Chapter 203

Page Fifty-Nine I Am Not a Thief!

After we had purchased the “men’s attire” for Xiao Lei and Lin Hua to attend the evening banquet, we bid farewell to the Yang siblings whose names we still didn’t know, and left the fashion shop.

Today, there was no work, but AJ also didn’t intend to stay around as a third wheel. If she offended Miss Grizelda, a valuable ally, the opportunity she had just obtained would be squandered, so she followed us out.

Just a few steps out of the shop, she draped her arm over my shoulder, complaining like a middle-aged man, “I’m so nervous, I never thought I’d push myself to that extent! Did you see how great I looked?!”

Xiao Lei also came up, clearly annoyed by AJ clinging to me. She bent down, putting her head between us, half her face pressed against the breast prosthetic, wobbling as she walked… if I hadn’t been numb, I would have felt it.

She asked AJ, “Your runway walk was certainly not like your usual self. It felt like you were a different person inside and out. Even I was stunned. How did you do it?”

“Well, I imagined myself as the ideal woman. The whole process felt like a daydream. I forgot everything else—your reactions, the surroundings. When I finished, I thought it was all for naught! When they said they wanted to send me to a professional school, I was flabbergasted. This development was completely unexpected. Though it’s good news, how can I leave now?”

She sighed again.

Lin Hua said, “Since you’re not attending school anyway, going to that professional school might be a good option for you.”

“But if I go to school, I won’t be able to take care of Sister Yǐjī. My relationship with Sister Tāo will also become distant… Sigh, so troublesome.”

Despite her outward complaints, AJ’s hand that was on my shoulder slid down to my chest. I pushed away her intrusive hand.

“Stop it! Instead of thinking about me, think about how to solve the current problem!”

Her own chest wasn’t small, why was she so interested in my fake ones?

“Don’t lay a finger on Chairman!”

The idiot, trying to wedge herself between me and AJ, was instead pinched by AJ and tickled, while the loyal “shepherd” protected the “lamb,” becoming the prey himself, laughing uncontrollably.

Lin Hua also helped AJ strategize.

“Everything has its priorities. Even if you plan to go to a modeling school, you need to fulfill Sister Tāo’s request first. Miss Grizelda isn’t returning until next month. You can wait until after Sister Tāo and Sister Yǐjī’s matters are resolved before making plans. No need to rush.”

“Mmm… That makes sense.”

AJ nodded, but her mischievous fingers continued to tease Xiao Lei’s stomach.

—”There is actually a solution for AJ’s situation. As a deity, providing some convenience to believers is not unreasonable.”—

Ignoring the laughing idiot, Cherry Sauce seemed to have an idea.

—”She doesn’t want to leave Sister Yǐjī and Sister Tāo. Setting up a teleportation array between the two places could help. Even if she attends school elsewhere, she can return to take care of Sister Yǐjī. It wouldn’t significantly impact the current situation.”—

Teleportation array?

That sounded more like something the witches from the Magic Research Institute would do.

—”Yes, we plan to borrow their technology and use their magical energy batteries.”—

I was surprised. After multiple interactions with the Research Institute, Cherry Sauce didn’t seem to mind using magic as much anymore.

—”If possible, I hope they stop their research, but I won’t object if it’s within the limits of the Heaven’s Path.”—

However, in this case, I believed she didn’t need our interference. Perhaps we could help, but sometimes doing nothing was the right decision, and she shouldn’t overly rely on supernatural powers.

—”That’s true. Helping once leads to helping again. Since you think it’s inappropriate, consider it unsaid.”—

Cherry Sauce fell silent afterward.

I glanced at my phone; it was 11:15 AM, a rather awkward time.

I suggested, “We have plenty of time before meeting with the senior student. Why don’t we check out that trendy store downstairs first?”

Though I wasn’t particularly interested in clothes, I was curious about the female shopkeeper’s rap-style sales pitch to pass the time before lunch.

AJ remembered the store since she had helped with the promotional photos.

“Trendy store? Oh, the shopkeeper looks unconventional, but she’s quite approachable. But I can’t join you for shopping. I need to go back and discuss battle plans with Sister Yǐjī, figure out a good story… See you later!”

AJ pushed Xiao Lei towards me and waved goodbye.

The idiot, weakened by the tickling, blushed. I supported her back, letting her hang onto my neck, gasping for breath.

Her extremely ticklish waist was always her weakness.

Taking the elevator down, the unique hip-hop style of the trendy store was very noticeable. I noticed the object of Tony Yang’s affection; there was only one female staff member in the entire store, which made her the shopkeeper for sure.

