The two ate until their bellies were stuffed full, their stomachs unable to hold another bite. Tang Lian suggested taking a stroll nearby to help with digestion before heading home, and Nan Qi didn’t object.
During their walk, Tang Lian naturally kept her promise to the very end, holding onto Nan Qi’s sleeve the whole time without letting go.
Though her hand wasn’t exactly well-behaved along the way, always itching to climb up the sleeve and grasp Nan Qi’s hand, Nan Qi noticed every attempt. She would fix Tang Lian with those cool, clear eyes, watching quietly until Tang Lian retreated her hand to a safe distance.
She was incredibly perceptive.
Tang Lian clenched her fist in secret. One day, she would make things between her and Nan Qi delightfully improper.
This was the time of day when everyone was free, and the snack street teemed with crowds, people streaming in endlessly from every direction. They left the snack street and turned onto the outer street, which was much wider and free of the cramped, bustling press.
Connected to the outside of the snack street was the Central Square in the heart of the city, the top spot these days for young couples on dates.
They strolled along the street at a leisurely pace. Nan Qi’s gaze casually swept over the surrounding shops, her heart calm and unruffled; no shop could hold her attention for more than two seconds.
Tang Lian was different. She kept her eyes peeled in every direction and spotted a shop called Rare and Strange. She immediately ground to a halt, tugging hard on Nan Qi and pulling her toward the door. “Shall we go in and take a look?”
Nan Qi said nothing, her expression betraying no hint of pleasure or displeasure—utterly neutral.
Yet her toes pivoted, and she followed Tang Lian into the shop.
She figured digesting their meal was all that mattered; there was no need to be picky about the spot. The outer street worked fine, so a little shop did too.
Seeing no refusal, Tang Lian’s lips curved into a sweet smile.
She eagerly admired the items inside: all sorts of strangely shaped accessories, with the occasional conventional one mixed in—perfectly matching the “Rare and Strange” theme.
Girls seemed to have a natural affinity for these boutique shops. Nan Qi stood beside her, taking in some of the accessories too, but she didn’t pick any up to fiddle with. Most of her attention stayed on Tang Lian, subtly keeping the people around her at bay to prevent any bumps or jostles.
Tang Lian’s gaze suddenly locked onto an elk-shaped hair hoop, oblivious to the subtle maneuvers behind her.
She picked up the hair hoop and examined it closely. The main body was metal, with a flexible wire in the middle that could be bent at will. White faux fur covered the sides, and atop that sat a pair of irregularly shaped red deer antlers, jagged and branching out freely. The asymmetry between the two sides only added to its quirky charm—a strange yet adorable beauty.
She was utterly smitten, reluctant to set it down.
A full-length mirror stood right in front of Tang Lian’s spot, reflecting both her and Nan Qi.
Nan Qi stood at her side, half a head taller, her eyes lowered and lips slightly pursed, unaware of where Tang Lian’s gaze had landed.
A sudden impulse struck Tang Lian. Seizing the perfect moment, she raised the hair hoop and carefully positioned it on Nan Qi’s head, aligning it just right in the mirror. She held her breath to avoid detection, stealing a glance at the reflection.
One look, and she couldn’t help gasping.
The effect on Nan Qi was a thousand—no, ten thousand—times more stunning than she’d imagined!
Nan Qi had changed out of her severe, stiff business attire. She wore a light brown satin blouse cinched at the waist with a dangling decorative tie that accentuated her slender, supple figure. Black straight-leg pants with a slight flare hugged her lower half, paired with simple black pointed-toe stiletto heels that made her long, straight legs impossible to ignore.
Her silky shoulder-length black hair was clipped back with a simple barrette, no other hair accessories in sight. Her neck was elegantly long, her collarbones strikingly beautiful. The shop lights cast a soft glow on her fair side profile, like mist in the mountains, softening her cool aura and lending her an air of refined intellect.
With the hair hoop perched on her head, the mirror’s Nan Qi exuded an aura of forbidden allure, shrouded in ethereal mountain mists. Even the jagged antlers seemed gentler, infused with sudden life. It made Tang Lian want to reach out and pinch them, to feel just how soft they were—to shatter that elegance and poise, flushing Nan Qi’s pale cheeks with a tender, alluring pink.
A few more glances left Tang Lian’s hands and feet tingling, her body going soft all over, her own face heating up. She wanted to melt into Nan Qi’s arms, cradled gently in her palm.
Her mind flooded with vivid scenes: waves crashing in layers against the oars, the moon hanging high and pulling the tides to rise and fall, leaving marks on the pebbled beach as the waters receded.
Nan Qi’s cool beauty paired with the deer antler hairband was too tantalizing—it made her legs go weak on the spot.
She stared at Nan Qi’s reflection for a long moment, her gaze brimming with an indescribable longing. She stood frozen in place, as if this pocket of space held only the two of them.
The hushed, intimate atmosphere shattered with a sudden burst of laughter. “Hahaha, your friend really knows how to have fun!”
