Chapter 41
"An Le, go downstairs and buy a bundle of scallions for Dad. Grab a bag of salt and soy sauce while you're at it, or we won’t have anything to eat tomorrow."
After dinner, An Le’s father, An Bang, called out from the kitchen where he was washing dishes.
An Le, who was examining her wardrobe in her room, quickly turned her head and replied,
"Okay, Dad~"
On her shoulder, a white snake flicked its tongue, glanced at the clothes in the wardrobe, rolled its eyes, and said,
"Look at this mess—what the hell is all this junk in your wardrobe? So tacky! No matter how you pick, nothing here is good enough to meet that Yan Huan next week. It's like choosing the tallest midget!"
An Le looked at Little Pinky awkwardly, unsure what to say. She could only mumble softly,
"Then I’ll use my allowance this weekend to buy something new. It’s been a while since I got new clothes anyway."
"Right? You wear that school uniform every day. Totally unfashionable."
Actually, it wasn't that An Le’s family couldn’t afford clothes. There just weren’t many that suited her.
The few she thought looked okay, she didn’t dare wear to school.
They were cheap and couldn’t compare to the name-brand outfits her classmates wore.
More importantly, she was afraid of drawing the wrong kind of attention because of her figure.
The boys would often sneak glances at her with lustful eyes and whisper among themselves.
Even though she couldn’t hear clearly, it wasn’t hard to guess what they were saying.
The girls also teased her about her body. Pu Shuwen and her group often called her "cow."
An Le hated that nickname.
So, she stuck to wearing the ultra-conservative school uniform—just like she had back in Longguo.
But here, that only made her stand out as a weirdo.
At home now, An Le had changed into a white one-piece dress and was trying to pick an outfit for her meeting with Yan Huan next week.
After being roasted by both Little Pinky and reality, An Le finally made up her mind—not to send her letter through Yaqiao Mu anymore, but to go meet him directly.
Of course, with An Le’s insecure personality, she wouldn’t go without being fully prepared.
'What should my hairstyle be that day?'
'Should I put on makeup?'
'Which outfit should I wear?'
All of these needed careful consideration.
Although according to Little Pinky, she just needed to activate Pleasure and charge in full throttle—why bother with all these details?
But An Le wouldn’t hear of it, and Little Pinky couldn’t persuade her. After all, she was the Host.
Having agreed to her father's request, An Le got ready to leave. On the way out, she greeted her mother, who was watching TV in the living room.
"Mom, I’m heading down."
"Hey, bring me back a milk tea too—less sugar."
"Okay~"
An Le put on her shoes, stepped into the corridor of their old apartment building, and pressed the elevator button.
"Why not pick up some clothes while you’re out shopping?"
Little Pinky glanced at the elevator display and suddenly suggested.
But An Le quickly shook her head and raised her phone, opening a shopping app.
"Eh? I-I plan to buy online."
"Online? Why not just buy offline?"
An Le nodded and explained awkwardly,
"Because... um... buying clothes offline is expensive. Online is a bit cheaper..."
Little Pinky squinted at her, then suddenly exploded,
"You’re just socially anxious! You’re too embarrassed to shop in person, aren’t you?! I saw your wardrobe—it’s full of ill-fitting clothes, even your underwear! All bought online!!"
Little Pinky had long figured her out. An Le would browse online for days, wait even more days for delivery, and then hesitate for more days once the items arrived.
*Ugh!*
'By then you’ll be too shy to go again!'
'Just delay, delay, delay!'
'Delay until the daylilies wilt—while everyone else is already eating chicken, and you’re still thrilled about the menu!'
(*) "eating chicken" is slang in Chinese gaming culture meaning "winning" or "succeeding", originating from the phrase "Winner Winner Chicken Dinner" in games like PUBG.
Little Pinky angrily smacked An Le’s face lightly with its tail, making her squeal,
"Your figure is already out of the ordinary! If you don’t try clothes on in person, how will you even know if they fit?! And the ones you bought online don’t fit, and you don’t even return them?! You just keep them?!"
"Because... because returning them would trouble the seller... I mean, it's hard enough for them to make a sale..."
"Screw that!! Don’t think I didn’t notice—you didn’t even return them, AND you left positive reviews without even wearing them?! What the hell?!"
"Because the customer service rep... spoke so kindly, seemed like a good person, and asked me to leave a good review, so I..."
"You dumb pig?! You think they're kind because they're nice people? That’s all scripted training!"
"I-I know, but..."
An Le pressed her lips together. Deep down, she knew those responses were scripted, but she just found it hard to say no.
Especially when they pleaded, saying they just needed one more good review to make their monthly goal.
