IDEI CH46

“This outfit is…” Director Wang was thoroughly mesmerized, looking toward Deng Qingyun and asking in a hushed whisper.

Deng Qingyun stepped forward and gently stroked the hem of the gown. In an instant, the skirt seemed to ripple like water, making the colorful birds and phoenixes across the fabric appear all the more lifelike. From that single movement alone, one could tell how extraordinarily light, airy, and silky the fabric was; thus, the mastery required to embroider such intricate, magnificent motifs upon it was even more astonishing.

“This gown follows the silhouette of the Heng Dynasty. Did President Deng reference the imperial wedding attire of the Heng Emperor?” Qi Yanning asked.

Deng Qingyun nodded.

He looked toward the production crew Director Wang had brought along. They were busily photographing this breathtaking garment with their cameras. The photographers circled the outfit, searching for angles, but not a single person dared to touch it with their bare hands.

It felt as if even brushing against such a garment would be a desecration.

Only after photographing it for nearly ten minutes did they tear themselves away with lingering reluctance. Deng Qingyun led the group back outside.

Director Wang and Qi Yanning returned to the conference room, while the others headed back upstairs to photograph the garments on the second floor.

Deng Qingyun poured a glass of water for each of them, placing the glasses before them.

“Why is that particular piece stored separately in the basement?” Director Wang asked out of curiosity.

Deng Qingyun hesitated for a moment, then let out a sigh.

“That was the final work of an embroidery grandmaster,” Deng Qingyun said quietly. “Shortly after finishing this piece, she passed away.”

“With her departure, this specific embroidery tradition became truly lost to time.”

That grandmaster had been a member of the association. Due to severe illness, she had not touched an embroidery needle for a very long time. However, when the association painstakingly reconstructed the appearance of the Heng Dynasty Empress’s ceremonial court attire from ancient texts and classical paintings, the master could not resist picking up her needle once more. She embroidered this piece on and off for two full years. Once it was completed, perhaps feeling that her life’s wish had been fulfilled, she passed away not long after.

“The Red Gate embroidery technique is actually lost?” Qi Yanning arched an eyebrow, asking with a touch of surprise.

He knew that many traditions in this world had virtually died out, but he had never expected that Red Gate embroidery—once exceedingly prosperous, widely favored even for imperial court robes—had fallen into such a dire state.

“Teacher Qi knows of Red Gate embroidery?” Deng Qingyun nodded with a bitter smile. “Yes, it can truly be said to be lost.”

Qi Yanning fell silent, his expression turning rather solemn.

Red Gate embroidery was the technique he knew best. Because court garments frequently employed Red Gate embroidery, many embroideresses under his charge in his past life had hailed from the Red Gate lineage. Furthermore, the court attire of the Yong Dynasty had inherited the ancient systems of the Heng Dynasty, meaning that even back in the Heng Dynasty, Red Gate embroidery was already an exclusive technique reserved for nobility.

According to what he knew, Emperor Mingguang’s imperial wedding robes had been crafted using the stitching methods of Red Gate embroidery.

A while ago, when he first stumbled upon the website of the Apparel Culture Research Association, he had spotted this black-and-red ceremonial robe embroidered with the motif of a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix at first glance. The familiar stitching felt as if it had transported him straight back to his previous life.

His original concept had been to commission embroideresses of the Red Gate technique to craft all the costumes needed for the production, as that would achieve the most historically accurate restoration. Yet he had never imagined that Red Gate embroidery would actually be lost to history…

He let out a quiet sigh. The Empress’s ceremonial attire for the drama was secured, but the Emperor’s was apparently out of the question.

Director Wang noticed keenly, “Xiao Qi, what is it?”

“Nothing,” Qi Yanning shook his head. “It just disrupts my plans a little.”

Seeing him lost in thought, Director Wang said no more. Deng Qingyun sat across from them like he was sitting on pins and needles, unsure of what the two meant.

He could tell that Director Wang’s party had likely come for film costumes, making his heart pound like a drum, but since Director Wang had not broached the subject, he could not ask outright.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Deng Qingyun offered, “Teacher Qi, are you looking for successors of Red Gate embroidery?”

Qi Yanning looked at Deng Qingyun, a silent question in his eyes.

“The lineage of Red Gate embroidery has dwindled severely over the years. The last successor, Grandma Yu, took on several dozen apprentices, but before she could teach them all the techniques, she passed away. Those apprentices learned only the broad strokes, possessing barely seventy to eighty percent of Grandma Yu’s skill. And Grandma Yu lamented countless times during her lifetime that each generation of Red Gate embroidery was worse than the last, and that her own mastery was not even half that of her grandmaster… The root reason is that the technique manuals left behind by the Red Gate lineage are written in extremely concise, cryptic classical language. After passing through several generations, no one has been able to decipher them completely,” Deng Qingyun explained with a sigh.

As a researcher devoted to preserving apparel culture, watching a legendary heritage skill scatter and vanish before his eyes was always a painful pill to swallow.

