The afternoon sun of 1995 hung low over the bustling commerce street, casting long, dusty shadows across the rows of stalls. Li Hua stood beside a makeshift clothing rack she had constructed from bamboo poles. On it hung three variations of her "Slimming A-Line Skirt" and a structured blouse with a unique "Tulip" sleeve.
She looked transformed. The -3kg reward had carved away the puffiness of her cheeks, revealing a sharp, elegant jawline and eyes that sparkled with a fierce, quiet intelligence. In her midnight-blue skirt, she looked like a high-end fashion editor who had accidentally stepped into a muddy village market.
But as the hours ticked by, the crushing reality of 1995 hit her.
"Look at that," a woman in a shapeless grey tunic whispered to her friend, pointing at Li Hua's stall. "So dark. And the fabric... it's so stretchy. Only a woman with no shame would wear something that shows her shape like that."
"And the price!" the other woman huffed. "Fifteen Yuan? I can buy three meters of sturdy cotton at the supply cooperative for that! Who does this fat girl think she is, selling 'designer' rags on the street?"
Li Hua's heart sank. She had underestimated the conservative mindset of this era. In the mid-90s, people valued durability and "modesty" (baggy clothes) over style and silhouette. To them, her revolutionary designs weren't "fashion" they were "weird."
[Ding! Host is experiencing 'Market Rejection'. System Insight: The local market lacks 'Aesthetic Education'. Suggestion: Find a 'High-End' influencer to break the trend.]
Easier said than done, Li Hua thought, her fingers numbing in the cooling air. She had spent the last of her energy and hope on this display. She watched as women flocked to the stall next to her, which sold cheap, floral-print polyester shirts that would fall apart after two washes. They bargained over cents, while her master-crafted garments remained untouched.
As the street lamps began to flicker dim, orange globes of light—Li Hua started to pack. The humiliation wasn't loud like the banquet; it was a cold, quiet weight in her stomach. She folded the midnight-blue fabric carefully, her "Stitch Mastery" fingers feeling heavy.
"Maybe Auntie Mei was right," she whispered to herself, the shadows of the alleyway creeping closer. "Maybe a 'fat girl' from a textile town really can't change the world overnight."
She was struggling with a heavy bamboo pole when a sudden, suffocating silence fell over the street. The chaotic noise of the vendors stopped. The honking of bicycles ceased.
A low, powerful hum of an engine approached.
A black Hongqi car—the same "beast" she had seen before—slowed to a crawl and stopped right in front of her messy pile of clothes. The polished chrome reflected the dim street lamps like a blade.
The rear door opened. A pair of polished Italian leather shoes stepped onto the dusty pavement. Then came the long, charcoal coat and the silver-rimmed glasses that seemed to catch every spark of light in the vicinity.
Ye Feng.
He didn't look at the crowd of gawking onlookers. He didn't look at the grey buildings. His eyes went straight to the bamboo rack, then to the girl standing behind it.
"I thought I told you," Ye Feng said, his voice a smooth, cold baritone that made the air feel electric. "Information isn't free. But it seems you've moved from selling secrets to selling... these."
He stepped closer, his presence so imposing that the nearby vendors stepped back in fear. He reached out a gloved hand and touched the sleeve of the Tulip blouse.
Li Hua straightened her back, refusing to let him see her disappointment. "The market doesn't want them, Mr. Ye. They prefer 'sturdy' and 'cheap'. You're wasting your time stopping here."
Ye Feng didn't look away from the fabric. He rubbed the material between his fingers, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses. "The market is a blind beast, Li Hua. It only knows what it's been fed. This fabric... the tension in these seams..."
He finally looked at her, his gaze traveling from her sharp jawline down to the skirt she was wearing. For the first time, a flash of genuine surprise crossed his icy features.
"You lost weight," he stated. It wasn't a compliment; it was an observation of a fact that shouldn't be possible in forty-eight hours.
"I grew a spine," Li Hua retorted. "Now, if you'll move your car, I'm trying to pack up my 'failures'."
Ye Feng leaned in, his scent of sandalwood and expensive tobacco drowning out the smell of the street. "Failures? This garment in your hand is a 95% match for a design I saw in a French magazine last month. A magazine that hasn't even been translated into Chinese yet."
He looked at the small crowd that had gathered to stare at the "big boss" talking to the "fat girl."
"Pack it up," Ye Feng commanded, turning toward his car.
"Excuse me?" Li Hua bristled.
"I have a dinner meeting with the Director of the Textile Bureau in twenty minutes," Ye Feng said, his hand on the car door. "He complains that his wife can't find anything 'modern' to wear for the National Day gala. If you want to sell these 'failures', get in the car. Or stay here and keep arguing with people who think floral polyester is the height of fashion."
[Ding! +100 Favorability from Ye Feng! Reward: 'Socialite Aura' Unlocked. Weight Loss: -2kg (Triggered by intense adrenaline!)]
Li Hua felt the familiar surge of heat. Her waist felt even tighter, her spirit suddenly soaring. She looked at the black car, then at her pile of clothes.
"My clothes are clean," she said, her eyes flashing with a new fire. "I hope your leather seats can handle them."
