To accommodate Shen Li's schedule, the salon, generally held in the evening, was moved up to half past two in the afternoon; still, Shen Li arrived half an hour late.
Shen Li had not intended to inform Huo Siyu of her attendance at the salon and had planned to sneak off with Dongfang. However, Huo Siyu unexpectedly returned and, after much coaxing and pleading, finally relented. Only then did Shen Li hurriedly change her clothes and come.
Because it was a salon, Shen Li chose a light purple cocktail dress. She wasn't very interested in the accessories for her neck and hands, primarily because she found them heavy. She only wore a diamond brooch at her collar, understated and luxurious without being ostentatious, a style she favored.
"Welcome, Miss Shen," Madam De Longbriaye said in perfect Chinese, her face graced with the most appropriate smile, polite and humble.
