X
The Saturday afternoon sun was perfect—the ideal time to be curled up at home with a comic book or sleeping in. But Jin was unceremoniously dug out of the soft sofa by Xia Yue, whose demeanor left no room for debate.
“Come with me to the mall,” Xia Yue said, her words concise. She had already changed into a well-tailored, light-colored dress that accentuated her cool, refined aura.
Jin clutched a pillow, attempting a final, desperate struggle. “To the mall? What for? I haven’t even finished my homework…”
“To buy bras,” Xia Yue stated flatly, as if she were saying something as mundane as ‘I’m buying a bottle of water.’ “My old ones don’t fit right anymore.”
“…”
Jin’s face flushed a deep crimson.
Bras?! Go with her to buy bras?! That sounded even more mortifying than bathing together! At least with bathing, she could fall back on the excuse that they were ‘both girls.’ But buying underwear was an act steeped in privacy and personal taste…
“I’m-I’m not going! Go by yourself!” Jin buried her face in the pillow, her voice muffled with a mix of shame and indignation. She had no desire to set foot in a place like that, let alone discuss Xia Yue’s… size!
Xia Yue said nothing, simply standing before the sofa and watching her. Her gaze was placid, yet it carried the weight of a thousand tons, seeming to say: *The contract. A reasonable request. Accompany me shopping.*
Jin’s body, hidden behind the pillow, went rigid. She remembered the damnable video, the scene of shattering ice crystals and energy explosions in that abandoned factory. The tiny flame of her resistance was doused by a bucket of cold, hard reality before it could even flicker.
****
A few minutes later, looking like a prisoner being led to her execution, Jin trailed dejectedly behind Xia Yue into a high-end lingerie store in the city center, renowned for its comfort and design.
Soft lighting, exquisite decor, and a faint, sweet fragrance wafting through the air… all surrounded by a dazzling array of lace, satin, and chiffon.
Jin felt utterly out of place. Her eyes darted about, never daring to glance at the display mannequins, much less meet the friendly smiles of the sales assistants. She wished she could shrink into a ball and vanish into thin air.
Xia Yue, however, moved as if she were in her natural habitat, perfectly at ease. She walked straight to a display rack, her gaze sweeping precisely over the labels before she selected several bras—simple and elegant in style, yet with exquisite detailing. She gave a slight nod to the assistant.
“The fitting room, please.”
The assistant guided them with a smile. After a few steps, Xia Yue noticed Jin was still rooted to the spot like a pillar and turned back, her eyes asking a silent question.
Jin stammered, “…I-I’ll wait for you out here!”
Xia Yue arched a brow. Before she could speak, the enthusiastic sales assistant chimed in. “That’s perfectly fine, miss. We have a lounge chair outside the fitting rooms where you can wait for your friend. Or… would you like to browse our new arrivals? We have many cute styles perfect for young ladies!”
“N-No, thank you! I’m fine!” Jin recoiled as if burned, waving her hands frantically. She practically stumbled over her own feet as she followed Xia Yue to the fitting room area, then promptly plopped down onto the solitary lounge chair. She stared intently at the tips of her shoes, trying to will herself into becoming a piece of furniture.
The curtain to the fitting room was drawn. Jin let out a sigh of relief, but her heart was still hammering in her chest.
Before long, the curtain was pulled aside just enough for Xia Yue to peek her head out. In her hand was one of the bras she had selected—a nude-colored one with delicate lace trim. Her expression was neutral, but the tips of her ears seemed faintly pink.
“Jin,” she said, her voice low, carrying an almost imperceptible hint of… a request for an opinion? “This one… what do you think?”
Caught off guard by being addressed, Jin reflexively looked up. Her eyes first landed on the tag of the bra in Xia Yue’s hand—on the crystal-clear letters, “D Cup.”
D…
Jin’s gaze was magnetically locked onto that single letter, her mind buzzing and then going completely blank. A D?! Xia Yue… she was a D?! You could never tell when she was wearing her school uniform or a dress. Jin had always thought she was just well-proportioned with elegant lines, but she never imagined… she was this stacked.
A hot current of shock, inexplicable inferiority, and intense shame rushed to her head. Her cheeks instantly blazed, the blush spreading down to her neck. Her own… her own pathetic, almost negligible, perpetually-empty-even-in-an-AA-cup…
“It’s… it’s fine…” She heard her own dry, soulless reply, a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. She quickly lowered her head again, wishing she could bury her entire face in her knees.
