The month I spent waiting for the events I needed to begin was not in vain. Every day I cultivated in that clearing I found a year ago, paying more attention to the lightning element, as it is easier to defend oneself with lightning than with a wind blade in front of strangers. I won't have to explain where such unusual wind magic comes from at the initial level. But in the first days of study, I was not particularly worried about what would happen next according to canon, the development of my magic, and other trifles. I was looking forward to Saturday, the day I agreed to meet Lin Yun Er.
Before this, I had never gone anywhere with anyone just like that; I always had a goal. With Zhou Min, we just studied together, and no one had invited me for a walk before… New experiences always cause excitement, right? Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long, and somehow immersing myself in daily affairs, I lived until the appointed day. I dressed as decently as I could in my opinion, in simple jeans and a t-shirt, and somehow styled my hair, although because I had hardly taken care of my hair before, it was very difficult to do, and nothing much came of it.
By ten in the morning, I arrived at the appointed time, near the shopping center; I remembered that Jiaxing Xia would hide in a similar place during the catastrophe. At least I could look around. Of course, I was very worried and anxious, and the anxiety grew stronger with every minute! This was definitely not like me; usually, I maintain composure, and it's difficult to throw me off balance, but now… My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, anticipating our meeting, and I checked my watch literally every second, worried that she had abandoned me, that I had made a mistake in my bold assumption. Even though I consider myself knowledgeable in human emotions and body language, how can a person who has never experienced anything like this understand anything? Naturally, he will doubt and worry.
However, all my fears were in vain, and after about ten minutes of waiting, Lin Yun Er arrived with a slight delay. She was wearing a simple blue skirt, slightly above the knees, a t-shirt of the same color, and low-heeled shoes. These clothes perfectly emphasized all the curves of her body, so it was impossible to look away from them, even I had to make an effort to lift my eyes and look at her face. It didn't differ much from her usual appearance, just a little makeup, imperceptible to an experienced eye, but at that moment, it seemed to me that this slightly embarrassed face was the most beautiful I had ever seen. Her hair was braided into a high ponytail, which trembled with every step she took, literally drawing attention to itself.
"Hello, Jiaxing Yun, sorry I'm a little late… I spent a little more time getting ready than I expected…" She said, smiling shyly.
"No… It's okay…" I said, shaking my head, at the same time shedding the inexplicable feeling that had come over me and regaining my composure and ability to think clearly.
"So where did you want to go?"
"To a couple of shops… Don't worry, I won't distract you from your business for long…" Lin Yun Er said apologetically.
"Thank you for agreeing to walk with me."
"It's nothing… I didn't have any special plans for today anyway," I said, shrugging.
"Great…" She said, smiling, leading me forward.
Surprisingly, the shops we went to were clothing stores. Although Lin Yun Er loves to read, she prefers to get books from the library, apparently. I didn't particularly like spending so much time aimlessly walking around clothing stores; it would have been fine if it were related to manhua, but clothes… I never attached much importance to them, except when I wanted to make a certain impression, although I understood them as needed. Lin Yun Er ran between the aisles, looking at things, sometimes asking me questions, and I tried to answer based on my considerations and abilities. But my main occupation was to carry everything she chose, as well as enjoy her company, while fighting internal anxiety.
"And now let's go try everything on!" Lin Yun Er declared confidently, when a considerable pile of clothes had already accumulated in my hands.
"Can't you tell the right size by eye? Besides, you've bought clothes for yourself before, don't you know it?" I asked in surprise, not quite understanding the fitting procedure.
"How can you not try things on? What if they don't look good? It's not just about the size!" She said businesslike, raising her head.
"Uh… Okay…" I said, slightly confused, having completely forgotten during our wandering between the aisles that ordinary people find it difficult to imagine how they will look in a particular outfit.
"I'll change quickly now, and you'll evaluate how I look, okay?" She asked with a smile on her face, taking all the things from me and going into the fitting room.
"Okay…" I replied, not thinking much, finding a place nearby to sit.
"Thank you," she said, quickly drawing the curtain.
After sitting for about five minutes and still not seeing Lin Yun'er emerge from the fitting room, I started to worry and thought about peeking in to see if she was alright. While barging into a girl's fitting room wasn't exactly acceptable, I remembered how in my past life, I had arranged a couple of assassinations myself and had people I didn't like killed according to my orders… So, worry and concern began to echo my past life experiences, my heart clenched tightly in my chest, and my brain decided it was none of its business. Quickly approaching the cubicle, I gently pushed aside the curtain and peeked inside.
"Are you alright?" I asked, simultaneously with my actions, resulting in me freezing and staring at Lin Yun'er, who was dressed only in white panties and a bra, holding a black tank top, about to put it on, staring at me in complete shock. "Ah, if you're alright, then I apologize." I said quickly and impartially, drawing the curtain and returning to my seat, experiencing mixed emotions of shame and satisfaction.
"Are you completely out of your mind, barging into a fitting room when a girl is in there?" Lin Yun'er asked sternly, emerging a few minutes later dressed in denim pants and a jacket, as well as the same black tank top she had been holding.
"Sorry! You were in there so long that I started to worry and didn't think…" I said, raising my hands and smiling innocently. "By the way, it suits you…"
"Really?" she said, calming down a bit, looking herself up and down. "Wait! That's not the main thing! Do you even realize what you did!"
"What's the big deal? If we went to the beach, I would have seen you in a swimsuit too, wouldn't I?" I asked calmly, tilting my head.
