A Shopping Spree and a Sulking Senior

“Hello, I’ll take all of these,” Shen Xian said politely, handing a bank card toward the counter.

Zhuang Xun instinctively reached out to stop her, her fingers lightly brushing Shen Xian’s wrist. The sudden difference in temperature made her withdraw her hand immediately.

As Shen Xian looked at her with a hint of confusion, Zhuang Xun pulled her hand back and protested, “Senior, that’s too much.”

Almost every garment Zhuang Xun had tried on had been purchased by Shen Xian.

The cashier behind the counter blinked, hesitating to take the card from Shen Xian’s hand.

“It’s not too much,” Shen Xian replied before offering her card forward again. “Please pack them all. Can you still arrange a delivery today?”

The cashier smiled professionally. “Yes. Will it be the same address as before?”

Shen Xian paused for a moment. “No, please change it to this address.”

From the corner of her eye, Zhuang Xun glimpsed the screen displayed on Shen Xian’s phone. That address… it was her own home.

The cashier accepted the bank card. “Alright, please wait a moment.”

“Senior?”

Shen Xian no longer focused on the cashier. She walked to a nearby rack and reached out, feeling the fabric of a dress.

Zhuang Xun followed behind her, contemplating whether to speak up. After all, looking at someone else’s phone wasn’t exactly proper behavior.

As Zhuang Xun pondered how to broach the subject, Shen Xian held the dress up against her, carefully comparing the fit. “Do you like this one, Little Zhuang Xun?”

Zhuang Xun did not stop Shen Xian’s actions; instead, she spoke in a hushed tone. “Senior, you’ve already bought so much. How much is it all? I’ll transfer the money to you later.”

“No need.”

“Senior, that won’t do,” Zhuang Xun’s tone grew firmer. “You shouldn’t just spend so much money on other people.”

“Hmm… but you’re not just ‘other people,'” Shen Xian mused.

‘……’

Zhuang Xun took a deep breath to steady herself. “That’s not the point. Besides, wasn’t the purpose of today to accompany you shopping, Senior? If you keep buying things for me, how can I ever repay you?”

Upon hearing this, Shen Xian blinked at her, as if a sudden realization had dawned on her.

“Don’t worry about it! My intention for calling you out today was to buy you some clothes and help you get dressed up. As for the money… it’s coming from the department.”

Zhuang Xun’s eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion.

Shen Xian placed the dress back on the rack, then quietly added, “The human who turned into a monster is named Tao Si. Ning Qi investigated his movements from the past week. It seems there are three or four suspicious locations. Because the proportion of humans turning into monsters is currently extremely low, we can only search for the cause little by little from different angles. Getting you dressed up will help us attend Tao Si’s club activity this Saturday to investigate. Didn’t Ning Qi tell you?”

‘……’

She had absolutely no idea about this.

Right on cue with Shen Xian’s question, Zhuang Xun’s phone chimed with a ‘ding’.

“Senior, I’ll check my messages.”

Shen Xian nodded. At the same time, the cashier called Shen Xian over to confirm the delivery address.

Zhuang Xun opened her phone, which immediately vibrated several more times. All the messages were from Ning Qi.

[Venus (Senior Ning): Ah, my apologies, Junior Zhuang Xun. I’ve been incredibly busy lately. I forgot to tell you about Shen Xian taking you to investigate this weekend.]

[Venus (Senior Ning): But it should be fine, right? Shen Xian telling you should make you happier than if I told you.]

[Venus (Senior Ning): I absolutely have no intention of watching the drama unfold (smiles)]

‘……’

[Venus (Senior Ning): Don’t refuse anything Shen Xian buys for you. Refusing could lead to big trouble. As for the money, don’t worry, the department is fully responsible. And this mall is one of my family’s businesses, so feel free to contact me if you need anything.]

Was she using department funds to invest in her own family’s mall?

[Venus (Senior Ning): Oh, right. The nearby hotel is also mine, you can use it if needed. (wink~)]

Without hesitation, Zhuang Xun quickly typed out a few words and hit send.

[Zhuang Xun: Senior Ning, we won’t be needing that… Thank you.]

[Venus (Senior Ning): I won’t interrupt your date~ I’m going back to work.]

Zhuang Xun was speechless upon seeing that message. She felt that no matter what she replied, Senior Ning would see right through it, so she ultimately just sent a polite goodbye emoji.

Zhuang Xun automatically filtered out the word ‘date’ from Ning Qi’s message. However, she didn’t quite understand why refusing the shopping would lead to ‘big trouble.’

Before she could fully grasp the situation, Shen Xian appeared beside her, holding a receipt. “Alright, Little Zhuang Xun. Shall we go?”

Zhuang Xun nodded. After bidding the cashier farewell, they exited the clothing store. It was then that she remembered a glaring hole in Shen Xian’s logic: Surely, one investigation event wouldn’t require over a dozen outfits, would it?

Shen Xian led Zhuang Xun to a nearby bubble tea shop. “Hello, I’d like a strawberry mochi milk tea, half sugar, no ice.”

“Senior, does the activity really require so many clothes?”

“Little Zhuang Xun, what would you like to drink?”

Their voices overlapped. Zhuang Xun’s gaze shifted from Shen Xian’s face to her pointing finger. Shen Xian tilted her head slightly, waiting for Zhuang Xun’s answer.

Zhuang Xun’s eyes scanned the menu; she rarely drank bubble tea. “Do you have any recommendations, Senior?”

“Hmm… ‘Ink Rhyme on the Path’?”

‘Ink Rhyme on the Path’? Zhuang Xun found the bubble tea in the top left corner of the menu. It was a matcha type.

“Then I’ll have that one. Less sugar, regular ice.”

As soon as Zhuang Xun finished speaking, she pulled out her phone, aligned the payment QR code, and successfully scanned it. Her smooth actions took less than half a minute.

Shen Xian stood by her side, her own phone displaying her payment QR code. She looked incredibly surprised. “You… you paid for it?”

At a time like this, it would have been more appropriate for me to treat, Shen Xian thought.

Zhuang Xun nodded slightly to the cashier in thanks, then slowly spoke to Shen Xian. “Senior, you took me shopping and bought me clothes. The bubble tea is a thank-you gift.”

Shen Xian puffed out her cheeks, turning her head away from Zhuang Xun. “Hmph.”

No sooner had she spoken than she walked over to a table and sat down alone.

Zhuang Xun gazed at Shen Xian’s expression in dismay. Is… Senior angry? Aside from paying in advance, I didn’t do anything else, did I?

The next second, Ning Qi’s words echoed in her mind.

‘Don’t refuse anything Shen Xian buys for you. Refusing could lead to big trouble.’

Hmm… So, because I didn’t accept Senior buying me bubble tea, is Senior now sulking by herself?

Zhuang Xun stood rooted to the spot, her gaze never leaving Shen Xian. Shen Xian exuded an aura of being very, very upset.

It seems Senior Ning’s ‘big trouble’ might actually be true…

But even so, Senior is so adorable. Her puffed-up cheeks would surely feel wonderful to poke.

I used to think Senior was an incredibly powerful, resolute magical girl dedicated to protecting world peace. But after truly getting to know her, the world I had built in my mind was merely my own fantasy.

“Hello, your two drinks are ready. Would you like them to go?” the cashier in front of Zhuang Xun asked.

She nodded. “Yes. To go. Pack them separately.”

Zhuang Xun walked up to the table with the two bubble teas. “Senior, are you still angry?”

Shen Xian did not answer immediately.