“Technique manuals?” Qi Yanning lifted his head, looking at Deng Qingyun. “Are there portions that are not strictly confidential? Could you let me take a look?”

Deng Qingyun was slightly surprised. He did not know why Qi Yanning wanted to see them, but he happened to have several photos of the technique manual on his phone, so he pulled them up and set the device before Qi Yanning.

“These are the ones. The first two show the most fundamental stitches, which most of Grandma Yu’s apprentices currently master. The following few show the techniques Grandma Yu knew, while the very last one shows the stitches that have already been lost,” Deng Qingyun explained to Qi Yanning one by one.

Qi Yanning looked at them. The phrases in the book were indeed dense and cryptic, such as: “The needle rises from the Qian position, coils five times, and loops back into the Gen position… resembling the crescent moon, hence named the Crescent Stitch.”

Even with directional stitching diagrams beneath, it remained extraordinarily difficult to interpret.

Qi Yanning, however, was different. He had spent his days and nights surrounded by these embroidery masterpieces, personally witnessing embroideresses needle by needle bring vivid, magnificent patterns to life on silk robes. Every stitch recorded here could find its corresponding physical movement in his mind…

Therefore, even if he did not hold the needle himself, he was practically the person alive who understood Red Gate embroidery best.

After reviewing the stitches, he slid the phone back to Deng Qingyun.

He could indeed teach the modern successors of Red Gate embroidery, but for them to fully master the techniques would require time, which certainly could not wait for Director Wang’s filming schedule… Still, other embroidery styles possessed their own exquisite charm, which would be more than sufficient for television costumes.

He sent several texts to Director Wang.

[yanN]: Director Wang, the court embroidery of the Heng Dynasty was mostly Red Gate embroidery, but that technique is already lost.

[yanN]: Do you think crafting them with alternative embroidery techniques would be acceptable?

He sat up straight, met Director Wang’s eyes, and gave a slight nod. Catching the hint, Director Wang pulled out his phone. His brow furrowed slightly upon reading the texts, but quickly stretched into a wide smile. “President Deng, let us discuss something.”

“Our visit today is for the new drama I am preparing, Jin Ge Chang Feng Xing. Have you heard of this project?”

Deng Qingyun nodded vigorously. Of course he had heard of it. Besides, even if he had not, he had plenty of time to look it up before Director Wang arrived.

“I attach immense importance to Jin Ge Chang Feng Xing, so I hope every detail reaches the highest standard. Because the drama is set against the backdrop of the Heng Dynasty, I want our costumes to be sufficiently professional and exquisite…”

“So after many inquiries, we found our way to President Deng.” Director Wang looked into Deng Qingyun’s eyes, smiling warmly. “I wonder if President Deng is interested in taking on this order?”

Deng Qingyun was seized by wild joy at first, but hesitation soon followed. “Director Wang, I would love nothing more than to accept your order, but…”

“First, our association does not have very many members, so we might not be able to supply the entire production’s wardrobe. Second…”

His face flushed bright red. “Second, our garments are on the pricier side.”

“Because we use historically restored fabrics and every stitch is done entirely by hand, the price… might be ten times that of ordinary costumes.” Deng Qingyun’s voice grew quieter and quieter. He knew this was a golden opportunity to make a name for the association, and by rights, he should accept it regardless of cost. But their fabrics, dyeing, and embroidery were all handcrafted by members; he could not ask them to work for free or take a loss.

Director Wang burst into hearty laughter. “You do not need to worry about that. Our production budget is quite robust.”

“Besides, we only need custom handmade attire for the leads and major supporting roles; the rest can be produced by garment factories.”

“The question now is: exactly how long would it take for you to produce the garments we need?”

“One garment like the ones on the second floor requires five embroideresses working for ten days,” Deng Qingyun said honestly, suppressing his inner deflation as he sensed Director Wang’s urgency. “And our association currently has just over a hundred embroidery practitioners…”

“Hiss…” Director Wang drew in a sharp breath as if nursing a toothache. He knew manual embroidery was slow, but he had never imagined it would be this slow.

He looked toward Qi Yanning, who nodded slightly, confirming the timeline sounded accurate.

Director Wang felt helpless. Calculating the timeline, there were still two to three months before filming commenced; if the embroideresses worked without rest, they could barely churn out a little over a hundred pieces.

That volume was still a bit meager…

“Many garments do not require excessively complicated embroidery,” Qi Yanning spoke softly. “Daily wear and ceremonial court robes naturally have distinct differences.”

Realization struck Director Wang: he did not need every single piece to match the breathtaking complexity of the second floor!

“President Deng,” he said. “We need bespoke tailoring according to the script. Design plus production, at least two hundred pieces. Can you manage that?”

Director Wang handed the design duties directly to the association. Qi Yanning had his own busy schedule and lacked the bandwidth to design every costume personally; delegating this task to an association that professionally researched classical attire was the optimal choice.

Deng Qingyun had never expected that after such twists and turns, this massive order would still land on his lap. Yet he did not accept recklessly, stating with caution, “I need to discuss this with our members.”

Director Wang nodded.