"Uh… Are you serious right now?…" she stammered, staring at me. "That's completely different, you idiot!" she said seriously, hitting me on the head. I awkwardly tried to defend myself, although I could have easily avoided the blow.
"Okay… Okay! I'll atone for my sin!" I pleaded for forgiveness, barely holding back laughter.
"Oh yeah? And how?" she said, quite arrogantly and smugly, looking down at me.
"Well, the only thing I can do is just buy you this outfit, since it suits you," I stated innocently with a smile on my face.
"Are you serious right now? Do you think I'll calm down for a measly handout?" she asked in the same tone, which would make any guy feel awkward, even me a little!
"Well, yes? This outfit really suits you, how can I not be serious about that?" I asked, without changing my expression.
"Sigh… Fine… But then you'll also take me to the movies, understand?" she asked in a stern voice.
"Okay…" I nodded calmly, not objecting to her, and in my heart, I cried about how much money I would spend today and how much I would have to save to not deviate from my original plans. Maybe I'd even have to find a part-time job? But no, then I would have to reduce my cultivation time, which I absolutely could not afford to do!
"To the movie *I* choose!" Lin Yun'er said, still sternly.
"Okay…" I replied without much change in my voice. It seemed like there was still money left from Kun Shan's first thousand yuan, so I should be able to manage somehow, plus the small scholarship that elite class members receive for their sustenance should help.
"Then, fine… Does it really suit me?" she asked, finally completely calmed down, spinning in place and looking at herself.
"Yes, quite. Why would I lie to you?" I asked in a serious tone.
"Who knows," she snorted, turning away, but still smiling. "Then let's continue trying things on! Maybe something else will suit me! But you have to be honest!"
"Yeah, how could I lie to you," I said in a listless tone. After that, we spent about two more hours at the fitting room, choosing several outfits. Then we went to the next store, where the situation repeated itself, so by about three o'clock yesterday, I was carrying several bags as we headed to the local cinema. The movie she chose turned out to be quite interesting, so on the way back, we enthusiastically discussed it, no longer remembering the incident in the fitting room. Although, with my photographic memory, I was quite satisfied with the result and was able to discern all the features of her body in those few seconds. When we passed a bookstore, I noticed a manhua displayed in its window, which I had read before, and it was precisely the volume I had been looking for for a long time, so I wasn't going to miss it, even though it promised even greater financial expenses. But on the other hand, why should I work hard to fulfill my plans and save money if it prevents me from doing what I enjoy? What's the point then?
"Lin Yun'er, wait a moment, I'm going to buy something," I said, heading towards the store entrance.
"Huh? Okay…" she said, slightly surprised, stopping.
"Thank you, I've been looking for this for a long time," I said, coming out of the store holding, though not new, but a necessary volume of manhua. Living in China was more convenient in this regard.
"Oh, so you're into manhua?" she asked, surprised.
"Yes, what about it?" I asked in a casual tone.
"Well, I just thought people like that were a bit strange…" Lin Yun'er said honestly. "Besides, you're a mage, and most stories shouldn't evoke such excitement…"
"Why is that?" I asked, bewildered.
"Like… well… After all, you can experience something similar, control your element and use its power to fight monsters…" she said, flustered. "For mages, it's kind of strange to read stories about themselves, don't you think?…"
"No, I think among mages, you'll find the most enthusiasts on this topic," I said with a smile on my face.
"Really? Why is that?" she asked, this time with bewilderment.
"Because if a person who is passionate about manhua puts in enough effort, they can become like their idol. This adds motivation to studying magic and training. Such people are often more motivated," I said, with a slight nostalgia for my old world, but I bet Lin Yun'er understood it differently. I wonder how many people there would give everything they had just to be where I am now, despite the danger? There must have been many foolish madmen who chased a pretty wrapper, completely forgetting how cruel this world can be… Perhaps I am one of them…
"I see… Maybe you're right…" Lin Yun'er said thoughtfully, after which we continued our way to her dormitory, chatting about all sorts of nonsense.
"Well, that's it…" I said, in a slightly sad voice, as we approached the dormitory gates. It was already evening and the sun had almost set, so I had spent my whole day, a lot of money, and energy on this outing, but… I had an unforgettable pleasure and impressions and wouldn't mind going out somewhere again. However, I still felt sad, not because of the wasted expenses, but because this would most likely never happen again, and I would probably never see the girl standing before me again. Although predicting her fate was incredibly difficult, as in the original, she should have been dead two weeks ago.
"Yeah… Thank you for today… I really enjoyed it…" Lin Yun'er replied to me, also in a sad voice, looking at her feet, after which a oppressive silence and quiet fell. No one was going to make the next move and say goodbye definitively. I wasn't sure what Lin Yun'er was thinking or waiting for, but I frankly doubted, for the first time in my second life. I doubted whether I should confess my feelings, which I was almost sure of, that I wanted to spend my time with her, that I was comfortable and pleased with her… Or should I leave such meaningless feelings and move on, focusing primarily on fulfilling my plans and creating a safe world for myself where I could live peacefully. But on the other hand, why do I need all this if I'm going to sit locked up in four walls again, ordering food at home, reading manga, living off bank interest?
"Well, uh… Goodbye then?" I said, finally gathering my strength and deciding that I was not worthy of such treatment from such a girl. I was too cynical, and she might be in danger because of me, so it was better to leave things as they were and let everyone go their own way. I had already turned around and was about to leave when…
"Wait… Jiaxing Yun!" I heard an agitated voice stop me. Turning around, I saw a confident but very embarrassed Lin Yun'er, who, having gathered her thoughts, said, "I like you, let's try dating!"