In the afternoon, Bai Yu Yan was sitting in her office finalizing few designs so they could stock up the dresses that could be put up on display. Xiao Fan and Zhang Song were already tailoring downstairs and dressing up the mannequins. This way, they can start taking orders from the customers soon.
Sitting on a comfortable wooden chair, Bai Yu Yan's hand moved around the big table where a number of papers were scattered. If possible, she wanted to introduce cheongsam as soon as possible. In a place where if a lady shows skin above the ankle was deemed inappropriate, she wondered how people would react even with the smallest slit in their dress. She had to find a solution to it if she wanted to design dresses other than hanfu.
"Boss, I've already distributed sweets to the neighboring shops." Manager Gao inserted his head through the slightly opened door and informed Yu Yan who was immersed in the drawings. He had thought that knowing he had worked to please the Bai House, Bai Yu Yan would mistreat him if he worked under her. But nothing of such happened till now. She treated him like the other servants. Seeing her attitude towards her work, Manager Gao truly admired her and liked working for her.
"What about our landlady?" Bai Yu Yan questioned without lifting her head from the drawings.
"Ahh, about that, Miss Zhao said she'd personally come here to receive sweets and give blessings to Boss for opening the Silver Closet." Miss Zhao was the landlady of their shop. She was a widowed woman who ran a small fruit shop beside their boutique.
Bai Yu Yan nodded her head in understanding. She couldn't make the old woman personally come up to her shop so she mentally noted to drop by her fruit shop before going home. Looking out at the afternoon sun, she reminded him, "It's almost time for lunch. Inform Xiao Fan and Zhang Song to prepare to go to the tavern opposite our shop. They can continue their work after coming back."
Manager Gao, who was waiting to hear this, immediately smiled. Nodding his head, he was already running downstairs, "Yes, Boss!"
The door of Yu Yan's office wasn't even properly closed before it opened with a bang and a loud voice traveled inside, "What kind of owner are you? Your shop hasn't even received a single customer and you are already celebrating?"
Bai Yu Yan raised her head to look at the uninvited guest and was not surprised to see the Third Princess sauntering inside. With how much she had tried to convince her at the banquet, Yu Yan had already expected her arrival. Wearing a pale pink dress, Li Ling welcomed herself and helped herself to a nearby chair.
"Looking at it from the outside, I thought this run-down place wasn't your shop. Had I not seen your manager running around distributing sweets, I'd have seriously gone back. But...the inside of the shop does not look that bad." said Li Ling as her admiring eyes darted around curiously.
"And you, don't you have to invite me when you are having the shop's opening? If I hadn���t heard Mother telling a servant to send this present to congratulate you, I wouldn't even have known about it" Thinking of that, Xin Li Ling's eyes looked at Bai Yu Yan with accusation. Her fingers pointed at Yu Yan in anger.
"Consort Shu sent me a present?" Yu Yan's eyes showed surprise. Only then she noticed the carefully wrapped box placed on the table.
Li Ling lowered her finger and rolled her eyes when Bai Yu Yan didn't even care about her complaint. But her mood immediately turned for the better remembering something else. "The dress you made for Mother was really a miracle. It could even pull Father Emperor to Mother's bed when all of us were expecting him to go to the Empress's," she said while patting the table in laughter.
Bai Yu Yan paused while unwrapping the box and gave a weird look to Li Ling who was still laughing. She thought only the emperor's children might be able to freely joke about their parent's bedroom activities. She then thought about yesterday's bracelet incident with the empress and sighed. Fortunately she didn't transmigrate as a woman in the emperor's harem otherwise with how twisted the brain of those women is, she would have a harder time living in that place than the battlefield.
She turned her attention back to the box in her hand. A red crystal hairpiece laid inside. Yu Yan picked the hairpiece and studied it. A row of small and big crystals ran around the golden vein arc. Red crystal, the color of blood, signified action, and power that will keep one motivated and determined. A gift befitting the occasion. It seems Consort Shu wanted to thank her using this opportunity. A small note was at the bottom of the box, written - For your successful future!
Bai Yu Yan kept it back to the box and turned to Li Ling, "Princess personally came here to deliver this?"
"Of course I had to come! Why, did you already forget what you promised me last night?" Li Ling whipped her head and cautiously looked at Bai Yu Yan.
"Don't worry, Princess. I still remember it." Although Bai Yu Yan was reluctant to make any connection with the royals after what happened at the banquet, she was not foolish enough to refuse the VIP customer who personally delivered themselves at her door.
Relieved, Li Ling patted her chest and sat back, "I am telling you now. Even if you try to forget about it, there is no way I'll let you do it. I'll come here every day to remind you."
Hearing it, Bai Yu Yan hurriedly replied, "Princess, I am blessed with a very good memory. So please don't bother yourself to come here every day." She was afraid Li Ling would not let her work if she came here every day. Looking at the princess who was fanning herself with a paper fan, she appeared hesitant before adding, "Just that we might need a few bolts of fabric which are not easily available. Without it, the dress that princess wants may not be as good. So...can princess manage to bring it?"
"You think this princess can't even get some fabrics? Hah, You're really underestimating this princess." scoffed Li Ling as she shook her head.
Bai Yu Yan softly smiled and nodded her head, "It's not that I am doubting princess but the fabric is quite difficult to obtain."
"Leave it to me." Li Ling beat her chest as if assuring Bai Yu Yan that she could get it.
Manager Gao, who had just come up and was standing at the door, looked at Bai Yu Yan in awe. She successfully induced the princess to bring her the fabrics that were difficult to get their hands on. With how rare the fabrics were, it would have been hard for them to get it without spending some resources but it wouldn't be the same for someone from the royal family, who possesses indefinite power. And if Third Princess wanted it, Consort Shu would definitely get it for her. Thinking about how easily Bai Yu Yan did it, Manager Gao's hair stood at the back of his neck. It seems in the future he has to be careful of this Boss who can smoothly cajole people into doing her business while the other person would not even realize it.