NOVEL NEXT Chapter 31 - You're not a toad
Her hair was styled in a bun, with a few strands cascading down to her shoulders, glistening with droplets of water. The hem of her dress was short, revealing a pair of long, slender legs that shimmered with a dewy sheen, freshly bathed in hot water. Her skin was pale with a hint of rosy undertone, resembling a ripe peach.
One hand was clasped protectively over her chest to keep her dress in place as she walked up to Jiang Zi, then turned away, presenting the zipper on her back to her.
“It’s stuck; can you help me?”
The zipper had caught on the tag string, rendering it immovable no matter how she tugged at it.
They stood close together, and Jiang Zi caught a whiff of her delicate fragrance. All she could see was the smoothness of her skin.
As Jiang Zi reached out to adjust the zipper, her hand inevitably brushed against her back, the sensation akin to touching a peeled egg.
Distracted, the zipper remained stubbornly stuck.
In the end, she let go and went to find a pair of scissors; her hurried demeanour was reminiscent of someone fleeing a scene.
Tang Yuan, on the other hand, remained calm.
After all, they were both girls; what she had, Jiang Zi had too. Well, except for that…
Okay, Jiang Zi had defined abs, and she didn’t.
Tang Yuan touched her soft belly; while the extra flesh wasn’t too pronounced, she could still feel the small pooch.
She needed to work on her waist!
Jiang Zi returned with the scissors and swiftly snipped the tag, freeing the zipper and pulling her dress back into place.
Tang Yuan sighed in relief as she tied the thin straps behind her neck; the dress was finally on.
She spun around twice before Jiang Zi, her face alight with anticipation. “How does it look? Is it pretty?”
Jiang Zi barely noticed the dress; all she could focus on was how stunning the girl wearing it looked, making her heart race.
Perhaps Jiang Zi’s gaze was too intense and obvious, causing Tang Yuan to feel a bit embarrassed.
“Alright, alright, I’ll take you shopping for clothes tomorrow.”
“Let’s practice a bit more tomorrow night; we’re going to the battlefield the day after.”
“By the way, do you have any stick-on bra? And disposable panties?” Tang Yuan stood there with her arms crossed, feeling a bit exposed without any underwear.
At her words, Jiang Zi instinctively glanced down at her—only to quickly avert her eyes, fumbling for her phone. “I’ll have someone bring them over.”
For the sake of the residents’ safety, the Xinghai Community had its own delivery service.
After placing the order, Tang Yuan playfully shoved Jiang Zi, urging her to take a shower before claiming her bed.
Though the bed was round, with a diameter of three meters, there was plenty of room to lie down.
It was indeed uncomfortable to sleep without pajamas.
Once Jiang Zi entered the bathroom, she found herself momentarily stuck inside.
Tang Yuan wandered back to Jiang Zi’s dressing room, searching for a while before finally locating a loose, oversized T-shirt. Its length was perfect; it could easily double as a dress.
She glanced back at the bathroom door, seeing no signs of it opening. After pondering for a moment, she decided to change clothes in the bedroom.
Just as she finished changing, the bathroom door swung open.
Tang Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she was fast enough.
Jiang Zi came out in a bathrobe, glancing at Tang Yuan before going to the door. A short while later, she returned carrying a bag with the items Tang Yuan needed.
Tang Yuan slipped into her little outfit from the bathroom and, stifling a yawn, plopped down onto the big bed.
She sluggishly crawled to where the pillows were, and once her head touched the soft surface, she felt at ease and drifted off to sleep.
Jiang Zi’s gaze lingered on her indefinitely before she reached over to switch off the bedside lamp and settled beside her.
The air conditioning was cool, and as Jiang Zi lay down, the girl beside her instinctively scooted closer, seeking the warmth, sinking deeper into a peaceful slumber.
Gently, Jiang Zi wrapped her arm around Tang Yuan’s slender waist, pulling her into an embrace.
The next day.
Tang Yuan was jolted awake by the system’s notification of her main storyline mission completion.
