I really like this dress."
"I told you! It's beautiful. Now, enough dilly dally, we've got to get to the venue. For someone like you who changes fast, you sure took your sweet time changing."
Xiao Tong hurriedly brought a purse for Zhi Ruo that matched exactly with her dress. It contained simple things like her phone and wallet, and her pepper spray.