Qinghui Clothing Shop

Bamboo Creek Plain

The morning sunlight filters through the bamboo forest of Bamboo Creek Plain, casting dappled patterns on the stone path.

Hu walked out of the Fon Clan's gate, having changed into the dark gray woolen coat that Keiko had made for him, over which he wore a light gray shirt with a crisp collar and clean shoulder lines. His boots were black, made of soft leather, and made a steady sound as he stepped on the stone pavement. He stood at the entrance of Bamboo Creek Plain, the morning breeze carrying the fragrance of bamboo leaves brushing against his cheeks.

Then the corners of his mouth began to turn up uncontrollably.

Last night:

After finishing building the wall, Hu squatted by the training ground and took out his Denreishinki to send a message to Yin. The moon was full at that time, and his hands were still covered in dust, leaving a few gray fingerprints on the Denreishinki as he typed.

Hey bro, are you free tomorrow morning? Come over to Bamboo Creek Plain for a drink, it's on me.

Yin replied quickly. -- What's wrong? Aren't you training tomorrow?

--I knocked down a wall during training this morning, and I'm on my way home now after we finished rebuilding it. There won't be any training tomorrow, and I also have a break from my internship this afternoon.

--Okay, I'll go tomorrow morning, the same place as last time?

Hu squatted under the moonlight, staring at the screen, unable to suppress the smile on his lips. He took a deep breath, typed a few words, deleted them, typed again, deleted again, and finally sent them out casually.

--I need to go to Qinghui Clothing Shop tomorrow morning. Someone saw my clothes today and thought they were nice and wanted to have a few made. I'll take her there in the morning. Let's meet at the clothing Clothing Atelier; it's not far from the Fon Clan and the wine stall.

--Great, the outfits you've been wearing lately have been really nice.

--Pretty good, right? Sister Keiko got these for me, from Qinghui Clothing Shop Store. Want me to get you a few too?

--I don't need it, I'm fine as I am.

Hu bit her lip, her fingers flying across the keyboard. --Come on, let's take a look together. The Clothing Atelier not only has clothes, but also some accessories and the like. It won't hurt to take a look.

A few seconds passed on the other end. -- Okay, I'll go to Qinghui Clothing Shop tomorrow morning after I finish my work.

Hu stuffed the Denreishinki back into his pocket, squatted under the moonlight, and couldn't suppress the smile on his face. "Brother Yin, don't say I didn't help you—this is all I could do."

The morning breeze rustled the bamboo leaves. Standing at the entrance to Bamboo Creek Plain, Hu recalled this moment, and the corners of his mouth began to turn upwards again. He pressed his lips together forcefully, suppressing the smile. No, he couldn't smile yet. He couldn't smile now.

Just then, a golden figure approached. Rangiku Matsumoto was wearing a light blue kimono today, with a silver-gray sash tied in a simple knot. Her long golden hair cascaded over her shoulders, the ends slightly curled, shimmering softly in the morning light. She carried a bulging cloth bag in her hand, and walked with light steps, the bag swaying with her movements.

Amber waved to her. "Lieutenant Matsumoto, over here."

Rangiku strode over, looked him up and down, her gaze lingering for a moment on his dark gray wool coat. "The black one from yesterday looked great too, and this gray one has a lot of character. How many of these clothes do you own?"

"Three sets," Hu said, "All made by Qinghui Clothing Shop."

Rangiku's eyes lit up. "Let's go then."

The two walked along the stone path of Bamboo Creek Plain. Morning light filtered through the bamboo leaves and fell on their shoulders. The stream flowed beside the path, making a babbling sound.

"Why is Lieutenant Matsumoto here so early?" Amber asked.

"I already told you not to call me Lieutenant, just call me Sister." Rangiku switched the cloth bag to her other hand. "The current Shihakusho uniforms of the Gotei 13 were designed by a captain hundreds of years ago. They're classic, yes, but after wearing them for centuries, we always want something new." She reached out and touched the bamboo leaves hanging by the roadside, her fingertips lightly tracing the edges. "I saw the style of yours yesterday, and I fell in love with it at first sight. That's why I woke up early this morning; I just couldn't wait."

She patted the cloth bag in her hand. "This contains fabric for Shihakusho. If I'm satisfied with Qinghui Clothing Shop's style and design, I'd like to commission a different style of clothing that can also be worn as Shihakusho."

She paused, then made a circle with her thumb and forefinger. "Design and labor fees will be fully covered."

Looking at her shrewd and calculating demeanor, Hu couldn't help but laugh. "Looks like Sister Keiko has met a big client."

As they chatted and laughed, the two arrived at the entrance of Qinghui Clothing Shop. The four characters "Qinghui Clothing Shop" on the signboard gleamed warmly in the morning light. The door was half-open, and the soft sounds of fabric rustling could be heard from inside.

Hu pushed open the door. "Sister Keiko, I've brought guests."

