Volume One, Chapter 19: Junior

Other than what he had witnessed himself, Young Master Shiyu and Miss Shiwei also spoke highly of Su Tong, so Butler Yuan naturally trusted Su Tong’s abilities completely.

Therefore, upon hearing Su Tong’s words, Butler Yuan’s heart gave a jolt.

His father was already seventy, and the last time they’d spoken on the phone, he had seemed ill.

With a look of anxiety and a trembling voice, he asked, “Miss Su, is it my father…?”

He didn’t dare finish the sentence.

Seeing that Butler Yuan was on the verge of tears, Su Tong realized he had misunderstood and hurried to explain, “It’s not that serious. However, he might fall seriously ill. If you take him to the hospital for a check-up ahead of time, it could make things better.”

Butler Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and bowed in gratitude. “Thank you for the warning, Miss Su.”

Xiao Shiwei, who happened to walk by, overheard and said to Butler Yuan, “Uncle Yuan, why don’t you head home today? There aren’t many people at the house these days and not much to do. Stay home with your family for a few days.”

“All right. Thank you, Miss Shiwei.”

After Butler Yuan left, Xiao Shiwei’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Su Tong, her tone filled with excitement.

“Su Tong, the luck-changing charm you gave me yesterday was amazing! My friend Luo Xia put it on, and her bad luck vanished instantly. She wants to thank you and has invited you to her family’s hotel for a hot spring. Would you like to go?”

Su Tong’s eyes lit up at once, and she nodded eagerly. “I’d love to.”

Whether back at the Su family or in the Mystic Realm, she had always been busy studying, with little time for leisure. Now that she had been reborn, besides earning rewards and collecting merit, she wanted to enjoy life—travel, experience things she had never done before.

Seeing the anticipation in Su Tong’s eyes and her sweet, cheerful smile, Xiao Shiwei couldn’t help feeling a surge of emotion. No matter how skilled Su Tong was in the mystic arts, she was still an eighteen-year-old girl, at the age for beauty and playfulness.

How wonderful it would be to have such a little sister!

“Do you have a swimsuit?” Xiao Shiwei suddenly asked.

Su Tong shook her head. “No.”

She only had two sets of clothes for daily wear and two dresses bought for livestreams.

“Let’s go shopping then,” Xiao Shiwei suggested.

Without hesitation, Su Tong agreed, “Sure.”

She had money now; it was time to treat herself well.

The two returned to their rooms to freshen up, then took a car to SKP2.

Not long after they arrived, Luo Xia showed up as well.

Xiao Shiwei pulled Luo Xia over and introduced her to Su Tong, “This is my good friend, Luo Xia.”

She then turned to Luo Xia, “This is the master of the mystic arts who gave you the luck charm, Su Tong.”

Luo Xia stared at Su Tong in shock.

So young! She looked barely legal.

She wore a red-and-white tracksuit, her long hair loosely clipped back with a hairpin, her fair, oval-shaped face still slightly plump with baby fat, and shallow dimples at her cheeks, making her look sweet and adorable.

Yet those bright, limpid eyes held a calm far beyond her years, as though they could see right through a person’s heart.

While Luo Xia was sizing up Su Tong, Su Tong was also observing her.

Dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans, with a white crossbody bag, Luo Xia looked clean and crisp. Her features were striking and beautiful, but her face and exposed skin bore many scars—clear evidence of how much trouble bad luck had brought her recently.

Luo Xia quickly regained her composure and smiled. “Thank you, Master Su. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have dared to go out today.”

“No need to call me ‘Master.’ Just call me Su Tong,” Su Tong replied with a friendly smile. “Although you’re wearing the luck charm, your misfortune won’t disappear so quickly. Watch your step wherever there are stairs today.”

Luo Xia immediately pressed her palms together in a dramatic gesture. “Thank you for the warning, Master Su!”

Su Tong blinked, slightly bemused. Was this some kind of adolescent phase?

As the three of them headed into the mall, Su Tong felt two fiery gazes fixed on her.

She glanced back to see Xiao Shiwei and Luo Xia pretending to chat intently.

After a while, Su Tong couldn’t take it anymore. She frowned slightly, crossed her arms, and looked at the two of them. “If you have something to say, just say it. Do I look scary to you?”

They shook their heads.

Exchanging a glance, Xiao Shiwei cleared her throat, her tone a little nervous. “You’re so young and adorable. We both want to treat you like a little sister, but we’re afraid you might not like that.”

“I’m not that young. I’m eighteen,” Su Tong said, pausing before continuing, “And I’m your junior—I got into Hainan University. I’ll be a freshman there next semester.”

In truth, whether she attended university now was unimportant, but it had been an obsession in her past life, so she’d decided to go.

“That’s wonderful!” the two exclaimed in unison.

“What?” Su Tong hadn’t even processed it before they each took one of her arms.

Xiao Shiwei’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she said brightly, “Junior, I’ve noticed you only have two outfits. Let’s get you some new clothes. As your seniors, we’ll make sure you look gorgeous!”

Luo Xia chimed in, feigning the coaxing tone of an adult with a child, “Junior, if you have beautiful clothes, you absolutely need matching bags!”

Swept along by their enthusiasm, Su Tong found herself at the clothing section.

First she tried on a blue dress.

Xiao Shiwei squealed in excitement, “You look stunning!”

Luo Xia, equally thrilled, cried, “So elegant!”

Next, Su Tong put on a pink princess dress.

Xiao Shiwei shrieked, “How adorable!”

Luo Xia exclaimed, “You look just like a princess from a fairy tale!”

After three or four outfits, Su Tong wanted to stop, but faced with their sincere smiles and heartfelt praise, she truly felt they were like older sisters. A warm current welled up in her heart.

It felt good to be doted on.

She decided to try on two more outfits.

But two turned into dozens.

Xiao Shiwei and Luo Xia had originally planned to buy all these outfits for her.

Su Tong, however, refused firmly. “I have money. I’ll buy them myself.”

Seeing her resolve, they didn’t insist, but their disappointment was all too obvious.

Su Tong felt a pang of guilt, but her principles remained.

In the end, she bought two sets of summer clothes and three sets of autumn clothes.

Next, the three went to the handbag section.

Su Tong chose a white crossbody bag and a blue handbag.

By then, it was already noon, so they went upstairs for lunch.

In the afternoon, they browsed the accessories store.

Just as they were about to leave, Su Tong suddenly remembered the swimsuit and doubled back for a blue one-piece.

The three of them, laden with bags, headed to the escalator.

Luo Xia, having gone the whole day without any mishap, had let her guard down. As she stepped onto the escalator, her shopping bag caught on the handrail, causing her to lose her balance and start to fall backward.

Terror and regret filled her heart.

It’s over, I’ve let my guard down!

Looks like I’ll be hospitalized again.

Oh no, I won’t be able to soak in the hot springs with our sweet junior!