Chapter 49: Enthusiasm

Sigh, perhaps because her identity as a wealthy person was well-known, after Su Shiyi said those words about spending lavishly, the staff next to her didn’t show the expected shock or excitement. Apart from the slight upward curve of their lips revealing their happiness, their expressions were all “this is how it should be.”

Well, it seemed like she would probably never experience the satisfying thrill of being looked down upon and then slapping someone in the face.

The main reason was that the latter was easy, but the former was too difficult.

When it came to paying by card, Lucy usually took care of it. Her team had all the necessary financial roles covered, including cashiers, accountants, and auditors, so apart from occasionally paying for small items when she shopped online, Su Shiyi rarely paid for anything in person.

Her dress didn’t have pockets, so all the small odds and ends were carried by Kevin and Lucy.

Su Shiyi strolled to the ready-to-wear section, while her bodyguards dispersed to various corners of the store, not following closely behind her.

The bags in front were not bad, but perhaps Su Shiyi had gotten used to selecting only the best of the best, so she felt that the clothes were a little lacking. She wandered aimlessly, signaling to the staff that there was no need to follow her around.

When she reached the farthest row of clothing racks, she ran into a young lady taking photos in front of a full-length mirror. What a coincidence—the two of them both had icy blue hair and looked very similar with their Asian faces. They were both taken aback when their eyes met unexpectedly.

“Hello.”

In order to ease the awkwardness of their similar hair color, Su Shiyi took the initiative to greet her. “I’m Chinese, and you?”

Even more coincidentally, the other girl was also Chinese. She was a British exchange student and a small social media influencer. She went by the username “Peach” online, so Su Shiyi simply introduced herself with her surname, Su.

It was always a happy thing to meet a fellow countryman in a foreign land, and Peach was quite enthusiastic. She said she wanted to recommend some suitable Chanel ready-to-wear items to Su Shiyi, but Su Shiyi politely declined.

“I’m just looking, not necessarily buying.”

She was so direct that Peach was caught off guard. Although many people came to luxury stores just to take photos without buying clothes, it was rare for someone to say it so openly… but the dress she was wearing certainly looked expensive, didn’t it?

Thinking about the actions of certain “socialites” in her circle, Su Shiyi began to understand. However, this girl’s eyes were so pure, and she preferred to believe that the girl simply liked beautiful clothes, which was why she experienced them in this way.

Peach didn’t know how to respond and could only comfort her: “It’s okay, you’re still young. You’ll definitely become very wealthy in the future. Keep it up!”

Su Shiyi: ?

Peach leaned in and quietly asked her: “If it’s not too much trouble, could I ask where you rented this dress from?”

Su Shiyi: ???

What did this girl just say? She thought her dress was rented?

How could she possibly rent clothes? Every month, there were many new styles in her wardrobe, and for girls with similar figures to hers who joined her team, they might never need to buy clothes again in their lives.

Su Shiyi helplessly told her: “I never rent clothes.”

Peach’s gaze immediately became meaningful, and after a moment, it turned into a look of pity.

“Alright then, where did you borrow it from?”

Su Shiyi: …Why is this not making sense?

Ignoring the strange look from the girl, she turned back to look at Lucy, and her assistant told her, “The brand is ^[1]Elie Saab is a well-known Lebanese fashion designer famous for his haute couture collections, which often feature intricate embroidery, luxurious fabrics, and stunningly detailed craftsmanship. Elie Saab.”

She repeated the brand name, and Peach’s face was filled with confusion. She had assumed that Su Shiyi, wearing this while shopping at Chanel, must have been wearing something from a comparable luxury brand like Dior.

She had never even heard of this brand.

Peach asked if she could take a photo with Su Shiyi and share it on social media, to which Su Shiyi nodded in agreement. Seeing that Peach still didn’t know what brand she was wearing, Su Shiyi had Lucy input the brand name for her to see.