Someone called out to Nan Qi from across a row of shelves.
Then, turning to Tang Lian: “She looks great in it. You should buy it for her.”
Tang Lian gave an awkward smile, embarrassment flooding her face. She couldn’t lower her raised hand, nor keep holding the pose.
Nan Qi disliked such forward strangers. She ignored the comment but lifted her eyes in puzzlement, wondering what Tang Lian was up to.
One casual glance, and she understood.
Tang Lian had been messing around with some bizarre hair hoop on her head, treating her like a dress-up mannequin—and for no short time, either.
A natural chill flickered in her eyes. She stepped aside, out of Tang Lian’s reach. “?”
Since she’d been caught, there was no hiding it. So…
The passerby’s suggestion had actually tempted her.
Tang Lian hurried after her, positioning herself at Nan Qi’s side again and flashing a sweet smile. “Nan Qi, I just had an idea.”
“You didn’t.”
Nan Qi cut her off coldly, her refusal plain as day.
Tang Lian never gave up easily. She always had endless patience for Nan Qi. Staring into her eyes earnestly, she said, “Big Sister, you look so incredibly good in it. Even in the mirror, it’s mesmerizing. I really want to see what you look like wearing it for real.”
“Sweet talk.”
No matter how persuasively Tang Lian put it, Nan Qi refused. She had no desire to wear that hair hoop—it felt far too at odds with her.
“Big Sister, you’re really not going to wear it?”
“Fine, then. I’ll have to resort to unconventional methods.”
Nan Qi asked what those unconventional methods were.
Tang Lian replied with just two words: “Comics.”
Nan Qi’s expression changed at once. The firm refusal wavered, tinged with indignation. “How can you use that as a threat? Didn’t we agree that if I treated you to dinner, you’d recommend some new comics to me?”
“Hey, I hold the final say on the event rules.”
“If Big Sister doesn’t wear it, I’ll be in a bad mood. If I’m in a bad mood, I won’t feel like talking, and then I’ll forget about what I promised. Hmm, I think I’m starting to forget already.” Tang Lian laid out the consequences with a straight face, watching Nan Qi’s expression closely while her hand with the hair hoop itched to move.
A flicker of pained struggle crossed Nan Qi’s face. She gritted her teeth, then relented with restraint. “Can you be held accountable for your words?”
“Of course!” Tang Lian thumped her chest confidently. “I’ve already decided which comic to recommend to Big Sister.”
“Do it quickly.” Nan Qi closed her eyes briefly, her mood heavy, then tilted her head toward Tang Lian without another word.
Finally getting Nan Qi to yield before she could change her mind, Tang Lian swiftly fitted the elk antler hairband onto her head. She took care to adjust the position of the barrette in Nan Qi’s hair, ensuring the hairband blended seamlessly with her locks.
“All set.” Once finished, she tiptoed up to stroke Nan Qi’s hair, reveling in its silky texture like fine satin. When she pulled her hand back, a lingering reluctance clung to her palm.
Nan Qi stepped back and stood straight.
Tang Lian stared, entranced. The heat in her gaze nearly scorched Nan Qi. Seeing her like this in person hit far harder than the mirror—those antlers looked like they’d always belonged there. Nan Qi seemed like a goddess from Greek myth, wielding a divine staff astride a pure white spirit deer, gazing down upon mortals as she passed through the human realm, destined to live on only in legends passed down through generations.
“Big Sister, you’re so beautiful.”
In the face of such unparalleled beauty, Tang Lian could only voice her awe in the simplest words.
She wanted to preserve this radiant moment of Nan Qi’s forever, to capture it—and herself standing beside her.
Her impulses aligned perfectly with her actions. She quickly plucked another deer antler hairband from the remaining accessories. Coincidentally, these were the last two in the shop: one on Nan Qi’s head, one in her hand. The antler designs differed slightly, perfectly representing the two of them.
She slipped on the matching hairband, sidled up next to Nan Qi, and snapped a photo of them both in the mirror.
Nan Qi didn’t move, letting Tang Lian do as she pleased. She figured this was just another part of Tang Lian’s plan—to keep her from pulling the same trick again later.
Tang Lian snapped a bunch of satisfying selfies with her, then made good on her promise. She added a new completed manga to Nan Qi’s collection list. Next, she took off the headband from Nan Qi’s head, grabbed her own as well, and headed to the checkout line to pay.
Having gotten what she wanted—albeit at a bit of a cost—Nan Qi was mostly satisfied. She planned to dive into the new manga as soon as she got home that night.
This time, she’d savor it slowly, building up the anticipation.
Noticing Tang Lian’s actions, Nan Qi frowned in confusion, her delicate brows knitting together. “Why are you buying those?”
“They’re cute! I’m getting them for Big Sister.”
“I don’t need them. I won’t wear them in the future either.”
Nan Qi looked utterly surprised, shocked by Tang Lian’s absurd idea. She’d seen that headband moment as a one-time thing in her life, yet Tang Lian was dreaming of more?