Her appearance was striking. In AJ’s words, it was unconventional. I never imagined Tony Yang would like this type of look.

“Tattoos, earrings, lip piercings, nose rings, black leather, blonde hair… even hip-hop should have limits!”

The shopkeeper’s skin was not naturally dark like chocolate but was artificially tanned to a deeper brown than Li Jiang’s, creating a strong visual impact.

Xiao Lei commented, “Probably has piercings under the clothes too… HSO.”

These decorations looked painful. Her clothing was like a dye shop, covering every color imaginable, clashing together and challenging my aesthetics. Traditional views made me wary of such people, overshadowing any desire to hear her rap performance… This shopkeeper gave me the impression that she could beatbox with a microphone and do a Thomas spin without it.

Lin Hua said, “Hey, judging others based on preconceptions is wrong! This is a form of selection. She uses her outfit to tell customers that the store’s clothing isn’t aimed at mainstream tastes.”

At first glance, it seemed reasonable, yet the store’s decor, the shopkeeper’s appearance, and the clothing styles all exuded a strong presence…

“Let’s go in. Didn’t AJ say the shopkeeper is approachable?”

Lin Hua led the way, pretending to pick out clothes, though she didn’t interact with the shopkeeper, who didn’t approach to sell either.

“Chairman?” Xiao Lei waited for my decision.

“There’s no choice. Let’s go in. Can they eat us?”

But then…

“Ah! Thief!”

As soon as we entered the store, the hip-hop shopkeeper accused us.

But how could I tolerate such false accusations?

I immediately denied, “What are you talking about? This is my first time in your shop! What did I steal?”

She rushed over, grabbing my shoulders, and angrily said, “You witch! Stealing and denying it. Four days ago, you took three pieces of clothing and disappeared into the changing room!”

I was stunned, understanding the situation.

—”I compared the footage provided by Queen. This is indeed one of the stores that was robbed, but how did the shopkeeper recognize our faces? The mysterious girl A used cognitive interference and avoided the cameras when committing the crime.”—

The atmosphere was awkward. Lin Hua asked, “What happened? We came here because Mr. Tony recommended it. This is our first visit. Isn’t it inappropriate to accuse us of theft upon first meeting?”

The shopkeeper leaned in, saying each word carefully, “I have evidence!”

I noticed a light gold tattoo under her eyelid.

I didn’t want to judge her aesthetic choices, but this style was hard to accept. Perhaps Mr. Tony, who stands at the forefront of fashion, sees something special, which is why he fell for her at first sight.

But appearances aren’t everything. Since AJ said she was approachable, maybe she isn’t so bad on the inside.

I asked, “This is my first time in this store. Can we see the evidence you mentioned?”

“Hmph, come over.”

She hesitated but led us behind the counter to operate the surveillance computer.

Lin Hua saw the screen and shouted, “…Wait! This is the changing room!”

Hidden cameras in the changing room? This place’s integrity was questionable.

She retorted, “Without cameras, could I have caught you?”

Lin Hua countered, “Then why not call the police directly with this video?”

“I…”

The shopkeeper remained silent. She obviously couldn’t call the police; invading customer privacy was far worse than losing a couple of items.

Neither could I report it; if the video leaked, I would be convicted of theft and have to take the blame for other shops’ losses.

The mysterious girl A, whom we were looking for, entered the scene, pulling aside the curtain of the changing room, holding clothes to try on. Even she didn’t notice the hidden camera, feeling safe and lowering her guard, unbuttoning her shirt…

My vision went black.

—”You mustn’t look!”—

A black substance covered my eyes.

Though it was my mother inside, that body was Qian Xia… the intrinsic form of the Goddess of Beautiful Girls. I had seen it countless times, so there was no need to make a fuss. Who would try on clothes completely naked?

Cherry Sauce removed the blindfold. The mysterious girl A was already wearing the colorful hip-hop outfit, looking pleased and taking selfies… Had she gotten a phone by then?

This was decisive evidence. I pulled out my three-year-old broken phone.

“Miss Shopkeeper, look at this antique and this brand-new 24K curved screen. Do you still think it’s me?”

To be honest, I envied my mother’s phone.

“Who knows if you have two phones.”

“I don’t have that much money…”

On the video, the mysterious girl A took out two small gold blocks from her pocket and placed them in the slot where the phone was kept, paying for the clothes…

Then she used a teleportation spell to escape.

That was clearly why the shopkeeper called me a witch upon seeing me.