Don’t Let Me Down

Two days later, 5:45 a.m.

The same familiar room, the same familiar inn.

Li Ziyue was sitting alone, sipping tea, when the door was pushed open.

Su Wanqing stepped in.

What surprised Li Ziyue was that the woman who usually dressed in cold, minimalist styles was today dressed to kill, radiating pure feminine allure.

“Elder Su, you’re a little late.”

“Sorry, I misread the time.”

Su Wanqing gave an awkward laugh.

There was no way she’d admit she was late because she’d spent ages choosing an outfit.

Although most of her wardrobe was the usual cold and elegant style, she actually owned quite a few gorgeous, extravagant pieces too.

Even if she never wore them, she bought them just to collect.

She wasn’t sure if it was this female body’s influence, but Su Wanqing genuinely had zero resistance to beautiful clothes.

She knew full well she’d probably never wear them—she barely even looked in the mirror, let alone dressed up.

Yet she couldn’t stop herself from impulse buying.

And because she never got to wear them, every shopping spree became a vengeful spending frenzy.

At first she thought it was weird, but eventually she just accepted it as the body’s instincts and gave up resisting.

Want to buy it? Buy it.

There’s a huge difference between owning it and not owning it, even if it just sits in storage.

Su Wanqing was absolutely confident that if there were ever a beauty pageant in the cultivation world and she had to win first place, her current wardrobe inventory would be enough to dress her for every single round with change to spare.

The reason she was dressed like this today, instead of her usual charm-bone-hiding ascetic style, was simple.

Today she was meeting the heroine.

She was going to weaponize her charm bones and max out the heroine’s favorability in one shot.

If things followed the original plot, once the heroine joined Heavenly Sword Pavilion, she wouldn’t need to do this.

But since she planned to shove the heroine to the Red Embroidery Sect instead, and once the heroine grew strong enough to remove the Fallen Immortal Gu, only then could Su Wanqing truly escape Chen Xueli’s control.

At the very least, Heavenly Sword Pavilion would no longer be implicated by that gu.

But if she didn’t farm favorability now, with the heroine’s future personality, it would be nearly impossible to get close later, let alone ask her to remove the gu from the entire sect.

In a way, she had Shen Xianyue to thank for forcing her hand.

This was the first time she was actively using her charm bones for a purpose.

Before being targeted by that witch, she might have hesitated, worried about drawing too much attention.

But now? She didn’t care anymore.

She had almost been eaten alive and collared by that demoness—turned into her personal property.

Though she escaped, the Marriage and Mourning Cord was now forcibly bound to her wrist.

That alone proved the witch’s determination—she would be found no matter where she ran.

She had tried everything to remove the red cord, but nothing worked.

And in the entire Xiangping Town, the only two people she truly feared were the two massive lesbians: Chen Xueli and Shen Xianyue.

No one else here had both the strength to overpower her and the complete lack of moral restraint to do whatever they wanted.

Well, technically the woman in front of her right now was probably the strongest person in Xiangping Town.

But Su Wanqing wasn’t worried.

Red Embroidery Sect was a nunnery sect, after all.

And Elder Li Ziyue seemed so kind.

Even if she was slightly affected by the charm bones, her Nascent Soul cultivation and moral principles would keep her in check.

“No problem. I was just teasing. We still have the time of one incense stick before the hour of the Dragon. With our speed, we can easily finish a cup of tea.”

“Sit.”

“Mm.”

It was a warm invitation, so Su Wanqing didn’t refuse.

She sat opposite Li Ziyue, poured herself a cup of tea, but didn’t drink.

Just looking at the teacup triggered her PTSD.

Chen Xueli had drugged her tea to ride her master.

Shen Xianyue had kidnapped her while she was napping after afternoon tea, nearly claiming her innocence.

In the end, she set the cup down.

She still hadn’t recovered from the trauma.

She hadn’t touched tea since that day—her former favorite drink.

“…”

Lost in thought, she didn’t even notice Li Ziyue staring at her.

Li Ziyue, meanwhile, was also entranced by today’s stunning Elder Su.

Unlike last time, she was in full glamour today.

Golden embroidered white gauze robes, luxurious silver hair ornaments swaying with every movement.

And—was it just her imagination?—that special fragrance seemed even stronger today.

After admiring for a while, noticing the blush on Su Wanqing’s cheeks, Li Ziyue asked curiously:

“By the way, Elder Su, why is your face so red?”

“Uh…”

Su Wanqing had no idea how to answer.

The reason was simple.

It wasn’t because she wasn’t used to dressing up after years of cold elegance.

Nor was it because she was thinking something embarrassing.

It was her legs.

This was the first time in years she was wearing stockings—white silk with golden embroidery, complete with garter belts…

The sensation was incredibly strange.

The shame burned hotter with every second, especially after Li Ziyue pointed out her blushing.

Logically, given her special constitution, she would never buy something so overtly feminine.

But these had been free gifts with past clothing purchases.

Free stuff? Might as well keep them.

Who knew she’d actually wear them one day?!

The feeling of her legs no longer being bare was as alien as the first time she wore a skirt after transmigrating.

She knew she’d get used to it eventually, but right now she was silently praying this would be the first and last time.

Unlike skirts, which were necessary, stockings were purely a personal preference.

Unless she was going somewhere with lots of bugs, she’d never even consider them.

“T-The time… it’s getting late. If that fox demon suddenly decides to leave early, we’ll be in trouble. We… we should head to the ambush point now!”

Unable to come up with an excuse, she hastily changed the subject.

Truthfully, now that Shen Xianyue was after her, she could’ve just suggested moving the ambush deeper into the forest.

But suddenly changing the plan would contradict everything she’d argued before and make Li Ziyue suspicious.

So she didn’t suggest it.

She just stood up and walked out, not giving the other woman a chance to refuse.

“You’re right.”

Li Ziyue didn’t mind.

She followed Su Wanqing out, her attention completely captured by the woman’s outfit.

Inwardly, she praised the Red Embroidery Sect’s decision.

If they really managed to recruit Elder Su, just her face alone would be enough to mesmerize even a sect elder like herself.

Ordinary disciples would go absolutely crazy.

It would bring enormous benefits to the sect.

“…”

Su Wanqing walked at the front, head lowered.

The stares from passersby were far too enthusiastic.

She was used to being stared at, but today was different.

She was wearing… this.

How could she not care?

Even if most people were just admiring her beauty, she still felt like they were staring at her legs.

At the same time, she silently prayed:

Please don’t let this outfit be for nothing.

Let it farm enough favorability with the heroine in one go.

Otherwise, all this sacrifice would become a black history that would haunt her forever—!