Chapter 61: The Clothing Store

In the end, we left the trade center behind.
On the way to Xia Yubing’s house, we stopped at a large clothing store.
Now relaxed, Xiao Qing dragged me inside and told the staff we were buying clothes suitable for me.

“What a beautiful girl!”
The store clerks exclaimed as they looked at me, their faces full of admiration.
“What kind of clothes are you looking for?”

“Uh, underwear, everyday skirts, blouses, jackets, pants, and pajamas.”
Xiao Qing thought for a moment, listing practically every type of clothing I’d need.

The clerks exchanged glances but followed her request, bringing over several sets of clothes for us to choose from.
I knew nothing about girls’ clothing, so I left it all to Xiao Qing to pick.

Xiao Qing selected some relatively simple outfits.
She was thoughtful, knowing I wasn’t used to flashy clothes.
She pulled me in front of a full-length mirror, holding up different outfits against me to check their look, and asked, “Xiao-ge, which one do you like?”

“Can’t we just grab a few wearable sets and be done with it? Why make it so complicated?”
I said impatiently.
The string of supernatural incidents had left me frazzled—how could I be in the mood to pick out clothes?

“Sigh, I knew you’d say that.
Sure, you’d probably look good in anything now, Xiao-ge, but I still suggest you choose carefully.
Otherwise, what’s the point of having such a pretty face if you waste it?”
Xiao Qing teased, poking my face.

“You know I have to deal with Xia Yubing’s parents’ matters.
I’m already stressed out—can’t we pick clothes later?”
I said, trying to prioritize.

“No way. You’re too caught up in all this, Xiao-ge, and it’s messing with your head.
Senior Mo once said that this kind of mindset makes it easier for ghosts to take advantage of you or even attract them.
You need to do something else to adjust your mood.”
Xiao Qing said firmly.

“So that’s why you took me to the trade center and started playing around first?”
I recalled how, at the trade center, our goal was to buy clothes, but Xiao Qing had us eat hotpot, wander around, and even play at the arcade.

“Well, that was part of the idea, but I’m really sorry it led to you running into another supernatural incident.”
Xiao Qing said apologetically.

“It’s fine. That kind of thing was completely unexpected.”
I replied, but then I remembered what Xiao Qing had just said—that an agitated mindset could make me more vulnerable to ghosts or even attract them.
Was that why I encountered a ghost at the trade center?

No, it couldn’t be that coincidental.
The incident at the trade center stemmed from long-standing grudges.
The shop owner had used dark sorcery to manipulate a feng shui array, siphoning prosperity from surrounding stores, but those conflicts must have started long before.

Bullying competitors, strong-arming deals, intimidating others, and likely even shadier tactics—those must have been used.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t have driven someone to suicide, nor would that old woman have cursed the owner with her life, or that man with the voodoo doll have spoken with such venomous hatred.

As they say, a deep freeze doesn’t form in a single day.
Those conflicts had been building for a long time, well before I was attacked by the Painted Skin Ghost.
It couldn’t be that my troubled mindset had drawn the ghost to me.

But because I was entangled with a ghost, I had to change clothes, so we went to the trade center to shop.
And because I was upset, I noticed the drained wealth, inhaled the malevolent aura, heard the crying, and was led to the fountain where I saw the ghost.
That chain of events made sense as cause and effect.

From that perspective, an agitated mind might indeed make me more likely to attract unclean things.
Ever since the shopkeeper read my fortune, I’d started to believe a bit in fate or karma.
It seemed I really needed to adjust my mindset.

“Xiao-ge, you’re spacing out again. What are you thinking about?”
Xiao Qing poked me a few times, snapping me out of my daze.

“Huh? What’s up?”
I looked at Xiao Qing, noticing she’d already picked out several outfits.

“I’ve chosen a few sets, but the sizing is tricky, especially for underwear, since I don’t know your measurements or height.”
Xiao Qing said.

“You’re asking me? I don’t know either!”
I said, my face flushing.
I was now essentially Xia Yubing—how would I know her height or measurements?

“Then we’ll have to ask a clerk to measure you.
Xiao-ge, go into the changing room, take off your school uniform, and keep just your underwear on.”
Xiao Qing said, turning to find a clerk.

I’d heard that measuring for sizing did require removing outer clothes.
I stepped into the changing room.
This high-end chain store had spacious changing rooms, with a full-length mirror covering an entire wall, reflecting my entire body.

Since taking on Xia Yubing’s form, I’d rarely looked in mirrors.
This was the first time I’d seen myself—or rather, Xia Yubing—from head to toe.

I had to admit, Xia Yubing’s appearance was breathtaking.
Her slightly pale skin, long hair reaching her hips, and delicate, almost aloof face—she had a unique beauty, almost otherworldly, like a doll.
Even looking in the mirror, I was a bit captivated.

I was still hesitating about undressing when a clerk came in with a measuring tape.
Echoing Xiao Qing, she said, “Please remove your outer clothes and place them in the basket over there. Keep just your underwear.”

Fine, it’s just undressing.
I’d done it before when bathing, so I could just avoid looking in the mirror.
I turned around and quickly stripped off the school uniform.

I faced the clerk instead of the mirror.
Her face showed a mix of awe and envy—an expression I’d seen on many classmates when they looked at Xia Yubing.

The clerk composed herself and approached to measure my height.
Xia Yubing was 165 cm, not particularly tall, but her proportions were flawless, like a perfect work of art.

“You can wear a D-cup bra.
Please wait here, and I’ll bring some clothes in your size for you to try on.”
The clerk said before stepping out.

Soon, Xiao Qing walked in, arms full of clothes.
Surprised, I asked, “Why are you here?”

“To help you try on clothes.
You don’t know how to wear women’s clothing, do you?
Or would Xiao-ge prefer the store clerks to help you change?”
Xiao Qing teased with a smile.

“I’d rather you do it.”
I gave a wry smile.
At least Xiao Qing was familiar and knew my situation.
If I fumbled with women’s clothes, the clerks would definitely get suspicious.

“Hehe, then I won’t hold back.”
Xiao Qing reached toward me.
Why did I feel… like she was doing this on purpose?