It was a day off, and Zi Yan found himself once again in Haizhou City Center during the daytime.
Despite having returned to Sunflower Country for quite some time, this was his first time coming to such a bustling place with an overwhelming crowd.
The sunlight was blistering during the day, and Zi Yan’s body couldn’t quite adapt.
With his brows furrowed, he held his umbrella tightly close to himself. “…Ah.”
The other reason was the strange and lingering gazes cast upon him by the passersby on the street.
Just moments ago, while waiting for the traffic light to change at the pedestrian crossing across from Haizhou First Department Store, Zi Yan had only stood there for a mere dozen seconds or so, yet it almost felt like he was being watched by a crowd.
Especially one middle-aged man who was about 1.9 meters tall, muscular, wearing bean shoes and a black jacket, with a thick gold chain around his neck, a bald head, and a scar.
The way he looked at Zi Yan with such interest sent a chill down Zi Yan’s spine.
White hair and red eyes— my appearance really is quite unusual, isn’t it? Sorry for standing out so much.
When the light finally turned green, Zi Yan gripped his umbrella tightly, shook off the lingering stares behind him, and quickened his pace, striding swiftly across the street.
The entrance to Haizhou First Department Store was now just ahead. Zi Yan moved with determined momentum, jogging lightly as a gentle breeze fluttered several strands of his pristine white hair.
He stopped abruptly at the store’s entrance, took a deep breath, smoothed down his chest, and stepped inside.
Going out at night really is better… The dim streetlights mean fewer people notice my appearance.
Haizhou First Department Store was an antique establishment dating back to the 1950s. Of course, this antique was only in the sense of being old-fashioned.
Even though the shop owners had installed elevators to cater to modern consumption habits, these were only escalators— not the kind of direct sightseeing elevators you’d find at Wanda Plaza.
He had to circle around, stepping from one escalator to another, which made Zi Yan feel dizzy.
And…
Zi Yan tugged the corner of his mouth, his expression awkward.
Every floor he went up, he attracted large groups of curious eyes at every escalator turn. When he passed by the shoe section on the fourth floor, a young female clerk even took out her phone and secretly snapped photos of him.
Well, the department store was brightly lit, so even coming at night wouldn’t make much difference.
Suddenly, Zi Yan found himself longing for the sightseeing elevators at Wanda Plaza that could take you straight to each floor.
Please, everyone, I know my appearance is unusual, but please stop staring at me like this.
Carrying these feelings, Comrade Zheng Zi Yan’s cheeks burned red with embarrassment until he finally stepped into the clothing store on the sixth floor and somewhat eased his discomfort.
The clothing store was large, with mannequins at the entrance displaying several finished garments.
Zi Yan walked in. The shop owner, a woman around forty years old, was sitting at a sewing machine, the rhythmic sound of her work clicking away.
Hearing the noise, the owner looked up and saw Zi Yan. Seeing he wasn’t a regular customer, she asked, “Are you here to order custom clothes or buy fabric?”
“…”
Zi Yan was so absorbed in examining the finished garments that he hadn’t noticed her question.
These clothes… the designs were quite good, exuding a dignified elegance. The sewing was excellent too, though not quite on par with his mother Lina’s skill, but still much better than anything he could do.
Like the pattern on the coat’s cuffs— knowing the design in theory, Zi Yan himself couldn’t reproduce it.
Well, after all, these people run a clothing store professionally. He was still just an apprentice.
“Hey, are you ordering custom clothes or buying fabric?”
The shop owner put down her work, walked over to Zi Yan, smiled, and waved at him.
“Ah, I’m here to buy fabric,” Zi Yan came back to his senses, eyes shining brightly. “But… can I also take a look at those ready-made clothes?”
For Zi Yan, this kind of fashion design store was truly a treasure trove— definitely a place he could come to often in the future.
“Of course,” the owner said, pointing. “Fabric is in Area A, clothes in Area B. Just pick whichever fabric you want, and I’ll cut it for you.”
She glanced Zi Yan over and asked, “Are you a student at Haizhou Textile Institute?”
Haizhou Textile Institute was a private second-tier university in Haizhou City, known for its flagship program in Fashion Design. The shop owner had graduated from there twenty years ago.
But after saying that, she shook her head. This young girl in front of her looked no older than fourteen or fifteen—there was no way she could be a university student.
“No, no,” Zi Yan also shook his head to deny it. “I’ve studied this with my mother for a while. I just want to buy some fabric to practice.”
“Oh…” The owner nodded and turned back to her sewing machine.
Probably the daughter of some small tailor shop in Haizhou?
“I still have work to finish, so you can look around yourself for now.”
“Okay.”
Zi Yan replied and headed straight into Area B, where many finished garments were displayed.
When Zi Yan had learned about this store from the Haizhou Fashion Magazine, he had already known that the shop sold both fabric and clothes.
However, the finished clothes on display were just for show. They weren’t sold off the rack. Customers would pick a style, then the owner would measure their body, and every garment sold was custom-made.
“Wow!”
Zi Yan was thrilled.
This really was a treasure trove.
Area B was filled with all kinds of finished garments. Upon closer inspection, almost every piece could be considered a masterpiece. He was deeply moved.
Ah, if he hadn’t just bought a sewing machine and still had that warm enthusiasm in his heart, Zi Yan might have considered ordering clothes right here at the store.
“Hey!”
Zi Yan stood on tiptoe and took down a coat hanging on a rack.
The coat was made of wool fabric, a pale off-white color. It was a parka style, with two cleverly curved lines at the waist to cinch it— very flattering.
Zi Yan held the coat in front of himself and looked into a full-length mirror beside him. Honestly, if he wore it, it would look quite handsome.
But unfortunately, it was women’s clothing.
He hung the coat back up and scanned the entire Area B. Most of the clothes were female, with only a few lonely pieces of men’s clothing tucked away in a corner.
Well.
Actually, women’s clothing wasn’t a big deal. As long as the style was neutral enough, Zi Yan thought it would still look fine on him.
Forget it. For now, he wouldn’t order clothes here.
No matter what, he had the sewing machine now. If he didn’t make some clothes himself, Zi Yan felt like he’d be letting his father down.
He still vividly remembered Comrade Zheng Quan’s heartbroken expression when he paid for the sewing machine order yesterday.
Not looking at the display anymore, Zi Yan slipped into Area A.
Passing the shop owner, he asked, “Boss, do you sell Textile Paper and Cloud Rulers here?”
“Yes,” the owner answered without looking up. “They’re on the shelves at the very back of Area A. Just help yourself.”