A Shopping Trip and Lingering Fears

After breakfast, the four left the restaurant. To fully commit to the act, Lin Yi intentionally left the bottle of drink there.

Chen Sishi and Bai Zhiyue, however, remained puzzled as to why the potion hadn’t taken effect. Even if Lin Yi had only consumed a small amount, some symptoms should have manifested.

Moreover, Chen Sishi was well aware of Lin Yi’s financial situation; he wouldn’t waste a bottle of drink for no reason. Yet, Chen Sishi wasn’t ready to expose Lin Yi, knowing she still had a full day.

No matter how many times Lin Yi evaded her, Chen Sishi only needed to win once.

Li Yan, holding a bottle of peanut milk in one hand and his phone in the other, ambled leisurely beside Lin Yi.

“Would you like this drink?”

Lin Yi gazed at the bottle in Li Yan’s hand with lingering trepidation, shaking his head decisively. He suspected that from now on, the mere sight of peanut milk would trigger a strong aversion.

“Alright then…”

Li Yan shrugged nonchalantly and walked away.

“Lin Yi, is there a large shopping mall nearby?”

Just then, Chen Sishi, who had been trailing at the back of the group, suddenly spoke. Lin Yi pondered for a moment. The day he went grocery shopping, he had visited a large mall.

“I recall there being one. It has a good variety of goods, but no entertainment facilities.”

“Bai Bai, what do you think? Do you want to go?”

Upon receiving Lin Yi’s answer, Chen Sishi turned to Bai Zhiyue. Bai Zhiyue lowered her head in thought for a moment, then shrugged indifferently.

“I’m fine with anything. It would be even better if there was a haunted house or an arcade here.”

“A haunted house? Bai Bai wants to visit a haunted house?”

The two girls’ gazes met briefly, and then Chen Sishi understood Bai Zhiyue’s intent.

“Lin Yi, are there any haunted houses or similar entertainment venues around here?”

Lin Yi paused, surprised by the question. He racked his brain, recalling the original plot, but no mention of a haunted house existed within it. Furthermore, looking at the map, there didn’t seem to be any such establishments nearby.

“I don’t think so. I haven’t heard of anything like that around here.”

“Hey, Brother Lin, I know a place that does. Want me to lead the way?”

Lin Yi’s expression froze. He began to suspect Li Yan had been swayed by Chen Sishi; why was he always so unhelpful?

“Ahem, let’s not bother with that. I don’t want to walk too far.”

He cleared his throat softly, inwardly dreading such a place. He was already quite fearful of such things, and if Chen Sishi were to cause any trouble inside, he wouldn’t be able to handle it.

“Never mind, let’s just go to the mall first. I want to buy some new clothes.”

Chen Sishi respected Lin Yi’s opinion. Since he was reluctant, postponing the matter was acceptable.

Under Lin Yi’s guidance, the four arrived at the large shopping mall they had discussed. Inside, a dazzling array of goods was neatly arranged in the shops. At the sight of them, Chen Sishi’s aquamarine eyes sparkled with delight. She excitedly took Bai Zhiyue’s hand and made a beeline for a women’s clothing store.

Lin Yi and Li Yan exchanged a glance, neither speaking a word. Trailing silently behind the two girls, Lin Yi felt a pang of boredom and pulled out his phone.

No new messages had popped up, and Lin Yi wasn’t in the mood to simply pass the time, so he reluctantly put his phone away.

It was at this moment that Chen Sishi, clutching a light-colored dress in both hands, eagerly rushed over to Lin Yi.

“Look, Lin Yi, what do you think of this dress?”

Lin Yi lifted his gaze to her. The dress Chen Sishi held had no elaborate patterns, only subtle white embellishments. It exuded an air of elegance, and he imagined it suiting Chen Sishi quite well.

“I think it looks good. You should try it on.”

Chen Sishi’s face bloomed into a sweet smile. She nodded vigorously and hurried off to the changing room.

Li Yan, witnessing the scene, felt a surge of intense envy. Sensing Li Yan’s gaze, Lin Yi shot him a sidelong look.

“Brother Lin, when’s the wedding candy coming?”

“Can you be serious for a moment? I’m not even dating anyone.”

Hearing this, Li Yan scrutinized Lin Yi from head to toe, then clicked his tongue.

“I can practically smell the stench of love, and you’re still denying you’re in a relationship?”

Lin Yi genuinely wanted to slap Li Yan. He had been on edge all day. Dating a yandere? Was he tired of living?

“If you like it so much, go pursue it yourself. I don’t want anything to do with it right now.”

“If I had Brother Lin’s charm, I would have found someone ages ago.”

Lin Yi’s mouth twitched. So, all those ‘fish’ Li Yan kept in school were merely for show?

“Why are you looking at me like that? The girls in my school are just female friends, not fish in a pond!”

Li Yan knew Lin Yi’s personality well; that single glance was enough for him to grasp what Lin Yi was thinking.

“Right, right, right. Keep denying it.”

After a brief exchange of banter, the changing room door suddenly opened. Chen Sishi emerged, adorned in a light blue dress.

The dress featured a white lace collar. Its two frilled cuffs gracefully exposed the delicate curve of her arms. Above Chen Sishi’s slender waist, just past the gentle swell of her chest, a white ribbon was tied.

The pale blue skirt flowed down to the girl’s shapely calves, and paired with the white ribbon, it created an illusion of exceptionally long legs.

Adorning Chen Sishi, the dress transformed her into a veritable princess, as if she had just stepped out of a castle.

“Lin Yi, how is it? Does it look good?”

Chen Sishi even darted in front of Lin Yi, gracefully twirling around. It had to be said that with Chen Sishi’s figure and looks, anything she wore appeared exceptionally beautiful.

Lin Yi’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He wanted to praise Chen Sishi, yet he feared triggering some strange plot development, leaving him feeling utterly bewildered.

“Sishi, your taste is impeccable. This dress truly complements your elegant demeanor.”

Bai Zhiyue, who had been seated all this time, suddenly spoke, drawing Chen Sishi’s gaze naturally towards her. Seizing this brief window, Lin Yi frantically searched his mind for words to describe Chen Sishi.

“Bai Bai, aren’t you going to pick one out?”

Chen Sishi glanced at Bai Zhiyue with a puzzled expression. She had intended to help Bai Zhiyue choose an outfit, but it seemed Bai Zhiyue held no particular interest in such things.

“No, thank you. I’m not really interested in these kinds of things.”

Just as Chen Sishi had suspected, Bai Zhiyue waved her hand dismissively. Chen Sishi didn’t press the issue, turning her attention back to Lin Yi, who finally managed to open his mouth.

“It’s quite lovely. You look like… a little princess.”

Observing Lin Yi’s slightly fearful expression, Chen Sishi tilted her head in confusion.

“Is… is there something I did wrong? Lin Yi, you seem quite afraid of me…”

“Huh! No… of course not! It’s just an illusion, all an illusion. How could I possibly be afraid of you?”

Lin Yi forced a calm, gentle smile, though inwardly, he was already cursing. He wondered who had taught Chen Sishi to be so acutely perceptive of his fear.

If Lin Yi ever found out who was responsible, he’d tear that person’s head off and kick it like a ball!