Chapter 199 The Radiant Sisters

Chapter 199: Bright and Charming Sisters

Bai Fen returned to stand guard beside the Luminous Treasure Mirror.

After Chen Jin's little stunt, those exposed by the mirror took the hint and left without a fuss.

Chen Xueke wasn't into celebrity gossip or picking sides. While browsing online, she was totally hooked by the Spring Intoxicated Immortal Dress. Curious, she scoured the internet for Xuehe Apparel. Seeing other netizens' posts and images of Xuehe Apparel (in other styles), she felt like she'd stumbled on a hidden gem of a store.

"These clothes are gorgeous—how did I only just find them? Gotta buy a ticket ASAP!"

City M was right next to J City. She grabbed breakfast, hopped on the high-speed train, and got there right on time.

Once she got her purple membership card, she entered the Xuehe Apparel store. The clothes went from a few hundred to tens of thousands of bucks, with every dress tagged by price. Every girl who walked in could find something she loved in her price range.

The spring dresses had that seasonal vibe—youthful, lively, and full of energy. The colors were all over the place: some bright like oil paintings, some elegant like ink wash art, and some sweet like cotton candy. Every piece was so stunning it made you want to snatch it up and take it home.

"This one, this one, and this one—I love every single one of them!" Chen Xueke's eyes lit up like a starry sky as she got lost in the fun of picking out clothes.

"Ring, ring, ring~" Her phone rang from her bag. It was her bestie Shi Jiaojiao video-calling her.

"Xueke, wanna go shopping?"

"Can't, I'm in J City."

"Huh? When'd you go to J City? What for?"

"Shopping for clothes," Chen Xueke turned the camera toward the dresses in the store. "Aren't they beautiful? I love every single one! I wish I could buy 'em all!"

"Wow! They're seriously gorgeous! Get closer so I can see that rose-red one… Wow! Girl, you should've called me to come with! Buy two for me first, I'll Venmo you."

"I just decided on a whim. Okay, just point out which ones you like." Shi Jiaojiao and Chen Xueke were similar in height and build, so Chen Xueke could try on the clothes for her friend to see how they'd look.

They spent over an hour browsing. After paying, Chen Xueke walked out with two big bags of clothes. Shi Jiaojiao said she wanted two at first, but as she picked, it turned into ten.

"Gurgle, gurgle~" Her stomach let out a soft rumble. She'd forgotten to eat lunch and was starving.

She left the clothes at the store for safekeeping, then headed to the main Xuehe store next door for lunch.

Xuehe Gourmet was pretty famous in J City. She glanced at the menu and said, "Hello, I'll take a shrimp-flavored rice ball, half a roast chicken, and a large Qiong Peach Juice."

She had a small appetite, so she didn't order much.

A couple minutes later, she carried her food to a seat in the dining area. Most people around her were high schoolers, and listening to them talk about school and life made her feel young again for a second.

Fan Wei asked, "Lingling, did you guys decide on the class uniform design?"

Tang Lingling replied, "Yeah, we did. And let me tell you, the girls' dress is gorgeous!"

Fan Wei got interested. "Got a pic? Let me see."

Tang Lingling opened her phone's gallery. "Here, this is it!"

Fan Wei's eyes lit up. "Wow! So pretty! Which store is it from?"

Tang Lingling smiled. "It's from Xuehe."

Fan Wei exclaimed, "Awesome! I'm gonna tell our class monitor about this!"

Chen Xueke, sitting at the table across from them, overheard their discussion about class uniforms and thought of her own—a black top with school pants. She quickly shook her head, not wanting to recall that ugly uniform.

She stuck a straw into her Qiong Peach Juice and took a sip, alternating with bites of chicken.

"!" It was just as delicious as netizens had said!

After a satisfying meal, she went to the counter to pack four cups of Qiong Peach Juice, three nutritious lunch boxes, three roast chickens, and three rice balls. She separated one of each into a different bag.

Full and content, she headed home.

In M City, as soon as she exited the subway, she saw her best friend Shi Jiaojiao waiting for her.

"Xueke!" Spotting Chen Xueke, Shi Jiaojiao happily rushed over.

Chen Xueke handed her a large bag. "Good food and good clothes—here you go."

Shi Jiaojiao took it with a grin, eagerly opening it to check the clothes inside. The more she looked, the brighter her smile. "Thanks, girl! They're so pretty! Let's go to the park tomorrow in our new outfits!"

"Sounds great!" Wearing new clothes to the park was a wonderful idea, and Chen Xueke nodded happily.

Shi Jiaojiao added, "I'll have my brother come too tomorrow. He can carry our stuff and take nice photos!"

Chen Xueke had a crush on Shi Jiaojiao's older brother, so hearing that Shi Xin would join them made her even more excited.

The next day, both Chen Xueke and Shi Jiaojiao wore their new dresses.

Chen Xueke donned a light pink high-waisted butterfly dance dress, like a butterfly fluttering in a garden; Shi Jiaojiao wore a peony cloud gown, making the flowers in the park seem like mere accessories. They looked like a pair of bright and charming sisters, drawing admiring and envious glances from young passersby.

The moment Shi Xin saw Chen Xueke, he was stunned.

This girl was incredibly beautiful—she'd always been pretty, but today she was dazzling, impossible to look away from.

"Click, click, click," the sound of the camera rang out constantly. In Shi Xin's camera, there were more photos of Chen Xueke than of Shi Jiaojiao.

Later, Shi Jiaojiao and Chen Xueke posted their park photos on social media, earning a wave of praise and subtly promoting Xuehe Apparel within their circle.

*

Nanhe Village.

Everything in the village was progressing beautifully. The villagers smiled more than before, and the village chief called another village-wide mobilization meeting.

Spring was the season of revival and planting. At the meeting, the chief gave a speech about sowing and the precautions for various vegetables.

"Starting tomorrow, everyone can go to the fertilizer store to pick up next month's seeds and this quarter's fertilizer. Ying Xue has also compiled a booklet on the precautions for growing nutritious vegetables. Remember to take it home and read it carefully, got it?"

"More people have been coming to our village's market lately, so be mindful of your attitude when selling. But if you encounter truly unreasonable customers, don't put up with it. If you're in the right, the village will back you up."

"Also, the market needs two new security guards: one to watch the bike shed, and another to assist the existing guard with market security. The requirements are: first, must be a village resident; second, age between thirty and fifty; third, must be in good health; fourth, must have good character and no bad habits."