This was good: Deng Qingyun was clearly a prudent, conscientious person, and leaving matters in such hands gave him peace of mind.

He had the assistant director exchange Feixin contacts with Deng Qingyun, then smiled at him. “Then I shall await President Deng’s good news!”

Deng Qingyun nodded. “Two days! In two days at most, I will share the outcome of our discussion.”

With that, the crew members who had gone upstairs to take photos returned, and the party prepared to depart.

Walking beside Deng Qingyun, Qi Yanning spoke at an unhurried pace, “President Deng, do you know where the successors of Red Gate embroidery reside?”

“I have some materials regarding the lost techniques of Red Gate embroidery that I would like to pass on to them.”

Deng Qingyun’s eyes widened to their limits, his voice rising uncontrollably, “Lost techniques of Red Gate embroidery?!”

“Teacher Qi, you cannot joke about such things!”

Deng Qingyun was beside himself with excitement, far more thrilled than when he heard Director Wang wanted to place an order with the association.

“It is no joke.” Qi Yanning looked directly at Deng Qingyun, his eyes brimming with calm confidence. “Regarding the lost techniques of Red Gate embroidery, I truly possess an understanding.”

Deng Qingyun stared at him blankly for a long moment, before his eyes turned red and tears actually spilled down his cheeks.

When Qi Yanning woke up the next morning, his head still throbbed slightly. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling somewhat helpless.

Last night, they had dinner with Deng Qingyun. After repeatedly confirming that Qi Yanning truly understood Red Gate embroidery, Deng Qingyun had become wildly overjoyed. At the dinner table, in his heightened emotional state, Deng Qingyun drank heavily, getting thoroughly drunk halfway through the meal.

Then, in his hazy stupor, Deng Qingyun gripped his glass and insisted on toasting Qi Yanning.

Whenever Qi Yanning refused, the man would burst into loud, wailing sobs, loud enough to be heard outside the private dining room. The servers knocked on the door with awkward expressions countless times just to ask Deng Qingyun to keep his voice down.

Who knew where a middle-aged man in his forties found so many tears!

Having no choice, Qi Yanning could only sip a few glasses. His alcohol tolerance had been terrible in his past life, and having changed bodies, he was still the type to fold after a single cup.

Tipsy, he was escorted back to the villa, barely managing to wash up before falling asleep.

And waking up the next day, as expected, brought a headache.

Rubbing his temples for a while, Qi Yanning got up to wash his face, only checking his phone afterward.

Aside from drunken rambling texts from Director Wang and Deng Qingyun, there was also a message from Ling Cangzhou.

[RED-EARED PUPPY]: A-Ning, are you awake? I had Tang Xin buy stomach medication and hangover relief for you, and breakfast has already been delivered to the villa. Remember to eat.

Qi Yanning arched an eyebrow.

[yanN]: I’m awake.

[yanN]: How did Yuchuan know I drank?

The next moment, a voice message arrived.

Qi Yanning tapped it, and Ling Cangzhou’s smiling voice rang out: “A-Ning, you have no idea how shameless Director Wang was. He got drunk last night and sent me dozens of messages, thanking me for the investment one minute, and saying finding you was like finding an absolute treasure the next. He praised you in so many texts that my phone buzzed endlessly, waking me right up.”

Qi Yanning was rather speechless, wondering if Director Wang would wake up today fearing he had offended his investor. Just as Qi Yanning was about to reply, Ling Cangzhou’s next message arrived.

“Our A-Ning is truly wonderful; everyone who collaborates with A-Ning ends up adoring you.” Ling Cangzhou’s voice was rich with fondness, singing Qi Yanning’s praises in an almost melodic cadence.

Qi Yanning could practically picture Ling Cangzhou’s expression on the other end of the line: a wide, radiant smile, his eyes sparkling brightly.

The corners of his lips tilted up. Tapping his phone, he walked out of his room and snapped a picture of the food laid out on the dining table.

[yanN]: Breakfast was delicious, thank you, Yuchuan.

Then, curling his lips into a smirk, he recorded a voice message.

“It seems our Yuchuan… is quite considerate as well.” Qi Yanning deliberately mimicked Ling Cangzhou’s tone, his voice laced with playful teasing.

With that, he unpacked the still-warm breakfast and began eating in a leisurely manner, a trace of amusement lingering on his face.

Across town, Ling Cangzhou, who had pranced like a peacock early in the morning hoping to tease Qi Yanning, found himself completely outmaneuvered.

A crimson flush swept instantly from his neck to his ears, and before long, even his cheeks burned scarlet.

He favorited Qi Yanning’s voice message, unable to stop himself from playing it over and over.

“It seems our Yuchuan… is quite considerate as well.”

Qi Yanning’s smooth, flowing voice played again and again, barely distorted by the electronic connection, sounding as though he were whispering directly into his ear.

And so, inside Morning Star Entertainment’s minimalist, cool-toned penthouse executive suite:

The great CEO Ling Cangzhou clutched his phone, blushing furiously with lips pressed together, listening to Qi Yanning’s single voice message on endless repeat.