The Villainess’s Darling [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 21

The original price for the ‘Advanced Beauty Pill,’ ‘Jade Skin and Bone Fluid,’ and ‘Glossy Ebony Hair Serum’ was 10 points each. However, because they have become the Heroine’s most urgent needs, the shop has automatically inflated the prices.

 They have increased sevenfold, fivefold, and threefold, respectively, based on the level of demand.

Ning Xiao’s brow furrowed. This world is already cruel enough to the Heroine. Does the system shop have to be a bully as well?

System 13579 went silent, offering no rebuttal.

Ning Xiao clicked her tongue. Xiao Qi, when is the next plot point?

Since her points were low, her only option was to grind through the missions. She and Yun Can’er were on good terms now; she only hoped the next plot point wouldn’t force her to bully the girl. If it did, she could already envision the Blackening Level hitting one hundred percent in a heartbeat.

Ding! Searching. Search successful. The next plot point will occur in one month!

Ning Xiao: Don’t tell me the one after that is in three months.

If the intervals between plot points kept stretching, how would she ever earn enough to buy those items and help Yun Can’er achieve her dreams?

It’s not three months, actually. The one after that is in six months.

Brilliant. The wait time was doubling. Heartbroken and frustrated, Ning Xiao closed the shop and forced herself to sleep.

Both girls were quiet sleepers. They woke up exactly as they had drifted off, with the generous distance between them still intact.

Yun Can’er woke early. Her internal clock was a product of years of habit; at school, she was up at five-thirty to memorise her books, and at home, she rose early to clean the house, cook breakfast, and tackle a week’s worth of the family’s laundry.

She rolled over gently on the cloud-soft mattress to face Ning Xiao. Then, she simply stared, her eyes fixed on Ning Xiao’s sleeping face.

Asleep, Ning Xiao’s features were exquisite, her profile delicate. Without her usual aura of arrogance, she looked like a docile kitten. Her dark hair veiled half her face; against her snow-white skin, her eyelashes looked like tiny fans. With a straight nose and ruby lips, her pointed chin was half-buried in the duvet.

Yun Can’er lost track of time just watching her.

It wasn’t until the first ray of morning sun pierced the sheer curtains and landed on Ning Xiao’s eyelids that Yun Can’er reacted. As Ning Xiao’s lashes fluttered, Yun Can’er squeezed her eyes shut, pretending to be fast asleep.

“Mmm…” Ning Xiao stretched with her eyes closed, a physiological tear trickling down her cheek. She slowly blinked, adjusting to the light, and turned to look at the other side of the bed.

Still asleep.

So precious! Ning Xiao felt a natural surge of affection and a fierce desire to protect her.

She pulled back the covers and crept out of bed to freshen up, missing the way Yun Can’er’s eyes tracked her every move the moment her back was turned.

When Ning Xiao emerged from the ensuite, her skin was dewy and her cheeks were slightly flushed from the warm water. A few damp strands of hair clung to her forehead, framing her luminous eyes. She let out a tiny yawn, covering her mouth with her hand. As she blinked, the watery sheen in her eyes only made them look more captivating.

Can’er, you’re awake?

Ning Xiao froze for a moment as she met the girl’s dark gaze. She felt a flicker of confusion. Why did Yun Can’er’s look seem so… possessive?

I must have imagined it, she told herself. Her poor, sweet little girl couldn’t possibly look at someone like that.

Dismissing the thought entirely, she walked over to the bed with a smile. “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

Yun Can’er shook her head and sat up, her fingers nervously clutching the duvet. She was self-conscious about her thin, underdeveloped frame and didn’t want Ning Xiao to see it.

“My current clothes will be much too big for you,” Ning Xiao said, “but I should still have a few outfits from three years ago. They were birthday gifts from my uncle and I only wore them once. They should fit you perfectly.”

She’s the same size now as I was three years ago. Yun Can’er felt a slight pang of dejection at the comparison.

“You go and freshen up, and I’ll go find them for you!” Ning Xiao turned and headed for the walk-in wardrobe.

The wardrobe was nearly as large as the bedroom itself, packed with hats, scarves, shoes, sunglasses, and jewellery. Rows upon rows of racks were bursting with tops, trousers, dresses, and coats. Ning Xiao had no idea where to start.