Ye Feng's lips quirked into the smallest, most dangerous smirk she had ever seen. "Just get in, Li Hua. Let's see if your 'fangs' are as sharp as your needle."
The black Hongqi car glided through the streets like a predator in the night. Inside, the scent of leather and Ye Feng's sandalwood cologne was overwhelming. Li Hua sat rigidly, her bundle of clothes clutched in her lap. She could feel her body shifting again—the -2kg reward from the adrenaline was making her feel lighter, her movements more fluid.
Ye Feng glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He noted the way she didn't gape at the car's luxury. Instead, she was looking out the window, her eyes cold and calculating.
"The Director's wife is Madam Qin," Ye Feng said, his voice cutting through the silence. "She was a dancer in her youth. She has high standards and a low temper. If she hates your work, you'll never sell a thread in this province again. Are you nervous?"
Li Hua turned to him, a sharp smile touching her lips. "Mr. Ye, after facing a mob of relatives calling for my head, a dancer with a temper feels like a vacation."
The car stopped at the Red Star Guest House, the most prestigious hotel in the city. As they entered the private dining hall, the air was thick with the smell of expensive Moutai liquor and the sight of shimmering silk.
At the center table sat a woman in her fifties, dripping in gold jewelry and wearing a stiff, outdated brocade dress that made her look like a stuffed pigeon. This was Madam Qin. Beside her was a younger woman, Lin Ran, a slender socialite with a heavy layer of makeup and a look of supreme arrogance.
"Ye Feng! You're late," Madam Qin called out, though her eyes immediately traveled to the girl behind him. Her expression soured. "And... who is this? Did you bring your maid to a formal dinner?"
Lin Ran let out a sharp, tinkling laugh. "Oh, Madam Qin, look at her size! She isn't a maid; she's surely the kitchen help who lost her way. Or perhaps Ye Feng is testing the floor's weight capacity tonight?"
The table erupted in snickering. Li Hua felt the familiar sting, but the 'Socialite Aura' from the System kicked in. Instead of flushing with shame, she felt a wave of icy calm wash over her.
[Ding! Side Mission: Silence the 'Peacock' and Dress the 'Phoenix'!]
[Task: Humiliate Lin Ran and win Madam Qin's favor. Reward: +20 Charisma, -2kg Weight Loss, 'Vogue' Vision unlocked.]
Li Hua stepped forward, not waiting for Ye Feng to introduce her. She looked Lin Ran up and down with a clinical, pitying gaze.
"The floor is fine, Miss," Li Hua said, her voice clear and resonant. "But your tailor isn't. That dress is pulling at the armpits, and the yellow undertone of the fabric is making your complexion look quite... jaundiced. I suppose for someone of your 'slender' build, it's hard to find clothes that don't look like they're wearing you."
Lin Ran's face turned the color of a ripe tomato. "You...you fat cow! How dare you!"
"Quiet, Ran-ran," Madam Qin interrupted, her eyes narrowed as she looked at Li Hua. She was an expert in textiles, and she had noticed the midnight-blue skirt Li Hua was wearing. "You... girl. Did you make that skirt?"
"I did," Li Hua said, stepping toward the Madam. She ignored the gasps of the other guests. "And I see that your current dress, while expensive, is crushing your ribs and hiding the grace of a former dancer. You aren't a pigeon, Madam Qin. You are a phoenix trapped in a cage of stiff brocade."
The room went deathly silent. No one talked to the Director's wife like that. Ye Feng leaned back, his eyes gleaming with dark amusement.
"A phoenix, you say?" Madam Qin whispered, her ego piqued. "And you think you can do better?"
"I don't think. I know," Li Hua replied. She unrolled her bundle of clothes, revealing a Deep Emerald Wrap-Dress she had stitched in secret. It was a "Mock-Neck" design with a flowing skirt and a built-in corset-style waist. "This design uses southern stretch-threading. It will support your figure without suffocating your breath."
Ten minutes later, in the powder room, the transformation was complete.
When Madam Qin walked back into the dining hall, the Director dropped his glass of wine. The heavy, matronly woman was gone. In her place was a sophisticated, elegant lady. The emerald green brought out the life in her skin, and the clever draping hid her midsection while highlighting her still-graceful posture.
"My goodness," the Director gasped. "My wife looks ten years younger!"
Madam Qin looked in the mirror, her eyes misting over. She turned to Li Hua and took her hand. "Child... I haven't felt this beautiful since I left the stage. This isn't just a dress. This is art."
[Ding! Mission Success! Madam Qin is now your 'Golden Patron'!]
Li Hua turned her head toward Lin Ran, who was shrinking into her seat, looking like a faded doll next to the radiant Madam Qin.
"Miss Lin," Li Hua said, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. "If you ever want to fix that 'jaundiced' look, come find me. I might have some scraps left over that would fit you."
Ye Feng stood up, his eyes locked on Li Hua. He didn't say a word, but the +20 Charisma reward was already taking effect. As she walked back to his side, her steps were so light she felt like she was floating.
[Ding! Rewards Issued: -2kg Weight Loss, 'Vogue' Vision unlocked. Current Weight: 89kg!]
Under the table, Ye Feng leaned in. "You didn't just sell a dress, Li Hua. You just bought this city's textile market."
"I'm just getting started, Mr. Ye," she whispered back.