"Big Sis, I'm back." Chu Chu looked pitiful, standing before Chu Lian without daring to breathe too loudly, afraid she might get angry again. After all, she knew all too well how terrible Queen Chu Lian's temper could be—changing on a whim, doing as she pleased. If this were ancient times, she would truly be a tyrant.
Her timing this time was rather fortunate, arriving just as Chu Lian's thoughts were in turmoil, her queenly demeanor on the verge of collapsing. It pulled her out of the mental whirlpool Inori had deliberately drawn her into.
"Stand aside, don't speak." Rising to her feet, Chu Lian gave Inori a meaningful glance, then coldly addressed Chu Chu.
"Yes, Big Sis!" Saluting like a soldier, Chu Chu straightened her back, teary-eyed, standing behind her with a look of grievance that made her seem like a bullied little wife. Combined with the overwhelming aura radiating from Chu Lian, the scene truly gave off the impression of a domineering husband and a fragile wife.
Only, both the "husband" and "wife" were little lolis barely 1.4 meters tall, only twelve or thirteen years old. One was an older sister who, aside from her face and legs, had nothing outwardly striking, yet her aura crushed all others. The other was a younger sister—adorably cute, with an explosive figure and alluring charm—clearly a hardcore yuri and sis-con pervert obsessed with Chu Lian, yet looking strangely delicate.
Why do I suddenly feel like I have to complain about this line? This setup just screams for someone to call it out…
The attendants, who had been ready to slack off at first, instantly tensed at the sight of the commanding hanfu-clad girl. They adjusted their posture to appear as elegant as possible, lowered their heads toward the clothes in their hands, and didn't dare meet Chu Lian's eyes directly.
"In this state, Lian gives off a feeling of reassurance." Suddenly, Inori's soft voice drifted to her ear. Chu Lian turned her head to see her smiling gently at her side, leaning down slightly and whispering in her ear, breath like orchids: "Even though I know this state of yours isn't normal, right now I really want to see what you'll do next."
As she spoke, she stretched out her hand behind her to stop Li Xiu'er, who had been about to rush forward. Turning her delicate face back, she shook her head and pressed a finger to her lips. In a quiet voice, she said: "Don't worry. Lian will be fine. Trust me."
Li Xiu'er glanced at Inori, then at teary-eyed Chu Chu, and finally at the proud Chu Lian. In the end, she stopped and retreated back to her place, silently watching.
"Hmph, if Chu Chu hadn't gone too far, I wouldn't have entered this state. But since I have, then let me act willfully for a while. Otherwise, with so many thoughts weighing on me every day, I'm exhausted." Chu Lian bit her lip. Her soft voice sounded half like she was speaking to herself, half like she was explaining to Inori.
A gentle smile blossomed on Inori's lips. She didn't answer, only tilted her head and quietly looked at her. I think this too is a kind of trust and happiness.
"Bring the clothes over. What's there?" Chu Lian no longer paid attention to Inori and the others, instead addressing the attendants, wanting to know what outfits Chu Chu had picked for her.
"This is a red qipao with a high slit, reaching up to one-third of the thigh. Paired with red stockings and high heels, it will make your presence even more radiant once you wear it." The first attendant was a striking girl in a bright yellow qipao, standing in ten-centimeter white heels. At 1.7 meters tall, and nearly 1.8 with heels, she had the looks of a campus beauty anywhere she went.
But now, standing before the 1.4-meter-tall Chu Lian, she still felt immense pressure.
Taking a step forward, Chu Lian reached out and took a neatly folded qipao from the tray she held. Holding it up against herself, her small face revealed a satisfied smile. "Red like fire… interesting, interesting."
She recalled Ayase, who loved red to the extreme, and that red figure in her Chang'an dream. And in the Qin Shi Huang's palace, the inexplicable red hanfu she had worn. She had always felt that red had some indescribable bond with her, as if it were the color most suited to her.
"Bring this to the dressing room for me…" Setting down the qipao, Chu Lian turned and walked away, the attendant in the yellow qipao swaying gracefully as she followed behind.
Seeing Chu Lian enter with the full outfit, Inori checked the time and let out a quiet sigh of relief. Hopefully she'll recover soon.
A few minutes later, with a soft creak the dressing room door opened, and a petite figure dressed in red slowly emerged.
No longer in her gentle hanfu, her veil also gone, she now wore red heels, red stockings, and a red qipao. The fiery red ensemble clung tightly to her, highlighting every curve of her figure. Combined with her current queenly aura, she was like a blazing flame, burning bright and dazzling.
Her heels struck the floor as she swayed her waist with each step. The high slit of the qipao reached up to the end of her stockings, faintly revealing her flawless thighs.
Her long black hair flowed down to her waist. With both hands folded before her abdomen, it should have been a gentle pose, yet in her aura it carried only pride—like one calmly overlooking the world and all its myriad beings.
