Trying On Clothes

Lin Yang could never later remember what she had been thinking when she looked at Xu Zhitong for so long.

She only remembered that it felt like an eternity before she gave Xu Zhitong her QQ number and the name of her school.

Luzhou High, International Division. Lin Yang.

Xu Zhitong sent the friend request. After Lin Yang accepted it, she opened her mouth and asked, “Are you going home now?”

It sounded like she wanted to keep Lin Yang a little longer, but hadn’t found the right excuse yet.

As she spoke, a puff of white breath drifted from her mouth, like some fluffy little animal breathing out warm air.

Lin Yang somehow found it adorable. She also wanted to stay.

But the driver was already waiting at the entrance.

She knew that after picking her up, the driver still had to go collect her younger sister from school. She couldn’t waste her sister’s time.

At that time, Lin Yang was still only a second-year middle school student, trying hard to make up for something with a penitent mindset, to be a well-behaved, obedient daughter and not upset her mother.

Lin Yang pressed her lips together. “Mm.”

Xu Zhitong let out a disappointed “oh.”

But very quickly, she smiled at Lin Yang again and said, “Then go ahead! I’m heading back too. I have to serve dinner to the elderly later.”

Lin Yang nodded. “Okay.”

Xu Zhitong sensibly stepped back two paces. She lifted a hand to wave, half her palm hidden in her sleeve, the exposed fingers slightly curved and still slender.

“Bye-bye. Be careful on the way,” Xu Zhitong said.

“Mm. You too.”

Lin Yang paused, then turned and left.

She walked out of the nursing home gate. When she reached the car, she heard the teacher inside calling Xu Zhitong to come help.

“Coming!”

Xu Zhitong answered from afar. Lin Yang looked back and saw her run lightly back into the warmth and laughter of the nursing home.

Recalling the past, and after waiting a while longer for the shop manager to come over, Lin Yang gave a few instructions before turning back to prepare to take Xu Zhitong away.

Xu Zhitong, fully aware of how underground their romance was, put on her sunglasses and asked cleverly, “Should we go out one after the other?”

Lin Yang: “...No need.”

Xu Zhitong was visibly delighted.

She quickly tidied herself up, stood, and wanted to help Lin Yang carry her bag.

Lin Yang batted her hand away and gave her a look. “This is part of my outfit.”

Xu Zhitong rubbed the spot where she’d been hit. It didn’t hurt at all; her heart felt even more comfortable.

“Oh, oh.”

The two left the café. Xu Zhitong lagged half a step behind and even smiled and waved at the staff.

Very much the air of a boss’s wife, though the staff had no idea.

They entered the mall directly through the café’s side door. The interior was spacious and bright, with very few people and even quieter footsteps.

Xu Zhitong had originally been worried that she couldn’t get too close to Lin Yang outside.

But seeing how few people there were, her heart grew bolder. She walked shoulder to shoulder with Lin Yang.

They entered a shop with a Western-style English name. Lin Yang must have mentioned it on WeChat ahead of time, because the sales assistant came up to greet them and led them straight into the VIP fitting room.

Before long, she brought in an entire row of beach-style swimwear.

There were both one-piece and two-piece styles, including accessories.

The sales assistant introduced each item one by one; Lin Yang seemed to listen very carefully.

On the other hand, Xu Zhitong held a cup of flower tea and pretended to drink it, inexplicably a little shy.

Even though she had just quickly settled on the idea of going to the hot spring.

But when it really came time to go, Xu Zhitong still felt a bit embarrassed and thought she should act reserved.

Otherwise, Lin Yang might think her character was bad, that she was too eager about that sort of thing, too greedy for her body.

Even though they were in a proper romantic relationship.

Xu Zhitong had all sorts of secret thoughts and imagined many things, but she didn’t dare dwell on them in detail.

Only after the sales assistant finished introducing the items and asked, “Would you like to try them on yourselves, or should we first show you how they look on?” did Xu Zhitong snap back to her senses.

