Two women stood there. One was bright and domineering, the other exuded a classical charm.
Under the seemingly peaceful atmosphere, both harbored deep curiosity and assessment of each other.
Cui Ran didn't keep her eyes on Meng Ruozhao all the time.
Her observation was unobtrusive.
After even taking a turn around, she casually picked up a modified cheongsam hanging on the display rack. Her fingertips brushed over the delicate Su - embroidery patterns on it, and she casually asked, "Is this also one of your works, Miss Meng?"
Meng Ruozhao suppressed the strange pang in her heart caused by the surname "Cui" and maintained the professional smile a shop owner should have.
"Yes. If you have a particular favorite style or a custom - made requirement, Miss Cui, you can let me know."
"We'd be happy to customize it for you according to your preferences and figure."
Cui Ran's fingertips still lingered on the embroidery pattern of the cheongsam.
Hearing this, she looked up. Her cold gaze scanned Meng Ruozhao's face again like a precision instrument.
"Custom - made?"
The corner of her lips curled up in a faint and ambiguous arc.
"I heard that custom - making here with you, Miss Meng, requires a lot of effort and time. Not just anyone can get on the waiting list, right?"
This question was a bit subtle. It seemed to be probing the rules of the studio, yet it also seemed to imply something else.
Meng Ruozhao answered calmly.
"It's our duty to treat every customer's trust with care."
"Time and effort are part and parcel of custom - making."
"As for the waiting period, it depends on the complexity of the specific design and the current order situation. We'll try our best to coordinate."
Cui Ran put down the cheongsam, turned to face Meng Ruozhao directly, and gracefully folded her hands in front of her.
"Really? Then it seems that to become one of Miss Meng's 'custom - made customers' and enjoy this unique 'effort', one needs a bit of fate and qualification."
Her eyes swept meaningfully over the design sketches of men's clothing on the workbench.
These were sketches Meng Ruozhao had unconsciously drawn for Pei Jiangmu during her leisure time, intending to make them as a graduation gift for him.
Meng Ruozhao's heart skipped a beat.
She keenly sensed that Miss Cui's focus didn't seem to be entirely on the clothes.
She followed Cui Ran's gaze and looked at those sketches. The unease in her heart grew, but her face remained calm.
"Put simply, customers pay with trust and money, and we offer corresponding services and care. It's a kind of equivalent exchange."
"Just like the custom - made outfit Miss Cui is wearing now. It also embodies the designer's effort, and Miss Cui must have paid a high price for it."
She subtly redirected the topic back to the other woman, both as a counter - attack and a probe.
Hearing this, a flash of surprise flickered in Cui Ran's eyes, which then turned into deeper amusement.
She didn't expect Meng Ruozhao to react so quickly and skillfully turn the tables on her.
"Care?"
She let out a soft laugh, with a hint of mockery in it. It was unclear who it was aimed at.
"Some kinds of care, seemingly unique, might just be mass - produced on an assembly line, fitting different people."
These words carried a veiled aggression, making people feel uncomfortable.
But before Meng Ruozhao could counter, she changed the subject and suddenly asked, "Miss Meng, do you think that one person's specialness to another comes from the uniqueness of the other person himself?"
"Or is it just because she happened to appear at a certain time and play a certain role?"
This question was strange, abrupt and rather inexplicable, but it carried obvious aggression.
Meng Ruozhao's fingers in her sleeves curled slightly, but her face remained calm.
"I don't quite understand what you mean, Miss Cui."
"Everyone's value and uniqueness should come from themselves, rather than any external endowment or role definition."
"As for the timing of appearance..."
She paused, met Cui Ran's inquisitive gaze, and spoke clearly and calmly.
"I believe that the right person, no matter when they meet, deserves to be treated seriously."
Their eyes locked, and it seemed as if there were invisible electric sparks crackling in the air.
Xu Lin and Ai Gao, who were organizing the fabrics nearby, also felt this unusual atmosphere and exchanged a worried look.
Cui Ran stared at Meng Ruozhao for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled. This time, there was less sharpness in her smile and more complex, unfathomable emotions.
"Well said."
She nodded, as if she had finally reached a conclusion.
"I share the same view as you, Miss Meng. The right person doesn't matter when they appear. The most important thing is that they are the right one."
Just then, her assistant answered a phone call and hurriedly walked up to her, whispering something in her ear.
She nodded and told the assistant to go start the car first.
She didn't look at the clothes anymore and turned to walk towards the door, still with an elegant and calm gait.
Before pushing open the glass door, she stopped, turned half of her face, and left one last sentence.
"I like both your designs and your ideas, Miss Meng, but I have something to attend to and have to leave now."
"We'll meet again. I hope you'll still be as interesting the next time we meet."
The wind chime on the door tinkled crisply as she left, and the stagnant air in the store seemed to flow instantly.
Meng Ruozhao stood there, looking at the still slightly swaying glass door, her brows furrowing imperceptibly.
The initial pang in her heart had long since disappeared, but a heavy sense of discomfort after being offended weighed down on her.
Who exactly was this "Miss Cui"?
What was the purpose behind her inquisitive gaze and inexplicable words?
"Ruozhao, are you okay?"
Xu Lin walked over with her phone in hand.
"That Miss Cui seems so strange. She has such a strong aura."
"So I just checked her out. Do you know who she is? She's actually the eldest daughter of the Cui family, Cui Ran."
Meng Ruozhao came back to her senses, shifted her gaze from the glass door where there was no longer a figure to Xu Lin, her eyes full of questions.
Xu Lin waved her phone. The screen showed relevant information about Cui Ran.
In the photo, she was exactly the same as the one they had just seen in the store, with a powerful aura.
"The Cui family? Is it the famous Cui Group in the business world, which is involved in multiple fields and has strong financial resources?"
Meng Ruozhao frowned slightly, looking a bit surprised.
The Cui family was well - known in Haicheng. In Meng Ruozhao's view, they were from a different world.
As the eldest daughter of the Cui family, her food, clothing, housing and transportation must be taken care of by special people, and she must have her own regular brands.
Why would she walk into a small store like hers?
Even though [Fuyunxuan] had gained a bit of fame recently because of the variety show, it wasn't enough to attract someone of Cui Ran's status, was it?
Thinking of this, Meng Ruozhao was even more puzzled by Cui Ran's various behaviors just now.
Xu Lin nodded repeatedly. "It's them. I didn't expect this eldest daughter to come to our small studio in person."
Ai Gao also came over, with a hint of worry on his face.
"Ruozhao, she doesn't have any bad ideas about our studio, does she? Those words she said today sounded so odd."
Sure enough, everyone thought it was strange.
And Xu Lin, who was still looking at her phone, suddenly said with a gossiping look on her face, "Do you know who Cui Ran's fiancé is?"