While Peach was searching online for information about the brand, Su Shiyi had almost finished browsing the ready-to-wear section. As soon as she gave a subtle signal, Lucy raised her hand above her head, and a staff member immediately jogged over.

“Hello, may I help you with something?”

Hmm, this staff member’s Chinese was even more fluent than the previous manager’s, clearly showing she had put in some effort to learn.

Su Shiyi didn’t pick out anything particularly special, just casually passing by a rack of clothes she found appealing. “The clothes I touched earlier, please bring them in my size.”

“Okay, Miss Shiyi.”

Not far away, Peach, overhearing the conversation, was dazed. The fact that the staff spoke to her in Chinese was already shocking enough, and it could be explained away as the store having hired a Chinese-speaking sales assistant. But this “Miss Shiyi” seemed like someone important, if she could have clothes brought to her in her size without even trying them on.

She must be a VIP client of the store, to the point where the staff memorized her size? Could it be that she was actually a hidden rich woman?

Su Shiyi wasn’t going to wait around for the staff to package her clothes. The bags and clothing would be sent directly to her villa. After she finished speaking and left casually, Peach finally discovered that the brand Su Shiyi mentioned, Elie Saab, was a high-fashion couture brand, one that domestic female celebrities both adored and resented, as only those with enough stature could even qualify to borrow such pieces!

Peach looked at the search results on her phone, dazed, while the number of comments under her social media post skyrocketed.

【Look what I found, Miss Shiyi, the rich lady has appeared on London’s streets.】

【The dress on the rich lady looks beautiful—also Chanel? Please tell me a price so I can give up.】

【I’m guessing it starts at five figures.】

Rich lady Shiyi, was that girl just now really so rich? She seemed even more famous than Peach.

Peach felt she had become too absorbed in her studies lately, almost like she was disconnected from the internet. She replied to the comment below: 【It’s not Chanel, it’s Elie Saab.】

Because of the spotlight on Su Shiyi, Peach’s comment section became very lively. Soon, someone chimed in to explain that Elie Saab was a high-end couture brand and that guessing a price in the five figures was a joke—seven figures was more like the norm.

Wait, so this was a dress from one of the most sought-after luxury fashion houses, the same kind of item female celebrities fight for to wear on the red carpet… and Su Shiyi was just casually wearing it while shopping?

It seemed a bit ridiculous, but when it came to Su Shiyi, it was entirely believable.

The netizens: “Lemon tree, lemon fruit, under the lemon tree, you and me TAT.”

The envious users shed tears, while Peach, as though struck by lightning, involuntarily replayed what she had said earlier in her head.

She had told a rich woman to keep working hard to make money and asked where she rented the dress from… Oh no, her toes were curling in embarrassment.

Fortunately, no one knew about what happened earlier. Otherwise—

She would have to live on another planet now.jpg

—

After leaving Chanel, Su Shiyi didn’t walk far before entering the Hermes store. The staff recognized her immediately, and the dress she wore, which was worth quite a lot, made her look like a walking million-pound asset. People couldn’t help but wish to treat her like royalty.

The staff greeted her in English, and Kevin was on hand to handle any negotiations. The staff member took Su Shiyi around the store, but since she had just made a purchase at Chanel, she didn’t have a strong urge to buy more.

Except for the Birkin Bag, of course. A classic, always a classic.

“I’ll take this one,” Su Shiyi said simply, stating her need clearly. “I remember the Birkin comes in many colors, and I’m not picky. Besides the rare leathers, please bring me one in every color.”

The staff member who heard the translation: !!!

Her first reaction was not excitement, but confusion. Was this customer joking? This is Hermès, and she wanted the hardest-to-get Birkin. It’s already a big favor just to sell her one without a reservation, but now she’s asking for one in every color?

Even without considering the rare skins, regular models are nearly impossible to get, doesn’t she know what she’s saying?

“Sorry, we don’t have that many in stock,” the sales assistant could only politely refuse and explain, “If you like this Turquoise 7B, as long as you spend an equivalent amount in the store and earn membership points, we can apply for purchasing qualifications for you.”

