Chapter 14: Sister, please wait a moment

Ah… achoo~~

Was the mall’s air conditioning too cold? Why was his nose itchy?

After parting with the guide Lin Xin, perhaps due to the chilly mall air, Su Qi sneezed unexpectedly.

Rubbing his reddened nose, he checked his phone—still over an hour until his meeting.

Deciding to explore the spirit item market and check out the “charm-type” items, he followed Lin Xin’s directions to the west side of the sixth floor.

The sixth floor was vast, with a dazzling array of spirit items.

Rare herbs like lingzhi and colorful spirit pills, alongside Sacred Ruins weapons—swords, spears, axes, clothing, and hats—filled the space.

Though Su Qi had visited the spirit item market before, each trip felt like stepping into another world.

The downside? The prices were daunting.

The cheapest item, a vibrant spirit-infused grass, cost 2,000 yuan—a robbery.

The priciest, a majestic long spear, was a staggering 10,000,000 yuan.

Though possibly inflated, the string of zeros shocked him.

‘Poverty limits my imagination,’ he sighed.

Navigating the crowd, Su Qi reached the pink-marked charm-type section.

Perhaps because charm abilities were rare and less practical, the area was nearly empty, with only a few people and absent guides.

The items here differed sharply from other sections, lacking utility.

A tattered vintage pair of glasses, a suggestive heart-shaped tail, a suspiciously pretty potted mushroom, and accessories like butterfly hairpins and gold anklets.

It felt like browsing a chaotic night market stall.

As he walked, Su Qi grew puzzled.

Textbooks taught that ability users felt a mental connection to compatible spirit items, like magnets aligning.

Yet, after wandering the charm section, he felt nothing.

‘Did the Observation Orb get it wrong?’

Just then, his gaze was magnetically drawn to a glass display.

A vibrant, festive red garment blazed like fire or ripe cherries, radiant and eye-catching.

Its style was ancient and solemn, evoking a bride’s wedding dress from olden times.

Exquisite tailoring and fine stitching spoke of its historical depth and craftsmanship.

Remarkably, it wasn’t a modern replica but a true Sacred Ruins artifact.

Uncleaned, its collar and matching red veil bore faint gray stains, signs of age.

Yet, these marks enhanced its mystique, as if the soil bore witness to its long history and untold stories.

Though simply displayed, the red wedding dress pulled Su Qi closer, his heart whispering, Wear it… wear it.

Feeling this profound connection, his emotions were mixed.

It was novel—he’d never experienced such a pull.

But also helpless.

‘Why, as a boy, am I drawn to women’s clothing?!’

Grumbling inwardly and noting the dress’s 600,000 yuan price tag, he gave up.

Ding-dong~

His phone vibrated with his alarm.

After a final glance at the wedding dress, poor Su Qi left the spirit market.

Descending to the fifth floor, he found an accessible bathroom and pulled out the JK outfit and white stockings from his backpack.

Looking at the soft, delicate clothes, his fair face flushed.

Though he’d tried them on at home, the thought of appearing as a “girl” stirred a mix of shame and thrill.

After a brief hesitation, he shakily reached for the outfit.

A faint glow flashed in the bathroom.

A super sweet, pure white-stockinged beauty emerged.

Golden hair cascaded over slender shoulders, and silk-wrapped legs radiated innocence and charm.

In the mirror, Su Qi’s reflection sparkled with allure.

Despite preparing mentally, he was stunned by his beauty each time.

Swish swish~

In classic JK black shoes, he spun before the mirror, feeling his transformed body’s lightness.

Checking for any slip-ups and finding none, he stuffed his male clothes into his backpack and left the bathroom.

“Damn, look at that girl! Those white-stockinged legs are so perfect.”

“Hiss, she’s like Asuna! Is there a cosplay event? Should we hit on her?!”

“Totally! Even if she rejects us, hearing her voice would be worth it!”

“Let’s go!”

“Let’s go go go!!!”

His boosted agility sharpened his senses, catching two boys’ distant stares and whispers.

They planned to approach him.

Though used to this in female form, as a boy, Su Qi wasn’t thrilled about male attention.

Quickening his pace, he reached the elevator and pressed for the first floor before they could catch up.

With low foot traffic outside the sixth floor, the elevator didn’t stop at floors 4, 3, or 2.

Ding-dong~

The elevator chimed, arriving at the first floor.

As the doors slid open, Su Qi’s view cleared, and he froze.

Outside stood a familiar figure.

A conservative coat hid a curvaceous figure, purple hair cascaded alluringly, and a faint rose scent wafted close.

The details clicked.

His step faltered, heart racing.

Lifting his head slightly, he saw a gentle, neighborly face with a sultry mole by her left eye.

Su Qi’s heart sank.

‘Why? What are the odds?’

‘I came to this mall on a whim, and Wen Yin-jie is here too?’

‘In the same elevator?’

‘Will she recognize me?’

‘I gotta escape.’

‘If she finds out I’m a cross-dresser, my crush is doomed before it starts!’

Thump thump thump~

His racing heart made him hyper-aware of the soft bounce in his chest and each vivid heartbeat.

As he brushed past Wen Yin, her rose scent enveloping him, he nearly exited the elevator.

But a clear, sultry voice rang out in the confined space.

“Young miss, wait a moment!!!”

Su Qi: (ΩДΩ)