RGL – Chapter 166

As she spoke, she went to pour Su Min a glass of water. “By the way, tell me quickly—what’s it really like abroad? Is Paris really that beautiful? And those models who wear all those fancy clothes, what do they look like?”

Liao Zhaodi’s eyes were full of curiosity, with a hint of excitement.

“The architectural style over there is definitely different from ours, but I’d say each has its own charm. Honestly, after going once, I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. Once we get the chance, we can go together and have fun,” Su Min replied.

“Do you think we’ll really have the chance?” Zhaodi asked, a little hopeful. For someone studying foreign languages like her, being immersed in a foreign environment would be a great opportunity. She had also been self-studying another language and wanted a chance to test her skills.

Su Min took a few sips of water and said casually, “The biggest takeaway from this trip for me is that you really need to master the language. Otherwise, even basic communication is tough—let alone finding opportunities.”

She then shared the whole story of how she met Alice.

Zhaodi’s eyes sparkled as she listened. “Su Min, you’re amazing!”

“I have you to thank for practicing spoken English with me all the time. If it weren’t for that, how could I have talked to anyone when I went abroad?” Su Min said sincerely.

She had always known that being fluent in a foreign language would be a huge advantage. And since Zhaodi was good at English, she had roped her into daily English conversations at home. Over time, her speaking had become much more fluent. When she talked to Alice, there were occasional stumbles, but nothing that hindered communication.

Zhaodi blushed and said modestly, “You’re the one who’s hardworking.”

“Alright, alright, stop being so modest. Come look at the gifts I brought for everyone!”

Su Min had brought back gifts for everyone at the shop. Naturally, the gifts varied depending on her relationship with each person. But she also knew that whether something was cheap or expensive, as long as it had that foreign gloss, people back home would value it more.

After all, people always think the moon is rounder abroad.

Once the gifts were sorted, Su Min went to bed to catch up on sleep and adjust to the time difference. She wanted to be well-rested so she could deliver the gifts to the store the next day—and also visit Ke Wan and Shu Jing. It had been a while since they last met, and after traveling abroad, it was only right to go say hello.

The next day happened to be the weekend. Having slept well the night before, Su Min got up early. After waking Zhaodi, the two went out for a simple breakfast and then headed to the shop with all the gifts.

She had brought back a lot this time. Everyone was thrilled with the foreign snacks and goods. Sun Yan, in particular, was overjoyed to receive a set of cosmetics and tried them out immediately.

Zhang Qingqing and the other girls got perfume from Paris, and Granny Zhang received a handbag.

While everyone was sorting through their gifts, Su Min also shared the cooperation plan she had discussed with Alice.

When they heard that their clothing might not only be sold abroad but also appear in fashion magazines, the whole shop gasped in excitement.

“Wow, Boss Su! Are our clothes really going to be in international magazines?” Tian Su asked excitedly.

Su Min twitched at the sound of “Boss Su” but held back and replied, “It’s true.”

“That’s amazing!” the others cheered.

“But don’t get too excited just yet. This is only the first step. If the editors don’t pick our submissions, we won’t make it in. So everyone has to do their best to create those sample pieces—make them as refined as possible and blind them with our brilliance!”

“Yes, blind them with brilliance!” Tian Su laughed happily.

Tian Su had been one of the first to be chosen for embroidery training and had become one of the most skilled—almost catching up with Zhang Qingqing—so Su Min valued her highly. Tian Su also understood this and cared deeply about the shop’s future.

After all, in her heart, she believed that Zhang Ning had given her a second life, but the Xiuse Clothing Shop had given her a different future.

Su Min thought for a moment and decided to select a few pieces from their previous designs as sample submissions. She would personally work on one or two key pieces. But before that, she had to organize everything properly.

Since more orders were expected later, and things might get too hectic, Su Min planned to form a temporary project team.

When Granny Zhang heard it was an important assignment, she immediately volunteered.

Zhang Qingqing and Tian Su both wanted to join too, but since they were the most skilled in the shop, Su Min decided to keep one on the main floor. After considering it, she chose to pair Zhang Qingqing with Granny Zhang.

Worried that Tian Su might feel left out, Su Min took time to gently reassure and encourage her.

Once all the arrangements were made, Su Min headed over to Ke Wan’s house.

Ke Wan had started a small business with Shu Jing and was usually home only on weekends.

When Su Min arrived at the Wu household, Ke Wan was strolling in the garden with her child.