In simple terms, it meant a 1:1 allocation. The sales assistant thought they were already making a huge concession, as most customers start with at least 1.5, and it’s only for ready-to-wear.

This statement clearly didn’t satisfy Kevin. He didn’t translate it for Su Shiyi, but instead told her, “Alright, I’ll handle this for you.”

When he turned around, his demeanor shifted from gentle and friendly to a professional mode, changing so quickly that the sales assistants couldn’t help but marvel.

Soon, she had no more thoughts about other things, because Mr. Kevin had said that the lady he was serving was Mr. Gu’s daughter.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that, worldwide, only Mr. Gu can be called “Mr. Gu” without any other introduction. Even Mr. Gu Chen needs to increase his influence to reach that level.

“Please don’t be nervous, I won’t make things difficult for you, madam. I will contact Mr. Dumas shortly, and I believe he will be happy to give Miss Shiyi this convenience of transferring stock from stores worldwide. Before that, I hope you can prepare all the Birkin bags within your access, because we won’t be staying in London long.”

“Madam, this is also an opportunity for you. If you can bring in stock from all over London, or even all of England, Miss Shiyi will not hesitate to reward anyone who can make her happy.”

After watching Miss Shiyi leave, the sales assistant was still somewhat confused. The Birkin is indeed difficult to get, and countless socialites and celebrities treat it as a ticket to enter high society. Its symbolic value far outweighs its design.

Others have said this before, but they were all refused or dismissed. After all, this is Hermès, a family business that has lasted six generations and hasn’t changed its principles under the influence of capital giants. Of course, they wouldn’t be easily influenced by outsiders.

But in terms of family heritage, the Gu family is incomparable… Others’ excellent legacies may be built on successive releases of R and SR models, with a single SSR potentially extending glory for thirty years. However, if we look at the history of the Gu family, it’s almost all about UR models, never drawing a bad card. How did they manage to do this?

If Su Shiyi could hear the sales assistant’s inner doubts, she would tell her:

The perspective is too small, you can’t imagine the world of Mary Sue!

The puzzled sales assistant ultimately decided to send the bag to Su Shiyi’s villa. Allocating stock… The brand doesn’t really care about the sales, it’s more about marketing strategies. There are too many wealthy people now, and if anyone could easily buy a Birkin for a few hundred thousand, the brand’s prestige would drop.

But this lady doesn’t hesitate to contact the CEO directly. With the influence of the Gu family, which can shake the world with a move, it’s better not to use those tricks in front of her.

For others, owning a Birkin is an honor, but for the Birkin, it cannot be discarded by Su Shiyi.

—

The clothes were bought, the bags were bought, and Bond Street, with its endless luxury stores, is a shopping paradise. But not every store would be graced by Su Shiyi’s presence.

As soon as Su Shiyi stepped into ^[2]Cartier is a well-known luxury jewelry brand, famous for its high-end watches, rings, bracelets, necklaces, and other exquisite jewelry items.Cartier, the staff called out her name and gave her a warm welcome. She was directly escorted to the VIP seat, and the drink served was her favorite orange juice.

When she asked Kevin, he said he had only contacted Chanel, and wasn’t that familiar with the others.

Well, it was hard for Su Shiyi not to suspect that all the luxury stores on this street might have a group chat or something, because almost every store greeted her in the same way.

In fact, these sales assistants just know how to browse the internet. After she got out of the car and was photographed, news about Mr. Gu’s recent jewel, Su Shiyi shopping on Bond Street, quickly spread.

In front of the Cartier jewelry counter, there was a man and a woman looking at rings. The seasoned sales assistants recommend products based on the details they observe in customers’ economic status. They were looking at the Love collection diamond-studded rings, which were priced at about 30,000 to 40,000 RMB.

The ring introduced to Su Shiyi was a 5.46-carat diamond, with a round-cut center and protruding corners, like a blooming flower, radiating light.