Keiko was standing at her workbench, sorting through a roll of newly arrived fabric. She was wearing a light purple kimono with delicate white wavy embroidery on the cuffs, and her hair was loosely tied back with a plain silver hairpin. Hearing the door open, she turned around, her gaze falling on Rangiku behind Amber.

Rangiku was already looking around the shop's layout. Qinghui Clothing Shop wasn't large, but it was very well organized. On the left rack hung several Western-style garments—stand-up collar jackets, fitted vests, and a few shirts. The fabrics were mainly cotton and linen, in darker tones, but the collars and cuffs were embroidered with delicate oriental patterns, including bee patterns, bamboo leaf patterns, and water ripple patterns. On the right were traditional oriental styles—kimonos for entertaining guests, everyday kimonos, and a few outer garments, but the fabrics were woven with Western-style geometric patterns, and the belts weren't traditional brocade, but rather leather and metal buckles.

"Western-style pattern making, Eastern embellishments. Or Eastern silhouettes, Western fabrics." Rangiku's fingers lightly traced the cuff of a stand-up collar jacket, embroidered with a delicate bamboo leaf pattern. "That's a really good idea."

Keiko gave a slight bow. "You flatter me."

"You're the shop owner?" Rangiku turned around. "I'm Rangiku Matsumoto. I saw Ye Xing's clothes yesterday and really liked them, so I asked him to bring me here."

"I did make Ko-kun's clothes." Keiko nodded. "What kind would you like to see, Ms. Matsumoto?"

"Let's take a look at the ready-to-wear clothes first." Rangiku's eyes swept around the store. "I have a general idea of your style; I'd like to see what styles you have."

Keiko took several garments from the rack and showed them to Rangiku one by one. Rangiku examined each one, touching the fabric, turning them over to check the lining, and carefully scrutinizing the stitching on the cuffs. Keiko explained softly beside her—this one is made of cotton and linen woven in Bamboo Creek Plain, the buttons on that one were hand-carved by an old carpenter from Bamboo Creek Plain, and the silver thread on the kimono's obi was made from silver that had flowed out of Seireitei and then remelted and drawn.

"I'd like to try this one on," Rangiku said, pointing to a garment.

It was a Western-style tailored dress, but the fabric was traditional Eastern crepe, with a dark chestnut base and extremely fine silver stripes. The neckline was a simple V-shape, the waistline was neatly cinched, and the hem flared slightly, reaching to the calves. The cuffs and the edges of the skirt were embroidered with a circle of fine gold ripples, like flowing water or light.

Keiko took off her clothes and led Rangiku into the dressing room inside.

Hu found a chair in the shop and sat down. Sunlight streamed in from the doorway, falling at his feet. He leaned back in his chair, listening to the sounds of people changing clothes in the back room and Keiko's occasional whispered instructions.

The door was pushed open.

"Xiao Hu."

Gin Ichimaru stood at the entrance, wearing his signature Shihakusho, his eyes narrowed, a familiar smile playing on his lips. His gaze swept across the shop before settling on Amber.

"You're here?" Hu stood up.

"Hmm." Yin walked in and stood next to Hu. "Where's that client you mentioned?"

Hu gestured towards the inner room with her lips. "She's trying on clothes inside."

As soon as he finished speaking, the curtain to the inner room was lifted.

Rangiku Matsumoto emerged from within. A deep chestnut crepe dress draped her body, its silver stripes shimmering in the light like moonlight flowing on water. The V-neckline subtly revealed her collarbone, and her waistline was sculpted, flowing smoothly down her hips. The golden ripples at the hem of the skirt swayed gently with her steps, each step feeling like walking on shimmering water. Her flowing blonde hair complemented the deep chestnut dress, making her appear as if she had stepped out of the morning mist.

Silver's smile froze.

His usually squinting eye widened slightly, the smile on his lips lingering, but his gaze had already changed—no longer the usual confident and enigmatic look, but a blankness as if he had been struck head-on by something unprepared. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

Rangiku was taken aback when she saw Gin. "Gin? What are you doing here?"

Yin didn't answer. He still maintained that frozen smile, staring straight at her, as if he didn't recognize the woman in the dark chestnut dress, or as if he recognized her too well, to the point that his mind went blank.

"I invited Brother Yin here," Hu chimed in, his tone as natural as if he were commenting on the nice weather. "I didn't have enough fun drinking with Brother Yin last time, so I wanted to have another round. It just so Rangiku was coming to the Clothing Atelier, so I had Brother Yin come over here to meet up."

He turned to look at Rangiku.

"Do you two know each other?"

Rangiku laughed, "Don't talk about knowing each other or not, Gin and I are childhood friends. Little Ichi and were neighbors in Rukongai."

"I see." Hu nodded meaningfully.

Yin finally came to his senses. He turned his head and looked at Hu. Hu was looking at him with a "I caught you" expression—the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, her eyebrows were raised, and the smile in her eyes could not be hidden.

Yin's Adam's apple bobbed, and he raised his hand to touch the back of his neck to hide his embarrassment.

