Baiyun City, Seventy-three Girls' Clothing Store. Li Ke'er, who was sitting at the counter processing Taobao orders on her computer, heard the chi of the doorbell. She imdiately stood up and asked, "Are you the custor who made a reservation for a fitting?"
She saw a man and a woman enter. The man was a stranger she felt she'd t before. A cat was wrapped around his neck, and he wore a hat, seemingly to conceal his identity. Yet, she instantly recognized his endearing appearance, which could inspire a protective instinct in anyone.
Although she didn't recognize the woman, she could recognize the look in the woman's eyes.
"Mr. Ren, are you and your girlfriend here to buy clothes?" Li Ke'er asked with a smile.
Ren Suo put down his phone. He looked at Li Ke'er in surprise, then recognition dawned. "You're that... that..."
"We've t twice. Once when I accompanied a classmate to discuss career developnt with a senior, and another ti when I bumped into you while working at a ready-to-wear shop. But that was several months ago," Li Ke'er said as she walked out from behind the counter. "Mr. Ren is a very important person; you've probably forgotten , haven't you?"
"Now that you ntion it, I rember," Ren Suo said curiously. "Weren't you studying and working in Lianjiang? Why are you working here?"
Li Ke'er, an Awakener with no interest in cultivation. Ren Suo still rembered their first eting. His mom had dragged him there, and he was still fretting over his own important life decisions...
He hadn't expected that, several months later, upon eting again, he'd still be worrying over those sa important life decisions, though his perspective on them had shifted a full 180 degrees.
Nevertheless, Ren Suo had already experienced that sense of everything changing when he saw Zhao Huo's posts on social dia just a short while ago—the next ti he t Zhao Huo, Ren Suo could no longer maintain that proud stance of a 'detached onlooker.'
While he had been watching Zhao Huo, Zhao Huo hadn't paid him any attention. Instead, Zhao Huo had dusted himself off and found a way to survive.
"I'm also from Baiyun; I ca back for the New Year. The owner of this store is a relative of mine. She's been too busy to manage it lately, but there were still appointnts, so she asked to cover for a couple of days. Luckily, you ca early. I also get off work at 3 p.m."
After explaining briefly, Li Ke'er looked Ren Xingi over carefully and said with a smile, "Your girlfriend has a great figure."
"Really!?" At this, Ren Suo couldn't help but look at his sister in shock. However, she justifiably puffed out her small chest with a look of haughty pride. Don't get so used to Abalone Sea Cucumber Shark Fin Belly that you turn your nose up at humble fare! Ever since I started growing my hair long and dressing like a girl, I've been the undisputed belle of the academy! And it's you who fails to appreciate good things; my style is the standard of Eastern beauty. Dong Chengling and Gu Yueyan are such heretics! Heretics weighing over fifty kilograms!
Li Ke'er clarified, "Yes, many clothes in the shop would be very suitable for her. By our standards, your girlfriend looks like a natural clothes hanger, with a very beautiful waist-to-hip ratio."
It was then that Ren Suo finally reacted. "Oh, right, she's not my girlfriend. She's my sister."
Li Ke'er didn't seem to care much and casually responded with an "Oh," then asked, "So, are you looking to buy clothes for her? We have Traditional Chinese Cheongsams, Nurse Outfits, Retro Maid Outfits for Girls, JK uniforms, and lots of character-thed swimwear and lingerie, like Saber's first and second ascension swimsuits, which are very popular..."
Ren Suo looked around and suddenly realized that while there were indeed many clothes for young girls, half of the area was dedicated to selling… lingerie.
The lingerie was of a type... well, Ren Suo found it hard to describe. Simply put, it reminded him of the lingerie on the figurines in Zhao Huo's collection—very cute and made with very little fabric.
Ren Suo imdiately felt uncomfortable. Thank goodness I brought my sister, he thought. If I had co alone, I'd probably have hesitated outside the door for ages before giving up and deciding to just shop on Taobao.
"I'd like to try on the JK uniform," Ren Xingi said, sowhat shyly. Previously, she had never been interested in wearing girls' clothes and had only accompanied friends to the store. But now, the natural girlish desire to look beautiful, no longer suppressed, had erupted. She was eager to indulge in the feminine experiences she'd missed for the past eighteen years—especially since my older brother is paying!