Little Rui Rui, just over a year old, was toddling unsteadily across the rough ground, and after a few steps, dropped down to crawl instead.

“This kid is getting lazier by the day. I really don’t know who he takes after,” Ke Wan said helplessly.

Su Min laughed and gave Rui Rui a playful pat on the butt. “That just means he’s smart. I’ve heard that babies who crawl well end up walking more steadily.”

“You always spoil him. Wu Zhe and I are much stricter. Wu Zhe’s already planning to hire a private tutor when he turns two,” Ke Wan said, watching her happy little boy crawl. She imagined how soon he would be able to learn, attend preschool, elementary school, and gradually grow up. The thought filled her with emotion. “Time flies so fast. I remember when we first met, he was still in my belly. And now, in the blink of an eye, he’s already a little troublemaker. Sigh… time really waits for no one. I feel like I’ve aged so much.”

“Oh, come on,” Su Min said, looping her arm through hers with a smile. “You still look young.”

“Not anymore. Just you wait—soon it’ll be your turn to get married and have kids. Isn’t that fast? When I first met you, you were still a teenage girl.”

Su Min was momentarily stunned. “Why are we talking about me now? I’ve still got time.”

“Do you really?” Ke Wan smiled mysteriously and sat down on the bamboo mat spread on the ground. “I heard from Shu Jing that she knows a guy… someone who used to secretly have a crush on my little sister.”

Su Min initially thought Ke Wan was joking, but when she heard her mention Shu Jing’s name, she couldn’t help but feel a slight tremor in her heart. She knew who Ke Wan was talking about.

“There’s no way anything would happen between me and him. I already rejected him, so don’t joke about that anymore.”

Ke Wan had originally wanted to tease Su Min a bit more with this, but seeing the hint of disappointment in Su Min’s eyes, she thought better of it.

So she just smiled and smoothly changed the topic.

“Oh right, I forgot to tell you—you’re in for a treat today. Wu Zhe invited a guest, and to entertain them, he even had the hotel’s head chef come over to cook at home. We’ll be grilling seafood in the garden later.”

Su Min asked in surprise, “Who is it? That’s quite a big deal.”

“Wu Zhe’s senior. We used to know him too, but this is his first time back in the country,” Ke Wan said, then suddenly looked behind Su Min and grinned. “Speak of the devil—look, he’s right behind you.”

Su Min turned around upon hearing that and saw Wu Zhe, dressed in a shirt, leading a man in a suit toward them.

He looked familiar from afar, and when he got closer, she finally recognized him. “Mr. Li?”

Li Weisi looked up and smiled at her. “Su Min, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Su Min also felt a little emotional—she hadn’t expected to run into Li Weisi again either.

“So you two knew each other in Paris. I was just wondering—Weisi has never come back to the country before,” Ke Wan said with a smile as she sat on the couch in the living room.

Su Min gave a reserved smile. “We were really lucky to have Mr. Li looking out for us in Paris.”

“He’s rich. It’s only right that he splurges a little,” Ke Wan joked as she looked at Li Weisi. “Now that you’re back, when are you planning to return?”

Li Weisi took a sip of his coffee with a smile. “I’m not sure yet. I’m leaning toward staying here, but everything depends on my family’s arrangements.”

“Staying here is great! The development here is really impressive now. Honestly, I only realized after coming back that our country is still the best place to live. No matter how nice it is abroad, it’s never quite like home.”

“My parents mainly wanted to come back and have a look around,” Li Weisi said, a faint look of emotion appearing on his face.

Su Min didn’t catch the meaning, but Wu Zhe and Ke Wan understood right away. The Li family had moved abroad a long time ago, and now that the elderly parents were getting older, it made sense that they’d want to come back.

“Are you planning to visit your sister? She’s here now. I actually ran into her a few times recently.”

Li Weisi shook his head. “Not for now. I’ll visit her after I’ve settled in a bit. First, I’m going to visit the Xue family.”

“Oh,” Ke Wan nodded, then suddenly remembered something she’d wanted to tell Su Min. But recalling what she’d brought up earlier in the garden—and that Su Min hadn’t seemed too pleased—she decided not to bring up that person again and just let it go.

After dinner, Su Min got ready to head home early. Now that she was going to collaborate with Alice’s magazine, she was going to be quite busy.

When Ke Wan heard she was leaving, she quickly asked Wu Zhe to arrange for someone to drive her home.

