【Equipment Status Updated: Perfectly Matched Versatile Attire】

Another ten minutes later.

Su Qi declared himself fully recovered.

Of course, he felt it necessary to explain first.

He had stayed up late last night, so he was a bit overheated.

A little nosebleed was perfectly normal.

Please refrain from spreading any inappropriate rumors.

But Liu Yuan still seemed stuck in self-blame.

Su Qi decided it was time to stop teasing her: "Don’t make that face anymore."

"If anyone else saw you like this, they’d probably call the cops on me."

However, Liu Yuan didn’t seem particularly moved by his words.

No matter—Su Qi had a trump card: "I’m going to find your sister-in-law."

The disconnected Liu Yuan instantly reconnected: "I’m coming too!"

Realizing her words alone might not be enough,

she quickly ran to Su Qi’s side, clutching his arm and shaking it back and forth: "Brother, brother, take me with you! I want to go too~"

She tried her best to replicate some legendary "sincerity ultimate move" to prove her dedication.

Unfortunately, her skills fell short.

But Su Qi believed everyone had their own interpretation of sincerity.

At least in his eyes, her effort wasn’t bad.

Being too flashy wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Subtlety had its own kind of resilient beauty.

And since it was low-key, there wasn’t much room for disappointment.

That said, if Su Qi really didn’t want to take Liu Yuan along, he would’ve bolted the moment he closed the door.

Why would he just stand there waiting like an idiot?

But he had to pretend her sincerity had swayed him.

It was the same principle as training a kitten.

Reward the kitten with a treat when it does something right, and eventually, it’ll learn that such behavior earns rewards.

Same logic here.

This way, Liu Yuan would believe her sincerity could move Su Qi.

So she’d put in maximum effort every time.

And Su Qi would pretend to be swayed by it each time.

A perfect, virtuous cycle.

"Fine then…"

The only flaw was that his tone sounded a bit reluctant.

But Liu Yuan didn’t care.

Now she could rightfully go be a third whee—

Pfft.

No, she wasn’t a third wheel.

This was her brother to begin with.

Yun Huang wasn’t allowed to monopolize him.

She had to assert her ownership.

Su Qi watched as Liu Yuan’s expression instantly brightened.

"Yay!"

"Brother, let’s go!"

Are you an acting veteran too?

Sichuan opera face-changing was just for fun.

Real face-changing was his sister’s specialty.

"Go where?"

Still basking in the joy of her successful scheme, Liu Yuan answered without thinking: "To find sister-in—"

The moment the words left her mouth, her face froze.

"…law? Uh…"

[Joy +6]

Su Qi stared at the notification.

Something was off—it was always +666 before. Why only +6 now?

Had he broken his sister, or had he maxed out her affection meter?

Or was the battery on this emotional charger drained?

Maybe he should go grab a data cable…

Never mind, not the right time.

Su Qi decided to stop teasing her: "We’re heading out soon. Shouldn’t you go shower and change?"

Sure, some people looked good even in the academy’s uniform—maybe even had a unique charm.

But that was because they were attractive, not because the Great Xia Academy’s uniforms were anything special.

Everyone knew most of the academy’s uniforms were hideous…

Almost like they were intentionally designed that way to prevent students from developing feelings for each other.

Liu Yuan finally glanced down at herself.

She was still wearing the Sixth Division uniform, with faint traces of dirt from earlier battles.

If they were going out, she really should change.

"Brother, you’re not planning to… while I’m showering…"

To prove his innocence, Su Qi cut in: "I won’t peek at your—"

Liu Yuan’s delayed words arrived: "sneak off alone—"

Their last syllables overlapped, both laced with uncertainty.

"…bag?"

"…way?"

Liu Yuan: ???

Su Qi: ???

They stared at each other.

Both were baffled by the other’s train of thought.

Liu Yuan shot Su Qi a look before darting off to the bathroom.

"Brother, I’m going to shower now."

Su Qi nodded absently in response.

His sister hurried into the bathroom,

and soon the frosted glass door clicked shut behind her.

Inside the bathroom.

Water cascaded down, streaming over Liu Yuan’s body.

Humming a tune, she lathered up with soap, working the rich bubbles across her skin.

Su Qi listened to the sound of running water.

And suddenly remembered that urban legend about handprints on glass doors…

…

After her shower, Liu Yuan wrapped herself in a towel and headed back to her room.

Passing through the living room, she noticed Su Qi lounging on the sofa, legs crossed, idly scrolling through his phone.

Weird. Su Qi usually preferred hiding in his own room.

Liu Yuan didn’t dwell on it.

Maybe it was just a sign their relationship had improved.

Back in her room, Liu Yuan stood before her closet, eyes scanning the array of clothes.

It was true…

Su Qi never skimped on her needs—food, clothes, anything.

And here she’d been acting like an ungrateful brat, assuming it was all from their parents’ inheritance…

All these years, Su Qi must’ve worked so hard…

Her gaze eventually settled on a black-and-white maid dress.

She gently pulled it out, fingertips brushing over the soft fabric as a smile tugged at her lips.

This one had been gathering dust for half a year.

Originally, she’d planned to wear it when meeting her "brother."

It was also the style she’d painstakingly deduced was his preference through careful probing.

Primarily black and white, the top was a white chiffon blouse with a black ribbon tied into a delicate bow at the collar, adding a touch of playful sweetness.

The sleeves had a slight puff design, subtly flattering her arms.

The skirt was a pleated affair, the neat folds stopping just above the knees—perfectly balanced.

(Reference the cover art?)

The towel dropped to the floor as Liu Yuan held the dress up to the mirror. "Did it shrink?"

Her worries were unfounded, of course.

She seemed to have hit her limit.

This was as good as it would ever get.

Liu Yuan sighed at this tragic realization.

Then she slipped into the dress and twirled in front of the mirror.

Something felt missing.

Oh, right!

The gear Su Qi had given her.

Liu Yuan activated the card, materializing it before equipping the item.

Once fully dressed, she checked herself in the mirror again.

Still not quite satisfied.

Just then—

[Equipment status updated]

[Card Name: Perfectly Paired Versatile Attire]

[Type: Exclusive Equipment · Illusion]

[Rarity: Rare]

[Energy Tier: ???? (Tier 4)]

[Attributes]

[Strength +15 (Please upgrade)]

[Agility +15 (Please upgrade)]

[Magic +15 (Please upgrade)]

Liu Yuan watched as the hemline crept upward, transforming from knee-length to a miniskirt.

Liu Yuan: ???