"I have popular dostic brands, full sets from YueYe House, as well as cecile from Flourishing Sakura and skirts from Bodyline, all available for trying on," Li Ke'er explained.
At this mont, Ren Xingi turned to ask, "Brother, weren't you planning to buy a maid outfit? What size do you need?"
Li Ke'er looked astonished. "Mr. Ren, you want to buy a maid outfit? I'm sorry, our sizes here might not et your needs..."
Ren Suo shook his head repeatedly and patted the Black Cat on his shoulder, saying, "It's not for ."
"Is it for a friend? Could you tell her height, weight, and asurents?" Li Ke'er asked. "Most of the clothes here are slim-fit, so we need accurate asurents; otherwise, they might not fit."
"Right, Bro, do you know the other person's asurents?"
It was only then that Ren Suo noticed Ren Xingi's mischievous look and imdiately understood why she hadn't asked him who he was buying for—once Ren Suo provided the height and asurents, she would know who he was buying the maid outfit for.
But Ren Xingi was mistaken.
Ren Suo, who bought even his formal wear off-the-rack, couldn't possibly know anything about bust, waist, and hip asurents. When he shopped for clothing, he just tried things on himself. If it fit, he'd buy it. When shopping on Taobao, he'd compare his height and weight against the store's size chart and casually pick a size like L or XL.
He didn't even know his own asurents, having never bought custom clothing in his over twenty years of life.
So, he honestly said to his sister, "Just, uh, buy a set of maid outfits according to Teacher Dong's size..."
Although he hadn't directly compared them, Ren Suo felt that Luna's figure was probably similar to Dong Chengling's, so buying according to Dong Chengling's size definitely wouldn't be far off.
Ren Xingi uttered an "Oh." She then said, "So it's for Teacher Dong... But I don't know Teacher Dong's asurents either. I'll go ask her."
Ren Suo nearly choked. "I might as well ask her myself then."
But after a second thought, Ren Suo realized that wasn't right—he was buying clothes for Luna! If he asked for Dong Chengling's asurents, he would definitely have to buy a set for Dong Chengling as well; otherwise, he'd have a hard ti explaining himself.
But what would Dong Chengling's reaction be if he presented her with a maid outfit? Furious indignation? Ecstasy? Utter disinterest? Or just indifference?
Ren Suo then took a photo of the clothing in the store and opened WeChat to send the picture directly.
He ended up sending it to Young Master Mu.
Only after the ssage was sent did Ren Suo realize his mistake, but Young Master Mu had already replied with a single question mark.
Ren Suo decided to just bite the bullet. "My sister and I were passing by and thought the clothes here were quite cute. I'd like to buy a set for you. If there's anything you like, send your size and preferences."
He then copied and pasted this ssage and the picture, sending them to Dong Chengling and Gu Yueyan—Since I'm buying anyway, might as well buy for all of them, he thought.
Young Master Mu replied, "Just because you buy it doesn't an I'll wear it, you know."
Ren Suo replied, "Well... okay then."
Young Master Mu: "But you *must* buy one for . I want that black, open-bust cheongsam. I'll wear it at ho, but not for you to see."
The other two also replied quickly; fortunately, it was lunchti, so they had ti to check their phones. Gu Yueyan wanted a set of blue sailor uniforms. Dong Chengling didn't specify any preferences and sent her asurents directly to Ren Suo with a ssage saying, "Anything is fine. I'll wear it."
Dong Chengling's "anything is fine" was probably genuine...
Ren Suo then provided the asurents and requests to Li Ke'er and, incidentally, bought another set of maid outfits in Dong Chengling's na. Ren Xingi, standing beside him, snorted. She'd thought Ren Suo was really naive enough to buy one only for Dong Chengling.
Even though Ren Xingi wouldn't expose Ren Suo, their personalities—his and Dong Chengling's—ant they certainly wouldn't keep it secret. This sort of unequal sharing was bound to cause a stormy conflict. Unexpectedly, Ren Suo had shown a bit of cleverness here, understanding the principle that "it is not scarcity that is the problem, but uneven distribution."