The difference between the rings was so stark that the other customers couldn’t help but peek over. They were trying to spot the price tag, while Su Shiyi casually extended her left hand to try the ring on.

She put the ring on, and the neighboring customers caught a glimpse of the price: nearly six hundred thousand pounds… It was truly eye-opening. Who was this wealthy heiress shopping today?

A diamond ring worth about five million RMB didn’t stir any waves in Su Shiyi’s heart, she wouldn’t even glance at the price unless there were two more zeros added.

Damn, now her excitement threshold is especially high. It’s all because Father Gu Lang successfully corrupted her actions with money! (Heartbroken)

The sales assistant is still over there singing praises, saying how perfect the ring is for her, showering her with compliments so skillfully that anyone would feel embarrassed to say no after hearing them. But Su Shiyi’s interest is clearly lacking.

“It’s not good-looking,” she commented, and Kevin immediately translated so everyone around could hear, “The cut seems average, the diamond isn’t big enough, and the white diamond is too plain.”

She cleared her throat, ready to show off, and Kevin followed suit:

“Bring out something worthy of a jewelry exhibition. Let me see. A five-carat diamond? You’re not taking me seriously.”

Sales Assistant: …

Nearby customers: …

Was this a scene from a domineering CEO novel brought to life?

Anyway, since Su Shiyi made a request, Cartier had to satisfy her. If the appetizer didn’t satisfy her, it was time for the flagship item.

If five carats wasn’t big enough, they’d find something heavier, if she didn’t like white diamonds, they had pink ones.

After multiple reports went up, the sales assistants cautiously presented a pair of earrings hanging from a stand. The nearby customers had lost interest in looking at rings, choosing instead to use their time near the wealthy lady to enjoy the luxurious display that Cartier only sold to top-tier clients.

These were a pair of six-carat diamond earrings, one pink diamond and the other blue, both pear-shaped and sparkling brilliantly. After Su Shiyi criticized the previous ring’s mediocre cut, these earrings could impress even the most demanding collectors, with no flaws to be found.

Upgrading from five carats to twelve carats in total weight, the price didn’t just double. After the sales assistant quoted the price, the nearby customers couldn’t help but gasp, instinctively moving away from the earrings, afraid to accidentally touch them.

Over ten million pounds! Cartier really came through with a collection worthy of a high-end jewelry exhibition. Without a special event or the chance to encounter a rich lady like her, regular people would likely never have the privilege of seeing such treasures.

They were beautiful—truly a masterpiece from God, especially once their price was revealed, which added even more depth to their beauty.

Su Shiyi had pierced ears, and the sales assistant, after putting on gloves, carefully put the earrings on her. Normally, jewelry of this caliber wouldn’t be readily available for trial, but she was Su Shiyi, after all.

While others would be nervously keeping it safe, Su Shiyi even decided to give the earrings a little head shake test, making the other customers and sales assistants nervous.

“Not bad,” Su Shiyi said, satisfied as she looked in the mirror. “Kevin, Lucy, what do you think?”

Kevin: “Your beauty can carry any jewelry in the world. I believe these earrings are fortunate to become part of your collection.”

Lucy, who was a step behind: So annoying.jpg

I knew you’d say something sweet, but could you not start off with such a high tone? It makes it hard for the rest of us.

Lucy paused: “If it makes you happy, then it has a reason to exist.”

Su Shiyi was pleased, signaling for the sales assistant to take them off.

“Buy them. Although six-carat diamonds are still a bit too small, they’re decent as earrings.”

With the sixty-carat pink diamond crown Mr. Gu Lang gave her on display, now when she looks at diamonds under ten carats, she feels like she needs a magnifying glass just to see them clearly.

So tiny. No wonder they’re not that valuable.

The sales assistant happily placed the order, while the nearby customers were caught off guard. Su Shiyi, in high spirits, was enjoying herself, while the pink diamonds, which were supposed to be cherished by all, now felt deeply wounded under the owner’s disregard.