"So beautiful, so beautiful, so beautiful…" Just moments ago, Chu Chu had been teary-eyed. But upon seeing Chu Lian's transformation, those tears vanished instantly. Mouth slightly agape, she stared blankly, utterly dumbfounded.
It wasn't only her. Everyone present, upon seeing Chu Lian's unveiled face, felt as if they were beholding a celestial being. Many of them were young and well aware of who Chu Lian was. To suddenly encounter her here, in such a powerful form, was nothing less than a shock of joy.
Fortunately, Inori was somewhat immune to her charm by now, so she was the first to react. Quietly moving to Chu Chu's side, she took the camera hanging around her neck, ignoring Tina who had woken in surprise and Chu Chu's stunned expression.
"How could such a perfect you not be recorded?" Chu Chu's camera, though not as advanced as Chu Lian's "black-tech" one, was still top-of-the-line. In this well-lit boutique, it captured every detail of Chu Lian's form.
Seeing Inori photographing her, Chu Lian's face suddenly curved into a cold, proud smile, as if looking down disdainfully at whoever was behind the lens. That queenly attitude only made Inori's shutter click faster. She knew that once these photos spread, countless people (gentlemen, hentai, loli fans, queen enthusiasts alike) would be kneeling before their screens, begging for punishment, trampling, and domination.
Haa… Inori, are you blackened now? You must be blackened, right? Otherwise, how could you suddenly have such wicked tastes? You'll make them cry, absolutely cry… though I'm totally doing this on purpose anyway…
At last, Chu Lian lifted her right leg onto the table, propping her elbow on her knee, her hand supporting her pointed chin. In that pose, her stocking-wrapped leg slipped fully from the slit of the qipao. Yet paired with her haughty expression, the sight radiated an irresistible allure.
"Ignorant weaklings… foolish thoughts of mere mortals…" She spoke with disdain, eyes lifted at a slant, not even glancing at the camera.
With those words, she turned back toward the dressing room. As she walked away, another order drifted back: "Second outfit."
The second attendant immediately stepped forward with her tray, responding: "The second outfit is a short maid uniform. Paired with black and white over-the-knee socks, it will make your cuteness level skyrocket." Facing Chu Lian's overpowering aura, she didn't know what else to say, so she stuck to the store's scripted pitch. Luckily, Chu Lian didn't care, only instructing the attendant in yellow to wait outside to receive the qipao once she changed.
"Inori! Give me back the camera…" Once Chu Lian's figure vanished into the dressing room, Chu Chu rushed over to demand it. She was already dying of regret—why hadn't she thought to record her big sister's beauty herself? She had to let Inori snatch the first credit.
If it were me, I definitely could have captured the scenery beneath Big Sis's qipao too. Then I could admire it all by myself—how wonderful that would be. Such a pity, such a pity, such a pity! I can't make the same mistake again this time!
To her surprise, Inori casually handed the camera back to her. "This belongs to Chu Chu, not to me. If you want to take it, just take it." After returning the camera, she turned and picked up another one.
That was…?
"Big Sis's black-tech camera? I asked her for it so many times but she never gave it to me. How did you get to use it?" Chu Chu was shocked. She knew very well how powerful that camera was. Other than pixels, her own camera was far inferior in every way. But wasn't that her big sister's personal tool? How could it be in Inori's hands?
"I gave it to Inori…" Always quiet until now, Li Xiu'er spoke up at just the right moment to deliver a finishing blow. "Remember when we shot the A Certain Scientific Railgun cosplay photos? After that, Chu Lian let me keep using this camera. I brought it today planning to take some scenery shots, but didn't expect it to be used here."
[First Blood]
[An allied hero has been slain]
[Good job, keep it up…]
Woken unhappily, Tina's voice rang out in their minds, helping herself to claim the kill.
"Why… why… why…" At this moment, Chu Chu's heart felt ashen. Her big sister wouldn't give it to her, but gave it to someone else instead? Did her big sister really see Chu Chu as that worthless? But Chu Chu's love for her was so, so deep!
Girl, before you say that, maybe delete the hundreds of photos of Chu Lian in your camera and the tens of thousands stored on your private computer first…
In just these few minutes while Chu Lian was changing, not only had things developed among Inori and the others, but across the internet and Tai'an fans were going wild. Someone had already uploaded photos of Chu Lian in her red qipao.
Weibo post: "I ran into Chu Lian at Fair Lady. Her red dress was fiery and breathtaking. Here are a few photos I managed to take—consider it a treat for everyone. Too bad I only had my phone, so the quality isn't great. If only we had the shots from Inori's camera, they'd be perfect. She's already changing into her second outfit now. Once she's done, I'll post more photos—stay tuned…"
Upon receiving the news, local fans in Tai'an immediately changed course, heading straight for the women's shopping street…
For the adorable Chu Lian-sama, throw away all shame! For loli—no matter if a thousand troops block our path, we loli fans will charge through unto death!
Doesn't matter if I fall here. Even if tomorrow's headlines expose me, I accept my fate!