For Li Ke'er, it was her first encounter with a male custor buying clothes for several girls. She quickly prepared the items for Ren Suo and then devoted her attention to serving Ren Xingi.
Ren Xingi, seeing Ren Suo quietly sitting down and playing with his phone as he waited for her, suddenly asked, "Hey, did I help your friend out?"
Upon hearing this, Ren Suo blinked, nodded vigorously, and said with a smile, "You did. I thank you on his behalf."
"Did I manage to stir your heart then?" Ren Xingi leaned forward slightly, tilting her body as she looked at him. "I think I'm still pretty cute, you know."
"You're the cutest sister in the world," Ren Suo chuckled. "Of course, my heart was moved."
Sotis, Ren Xingi felt that she really couldn't see through Ren Suo. Is he pretending to be foolish, or is he genuinely foolish?
But Ren Suo's reply still made Ren Xingi nod her head in satisfaction. However, when she saw the bags next to Ren Suo, she felt sowhat irritated for no reason, walked over to kick him in the shin, and then strode proudly into the changing room.
Li Ke'er looked at Ren Suo and Ren Xingi with a strange expression and asked in a low voice, "Is Mr. Ren really not your boyfriend?"
Ren Xingi laughed and waved her hand. "No, really not. He's my brother."
Li Ke'er didn't probe further, as the term 'brother and sister' inherently carried a certain ambiguity—mainly because, apart from both having eyes, noses, and mouths, Ren Suo and Ren Xingi didn't look much alike. In terms of looks, Ren Suo was a notch below Ren Xingi.
She actually found both of them quite innocent, their conversation full of indirect hints. So, she smiled and said, "When you co out later wearing the clothes from here, he'll definitely think you're the most beautiful and cutest."
Ren Xingi shook her head. "Hard to say. He's actually walked other girls down the aisle in a wedding ceremony before, and those girls were wearing wedding dresses, you know~"
Gu Yueyan hadn't told Ren Xingi everything about the Mask of the Moon. However, she had shared certain particularly important details—the kind she could use to show off and assert her claim over Ren Suo. Ren Xingi, though, had just laughed it off, stubbornly refusing to call her 'sister-in-law'.
Li Ke'er exclaid, her eyes wide, "Mr. Ren is so young and already..."
Ren Xingi continued, "Not only that, but he's also entangled with a Cultivator teacher and a Tactical Cultivator. They could have a costu play session anyti~"
Facing a stranger, Ren Xingi's guard was much lower. She couldn't help but share so of her inner thoughts, casually disparaging her older brother to lower Li Ke'er's favorable impression of Ren Suo.
After all, she hadn't nad nas—there are plenty of Cultivator teachers and Tactical Cultivators in Lianjiang. Moreover, Ren Xingi hadn't specified whether they were male or female.
Li Ke'er blinked, not daring to speak, and quietly took Ren Xingi's asurents.
Good heavens, is the Cultivator circle really this chaotic!? Thank goodness I didn't beco a Cultivator, otherwise... Wait, the last two tis I t Mr. Ren, he seed to know I was an Awakener and strongly urged to beco a Cultivator... No way! He looks as harmless as a little kitten, but is he actually a wolf in sheep's clothing, a regular pile driver!? Were those outfits he bought actually for his own use!?
Outside, Ren Suo, of course, didn't know that Ren Xingi was slandering his innocent reputation to sabotage his chances at romance. He was currently looking down at his phone, watching Los, in his female disguise, follow the ch Armor Soldier into the fortress.
It turned out that when it ca to charming n, won were indeed more skilled; Ren Suo simply couldn't pull off that particular flair.
The ad Barracks were similar to the Rift Fortress. It was a completely enclosed building. Upon entering, one could see four enormous, ferocious, and hefty ebony-black chas standing tall.
Los explained, "The Didra Centurion Battle Armor is the exclusive War Armor of the Divine Descendants, made using the highest-grade Ebony Stone and Moonstone. Each Centurion ch Armor integrates thirteen Great Lord Cartridges. Its combat power is unparalleled—even among Divine Descendant Warriors, it's considered top-tier."
The soldier, already besotted with Los, said, "Be careful, don't touch the Centurion. The Divine Descendant Nobles usually rest inside and don't pay attention to what's happening outside. Follow ..."