She hadn’t really caught it and turned to look at Lin Yang.

Lin Yang also paused.

“We’ll try them ourselves,” she said.

The sales assistant smiled considerately. “Of course. There are disposable liners here, and I can turn up the indoor temperature for you a bit. If you need anything, just press the intercom by the side.”

She left, leaving Xu Zhitong and the huge mirror across from the sofa facing one another.

Only soft jazz remained in the air.

Seeing that Lin Yang made no move, Xu Zhitong took the initiative. “Then I’ll go try one on first.”

She set down her teacup, stood up, and went to sort through the swimsuits.

After choosing several and carrying them into the changing room’s hidden door, she hesitated for a moment.

Suddenly, she thought: after she changed, should she come out and show Lin Yang?

Mm...

When friends went shopping together, they did help each other decide.

More importantly, they were lovers. After they got married in the future, her body would all be Lin Yang’s lawful property anyway.

Xu Zhitong hung the items she’d picked on the rack.

The fitting room was also very large. Her face in the mirror was a little red.

She had chosen all two-piece swimsuits; this was something she’d learned while researching earlier. It was best not to wear a swimsuit with too much fabric in a hot spring. Otherwise, when you got out of the water, the wet clothes would cling all over you and the temperature difference would be too great, making it easy to catch a chill.

Lin Yang had said her body was still a little weak, so Xu Zhitong felt she had to be careful.

She took off her sunglasses and hat, removed her top, and before changing, looked at her abdomen in the mirror.

The lighting in the fitting room was pretty good.

But it seemed like her muscle definition wasn’t as obvious as in some of the online reference photos.

Xu Zhitong’s face was hot; she also steeled herself and felt she had to look better once she put it on.

Although Lin Yang had definitely seen it many times already.

But for the amnesiac her, what needed to be shown still had to be shown.

She had to make Lin Yang realize that she was different from before now, and that in this regard, she had a lot of potential.

Thinking this, Xu Zhitong took out her phone and hastily searched for tutorials on how to bring out muscle lines and a pumped-up look. She did a few push-ups and similar exercises in the fitting room.

After confirming that her muscle definition was obvious and alluring, Xu Zhitong finally started trying on the swimsuits.

Several of the two-piece styles were similar to bikinis; she really couldn’t handle them, so she compared them briefly and set them aside.

In the end, she tried on two two-piece styles with just the right amount of fabric.

One was relatively simple; the other had winding lines and even several side ties.

Xu Zhitong fumbled around for a long time on her own, her hands a little clumsy, and the halter strap just wouldn’t tie properly.

Frustrated, she glanced at the mirror and suddenly remembered one of the little tips from the tutorial video: even as the one on top, you could still act a little weaker to tempt the other side; don’t be afraid to expose yourself. Use whatever you have—your face, your voice, your body...

“...”

She looked at the mirror again and confirmed her figure once more.

Lin Yang should like it, right?

Her heart thudded wildly, but her movements were careful as she pushed open the changing room door.

“Lin Yang?”

Xu Zhitong called out.

Lin Yang turned on the sofa and froze; her pupils contracted slightly.

Xu Zhitong’s face was burning, and so was her whole body. She barely managed to keep a normal expression and said, “I can’t tie the straps... Can you come help me?”

“...” Lin Yang pressed her lips together, stood, and walked over.

Just as she reached the door, Xu Zhitong pulled her into the fitting room.

Maybe the sales assistant had turned the temperature up too high.

After coming in, it seemed Lin Yang’s face had gone a little red too.

Xu Zhitong bit her lip and looked at Lin Yang with restraint before turning and lowering herself slightly. “Here.”

She held a black thin strap in one hand and passed it behind her, revealing the pale line of her neck and the slightly raised bone at the back.

Lin Yang: “...”

