48: Swimsuit Awards

"It's so big here! There are so many dessert shops and so many beautiful clothes!" Tohru was like a little bird released from its cage, spinning around joyfully in the bright and spacious mall. Her golden eyes sparkled with novelty and excitement. Compared to the malls they had visited before, this one was undoubtedly much larger and more prosperous, with a much denser flow of people.

Yukino quickened her pace to follow her, her tone carrying a trace of imperceptible concern: "Tohru, slow down. Be careful not to get lost."

"Don't worry!" Tohru stopped and patted her chest confidently. "I can smell your scents; I'll definitely be able to find you!"

Hearing this, a helpless smile appeared on Yukino's face. After gradually understanding Tohru's pure innocence, which was free of Impurities, the layer of ice deep in her heart seemed to have melted slightly. Facing Tohru, she no longer felt the initial distance and restraint; instead, there was a natural sense of care.

Following a bit further behind was Lin Luo, with the round Fat Wave resting steadily on his shoulder. Kato Megumi walked quietly by his side, in her usual style—unobtrusive, yet possessing a calm sense of presence.

"Tohru is really happy, isn't she?" Kato Megumi laughed softly, her gaze following that energetic figure. Her tone carried a hint of imperceptible envy. "Such a straightforward and cheerful personality is really nice." She lowered her eyes slightly, her voice becoming even softer. "I always feel like... I might be a bit too gloomy."

Lin Luo didn't respond immediately. Instead, he silently reached out and gently hooked her hand. Kato Megumi looked up at him in surprise, meeting Lin Luo's habitually calm profile.

"Tohru is more innocent; she doesn't take anything to heart," he stated calmly, as if explaining, yet also as if offering comfort.

Kato Megumi blinked, then suddenly asked in her characteristic flat tone with a hint of teasing, "So, boys usually like girls like that, right?"

Lin Luo coughed lightly at the sudden question and rubbed his nose uncomfortably. "It's... alright." He paused, his gaze still fixed forward, but the tips of his ears turned slightly red. "Personally, I think someone a bit cooler and not too noisy is better."

"Mm, someone like Yukino Young Miss, then," Kato Megumi nodded gently, following up in a flat tone.

At that moment, Lin Luo suddenly stopped, turned slightly to look at her, and a very faint but genuine smile played at the corners of his mouth. "I think someone like Megumi is best."

Kato Megumi was slightly stunned. Then, a very faint blush quietly crept onto her cheeks. She didn't say anything more, simply letting Lin Luo hold her hand as they continued walking quietly through the noise and lights.

Following behind Tohru, Yukino Mifuyu's ice-blue eyes seemed to be locked onto the Dragon girl ahead, who was as curious as a child, ensuring she wouldn't cause any trouble in the surging crowd. However, from the corner of her eye and through her more refined perception, her attention was mostly directed toward the two people walking side-by-side not far behind her.

When she saw Lin Luo silently hook Kato Megumi's hand, and saw the brief eye contact between them and the faint blush on Kato Megumi's face, Yukino Mifuyu's heart felt like a small ice pebble had been dropped into it, sending out ripples of bitterness. She quickly refocused her gaze on Tohru's swaying twin tails, as if that could shut out the sweet atmosphere of youthful love coming from behind her.

Maybe... I will never have this kind of connection, which is based purely on heart-pounding attraction and carries both shyness and sweetness.

This thought passed silently through her mind, carrying a chill of self-deprecation.

The Snow Woman Clan... their very existence was contrary to 'warmth'. Searching for a partner was mostly for the survival of the species; how could she hope for the heart-fluttering excitement of mutual love?

She subconsciously hugged her arms. The warm air in the mall felt out of place and cold to her now.

"Yukino, why are you unhappy again?" Tohru's perception was exceptionally keen. She immediately noticed the subtle emotional fluctuations and the distracted state Yukino was in. She stopped abruptly and leaned in front of Yukino, her golden Dragon pupils staring straight at her.

Yukino was slightly startled, then her face broke into her usual gentle but slightly distant smile. "I'm not. Coming to the mall with Tohru-sama makes me very happy."

Tohru snorted, hands on her hips, her tail unconsciously swaying slightly behind her. "You can't hide anything from Tohru-sama! Do you think this Dragon's perception is just for show?" Her tone carried the pride and authority unique to the Dragon Clan.

Yukino maintained her perfect smile and didn't offer an explanation, only shaking her head gently.

"Fine, if you don't want to say it, then don't." Tohru curled her lip and made a move to turn around. "I'm going to find Lin Luo!"

Yukino instinctively reached out to grab her wrist, her voice soft but persuasive. "It's better not to disturb them. It would be better to let the two of them stay alone for a while."

"I won't!" Tohru replied decisively, with an innocent bossiness. "Lin Luo is mine!" Saying this, she gently shook off Yukino Mifuyu's hand and took light steps, unceremoniously squeezing into the subtle atmosphere between the two behind them, instantly breaking that momentary romance.

Yukino Mifuyu stood in place, watching Tohru intervene without any hindrance, so naturally and directly. A complex emotion flashed deep in her ice-blue eyes as she whispered, "How nice. Tohru is really... straightforward." There was a deep envy in her voice that she hadn't even noticed herself.

Tohru was like a cheerful goldfish, suddenly darting into the perfect distance between Lin Luo and Kato Megumi. She He hugged her tightly Lin Luo's arm, and the soft sensation was transmitted without reservation, causing Lin Luo's breath to hitch. For a moment, he even craved this warmth and forgot to pull his hand away.

"Tohru, Stop fooling around." Lin Luo coughed lightly, his voice carrying a hint of indulgence he hadn't noticed.

"I'm not messing around!" Tohru shook his arm righteously, her golden eyes sparkling under the mall lights. "What are you two dawdling back here for?"

