Putting on clothes was supposed to be a simple thing.
But when Li Xingya carefully examined the school uniform in her hands, she realized something was off.
She had observed the uniforms on other students and even seen Meng Yiqiao’s up close.
Yet Li Xingya never realized that the uniform was made of three layers of thin, breathable fabric.
The innermost layer was a brown crewneck shirt, the middle layer a white jacket, and the outermost layer a white capelet with blue accents draped over the shoulders, paired with a white pleated skirt below—these together formed the ornate uniform of Starseeing Academy.
In addition, Li Xingya noticed that the uniform had many pentagram, ribbon, and bow decorations.
‘This uniform looks really expensive.’
Li Xingya blinked.
She tried tugging at the innermost crewneck shirt.
To her surprise, though the fabric was thin, the material was unexpectedly tough.
‘If I’m rough putting it on… it shouldn’t break, right?’
Li Xingya started to think about calling Lin Jin’an for help.
But…
The moment she remembered Lin Jin’an’s “lecherous” gaze, Li Xingya quickly shook her head.
She would rather wait until Monday and ask Meng Yiqiao for advice than let Lin Jin’an help.
For now.
Li Xingya looked at the uniform in her hands and silently unbuttoned the shirt’s top buttons.
‘As a mature adult…’
‘How can I not handle putting on a simple piece of clothing?’
***
Beep
Lin Jin’an’s phone received a message.
She opened it and saw it was from Li Xingya—and it was a voice message.
A full twelve seconds long.
When she pressed the voice clip, for the first ten seconds, all that came out of the phone was the static hiss of the microphone.
Then, in the last two seconds—
“…Help me.”
Li Xingya’s voice came through.
She had clearly agonized over it for a long time before finally mustering the courage to ask Lin Jin’an for help.
‘So cute.’
Lin Jin’an smiled, got up, and walked toward Li Xingya’s bedroom.
When she reached the second floor and pushed open the door, she saw Li Xingya in the bedroom completely tangled in ribbons, flopping around on the floor.
Even several of the decorative pentagrams had fallen off.
And the moment Li Xingya saw Lin Jin’an come in, she lay still on the floor, motionless as if dead.
The only proof that Li Xingya was still alive was her face, which was visibly turning red.
“How did you manage to put it on like this?”
Li Xingya turned her head away, her tone unreadable.
“I don’t know.”
‘By the time I realized it, I was already lying on the floor.’
‘It’s not my fault.’
‘It’s that idiot who designed this uniform!’
Li Xingya had always chosen clothes that were simple and quick to put on.
When she tried to wear Starseeing Academy’s uniform, the three-layer mismatched design alone had already confused her about which sleeve to put her arm through.
“Stop looking…!”
Li Xingya squirmed.
“Just help me already.”
click
“You!”
Li Xingya watched helplessly as Lin Jin’an took a photo.
“A moment this memorable, of course your sister has to capture it.”
Lin Jin’an put her phone away and crouched down in front of Li Xingya.
She reached out and poked Li Xingya’s cheek as if teasing a small animal.
Li Xingya frowned.
Ha!
She opened her mouth and snapped at Lin Jin’an’s finger.
If Lin Jin’an hadn’t pulled her finger back fast enough, Li Xingya would have definitely bitten down and made her yelp.
“Xingya, do you want my help?”
“Yes.”
“I can help you, but what should you call me… If you’re asking for help, shouldn’t you show the proper attitude?”
Li Xingya: “…”
“Forget it, I don’t need your help. Go away.”
The moment she finished speaking, Li Xingya started trying to break free from the ribbons again.
‘Want me to call you sister?’
‘Dream on!’
Seeing Li Xingya like this, Lin Jin’an forced a faint smile.
‘She’s so stubborn.’
‘Being my cute little sister isn’t something to be ashamed of.’
‘Sigh.’
‘That’s really sad.’
‘But that stubbornness is exactly what I like about her.’
Lin Jin’an thought this as she lifted Li Xingya off the floor.
“Don’t move.”
She set Li Xingya down on the bed.
“Let me untie the ribbons first.”
“Raise your arm.”
Lin Jin’an grabbed Li Xingya’s right hand and slid her own arm under Li Xingya’s armpit.
“Puff out your chest, tighten your back. Don’t curl up—so many knots are tangled together.”
Lin Jin’an held Li Xingya close, carefully working on each ribbon.
She was indeed helping Li Xingya, but the position they were in now… was a bit too intimate.
Because Li Xingya had to keep her body straight, she could only lean back stiffly into Lin Jin’an’s embrace.
When Lin Jin’an’s hand searched for knots around her lower abdomen, the faint tickling sensation made Li Xingya half-close her eyes and unconsciously tilt her head up slightly.
This movement pressed her even closer to Lin Jin’an, and she could even feel the warm breath from Lin Jin’an’s nose landing on her neck, pulse by pulse.
‘How… how much longer?’
‘This feels a little weird…’
Li Xingya really didn’t want to engage in such close physical contact with Lin Jin’an as fellow females.
But in this situation, she had already been “forced” to feel a certain pressure.
‘Lin Jin’an’s chest is so big.’
‘She’s really well-developed.’
Li Xingya tried to bend forward, but the moment she moved, Lin Jin’an pulled her back.
“I told you not to move.”
Lin Jin’an whispered in Li Xingya’s ear.
This caused Li Xingya’s body to tremble again.
‘Ugh…’
‘It’s so ticklish when she talks in my ear.’
‘If this continues, my dignity as an adult is going to completely disappear.’
“Are… are you done yet?”
“Almost.”
Lin Jin’an’s hand began to slide up from Li Xingya’s lower abdomen.
The last two knots were just below Li Xingya’s bust.
Lin Jin’an pressed lightly against Li Xingya’s body and immediately felt her protruding ribs.
“Have you been eating properly at home?”
she asked.
“Yes.”
Li Xingya replied with a grunt.
“You eat properly and you’re still this thin?”
Lin Jin’an applied a little pressure with her fingers, pushing down on the rib.
“Ow!”
The slight pain made Li Xingya cry out.
“Not eating properly won’t do. Your body is an idol’s capital. At this rate, you’d collapse before finishing a single dance on stage.”
Lin Jin’an untied the tangled ribbon while speaking softly in Li Xingya’s ear.
“Got it?”
“…Got it.”
Lin Jin’an was a very easygoing person.
From the moment they met, she had always been easygoing.
But on the topic of being an “idol,” today, Li Xingya saw a very serious side of her.
As the last ribbon was loosened, Lin Jin’an finally turned her attention to the Li Xingya in her arms—and the next sight made her freeze.
Li Xingya had turned her head away, the corners of her eyes moist.
Probably because of the slight pain in her ribs, she was frowning and silent.
That mix of weakness and stubbornness…
This was really…
‘Not good.’
Lin Jin’an’s throat moved.
She wanted to look away but couldn’t.
Li Xingya seemed to have some kind of magic, like light that drilled straight into her eyes.
‘She’s still so young…’
‘But the way she looks right now… this is really bad.’
‘Like a succubus full of lies.’
‘If I can’t hold back… I might really face the risk of retiring due to a crime.’
Li Xingya’s unconscious display of charm was a very dangerous thing.
‘Tch.’
‘She really has no self-awareness at all!’