novelraw Chapter 41
Chapter 41
Chapter 41
"An Le, run downstairs and grab a bunch of spring onions for Dad, and pick up some salt and soy sauce while you're at it—otherwise we won't have dinner tomorrow."
After dinner, An Bang's voice drifted from the kitchen where he was washing dishes. An Le, who had been critically surveying her closet, jerked her head toward the door.
"O-okay, Dad~"
Across her shoulder, a white serpent flicked its tongue, scanned the clothes, and rolled its eyes.
"Look at this disaster. Everything in here is tragic. Picking an outfit to meet Yan Huan next week is like choosing the tallest dwarf in the village."
"..."
An Le flushed and whispered, "Then I'll use my allowance this weekend and buy something new. I haven't shopped in ages anyway."
"Sure, keep wearing that hideous uniform every day. Totally chic."
The An family wasn't poor—they could afford clothes—but finding anything that fit An Le was a nightmare. The few pieces she liked felt too daring for school. They were cheap, too, nothing like the logo-blasted designer gear her classmates flaunted. Worse, she dreaded the comments about her figure. Boys sneaked lecherous glances and whispered behind their hands; girls like Park Seo-mun called her "cow" loud enough for everyone to hear. She hated the nickname.
So, just like back in Longguo, she defaulted to the most conservative school uniform she could find. Here, that made her the odd one out.
Now, home for the evening, she had changed into a simple white house dress and was agonizing over what to wear when she finally confronted Yan Huan. After Xiao Muzi's brutal honesty—and her own reflection's confirmation—she'd decided to deliver the letter herself instead of using Hashimoto as a courier. Naturally, her anxious brain demanded perfect preparation: hair, makeup, outfit—everything.
Xiao Muzi insisted she could just crank up her pleasure-inducing power and bulldoze her way to victory, but An Le refused point-blank. The serpent had to concede; the host's word was law.
An Le slipped on her shoes and called to the living room, "Mom, I'm heading out."
"Bring me a bubble tea, half-sugar, while you're at it."
"Got it~"
She stepped into the dim hallway of the old apartment block and pressed the elevator button.
"Why not buy the clothes now, while we're out?" Xiao Muzi suggested, eyeing the descending numbers.
An Le shook her head and opened a shopping app. "I'll order online."
"Online? Why not try things on in person?"
"Because... offline is expensive. Online's cheaper."
The serpent narrowed its eyes, then puffed up like a startled cat.
"I knew it—you're socially terrified. Too scared to try on clothes in a store, right? I peeked in your closet: half that stuff doesn't fit, bras included, all bought online!"
The truth stung. An Le would scroll for days, wait for delivery, then hesitate for more days until it was too late to return anything. By then she'd feel guilty, leave a five-star review for the polite customer-service agent—even if the clothes were still in their plastic wrap.
"Helping them hit their monthly quota only takes a click," An Le murmured.
Xiao Muzi's tail smacked her cheek in exasperation. "Moron! Those agents are trained scripts. You think they're nice because they like you?"
"I know, but—"
"Useless. Go downstairs right now and buy a new outfit in person. No more online shopping!"
If the serpent could have crawled into An Le's skull to see what was inside, it would have found a knot of cotton candy and anxiety.
Tumor?
"And get your hair cut. You look like the ghost from The Ring. Don't you freak yourself out at night? Plus washing that mop is a pain—I'm sick of watching you debate shampoo versus sleep."
"O-okay..."
An Le stroked her long hair; on this, at least, they agreed. Washing it took forever, drying even longer. The elevator dinged. She stepped in and pressed 1.
Faded ads papered the lift—same battle-scarred décor as the stairwell. Linmen real estate was brutal; Luoqiao District and most of the South District were the city's older, cheaper zones. Years ago, after Dad's business in Longguo collapsed, he'd poured everything into a sixty-square-meter resale unit here, barely securing a foothold. They weren't rich, but they owned a roof: lower-middle-class respectability.
An Le emerged from the gloomy corridor into the neon-lit streets. Xiao Muzi flicked its tongue toward a corner.
"Hair salon first!"
"R-right."
She walked half a block, pushed open the salon door, and mumbled, "S-sorry to bother you."
"Bother? You're the customer—stand up straight!"
She tried. When the stylist glanced over, An Le's courage evaporated and she stared at her shoes, nearly giving the serpent an aneurysm.
"Have a seat. We'll wash you first."
After the apprentice shampooed her, An Le returned with dripping hair plastered to her face—Sadako cosplay 100% complete. The man getting a buzz cut across from her gawked.
"What look are we going for today, sis?"
"J-just a little shorter... thanks."
"Got it. Something normal, yeah?"
