For the next hour, He Fengchun analyzed design concepts and shared her experience with Jiang Silu.

Lu Fan didn’t want to disturb them, so he left the office to give them some space to learn.

After Lu Fan left, Jiang Silu cautiously asked He Fengchun, "Teacher He, so... how many years has my Dad been supporting your team?"

"About five years now," He Fengchun explained. "Our country has many ancient gardens and buildings. Restoring them all would require a considerable sum of money, but government funding for this kind of historical architecture is limited. As a representative of Jiangnan Garden design, I couldn’t just stand by and watch our wonderful culture be lost to time."

She continued to praise him, "Although I haven’t had many direct dealings with your father—most of the time I coordinate with the heads of various projects—he is very concerned about the maintenance of our ancient architecture. There are many wealthy people in this world, but few would go to the lengths your father has."

Hearing He Fengchun’s words, Jiang Silu had a moment of realization.

It was just as Teacher He had said.

There were many rich people in the world.

She knew her father was rich, too.

Although she didn’t know exactly *how* rich, people who were enthusiastic about philanthropy and promoting and preserving traditional culture were few and far between.

For her, someone whose major was directly related to this field, the fact that her own father was doing something like this was truly remarkable.

A short while later, the office door opened.

He Fengchun walked out with Jiang Silu and said to Lu Fan, "Silu has a real talent for design. She’s sure to have a bright future!"

"Haha, thank you for your hard work, Teacher He," Lu Fan said with a smile.

Then, he and Jiang Silu said their goodbyes to He Fengchun and the company employees before leaving the building.

After exiting the building, Jiang Silu stopped in her tracks.

Lu Fan asked curiously, "Silu, what’s wrong?"

Jiang Silu gave him a very formal bow and explained, "Thank you for your support and restoration of our ancient gardens and architecture."

"With great power comes great responsibility," Lu Fan chuckled. "After you graduate, if you want to pursue a career in restoring ancient gardens and buildings, just tell Dad. I’ll definitely support you."

Hearing this, Jiang Silu smiled knowingly.

It was clear she had agreed.

Lu Fan saw that it was still early.

He suggested, "By the way, how about I take you to buy some clothes and shoes?"

Not wanting Lu Fan to spend money on her, Jiang Silu quickly shook her head. "No, that’s okay. I have clothes to wear."

"It’s fine. We’re already here, aren’t we? I’m sure you’d like to check out some of Suzhou’s clothing stores, right?" Lu Fan said with a smile.

Once the words "we’re already here" were spoken, any Chinese person would change their mind.

Sure enough, Jiang Silu hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "Alright, then."

So, Lu Fan turned to Jiali and had her immediately find the most high-end clothing store in the city.

Soon, Jiali had Chen He take them to Meiluo Shopping Mall.

This was home to Suzhou’s only luxury department store. Its most expensive representatives were the Hermes boutique and the Louis Vuitton Guanqian Store, alongside other top-tier luxury brand outlets.

At first, Jiang Silu didn’t know Lu Fan was taking her here.

When she got out of the car, she followed Lu Fan into a store.

Before they went in, Lu Fan told Jiang Silu, "If you like something, we’ll buy it. Don’t worry about the price."

"Really, you don’t have to..."

Just from the look of the storefront, Jiang Silu felt that this kind of luxury shop wasn’t for her.

She preferred her 39.9 yuan clothes from Taobao.

Two salespeople were already standing at the entrance. They smiled and gave a slight bow, saying, "Hello, welcome~"

Jiang Silu had no choice but to follow Lu Fan and the others into the store.

The moment she stepped inside, she had to squint, momentarily blinded by the indoor lighting.

Unlike the white incandescent lights of a typical high-street clothing shop, the light here was a warm gold, pouring down from a massive crystal chandelier overhead and reflecting in tiny fragments on the mirror-smooth marble floor.

The walls were a soft, creamy white, and the ready-to-wear garments were meticulously displayed on walnut racks, each piece looking like a work of art in a display case.

Looking at the decor and layout, Jiang Silu was even more certain: the clothes in this store had to be incredibly expensive!

’What should I do? Should I tell Dad that we should go?’

’The clothes here must be so expensive! They probably cost several thousand yuan a piece, right?’

’No, no, I can’t. Even though Mom said before that if Dad wanted to make it up to me, I should just accept it graciously.’

’But this store must be way too expensive! No, no!’

As Jiang Silu was lost in her daze of indecision, her gaze fell upon a pink dress in front of her.

The fabric looked silky smooth, and the hem was adorned with sparkling patterns. It was beautiful at a glance.

