Luxury goods

It was a Wednesday afternoon in early February, around 2 p.m.

The streets in the city center were already enveloped in the Valentine's Day atmosphere, with shop windows filled with red and pink decorations—heart-shaped balloons, ribbons, and chocolate gift boxes were everywhere, and the air was faintly filled with a sweet festive atmosphere.

Panqiu and Zhiwei stood side by side at the entrance of the LV store.

Inside the glass doors, the lighting was cool and bright. Several classic handbags were quietly displayed in the window, as if they weren't for sale, but rather exhibits awaiting veneration. Neither of them rushed to push the door open. Standing at the doorway, both of them felt a subtle hesitation—this wasn't their usual routine, and they couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

Zhiwei chuckled softly, "Let's go, we have a legitimate reason to indulge in a luxury today—to wrap up your love story in that paper."

Being able to go shopping at this time is a luxury in itself. Most people are still stuck in labs, workstations, or classrooms, frantically trying to meet the next deadline, while these two have set aside an afternoon just to pick out a bag.

This confidence comes from the hard work of the past two years. Zhiwei's major is computer science, and most projects can be completed at home; Panqiu is used to going to the department office, but after submitting her thesis, she gave herself a break. Thus, the two of them have the freedom to "go wherever they want".

At this moment, they quietly grasped their own little space, without having to explain to anyone or feeling any burden.

The moment the glass door opened, a unique scent filled the air—a faint leather fragrance mingled with the cool, bright lighting, like a specially filtered atmosphere. The entire space was quiet and bright, with light beige walls and shelves that resembled a stage, each bag illuminated by spotlights, waiting to be chosen.

Zhiwei's eyes lit up, and she quickened her pace by half a beat compared to Panqiu, as if she had just entered an amusement park: "Wow, this is the legendary holy land that you have to visit even if you can't afford to buy anything!"

Panqiu couldn't help but smile. Unlike the pink and heart-shaped Valentine's Day atmosphere outside, this place was quiet to the point of being solemn. Walking through it, however, gave her a strange sense of pleasure—as if the world had suddenly invited her in alone, allowing her to choose some beautiful things for herself in this moment.

They walked slowly side by side among the shelves, their fingers tracing the smooth leather, the light reflecting off the bag buckles in tiny specks, as if imbued with a sense of ritual.

Zhiwei turned around and winked at her: "This is what luxury goods should feel like."

Panqiu had also accompanied her mother to that store in downtown Shanghai. Back then, she simply followed along, helping carry bags, and was occasionally asked, "What do you think of this?" She always answered, "It's pretty good," a half-hearted reply. At that time, she thought—LV is probably just a world for mothers. Beautiful as it may be, it has nothing to do with her.

But today was different. Standing here, side by side with Zhiwei, she suddenly transformed from an outsider into an participant, beginning to truly appreciate the atmosphere and aesthetics that had been created. A psychological term flashed through her mind—the self-association effect. It essentially means that when something is associated with "me," it becomes more vivid and appealing. And indeed, it was.

The store's cold, white lighting illuminated rows of handbags, making them look like museum exhibits. But when two young girls chattered excitedly around the mirror, trying on different handbags, the atmosphere instantly brightened.

Zhiwei fell in love with Neverfull at first sight. She chose the classic monogram pattern and didn't want to put it down once she put it on her shoulder. She excitedly gestured in front of the mirror, saying, "I've looked it up. This one is the most classic, it can hold a lot, and it holds its value. It's practically an investment. When I'm old, I can pass it on to my daughter and she can say, 'This is the antique empire that Mom built for you back then.'"

She laughed as she finished speaking: "Besides, it would be a huge loss to buy this kind of thing when you're old. You can use it for a longer time if you buy it when you're young."

Pan Qiu couldn't help but laugh: "Are you buying a bag or getting into finance?"

Zhiwei blinked: "You can have both investment and happiness."

Pan Qiu casually picked up a white checkered sweater, draped it over her shoulder, and looked in the mirror. In that instant, she realized that the color scheme surprisingly harmonized with her beige sweater, making her feel refreshed.

She chuckled softly: "Okay, then I'll buy it. It'll add some spice to my love story for my thesis."