"Mm, thank you."
Even with the cape around her shoulders, the swell of her chest was obvious. Snip, snip—cut bangs landed on the slope and stayed there.
"Membership card? Twenty percent off if you top up now—great deal!"
"Ah?"
An Le blinked her watery eyes at the smiling stylist. She opened her mouth; Xiao Muzi's serpent head shot forward, filling her vision with ruby eyes inches from her own.
I'm watching you—forever.
"An Le, if you dare say yes, I'll kill you right here and now!"
An Le's face drained of color. She pressed her lips together and quickly turned to the hairdresser, voice trembling.
"I—I'd better not. Thank you."
"All righty, then."
Sigh.
An Le watched in the mirror as the hairdresser kept cutting, utterly unruffled, and cautiously looked away.
So...
Nothing bad happens when you refuse.
The thought popped into her head like a pebble finally settling. It was such an ordinary idea, yet it felt oddly momentous, bittersweet.
An Le's transformations were always dramatic. When the hairdresser held up the mirror and asked, "How's that?" the girl staring back looked like a stranger.
The freshly trimmed bangs no longer hid her pale, delicate face, and the once-heavy mane now felt feather-light, as if someone had lifted weights from her head.
Her eyes were bright but still a little dazed, giving her an endearingly blank look. Soft pink lips parted in surprise, glossy even without lipstick—so inviting that anyone might blurt out, "Who dares kiss that?!"
An Le blinked; the beauty in the mirror blinked back, as though only now realizing they were the same person.
"Th-that's fine. Thanks."
"Right, quick rinse and we're done."
"Mm. Thanks."
One more wash, one more blow-dry. After paying, a far fresher girl stepped out of the salon and breathed easy at escaping human interaction.
Yet the white serpent on her shoulder was already bossing her about, flicking its tongue toward the next destination.
"Next stop—clothes shopping!!"
An Le blinked and let Xiao Muzi steer her to a boutique window. The snake's razor-sharp gaze swept over the mannequins, then locked on one outfit.
It whipped around. "Quick! In here!! That dress is perfect for you!"
An Le opened her mouth, hesitating.
Xiao Muzi's hackles rose. "Don't you dare chicken out! You wanna live or not? Trying on clothes offline scares you? They're all female staff—what's the problem? Get in there!!"
"O-okay..."
Swallowing hard, An Le summoned her courage and stepped inside.
"Welcome! Feel free to pick anything and try it on."
"Not that one—there! Yes, that floral high-waist dress. Have her try it."
Under the serpent's prodding, An Le's shaking fingers lifted the dress from its hanger. A clerk fetched her size, and she disappeared into the fitting room.
When she emerged, even the waiting clerk clapped a hand over her mouth in astonishment.
The tailored bodice hugged An Le's waist, the soft flare skimming over curves that looked anything but bulky—youthful, pure, and breathtaking.
Yet the girl's cheeks blazed scarlet and her eyes darted everywhere, as bashful as a cherry perched atop a snowy cake, sweet enough to make mouths water.
"My, dear, excellent eye! With a bust like yours it's hard to find a good fit, but this one's perfect."
"R-really?"
An Le gave a tiny sway in front of the mirror. Xiao Muzi's snout practically scraped the ceiling.
"Please, I'm the smartest serpent alive—my taste is top-tier. Admit it, Little An Le, bow before my genius!"
"Ah?"
An Le blinked again, still on the verge of words, but the snake looked so pleased with itself that she kindly nodded along.
"Mm."
"Great! Now buy it! This is your battle outfit for meeting that Yan Huan next week—he'll be floored!"
Floored...
Xiao Huan?
With me looking like this?
An Le's face flamed even hotter. She couldn't quite meet her reflection, yet excitement bubbled up at the picture Xiao Muzi painted.
Thinking about Yan Huan always did that to her.
"Stop dithering, you'll win for sure! Pay up—we've got more stops! Your underwear too—time for a full upgrade! Gotta plan the decisive set for 'that thing'!"
"Th-that thing?!"
An Le went full kettle-whistle red, startling the clerk beside her.
"Is something wrong, miss?"
"N-nothing!"
Flustered, An Le answered the clerk, then glared inwardly at her shoulder companion.
"Xiao Muzi, you—you've already thought that far ahead? I'm just going to see Xiao Huan, not—"
"Hah?"
The serpent merely slanted an eye at her.
"Don't tell me you've never imagined doing that with Yan Huan."
"I—"
That single sentence shut her down completely. Face crimson, mouth trembling like a sieve, she couldn't squeeze out a word.
"Or are you aiming for some pure, spiritual romance?"
"O-of course not!"