'Just a few taps on my phone to help someone keep their job—why not?' That’s how An Le saw it.
And because of that, Little Pinky had lost count of how many times it felt like exploding.
"Useless! Go downstairs right now and buy a new outfit! No more online shopping!"
It wished it could crawl into this silly girl's brain and figure out what made her thoughts so bizarre.
'A tumor or something?'
"And go get your hair trimmed too! You look like a ghost every day! Aren’t you scared when you get up to pee at night?! And washing your hair is a huge hassle—you debate every night whether to wash it or not, and it’s driving me nuts!"
"Okay, okay..."
An Le patted her long hair and nodded. This was one of the few things she and Little Pinky agreed on.
Washing hair was a pain. If you don’t wash it, it gets oily. If you do, it takes forever—and blow-drying every strand takes even longer.
An Le’s hair was especially thick and heavy...
*Ding dong~*
The elevator arrived.
An Le smoothed her hair and stepped inside, pressing the button for the first floor.
The elevator walls were plastered with old ads, looking just as worn as the stairwell outside.
Housing prices in Linmen were extremely high. Luoqiao District and most of the Southern District were older parts of the city where prices were a bit more affordable.
Years ago, An Le’s father, Comrade An Bang, returned from a failed business venture in Longguo and used all his savings to buy a second-hand apartment just over sixty square meters in Luoqiao—barely enough to settle down.
They weren’t rich, but at least they owned property in Linmen, which made them a moderately well-off family.
After passing through a narrow, dim corridor on the first floor and exiting through a back alley, An Le stepped into the bright, bustling streets of Linmen.
Little Pinky looked around and pointed,
"Go there first—get your hair cut!"
"Oh, okay..."
An Le nodded, walked a bit, pushed open the salon door, and entered with her head bowed.
"S-Sorry to bother you."
"Bother your head! You’re the customer—you’re the god! Stand tall!"
"Oh."
An Le awkwardly straightened her back, but when the hairstylist looked over, she quickly lowered her head again, nearly making Little Pinky faint.
"Come on, let’s wash your hair first, okay?"
"Mm."
After an apprentice washed her hair in the back, An Le sat down again. With her wet hair hanging down, she looked like a ghost.
The kind that could cosplay Sadako perfectly—so much so the customer next to her stared in shock.
(*) Sadako is a ghost character from the Japanese horror film "The Ring", known for her long wet hair covering her face.
"How do you want it cut today, miss?"
"Just a bit shorter... thank you."
"Alright, I’ll give you a more normal hairstyle, okay?"
"Mm, thank you."
An Le nodded. Even with the cape draped over her, her curves were still very noticeable.
*Snip snip snip.*
The trimmed bangs landed and stayed atop her chest like a mountain.
"Miss, would you like a membership card? We’re offering 20% off on top-ups right now—it’s a fantastic deal!"
"Huh?"
An Le blinked her big, watery eyes and turned to look at the smiling hairstylist behind her.
She hesitated, just about to respond—when Little Pinky’s snake head suddenly shoved into her face.
Its crimson eyes enlarged inches from hers, expressionless and intense.
*Gulp.*
A look that clearly said, "I'm watching you—forever."
"An Le, if you dare say yes, do you think I won't kill you right now?!"
An Le's little face turned pale with fright. She pressed her lips together and quickly turned her head, speaking to the hairstylist in a trembling voice,
"N-no thank you."
"Alrighty."
*Sigh*
An Le looked at the hairstylist, who continued trimming her hair with the same calm expression. She glanced away cautiously.
'So it turns out...'
'Nothing really happens even if you refuse.'
That thought suddenly popped into her mind.
It was such a normal realization, yet as it crossed her mind, her heart felt like a heavy stone had dropped—filled with a jumble of emotions.
Clients like An Le often experienced the most dramatic transformations. When the hairstylist behind her said, "Take a look," An Le saw a stranger in the mirror.
Her chopped black bangs no longer hid her fair and delicate face. Her thick, long hair was now light and airy, making her feel as if a burden had been lifted.
Her eyes were bright and watery, yet lacked a certain spark, giving her an adorably dazed expression.
Her pink lips parted slightly in surprise. They were bare but glistened with moisture, prompting onlookers to exclaim,
"Who dares kiss her?!"
An Le blinked, and the girl in the mirror blinked back.
Only then did she realize—that girl was her.
"J-just like this. Thank you."
"Alrighty, let's wash it again."
"Mm, thank you."
Another wash, followed by a blow dry.
After paying, a refreshed and noticeably more radiant girl walked out of the salon with a sense of relief.
Now that she was out of a setting where she had to talk to others, she exhaled and clutched her chest.
But Little Pinky on her shoulder was as bossy as ever. It flicked its tongue and pointed in a new direction.
