Chapter 17: A Misunderstood Invitation

The next day was Saturday.

It was well past dawn when Qin Jinxuan finally stirred awake.

“Haaah—” A long, drawn-out yawn escaped her lips as she rubbed her bleary eyes, slowly pushing herself into a sitting position.

Instinctively, she raised both hands, preparing to stretch.

A sharp sting! It was excruciating!

The aching numbness in her right arm forced her to drop her hands immediately.

‘So… so tired…’

‘Perhaps I should just spend the entire day in bed.’

With that thought, Qin Jinxuan flopped back onto the mattress.

‘Ah… the covers are so much cozier.’

Just as the groggy girl was drifting back into slumber…

A vague memory surfaced: she had seemingly agreed to something last night.

She strained to piece together the fragmented recollections, her mind struggling to form a coherent picture from the haze of exhaustion.

‘If I’m not mistaken, it was…’

‘Cheng Lan invited me on a date?’

‘Huh?’

‘A… date?’

Qin Jinxuan shot upright in bed, her heart suddenly pounding.

“A date!!!”

‘We haven’t known each other for very long, have we…? And we’re already going on a date?’

‘Wait, no!’

‘Did I really agree to that last night?’

‘That doesn’t seem right either!’

‘On second thought, someone like Cheng Lan would never ask me out on a date, would he?’

‘It must be a misunderstanding! It absolutely must be!’

Qin Jinxuan buried her face in her hands, her cheeks burning, her eyes swirling like mosquito coils (TL Note: A common Chinese idiom describing dizzy or dazed eyes, often from embarrassment or confusion).

‘But… what if it wasn’t?’

The thought lingered in her mind.

As Qin Jinxuan was lost in her wild imaginings, her phone chimed with a ‘ding.’

She fumbled to grab her phone, and the screen lit up—

It was a message from Cheng Lan:

[Are you awake yet? Are you coming today?]

‘Huh?’

‘Could I have not misunderstood after all?!’

Her heart skipped a beat, and her fingers flew across the screen:

[I’m coming!]

[Wait for me to get ready!]

Only then did she notice that it was already 11:20 AM.

“Oh no!”

The girl hurriedly leaped out of bed and rushed to her wardrobe, beginning to pick out clothes.

‘Wait a minute!’

She glanced down at the pajamas she was wearing—

‘When did I change into these pajamas?’

‘And…’

‘My underwear was changed too!!!’

‘Could it… could it be… Cheng Lan…’

At this realization, her entire face flushed crimson.

Cupping her burning cheeks, she felt the ‘little deer’ (TL Note: A Chinese idiom describing a fluttering heart, often from nervousness or excitement) in her chest leaping with joyful abandon.

‘I… I should probably just change quickly.’

Taking a deep breath, she managed to calm herself slightly.

‘If it’s a date, which outfit would be best?’

Staring at the dazzling array of clothes, the girl found herself in a dilemma.

‘Perhaps this one!’

Ultimately, Qin Jinxuan chose a collared white dress, its hemline gracefully transitioning from deep blue to light blue, then fading into pure white, adorned with several small bows at the waist.

She then took out a white hair ribbon, carefully tying a bow in her hair.

Finally, she sat on the edge of the bed, slowly lifting her legs to meticulously pull fine white stockings onto her fair, shapely calves.

After a quick wash and a touch of makeup, Qin Jinxuan hurried to the door, where she selected a pair of black Mary Janes and slipped them onto her feet.

Click!

Qin Jinxuan and Cheng Lan stepped out of their respective doors almost simultaneously.

“What a coincidence,” Cheng Lan remarked, raising an eyebrow. “I was just about to knock and call for you.”

“Um… are we… going to…” Qin Jinxuan lowered her head, her voice trailing off until it was barely a whisper, even to her own ears.

Cheng Lan looked at Qin Jinxuan with a bewildered expression. “We’re just going to the mall to buy some things today. Why are you so dressed up?”

‘Eh?’

The girl snapped her head up.

‘So it wasn’t a date after all…’

An inexplicable wave of disappointment washed over her.

“Good morning, Sister Jinxuan!” Lidoa’s small head peeked out from behind Cheng Lan, greeting her with a cheerful smile.

“Good morning…” Qin Jinxuan replied with a rather forced smile.

“Sister Jinxuan, why is your face so red? Were you too tired yesterday?” Lidoa asked curiously, tilting her head.

“If you’re too tired, then don’t go,” Cheng Lan advised.

“I’m fine,” Qin Jinxuan said, shaking her head and forcing herself to perk up.

“Shall we head out then?”

“Mm.”

