Chapter 38: Countdown (Part 2)

January 17, 2074, 22:00

Two hours remain until Lola's birthday ends.

"How about this dress?"

An Xianyuan held a pure white dress and gently pulled little Lola out of the vortex of confusion.

"Ah?"

Lola sat on the high-end sofa in the clothing store, staring blankly at the exquisite white dress that looked incredibly expensive.

She had never encountered such clothes before.

Before, she wore either her mother's hand-me-downs or cheap plus-size women's clothing from street stalls.

Clothes like this, so exquisite, gorgeous, and fashionable, were ten thousand times better than the finest garments she had ever worn in her happiest dreams.

Even the beautiful clothes Sister Xianyuan had lent her seemed to lack the fineness of that white dress.

Seeming to understand the little girl's thoughts, An Xianyuan smiled gently and took Lola's small hand into the changing room.

An Xianyuan gently peeled away the old clothes wrapping the little girl, lifting her entire body out of her "shell."

Like a cicada shedding its old skin to reveal the tender, white softness within.

Lola forgot to be shy, constantly looking at herself in the mirror.

Unlike the small mirror in the Clinic, this massive full-length mirror reserved for changing rooms was enough to display her complete beauty in full.

The beautiful jade had finally broken free from the stubborn stone binding it all over, radiating abundant vitality and a fresh luster from within.

This was the ultimate beauty of endless youth, enough to topple the world.

An Xianyuan gently stroked the little girl's smooth, long black hair; even as a woman herself, she couldn't help but bow to the pretty person in her arms.

"So beautiful..." she sighed, making no secret of her sincere praise and admiration for the little girl.

"Sister... the clothes!" Lola came to her senses, shyly covering her chest with one hand and her upper thighs with the other.

"Hahaha... little Lola knows how to be shy too." An Xianyuan stuck her tongue out at the mirror.

A mature woman making such a gesture was exceptionally playful.

Unlike the fresh tenderness of a young girl like new branches sprouting, it was more like the lazy unfolding after a full flower bud blooms.

Lola gazed intently at the woman beside her, captivated by that moment's charm, feeling a longing in her heart.

Pity that this unripe flower would fall from the branch tonight, never having the chance to ripen.

"See how it looks." While Lola was lost in thought, An Xianyuan had already carefully dressed her in this exquisite white dress.

Lola obediently spun around, staring blankly at the mirror.

The beautiful person in the mirror smiled, draping moonlight over her body.

"This one is good, let's buy it!" An Xianyuan couldn't help but applaud Lola's beauty and immediately decided to purchase the expensive dress.

"Is it over?" Lola slowly lowered her head, her hands instinctively clutching the hem of the skirt.

"It's still early..." An Xianyuan extended both arms and tightly embraced the pretty little jade figure.

Lola followed An Xianyuan out of the changing room and glanced at the clock on the wall.

An Xianyuan pointed to the white dress on Lola as the Waitress approached, "Buy this one."

Having said that, she took Lola's hand and continued to wander freely around the store.

Lola opened her eyes wide, selecting suitable clothes while silently reciting the gradually fading countdown.

One and a half hours remained.

Pondering, Lola picked out a jade-green long dress that pleased her most and followed An Xianyuan into the changing room again.

"Wow! Lucy! This store is super expensive."

A gentle voice as warm as the spring breeze came from not far away, yet clear and melodious like a oriole's song, full of vitality.

"Your husband is secretly hoarding private money; why not rip him off hard and teach him a lesson?"

A cold female voice like moonlight replied.

Her voice was as clear as summer flowing water and as cold as a winter night lake.

Lola pressed her face against the wall, listening carefully to the two distinct female voices going back and forth like a tango.

An Xianyuan looked at Lola's childish behavior with helplessness and silently helped her take off the white dress to put on the new green one.

"This one is nice too." An Xianyuan nodded in satisfaction.

The girl in the mirror, dressed in fresh green, was like an elf princess from ancient legends, mysterious and elegant, fresh and cute.

"Buy it!" Lola imitated the gesture, waving her hand with feigned boldness, but almost bumped into the mirror.

"Hahahaha..." An Xianyuan couldn't help but curl her lips in amusement.

Tonight, she laughed more times than in the past ten years combined.

"Hmph." Lola pouted with feigned dissatisfaction and took her sister's hand, walking out of the changing room.

An Xianyuan smiled, playing along with the little girl's sudden whim.

Indeed, there were now more than just the two of them in the store.

There was also one man and two women in the store; she seemed to have seen them before when leaving the Clinic.

An Xianyuan became alert and silently observed the three of them.

Regardless of the reason, she had to protect the lovely girl beside her.

Perhaps she was overthinking it; these three didn't look like the type to do evil.

The silver-haired woman and the pink-blue short-haired woman were selecting clothes.

Though reluctant, An Xianyuan had to admit that the beauty of the two of them surpassed even little Lola and herself.

The silver-haired woman played around, yet every frown and smile seemed natural, warm and gentle like an angel draped in holy light.

The other cold woman was somewhat serious, every movement restrained and orderly, her beautiful face as if the Moon Goddess herself had descended to the mortal world.

The only remaining man sat on the Sofa, smiling helplessly; his mysterious aura combined with his perfect appearance made An Xianyuan recall the supreme deity statue enshrined in her ancestral home, making one unable to help but bow in submission and kneel in devout worship, as if on a pilgrimage.

Even Korea's most proudly touted facial prosthetic reconstruction surgeries could not craft three such perfect faces.

An Xianyuan held Laura's hand, feeling somewhat fearful, like an ignorant mortal rashly intruding into a grand hall of ten thousand gods.

She too, mimicking Laura, tilted her ear to listen to the whispers of the gods beyond the heavens.

The next second, she nearly lost her composure, almost bursting into laughter.

The three were unexpectedly chatting about daily trifles; their overly down-to-earth words formed a stark contrast with their appearances.

"Buy?" the cold woman spoke concisely, direct and decisive like a cold blade.

"Lucy... isn't this a bit too expensive?" the silver-haired woman hesitated slightly.

"Yahweh?" Lucy glanced at the man slumped on the Sofa, playing dead.

"Buy!" Yahweh immediately sat upright, rendering a salute with his eyes to Lucy.

"Not a single moment of hesitation? Are you two behind my back..." the silver-haired woman whispered through gritted teeth, directly dragging the man and woman, intending to go to a corner to properly "communicate."

"Listen to my explanation!"

An Xianyuan and Laura helplessly exchanged a glance, called the Waitress to pack up the new clothes, decisively left the shop piled high with dog food, and walked toward another high-end clothing store.