Chapter 33

Now it's four people who have passed.

Lu Qin had specifically explained to Hao Jingshi that a spokesperson is someone who promotes the store and represents the store's image.

A man as talented and handsome as Lu Pan'an could make even tattered clothes look like a new design. Having him as the spokesperson for the clothing store would be the icing on the cake.

Hao Jingshi seemed to understand, but Lu Qin was a little worried that he wouldn't be able to comprehend it and would find it difficult to persuade Lu Pan'an.

However, he didn't seem to have to say much; he returned in about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Seeing him hurrying towards her, Lu Qin quickly grabbed a clothes rack to greet him: "How did it go? Did he agree?"

"Of course." Hao Jingshi raised an eyebrow. "Is there anything in this world that I can't do?"

"That's wonderful! My husband is amazing!" Lu Qin cheered, circling him joyfully. "Where is Young Master Lu?"

"He went back first, saying he'll bring his sister with him tomorrow so they can look after each other."

"Good, good, good." Lu Qin was overjoyed, her heart brimming with pride, and she spoke in a clear and resonant voice, as if reciting a poem, "My husband, let's prepare to welcome the spring that belongs to Little Deer Clothing Shop!"

She rushed over and hugged Hao Jingshi, then happily ran back to pack her clothes.

Hao Jingshi intended to reach out and hug her back, but she ran away in less than a second. He missed his hug and stood aside, feeling quite uncomfortable.

He coughed and said, "I've done it for you, how are you going to thank me?"

Lu Qin was still immersed in joy and did not notice the slight gloom in his expression. She tiptoed and joked, "That's not right. It was clearly my husband who insisted on not letting me talk to Young Master Lu, but he insisted on going anyway. Why should I ask for thanks?"

"Fine then, but you have to promise me." Hao Jingshi was in the wrong, but his momentum didn't diminish. "You can't talk to him in the shop."

"That won't do. We'll be dealing with each other a lot in the future, and we can't just not say a word to each other."

Lu Qin muttered to herself as she hung up her clothes.

"Oh, right, my husband, there's something else I need to trouble you with. Design a suit for Lu Pan'an. It must be exquisite, and preferably a bit innovative, because it's related to the reputation of our clothing shop."

Seeing that Lu Qin was so engrossed in her own world that she couldn't pull herself out, Hao Jingshi strode over and stood in her line of sight.

He crossed his arms and grumbled, "Hiring a man to be our spokesperson, and even having me design his clothes, what, are we going to live together from now on?"

Lu Qin paused after hearing this, her wrist momentarily frozen in mid-air.

In a moment, she realized, "My husband is right. How can we have just men? Tomorrow I will have my younger brother inquire and see if there are any other stunning beauties in the West City, so that we can invite them to partner with Young Master Lu."

"..."

What a waste of breath!

Hao Jingshi looked at her and suddenly realized that the lady seemed to have no admiration for handsome men, only a desire for money.

After holding it in for a long time, he laughed helplessly.

"No need, the three of us can just live our lives well..."

...

Lu Pan'an officially became the spokesperson for the clothing shop. On his first day in office, Lu Qin specially took him around, introducing the shop's layout and servants, and also introducing him to the people in the shop.

Lu Pan'an was humble and handsome, and quickly won the favor of the servants. His sister also gained attention and became a celebrity in the shop.

Lu Pan'an's younger sister was named Lu Xishi. She was still young, but it was clear at a glance that she was a beauty, just like her brother, whose name reflected her appearance.

It was convenient for the siblings to come together. During the day, Lu Pan'an would entrust his sister to Hao Jingshi for treatment while he worked at the clothing shop. When the shop closed at night, he would take his sister with him and leave, repeating this cycle.

Considering that their home was far away, Lu Qin specially reserved a space in the clothing store for the siblings to take a nap during their afternoon.

In response, Hao Jingshi joked, "Now it's four people who have passed."

Lu Pan'an's title of "Number One Handsome Man" was indeed well-deserved. On the very first day, he attracted countless admirers to his store, including customers who had traveled all the way from the western part of the city.

Hearing that Lu Pan'an had come to the clothing shop, Hao Jinglan, also curious, would run to the shop every few days to watch the excitement from the crowd.

However, after watching it a few times, she got tired of it and excitedly went to the clinic to watch Hao Jingshi treat patients. She pestered Hao Jingshi to teach her medicine. Before long, she became friends with Lu Xishi, who was about the same age, and often came to visit her.

Now, the clothing shop became the busiest place on the street.

Lu Pan'an played the flute in front of the door, while Lu Hua and the bandits danced around. Hao Jingshi stood firmly by the door like a pillar of strength, and with Lu Qin's rapid-fire explanation, it was like a theatrical troupe, making everyone burst into laughter.

Gradually, Little Deer Clothing Shop became famous far and wide, becoming the first choice for everyone to buy clothes, while other clothing shops became deserted.

Seeing that the deer antler velvet had been the only bright spot for several months, with business booming from autumn and winter all the way into spring and summer, its competitors were envious and began to imitate it. However, the boom was only temporary before things returned to normal.

Confused, the crowd began to flock to Little Deer Clothing Shop to become her apprentices. Lu Qin was generous and immediately came up with the idea of ​​becoming a franchisee.