“Oh, Cheng Lan,” Qin Jinxuan suddenly spoke.

“What is it?” Cheng Lan paused, turning to look at the blue-haired girl behind him.

“What do you think… of my outfit today?” Qin Jinxuan asked, her hands clasped behind her back, fingers clenching and unclenching, the tip of her shoe occasionally tapping the ground.

“It looks pretty good,” Cheng Lan replied, giving her a quick once-over.

“Really?!” Qin Jinxuan’s eyes instantly brightened.

“Really. When have I ever lied to you?” Cheng Lan scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Qin Jinxuan thought about it carefully, and he was right!

He had even directly revealed that he was a reincarnator.

“Let’s get going, I’m starving,” he urged.

“Oh, right.” Qin Jinxuan quickly caught up to Cheng Lan, and they walked forward side by side.

“By the way,” Cheng Lan glanced at her, “could you dress a bit more casually in the future? When you dress like this, I tend to get stared at.”

Seeing Cheng Lan’s head-to-toe black attire, Qin Jinxuan couldn’t help but let out a giggle.

“What’s wrong? Is the future strongest afraid of being looked at?”

“Not exactly, but it makes me uncomfortable when people’s eyes constantly drift over to me.”

“Hehe~ I won’t!” Qin Jinxuan playfully stuck out her tongue at him, her steps becoming a little lighter.

“By the way… my clothes last night… did you change them?”

“You’re dreaming.”

****

The trio arrived at Xin’gang City’s largest shopping mall and casually picked a restaurant with no queue, intending to settle their lunch dilemma first.

Lidoa sat obediently beside Cheng Lan, while Qin Jinxuan took a seat opposite him.

“So, what suddenly brought you to the mall?” Qin Jinxuan asked curiously, perusing the menu.

“To buy things, of course,” Cheng Lan stated matter-of-factly. “I’m preparing to enter a dungeon (TL Note: ‘Dungeon’ or ‘instance’ in gaming slang, referring to a specific area or challenge), so I need to get some things ready beforehand.”

“Enter a dungeon?”

“It’s…” Cheng Lan glanced at Lidoa, who was sitting beside him. “You know.”

“Oh, I see.” Qin Jinxuan understood the implication, grasping his hint.

He was preparing to enter the World Rifts.

“But… couldn’t you buy things online?”

“Well,” Cheng Lan took a sip of water, his gaze settling helplessly on Lidoa, “Lidoa’s current wardrobe is already the limit of my aesthetic sense. I plan to pick out a few outfits with her here, so she can learn how to coordinate them herself, and then she can buy things online in the future.”

‘It was for that reason?’

Qin Jinxuan covered her mouth, stifling a giggle.

No wonder Lidoa was always wearing that sailor-style dress.

‘However…’

Her eyes darted, a new thought sparking in her mind.

‘So Cheng Lan likes sailor-style outfits? Perhaps… I should pick out a few for myself later?’

“Leave little sister Lidoa’s clothes to me!” Qin Jinxuan declared confidently, patting her chest.

“You said it, so I’ll leave it to you,” Cheng Lan replied, visibly relieved. He had finally shed his most vexing problem.

“Thank you, Sister Jinxuan~” Lidoa looked up, a brilliant smile blooming on her face.

“It’s nothing~”

“Oh, right,” Cheng Lan said, a thought striking him, and he turned to Qin Jinxuan. “Can you procure a compound bow and matching arrows?”

“I’ll ask my father. I remember he occasionally visits an archery range.”

“That’s great. I’ll need two compound bows with a maximum draw weight of 100 pounds, two quivers, 50 arrows, and 50 broadheads.”

“Okay.” Qin Jinxuan took out her phone and diligently jotted down Cheng Lan’s requirements.

“Is the place we’re going this time very dangerous?” she asked, looking up at Cheng Lan.

“Not exceptionally dangerous,” Cheng Lan replied, shaking his head. “But it’s always better to be overprepared. Do you want to come along?”

“Me? Can I?!”

Hearing Cheng Lan’s invitation, the girl felt a surge of excitement within her.

“If you practice at yesterday’s intensity for a few more days, you should be able to defend yourself,” he stated.

“Um… I’m not going to have to keep practicing today, am I?” Qin Jinxuan immediately asked, her face falling into a pitiful grimace.

A shiver ran down her spine at the mere thought of yesterday’s training.

“Isn’t that obvious?!” Cheng Lan waved his hand, then offered a slight smile. “Don’t worry, I’m not a demon. Yesterday, you performed ten thousand thrusts with your right hand; today, let’s switch to your left.”