There seemed to be a soft intake of breath behind her. After a long while, Lin Yang finally took the ties and fastened them for Xu Zhitong behind her neck.

When she was done, Xu Zhitong turned around and stepped back two paces.

She presented herself to Lin Yang.

“How does it look?” she asked.

Xu Zhitong was tall, with long legs; under the triangular bottoms, that became even more obvious.

At the same time, after exercising as an adult, even when she wasn’t deliberately tensing, the lines on her body were neat and clean, carrying a kind of taut strength.

Not to mention the top of this two-piece swimsuit, all winding and overlapping; the black lines created a very different feeling, and around the neck there was even another loop, almost like...

As if she had seen some kind of fantasy, Lin Yang’s breathing caught. Blushing, she looked away and said, “Pretty good.”

It wasn’t clear whether she meant Xu Zhitong’s figure or the swimsuit.

After that, neither of them spoke.

The room was briefly quiet, with only the soft, ambiguous jazz music flowing through the air.

Xu Zhitong’s heartbeat sped up. She stepped closer and then, as if trying to cover it up, said, “I think this one beside it could also work...”

Lin Yang glanced quickly at the other one.

After a pause, she said, “Mm...”

Xu Zhitong seemed to suddenly fixate on getting an answer. “Then which one should I pick? I’ll try on the other one for you to see, okay?”

Lin Yang’s eyelashes fluttered quickly. In a voice barely louder than a mosquito’s, she said, “Buy both. No need to try anymore.”

Xu Zhitong insisted, “Why? You haven’t even looked.”

Lin Yang closed her eyes.

Xu Zhitong moved a little closer.

The fitting room was obviously spacious, yet it somehow felt cramped, the air nearly unable to circulate. Lin Yang drew in a breath and said, “It’s not expensive... Just buy it. If you try too long, I’m afraid you’ll catch a chill...”

Her final tone trembled.

It was obvious she didn’t sound very confident.

Xu Zhitong also suddenly felt a little dizzy and warm all over.

She obviously wouldn’t catch a chill; she was pretty hot herself.

So she had to prove it to Lin Yang.

Lin Yang had just turned to pick up a jacket and drape it over Xu Zhitong’s shoulders.

The moment the jacket settled on her, before Lin Yang could pull her hand back, Xu Zhitong took it and, repeating her old trick, pulled her over.

Xu Zhitong murmured softly, “No, I’m really hot.” If you don’t believe me, touch me.

Lin Yang’s gaze followed involuntarily as her hand moved; the touch was warm. She lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling, her face heating up until it seemed like moisture might spill over.

Xu Zhitong led her to look for a while, touch for a while.

Then, fumbling, she lowered her head and brushed against Lin Yang’s soft lips.

Lin Yang’s hand was still at her waist and abdomen; after a moment, weak in the legs, it moved up to grip Xu Zhitong’s arm.

She was kissed so hard she stumbled backward, and soon her back hit the fitting room door. It was a sliding concealed door and hadn’t been locked, so the two of them almost fell. Lin Yang couldn’t get a grip on Xu Zhitong’s clothes; only when Xu Zhitong wrapped an arm around her waist did she manage to steady herself.

Their tightly pressed lips parted because of it. Xu Zhitong licked her lips and clearly swallowed the moisture on them, along with Lin Yang’s lipstick.

The motion was too sexy. Lin Yang looked at her from point-blank range, her face nearly burning. She pushed at Xu Zhitong’s shoulder, but her waist was still being held, so she couldn’t push her away.

“...Let go.”

Lin Yang’s voice trembled.

Xu Zhitong looked at her reddened face and ears.

She gave a muffled response, lowered her head, and, displeased, lightly bit Lin Yang’s hot earlobe once.

Only then did she let her go.

Even after being released, Lin Yang still felt the sensation lingering where she had just been held tightly, leaving a trace of itchiness.

The warmth at her ear spread out, almost freezing her thoughts in place.