They tried on bags and laughed, talking rapidly as if afraid of missing a joke, even the sales assistants next to them couldn't help but smile slightly. The normally quiet and solemn luxury store seemed to brighten up with their lively chatter. Being able to laugh so freely and try things on so casually made even expensive items seem lighter because of their age. Perhaps when they get older, they won't be able to laugh and try on bags so unrestrainedly.

Having bought the bags, they still had some time to spare. The two girls, arm in arm, carrying the two large, bright orange bags in the other, walked along the bustling street. The bags swayed with their steps, bright and cheerful like some kind of flamboyant flag. Passersby occasionally glanced at them, but they laughed even more unrestrainedly—as if this very flamboyance was a celebration.

"Let's go eat!" Zhiwei suggested.

“Of course,” Panqiu nodded. After discussing it for a moment, they both thought of Flamingo.

Last August, Lin Yue was still there. They celebrated Pan Qiu's birthday there and ordered chicken wings that were so spicy they brought tears to her eyes.

Flamingo was still bustling. The walls were still adorned with pink flamingos, and the neon lights hanging from the ceiling twinkled. On a Wednesday afternoon, the restaurant was neither too crowded nor too quiet, but the menu had a few more seasonal dishes, the cocktail selection had been updated, and there were also several Valentine's Day limited editions—with ambiguous yet playful names.

They placed two large LV bags on the table leg, their edges gleaming under the lights, as if specially prepared for their celebration. After ordering, two cocktails were served first, each rimmed with a small mint leaf, ice cubes tinkling in the liquid.

Zhiwei raised her glass: "For the thesis, for youth, for luxury."

Panqiu smiled and gently clinked glasses with her: "Cheers."

After a few drinks, the atmosphere became more relaxed. Zhiwei suddenly remembered something and took out her phone: "Wait a minute, should we take a selfie and send it to Lin Yue? Let's celebrate virtually."

Pan Qiu paused for a moment, then laughed: "Okay, count him in."

They huddled together, holding their glasses up to the camera, their faces beaming with the bright smiles of people who had just bought bags and taken their first sip of cocktails. The moment the shutter clicked, the shadows of the two girls were bathed in pink light.

Not long after the photo was sent, the phone chimed. It was a message from Lin Yue: [Wow, two little rich ladies!] He added a laughing emoji, clearly having noticed the LV bag faintly visible in the corner of the photo.

Zhiwei couldn't help but laugh out loud and pushed the phone in front of Panqiu: "Look, he's still the same as ever."

Pan Qiu smiled too, her finger hovering over the screen for a moment before she replied. A strange warmth welled up inside her. Even though they weren't in the same city, or even the same time zone, a simple WeChat message could still bring that familiar feeling back. Friendship may have been diluted by time and distance, but it could still be rekindled with a gentle touch.

Zhiwei raised her glass and said, "Come on, take another picture and send it to him. Let's make him furious."

Panqiu smiled and nodded, "Okay." This time, they deliberately placed the two bags on the table, with the pink flamingos in the Flamingo store as the background. The moment the shutter clicked, the two smiled broadly.

Zhiwei put down her fork and suddenly said mysteriously, "I have something to tell you—my boyfriend is flying over to see me during spring break."

Pan Qiu raised an eyebrow: "Oh, big news."

Zhi smiled slyly: "You'll have to help me check him out then, to see if he's qualified."

Pan Qiu chuckled and raised her glass to clink against hers: "Don't worry, whoever can make you devoted to them must be pretty good."

Looking at the two bright orange LV bags, Pan Qiu suddenly had a professional habit pop into her mind.

Some people buy things to show others, "Look, this is the kind of person I am." Others buy things to patch a hole in their hearts, as if a bag can mend their self-esteem, or a watch can calm their anxieties.

She thought about it and realized she wasn't quite either. She had nothing to prove, no shortcomings to fill. She bought the bag today simply because she liked the color, it matched her sweater, it was spacious, and she happened to be in a good mood. That's all.

It's not about buying things because you lack something, but about being able to do whatever you want when you have nothing.

She looked up and saw Zhiwei holding her phone, texting her boyfriend, a smile playing on her lips. Suddenly, she realized that the real luxury of the day wasn't in the bag, but in this very moment—a stolen half-day of leisure, youth still in her grasp, friendship by her side, and love on its way.