Chapter 20: Blueberry Juice
The cheongsam boutique was named Gu Qiu Fu. Yu Xian looked up the contact number the shop owner had left her the day before.
"Hello, this is Yu Xian, the manager of Yu Xian Inn in Xiangling Town. I placed a preliminary registration at your shop yesterday for the Mid-Autumn runway model position. I'm calling to confirm the application."
The proprietor of Gu Qiu Fu went by Qiu Niang. Rumor had it she had lived in Xiangling Town for several decades, pouring an immense amount of blood and sweat into growing her business from an obscure tailor's stall into a celebrated brand name. Consequently, she attached exceptional importance to runway showcases and new collection launches during major holidays.
Recalling the height and three measurements Yu Xian had quoted, Qiu Niang knew that if a girl truly possessed such proportions, she would be undeniably stunning. Still, she maintained a cautious edge—she had to lay eyes on the candidate in person before confirming whether such a girl, exceptional in both looks and figure, genuinely existed.
She had encountered far too many applicants who sent over heavily edited photos, nearly ruining her brand's hard-earned reputation in the past.
Qiu Niang said, "Alright. Bring her by tomorrow for me to see. If everything checks out, I'll reserve a spot for her."
Yu Xian: "Understood, thank you."
After hanging up, Yu Xian intended to let Eldest Miss Ming know they had to head over tomorrow. Stepping toward the door, however, the agonizing yet stubborn look on Ming Ruixi’s face as she had left suddenly flashed through her mind.
Her eyes flickered slightly. Walking over to the five-drawer chest, Yu Xian rummaged out a bottle of Yunnan Baiyao aerosol spray.
Arriving at Eldest Miss Ming's bedroom, she knocked on the door: thump, thump, thump.
"Come in!" came a sharp, petulant cry.
It seemed her temper had not subsided in the least. Remembering how the young lady had sobbed and begged for mercy just moments earlier, Yu Xian realized it had all been a sham concession.
Once the moment passed, she was just as furious and defiant as ever.
Whatever. As long as the girl took that first step toward earning her own keep, Yu Xian could afford to show some generosity and yield a little.
Yu Xian comforted herself with that thought. If this endeavor succeeded, Ming Ruixi would at least have some experience relying on her own two hands whenever she eventually left this place.
Stepping inside, she saw a huddled mound under the duvet, with a pair of trousers and underwear tossed haphazardly over the edge of the mattress.
Eldest Miss Ming lay sprawled across the pillows, glaring at her with venomous, beautiful eyes.
Parting her red lips and white teeth, she spat out with palpable resentment, "What does this lady owe you now?!"
Holding the aerosol spray behind her back, Yu Xian said evenly, "Come with me to that cheongsam boutique tomorrow. The proprietor wants to see if your qualifications actually match up."
Those five hundred yuan weren't handed out for free; others might not even get the opportunity if they wanted it.
"Yu Xian, have you ever heard the saying?" Impatience flashed in Eldest Miss Ming's eyes.
Yu Xian: "What saying?"
Eldest Miss Ming: "'Employ without suspicion; suspect not whom you employ'!"
Suppressing her simmering fury, she snapped, "If she wants to hire this lady as her model, she can drop this nonsense! Didn't you already register me? Why does she need to inspect me in person? Are this lady's looks and figure unworthy of her tacky cheongsams?!"
"..."
Yu Xian narrowed her eyes: "Drop your high-and-mighty heiress complex. Right now, she's the boss with the money, free to hire whoever she pleases. You aren't her only option. If you don't show up, she has no reason to believe you're genuinely that exceptional."
Before the words fully landed, Eldest Miss Ming fired right back: "Does this lady's brilliance require her validation? What an absolute joke!"
Yu Xian's expression hardened to frost as she began rolling up her sleeves: "It seems you need another refresher on what 'pride' really means."
Ming Ruixi clutched the edge of the blanket tightly, the colors on her face shifting in rapid succession. Watching Yu Xian take a step forward until her shadow loomed directly overhead, she turned stark pale in panic, crying out shrilly: "I'll go! I'll go, alright?!"
Yu Xian lowered her arms with calm composure, setting the Yunnan Baiyao spray onto the bedside table: "Spray this on yourself; it won't hurt as much. Get some sleep early. You still have to buy groceries tomorrow morning."
"What is this?" Ming Ruixi called after her.
Yu Xian explained in a measured voice: "To tend to your backside. I might have struck a little too hard earlier. My apologies."
"A cat shedding crocodile tears for a mouse—pure hypocrisy," Ming Ruixi muttered under her breath.
Pretending not to hear, Yu Xian turned and walked out.
Only after confirming the bedroom door was firmly shut did Eldest Miss Ming reach out with trembling hands to grab the bottle of Yunnan Baiyao spray.
Peeling back the duvet and wincing through the stinging ache, she sprayed two bursts onto her bruised skin.
A cooling chill spread immediately, bringing immense relief.
A few minutes later, following the printed instructions, she applied a second round.
Lying sprawled across the pillows, Ming Ruixi fiddled boredly with her secondhand phone. When a message pinged from Yu Xian containing the grocery money and tomorrow's shopping list, she typed out a sour, petulant reply:
"Got it."