They were six-carat diamonds, six carats! The average person might work a lifetime and still never afford them, only able to admire their beauty from afar. But why, when it came to this rich lady, did they feel as though they were subtly being dismissed? QAQ

After shopping for the whole morning, Su Shiyi was ready for lunch. The Michelin-starred restaurants in Mayfair, which were usually harder to get into than climbing to the sky, were now all eagerly sending her invitations to experience “the most distinctive local cuisine.”

Well, it was somewhat obvious they wanted to ride on her fame. From breakfast in the morning, Su Shiyi had already given up hope on British food…

In the end, she chose the French-owned Sketch restaurant, mainly because it had won the Best Interior Design Award at the annual Theme Bar & Restaurant Awards.

After all, the dishes would probably be similar everywhere, so she might as well pick the one with the best environment.

She arrived at the Gallery space, where everything was decorated in a full-on girly pink. From the ceiling, the wallpaper, to the leather sofas, everything was a soft pink that exuded femininity. Every two years, the restaurant owner would invite a different contemporary artist to redesign the room, allowing the artist to unleash their creativity freely.

After two years, the main space would be transformed into a completely different dining environment, continuously providing customers with a fresh experience.

In one corner of the “Gallery,” the restaurant owner had specially left a space for Su Shiyi to express herself artistically. Although this action was pushing the limits of trying to ride on her fame, Su Shiyi still appreciated it.

She didn’t hold back at all and drew a money tree on the paper, along with lots and lots of gold ingots…

“This represents wealth coming in every day,” Su Shiyi was very pleased with her work, even taking a photo for a keepsake. “This is my blessing for this restaurant. The owner will be very grateful to me.”

Kevin looked at the gold ingots, then glanced at the impressionist masterpiece next to it.

He nodded earnestly: “Yes, he will definitely treasure the precious artwork you left behind.” Even if he regrets it later, he’d have to find another suitable reason to store it elsewhere, he’d never dare to throw it away.

Su Shiyi really liked the pink petal-shaped sofa chairs in the restaurant, and the owner casually gifted her a set. With the single-tone pink decor in the background, her ocean princess-themed outfit today looked surprisingly harmonious.

“It really has a fairytale, dreamy feel,” she said. Although she hadn’t tasted the food yet, she was still impressed with the environment. “I hope the tableware can match this style too.”

The owner: …

“You stay right here and don’t move around, I’ll go get a set of gold-trimmed ceramic tableware and solid gold cutlery right away. If there’s enough time, we can even add a princess collaboration design.”

Mr. Gu’s arrival in London was causing quite a stir. This little piece of gossip was already spreading widely in the wealthy districts. His beloved daughter had also arrived here, and to everyone, it silently conveyed a certain signal.

Su Shiyi, who was actually just here to enjoy the show, took a few sips of the low-alcohol fruit wine but still couldn’t quite get used to it, so Kevin switched it to fruit juice for her.

Gu Lang’s whereabouts were unpredictable, and Su Shiyi clearly had no idea that she had become the center of attention in London. She still thought it was just like back home, where people naturally had a curiosity about the child of the richest family.

But the enthusiasm of Londoners… seemed a bit excessive?

The dishes were quickly brought to the table, and just as Su Shiyi had predicted, they weren’t delicious at all, especially since her taste buds had been spoiled by her personal chef back home, making her very picky.

“Let’s go to a Chinese restaurant for dinner,” she said, struggling to swallow a bite of foie gras. “French food in the country is much better than this. This place only got its Michelin star because the environment contributes greatly to the score.”

Kevin: “Understood, Miss Shiyi. Would you be interested in attending the Sotheby’s auction tonight? I will arrange the dinner time accordingly.”

Su Shiyi thought for a moment, “Let’s go take a look. I’ve never been to an auction before. Did Dad ever mention anything that’s not worth buying? I’m afraid I might get scammed and become a fool.”

“No,” Kevin replied. “Mr. Gu said as long as you’re happy, anything goes, he’s happy to cover the entire cost.”