Chapter 243 : In the Great Outdoors
“Ling Ning, are you free next weekend?”
It was lunchtime, and since it wasn’t the weekend, the café was pretty quiet. Of course, it could also be that the hot weather was keeping people indoors, leaving the café rather empty.
“Next weekend?” Ling Ning thought about her schedule and then nodded. “Yes, I’m free. What’s up?”
“There’s an anime convention! A three-day convention at the exhibition center!” Zhou Xiaoxiao said excitedly. “You know where that is, right?”
Ling Ning nodded, recalling that it was the same place she’d gone for her last modeling show.
“Let’s go together next weekend! This one’s supposed to be huge, not like the smaller ones. I’ve heard some famous cosplayers will be there, along with the latest doujinshi, even some 18+ ones… Just thinking about it gets me so excited!”
“Sounds good!” Ling Ning agreed without hesitation. After all, conventions were hard to resist for an otaku like her. Plus, her daughter had never been to one, so this was the perfect chance to take her along for some fun.
Seeing Ling Ning accept her invitation, Zhou Xiaoxiao celebrated inwardly and then asked with a big smile, “In that case, could you come over to my house sometime this week?”
“Huh? Is uncle asking me to play chess again?”
Zhou Xiaoxiao shook her head. “My parents are off on a honeymoon, so I’m home alone. I wanted to plan out our convention outfits together…”
“Huh?” Ling Ning was momentarily taken aback. “Can’t we just wear normal clothes?”
“No way! It’s a convention! You’ve got to go bold and dress up as your favorite character! Besides, I heard you wore cosplay to school—so what’s there to be afraid of?”
“Uh…” Ling Ning couldn’t think of a good comeback.
“Well… alright then. I’ll also bring my daughter… I mean, my little sister. Is that okay?”
“Of course! I love your cute little sister, Ling Ye.”
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“How did your first day of work go?” Ling Ning asked Li Si with a smile. It was the end of their shift, and she had changed out of her maid outfit into the white dress she’d worn that day.
“P-Pretty good,” Li Si replied, her cheeks still slightly red. They had just changed clothes together, and the memory of watching Ling Ning change still had her a bit flustered. She couldn’t understand why she, as a girl, would feel this way watching another girl change.
And she hadn’t expected Ling Ning to wear such childish, elementary-school-style panties.
The two walked slowly along the road home. The sky had grown darker, and even at night, the air was still stiflingly humid. Suddenly, raindrops began to fall.
“Whoa—rain, out of nowhere!”
Feeling the droplets, Ling Ning looked around for a place to take shelter, but there didn’t seem to be anywhere nearby to get out of the rain.
“The rain’s getting heavier. Let’s go a bit further and see if there’s any cover.”
They picked up their pace, and after a while, they found a closed storefront. Although they finally had shelter, both were already soaked.
Li Si was in dark-colored clothes, so she didn’t mind much, but Ling Ning had it worse. Not only was her dress white, but she’d also chosen the thinnest one she had for coolness. Now soaked through, her dress clung to her, making everything underneath fully visible.
“What’s wrong?”
Ling Ning noticed Li Si staring at her and asked in confusion.
“Y-Your clothes are… see-through,” Li Si stammered, her cheeks turning red. She knew it was rude to keep looking, but her eyes kept drifting in that direction.
Ling Ning, startled by Li Si’s comment, looked down and finally realized her situation. Fortunately, there weren’t any bystanders nearby to witness the scene.
“Why…why on earth did I think it was a good idea to wear this dress today?” Ling Ning cursed silently, annoyed by her poor decision and the unpredictable weather. Truly, June weather was as moody as a child.
She made a mental note to always carry an umbrella, no matter what.
Seeing Ling Ning’s face go through a range of expressions, Li Si cautiously asked, “Um… are you okay, Ling Ning?”
Ling Ning shook her head and replied, “I’m fine.”
As Li Si looked at the rain-soaked Ling Ning under the streetlight, she didn’t see any trace of dishevelment. Instead, the droplets on Ling Ning’s hair trailed down her cheek and onto her neck, vanishing into the enticing depths of her neckline.
Li Si felt her throat go dry at the sight, instinctively swallowing. Ling Ning was simply too alluring right now.
Unaware of Li Si’s reaction, Ling Ning gazed out at the rain, wishing it would stop. All she wanted now was to go home, shower, and change.
Perhaps her silent prayers were answered, because the rain soon let up. Just as Ling Ning prepared to head home, she remembered her appearance and realized she couldn’t just walk home like this.
Li Si noticed Ling Ning’s dilemma and, after thinking it over, offered, “I’ll walk you home. Let’s take the side roads—there shouldn’t be many people that way, and your place isn’t far. We’ll get there quickly.”
“T-Thank you,” Ling Ning said, a bit embarrassed.
With Li Si’s help, Ling Ning made it safely back to her apartment building. The whole experience made her feel like some kind of exhibitionist. She didn’t even know what to think.
“Thank you so much today. You’ve saved me once again, my Xiao Si Si~”
“It… it’s nothing. I’ll be heading home now.”
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Author’s Note:
For some reason, I’m not feeling up to writing today. Got a mahjong game tonight, too… Ah, well.