Xia Yue didn’t seem surprised by her reaction and didn’t press further, retreating back into the fitting room to continue.
But the torture wasn’t over.
Just as Xia Yue had finally chosen two styles and was heading to the counter, a particularly zealous-looking senior sales associate approached them. Her gaze naturally fell upon Jin, who had been huddled like a quail on the chair the entire time.
“And are you here with your big sister, dear?” the woman asked, her smile kind and her tone gentle. “How sweet of you. Have you seen any styles you like for yourself? You look like you’re still developing, and we have a lovely junior collection that’s very supportive and comfortable for middle school girls. It can help with proper shaping…”
Middle…
Schooler?!
Still…
Developing?!
Shaping?!
Each word was a sharp little knife, stabbing precisely into Jin’s fragile, AA-cup-sized pride. Her head snapped up, eyes wide with shock and humiliation. Her face was so red it looked like it might bleed. She opened her mouth, but not a single sound came out.
What an utter disgrace! She was already a second-year in high school! Sure… she was a little flat… but to be mistaken for a middle schooler just hitting puberty and then be so “thoughtfully” recommended a “junior shaping” collection…
She felt her very soul tremble with shame.
Xia Yue, having just paid, walked over with a chic shopping bag in hand, catching the latter half of the associate’s “helpful” advice. She glanced at Jin, who was bright red and looked ready to combust on the spot, then at the still-enthusiastic woman, and instantly understood.
She took a step forward, subtly positioning herself between Jin and the associate. Her voice was calm but held a touch of distance. “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. Let’s go, Jin.”
As she spoke, she naturally reached out and took Jin’s hand, which was trembling slightly from her mortification.
****
They walked in silence.
It wasn’t until they had left the mall and reached a quieter street corner that the evening breeze began to disperse some of the day’s heat, slightly clearing Jin’s shame-addled mind. She remained wilted and dejected, like a small blade of grass hit by frost.
Xia Yue stopped and turned to face the crestfallen girl.
She was silent for a moment, then raised her hand. It wasn’t a boisterous hug like Lin Wan would give, but a soft, gentle gesture as she brushed a stray strand of hair from Jin’s forehead.
“Still thinking about what happened back there?” Xia Yue’s voice was a little softer than usual.
Jin’s lips formed a pout. She didn’t speak, but her eyes were growing red. This wasn’t just about size—it was a matter of dignity!
Seeing her look so wounded yet so stubborn, the faintest hint of a smile flickered in Xia Yue’s eyes before vanishing. She leaned in closer to Jin’s ear and, in a volume only they could hear, spoke clearly and slowly.
“Don’t worry.”
“No matter what,” her voice was low and steady, carrying a strange, soothing power, “whether it’s AA, or anything else…”
“I like you all the same.”
*Boom—!*
Jin’s head shot up, and she found herself staring into Xia Yue’s dark, earnest eyes, now just inches from her own. All the humiliation, the shame, the self-pity from moments before were shattered by that shockingly direct confession. In their place, a much more tumultuous and chaotic emotion surged, overwhelming her senses.
The heat in her cheeks, which had just begun to subside, now flared up again with the force of a wildfire, burning even hotter than it had in the store.
Xia Yue… said… she liked her? At a time like this? In that tone of voice?
Jin’s mouth hung open as she stared blankly at Xia Yue’s face—still mostly impassive, but her gaze was so focused it was unnerving. Her brain had completely shut down, a tingling numbness spreading to her fingertips.
So… was this supposed to be comfort?
But… this kind of comfort…
It was playing dirty!
She watched as Xia Yue, having delivered her line, straightened up as if nothing had happened, took her hand again, and continued walking as if she had just remarked, ‘Nice weather today.’
Jin let herself be led, her heart pounding like a drum. The words ‘I like you all the same’ echoed endlessly in her mind, making the ground beneath her feel soft and unreal, as if she were walking on clouds.
The utter disgrace… suddenly… didn’t seem so important anymore?
No! Wait! This was clearly just another, more advanced form of humiliation! A sugar-coated bullet! A form of mind control!
But… the sugar was so sweet. And the bullet… didn’t seem so terrifying after all.
Loving this chapter? You'll be hooked on The Villain Will Fulfill His Role! Click to explore more!
Read : The Villain Will Fulfill His Role