Her gaze drifted and landed on the snake-shaped earring at Xu Zhitong’s earlobe.

Too much.

Where had Xu Zhitong learned these moves without anyone teaching her?

Like a snake that seemed innocent at first glance, yet still lured her into biting the apple.

A fitting room she had come to many times before had somehow become this coy and sultry for the first time.

Lin Yang bit her lip. When countless words reached her mouth, in the end she only managed a weak sentence: “Don’t do that outside.”

Xu Zhitong immediately looked as if she had been pardoned.

She quickly promised, “I won’t next time.”

Lin Yang was thin-skinned.

Being able to kiss with her in the fitting room for a while was already the greatest tolerance she could give.

Xu Zhitong was very happy. She really wanted to kiss Lin Yang again, but Lin Yang had already turned to the mirror and smoothed down her skirt.

In the mirror, her face was still flushed red, but her expression had already settled back into calm.

Fine...

Xu Zhitong obediently changed back into the clothes she had come in wearing.

Outside, Lin Yang drank two cups of flower tea before the color in her face cooled down.

When Xu Zhitong came out carrying the clothes, Lin Yang went straight to have the sales assistant ring them up.

Xu Zhitong blinked.

No more trying on?

She shouldn’t have asked, but she couldn’t hold it back and blurted it out.

Anyone could tell what she really meant; Lin Yang turned her head and gave her a sidelong glance with lowered brows.

Xu Zhitong immediately raised her hand in a solemn oath-like gesture. “I didn’t mean that.”

That expression made her look more obedient than anyone else.

Yet in the fitting room just now, her actions had been bolder than anyone else’s.

Lin Yang wanted to bite her, but could only snort softly.

“The sales staff know my size.”

Xu Zhitong: “Oh, okay... ”

Her regret was completely obvious.

Embarrassed and annoyed, Lin Yang turned and pinched her arm a few times.

She got hit by her wife!

When the sales assistant handed over the packed shopping bags, Xu Zhitong finally noticed that Lin Yang had chosen a one-piece swimsuit.

She had wanted to offer some “advice,” but after being beaten into honesty, she didn’t dare say anything.

She picked up the shopping bags and followed Lin Yang out without a word.

Even when they reached another storefront, she still said nothing.

Lin Yang turned back to look at how obedient she was and said helplessly, “Why are you acting like this?”

Xu Zhitong, having gained the upper hand and then milked it for all it was worth, mimicked Lin Yang from earlier and snorted. “It hurts. You hit me twice today.”

Was that what being hit meant? She could hold a grudge.

Lin Yang deliberately said, “The one you bit me with before leaving hurts even more.”

“Really?”

Xu Zhitong took it seriously. She clearly remembered controlling the force at the time; she had even carefully tested that strength on the back of her own hand.

Had a canine tooth hit bone?

She leaned in and was about to tug at Lin Yang’s collar to check the mark on her collarbone.

Although this corner of the mall’s second floor seemed to have no other customers in sight, Lin Yang still wasn’t very used to public displays of affection. She stepped back slightly and avoided Xu Zhitong’s hand.

Just as she was about to explain,

someone came out from the shop beside them.

“Hey, what are you doing?”

The person hurried over and stood directly between Xu Zhitong and Lin Yang.

It was as if a hero had fallen from the sky to save the beauty.

She was a long-haired woman in a black dress, with oversized logo sunglasses pushed up into her hair. Her brows were tightly knit as she glared at Xu Zhitong.

“Trying to lay hands on someone in broad daylight here? Lisa, call security now.”

Then, without even minding the sales assistant named Lisa who had followed her out of the shop, she turned to glance at Lin Yang, her expression softening considerably.

“Xiao Yang, are you okay? Don’t be afraid. Good thing I happened to be shopping in this store; I didn’t expect we’d be this fated.”

Xu Zhitong: ?

Who are you calling Xiao Yang?

What do you mean, fated?

Hello?