Chapter 251

Having experienced everything before, he was willing to be more patient in helping the girl understand, little by little, that he was someone she could rely on, someone she could trust without feeling guilty about accepting his gifts. "I already said... I don't like wearing these things." Hua Xin sighed with a complicated expression, seemingly understanding why Xia Yan had tricked her into this store. Although she complained, her hands obediently rested on the clothes Xia Yan offered. In any case, it couldn't be because Xia Yan was lustfully trying to unlock a new skin. Her good brother was as innocent as a sheet of paper. Uh... except online. "A waste of time?" "..." "I don't need more clothes?" "..." "Uh, I actually have claustrophobia, I can't go into the fitting room?" "..." Looking at Hua Xin Xia Yan, who smiled and remained silent no matter what excuse she gave, a faint, chilling, and cautious feeling spread through Hua Xin's heart, and her tone involuntarily softened. Ever since they met in person, Xia Yan seemed to have been constantly accommodating her, rarely... or rather, never forcefully coercing her or showing impatience. She was actually quite afraid of Xia Yan's anger, but rather than fear, it was more... curiosity? After all, someone who was usually all smiles and seemed very easygoing and gentle could become even more terrifying and hysterical when angry, possibly turning into something like Hannibal Lecter. Xia Yan's anger would be quite amusing, wouldn't it? The girl briefly imagined what Xia Yan would look like when he was angry and out of control. Uh, she couldn't imagine it at all. The worst-case scenario might be him smashing a cup or yelling at her? In short, it was hard to equate her brother with a domestic abuser... what he was doing now seemed more like passive-aggressive behavior. "Sigh..." "I give up." Hua Xin helplessly took the clothes from Xia Yan's hands, only realizing upon holding them that they were actually a dress and a coat. "The fitting room is over there, I'll wait for you outside~" Xia Yan's voice was undeniably sweet, making the girl shiver involuntarily, goosebumps rising on her skin. "Get lost, get out of here." Hua Xin said dismissively, walking into the closed fitting room under the sales assistant's formulaic smile. (That feels good.) Secretly pleased, but outwardly silent, Xia Yan went to the side and spoke a few words to the sales assistant, seemingly asking if they had any new styles. He then left the fitting time to Hua Xin and sat down to wait. Looking at the clothes before him, his thoughts drifted far away. He wanted to buy the girl lots and lots of clothes and delicious food. Enough to heal the wounds in her heart. The future. Would it be as he imagined? "Squeak." The sound of the door opening interrupted Xia Yan's thoughts, and also captured his attention. "Isn't it pretty?" The girl's triumphant voice rang out, seemingly quite proud of how well her clothes fit her. However, she then seemed a little worried that she might have rubbed something dirty while putting them on... Hua Xin, who had never worn a dress before, actually studied whether to wear a dress from bottom to top or top to bottom. She didn't have any objection to the white and blue dress she was currently wearing. After all, it was good enough to try on new clothes, why bother with men's or women's clothing? The shoes, however, seemed a bit out of place. Seeing that Xia Yan hadn't responded for a long time, the girl walked to his side with a brooding look and said in an unfriendly tone, "Speak." Xia Yan smiled lightly, and without warning, boldly pulled her into his arms. Before the girl could react, he whispered in Hua Xin's ear, "You're the prettiest." 191. I dressed up just for you. A person's appearance is sometimes not the primary factor in making a first impression. Speech, temperament, clothing, and mannerisms are the more objective ways to evaluate a person. Of course, a more direct understanding comes only through prolonged contact and observation. Just like the relationship between Hua Xin and Xia Yan, when they first met, the girl suspected Xia Yan was planning a coordinated attack on her by Lin Qingyu, but after clearing up the misunderstanding and spending a long time together, she gradually came to understand Xia Yan. Well, perhaps she had already learned about him online. Similarly, Hua Xin's self-perception was quite objective and realistic. The label of a gloomy, reclusive person was enough to ruin her; she really didn't want to experience being popular like she did when she worked at the cat cafe, having "fans." In the past, when Hua Xin walked through the streets and alleys, she walked with her head down 99% of the time, never daring to look up and see what the people around her looked like. Only when she was at the cat cafe would she look at customers and explain things because of her job. Because when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you; for the girl, as long as she didn't look at others, naturally no one would look at her. But now... something seems off. The girl, slightly unaccustomed, pulled her straw beach hat with the light blue ribbon down a little, glancing down at her current outfit. The long skirt, past her knees, didn't exactly feel strange... but it still felt a little awkward. Before, when she wore JK skirt, she had pantyhose that served a similar function as pants, so it wasn't too uncomfortable. But now, with only safety shorts, her lower body felt very empty... This was her first time wearing such clothes; they were soft, light, and comfortable. For Hua Xin, there was no difference between women's and men's clothing. The shame and anger of "a grown man wearing women's clothes" had already been washed away with the water in the sewer one night after she wore the JK skirt. Forget about skirts, shirts, jackets, men's clothes, and women's clothes... Just having new clothes to wear makes a girl feel like it's New Year's, why would she be picky? Besides, Xia Yan is paying for it, so why not take it? Fortunately, the skirt isn't very short, so there's no chance of anything revealing. And the change that feels most strange to her is... she used to wear those old-fashioned blackboard shoes she found at the market, but now she's wearing slightly high-heeled sandals. There are only two thin horizontal straps for support, so they won't feel cold on this warm day. After all, summer is almost here. But, do shoes like this even exist? They look like a style of sandal unique to women, hmm... kind of like the legendary high heels? But they don't have heels. For a girl whose knowledge of women's fashion is limited to internet female bodhisattva and movie heroines, she knows nothing beyond basic clothing styles and stockings. But when it comes to cosplay outfits of anime or game heroines, she can name them all, and she even knows the license plate numbers of the cars they wear. And you know what... this dress and sandals feel... actually quite comfortable to wear (≧ω≦)! Hua Xin looked up slightly with a sigh, only to find that the root of her discomfort was the lack of pedestrians on the street...