"Sister Mingyue!" Fu Annie got up from the sofa and happily bounced over to Leng Sa, wanting to hug her arm. However, something seemed to have occurred to her, and she froze, looking at Leng Sa pitifully. Leng Sa was speechless, instantly realizing that this child had been frightened by her yesterday.
She reached out to touch the top of her head. "Annie, happy birthday. You look very beautiful today." She handed over the birthday gift, and Fu Annie happily accepted it, blinking her eyes. "Sister Mingyue, what is it? Can I open it?" Leng Sa nodded, "Of course."
Fu Annie carefully untied the ribbon on the gift box and opened it, couldn't help but exclaim, "It's so beautiful!"
Several young girls immediately surrounded them, and one sharp-eyed girl widened her eyes. "This seems to be the new design from Jingshu."
"It's indeed Jingshu's new design. I've never seen it before," another girl agreed.
All the girls turned their attention to Leng Sa, and she nodded, "Indeed, it's the limited edition summer dress that Jingshu is about to launch." Inside the box was a set of summer dresses, exquisitely embroidered with lace and adorned with An Xia's traditional vintage elements. The color combination was distinct from the current monotonous Western-style clothing, exuding a touch of traditional luxury without appearing outdated. Even the lace patterns were different from regular designs, clearly showing meticulous design.
Jingshu had gained popularity in Yong City only in the past year. Their clothing store offered a distinct style that set it apart from typical Western-style clothing, blending elements from various countries seamlessly.
However, Jingshu targeted the high-end market, and their prices were not affordable for ordinary people. The products were not cheaper compared to famous foreign luxury brands and local embroidery houses that had been passed down for generations. They gained further attention with the release of a series of limited-edition autumn and winter collections last year, drawing customers even from neighboring cities like Jiang City.
However, there were only six designs in the series with only one of each design available for sale.
Even if these young ladies from prestigious families couldn't get their hand on the original, they wouldn't deign to wear imitations. Moreover, Jingshu's choice of materials, patterns, and craftsmanship were not easy to replicate. The cost was extremely high, and buying a counterfeit piece of clothing would only lead to embarrassment and potentially offend others, as wearing a fake item could easily result in a fashion faux pas or even a fashion disaster.
Ordinary people might not mind this, but even the prices of imitations were enough to deter them. Additionally, Jingshu's designs were intricate and complex, not suitable for daily wear for people who needed to work.
Jingshu had already announced that there would be a limited-edition summer collection with six designs. The young ladies of the various families were already anticipating them.
Now that Fu Annie had gotten one in advance, there were only five left.
With everyone's envious eyes on her, Fu Annie exclaimed, "Thank you, Sister Mingyue! You're the best! I'll wear this dress for my father's birthday!"
Zheng Ying was surprised and glanced at Leng Sa. "I didn't expect Miss Leng to know Jingshu's boss?"
No woman could resist something unique. Zheng Ying had also inquired about this shop and even bought their clothes. But she could not find out who the boss was. Even the Zheng family could not find out. It was likely that there was a powerful force behind it. Leng Sa responded calmly, "I accidentally helped that person before but we're not close."
With the support of the Bai, Song, and An family, it would be strange if Zheng Ying could find out.
Initially, when Leng Sa and the other three had teamed up to open this shop, it was all about making money. Whose money was the easiest to earn? Of course, it was the money of wealthy women, be it adult women or young girls. No one could resist fine clothing and accessories.
Leng Sa didn't even need to personally work on anything. They had hired several skilled craftsmen, and she only needed to occasionally provide some design concepts. As for imitations, they were bound to exist, and even the Fu family probably couldn't completely ban them. But she didn't care; she had already reaped the first wave of profits. If the rest of the market continued to produce imitations, they could only piggyback on Jingshu's success.
"Sister Mingyue, you're the best," Fu Annie clutched the dress tightly and refused to let go. "Can I try it on?"
"Of course, go ahead."
"Annie, we'll go with you!" The girls escorted Fu Annie upstairs.
In front of the sofa, there were only Zheng Ying and Leng Sa left. People nearby occasionally cast discreet glances in their direction. Some even perked up their ears, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation between the two. Leng Sa walked over and sat down, then lifted her chin slightly at Zheng Ying. "Sit down and talk, why are you standing?"
Zheng Ying's expression stiffened, and a hint of anger flashed in her eyes.
Leng Mingyue's demeanor seemed like she was the master, and she was her servant.
If Leng Sa knew what she was thinking, Leng Sa would surely feel unjustly accused. She truly didn't have such intentions; she was simply not very warm in her demeanor, except when she was with the person she liked.
Zheng Ying sat down opposite Leng Sa and lowered her head slightly to look at the table in front of her. She looked demure, gentle, and obedient.
Leng Sa, having a headache, started to rub her temples. Compared to someone like Zheng Ying, she would rather interact with Leng Mingshu. She wondered why a family like the Zhengs would raise their daughter to be like this. Eh… something was amiss. Song Xuan had mentioned that Zheng Ying aspired to be an independent woman and was studying business. Would such a girl have a submissive personality?
"…" Leng Sa remained silent, feeling like she had encountered quite a character. If this were her past life, she would have introduced Zheng Ying to Xie Anlan to let her experience what a true drama queen was.
With her head lowered, Leng Sa stared at her clothes as if she were meticulously counting the fabric's patterns, one by one.
Zheng Ying waited for quite a while but Leng Sa didn't speak. She couldn't help but lift her eyes to glance at her. What she saw was Leng Sa sitting in the same posture as her, but Leng Sa's back was even straighter, and her facial expression was even calmer, as if she were an unmoving still pool.
"Miss Leng?" Zheng Ying waited for a while longer, but she still didn't respond. Zheng Ying could feel the inquisitive gazes of people around them.
Leng Sa looked up, and when their eyes met, Zheng Ying was once again surprised.
Those beautiful eyes were undoubtedly enviable, but they were too calm. It made Zheng Ying wonder if this person had even the slightest bit of emotion. If someone were to tell Zheng Ying at this moment that Leng Sa didn't resent her or Fu Yucheng, she would surely believe it.
Only people with emotions could love and hate, but this person in front of her… did she truly possess those feelings?
Zheng Xian mentioned that Leng Mingyue deeply loved Fu Yucheng, and she would surely resent Zheng Ying for taking him away. But… did she truly love Fu Yucheng?
"…" This was a misunderstanding. She was just used to spacing out.
Zheng Ying composed herself and said in a low voice, "Miss Leng, we did you wrong before, but I hope we can have a proper conversation. Is that possible?"
Leng Sa raised her eyebrows. "Talk to me? Are you sure you want to do that here?"