The shopkeeper wore a red cheongsam, standing gracefully amidst rows of flower stands, full of charm and elegance. Upon seeing Lu Zechuan enter, she moved lightly, warmly welcoming him, her face adorned with a bright and radiant smile. "Aunt Ding, is the dress I ordered ready?" Lu Zechuan asked, with a gentle smile. Ding Lan responded with a bright smile, "It’s ready. It’s hanging in the first room on the left on the second floor. Will you go up with your girlfriend to try it on?" Lu Zechuan seemed not to like Ding Lan using the word "girlfriend" to describe Xia Mian. His handsome face turned serious as he solemnly explained, "Aunt Ding, Mianmian is my girlfriend." Even if it’s fake, she’s still a girlfriend. Ding Lan smiled thoughtfully, "The young girl is called Mianmian?" Ding Lan’s gaze fell on Xia Mian, only to find the young girl in front of her to be elegant and poised, exuding an aura of grace and refinement, pleasing to the eye. Xia Mian nodded politely at Ding Lan. Lu Zechuan’s attitude towards this shopkeeper seemed a bit unusual. Ding Lan smiled with her eyes, "You and Ah Chuan make a good match." Ding Lan’s attitude towards Lu Zechuan was also different from that of ordinary people. "I’ll take you upstairs to try on the clothes," Lu Zechuan said, leading Xia Mian upstairs. Ding Lan’s eyes followed the figures of Lu Zechuan and Xia Mian, with a few more traces of comforting laughter in her eyes, "Ah Xiang, your Ah Chuan has found a girlfriend. Wouldn’t you be happy in the afterlife?" After muttering to herself, Ding Lan lowered her eyes, with a faint trace of sorrow in her gaze. Shen Xiang was the best friend she had ever had, but unfortunately, she met the wrong person and died in depression. It’s hateful that she had no rightful grounds to seek vengeance for Shen Xiang, her intentions unjustified and misdirected... Ding Lan picked up the watering can by the table and went to water the plants on the flower stands. She ran a shop, inviting renowned masters from around the world to help design clothes for the prestigious families in Beijing, and she kept all kinds of precious flowers in the shop for these wealthy people to pass the time. In this world, apart from being with Shen Xiang, the only thing that brought her joy was tending to these flowers... On the second floor, Xia Mian stood in front of a row of dresses, looking at Lu Zechuan in disbelief, "These are ’several’ dresses?" Lu Zechuan lifted a hand to touch his nose, "Aunt Ding is always meticulous in her work. Perhaps she didn’t know what style you like, so she designed several sets." "There’s so many, I can’t possibly wear them all!" Xia Mian said, a little distressed. "It’s okay, there will be many occasions like today’s in the future. Accompany me each time, with different outfits each time. You could wear them all in less than a month." Lu Zechuan’s fair and slender hand slowly brushed over a row of dresses, stopping at a pale yellow evening dress, turning to look at her, "This one’s nice. Want to try it on?" Xia Mian took the dress Lu Zechuan handed her. The dress was exquisitely crafted, with a simple and elegant design. The pale yellow color made her complexion appear even more fair and jade-like. Xia Mian smiled appreciatively, "Good taste." Xia Mian went to the fitting room to change into the dress, and when she came out, Lu Zechuan’s eyes lit up. The girl’s skin was clear and delicate, her figure graceful, and the pale yellow dress did not make her appear childish; on the contrary, it added a sense of purity and beauty. Sunlight streamed in from the floor-to-ceiling windows, almost as if it was gilding Xia Mian in a golden glow. Lu Zechuan squinted slightly, unable to hide the amazement in his eyes. "How is it?" Xia Mian asked as she twirled in front of Lu Zechuan, dress hem in hand. Lu Zechuan’s brows arched in a warm, indulgent smile, "It’s beautiful." Xia Mian, not being modest, completely accepted his compliment, nodding earnestly, "I think so too." "This is the one," Lu Zechuan said with a nod. Xia Mian agreed with a hum, checking herself in the mirror once more, as if recalling something, "How did you know my dress size?" Lu Zechuan lifted a hand to touch his nose, a hint of pink creeping into his ears, "I guessed." Xia Mian nodded with some skepticism, "You guessed pretty accurately then." Lu Zechuan did not respond, instead he diverted the conversation, "Let’s go get a hairstyle done." Xia Mian had no objections. The two went downstairs together, just as Ding Lan finished watering the last row of flowers. Seeing Xia Mian coming down in the dress, her gaze softened instantly, "This dress suits you!" Xia Mian smiled, her gaze roaming over the flower stands. Unintentionally, she was captivated by the various flowers on the stands. "Aunt Ding, you’re very good at growing flowers!" Xia Mian said with a smile. The flowers in this room were blooming in beautiful array, even better than those in the conservatories. Ding Lan’s lips curved into a smile filled with a sense of loss, "Ah Chuan’s mother loved flowers the most..." Ding Lan said no more, nodding to Lu Zechuan, "I’ll have the remaining dresses sent to the Lu Family later." Lu Zechuan hummed in agreement, "We’re leaving now, we’ll visit you again when we have time." Ding Lan slightly smiled, standing behind the flower stands, "Hmm." Xia Mian and Lu Zechuan left the shop, reached the doorway, and, as if by some unseen force, Xia Mian turned her head back. She saw Ding Lan standing in the dim light and shadows, her eyes lowered, watering can in hand, watering the flowers. Xia Mian wondered if it was just her imagination when she thought she saw blood from Ding Lan’s fingers seep into the flower pot. Xia Mian frowned, feeling something was off. Lu Zechuan’s voice cut through her thoughts, "Mianmian, what are you thinking about?" Xia Mian shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips, "Nothing!" Talking, the two of them got into the car. The Gu Family’s banquet was prepared on a grand scale. After all, being one of the four prominent families in the Capital City, this banquet gathered nearly two-thirds of the city’s prestigious families. By the time Lu Zechuan and Xia Mian arrived at the Gu Family’s, the banquet was already bustling with people. Lu Zechuan, worried Xia Mian might feel uneasy alone, had his arm around hers from the moment they got out of the car. Being a prominent figure in Beijing, and accomplished at a young age, Lu Zechuan was the dream man for many young women in the city. Now seeing him enter with a girl on his arm, various expressions appeared on everyone’s faces. Some were amazed that Lu Zechuan was finally interested in women, some were jealous of Xia Mian for capturing such a high-profile figure. Gu Xuan, the eldest daughter of the Gu Family, was originally chatting and laughing with her girlfriends. But upon catching sight of Lu Zechuan from the corner of her eye, her attention was immediately drawn to him. Seeing him with his arm around Xia Mian, her entire demeanor changed. The Gu Family and Lu Family were originally close, and she and Lu Zechuan had a bit of a childhood friendship. But Lu Zechuan had always been cold and distant with her, and she thought it was just his personality, that he wouldn’t get close to girls. Today it seemed, he wasn’t unwilling to be close to girls, he just didn’t want to be close to her. The changes in Gu Xuan’s expression were too obvious, causing the Xie Family’s Miss Xie Yun beside her to feel anxious, "Ah Xuan? What’s wrong with you?"