It was precisely one in the afternoon when Yang Qinru found herself in the backseat of a sleek black car, heading toward the city's most exclusive boutique with Butler Fu.
She adjusted her phone absentmindedly as Butler Fu, ever the dutiful guardian, glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
"Young Miss," Butler Fu finally spoke, his voice hesitant, "Do you think it would be a good idea to invite Miss Ren to join you for gown shopping?"
Yang Qinru froze mid-scroll on her phone. She didn't even need to dig through her memory to know who Ren Yuxin was—her closest friend, both in this life and her previous one.
The only reason Butler Fu hadn't objected to their friendship was because the Ren family was as powerful as the Yang family. Unlike the chaotic Yang household, however, the Ren family ran like a well-oiled machine.
Ren Yuxin was the only daughter of the Ren family, a household as powerful as the Yangs but thankfully devoid of their chaotic drama.
"Why should I call her?" Yang Qinru asked, her voice laced with genuine confusion as she idly tapped her phone screen.
Butler Fu's heart skipped a beat.
'What did she just say?' His mind raced. 'Did the Young Miss and Miss Ren have a falling out? A fight? Was it serious?' Panic seeped into his voice.
"Young Miss… you didn't end your friendship with Miss Ren, did you?" he asked nervously.
Yang Qinru raised an eyebrow. "Why would I do that?"
"But if you did," Butler Fu continued, undeterred, "You must apologize immediately! Such friendships are priceless!"
"Apologize? For what?" Yang Qinru was now genuinely baffled.
Butler Fu's anxiety levels skyrocketed. "Young Miss, don't tell me—"
"No, wait. Why would we even end our friendship?" Qinru cut him off.
Her face scrunched in thought.
'Did we fight?' she wondered.
But with Ren Yuxin's easy-going temperament, the likelihood of a falling out was next to impossible.
"You didn't end your friendship?" Butler Fu pressed.
"No!"
"But… but why aren't you inviting her to the boutique?" Butler Fu's voice was laced with desperation.
"Because she's abroad," Qinru replied matter-of-factly, as though the answer was obvious.
Butler Fu turned around in his seat so quickly that the driver let out a startled cough. "Abroad? Young Miss, she came back three months ago!"
"What?!" Yang Qinru's jaw dropped. "How was I supposed to know that? Nobody tells me anything!"
Butler Fu muttered under his breath, "Because the Young Miss doesn't pay attention to social updates…"
Butler Fu looked like he was about to cry, but Yang Qinru was already dialing Ren Yuxin's number. The phone barely rang twice before it was picked up.
"Xiao Yu!" Yang Qinru chirped. "Want to come gown shopping with me? I need something dazzling for the upcoming gala.
There was a loud squeal on the other end of the line. "Finally! I thought you'd never ask. I've been bored out of my mind since I got back!"
Yang Qinru smirked, already picturing Ren Yuxin's dramatic expressions. "Great. I'll swing by to pick you up."
"I'll be ready in ten minutes. Don't be late, or I'm making you buy me milk tea as compensation!" Ren Yuxin declared before hanging up.
Butler Fu let out a relieved sigh. "Thank heavens."
Yang Qinru leaned back in her seat with a triumphant grin. "See? Crisis averted. You're too dramatic, Butler Fu."
He gave her a weary look. "Young Miss, dramatic is you forgetting your best friend even exists."
Yang Qinru rolled her eyes. "Details, details."
The boutique was nestled in a quiet corner of Beijing, its glass facade shimmering under the afternoon sun.
Ren Yuxin and Yang Qinru stood at the entrance, greeted by the boutique's manager, a sharply dressed woman with a practiced smile.
The scent of fresh flowers filled the air, and a soft melody played in the background.
"Miss Yang, Miss Ren, it's an honor to have you here," the manager said with a slight bow. "We've prepared a selection of our finest gowns for your perusal."
Yang Qinru nodded, her lips quirking. "Let's see if your finest live up to my standards."
The manager nodded right away. "Of course. Right this way."
Yuxin snorted, elbowing her friend. "Don't scare her off before we even start."
They were led to a private fitting area with plush seating and large mirrors. Several assistants began pulling gowns from the racks, arranging them neatly.
Yang Qinru stepped into the fitting room and emerged in a mermaid-style gown made of black velvet. It hugged her figure perfectly, the off-shoulder neckline revealing her delicate collarbones. A cascade of silver sequins spilled from her waist down to the hem, giving the gown a starlit effect.
Ren Yuxin gasped. "You look like a femme fatale! If you show up in that, every woman there will hate you."
"Perfect," Yang Qinru said with a smirk, striking a dramatic pose. "But is it too much?"
"Never too much," Ren Yuxin replied, already twirling in her own gown—a fiery orange dress with a high slit and a halter neck. The fabric shimmered like molten gold under the boutique lights.
Yang Qinru raised an eyebrow. "Are you auditioning to be the sun? I can barely look at you without sunglasses."
Ren Yuxin laughed. "Hey, you said bold, so I went bold!"
Yang Qinru's next choice was a floor-length gown in deep emerald green, with a high neckline and a backless design. The fabric was silk, flowing like water as she moved. Gold embroidery traced the edges of the dress, giving it an air of quiet sophistication.
"This," Yang Qinru said, spinning to admire herself in the mirror, "feels like old money."
Ren Yuxin nodded approvingly. "You could walk into a royal palace wearing that."
Ren Yuxin, on the other hand, tried a soft blush pink ballgown with layers of tulle. The sweetheart neckline and delicate floral appliqués made her look like a princess from a fairytale.
Yang Qinru wrinkled her nose. "You look like a cupcake."