Perhaps exhausted from an entire afternoon of yard work, a heavy wave of drowsiness washed over Ming Ruixi shortly afterward.
...
The next day, after finishing lunch, the two set off for the Gu Qiu Fu cheongsam boutique.
The moment Qiu Niang laid eyes on Ming Ruixi, she was genuinely taken aback with admiration—it was rare to see a girl this exceptionally stunning willing to take on a modeling gig.
These days, girls blessed with features like hers either became internet influencers or had their paths paved ahead of them; hardly any would come to a boutique like this to work as a model for precarious, gig-based pay.
"Fill out the registration form. When the Mid-Autumn Festival arrives, come on over—we will provide the wardrobe," Qiu Niang added as an afterthought. "You know how to walk in high heels, right?"
Ming Ruixi nodded: "Yes."
Qiu Niang brought out a pair of heels and a standard cheongsam, instructing her to change so she could see if the girl carried the authentic grace and charm of a cheongsam beauty.
Thrust with the garment and shoes, Ming Ruixi stood frozen before the fitting room without budging an inch, glaring at Yu Xian with venomous defiance. Taking a deep breath, Yu Xian knew the girl's old habit was flaring up again.
A former princess would never wear clothes or shoes that had touched someone else's skin.
Turning to negotiate with Qiu Niang, Yu Xian said, "Qiu Niang, my sister is a germaphobe. She really can't bring herself to wear clothes and shoes worn by others. Would it be possible to..."
Qiu Niang understood immediately. Wanting to test whether this girl was truly the right fit, she had her staff bring out a brand-new, unworn set.
Only then did Eldest Miss Ming deign to step into the fitting room. Yu Xian and Qiu Niang waited outside.
The cheongsam was a pale celadon, full-placket wrap dress cut from a single piece of fabric, accented with bamboo-leaf prints, traditional frog buttons, and piped cuffs—a refined, modern interpretation of the classic silhouette.
When Ming Ruixi stepped out wearing it, she possessed a rare, gentle elegance and understated grace. Qiu Niang had her take a few steps, gently adjusting her stride and hand positioning.
"The key to a cheongsam is capturing that inner poise. You can take slightly slower steps."
After guiding her through the walk, Qiu Niang nodded in satisfaction: "You're hired. Come by at eight in the morning on the Mid-Autumn Festival."
Yu Xian nodded: "She will be here on time."
Leaving Gu Qiu Fu, Ming Ruixi walked back alongside Yu Xian.
The shopfronts on either side of the street were brimming with Mid-Autumn festive goods: sponge cakes from Hexiang Pavilion, buckwheat cakes from Qingxiang Pavilion, alongside an endless variety of mooncakes, biscuits, pastries, and assorted southern sweets.
Delicate festive trinkets and toys formed a dazzling display: colorful paper lanterns, sky lanterns, circular silk fans, and more.
Yu Xian reflected on past Mid-Autumn Festivals. Being an orphan, she had never gone out of her way to celebrate during her school years. After graduating, she had originally planned to just let it pass like any ordinary day.
Now, however, Eldest Miss Ming was by her side. Her family had cast her out, and her biological parents were nowhere to be found.
"Yu Xian, this lady wants boba tea."
A voice interrupted her train of thought. Yu Xian glanced at Eldest Miss Ming beside her—slender, poised, clear light rippling in her eyes, exuding that familiar, willful haughtiness in both voice and bearing.
"This lady cooperated and came all the way out here with you today—how can you be so stingy with giving me a reward?"
Yu Xian thought for a moment. Forget it, no use arguing with her. Scanning her surroundings, she spotted a drink shop just a short distance away.
"What do you want?"
"Blueberry juice. Freshly pressed—this lady doesn't drink artificial syrup concoctions."
Yu Xian told her to find a shady spot to wait and walked over to the drink stand alone.
"One freshly pressed blueberry juice, please." Just as the words left her mouth, Yu Xian recalled when she worked part-time at a coffee shop in the past. Eldest Miss Ming had deliberately played a prank on her: she had clearly ordered blueberry juice, but flatly denied it once it was brought to the table, causing Yu Xian to be docked a full day's wages by the store manager.
The staff member asked, "One blueberry juice?"
"Make it a grapefruit juice," Yu Xian changed the order expressionlessly.
While waiting, a rare, smug smile tugged at the corner of Yu Xian's mouth. After paying, her peripheral vision caught the mirrored shop interior reflecting Eldest Miss Ming's silhouette not far away.
An old woman was standing before her, seemingly trying to tell her something.
Perhaps the old woman's speech was slurred or difficult to hear; Eldest Miss Ming had to lean her ear closer to listen. Looking around the street, she seemed to be getting ready to lead the old woman somewhere.
Yu Xian recalled how Eldest Miss Ming had stepped up to defend the elderly vendor yesterday. It wasn't that she was incapable of doing good deeds; Yu Xian assumed she was merely showing the old woman the way. Pushing down the faint uneasiness in her chest, she took the grapefruit juice. Yet when she walked back, Eldest Miss Ming was nowhere to be found.
Pulling out her phone, she dialed her number. As the line rang, a familiar chime echoed from the alley behind her...
Spotting the phone lying abandoned on the pavement, a wave of panic surged through Yu Xian's eyes.
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