Black Silk or White Silk

The Riyueguang Shopping Mall is a well-known shopping complex in Tianhai City, consisting of several buildings interconnected by multi-level skywalks, offering a one-stop experience for shopping, dining, entertainment, and even themed hotels for couples.

To minimize the crowd exposure for his sister, Lu Qing brought her to this upscale location, hoping to filter out some of the foot traffic.

Unfortunately, he underestimated the purchasing power of the locals in Tianhai City during the weekend.

Even in such a large mall, the dense crowds were headache-inducing. Popular restaurants required reservations, and walk-ins could face hours of waiting.

Looking around, the only difference between here and the outdoor pedestrian street was the gentle lighting, built-in air purifiers, and comfortable temperature; otherwise, it was identical.

"Brother, there's no need to look elsewhere. Let's start here," Su Ling said, noticing Lu Qing's hesitation.

She didn't want to make things difficult for him by searching for less crowded shopping spots due to her illness. After all, good shops naturally attract crowds, which contradicted their needs.

"Are you sure it's okay?"

"Yes. Don't worry," she nodded, giving him a sweet smile.

Thus, they began their day's itinerary from the first floor with high efficiency.

According to Lu Qing's plan, they would first buy Su Ling some fitting clothes, including autumn coats, home dresses, sleepwear, everyday outfits, and anything else she liked;

Then, they would have lunch at an Italian restaurant, although he had never been there before, the high prices and good reputation should make it decent;

Next would be afternoon tea time—a bit of skincare and daily necessities shopping, followed by a coffee break, which would not only pass the lovely afternoon but also help Su Ling relax;

Finally, if she was willing, they would watch a movie before dinner, making the day complete.

Su Ling didn't know how he arranged everything, just blindly following her brother's steps.

For her, as long as her brother was by her side, it was enough. No matter where they went or what they did, as long as he held her hand, everything was fine.

"Oh, what a lovely girl. To find such a beautiful girlfriend, you're really a lucky guy," the milk tea shop owner said as he handed over the bag.

"With such a figure and condition, she'd look good in anything, even meeting the requirements for a model. Truly enviable," the shop manager at the campus-style women's clothing store praised.

Sir, would you like to experience our Gothic-themed couples' hotel? 3D large screen, surround sound, and various tools in the room. Wouldn't you like to try it with your girlfriend?" the flyer guy said with a flattering smile.

"……"

It seemed wherever they went, Su Ling became the center of attention.

Lu Qing, carrying several shopping bags, glanced at her who was silently clinging to his side.

If Su Ling at home was like a black cat that had finally found a warm nest, then outside, she was like a easily startled bird, any sound or approach would make her tense and at a loss.

She spoke very little, even not at all, in front of strangers.

So, she couldn't smoothly refuse others.

After all, she was soft-hearted and extremely socially anxious, unable to communicate normally with anyone other than him under her symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Therefore, protecting her and solving all her problems became Lu Qing's necessary duty.

He couldn't help but think about that night when his sister braved the heavy rain to find him, how much effort did she put in...?

What kind of determination did she have to make to go to a place she had never been to, to see someone she had never met, despite her illness?

"Ah."

Out of the corner of his eye, she was still trying to avoid the noise from the outside world, still lowering her head, pretending to be a normal person who could go out with family, an activity that shouldn't be considered difficult.

Thinking of this, Lu Qing felt a sudden pang of pain in his heart.

With complex emotions, he accompanied Su Ling to finish shopping at all the stores, buying various clothes she needed recently.

Except for a bit of awkwardness in the lingerie store, everything else went smoothly.

When selecting stockings, she quietly picked up two different textures, black in her left hand, white in her right, and then turned to Lu Qing, asking her brother's opinion with a serious face.

The moment all the shop assistants' eyes focused on them, Lu Qing felt like he was standing on pins and needles.

But he couldn't pretend not to see, nor could he avoid answering, so he raised his hand, extending two fingers...

"Both are nice."

This was what he wanted to express to his sister.

"I want both."

This was what outsiders thought he wanted to express.

Finally, Su Ling obediently put the carefully selected black and white stockings into the shopping cart, and then picked a few more according to her brother's taste, in case of future needs.

"……"

Her "understanding" was also unexpectedly worrying.

Lu Qing shook his head, not knowing how to respond.

After the interlude, they arrived at the last British-style lolita dress store.

Su Ling was originally more interested in Japanese campus and sweet girl styles, specifically choosing a few cute dresses and everyday clothes that completely met Lu Qing's aesthetic.

When they reached this British-style store and saw the exquisite long dresses hanging on the model racks, she couldn't help but stop again.

"What? Do you want it?"

Noticing his sister's hesitation, Lu Qing casually asked.

Looking around, the price tags of each dress in this store named "Maidolia" were no less than 1500 RMB, and the best-selling items in the center under the spotlight were even more exorbitant, heading towards 7-8 thousand.

He roughly understood that his sister was worried about his financial situation, so even if she liked it, she wouldn't go in and buy it as carefreely as before.

Sure enough, Su Ling shook her head and pulled his arm, wanting to continue walking.

"Wait."

Lu Qing stood still, pointing to the most eye-catching British-style gothic lolita long dress in the store, "You were looking at that one, right?"

"……No, I wasn't. Brother, I'm hungry. Let's go eat," Su Ling turned her face away, unwilling to admit.

Obviously, this lame excuse couldn't fool Lu Qing.

He looked thoughtful, imagining his sister wearing it.

"If it were something else, it would be fine, but since you like the orthodox high-end maid dress..."

As he spoke, his body unconsciously moved towards the store—

"Hello, how much is this Lolita dress? I want to buy one for my sister."

……

……