Another day passed in the blink of an eye. Today was the opening day of Yueyan Fang. Yun Li arrived early in the morning with several others.
In her private lounge on the second floor, she personally applied makeup for the maids, transforming them so thoroughly that they were unrecognizable. For herself, she wore an ordinary human skin mask.
She had no intention of revealing herself during the opening. For now, Shopkeeper Qi remained the public face of Yueyan Fang.
The four maids were tasked with greeting and entertaining guests in the shop that day. Yun Li would blend into the crowd to observe reactions, occasionally changing her appearance to lend a hand when things got too busy.
She had instructed Ye Yi to recall all twelve shadow guards from the Night Phantom Pavilion in advance. Today, they would remain hidden, ensuring the safety of Yueyan Fang and guaranteeing a smooth opening.
Everything was in perfect order. The products had already been arranged on the shelves as per her instructions. Pink balloons floated above the shop, and fresh pink flowers adorned the shelves beside the skincare products, creating a romantic, dreamy, and utterly girlish atmosphere!
Countless pink balloons were tied on both sides of the entrance, surrounded by clusters of flowers below, making it impossible for passersby to resist a second glance.
The shop's plaque was already hung, wrapped in red cloth, awaiting only the ribbon-cutting ceremony to commence.
The parade team was in position. The ladies from Huaxianlou had arrived early, finished their makeup upstairs, and donned matching pink dresses of uniform style. Each wore a headband adorned with flowers and a sign bearing the words "Yueyan Fang" in bold characters.
Pink balloons were tied to their wrists, and they carried baskets filled with petals soaked in perfume. During the parade, they would scatter these petals toward the crowds on both sides. The hydrogen-filled balloons floated gracefully, capturing everyone's attention.
Standing in the middle of the parade team around ten o'clock, as the streets grew busier, Yun Li instructed Shopkeeper Qi to lead the procession forward.
Dragon and lion dances, the clamor of gongs and drums, beautiful women with flowers—this dazzling parade marched through the streets of the capital, offering a refreshing sight. Passersby couldn't help but stop and watch, and soon, crowds gathered on both sides of the street.
"Wow, what are those pink round things floating in their hands? Why do they float? They look so pretty!"
"So many beautiful women, each one stunning!"
"Huh? They all have 'Yueyan Fang' written on their heads? What is Yueyan Fang?"
At this moment, Shopkeeper Qi signaled for the gongs and drums to pause. Standing among the crowd, he announced loudly, "Everyone, today is the grand opening of Yueyan Fang! Yueyan Fang sells skincare and beauty products for women. Any woman who enters the shop today, whether she makes a purchase or not, can receive a free exquisite gift! Limited quantities, first come, first served!"
Someone in the crowd shouted, "Shopkeeper, where is Yueyan Fang?"
"Yueyan Fang is located on East Street, opposite Xiangyun Lou! All beauties are welcome to visit!"
After Shopkeeper Qi finished speaking, the ladies from Huaxianlou scattered petals into the crowd. A gentle breeze swept through, carrying a wave of fragrance.
"Wow, it smells amazing!"
"These petals are so fragrant!"
"Flowers to match the beauties! The shopkeeper's idea is truly clever. I must visit Yueyan Fang!"
"Me too!"
Cheers erupted from the crowd as the parade continued forward. As lunchtime approached, the streets grew even busier. Most of the customers heading to Xiangyun Lou for meals were men, and they couldn't resist taking a look at Yueyan Fang, especially with the ten beauties at the entrance—a truly pleasing sight.
The customers seated by the window on the second floor enjoyed their meals while admiring the beauties, making the food taste even more delicious.
Meanwhile, Yueyan Fang was already packed with women, the crowd so dense there was hardly room to stand.
Upon hearing the news, the young ladies from the rear courtyards hurried out to Yueyan Fang, not wanting to miss any opportunity to enhance their beauty.
Yun Li stationed four shadow guards at the entrance to prevent men from entering. Since the shop sold products exclusively for women and was already overwhelmed with customers, priority was given to female patrons. Most men were merely there out of curiosity, and with the shop already stretched thin, there was no space to accommodate them.
Four maids demonstrated makeup techniques to the ladies, and the line of those eager to try stretched all the way outside.
Two hundred sets of skincare products were available: the mid-range sets were priced at three thousand taels each, while the high-end sets cost ten thousand taels each. Only the high-end skincare contained Spiritual Spring Water.
Each jar of facial masks contained five sheets, infused with a single drop of Spiritual Spring Water, priced at two thousand taels per jar. As a consumable item, facial masks were used up faster than skincare sets—gone after just five uses. Once hooked, customers would repurchase quickly. Yun Li anticipated that young ladies from wealthy households would visit every two or three days. She relied heavily on facial masks for profits, so the price was naturally set high.
Lipsticks were priced at five hundred taels each, and perfumes at five thousand taels per bottle! In ancient times, only the daughters of officials could afford such luxuries. With their exquisite bottles alone, wealthy women were sure not to miss out!
All products sold out in an instant! Even with Yun Li’s rule limiting each person to one set, some young ladies had their maids purchase an extra set—a loophole she couldn’t entirely control.
Many ladies who arrived late missed out on the available stock. Yun Li then instructed Shopkeeper Qi to begin accepting full-payment pre-orders, limited to just one hundred sets, on a first-come, first-served basis!
As for the ordinary women who visited the shop today, though they couldn’t afford the products, Yun Li treated everyone equally, giving each a small sample of hand cream.
Yesterday, she had the maids fill miniature containers from large bottles of hand cream, preparing five thousand samples in advance. Nearly every woman who entered the shop received one.
Why give away hand cream? Because it was a new product she planned to launch soon. To maintain the shop’s popularity, hand cream was priced affordably for ordinary women. In business, a bustling crowd brings prosperity, so this wasn’t about profit but about building goodwill!
Of course, the hand cream for wealthy young ladies from official families came in exquisite packaging and high-end customizations, naturally commanding a much higher price…
By early afternoon, both the in-stock items and pre-orders were completely sold out. Yet, the women in the shop lingered, their enthusiasm undiminished. Yun Li was pleased to let the maids offer free samples. By the end, even the testers on the shelves were emptied, and despite several restocks, every jar was wiped clean—cleaner than if licked by a dog.
Today’s opening was undoubtedly a tremendous success. The name Yueyan Fang instantly became famous in the capital, achieving overnight fame!
In the days to come, Yueyan Fang’s products became the talk of the town among women during their leisure hours.
Those who missed out on the in-stock items anxiously awaited their pre-orders, while some who managed to secure products resold them at double or even triple the price as middlemen.
When Yun Li found out, she publicly blacklisted that young lady! From then on, Yueyan Fang’s products would no longer be sold to her.
She wasn't even that ruthless, yet here she was, using her own products to scalp tickets—quite clever indeed. In modern times, she had always despised scalpers the most…
So she had to nip this unhealthy trend in the bud from the very start!