The fan club had exceeded one hundred thousand followers, prompting the system to declare the mission complete, deducting 3% protagonist halo from the male lead, leaving him with 86.
Eighty-six! What an astronomical figure!
Reluctantly waking up, Tang Yuan blinked at the time. It was already nine in the morning, and Jiang Zi was nowhere to be seen on the bed.
She rubbed her face awake and climbed out of bed to wash up.
Dressed and stepping out of her bedroom, she found Jiang Zi just returning from the kitchen, carrying a bowl. She placed the bowl on the dining table and pulled out a chair.
“Come eat breakfast.”
Tang Yuan sat down, her eyes widening at the sight of the fragrant and visually appealing egg and lean meat noodles. “Did you make this?”
She accepted the chopsticks Jiang Zi handed her and looked up, asking, “What about you?”
“I’ve already eaten.”
Jiang Zi had woken up early, exercising on an empty stomach before returning to find Tang Yuan still asleep. She had cooked her own meal first and only started preparing Tang Yuan’s after hearing movement from the bedroom.
Feeling a bit ashamed of her late rising, Tang Yuan lowered her head. However, the delightful aroma of the noodles stirred her appetite and she started eating straight away.
Jiang Zi sat on the side, watching her eat quietly, her heart warming at the sight of caring for little Tang Yuan. Just watching her eat brought her joy.
Tang Yuan didn’t forget her mission. After finishing breakfast, she took Jiang Zi straight to the mall.
Time to buy her some clothes.
Jiang Zi didn’t need to maintain her “innocent flower” persona, so her outfit was casual, exuding a laid-back vibe.
But Tang Yuan thought Jiang Zi should dress up a bit more. She would look great in a dress!
Pulling out a black dress, Tang Yuan held it against Jiang Zi’s figure, urging her to try it on.
Jiang Zi exited the fitting room, her eyes closed and expression serene. The black dress featured a double-shoulder strap design, shimmering with a dark blue sheen under the lights. She exuded an air of cold elegance and noble grace and effortlessly managed the dress even without makeup.
It bore some resemblance to Tang Yuan’s white dress; at first glance, they could almost pass as couple outfits. If Tang Yuan was the innocent angel oblivious to the world, then Jiang Zi was the alluring devil, enticing yet dangerous.
Tang Yuan rushed over, her eyes sparkling with satisfaction. She couldn’t help but feel pleased with her taste.
“Sister, you look absolutely stunning!”
[No wonder the male lead can’t get you out of his mind; it’s like a toad dreaming of eating swan meat!]
[Though I may be a toad, too, I’m a flattering toad and deserve to feast on this swan!]
Jiang Zi heard her thoughts and silently added, ‘What toad? You’re the moon in the sky, and it’s me who’s reached too high.’
“I’ll take this one.”
One dress wasn’t enough; Tang Yuan’s desire to buy soared. She almost picked out every outfit for Jiang Zi to try on.
Jiang Zi was like a heartless model, dutifully changing into each outfit, trying on every style imaginable.
She had often thought shopping for clothes was tiring. Previously, she’d just casually bought things online without much thought; if it fits, that was enough.
Suddenly, she realized that having a housekeeper had its uses—at least the clothes were sent according to the seasons, saving her the hassle of picking out outfits.
From morning until afternoon, they shopped, leaving the burden of delivering their purchases to the store staff.
Loaded with purchases, Tang Yuan finally decided to head home.
Tomorrow was the competition.
Upon returning to the villa, she happened to catch Hou Yuanzhan holding a meeting for the eight-member group.
He outlined important points to note for the competition stage, encouraging everyone to adjust their mindset.
“Teacher I can only assist you this far; the rest is up to you. Do you have confidence?”
After spending seven days together, Hou Yuanzhan had blended in with the group, shedding the usual mentor demeanour. The trainees felt more relaxed conversing with him.
As soon as he finished speaking, the room erupted in wails of despair.