Dong Moxuan hadn't noticed Mei's emotional fluctuations at all. He had never been particular about what he wore.
Seeing that Mei had no objections, he settled on that outfit.
Of course, changing clothes couldn't mean having only one outfit. Including pajamas, they picked out quite a few items in total.
In fact, the creatures known as the Honkai beasts were different from humans. They were naturally spotless and didn't need to bathe, let alone change clothes.
At any rate, when Dong Moxuan had first crossed over, those Valkyrie girls who hadn't bathed for who knew how many months didn't have even the slightest unpleasant odor. Instead, they carried a cool, faint fragrance.
Even after taking off their clothes, their jade-white bodies were... Ahem, ahem.
In short, Dong Moxuan would have been perfectly fine wearing only his original outfit. Unfortunately, he had to disguise himself as an ordinary person in front of Mei.
After choosing his own clothes, Dong Moxuan shifted his attention to Mei.
"By the way, Mei, aren't you going to buy a few clothes for yourself?"
"Huh?"
Mei hadn't expected Dong Moxuan to say that, and she lightly scratched her cheek.
"I still have plenty of clothes in my wardrobe. I'm not short of any for the time being..."
"What does buying clothes have to do with whether you're short of them or not?"
Dong Moxuan didn't want to let Mei off so easily. As he looked at the girl before him, a hint of ill intent flashed through his eyes.
"We're already here, so why don't you pick out a few outfits too, Mei?"
They had already come to a clothing store. If the male lead was allowed to change outfits while the female lead got off scot-free, that trashy author would definitely get flamed!
After all, no one wanted to watch the male lead enjoy the benefits.
Besides, he wanted to see what Mei looked like in a new outfit. After all, the world's number-one cutie was the Housewife Queen.
"Then... then please help Mei take a look, Mr. Xuan..."
As the saying went, no woman in this world disliked beautiful new clothes. Faced with Dong Moxuan's suggestion, Mei was clearly a little tempted.
"If I'm the one choosing, I think Mei would look good in anything."
Dong Moxuan wasn't some veteran flirt, but he still knew the most basic way to flatter a girl. What was more, what he said was basically the truth.
"Mr. Xuan!"
No girl could remain composed around the first man in her life. Mei was no exception.
Looking at the same-aged boy who was the first to compliment her appearance, Mei's cheeks flushed, and she grew terribly shy.
"Please don't tease Mei!"
"Tease you? I'm not. Mei really is the world's number-one cutie!"
"Mmm~"
Seeing Mei's flushed face, Dong Moxuan knew that pushing things too far would be counterproductive.
He turned around and picked out a white dress.
"I think that one would suit Mei very well."
"This one?"
Mei stepped forward and took the dress in her hands.
She wasn't short of clothes. She was simply enamored with the feeling of having someone accompany her while she chose them.
After all, our Lady Mei didn't have many friends.
Even before Raiden Ryoma's accident, she hadn't had a friend she could go out with on the weekends.
Rather than friends, those people were more like a bunch of fellows who had gathered around her of their own accord because of her aura as a young lady.
That was probably also why Kiana had found it so easy to "capture" her heart later on. But it seemed that a certain someone named Dong Moxuan was shamelessly preparing to steal her away.
"I think it's very cute. Do you want to try it on?"
Looking at the girl before him, Dong Moxuan encouraged her from the side while thinking about some unhealthy things.
Mei, who had already been inclined to do so, nodded with slightly flushed cheeks.
"Phew..."
After watching Mei enter the fitting room, Dong Moxuan stretched lazily.
Looking at the busy walkway outside the clothing store, Dong Moxuan's gaze turned distant.
This peaceful daily life would last for less than a month. Once the Honkai descended, apart from the small number of people who could join his—cough, cough—join the big family of the Honkai beasts, most of the people in this city would probably be going three hundred rounds with Li Sanguang.
But although he sighed inwardly, Dong Moxuan had no saintly thoughts about saving the city.
After all, one's position determined one's perspective. He was a Honkai beast now, an existence standing on the side of the Honkai.
"Mr. Xuan..."
Just as Dong Moxuan stood there spacing out and thinking about this and that, Mei's shy voice came from the fitting room.
"What's wrong, Mei?"
There was a hint of confusion in Dong Moxuan's voice.
"Th-that... the zipper on my back is stuck. Could you let the store clerk come in and help me pull it up?"
Dong Moxuan: "..."
What was with this clichéd development?
Was this some kind of plot compulsion?
This had been done to death in light novels! Was that damn author really so uncreative?
He cursed the clichéd scene unfolding before him in his mind, then looked around. Sure enough, the young lady who had been standing nearby watching the fun had disappeared.
"Um... it looks like the store clerk isn't here. Why don't you wait a while, Mei?"
"..."
Hearing Dong Moxuan's reply, Mei fell silent.
After quite some time, Mei's suppressed, embarrassed voice finally came from the fitting room.
"Mr. Xuan, c-could you come in and help Mei pull it up?"
Dong Moxuan: "..."
This time, it was Dong Moxuan's turn to fall silent at the clichéd development.
"Th-then, um, is that really okay?"
"Uuu~"
"..."
Hearing Mei's distressed cry from inside the fitting room, Dong Moxuan didn't ask any further.
He knew that simply saying those words had probably exhausted all the girl's courage. If he kept asking, the Housewife Queen would probably be so embarrassed that she would faint.
"I'm coming in..."
Dong Moxuan said this as he entered the fitting room.
"Mr. Xuan..."
Sensing the movement behind her, Mei trembled like a young girl frightened by a beast.
She had already put on most of the dress. Everything that shouldn't be seen was covered up completely, which was also why Mei had dared to call Dong Moxuan inside.
However, for a beauty of Mei's level, even her half-concealed, snow-white back was already alluring enough.
Combined with her pitiful, delicate appearance, if he were to say something a little lewd, he...
Ahem, ahem. He wasn't quite at that point yet.
After all, he was no longer the pure-hearted high school student who had just crossed over. Still, Mei's current appearance truly stirred his heart.
He had originally thought he was past the age of craving a girl's body, but only now did he realize that it wasn't that he didn't crave it. It was simply that those girls hadn't been alluring enough.
Mei right now was, honestly, off the charts in terms of sex appeal.
If it had been someone with poor self-control, Mei would probably have entered upright and left horizontally.
"Mr. Xuan, wh-why haven't you started yet?"
Feeling that nothing had happened behind her for quite some time, Mei forcibly suppressed her embarrassment and urged him on.
Before you continue