Miss Truth
Chapter 306 - 193: Dugu Lanyan

Chapter 306: Chapter 193: Dugu Lanyan

"My name is Dugu Lanyan, may I ask which noble family’s lord and lady you are?" The girl didn’t care about Ran Yunsheng’s evasion and persisted in asking.

Ran Yan sighed in her heart, truly, wealth and power could be summoned with a mere clap! The Dugu surname originates from the Liu clan, tracing back to the Northern Xianbei tribes during the Northern Wei Dynasty, descendants of Emperor Wu of the Han, Liu Xiu. A Dugu family that was so wealthy and lived in Chang’an must hold a distinguished status.

"Turns out to be the second daughter of Dugu family; I am but a humble merchant and dare not offend Lady Dugu’s ears," Ran Yunsheng said politely, bowing with his hands clasped before hastily leading the three sisters, including Ran Yan, into the fabric shop.

"Eh." Dugu Lanyan only noticed Ran Yan following Ran Yunsheng; it was not until they had all entered that she said to the maid behind her, "That lady is quite strange."

"Does my lady find something amiss?" The maid had been looking down the whole time and had not seen Ran Yan.

"It’s not that something’s amiss; at first, I didn’t notice her at all, but upon a closer look, I realized she’s quite beautiful," Dugu Lanyan admitted, unable to pinpoint the exact feeling, only that the woman’s deep eyes were intriguing, making people want to delve further. Furthermore, she faintly felt that the lady’s overly stern temperament and plain clothes diminished her beauty by quite a bit.

The shopkeeper was nearly fifty, his lean body slightly hunched, with sparse whiskers on his chin and a pair of shrewd, triangular eyes that were always smiling at people, which made him look somewhat comical yet very amiable.

Linglang Pavilion wasn’t far from here, and Ran Yunsheng was a regular customer, so the shopkeeper naturally recognized him. He waved for an astute waiter to lead them, while he personally attended to Dugu Lanyan, "What type of fabric does the lady need?"

"My elder sister has just had a baby, and I need some cloth suitable for making intimate baby garments," Dugu Lanyan said, her gaze wandering around the shop, responding absently.

"That is truly a joyous occasion, congratulations!" The shopkeeper acted as though his own family had received the good news, eagerly showing off the fabrics, "Our shop indeed has some fine materials. The white folded cloth that recently came from the Western Regions is of excellent quality, made with silk threads, very soft and comfortable, and comes in various colors. I’ve been reluctant to sell it, but it seems that fate reserved it especially for Lady Dugu!"

Dugu Lanyan returned her gaze, attracted by the mentioned fabric, "Bring it to me to have a look."

"Please follow me to the private room to rest; it will be brought up immediately," the shopkeeper said as he directed the waiter to fetch the cloth, then personally escorted Dugu Lanyan to the second floor.

Seeing that Dugu Lanyan’s gaze was unsettled, the shopkeeper guessed she was still thinking about Ran Yunsheng, and casually mentioned, "That Ran gentleman from just now truly looks like an immortal descended to earth. I’ve seen him many times, and each time, I still can’t take my eyes off him!"

"Ran gentleman?" Dugu Lanyan inquired with interest.

The shopkeeper’s eyes gleamed as he said, "On the western street is the Linglang Pavilion; Ran gentleman is their Young Master. He’s nineteen and has not yet taken a wife!"

The shopkeeper felt he had done a good deed, seeing that Dugu Lanyan was very interested in Ran Yunsheng. Even if Ran Yunsheng were to join the Dugu family as a son-in-law, it would be a great event.

A spark of joy flashed in Dugu Lanyan’s heart, "What is his name?"

"Ran gentleman is the tenth in his family’s generation, named Yunsheng. It is said that their branch descended from Ran Min and are quite renowned in Jiangnan," the shopkeeper explained.

"Excellent!" Dugu Lanyan clapped her hands, her expression brimming with delight yet devoid of any amorous connotations. Shopkeeper Ping, focused on leading the way with his head bowed, failed to notice this.

Once on the second floor, no sooner had she tasted her tea than several waiters delivered the cloth, around sixteen or seventeen bolts, rich in hues, yet devoid of any patterns.

Noticing Dugu Lanyan’s possible dissatisfaction, the shopkeeper hurriedly explained, "My lady, an infant’s skin is tender; the cloth should be as soft as possible. Moreover, the stitches in the garment should not be too tight, and it’s best not to embroider the fabric that directly touches the skin so as not to irritate. This white folded cloth is unique to my shop, nowhere else will you find such softness and range of colors..."

As he spoke, he randomly picked up a bolt, "Feel it, it’s even smoother than satin."

Dugu Lanyan touched the fabric and indeed found it soft, smooth, and light, with a cottony feel. Coupled with her good mood, she said, "I’ll take all these; please deliver them to my mansion."

After speaking, she instructed the maid to pay and then hurriedly left downstairs.

"Yun Zhi, do you think he resembles the man in the portrait?" Dugu Lanyan asked, her tone filled with certainty, despite phrasing it as a question.

The maid echoed, "He bears a five or six points resemblance, and moreover, his elegance surpasses that in the portrait!"

Dugu Lanyan quickly boarded the painted carriage urged the coachman, "Go!"

Standing beside a window of another private room on the second floor, Ran Yunsheng watched Dugu Lanyan leave in haste, his face slightly pale with beads of sweat forming at his temples.