Su Xiaoqie was completely focused on the game, not noticing anything unusual about Qi, which allowed her to breathe a little easier.
Wearing the thin stockings out wasn’t as terrifying as she had imagined.
It was completely different from facing Jiang Wanli with nothing on.
The hardest part was actually the mental preparation before leaving the bathroom.
Of course, this was already the limit of what Qi could accept.
She still felt embarrassed, but that emotion didn’t affect her actions or thoughts.
Not being seen was naturally the best.
As soon as an hour passed, the black-haired girl stood up and climbed into her bed to hide.
Today’s training ended there.
Any longer, and Qi wouldn’t be able to sit still.
To wear the thin stockings out in the open, she would probably need some time to get used to it.
After all, there was only her roommate in the dorm, and that girl’s attention wasn’t on her.
In a crowded setting, that feeling would be completely different.
Qi wasn’t sure if she could adapt.
But at least she had taken the first step.
The next day, because she had gone to bed early yesterday, she also woke up early.
Getting out of bed, Qi went to the bathroom to wash up.
In the morning, she changed back into thick stockings.
After all, there was hardly any physical activity in the classroom, and she would decide which stockings to wear based on the situation later.
After taking the small bread from Su Xiaoqie’s desk as breakfast, Qi left the dormitory.
When she arrived at the classroom, there were only two or three people inside.
It was quiet, giving her time to eat breakfast.
As she sat in her seat, taking small bites of the bread, the other students filed in one after another.
Almost everyone who stepped into the classroom would glance at the black-haired girl’s spot.
Qi tried not to mind those looks.
It wasn’t until Liang Qiaoqiao entered the classroom that things got a little livelier around her.
Liang Qiaoqiao’s little group had an unspoken rule: before the first class in the morning, the first person to enter the classroom would be the center, and those who came later would gather around her seat to chat.
Qi was no exception.
Today, everyone sat around her.
Qi didn’t really feel a strong sense of belonging to this group of girls.
After all, she had been lured in with a piece of chocolate.
She didn’t think she had any important position in this group.
Even when pulled into conversations, she rarely spoke, just a doll placed there.
But the others seemed to see her as an indispensable member of the group.
That feeling was strange.
Today they initiated conversations with Qi more often than usual.
Although they were all meaningless topics, their eyes would occasionally glance over her.
Qi knew what they were thinking.
It was nothing more than yesterday’s forum incident.
But everyone tacitly avoided mentioning it, instead trying to attract Qi’s attention, like friends showing concern.
‘Even though their interaction was only chatting together in the morning, this group already saw her as a friend to care about.
But did she see them as friends?’
‘Perhaps she just hadn’t learned how to care for others.
Her attitude toward friends was merely using them.’
‘She joined this little group to get chocolate, and she treated Su Xiaoqie the same way.
She treated everyone like that.’
‘Sometimes she felt despicable.
Under the selfless efforts of others, she couldn’t offer equal emotions in return.’
‘But things like that didn’t matter, right?
After all, she was just that kind of person.
How to love was probably a lesson she would never learn in this lifetime.’
The black-haired girl relaxed her body, flopping limply onto the desk.
The lazy morning brought many strange thoughts to her mind, but they were all swept away when the bell for class rang.
After the morning classes ended, Qi returned to the dormitory.
She changed out of her clothes and put on the thin stockings from yesterday.
In the afternoon, she planned to leave campus.
Outside school, there was a risk of running into Bai Qiaoyu, so naturally she couldn’t wear bulky thick stockings that would hold her back.
As for the embarrassment, she had other solutions.
When she bought the skirt back then, Qi bought a one-piece dress.
The hem could cover most of her calves.
But there was a problem: when she walked, the skirt rubbed against her legs, causing great discomfort.
So on the recommendation of the clothing store manager, she also bought a crinoline to wear inside the skirt.
It could create an arch around her hips, so the hem wouldn’t cling too tightly to her legs.
‘It was a genius invention.’
Wearing the crinoline also made the skirt look more three-dimensional, and thus more beautiful.
Though for Qi, that was a downside, since beauty also attracted more eyes.
Being stared at while wearing thin stockings would still feel embarrassing.
The purpose of going out today was to visit the maid cafe, where she would work in the future.
Yesterday, Ruan Mian had contacted her, saying the first draft of her maid outfit was ready and wanted Qi to discuss it today.
The black-haired girl thought it over and agreed it was necessary.
According to the store manager, she had the right to request modifications to the dress, so of course she should carefully check and eliminate any undesirable elements.
Plus, this time she could also mooch a meal.
She had seen the kitchen at the cafe.
Store Manager Ruan Mian was generous and wealthy; providing lunch for a future employee shouldn’t be a problem, right?
After changing clothes, Qi set off.
This time she didn’t call for Su Xiaoqie to come along.
She had already memorized the route to the maid cafe and could go alone.
Arriving at the shop entrance, the interior was still very quiet.
After all, during the trial operation phase, a maid cafe without maids was like an umbrella without a frame—it couldn’t support customer traffic.
However, Ruan Mian wasn’t in a hurry.
She didn’t frantically push Qi to start work as soon as possible because of low customer numbers.
Frankly, getting the design draft out only now was quite slow.
“Qiqi, come here.”
As soon as the black-haired girl stepped into the shop, Ruan Mian waved her over.
The store manager was holding a tablet, its screen displaying the design drawing of the maid outfit.
“Take a look.
Are you satisfied?
Is there anything you want to change?”
The black-haired girl leaned in for a closer look.
The overall color scheme of the maid outfit was black and white, with an abundance of lace embellishments.
The skirt was also the type with a crinoline.
The hem was not umbrella-shaped, but adopted a design that was short in the front and long in the back.
There was an inverted V opening in the front, perfectly displaying the legs from the front without being blocked by the hem, while the back maintained the elegance of a long dress.
It was a very beautiful dress, but Qi had two questions.
“Why does the outfit have cat ears on the head, and why are the stockings one black and one white?”
She pointed at the two spots in the picture and asked.
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