Perhaps it was a girl’s natural love for beautiful things, but as if guided by some strange impulse, she reached out and touched it.

The soft texture startled her.

’This fabric is so soft!’

Then, she subconsciously glanced down at the price tag on the collar.

She blinked, thinking she had seen it wrong, and leaned in for a closer look.

38,888?!

Jiang Silu sucked in a sharp breath—HISS—and snatched her hand back as if she’d been burned.

Her heart began to THUMP wildly, and her face instantly flushed bright red.

38,888!!!

"Do you like this one, Silu?" Lu Fan’s voice suddenly sounded beside her.

Jiang Silu jumped, startled, and quickly shook her head, her voice trembling. "N-No... I don’t like it!"

She even took two steps back, not daring to look at the dress again.

Her hands were clenched tightly around the hem of her own clothes, her knuckles white.

’This is way too expensive, isn’t it? Is the world of the rich this terrifying?’

Lu Fan glanced at the dress, then at Jiang Silu’s reaction, and said to the sales associate with a smile, "We’ll try this one on."

"Of course, sir. No problem." The sales associate first glanced at Jiang Silu’s figure, then decisively pulled out the right size.

She then walked over to Jiang Silu and said softly, "Dear, why don’t we go to the fitting room and try it on? This dress would actually suit you very well. The fabric is very soft and gentle on the skin, perfect for your complexion. If you put it on and really don’t like it, we can always find something else~"

Jiang Silu originally wanted to refuse, but faced with the sales associate’s patient persuasion, she could only blush and nod.

While changing, she was extremely careful, terrified she might accidentally damage the dress.

If that happened, she probably couldn’t pay it off even if she worked here for a whole year.

’Why are there clothes this expensive in the world...’

’Who on earth buys them...’

’I don’t understand how rich people think...’

Mulling over these questions, Jiang Silu finally changed into the dress.

A moment later, the fitting room door slid open with a CLICK. Jiang Silu shuffled out hesitantly, her head bowed low, her hands subconsciously tugging at the hem of the skirt.

But the moment she appeared, everyone’s gaze was fixed on her.

The lotus-pink silk dress clung to her slender figure—not too tight, not too loose—perfectly outlining the slim waistline unique to a young girl without looking forced.

The skirt fell naturally, swaying gently with her steps. Its fine, pearl-colored patterns shimmered softly under the warm light, as if fragments of starlight had been sewn into the hem.

A few small rhinestones at the collar were understated, yet they sparkled with a faint luster when she turned her head, accentuating the long, fair line of her neck, which looked as delicate as a freshly peeled bamboo shoot.

The sales associate couldn’t help but let out a gasp, her eyes filled with amazement. "Dear, this dress is absolutely perfect for you! It’s like it was custom-made!"

Seeing how beautiful and well-fitting the dress was on Jiang Silu, Lu Fan also nodded. "It is indeed very beautiful."

Feeling uncomfortable under everyone’s gaze, Jiang Silu secretly glanced up at the mirror and was instantly stunned.

The girl in the mirror had gentle, curved eyes and slightly flushed cheeks. The pink dress made her look like a different person—like a little princess who had been meticulously cared for.

She was starting to understand why rich people were willing to buy such expensive clothes...

Snapping back to her senses, Jiang Silu suddenly became aware of her own blushing cheeks. She quickly lowered her head again and mumbled, "This dress is too... too conspicuous... Never mind, never mind."

With that, she went back into the fitting room to change out of the dress, intending to return it to the associate.

But when Jiang Silu came out, Lu Fan said with a smile, "I think it looks great. We’ll take this one."

"No, it’s too expensive." Jiang Silu still shook her head.

"Silu, it’s alright. The fact that Dad can buy this for you proves I have the financial means. You don’t need to feel any pressure."

"But..."

By this point, the sales associate had already deftly packed the dress into an orange box.

When she handed over the boutique shopping bag, Jiang Silu hesitated for a moment before finally reaching out to take it.

The box felt light as a feather, yet to her, it was incredibly heavy. She held it like a hot potato, barely daring to touch it.

Lu Fan had wanted to buy her several more outfits, but seeing her look so scared and troubled, he could only smile and say, "Let’s go. We’ll go check out the shoes on the second floor."

When Jiang Silu heard this, she once again shook her head. "No, please... I... I have shoes to wear."

As she said this, there was even a hint of a sob in her voice.

Because her mind was completely filled with the 38,888 yuan price of the dress.

She really didn’t dare let Lu Fan buy anything else.