Aha, so you admit you want to date Yan Huan now? Earlier you insisted you only wanted to reconnect. Tsk, tsk, good girl~
Xiao Muzi became the merciless judge on high, delivering the fatal blow:
"Plain and simple—since starting high school, have you ever used Yan Huan as, you know, mental seasoning at night?"
"..."
After a long, stammering silence under that serpentine stare, An Le finally squeaked out the tiniest mental "Mm."
An Le was an honest child.
"Hmph."
Xiao Muzi snorted, flicked its tongue, and declared,
"See? Pay and march—next stop!"
"B-but..."
"But what? How much more pep-talk do you need?!"
Before the serpent could explode again, An Le glanced around and whispered,
"I... can't afford this dress."
"Huh?"
The hyped-up snake froze, head swiveling toward her. Then it ducked into her dark hair, peeking at the price tag on her nape.
One second later it retracted like a monk attaining enlightenment.
"..."
"..."
Girl and snake locked eyes.
Sweat beaded on An Le's brow; the serpent looked... well, snakes can't sweat, but it sure felt guilty.
"Why didn't you tell me this place was so expensive?!"
"I—I tried! At the door, but you kept cutting me off, so..."
"..."
Xiao Muzi blinked sheepishly, sighed, and muttered,
"Was gonna unlock this later, but your desire's juuust strong enough to scrape by..."
"Ah—Xiao Muzi, what are you saying?"
Xiao Muzi turned its head and let out a sigh.
"I'll teach you a new way to use your power—one that lets us take this dress for free and, afterward, makes your Xiao Huan fall for you without even trying. Want to hear it?"
"Y-you... go ahead."
"Once your ability evolves, you'll have to choose between manipulating pleasure or pain to unlock the next tier. Tell me now—which do you want to keep?"
An Le parted her lips and answered on reflex.
"Pleasure."
Xiao Muzi wore a look that said I knew it. "Good. Remember the rush you pumped into Yan Huan earlier? That jolt came out of nowhere—easy to notice, right?"
"Exactly. I was worried about that."
"Now you can anchor the source of that pleasure to yourself."
"Myself?"
Xiao Muzi blinked slowly, enunciating every word.
"People say it's 'comfortable' to be around someone when that person's actions give them constant positive feedback.
You can skip the whole process and hand-deliver that feedback—pure pleasure."
An Le wasn't slow; she caught on instantly.
"So... I can use this to make myself popular?"
Xiao Muzi gave a sly, chilling laugh.
"More than that. Try it and see."
The air in front of An Le shimmered into floating text:
[Do you wish to select the Pleasure Evolution Path?]
Yes.
An Le tapped the word.
The letters rippled and re-formed.
[Congratulations! You may now activate "Superconductor Mode."]
[While active, you may designate one target within fifteen metres. As long as you stay near them, they'll feel a steady stream of pleasure and subconsciously credit you as the source.]
[Duration: 15 minutes. Afterward, their memory will auto-correct any inconsistencies. Beware of exposure through third-party interference.]
[Activate "Superconductor Mode"?]
An Le blinked and pressed CONFIRM.
Xiao Muzi glanced back at the clerk. "Pick her. Target confirmed."
"Eh?"
A fifteen-metre invisible circle snapped open. White mist bridged An Le and the clerk behind her, pulsing like a living current.
"!!"
The clerk froze, cheeks flushing, eyes suddenly bright and eager.
Xiao Muzi hissed, "Now—ask if you can take the dress!"
An Le echoed without thinking, "May I take this dress with me?"
"Of course!"
The clerk's fingers twitched toward An Le as though drawn by a magnetic field of comfort. "Ha-ha, just take it—no need to pay! I'll cover it later... ha-ha."
An Le gaped. Xiao Muzi flicked its serpentine tongue.
"What are you waiting for? Move!"
She blinked, the hanger already in her hand. The clerk behind her stood flushed, pupils dilated. Walking out with a four-digit-yuan dress for free—how could that not feel like the deal of a lifetime?
An Le's breathing quickened as she reached for the door. The moment her fingers touched the cold metal handle, she froze. The chill traveled up her arm like a warning.
"What now? Go!" Xiao Muzi snapped.
An Le's eyes widened, lashes fluttering like butterfly wings. Her gaze landed on the hiring notice taped to the door:
"Sales assistant wanted. Salary: 4,000–6,000 yuan per month."
The dress in her arms cost more than a quarter of that clerk's monthly wage.
Her grip on the handle loosened. Xiao Muzi's scales began to bristle.
Yet An Le turned back, eyes rising until they locked with Xiao Muzi's stunned crimson ones. After a long silence, she spoke—soft, trembling, but unshakable.
"I... I can't do this, Xiao Muzi."