Very quickly, with Song Zhishu guiding her, Fu Ya quickly picked out three outfits and went into the fitting room.
Qin E saw her daughter had finished and was about to ask Song Zhishu for advice, but she inadvertently noticed Su Wanyin casually browsing the store—and even holding a chosen outfit in her hands.
“Wanyin, you’ve already picked something so quickly?”
Qin E looked at her in surprise. After seeing her nod, a flash of understanding crossed her eyes, followed by a faint, dismissive curl of her lips.
She had no expectations for her taste at all. A country girl probably thought everything looked good.
As long as someone else was paying, of course she would pick more.
Qin E quickly looked away. At that moment, Song Zhishu went into the fitting room, so she began browsing on her own.
After walking around for a while, her eyes landed on a dark red peony cheongsam. She took it down and held it against herself.
She hesitated whether to try it on when she happened to notice Su Wanyin walking over and casually asked, “What do you think of this one?”
Su Wanyin looked up and slightly frowned.
The design suited Qin E’s bright and striking appearance, but the craftsmanship was poor. From her previous life experience designing cheongsams, she could immediately tell the stitching around the sleeves and waist was rough and loose—likely to tear after one wear.
“The style suits you, but the quality is poor,” she gave a fair assessment.
However, to Qin E, it sounded like she was calling her taste cheap—and even implying she suited cheap things.
Qin E tightened her grip on the cheongsam, but kept her expression composed and smiled. “Then which one do you think suits me better?”
Su Wanyin didn’t really want to help her choose, but since she was temporarily staying at the Fu household, it was better to maintain polite relations.
After a brief hesitation, she scanned the shop and selected a royal-blue cheongsam from afar.
“This one might suit you better,” she said softly.
Qin E glanced at it and immediately rolled her eyes inwardly. The color was dull, the design simple—completely lacking the elegance she expected. Nothing compared to the ornate, high-quality piece in her hand.
A country girl indeed. She had been foolish to ask her opinion.
“Forget it. You should just pick your own clothes,” Qin E said dismissively.
The sales assistant chimed in immediately, flattering her enthusiastically while subtly putting Su Wanyin down.
Qin E felt pleased by the praise and bought the cheongsam without even asking the price.
Su Wanyin didn’t care. She simply watched calmly, knowing the sales assistant would no longer dare overcharge her.
She had never intended to rely on the Fu family for everything. She only needed to repay the favor, get into school, and stabilize her situation.
Soon, the assistant wrapped up the purchase and took Qin E to checkout.
Su Wanyin turned to put the cheongsam back—
“Wait.”
A middle-aged woman’s voice came from behind her.
Su Wanyin paused and turned around to see a dignified woman in a tailored outfit looking at the dress in her hand with surprise.
Understanding immediately, Su Wanyin handed it over.
The woman took it carefully, admiring the exquisite embroidery of silver-thread plum blossoms. Her face lit up with joy.
Then she hesitated and looked at Su Wanyin. “You’re not taking it?”
“I’m not,” Su Wanyin shook her head. “I was helping someone choose it, but they didn’t like it.”
“I see.” The woman smiled, thanked her, and hurried into the fitting room.
Su Wanyin then selected a white blouse and black pleated skirt, forming a clean, modern outfit.
She stood in front of the mirror when the woman came out again, looking amazed.
“Did you put this outfit together yourself? It looks beautiful!”
Su Wanyin’s face warmed slightly at the rare compliment.
“Thank you. The cheongsam also suits your temperament very well,” she replied sincerely.
The woman noticed Su Wanyin’s simple clothing and, after a moment, said warmly, “If you have time, could you help me pick a few more outfits? I’ll pay for whatever you choose today.”
“It’s fine, Auntie. I don’t need you to buy anything for me. I can just help.”
Su Wanyin declined politely and went on selecting several outfits for her.
Each combination made the woman increasingly delighted.
At that moment, a surprised female voice came from the entrance.
“Rong Man, what are you doing here?”
The middle-aged woman turned her head, her smile fading slightly.
“Qin E, if you can come here, why can’t I?”