"Next stop! Go buy clothes!!"
An Le blinked and followed Little Pinky's lead to a clothing store.
Little Pinky's sharp eyes scanned the mannequins in the window. It seemed to spot an outfit it liked.
It turned back to An Le and barked instructions,
"Quick! Go to that one!! That dress is amazing—it totally suits you!" But An Le opened her mouth, hesitating to speak.
Her hesitation sent Little Pinky into a rage. It puffed up like an angry cat and shouted,
"Stop being scared already! Are you even alive?! You're afraid to try on clothes in person? It's all female staff inside—what the hell are you afraid of? Get in there!!"
"O-okay."
An Le swallowed hard, but summoned her courage and stepped inside.
"Welcome! Feel free to grab anything you'd like and try it on."
"Not that one! That one! Yes, that dress—have her take it down for you to try!"
Urged on by Little Pinky, An Le shakily picked a high-waisted floral dress from the rack, asked the clerk for her size, and went into the fitting room.
When she came out, the clerk at the entrance couldn't help but cover her mouth in surprise.
The high-waisted dress hugged An Le's curves perfectly. Her ample chest followed the fitted lines down to a slightly pleated, princess-style hem.
Her figure was curvaceous but not heavy, radiating a youthful, pure beauty.
Everything fit her perfectly from top to bottom, yet her cheeks were flushed with shyness and her gaze flitted away.
She looked like a cherry atop a cream cake—vivid red against snowy white—utterly irresistible.
"Oh my! Young lady, you’ve got great taste. It’s rare to find a dress that fits such a large bust so perfectly!"
"R-really?"
Standing before the mirror, An Le swayed the hem of her dress back and forth. Little Pinky on her shoulder looked so smug it could float into the sky.
"Are you kidding? I'm the smartest Little Pinky around—my fashion and brains are top-tier. Well, An Le, are you convinced now?"
"Huh?"
An Le blinked again, still a little unsure and hesitant.
But seeing its smug grin, she didn’t argue. Instead, she nodded in sincere agreement.
"Mm."
"Alright, buy it! This outfit is for when you meet Yan Huan next week—it'll knock him dead!"
'Knock him dead?'
'Xiaohuan?'
'This version of me...?'
An Le blushed even more and couldn’t bring herself to look at her reflection. Still, Little Pinky's promises made her heart flutter.
Just thinking about Yan Huan made her like this.
"Aiya, stop overthinking—you’re totally gonna win! Hurry and pay. We’ve got our next stop! And don’t forget your underwear—you’ll need a killer set for that kind of thing."
"T-that kind of thing?!"
An Le’s face turned scarlet in an instant, like a boiling kettle, startling the clerk beside her.
"What's wrong, miss?"
"N-nothing!"
An Le replied in a panic, then glared at Little Pinky on her shoulder and thought,
'Little Pinky, y-you’ve thought that far ahead already? I... I was just going to see Xiaohuan, not—'
"Huh?"
But Little Pinky just glanced at her slyly and asked,
"Don’t tell me you’ve never thought about doing that kind of thing with Yan Huan."
"I—"
That one question shut An Le down instantly.
Her face blazed red, and her lips trembled like leaves in the wind, but she couldn’t say a word.
"Or do you want a purely spiritual relationship with Yan Huan?"
"O-of course not!"
'Alright, alright, so now you admit you want to date Yan Huan, huh?'
'Before, you were all stubborn, saying you just wanted to reconnect.'
'Oh, oh, good girl~'
Little Pinky transformed into a ruthless judge and delivered a fatal blow to the witness stand below, bluntly asking,
"Just say it straight—since you started high school, have you ever used Yan Huan as mental foreplay at night?"
"."
After stammering for a long while under Little Pinky’s sharp gaze, An Le finally blushed and gave the tiniest 'Mm' in her heart.
An Le was a very honest girl.
"Heh."
Little Pinky sneered and flicked its tongue with disdain.
"There it is. Now hurry up and pay. We’ve got our next stop!!"
"B-but—"
"But what? What more psychological prep do you need from me?!"
Just as Little Pinky was about to explode again, An Le glanced around and whispered,
"This dress... I can't afford it."
"Huh?"
The overexcited Little Pinky froze, completely dumbfounded, and turned to look at her.
It slithered into An Le’s black hair and peeked at the price tag on the back of her neck.
A second later, it seemed to reach sudden enlightenment and pulled its head back.
"."
"."
Girl and snake exchanged awkward glances.
An Le began sweating from nerves, while Little Pinky sheepishly started to—
Oh wait, it's a snake—it doesn't sweat.
"Why didn’t you tell me this store was so expensive earlier?!"
