Chapter 36: Looking the Part

Xu Mu went to the market, purchased a few items, and then returned to the Xu residence. Immediately afterward, he began setting up a candlelight dinner himself. Since Liu Ji had spent eight thousand taels of silver, Xu Mu was determined to make sure Liu Ji felt every bit of that expenditure was worth it tonight.

By the afternoon, the venue was finally prepared. Xu Mu inspected the space he had personally arranged and felt very satisfied. It was then that Xu Shuangyi returned from outside. She had been inspecting other businesses under the Xu family name and had been pondering the candlelight dinner scheduled for the evening. Curious about what exactly a "candlelight dinner" entailed, she sought out Xu Mu.

"Let me first report on the situation at the restaurant and the distillery."

"No rush. Come with me first." Xu Mu hurried to lead Xu Shuangyi back to the small courtyard where he resided.

"I’ve prepared a surprise for you. Try on this outfit on the table and see if it fits," Xu Mu said.

"An outfit?"

"It’s for the dinner. Go and try it on; it’s hanging in my dressing room," Xu Mu instructed.

Xu Shuangyi looked at Xu Mu before stepping into the inner room. The dressing room was adjacent to the bedroom. Inside, a tall garment rack stood in the center, holding a single outfit. The style was something the well-traveled and knowledgeable Xu Shuangyi had never seen or heard of before. It was made of white silk, adorned with simple blue patterns resembling auspicious clouds. The hem of the garment was long, somewhat resembling a man's scholar robe, yet the high slits on both sides set it apart. The overall cut was slender, with exquisite trim, making it look almost like a work of art. Despite her cold and aloof nature, Xu Shuangyi was still a young woman, and she could not help but feel a surge of affection for the beautiful attire.

She put it on and looked into the bronze mirror. Even Xu Shuangyi was stunned by her own reflection. The garment was form-fitting, especially around the chest, accentuating her figure to perfection. However, the side slits reached all the way to the top of her thighs.

"Still not changed? Come out and let me see once you're ready."

Xu Shuangyi walked out of the dressing room and stood before Xu Mu. His eyes lit up as he looked her up and down. Her figure was curvaceous—busty with a slender waist and rounded hips—and the waistline of the dress highlighted her signature long legs, making them look exceptionally alluring, as if she were all legs from the neck down.

"What on earth is going on with these sleeves? And look, your undergarments are showing, completely ruining the aesthetic. Take them off immediately."

Xu Mu said this while glancing at the slits with a look of disdain. Hearing this, Xu Shuangyi’s face flushed red. Take off her undergarments? Wouldn't that leave her arms and legs exposed? Was that appropriate?

"What are you saying?" Xu Shuangyi asked with a darkened expression. Nothing underneath? How could that be? To be so exposed, wouldn't that be unchaste?

"My oversight. There’s no time to have new garments made now. Either find some tighter-fitting undergarments, or if they have sleeves, cut them off. Hurry," Xu Mu urged.

"Don't go too far."

"Trust me, you will be one hundred percent satisfied," Xu Mu insisted.

"I won't."

"I am not asking for your opinion. And I don't like to repeat myself," Xu Mu’s face grew stern.

*Fine, fine. For the sake of the money, I'll change!*

Xu Shuangyi actually owned a few tighter-fitting undergarments. She returned to her own courtyard, found a set, and put it on to check. She realized that the sleeves peeking out from the armholes really did ruin the look of the dress. She decided on her own to cut the sleeves off before putting it back on. The overall effect was much more harmonious. Because the undergarment was so form-fitting, not only was her silhouette outlined, but the shape of her legs could also be vaguely discerned through the slits.

*Is this it?* It was beautiful, certainly, but it really wasn't appropriate to wear for others to see, was it?

As she hesitated, Xu Mu knocked on the door. "Waiting so long? Are you finished yet? I’m coming in."

"Mm."

Xu Mu was polite enough to wait for her response before pushing the door open and entering the main room. Xu Shuangyi walked out. She felt a bit embarrassed dressed like this. Xu Mu looked closely and saw her fair, lotus-root-like arms exposed, while the white undergarment was visible through the slits below. It paired perfectly with the white and blue-patterned dress. Xu Shuangyi felt uneasy, constantly fidgeting with the edges of the slits.

"How is it? I told you you’d be satisfied, didn't I? Wear it just like this; I guarantee you’ll leave Liu Ji absolutely spellbound," Xu Mu said with a smug smile.

"Where did you get this outfit?" Xu Shuangyi asked.

"I designed it myself and had an old tailor make it. This garment is called a *qipao*," Xu Mu said.

"Isn't it a bit... flirtatious? Perhaps only women in brothels would dress so provocatively," Xu Shuangyi asked softly, her face blushing.

"Sexiness and being flirtatious are two different things. Not everyone who is flirtatious can be sexy. Your figure is your asset; when it’s time to show it off, you should. Oh, by the way, this is the world's first *qipao*, and I consider it a gift for you."

Hearing Xu Mu put it that way, Xu Shuangyi felt it made quite a bit of sense. *Sexy? Am I sexy?* She wasn't sure, but she did genuinely like the dress.

"You really designed this?"

"Absolutely. This outfit cost me a full hundred taels."

For a single garment, even ten taels would have been quite expensive, let alone a hundred. Xu Shuangyi grew puzzled again. If Xu Mu could design women's clothing, he should have been able to keep Su Hanwei completely devoted to him. How could he have let her stray?

"The outfit is fine, but your hairstyle is not quite right. Come, go to your vanity, and I will personally style your hair for you," Xu Mu said.

"You... want to do my hair?"

Xu Shuangyi currently wore a typical, intricate ancient hairstyle. It didn't match the simple, sexy style of the dress.

"Let's go."

Xu Shuangyi sat down at the vanity, and Xu Mu began to work on her hair. Xu Mu didn't really know how to style hair, so he simply brushed her hair back and styled it into a bun. Done, finished!

Xu Shuangyi looked at herself in the mirror from both sides. A few strands of hair hung loosely behind her ears, her hair was parted to the side, and a wooden hairpin held the bun in place at the back of her head. Truth be told, this bun complemented the *qipao* perfectly. After this transformation, Xu Shuangyi looked like a different person. Noble, elegant, and sexy. It was unconventional and unique.

Xu Shuangyi was very satisfied with her new look.

"That's more like it. Are you satisfied?"

"It'll do."

"Get yourself ready, pick out some suitable jewelry to wear. I’m going to go welcome the heir of the Prince of Liang."

After saying this, Xu Mu turned and left. Xu Shuangyi noticed a detail: even though Xu Mu had been admiring her new look, his eyes had not betrayed any predatory or wolf-like gaze. Could it be that her beauty still failed to catch his eye?