Xiao Qi, you’re the one who reminded me the clothes were here. How about telling me where they are?

Host, I don’t have data on the specific layout of the wardrobe. Even a database search yields nothing. You’ll have to find them yourself. 13579 offered no help whatsoever.

Fine. I’ll do it myself! How hard could it be to find three outfits among hundreds?

Xiao Qi, do you at least have the styles?

A white long-sleeved dress, a pink suit, and a white t-shirt paired with denim dungarees.

Got it.

Out of the three, everything but the pink suit would work for Yun Can’er.

Ning Xiao had assumed knowing the styles would make it easy, but she soon discovered that “original Ning Xiao” owned a staggering amount of white dresses and t-shirts. Telling the difference between a current fitted shirt and a three-year-old one was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Meanwhile, back in the bedroom, Yun Can’er finished getting ready and sat obediently on the edge of the bed for ten minutes. When Ning Xiao didn’t return, she finally ventured into the wardrobe to find her.

Knock, knock, knock. She stood at the entrance and tapped politely.

“Come in!”

When Yun Can’er pushed the door open, she found Ning Xiao holding up two pairs of dungarees, comparing them with a look of intense concentration.

Hearing footsteps, Ning Xiao turned and let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness you’re here. I’ve been looking for ages, and I honestly can’t tell if these will fit you.”

She set the clothes down and pulled Yun Can’er over, holding up various small-looking items against the girl’s frame. In the end, she concluded that none of them was right.

“Don’t worry,” Ning Xiao said, determined. “I’ll find them in a second.”

If I can’t find them now, I’ll never hear the end of it!

Yun Can’er watched her, dazed. “Ning Xiao. If it’s too much trouble, I can just wear what I had on yesterday. I’ll change when I get home.”

She hadn’t expected Ning Xiao to put this much effort into something so small.

Ning Xiao was on a roll now and wasn’t about to quit. Without looking back, she said, “Absolutely not. You aren’t going home today. You’re coming back to school with me this afternoon. Oh, wait, your uniform is still at your house, isn’t it? Fine, we’ll stop by your place to grab it before we head back. But in the meantime, you aren’t staying in those dirty clothes.”

Yun Can’er’s expression was unreadable as she watched Ning Xiao. After a moment, she whispered, “Let me help you look. It’ll be faster.”

Ning Xiao turned and gave her a brilliant, radiant smile. “I was hoping you’d say that! I’m exhausted.”

Yun Can’er felt her heart melt. She began rummaging through the racks from the other side.

After half an hour of searching, Ning Xiao found the dungarees and Yun Can’er found the t-shirt. Ning Xiao piled the clothes into the girl’s arms and added, “Wait a moment. I’ll find you a set of brand-new underwear. They’re a tight fit for me, so they should be just right for you.”

Yun Can’er’s face went up in flames.

She bit her lip and lowered her head in sheer embarrassment. She… she was actually going to wear Ning Xiao’s underwear!

Ning Xiao handed her the items and opened the door to a private changing room. “In you go. Try them on.”

Once inside, Yun Can’er’s heart hammered so hard it felt like it might burst. Her cheeks and ears were scorching as she slowly changed into Ning Xiao’s clothes.

Outside, Ning Xiao waited patiently.

The door creaked open, and Yun Can’er stepped out. She had tied her soft hair up into a loose, messy bun. The white t-shirt fit perfectly, and the slightly baggy dungarees added a touch of effortless, rebellious charm to her usually docile appearance.

Ning Xiao nodded in approval, walking a slow circle around her. “It suits you perfectly. All that effort was worth it.”

Yun Can’er looked at her reflection in the mirror, then at Ning Xiao, who was genuinely beaming with joy for her. She dug her thumb-nails into her palms; the sharp sting helped her maintain her composure.

She lowered her dark eyes and whispered, “Thank you, Ning Xiao.”

Being so close, Ning Xiao gave her a gentle, affectionate pat on the back. “Don’t be so formal with me,” she laughed.

But the smile froze on her face instantly.

System 13579 had returned with more bad news: Ding! Heroine’s Blackening Level: 70%!

Ning Xiao: WTF?

She couldn’t laugh now. She really, really couldn’t laugh.

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