Love at First Sight? Mr. Harrison Has Been Scheming All Along-Chapter 38: Kissed Her Fingertips

Sean Harrison offered no objections, politely replying, "Yes, this is my first time bringing a girlfriend to a dinner party. I’ll leave it to you to help her find something that fits."

"Of course. Let me see."

When Clara Chapman had first walked in, she’d looked a bit world-weary, but the moment she spoke, she instantly came to life.

She studied Rory Linden meticulously.

Instead of taking a dress from the rack, she opened a cabinet and pulled out a peacock-blue qipao.

"This one. I made it last year from a vintage piece of fabric. Peacock blue is an incredibly picky color, and I’ve never found the right person for it." Clara Chapman held the qipao up against Rory Linden, sizing it up. "Your girlfriend is perfect for it."

The older woman placed the qipao in Rory Linden’s hands and pointed to a curtained-off area. "The fitting room is right here. Go on and try it on."

"Okay, thank you."

Rory Linden hastily took the qipao.

The fitting room in this space was rather simple—not a proper room with a door, just an area closed off by a curtain.

Rory took the dress and stepped inside.

A qipao had to be worn against the skin, so she had to take off her clothes before pulling the dress on from her feet up.

The qipao was a much better fit than she had expected. It wasn’t just snug around her waist and hips; even the shoulders fit perfectly.

’It’s just...’

Unlike a traditional qipao with a diagonal placket, this one had a small keyhole opening at the chest, which meant it had a zipper in the back.

Because of the qipao’s uniquely tailored fit, it was impossible for Rory Linden to zip it up on her own.

Rory had no choice but to call out for help. "Um... Ms. Chapman? Would you mind coming in to help me with the zipper?"

"Oh, dear, why call an old lady like me for something like that? Get your boyfriend to do it." Clara Chapman’s voice drifted in. "I’m going to grab my measuring tape. Come out once you have it on."

As the older woman finished speaking, the sound of a door opening and then closing followed.

The room fell silent.

A moment later, Sean Harrison’s voice came. "Do you need my help?"

His voice was very close, just outside the curtain.

"Um..." Rory tried to zip it herself one more time before finally giving up. "In that case... I’ll have to trouble you, Mr. Harrison."

The dark curtain behind her was drawn aside, letting light pour in.

Rory faced the wall of the fitting room, not daring to move a muscle.

She felt his fingers gently take hold of the qipao’s narrow metal zipper pull. Then, the upper part of the dress tightened, inch by inch, all the way up to her neck.

"There."

The man took a step back.

There was no mirror in the fitting room, so Rory had no idea if the dress looked good on her. She could only glance down to make sure everything was in place before slowly turning around.

Step by step, she walked out of the dim fitting room.

"So, does it look okay?"

Rory asked for Sean Harrison’s opinion, feeling a little awkward.

As she spoke, she turned toward the nearby full-length mirror.

As her eyes found the mirror, Sean Harrison’s gaze followed hers.

Rory’s usual wardrobe consisted of either formal blouses and trousers or more casual outfits.

Now, the qipao’s tailoring clung perfectly to the curve of her waist, revealing her graceful, picture-perfect figure without reservation.

The slit of the qipao wasn’t particularly high, reaching only mid-thigh, offering a tantalizing glimpse of her fair, slender legs.

Coupled with Rory Linden’s classic East Asian features, she was the ideal person to wear a qipao.

"This..." Rory had never worn anything so form-fitting, and her cheeks flushed. "I don’t think it’s very suitable. Maybe I should change out of it..."

"All changed?"

Just as she was about to head back to the fitting room, Clara Chapman walked in.

The older woman looked Rory up and down, a satisfied expression spreading across her face. "Excellent, excellent. I could tell it wouldn’t need major alterations, but I didn’t expect it to be such a perfect fit. It’s as if it were custom-made for you."

"It... It fits?" Rory asked, turning back to the older woman.

She wasn’t sure.

"Come here."

Clara Chapman beckoned to Rory. After she walked over, Ms. Chapman gestured for her to bend down.

She then reached out, removed the hair tie from Rory’s hair, and casually grabbed a pencil. With practiced ease, she twisted Rory’s hair into a bun at the nape of her neck.

"Now, that’s much better," Clara Chapman said, gesturing at her. "You have to wear your hair up with a qipao. Whatever you do, don’t copy those online influencers who wear their hair down. They think it looks good, but it’s actually dreadful!"

Rory looked at the mirror again.

With her hair up, the look did have more flair than before.

Clara Chapman then turned to Sean Harrison. "Well? What do you think? Does your girlfriend look beautiful in a qipao or not?"

Sean Harrison smiled. "My girlfriend looks beautiful in anything she wears."

"You’ve never had a girlfriend before, but you’re already a smooth talker." Clara Chapman took the measuring tape from around her neck and took Rory’s measurements. "Alright, you can take the dress off and just leave it there. I’ll have it altered and delivered to you by noon the day after tomorrow, at the latest."

With that, the older woman turned and left again.

Once again, only Rory Linden and Sean Harrison were left in the room.

It was only then that Rory realized something about the qipao...

She couldn’t put it on by herself, and she couldn’t take it off by herself either. She would have to trouble Sean Harrison once more.

Putting a qipao on was one thing, but taking it off was another.

As the zipper slid down her spine, her slender neck and smooth back were gradually revealed to his eyes.

In the low light, the peacock-blue fabric made her skin seem even more porcelain-white.

Rory was very slender. Her prominent, butterfly-like shoulder blades were half-concealed, shifting gently with each breath she took.

Sean Harrison just watched, his Adam’s apple bobbing. After a moment, he finally said, "Alright."

He turned and left the fitting room.

Soon, Rory emerged in her regular clothes. She took the pencil from her hair and placed it down with the qipao.

After they got in the car, Rory, having mulled it over, finally spoke up. "Mr. Harrison, um... is it true you’ve never had a girlfriend before?"

"Mm," Sean Harrison replied.

"Our relationship is fake, so the next girlfriend you have will be your first love. If—and I’m just saying, if—that first girlfriend ever finds out about this and doesn’t believe our relationship was fake, you can contact me anytime. I’m willing to explain it to her."

To Rory, any "first" was a very important milestone.

Sean Harrison turned his head to look out the window, his tone cool. "At my age, the term ’first love’ is unnecessary."

The car started moving.

Rory had worked the night shift the day before, after all. Halfway through the drive, drowsiness washed over her, and as she slept, she shifted into a more comfortable position...

Sean Harrison felt her head come to rest on his shoulder, her upper body no longer fidgeting.

His gaze drifted down to see her hand resting on the outside of his thigh, her little finger pressed snugly against the fabric of his trousers.

He watched her for a moment, then shifted his arm slightly, his palm silently closing around her hand.

He gently lifted her hand, bringing it to his lips.

Ever so gently, he pressed a kiss to her fingertips.