To find Master Rang, Su Ziceng once again stepped into LV and obtained Mrs. Bao Qin’s contact information.
Upon hearing Su Ziceng’s voice, Mrs. Bao Qin was both surprised and delighted; the "Hyacinth Declaration of Love" by the Seine River was the most romantic experience of her life.
Although outwardly and in conduct she was equally strict, at heart Mrs. Bao Qin was a typical French woman—intelligent and modest. From Master Rang’s blushing cheeks and look of utter surprise, Mrs. Bao Qin had already deduced that this romantic gesture did not originate from him, and he had also been completely unaware of it beforehand.
This genius of the design world could turn a doghouse into a dreamy palace, but his brain housed only romantic bacteria, devoid of any romantic cells.
Yet none of this prevented Master Rang, upon seeing the proposal hint of blue hyacinths, from getting down on one knee—the proposal brimming with emotion. After all, love must withstand the test of time.
Mrs. Bao Qin scheduled to meet Su Ziceng at her workplace, located in a building two blocks from the Champs Elysees.
"You truly are a miraculous woman from the East. No wonder New personally designed clothes for you," Mrs. Bao Qin was finishing up her last bits of work. In addition to being Master Rang’s chief assistant, she had also stepped into organizing fashion show events, assisting several master designers.
Thus, after meeting Su Ziceng and having seen the photos from the Eve Ball, she recognized Su Ziceng. Though the Su Ziceng at the dinner table and the Su Ziceng dressed in New’s tailored outfits presented two completely different faces.
"You know New?" Su Ziceng knew she had come to the right place today.
"Of course I know her. Not just I, but every veteran employee working in this building knows her," Mrs. Bao Qin opened the blinds, peering through the clear glass windows, facing a large billboard.
"Before the passing of YSL’s head, that huge poster featured New. She had a great fate with YSL—it’s said that New’s first catwalk was an exclusive YSL show," Mrs. Bao Qin became more spirited when talking about fashion history.
While Master Rang is the pillar of the design world, in the world of architecture, men can find curvaceous forms, but women can only sense the smell of steel and concrete. That’s why Mrs. Bao Qin stepped across industries to handle organizational work for fashion design.
"Billboard?" Su Ziceng looked at the poster that had been replaced with Chanel’s autumn collection, featuring a Nordic beauty with red lips and brunette hair.
"In Paris, accustomed to seeing Western beauties like Brooke Shields, I sometimes enjoy a different flavor. I miss the Oriental charm of New’s era. It’s been a while since I’ve seen an Asian face on the catwalk," mused Mrs. Bao Qin. The New she knew was special and more likable than the average model, like a well-educated socialite perfectly interpreting the elegance of high fashion.
"Asian faces," Su Ziceng reminisced about Sister Mu’s feline eyes and slender figure. She remembered another Asian face which later made a splash at the major fashion weeks. Not only could she interpret major brands, but she could also showcase various affordable clothes. Her name, her face... Sunshine hit the colorful billboard, stimulating Su Ziceng’s pupils to contract, and a corner of her mind also reacted.
The beauty of cherry blossoms, glorifying the East’s beauty for the whole world. The next wave of Asian influence after New. Her philosophy was one—to show the world the beauty of ordinary people.
"Years later," on the world’s catwalk a woman bearing Eastern elegance emerged as a top model in the spotlight, one who... looked so much like New. That woman was called..." Su Ziceng tried hard to recall the Asian woman touted to be New’s successor.
Mrs. Bao Qin thought she was asking for New’s name, an insider’s secret not commonly known—yet well familiar to Mrs. Bao Qin, an industry insider, "New played a little trick. In fact, she had long inscribed her name on each piece. Look, turn New upside down, isn’t it Wen? I heard it’s a surname from your country Z."
"Lin Ying," a flash of insight struck Su Ziceng. That top Asian model who rose to fame on the catwalk, wasn’t it Lin Ying who came to live with her?
"Wait," she also heard Mrs. Bao Qin’s mention of the name "Wen" written on the paper, temporarily setting aside the matter of Lin Ying.
"Wen," the first connection Su Ziceng made was to this surname, could it be that Sister Mu’s last name was also Wen?
"That’s how it’s pronounced," recalled Mrs. Bao Qin, "I once heard her lover call her by that. Wen used to be indifferent, but she slowly changed after meeting her lover. She also mentioned being too far from home, and said when she can no longer stand on the catwalk, she would return to her hometown."
Sister Mu chose to live in Mo City—could it be related to the Wen family? Questions piled up in Su Ziceng’s mind, but these were not the questions Mrs. Bao Qin could answer for her.
"Mrs. Bao Qin, I want to ask if there’s any possibility you could recommend a friend of mine to participate in this Paris Fashion Week," Su Ziceng knew there were things she must ask Sister Mu herself. If Sister Mu intended to hide something, then she must pretend to know nothing.
Compared to Sister Mu, the future of Lin Ying was more important. The lock on her memories was opened—Lin Ying, it was Lin Ying, she was the model who rose to fame later on.
"I apologize, Miss Su, but I’m powerless when it comes to the Paris Fashion Week," Mrs. Bao Qin first checked a document before declining her request.
The French are known to keep personal matters personal and public matters professional. Upon hearing the rejection, Su Ziceng couldn’t help feeling disappointed.
"But..." Mrs. Bao Qin pulled out another piece of document, "She could try this." (To be continued. If you work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)