She put up a sign at the entrance, informing everyone that as long as they paid the franchise fee, they could become a franchise store.

Franchise stores can receive Hao Jingshi's latest design drafts every month and enjoy benefits such as lucky draws. The grand prize is for Lu Pan'an to visit the store and interact with customers for a day.

Furthermore, she also organizes regular meetings from time to time to involve franchise stores in the design of clothing designs and to brainstorm ideas.

After listening to Lu Qin's explanation, many clothing shop owners were very interested and paid the fee to participate. Before long, their clothing shops began to improve.

Seeing this, those who were initially hesitant also rushed to pay out of their own pockets, and the number of people joining the franchise grew like a snowball.

For a time, Hao Jingshi's designs became a hit on the streets and alleys, becoming the most popular style at the time.

"How are you, my husband?"

Returning home that evening, the sky was ablaze with rosy clouds. Seeing familiar clothes everywhere, Lu Qin said to Hao Jingshi with a smug look, "Now all the clothes worn by the neighbors are made by you. Doesn't that feel great?"

The long street was gradually lit up with warm yellow lights, and people hurried home, brushing past the two of them. Hao Jingshi crossed his arms, raised his head and laughed, "Of course, I never thought this day would come."

Lu Qin reached out to take his arm and said happily, "Hmph, you should be secretly happy to have married me. Following me won't be a free ride."

Hao Jingshi smiled and, unusually, didn't argue with her.

He released his arms and took her hand: "I heard that the lotus flowers by Tongxin Lake are in bloom and very beautiful. It's still early, let's go take a look together."

"Okay," Lu Qin readily agreed. "You seem to be in a good mood today. Is something making you happy?"

"It's not exactly something to be happy about," Hao Jingshi said, glancing sideways. "Just a year ago, which is today, you suddenly barged into the clinic and called me a bastard."

Seeing him bring up old grievances, Lu Qin gave a dry laugh.

She wanted to retort, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she belatedly realized that Hao Jingshi was actually remembering their anniversary.

Time flies; it turns out she and Hao Jingshi have been married for a year already.

She was so busy that she almost forgot, but to her surprise, he still remembered it. No wonder he made an unprecedented decision to take her for a walk to see the lotus flowers.

"My husband, it's so kind of you to remember." Lu Qin's heart softened, and she said sweetly to him, "Then I'll make a wish to you, will you grant it for me?"

Hao Jingshi said, "If you want to make a wish, I'll take you to a temple. I'm not a god."

Lu Qin shook his arm: "What if only my husband can help me fulfill this wish?"

"Then tell me about it, and I'll think about it."

As they walked and talked, they reached the lakeside, where the evening breeze rustled through the lotus leaves, creating waves of green.

The newly blossoming pink lotus leaves intertwined with the reflections of lights in the water. Lu Qin squatted down and carefully inhaled the fragrance emanating from the center of the lake.

My wish is—

Lu Qin stood up, hopped around in a circle, turned to look at Hao Jingshi and said, "No matter what I do, my husband must believe in me and protect me, okay?"

Hao Jingshi quickly followed, put his arm around her, and led her away from the edge of the lake: "You've got a good plan. It means that even if you cause a huge disaster, I'll still play Nuwa and help you fill the hole."

“Exactly.” Lu Qin looked up at him and said, “In return, I will also grant my husband a wish, how about it?”

"Then I'll have to think about it carefully."

After Hao Jingshi finished speaking, he lowered his head and pondered for a while, then said with difficulty, "I can't think of anything for the time being. How about this, you write it down in black and white. When I have a wish in the future, I will ask you to fulfill it."

Lu Qin put her hands on her hips and said irritably, "You're really going to do it? Shouldn't you wish to never be separated from me for all eternity?"

"What's the use of saying such empty words?" Hao Jingshi said disdainfully. "You are mine in life and in death, so we will never be separated. Even if you run to the ends of the earth, I have plenty of ways to find you."

Lu Qin snorted after hearing this.

"Alright, a gentleman's word is his bond, and I won't go back on my word. I'll write it down for you when I pass by the clinic on my way back, so you won't worry about it."

As she spoke, she took Hao Jingshi's hand again and led him back towards the clinic, bathed in the glow of the setting sun.

"To be fair, your words should also be clearly stated in black and white."

Hao Jingshi was pulled behind her like a pet, and followed quickly.

He looked at her petite figure, bathed in the sunlight, and said with a smile, "Alright, I won't go back on my word."

The two returned to the clinic by the same route, reopened the door, and, chatting and laughing, took out paper and pen, taking turns writing their promises to each other on the paper.

Not only did he write it down, Hao Jingshi also made her sign and put her fingerprint on it, as if she had received a treasure. Lu Qin couldn't help but laugh at his childish appearance, but she still did as he asked.

As she wrote, she felt a chill down her spine and snuggled closer to Hao Jingshi. "Husband, did we forget to close the window when we left? It's so cold."

Upon hearing this, Hao Jingshi turned around and glanced back: "It really is true, why is only half of the door closed?"

He walked over, and as he raised his hand to close the window, he paused.

It doesn't seem like they just forgot to turn it off.

The window was inexplicably half broken, as if someone had deliberately punctured the window paper, leaving a hole big enough for a person to fit through.