Chapter 55: The Opal Bracelet

Su Xinxin and Jasmin stepped into Tulip’s shop.

Inside, the shop felt even more spacious than it appeared from the outside. Warm, yellow light cascaded from above, bathing the artfully arranged shelves and every item upon them in a soft, ethereal glow.

A faint, subtle fragrance permeated the air. It wasn’t overpowering, reminiscent of a particular flower, yet also carrying the distinct scent of aged wood and paper, a characteristic aroma of cherished old objects.

Along one wall stood a row of dark wooden cabinets. Intricate carvings adorned their doors; though the specific patterns were indistinct, their exquisite craftsmanship was undeniable.

Inside the cabinets, various bottles and jars were displayed, some transparent, others opaque, their contents shimmering with different colors under the lamplight. Small boxes and intricate caskets were neatly stacked there, as if awaiting someone to open them.

On another wall hung several paintings. Their golden frames, mottled with age, hinted at their long history. Su Xinxin couldn’t quite decipher the subjects—some depicted flowers, others landscapes, and one particularly striking piece featured a woman in a long gown standing alone in a field of tulips, her back to the viewer, seemingly waiting for someone.

Yet, she found it beautiful. It hung perfectly, complementing the shop’s unique atmosphere.

“Tulip senior,” Jasmin began, “do you have any magical artifacts that can be both decorative and useful in combat, perhaps something suitable for Gentian?” She gestured towards Su Xinxin beside her.

Tulip’s gaze swept over Su Xinxin, slowly moving from head to toe. Su Xinxin, feeling a little self-conscious under the scrutiny, instinctively straightened her posture.

“Oh?” Tulip chuckled. “You’ve certainly come to the right person. Follow me.”

She turned and walked towards the row of wooden cabinets by the wall, pulling open one of the drawers.

The drawer was lined with dark velvet, upon which lay an assortment of small items—beads, bells, tiny jade stones, and other objects Su Xinxin couldn’t name. Each lay quietly, reflecting its own unique luster under the light.

“The Gentian flower—pure and flawless,” Tulip murmured softly, her fingers gliding gently over the trinkets as if selecting something special. “I believe… a bracelet would be perfect. It’s easy to wear, light to carry, and aligns well with your flower’s meaning.”

Her hand paused on a pale yellow bead. It was small, smooth, and translucent, with something seemingly flowing slowly within its depths. She picked it up, then chose a few small white beads and a delicate silver bell, placing them all in her palm.

Then, she clasped her hands together and gently rubbed them.

Like magic, when she spread her hands open again, the scattered trinkets had been strung together into a bracelet. The pale yellow bead was centered, flanked by the white beads, and the silver bell dangled at the end, emitting a faint, delicate chime with the slightest movement, like wind rustling through flower spikes.

“This is an opal,” Tulip said, offering the bracelet. “It’s gentle, calms the mind, and is perfectly suited for a newly awakened one.”

Jasmin took it, leaning closer to examine it. Indeed, under the light, the bead revealed a fine, shifting streak of light, moving with every change in angle, much like a cat’s eye.

“Oh, it’s beautiful!” Jasmin’s eyes lit up. She turned and eagerly approached Su Xinxin. “Gentian, look! What do you think?”

Su Xinxin gazed at the bracelet.

It truly was beautiful. Elegant and understated, it would undoubtedly complement her skin tone when worn on her wrist.

Yet, she instinctively shook her head.

‘Why are you suddenly buying me things?’ she asked Xiao Ming in her mind. ‘Don’t girls usually dress themselves up first?’

‘Master!’ Xiao Ming’s voice echoed in her mind, tinged with a hint of helplessness. ‘Jasmin sees you as a friend, not a senior.’

Su Xinxin paused, taken aback.

‘Then what should I do next?’

“Gentian?” Jasmin continued to dangle the bracelet in front of her. “Look, look, does it suit you?”

