Transmigration; Married to My Ex-Fiancé's Uncle-Chapter 225; Shopping 9

Tank turned back to Shuyin, her expression shifting to something more genuine. "Have fun today, okay? And be patient, gentle and kind... Be a good mother..."

"I will," Shuyin replied softly.

"Tomorrow," Blade said, stepping forward to squeeze Shuyin’s shoulder briefly, a rare display of affection from the usually stoic woman.

"Tomorrow," Shuyin confirmed, covering Blade’s hand with her own for a moment.

Razor gave a small wave, her eyes bright with unspoken emotion. "Don’t let the salespeople intimidate you. Remember, you’re scarier than they are."

"I’ll keep that in mind," Shuyin said with a laugh.

The three women climbed into the vehicle, Tank making exaggerated gestures through the window that had Chen Xiao giggling and even Yuyan cracking a smile. Within moments, the vehicle pulled away from the curb, disappearing into the flow of traffic.

Shuyin watched them go, feeling that particular warmth that came from being understood, from having people who knew the worst parts of your story and stood by you anyway.

"Your friends are funny," Chen Xiao observed, still smiling.

"They are," Shuyin agreed. "And very loyal. We survived some difficult times together."

"Prison," Yuyan said quietly. Not a question, just acknowledgment.

"Prison," Shuyin confirmed without shame. "They’re good women who were wrongly convicted, just like me. And now we’re all getting second chances."

She looked down at Chen Xiao and across at Yuyan, squeezing the boy’s hand gently.

"Ready?" she asked. "Just the three of us and Ting Fei?"

"Ready," Yuyan confirmed, something soft in her expression.

"Yeah!" Chen Xiao’s enthusiasm was returning fully now.

"Then let’s go find you two the best clothes in the entire Pearl District," Shuyin declared. "And maybe I’ll pick up a few things too. We’ll make Lu Yuze regret giving me that credit card."

"I thought you were going to be responsible," Yuyan teased.

"I’m going to be reasonably responsible," Shuyin corrected with a grin. "There’s a difference."

Ting Fei had already positioned himself strategically, one hand resting casually near his jacket in a way that suggested he was armed. The other security personnel fanned out with professional efficiency, creating a perimeter that looked casual but was anything but.

"Where to first?" Yuyan asked, falling into step beside Shuyin.

Shuyin considered the options. The street was lined with boutique, international brands mixed with exclusive local designers. Everything here was expensive, but some stores were more... reasonable than others.

"Let’s start with children’s wear," she decided. "Chen Xiao needs the most. Then we can work our way to the other shops."

They headed toward a boutique called Little Emperors, appropriately named, given its clientele consisted primarily of wealthy parents dressing their overindulged offspring. The window displays featured tiny suits that probably cost more than most people’s monthly salary.

Shuyin pushed open the door, triggering a soft chime.

The interior was pristine, all white walls and carefully curated displays, soft classical music playing from hidden speakers. A sales associate looked up from behind the counter, her expression shifting through several stages as she assessed the new arrivals.

First: polite professional interest.

Second: recognition, not of Shuyin specifically, but of the quality of her suit, the presence of obvious security, the bearing that said money.

Third: warm welcome.

"Good afternoon," the associate said, gliding forward with practiced grace. "Welcome to Little Emperors. How may I assist you today?"

"We need a complete wardrobe for this young man," Shuyin said, gently pushing Chen Xiao forward. "Everything from casual wear to formal occasions. He’s five, but he’ll need clothes that actually fit him properly."

"Of course," she said smoothly. "We have an excellent selection. If you’d like to browse, or I can pull some pieces for you to consider?"

"Both," Shuyin decided. "Show us your recommendations, but we’ll also look around. Chen Xiao needs to learn what he likes."

"Wonderful. Let me start with measurements...."

"Actually," Yuyan interrupted, her voice taking on an edge, "let’s start with Chen Xiao telling us what colors he likes. What catches his eye."

The associate blinked, clearly not used to children being consulted in their own clothing choices. "Oh. Of course. Let me show you our selection."

She led them deeper into the store, pulling items from displays. Chen Xiao’s eyes went wide at the sheer abundance, shirts and pants and jackets and shoes, all new, all clean, all apparently just for him.

"Can I really pick any of these?" he whispered to Shuyin.

"Any and all," she confirmed. "We’re not leaving until you have enough clothes for two weeks without repeating an outfit."

"That’s... that’s a lot of clothes."

"That’s a normal amount of clothes," Yuyan corrected, running her fingers over a small jacket. "You’ve just been making do with too little for too long."

The associate began pulling together options, casual cotton shirts in muted grays and soft browns, dress shirts in understated navy and charcoal, pants in various darker shades, and a few sweaters in subdued tones. She’d clearly picked up on Chen Xiao’s preference for dull colors from what he was wearing and gravitated toward those palettes naturally.

Chen Xiao touched each piece hesitantly, like he was afraid they might disappear if he wasn’t careful. His small fingers lingered on a soft gray sweater, then moved to a dark blue shirt that was almost slate-colored.

"These are nice," he said quietly, his voice carrying genuine appreciation.

"Try them on," Shuyin said gently. "See what feels comfortable."

The associate led Chen Xiao to a fitting room. Yuyan followed, leaving Shuyin and Ting Fei in the main area.

"Mrs. Lu," Ting Fei said quietly, "I have the card Mr. Lu sent. There is a limit, but it’s generous for reasonable shopping."

"Define generous," Shuyin said, examining a tiny bow tie with amusement.

"Enough for appropriate children’s clothing and perhaps a modest amount of adult wear," Ting Fei replied. "Not enough for, say, purchasing the entire store’s inventory."

Shuyin shot him a look. "I wouldn’t purchase the entire store."

"You purchased seventeen models last night."

"That was different. That was strategic."