chapter 9 : Not interested in one thing

Ava An followed the girl into the store, and the layout of the shop was just as she remembered. The scent in the air was like the refreshing fragrance of plum blossoms, very pleasant. The qipaos in the store were neatly hung, each with its own designated area. It was evident that the girl had maintained the store very well.

"Miss, would you like to sit for a moment, or would you prefer to go over things with me first?" the girl asked after leading Ava An inside.

Ava An shook her head and replied, "No need for an introduction. Just tell me how much inventory is left in the store and how many customer orders are pending."

The girl nodded and proceeded to brief Ava An on the current situation of Suhuan. There was only the inventory on display in the store, and as for the orders, Ava An need not worry. Once customers placed orders here, they were all processed by the clothing department of An Group, which would handle delivery as well. Therefore, even if there were pending orders, An Group would continue to fulfill them.

Ava An was reasonably satisfied with this situation. She planned to temporarily close the store, so there would be no complications with ongoing orders. She could simply close the shop and post a notice outside.

"Thank you. Has An Group settled your salary?" Ava An thanked her and inquired.

The girl smiled and said, "After handing over the store to you, I will go to the headquarters to settle my salary. I've been instructed that everything here is now yours."

"Good, thank you," Ava An nodded in acknowledgment.

The girl didn't linger and, carrying her own bag and the box of her belongings, she left.

Once the girl had gone, Ava An was left alone in the store. She carefully examined each qipao, but the more she looked, the more she frowned. After going through all of them, she could only describe them with two words: garbage!

Ava An's anger surged up suddenly. Who had designed these qipaos? The styles were dull, the color combinations were hideous, and the embroidery looked like it was from a kindergarten project. Even five years ago, she could easily design a qipao that would outshine any of these.

...

At the corner of the old street, a luxurious private car came to a gradual stop. After the car had parked, two elegantly dressed women got out. Thanks to their well-maintained appearances, it was difficult to determine their actual ages, but it seemed there was a four or five-year age difference between them.

"Elder sister, why did you want to come here for a stroll today?" the slightly younger woman named Jingmei Ye asked. She was holding onto the other woman's arm, and the two sisters-in-law appeared to have a close relationship.

Lucy Bai smiled gracefully and replied, "Just a casual stroll. I remember there's a qipao shop on this street."

"Looking at qipaos again? But, elder sister, you look great in qipaos. I can't quite pull off that qipao charm. Which shop are you talking about? What's its name?" Jingmei Ye asked as she started scanning around.

"I think it's called Suhuan," Lucy Bai recalled.

"Suhuan? That's a nice name," Jingmei Ye commented. "Elder sister, look, isn't that it?"

Lucy Bai followed Jingmei Ye's gesture and indeed spotted a qipao shop. The two women walked over.

When they entered the shop, no one was there. Assuming that the salesperson had stepped out, the two women started browsing on their own.

Jingmei Ye wasn't knowledgeable about qipaos and mainly accompanied Lucy Bai to assist her in choosing. She asked, "Elder sister, have you found any that you like? When the salesperson returns, you can ask to try them on."

A disappointed expression appeared on Lucy Bai's face, and she shook her head.

"None of them caught your eye?" Jingmei Ye, who was not well-versed in fashion, inquired. "I think they all look pretty good. For instance, the aqua blue one with golden thread embroidery would suit your style, elder sister."
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