“Uh…” Su Xinxin scratched her head. “I don’t really need this right now.”

“Oh, come on! You’ve just advanced to a First-Order Awakener, so you definitely need a magical artifact! Otherwise, how will you fight?” Jasmin pondered for a moment, then added, “What if you team up with me for a mission next time, and you don’t have an artifact? I’d have to look out for you, and that would hinder me!”

Her tone was light as she spoke, but Su Xinxin understood. Jasmin was finding a reason that Su Xinxin couldn’t refuse.

“How about… we keep looking?” Su Xinxin attempted a delaying tactic, hoping that with more looking, Jasmin might forget.

“Alright, let’s keep looking then.”

Jasmin handed the bracelet back to Tulip, who smiled without a word, simply putting it away. She then led the two deeper into the shop.

The shop held many other fascinating items.

One shelf displayed various hair accessories—hair clips, hairpins, hair ties, some simple, others elaborate. Beside them were necklaces and bracelets, and further along, several brooches shaped like flowers, their petals so thin they seemed translucent.

Another cabinet housed several staves, made of different materials; some wooden, others of an unknown metal, their tips inlaid with gemstones of varying colors. There were also several old-looking books, their covers worn, pages yellowed, their contents a mystery.

In a corner, there were even what appeared to be antiques—a small copper telescope, a chipped porcelain bowl, and an iron plate engraved with characters.

It was then that Su Xinxin realized Tulip’s shop was probably… an antique curiosity shop? With a hint of a magic workshop. She couldn’t quite define it.

“What about this? Do you want it?” Jasmin picked up a bow-shaped hair clip and held it against Su Xinxin’s head.

Su Xinxin shook her head.

“And this one?” Jasmin then picked up a necklace with a silver chain and a small flower pendant.

Su Xinxin shook her head again.

“Then what about this?” Jasmin pointed to a staff. Its shaft was dark wood, and its tip was set with a pale green gem that glowed with a gentle light under the lamps.

“I already have one of these,” Su Xinxin said, shaking her head before reaching out and making a grasping motion.

A wooden staff appeared in her hand. It was simple and unadorned, topped with a cluster of Gentian blossoms, their centers radiating a soft glow. It was the same staff she had received during her very first transformation.

Jasmin also summoned her own staff—the Jasmin Radiance Staff. It was entirely pristine white, entwined with emerald green vine patterns, and the Jasmin flower at its tip remained perpetually in bloom, its light far brighter than Su Xinxin’s.

Held side by side, the two staffs presented a stark contrast: one simple, the other exquisite.

A shop assistant, who had been tidying a shelf nearby, looked up when they heard the commotion. Seeing both women holding staffs, they froze for a moment before hurrying over.

“No fighting! No fighting!”

Jasmin couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

‘Why do I suddenly feel like I’ve thought of some old joke? What are the benefits of magical artifacts? Whoever answers correctly gets one…’

Tulip raised a hand to stop the assistant, shaking her head slightly. The assistant then realized their mistake, offered an embarrassed smile, and retreated to the side.

“Gentian,” Jasmin said, retracting her staff and turning to Su Xinxin. “Your staff isn’t as pretty as mine. Why not get a new one? At least it would have magical enhancements. Your current wooden one could easily be cut down if you encounter a powerful Corroder.”

She pleaded earnestly, her expression reminding Su Xinxin of her daughter’s insistence on buying her new clothes in the past—’The old ones are still wearable, why buy new ones?’

“If I buy a new one, what about the old one?”

Su Xinxin looked down at the staff in her hand. She was reluctant to part with it, and she unconsciously gripped it tighter.

This staff had been with her since her first transformation. Though not particularly beautiful, though simple, and though it might genuinely be cut down… it had accompanied her for a month, through experiences she never imagined she would face.

“Sigh—”

Jasmin let out a sigh. She was genuinely tired. Su Xinxin was truly unyielding, no amount of persuasion worked. ‘Could her good intentions not be conveyed?’