Kato Megumi's gaze dropped slightly, and she quietly pulled her hand away from Lin Luo's palm. When she looked up and caught sight of a nearby shop, the corners of her lips curved up, her tone gentle but with an imperceptible trace of urgency. "Tohru-san, that swimsuit shop looks very pretty. If we're going to the beach, we can't go without swimsuits."

"Swimsuits?" Tohru's attention was indeed captured. She tilted her head to look at the designs on the mannequins in the window, then suddenly cupped her own full chest with her hands, her eyes lighting up. "So you humans have to wear special clothes to go into the sea!"

She leaned close to Lin Luo's ear, her warm breath brushing against his earlobe, her voice full of mischievous laughter. "It looks quite bold~ In that case, Lin Luo, why don't you help me choose? After all..." She deliberately drew out her words, her fingertip lightly trailing down his arm, "I'll be wearing it for you to see in the end."

Lin Luo knew Tohru wasn't wearing underwear and had come out lightly equipped, but being teased so bluntly by her now, he couldn't help his heart heating up. This Dragon always had an unexpected talent for learning human culture, especially in certain aspects.

"That was a mistake..." Kato Megumi sighed in her heart, regretting the excuse she had made in her haste. Why did she have to mention a swimsuit shop? Now the atmosphere had been pushed in an even more subtle direction.

"Heh heh, my Master, here's your chance!" A sleazy voice rang directly in her mind. "A swimsuit competition to completely mesmerize the Big Boss!"

The voice came from Fat Wave, who was perched on Lin Luo's shoulder. Ever since forming a contract with Kato Megumi, it didn't need to open its mouth to communicate with her. Right now, the round feline was squinting its eyes, its mouth curled into a sly grin, and its fluffy tail was swaying triumphantly.

Kato Megumi's face remained as calm as a light breeze, but she gently scolded him in her consciousness: "Fat Wave, don't talk nonsense."

"How is this nonsense?" Fat Wave retorted righteously in her mind. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Think about it, Master. Tohru-san might have a bombshell figure, but you're too unaware of your own advantages! That kind of 'now you see it, now you don't' attraction is the most Advanced!"

Just then, Tohru was already excitedly pulling Lin Luo toward the swimsuit shop. Kato Megumi watched their backs and bit her lip slightly.

"Let's go, Master," Fat Wave urged in her mind. "If you hesitate any longer, the Big Boss is going to be monopolized by that Dragon~"

Kato Megumi sighed softly and finally stepped forward to follow. Perhaps Fat Wave was right; taking the initiative once in a while wouldn't be bad? As soon as this thought appeared, the tips of her ears unconsciously turned a faint pink.

Lin Luo sat on a waiting chair outside the fitting area, his posture seemingly relaxed. He appeared to be looking naturally at the lights on the ceiling, but in reality, his peripheral vision was uncontrollably scanning the surroundings.

Business in this swimsuit shop was unexpectedly good. Among the dazzling array of swimsuit styles, quite a few female customers were moving about. A faint fragrance lingered in the air, mixed with the scent of new fabric. The occasional slight sound of a fitting room door opening and closing made his nerves tighten unconsciously.

As for Fat Wave, who was perched on his shoulder, its behavior at this moment was simply unbearable. This Contracted Beast, which usually put on a haughty act, now had its entire cat face pressed against his shoulder. Its round eyes were wide open, and the corners of its mouth were even suspiciously moist.

"Meow..." Fat Wave let out a muffled groan, its fluffy tail standing up unconsciously. "Big Boss, the bikini style that lady on the left chose is quite bold... and the one on the right is pure yet slightly sexy..."

Lin Luo sighed helplessly and reached out to push Fat Wave's head down. "Watch your image."

"How can you blame me!" Fat Wave retorted righteously in his mind. "This is heaven! Heaven! Big Boss, you don't understand. This kind of 'now you see it, now you don't' sense of anticipation is the best!"

"Sorry to keep you waiting," a familiar voice came from behind.

Lin Luo turned his head at the sound, and in the next second, he froze in place.

Tohru stood prettily before him, and Lin Luo's vision immediately lost its focus.

Those full, soft curves were ready to burst out from the black bikini, rising and falling gently with her playful breathing. Her delicate skin was dazzlingly white, yet tinged with a healthy flush. His gaze unconsciously fell into that deep cleavage, and it took several seconds before he could force himself to look away and notice the extremely hot design of the black bikini she was wearing—thin strings looped behind her neck, with pieces of fabric barely covering the essentials, and only a few ties connecting the sides of her waist.

Tohru stood before Lin Luo with her hands behind her back, deliberately leaning forward. Those full curves swayed slightly with her movement, and her golden eyes sparkled with mischief. "I specifically chose the style that shows off my figure the most~"

Fat Wave had already been "disposed of" on the nearby sofa—as soon as Tohru came out, Lin Luo had quickly covered its eyes and pressed it into his arms. But the perverted cat's reaction was too intense; it struggled and insisted on peeking, so he finally had to let it sleep for a while. This kind of scene definitely couldn't be seen by that Trash cat with the middle-aged man's voice.

Lin Luo coughed lightly, feeling his throat go dry. "Isn't it... a bit too revealing?"

"Is it?" Tohru tilted her head, her finger lightly hooking the string behind her neck as her gaze swept over the other customers in the shop. "But I see some over there that are just a few strings." She spoke nonchalantly, then leaned close to his ear, her warm breath brushing against his earlobe. "Weren't you watching very happily? Don't lie; your body temperature has gone up."

"Ahem, it does look quite good," Lin Luo answered in a low voice.

Tohru immediately burst into a triumphant laugh, like a little cat that had successfully snatched a treat.