Chapter 16: Shen Lan Lifts Her Dress
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The moment Shen Lan entered the tailor’s shop, his unusual foreign features caught the attention of the attendants by the door.
“Good sir, you look rather unfamiliar. Is this your first visit? Are you here to buy some fabric, or would you like to have some clothes made?” One of the attendants hurried over with a deferential bow, smiling broadly.
“I came to buy…” Shen Lan began to say that he wanted to have some clothes made, but then he glanced back and discovered that Xiao Yi was no longer where she had been.
He fell silent for a moment and was about to turn back to look for her when the enthusiastic attendant blocked his way.
The attendants in a tailor’s shop needed only one glance at a customer to tell whether he had enough silver in his purse.
At first sight, this unfamiliar customer seemed to be dressed entirely in black. Yet on closer inspection, one could make out a faint brown undertone beneath the darkness.
It was not ordinary black, but jet black.
Anyone able to dress in such a color was either rich or powerful. Naturally, the attendant was unwilling to let Shen Lan leave so easily.
“Please, sir, why not take another look? Our shop carries every style imaginable. I assure you, you’ll be satisfied.” The attendant extended an arm to bar Shen Lan’s path.
Shen Lan had no time to listen to the man’s rambling sales pitch. Xiao Yi had vanished in the instant he had looked away, and anxiety gnawed at him. He slipped sideways past the attendant’s arm and made for the door.
Unexpectedly, a male voice came from behind him.
“You are… Brother Shen, are you?”
At the sound of it, Shen Lan halted. With a soft click of his tongue, he turned around helplessly and bowed.
“So it is Young Master Xiao and Miss Xiao. What a coincidence, meeting you here.”
“Brother Shen, are you here to have some clothes made?” Xiao Ru approached with a few polite words. “This tailor is quite skilled. You have certainly come to the right place.”
“Ah… yes.” Though Shen Lan’s body remained there, his heart had long since flown far away in search of Xiao Yi.
Distractedly, he touched the fabrics displayed beside him. “I was considering having some clothes made to take home.”
The moment Shen Lan had lifted the shop’s curtain, he had seen Xiao Ru and Xiao Qiang engaged in cheerful conversation.
Not long ago, Xiao Yi had been laughing and chatting happily before him. Yet in the blink of an eye, her eyes had filled with tears, and she had withdrawn into silent sorrow. How could that not be strange?
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Besides, within the entire White Fox clan, how many people could possibly bully the clan leader’s adopted daughter? Even if there were any, they could be counted on one hand.
The reason for Xiao Yi’s sorrow needed no explanation.
He had not wished to waste words with the two of them in her absence, but given the relationship between their families, he had no choice but to exchange a few empty courtesies and wait for an opportunity to leave.
The shopkeeper, standing nearby, could no longer sit still after hearing Shen Lan’s words. With a sale right before him, how could he possibly let it slip away? He hastily pushed the attendant aside and came forward himself.
“Good sir, take a look. We have just received some exceptionally fine soft gauze and brocade this week.” The shopkeeper lifted several bolts of cloth and began his sales pitch. “Clothes made from this soft gauze are as light and mistlike as smoke, giving the wearer an effortlessly elegant air. It is especially suited to men. The brocade is vivid in color and graceful in pattern, making it ideal for women. You could have two garments made—one for yourself and one for the lady of your household.”
Before Shen Lan could respond, Xiao Qiang came over.
She stroked the brocade in the shopkeeper’s hands, raising one eyebrow in indignation. “Why did you not show this to my brother and me when we came to choose our fabrics earlier? So you deliberately hid it from us? You have some nerve!”
“No, no! My lady, how could I dare do such a thing?” The shopkeeper hurriedly shook his head. “You two said earlier that you wanted several robes suitable for moving about freely. Though these two fabrics are beautiful, they cannot withstand much wear and tear. That is why I did not recommend them.”
“Even so, you failed to mention them!” Xiao Qiang remained displeased. She snatched the fabric from the shopkeeper’s hands, puffed out her lips, and turned to Xiao Ru with a coquettish plea.
“Brother, I still want a dress made from this brocade. Will you let me have one?”
Xiao Ru glanced at the silent Shen Lan, then took the fabric from Xiao Qiang and handed it back to the shopkeeper. With a helpless sigh, he said, “Little Sister Qiang, do not be so willful.”
Xiao Ru doted excessively on his only sister. There were scarcely any of her requests he had ever refused.
This time, however, the circumstances were truly unusual, and he could not indulge her recklessness.
Only a few days earlier, Little Sister Qiang had become betrothed to the Black Wolf clan, their sworn rival. The road ahead promised nothing but danger, and as her elder brother, he naturally had to make preparations for her future.
The Black Wolf before him, Shen Lan, possessed extraordinary skill.
The fact that he had brought the betrothal tokens of both clans to the Fox clan to seek a match also showed how highly the young master of the wolves regarded and trusted him.
Xiao Ru intended to take advantage of the time before Shen Lan returned to the Wolf clan to show him a little goodwill and win him over.
If these small favors produced any effect, he could invest more effort in the future—and perhaps Shen Lan would be willing to lend Little Sister Qiang a hand when the need arose.
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With that thought, Xiao Ru drew Xiao Qiang to his side and gave her palm a discreet squeeze. Then he smiled and said, “Brother Shen, do you like it? If you do, why not use this fabric? And if there are any other materials that catch your eye, choose whatever you please. I will pay for everything.”
The shopkeeper knew exactly who Xiao Ru was. He hurriedly signaled the attendants to clear the shop, then busied himself gathering fabrics from every corner and presenting them to Shen Lan.
“Good sir, what do you think of this brocade? It may not be as rare as the first two, but it is still a superior fabric.”
“You could also bring this moonlit brocade home for the lady of your household. Made into an undergarment, it would feel wonderfully soft and comfortable against the skin.”
“This gold-thread brocade is excellent as well. The threads are woven from gold leaf cut into fine strands. It is rather ostentatious for everyday wear, but a robe made from it would be magnificent at a formal banquet!”
…
The shopkeeper and every attendant in the store gathered around Shen Lan. Faced with such enthusiasm, he found it difficult to reject Xiao Ru’s goodwill. He sifted through the fabrics before him, dazzled by the array, and for a while had no idea how to choose.
He looked around in bewilderment and suddenly noticed a simple white garment hanging not far away. At once, his interest was piqued.
Shen Lan walked over and ran his fingers across the white robe.
“Shopkeeper, is this a sample? It looks rather nice.”
The shopkeeper glanced at the robe, then stiffened. He turned toward Xiao Ru, and only after receiving a signal from him did he dare reply.
“This… this is Young Master Xiao’s own garment.”
“Oh? Is that so?” Shen Lan touched the plump, rounded, charming bamboo leaves embroidered upon the white robe. “The color of the fabric is wonderfully fresh. And these bamboo leaves embroidered on it are quite unusual. Young Master Xiao, did you have these designs specially made here?”
Before Xiao Ru could answer, Xiao Qiang spoke first.
“Of course not. Brother brought this old garment here today because he wants to have the bamboo leaves removed.”
“Little Sister Qiang!” Xiao Ru admonished her with visible displeasure. Then he turned to Shen Lan and smiled. “Brother Shen, if you like this bamboo-leaf design, I do have a solution. Shopkeeper, bring me a pair of scissors!”
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