Outside the shop stood many familiar faces – Xia Xiaolan had already spotted Zhou Yi. Before she could greet her, she noticed Tong Lili had also arrived. Was this just shopping, or were they here to cause trouble? Given Tong Lili’s history, Xia Xiaolan couldn’t afford to be naive. Seeing Zhou Yi together with Tong Lili, she hesitated for a moment before walking out.

“Why are you all standing here? Would you like to come in and look around?”

Xia Xiaolan always looked impeccable. Her natural gifts were heaven-sent – both beauty and figure. Her acquired advantages came from her earning power – money for clothes and accessories. Today was the store’s promotional opening, so unlike at school, she didn’t need to be low-key and had put extra thought into her outfit.

When Tong Lili saw Xia Xiaolan, all the blood rushed to her head. As she stepped forward, her girlfriends held her back.

“Lili, don’t be impulsive! Let’s talk this through!”

No one had known beforehand that the clothing store belonged to Xia Xiaolan, which put them in an awkward position – making them look like they’d come deliberately to cause trouble. That wasn’t true at all. If Xia Xiaolan’s business wasn’t doing well, they could privately laugh about it but deliberately disrupt the opening… They all still had to maintain their social standing and wouldn’t stoop to such face-losing behavior. Now it was just awkward – who would believe it was just a misunderstanding?

Tong Lili’s face was flushed red, and if they hadn’t held her back, they worried she might have charged forward.

Could they have come shopping after receiving the flyers? That would be quite a coincidence.

Looking at Tong Lili’s expression, Xia Xiaolan could tell the girl still hadn’t let go of her obsession with Zhou Cheng.

There was nothing wrong with liking Zhou Cheng – no country had laws against unrequited love. When others liked Zhou Cheng, Xia Xiaolan felt it validated her taste. But why did girls who liked Zhou Cheng always feel compelled to criticize her?

“Since you’re all here, why not come in and look around? The store’s busy today, so I can’t attend to each of you personally, but please feel free to browse!”

Zhou Yi felt awkward too. Things between Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng were practically settled. Fighting with Xia Xiaolan now would be foolish. Giving in to Xia Xiaolan in private was one thing, but losing face in front of so many people… As Zhou Yi pondered this, her feet moved of their own accord into the store, and others followed suit.

In moments, only Tong Lili and two other girls remained outside.

“I’m completely done with Zhou Yi!”

Indeed, Zhou Yi following Xia Xiaolan into the store had disregarded Lili’s feelings – how could they all hang out comfortably together after this?

“She didn’t have a choice. The Zhou family has strict rules, and they’ll have to get along in the future-“

The Zhou family had chosen this country girl Xia Xiaolan – what could outsiders do about it?

Zhou Cheng liked her, the Zhou family approved – it had nothing to do with outsiders.

Zhou Yi’s approach was clever; she knew her place. As a cousin, if they got along well, they could chat more. If not, they could maintain surface politeness. At family gatherings, Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Yi didn’t even need to interact – that’s what happened in big families.

While Tong Lili’s friends could see this clearly, Tong Lili was furious. She believed Zhou Yi should have stood with her!

“Is she the only one with a store in Xidan? What’s so special about being a private business owner? The Zhou family should be embarrassed.”

Kang Wei smiled, “I don’t think the Zhou family is embarrassed at all. Miss Tong, why worry on their behalf? The sooner you accept it and move on, the better. Focus on your own life. Brother Cheng is just one person – it’s not like Sister-in-law Xiaolan can cut herself in half for you, right?”

Feelings of ‘love’ couldn’t be forced. Despite Tong Lili’s years of persistence and attempts to catch Zhou Cheng’s attention, he barely noticed her. Because he didn’t like her, he never took her seriously.

Normal men don’t play around with secret crushes – even if a woman seems completely out of their league, they’ll still express their feelings. Those who don’t speak up simply aren’t interested. Kang Wei found Tong Lili’s inability to let go both stubborn and somewhat pitiful.

Of course, that pity was like an ice chip in midsummer – gone in an instant!

Tong Lili glared at him before turning to leave.

Shao Guangrong watched her go. “Looks like you’ve offended Miss Tong.”

Kang Wei chuckled, “Women can be so petty.”

Kang Wei wasn’t afraid of making enemies. If Tong Lili turned her anger toward him, he’d be grateful – better than her failing at matchmaking and redirecting her fire at Xia Xiaolan again… Why couldn’t women be more straightforward like his Sister-in-law Xiaolan? Was dating the only thing left in the world? If you can’t find someone suitable right away, finding something productive to do is better than anything!

Though, if Tong Lili’s group knew how to be productive, that would be rare indeed.

Kang Wei hadn’t realized that he used to be just like Tong Lili and the others, living aimlessly. He just knew that he had evolved now, pursuing a career, unlike these good-for-nothing idlers!

…

The good-for-nothing Zhou Yi walked dazedly into the store.

Once inside, Xia Xiaolan was too busy to attend to her, telling her to browse on her own.

The store was several dozen square meters, filled with people rather than just clothes – some asking prices, others waiting for Xia Xiaolan’s styling advice. It was as noisy as a marketplace.

Zhou Yi’s friend whispered in her ear, “Is the Zhou family okay with this?”

Surely Xia Xiaolan didn’t need to be a private business owner? Hua Qing University students had guaranteed job assignments and could choose something decent and comfortable. With the Zhou family’s support and her impressive education, she was better off than any of them.

Like Zhou Yi – while not extremely wealthy, she never wanted to spend money.

A private business owner? She couldn’t lower herself to that!

Zhou Yi couldn’t understand Xia Xiaolan either. “What’s there to manage? You don’t know how much my grandparents adore her. My grandmother mentions her name all day long. I’m their actual granddaughter who visits three times a week, but I can’t compare to an outsider who barely visits once in three weeks.”

Zhou Yi’s words dripped with sourness, and her friends dared not continue the topic.

Xia Xiaolan was truly impressive. It wasn’t surprising that Zhou Cheng liked her – men appreciate beauty. But to win over the entire Zhou family? That kind of ability wasn’t common. Tong Lili’s loss to Xia Xiaolan wasn’t just about looks.

Setting aside the face-saving concerns of running a private business, the clothes in the store were quite attractive… and not cheap either. A few pieces could cost as much as those in the department store.

Zhou Yi’s friends, being outsiders, didn’t know the profit margin per piece.

Seeing the store full of people, it must be profitable – several hundred or even over a thousand yuan per month.

Back at the Beijing Hotel, how had Tong Lili criticized her? That their backgrounds were mismatched, and if the Zhou family agreed to let Zhou Cheng marry a country girl, she’d write her name backward – so would she become Lili Tong?

With a dot in the middle, “Lili·Tong” sounded like a foreign name. Zhou Yi’s friend couldn’t help but laugh at her imagination.

“Enough, let Lili figure things out herself. You should focus on building a good relationship with your future cousin-in-law. Today, we’ll empty our wallets if we have to, just to show our support!”

Zhou Yi gave her a look. “Pick what you like, I’ll cover it.”

She could afford several hundred yuan. Zhou Yi didn’t save money – as an only daughter, why should she? Her parents’ money was meant for her anyway. It was time to break the ice with Xia Xiaolan.

Meanwhile, the fuming Tong Lili wandered around Xidan with her companions. Finding a store more upscale than Blue Phoenix proved difficult. After walking around, she stormed into Luna’s shop:

“This store looks new too. With money, who can’t buy clothes in Xidan? I won’t let her earn this money!”