Xiao Li, perched on Jasmin’s shoulder, suddenly flapped their ears and flew lightly to Tulip’s side, whispering a few words.

Tulip nodded understandingly.

“How about this?”

She walked over to Su Xinxin, her voice soft and imbued with an irresistible gentleness.

“Miss Gentian, allow me to present you with a bracelet as a congratulatory gift for your First-Order advancement.”

Su Xinxin looked up, about to decline, but Tulip continued speaking.

“Moreover, Miss Jasmin’s intentions are purely good. Besides—”

She paused, looking into Su Xinxin’s eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“A girl always has to dress herself up, doesn’t she?”

Su Xinxin opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.

Jasmin vigorously nodded from the side: “Exactly! Exactly!”

Tulip turned and walked back to the row of wooden cabinets, pulled open the drawer, and retrieved the bracelet. Instead of handing it directly, she took Su Xinxin’s hand and gently placed the bracelet in her palm.

“Opal nurtures the wearer; wearing it will benefit you,” she said softly. “And this bracelet is currently only a semi-finished product. It still needs time for modification and renewal. Once I’ve added a few more things to truly make it worthy of you, I’ll send it to you then.”

Su Xinxin looked down at the bracelet in her palm. The pale yellow opal glowed softly under the light, its fine streak of light seemingly flowing slowly.

“Then…” She hesitated. “How much does it cost?”

Tulip smiled.

“As I said, it’s a congratulatory gift. It costs nothing.”

“But…”

“How about this?” Jasmin interjected, taking the bracelet from Su Xinxin’s hand and returning it to Tulip. “You hold onto it for now, and once it’s modified, we’ll come back to see it.”

She then turned to Su Xinxin.

“You won’t be able to refuse it then.”

Su Xinxin looked at Jasmin’s serious face, then at Tulip’s smiling eyes.

“…Alright,” she said.

Jasmin smiled, a very happy smile.

Tulip put the bracelet away, took out a small notebook from behind the counter, and wrote something in it.

“The modifications will take some time,” she said. “I’ll notify you when it’s ready.”

“Okay!” Jasmin responded quickly, as if afraid Su Xinxin might change her mind.

The two browsed the shop for a while longer. Jasmin did buy a small bottle of hand cream recommended by Tulip. Su Xinxin looked at this, touched that, and though she bought nothing, the awkwardness in her heart had largely dissipated.

Later, Xiao Ming secretly relayed the ‘information’ to her—what Xiao Li had said to Tulip, she could roughly guess. But what was done was done, so she had to accept it.

As they stepped out of the shop, the sunlight outside remained just as soft. The light purple rabbit was still crouching by the door, and upon seeing them emerge, it nodded slightly, as if bidding farewell.

Jasmin waved to it.

“See you next time, Xiao Xiang.”

Su Xinxin also nodded at it.

After walking some distance, she quietly asked Jasmin, “That bracelet… is it really not expensive?”

Jasmin glanced at her and smiled.

“What does it matter if it’s expensive or not?” she said. “It’s a gift from a friend, just accept it.”

Su Xinxin was silent for a moment.

“Then… thank you,” she said.

“Thank me for what?” Jasmin waved her hand. “It was Tulip senior who gave it.”

Su Xinxin didn’t respond, merely looking at her.

Jasmin felt a little guilty under her gaze, turning her head away, the tips of her ears subtly reddening.

“…Thank you too,” Su Xinxin repeated, a hint of a smile in her voice.

Jasmin paused, then mumbled, “I already said it wasn’t from me…”

But her voice grew softer and softer, as if she herself didn’t quite believe it.

Su Xinxin didn’t press the matter. The two continued walking along the commercial street, the sunlight spread across the flagstones and illuminating them both.

The wind blew from the direction of the sea of flowers, carrying a faint, sweet fragrance.

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