"I-I-I tried at the entrance, but you kept interrupting me, so..."
"."
Little Pinky blinked guiltily, then sighed and muttered,
"This was originally a skill meant to be unlocked later, but this girl's desire is just barely enough to activate it now."
(*) Note for line 176: "Mental foreplay" is a slang term implying the use of imagination or thoughts for romantic or sexual arousal.
"Ah, Little Pinky, are you... saying something?"
Little Pinky turned her head, let out a sigh, and said,
"I'll teach you a new way to use your ability. It’ll let us take this outfit with us—and afterward, it’ll even make your Xiaohuan fall for you more easily. Want to hear it?"
"Y-You can go ahead."
"When your ability evolves, you'll have to choose between controlling pleasure or pain to unlock more powers. So tell me—do you want to keep controlling pleasure or pain?"
An Le opened her mouth and almost instinctively answered,
"Pleasure, I guess."
Little Pinky gave her a knowing look and continued,
"Exactly. Pleasure—like when you infused it into Yan Huan—comes suddenly and feels unnatural, right?"
"That's right. I was worried about that earlier."
"Well, now you can make yourself the source of that pleasure, at least to some extent."
"Myself?"
Little Pinky blinked and said slowly, emphasizing each word,
"People often say, 'It feels nice being around someone.' That’s because being around them brings positive feedback from their actions."
"With the ability I'm giving you, you can skip that whole process and directly give people positive feedback—pleasure."
An Le wasn’t foolish. She understood what Little Pinky meant almost right away.
"So that means I... can use this ability to make myself more likable?"
Little Pinky gave a sinister grin and said with a hint of mischief,
"Not just that. Anyway, try it out and you’ll see."
As she finished speaking, a line of phantom text appeared in front of An Le.
[Do you choose the Pleasure Evolution Path?]
Yes.
That was An Le’s choice.
Then, the phantom text shifted slightly.
[Congratulations, you can now activate "Superconductor Mode"!]
[In this mode, you can designate a target within 15 meters. When you are near them, they will continuously feel pleasure. In addition, their consciousness will subconsciously reframe you as the source of that pleasure.]
[Duration: 15 minutes. Afterward, their memory will auto-correct any illogical experiences. Beware of exposure risks from third parties or uncontrollable factors.]
[Activate "Superconductor Mode"?]
An Le blinked, then clicked confirm.
Little Pinky glanced at the clerk and said,
"Her. Choose her as the target."
"Huh?"
A massive, invisible circle—15 meters in radius—suddenly expanded outward. As it targeted the clerk behind them, a surge of white mist formed a bridge between An Le and the clerk, flowing continuously.
*!!*
The clerk paused briefly, then her face flushed red and her gaze toward An Le grew passionate.
An Le blinked, seemingly unaware of what had happened. Little Pinky spoke beside her,
"Now's your chance—ask if you can take the outfit!"
An Le, following Little Pinky's cue, instinctively asked,
"Can I take this outfit with me?"
"Sure!"
The clerk, blushing, subtly leaned toward An Le, as if drawn by some magnetic field that made her feel good just by being close.
"Haha, just take it. No need to pay! I’ll cover it later, haha..."
An Le opened her mouth to speak, but Little Pinky twisted her snake-like head with a wicked flick and said,
"What are you spacing out for? Let’s go!"
An Le blinked as she looked at the outfit draped over her arm.
She glanced at the clerk, whose face was still flushed and eyes looked dreamy. Instinctively, she prepared to obey Little Pinky’s command and leave the store.
Getting a four-digit-priced outfit for free—no matter how you looked at it, that was a huge win, right?
An Le stepped toward the entrance, breathing heavily. But just as her hand touched the cold metal doorknob, she froze.
That chill seemed to travel slowly from her fingertips back through her body.
"What are you doing? Go already?!"
Little Pinky turned her head and shouted loudly.
But An Le widened her eyes, still breathing heavily.
Her long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, her pink lips slightly pursed. Her gaze shifted to the hiring ad posted at the entrance:
"Hiring Clerk: Monthly Salary 4000–6000."
The outfit she was wearing would cost the clerk over a quarter of her monthly salary...
An Le’s small hand slowly loosened from the doorknob. Beside her, Little Pinky looked ready to explode.
But An Le hesitated. She turned her head, her gaze slowly rising with growing determination as she looked at Little Pinky.
After a moment of silence, she met Little Pinky’s slightly stunned crimson eyes and spoke—timidly, but resolutely,
"I—
I can’t do this, Little Pinky."
(End of Chapter)
(*) Note for line 225: "Superconductor Mode" is a fictional ability that amplifies emotional feedback, making the user a source of pleasure for nearby people.