Following the soldier sneakily into the barracks, Ren Suo found it very different from any barracks he knew. The corridors were scarcely guarded. After so thought, Ren Suo understood: this dinsion had no external enemies. They were the aggressors, invading other dinsions, so their ho base naturally didn't require ticulous defensive chanisms.
Moreover, behind each gate hung an upside-down clown with its eyes closed. Los explained, "Most of the barracks are under the auditory surveillance of Grand Duke Night Mother. Any strong disturbance will attract Grand Duke Night Mother's attention. Therefore, all actions must be swift, or they will inevitably be exposed."
During the day, surveillance by the sun; by night, surveillance by the stars and moon; and within enclosed spaces, Grand Duke Night Mother's listening—the surveillance system in this world was quite comprehensive and didn't require much additional manpower.
That was why the ch Armor Soldier had an opportunity. He led Los through turns and detours, and soon they arrived at a place with many urinals: the n's restroom.
Although he wasn't sure if this area was within Grand Duke Night Mother's listening range, Ren Suo had reason to believe the probability of causing a commotion by acting here was the lowest. Of course, if Grand Duke Night Mother was so kind of perverted Great Lord who got thrills from listening to the sounds of urinating and defecating, then Ren Suo was out of luck.
The soldier pulled Los into a stall and imdiately disard himself, stacking his War Armor and belt neatly on a shelf. This made Ren Suo acutely aware of the power of the Beauty Trap—it was the first ti he'd seen an enemy tidily arrange their equipnt and practically hand it over.
Then the soldier imdiately lunged to hug Los. At that mont, the ga displayed three Action Cards:
"Shock Kill," "Fatal Seduction," "Let it be Taken."
However, when Ren Suo selected the third Action Card, "Let it be Taken," Los had a strong internal reaction: No! I am a proud Didela Warrior! How could I perform such a cowardly act!? I can do anything, but I will never allow myself... to beco... a... toy!
Los's conviction firmly established that this ga was perfectly wholeso and suitable for all ages. Ren Suo could only choose "Shock Kill." He saw that the mont the soldier pounced, Los reverted to his original form.
At that mont, the soldier, upon touching so part of Los, suddenly looked terrified. Then Los knocked him out with a punch, stealing his clothing, cartridges, and Identity Bracelet.
Ren Suo glanced: the cartridges were all junk. He took the Identity Bracelet. If Los were to impersonate this soldier, he would have to wear this Identity Bracelet.
So, should he replace him?
Just then, footsteps sounded in the n's restroom. Los didn't move rashly, waiting for the person outside to leave.
But a slight problem arose—soone entered a stall, apparently engaging in a major act of defecation.
Three more Action Cards appeared: "Replace him imdiately," "Leave imdiately," "Wait a bit longer."
With soone in the next stall, any move Los made was risky, so Ren Suo chose to wait a bit longer.
After a transition animation, Los was still standing in the stall, but a conversation and subtitles appeared outside:
"Is the door locked properly?"
"No problem. There's an 'Under Maintenance' sign hanging outside. This is Grand Duke Night Mother's quiet zone. Very safe."
"What's Sony's schedule next? Do we have a chance to make a move?"
Los's spirits lifted. Assassins are having a secret eting in the restroom!
"There's not much chance. Sony has been holed up in his room with his new woman, refusing to co out! Hmph! He doesn't act like a Blood Offspring of Grand Duke nelerus at all. He's more like a devotee of Grand Duke Morag and Sanguine Grand Duke—wallowing in comfort and pleasure all day long, completely neglecting his duties."
Los gnashed his teeth. Sony—I swear I will flay you alive and break your bones!
"What should we do then?"
"We can only find a chance to go to his room and assassinate him directly... Is there soone in this stall?"
Ren Suo tensed up at once. At that mont, the Black Cat owed, and then his phone was snatched away.
Ren Suo looked up to see his cute little sister standing before him. She was wearing a white blouse and pleated skirt with white thigh-highs, holding his phone and looking at him with a smile. She asked, "A riddle for you: among all the girls you know, who is the prettiest?"
Ren Suo asked, "Am I included in that?"
A glint appeared in his sister's eyes. "Yes."
"In that case, it's obviously the Nine-Tailed Fox."
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