After dinner.
The four of them took the car to the nearest shopping mall to stock up on supplies.
The Train was still lacking some daily necessities, and their current supply of clothes was barely enough to get by; everything needed replenishing.
One can never have too many supplies.
As for food, they could order it online the day after tomorrow to be delivered to a designated location.
After browsing the supermarket level and buying daily necessities, Mu Bai and the others stashed the items in the car, returned to the mall, and headed to the clothing floor.
Mu Bai had been quite happy stockpiling goods, but she soon found herself unable to smile.
“Why did you bring me here?”
Mu Bai asked expressionlessly.
She had considered that girls might take a long time to pick out clothes and had mentally prepared herself to browse all afternoon, but she hadn’t expected to be dragged directly into a children’s clothing store.
Suddenly, she had become the protagonist.
Was this appropriate?
It was simply insulting!
“It can’t be helped, little Mu Bai. Your size is only available here. Custom-made clothes wouldn’t be ready within two days…”
Mo Cha said.
“True.”
This time, Ye Yuan remained silent for a few seconds before uncharacteristically agreeing with Mo Cha.
Since the team had formed a day ago, this was the first time Ye Yuan had actively interacted with the new teammates.
Mu Bai was helpless.
Fine, considering Ye Yuan’s social attitude was clearly improving, she would cooperate.
Anyway, it was just picking out some clothes to wear in the future; it shouldn’t take long.
The clothes she had obtained back at the Extreme Cold Doomsday Site didn’t actually fit very well.
The environment there had been too dark to choose carefully, so it was necessary to take this opportunity to get some well-fitting clothes.
Mu Bai had to admit that with her figure, slightly larger-sized children’s clothes really were a perfect fit.
‘Fine, children’s clothes it is!’
“Welcome!”
“Hello, we want to buy several outfits suitable for her—two sets for each season. They should be the type that doesn’t hinder movement too much after putting them on,” Tang Shifu stepped forward to negotiate with the waitress.
The waitress had noticed the four of them long ago.
Working in a clothing store in this area, she saw many beautiful girls; even so, she was stunned from afar by the looks of these four.
Now, she suddenly realized that the “smallest” one among them drew her gaze even more, making her unable to resist looking a few extra times.
This level of charm was something she had truly never seen in her life.
“We don’t have off-season stock in the store, but the summer and autumn selections will definitely meet your requirements. Please follow me…”
After snapping out of it, the young lady led the way to the section that appeared to fit Mu Bai’s size.
Halfway there, she continued, “I’m not sure what size your younger sister needs. Do you have specific measurements?”
‘How did I become the younger sister?
This is slander!’
“Little Mu Bai, do you know your size?”
Mo Cha leaned down and asked.
Mu Bai was about to answer when she suddenly realized her body had changed; she obviously couldn’t use her old size.
How was she supposed to know…
‘This is bad. Not even knowing my own measurements—I don’t look like a mature adult at all.’
Would her reliable image be shaken?
“I-I forgot,”
Mu Bai stammered.
“It’s okay, we can measure now,”
the waitress said with a smile, taking out a measuring tape.
***
Inside the fitting room.
“How about this one?”
“It’s pretty, but it feels too cute. It feels like forced cuteness.”
“I think that black dress from before was very good. The style was mature, which created a perfect contrast with Mu Bai’s soft and cute temperament~”
“That makes sense. Try this Lolita dress.”
“?”
“So cute!”
“Why did you grab a maid outfit?”
“Don’t you think Mu Bai’s setting of being able to cook is very suitable for a little maid?”
“It actually does seem that way, but your taste is a bit shady.”
“Come on, little Mu Bai, put this on, pinch the hem of the skirt on both sides, and spin in a circle~”
Thud!
Mu Bai slammed the maid outfit onto the sofa and gritted her teeth:
“Where did the maid outfit come from?!
Isn’t this a children’s clothing store?!”
“Cough… It just so happens there’s a custom cosplay shop right next door. I saw they had finished products on display. What was this character’s name again… Tiandong Alice, I think,”
Mo Cha explained.
“This has strayed from the original purpose! How are you supposed to move easily in a cosplay outfit!”
“I want to see it.”
Because Mo Cha was so incredibly confident in her demand, Mu Bai was shocked into silence.
“Oh, just try it. Anyway, the money in this station would be wasted if we don’t spend it,”
Mo Cha stepped forward, cornering Mu Bai.
‘Wait, you’ve already decided to buy it, haven’t you?’
Mu Bai had no moves left.
***
Mu Bai had amnesia.
She couldn’t remember what she had experienced at all; she only remembered being used as a dress-up doll, changing clothes over and over.
Later, when she was too exhausted to continue, someone claimed to be helping her change while getting handsy with her.
Somehow, they bought a massive pile of clothes, along with various small accessories like bloomers and white tights.
When it was the others’ turn, it ended very quickly.
When they returned home that evening, Mu Bai could barely walk.
She gave up—who cared about making ham?
She called and summoned the chef!
After eating and drinking their fill and resting for a bit, the four of them took turns bathing.
Mu Bai finished her bath, dried her hair, and put on her watch.
Coming out of the bathroom in her bathrobe, she saw Mo Cha already changed into a yukata.
A watch of a similar color was faintly visible at the wide cuff.
Speaking of which, Mo Cha’s sleeves were usually very long.
It was only now, after she changed into a yukata, that Mu Bai realized Mo Cha was also wearing a watch.
And…
why did the style look so similar?
“Chacha, why is your watch so similar to mine?”
Mu Bai raised her hand with the watch and gave it a wiggle, asking curiously.
She had traded for it from Tang Shifu, so naturally, it was hers now.
“I gave it to Fufu for her birthday. The two watches were originally a pair,” Mo Cha mentioned.
For some reason, there was a hint of resentment in her tone.
‘A… a pair?’
“…Then should I return it to her now?”
Mu Bai glanced at Tang Shifu, who was lying in the distance playing on her phone.
If it was a gift from someone else, it really wasn’t right for her to keep wearing it.
Mainly, they were all teammates now; one watch was enough.
It didn’t really matter if she had one here.
After all, they would enter stations together.
“It’s fine. Since she sold it, it means the watch isn’t important to her… just like that dagger,” Mo Cha sighed.
“Ah, well.”
‘Right.’
In the Weird Station, the daggers had been swapped once and hadn’t been traded back yet.
But…
besides the patterns, there was no difference between the two daggers; it felt like swapping them back would be pointless.
She decided to pretend she hadn’t noticed.
“I’ll wash first,” Ye Yuan, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke.
Without waiting for Mo Cha’s answer, she entered the bathroom.
Mu Bai was completely bewildered.
***
After washing up, she went to Ye Yuan’s room early.
Physically exhausted today, Mu Bai wanted to sleep early.
Rolling around on the bed, she buried herself in the covers.
As Mu Bai smelled the fragrance in the bedding, she suddenly realized something.
Ye Yuan usually slept here.
‘Does this entire bed smell like Ye Yuan?’
‘This is bad. Why is my face feeling a bit hot?’
The door was suddenly opened.
Hearing the sound, Mu Bai felt a strange sensation of being caught doing something wrong, and her body instantly froze.
The person closed the door but didn’t walk over immediately.
Through the covers, Mu Bai faintly heard a click.
‘Wait, wait, wait? Why are you locking the door?!’