Su Min was about to decline when Li Weisi said, “I’m heading back too. I’ll give her a ride—much easier that way.”

Su Min quickly replied, “That’s okay, it’s not far. I can walk.”

Li Weisi gave a small, warm smile that felt like a breeze in spring. “It’s on the way.”

Faced with that, Su Min found herself at a loss for words to turn him down.

Li Weisi drove a modest, proper black sedan.

Su Min thought to herself that the kind of car a man chooses really does say a lot about his personality. Her dad always bought weirdly shaped cars, which matched his eccentric taste. Xue Mian, though calm on the surface, was still youthful and energetic inside—hence his off-road SUV. But Li Weisi seemed so steady and gentle, which explained why his car was so proper and restrained.

“Alice told me you’re working together now,”

Li Weisi’s voice suddenly sounded in the quiet car.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Su Min looked over and caught a glimpse of his smiling profile.

When she saw him start to turn his head, she quickly looked away and smiled toward the front. “Alice agreed to feature our clothing in the magazine. It’s just a trial collaboration.”

“Alice is bold. Your product had better impress her—really take her by surprise.”

That comment made Su Min’s heart stir. Was Li Weisi giving her a hint?

Whether he was or not, Su Min still replied, “Thank you. I’ll do my best.”

Li Weisi only smiled faintly and didn’t say anything more after that.

When they reached the entrance of Su Min’s apartment complex, she quickly got out of the car with her bag, turned around, and waved at him. Li Weisi nodded with a smile, then steadily drove away.

Standing there, watching the car disappear down the street, a single word popped into Su Min’s mind—gentleman.

Over the weekend, Su Min simply took her design drafts and camped out in the school library to do research and sketch.

It wasn’t until Monday, when classes resumed, that she finally had a rough concept in mind.

This time around, Su Min was the only student in class who had been to Paris, so as soon as the first lecture ended, several close classmates gathered around her to ask about her experience there.

For anyone studying fashion, Paris was the ultimate dream destination. Getting the chance to see a Paris fashion show in person was practically a lifelong goal.

So Su Min being selected to go to Paris had sparked quite a bit of envy and jealousy.

“What are people in Paris like? Are they really like what we see on TV? And the clothes—how pretty are they, really?”

“I’d love to see what internationally recognized fashion looks like.”

…

Everyone was talking over each other, eager to ask questions.

Su Min smiled. “First of all, there were people from all over the world at the show. Aside from hair color, skin tone, and eye color, the main difference is their facial structure—it’s a bit more three-dimensional than ours. Other than that, we’re not so different. As for how beautiful the clothes were… it’s hard to describe, but they were indeed very impressive. I took some photos this time—once they’re developed, I’ll show you and you’ll see for yourselves.”

“That’s great! Haha, I want two copies as souvenirs. Su Min, I’ll pay you—just print two extras for me,” one excited classmate said.

“No need to pay. Consider it a gift from me,” Su Min said, smiling and waving her hand. “I’ve already sent them in to be developed—they’ll be ready by tomorrow.”

Other classmates also came to reserve their copies of Su Min’s photos.

Even if they couldn’t go to Paris themselves, having some photos was still something. Better than just watching it on TV. Though they couldn’t quite explain why.

After everyone dispersed, Su Min glanced back instinctively—and locked eyes with Sun Manli’s cold stare.

Sun Manli stood up reluctantly, glared at her, and walked out of the classroom with her books.

Su Min curled her lips indifferently. There was no resolving the tension between them anyway, so she didn’t care how Sun Manli felt about her.

With finals approaching, the teachers had stopped introducing new material in class.

Once Su Min figured out the content of the upcoming lectures, she began planning to skip a few sessions to spend more time in the library. She wanted to get everything sorted before the summer break.

Although she’d secured a spot in the magazine, the space allocated to her was limited.

Su Min planned to feature three new designs. The other spreads would use classic older pieces, which was a different kind of promotion.

Having gone to Paris, Su Min truly felt it had been worth it. Before, when she designed clothes, she often felt like she was working in a vacuum, trapped within the boundaries of traditional fashion.

But after returning, her mind had opened up.

Traditional garments didn’t have to stay traditional—they could become fashion pieces too.

Elements like embroidery and silk, when made into fashion-forward designs, could really take people by surprise.

With a fresh perspective, Su Min found designing came much more naturally. In just one week, she completed two drafts. After refining and finalizing them, she handed them off to Zhang Qingqing’s team for production.