Rangiku was completely oblivious to the subtle exchange between the two. She turned around in front of the dressing mirror, glanced at the hem of her skirt, and nodded with satisfaction. "I'll take this one," she said to Keiko, then picked out two more outfits and excitedly disappeared back into the inner room.

The curtain fell, leaving only Hu and Yin in the shop.

Hu leaned closer to Yin, lowered his voice, and grinned so wide it almost reached his ears. "Brother Yin."

Yin didn't look at him.

So you like this kind of thing?

Yin suddenly turned around, stretched out both hands, grabbed Hu's cheeks, and pulled them apart forcefully.

"Don't talk nonsense. When I met Rangiku, she hadn't even developed yet."

Hu's mouth was pinched out of shape, and her cheeks were stretched long, but the smile in her eyes deepened. She mumbled, "You're not even denying that you like her?"

Silver's hand stopped. His fingers were still pinching Amber's cheek, but the pressure suddenly loosened. He didn't let go, just kept pinching, turning his face slightly to avoid Amber's gaze.

The curtain to the inner room was lifted again. Rangiku came out after changing her clothes—this time a misty blue kimono with extremely fine silver cross patterns woven into the fabric, and a soft leather belt tied around her waist with bamboo leaf patterns embossed on it and silver buckles. The silhouette was Eastern, the fabric and accessories were Western, and the classic elegance was infused with a sharp modern feel.

She saw Yin still pinching Hu's face and chuckled. "What are you two doing?"

Yin immediately released his grip, took a step back, and casually straightened his cuffs.

"Brother Yin, since you're already here, why don't you pick out a few things?" Hu said, rubbing his cheeks which had been pinched red.

Yin opened her mouth, about to refuse.

Rangiku turned to the side in front of the full-length mirror, looking at her reflection as she casually remarked, "Yeah, you should take a look too. You only ever wear the same few outfits; you should probably get some new ones."

Yin glanced at her, then at Hu. Hu was looking at him with an expression that said, "See, I wasn't wrong."

"... good."

Keiko emerged from behind the workbench, glanced at Gin's figure, and took several items from the hanger. One was a dark gray stand-up collar shirt made of light cotton-linen fabric, with a silver wave pattern embroidered around the inside of the collar, narrow cuffs, and dark wood buttons; another was a black kimono-style coat, but with a more Western cut, clean shoulder lines, and a hem that reached the knees. The fabric was thick and crisp, and the belt was made of dark brown leather with extremely fine geometric patterns embossed on it; and there was also a navy blue vest with a wind pattern on the back, silver buttons, and a surface engraved with fine bamboo leaf patterns.

Gin looked at the clothes, unsure which one to try on. Rangiku walked over, picked up the dark gray stand-up collar shirt, held it up against him, tilted her head to look at it for a moment, then picked up the black kimono-style jacket. "This shirt can be worn under the jacket; the silver collar will just peek out," she said, handing Gin the shirt and jacket together. "Try these two first."

Yin took it and went into the inner room.

After a while, he came out. The dark gray shirt clung to his shoulders, and the silver ripples at the collar peeked out from the collar of his black coat, appearing and disappearing. The belt cinched his waist, making him look much more sharp than usual.

Rangiku looked at him and nodded. "This one looks good," she said. "You should take the shirt and the jacket."

Gin looked down at himself, then looked up at Rangiku. "... Okay."

Rangiku picked up the navy blue vest again and held it up against Gin. "Try this one too."

Yin Guaiguai took it and went into the inner room.

Amber sat in her chair, watching Rangiku arrange Rangiku piece by piece, the smile on her lips never fading. Keiko stood behind the workbench, her gaze shifting back and forth between Rangiku and Gin, a slight upturn to her lips, saying nothing.

In the end, Gin bought two sets—both of which Rangiku thought were nice.

When it was time to pay, Rangiku put her own clothes and Gin's two sets together and took out her purse.

Gin reached out to stop him, Rangiku glanced at him and said, "It's alright, I'll do it today."

Silver's hand was pushed back.

"Then I'll wait outside."

Just a second before Gin and Ko were about to step out of the store, Rangiku suddenly spoke up.

"Etc."

The two turned around.

"You guys just said you were going to drink together today?"

Hu nodded.

"Then I'll go too." Rangiku, carrying the wrapped clothes, walked over to the two of them.

"It's been a long time since I've had a drink with Gin. And—" She looked at Amber, a smile playing on her lips, "I'm also quite curious about Ye Xing. Those things I didn't have a chance to ask yesterday, we can chat about them over drinks today."

Just as Rangiku stated her requirements for working with him, Ko's mind went blank. Images from the anime flashed through his mind like a slideshow. He then remembered that Rangiku was a heavy drinker, the kind who could hold her liquor for a ton.

Looking at Ko's expression, Gin squinted and smiled, "That kid Ko, it seems Rangiku has sensed something fishy. Judging from his expression, something interesting must have happened yesterday."

There was a hint of amusement in that smile.