Conquer the other worlds with abandon, they've fallen in love with me!

When Lin Yu returned to Arya's house, the oil lamp was still lit.

Pushing open the door, Arya was sitting at the table mending an old garment. She looked up when she heard the noise.

"You're back?"

"Hmm." Lin Yu placed the light blue paper bag he was carrying on the table.

Arya put down her needlework, her gaze falling on the paper bag: "This is...?"

"I bought this for you." Lin Yu sat down at the table and poured himself a glass of water. "Try it on and see if it fits."

Arya paused for a moment, wiped her fingers on her apron, and then reached for the paper bag.

Her movements were very light, as if she were unwrapping some precious gift.

The paper bag was opened, revealing the light blue cotton dress and the black stockings inside.

The skirt was folded neatly, and the floral pattern shimmered softly under the light.

Arya took out the dress, held it up in front of her, and ran her fingers over the embroidery on the neckline.

"This...is very expensive, isn't it?" Her voice trembled slightly.

"It's not expensive." Lin Yu took a sip of water. "I bought it with money given to me by Miss Bell. She hired me and paid me in advance."

Arya stared at the dress for a few seconds, then looked at Lin Yu, her eyes sparkling under the light.

"Thank you, I...I haven't worn new clothes in a long time." Her voice was soft, and her tone was a little nasal.

Lin Yu smiled slightly upon hearing this: "That's exactly why I bought it for you."

New clothes aren't anything rare; if others have them, you should have them too.

Arya looked up at him.

Lin Yu had already looked away, picked up the kettle on the table, and poured himself another glass of water.

"Besides, you've taken me in, providing food and lodging, so isn't it only right that I buy you some clothes?"

He picked up his cup, took a sip, and then added a sentence.

"Besides, this color suits you perfectly; I knew it was meant for you the moment I saw it."

Arya's ears slowly turned red.

She lowered her head, ran her fingers along the fabric of her skirt, and moved her lips as if to say something but then swallowed them back.

"Go try it on and see if it fits." Lin Yu put down the cup and gestured with his chin towards her.

"While I'm not sleepy yet, if it's not suitable, I'll take it to exchange it tomorrow."

Arya nodded, picked up her skirt, stood up, and turned to walk towards her room.

After taking a couple of steps, he turned back to look at Lin Yu, smiled slightly, and then pushed open the door and went inside.

The door wasn't closed properly.

Lin Yu heard rustling sounds coming from inside, the rustling of fabric, and the soft sound of feet stepping on the floor.

Arya stood with her back against the door for a while.

She was still clutching the dress in her hand, the fabric's texture sliding through her fingertips—smooth and soft.

She glanced down; the light blue stood out brightly in the dim room, and the floral pattern looked almost real.

She couldn't remember the last time she wore new clothes.

It was probably when my parents were still alive.

Although life wasn't good back then, my mother would buy a few feet of cloth for herself at the market and sit under the lamp sewing until midnight.

When she put it on, everyone said, "My Arya is so beautiful."

She can be happy for days.

After her parents passed away, she never bought new clothes again.

She wore those few coarse cloth clothes in the closet year after year, they were washed until they were faded and the collars were frayed, but she didn't think anything of it.

Anyway, nobody watches it, and nobody cares.

Thinking this, Arya unconsciously walked to the mirror.

The mirror was just the height of a person, with a wooden frame. Although it was a bit worn, it was polished to a shine.

She held the skirt up in front of her and compared it to her reflection in the mirror. Her face was a little red, and her eyes were brighter than usual.

"What others have, you should have too."

As she repeated Lin Yu's words, Arya's lips curled up, but she quickly pursed them back.

She placed the skirt on the bed and began to unbutton her clothes.

She took off her coarse cloth top and draped it over the back of the chair, her skirt slipped down, revealing a faded petticoat underneath.

The skin below her collarbone gleamed in the candlelight, and the bra strap left faint marks on her shoulder.

She picked up the dress, unfolded it, and pulled it over her head.

The fabric slid over her shoulders, her arms slipped into her sleeves, and the hem of her skirt fell down, swaying at her calves.

The fabric felt smooth and cool against her skin, like someone was gently holding her.

Arya lowered her head, pulled down her collar, straightened her skirt, and turned to face the mirror.

The light blue color made her skin look even whiter, and the neckline was lower than she usually wore, revealing her collarbone and the beginning of her cleavage.

The waist was perfectly cinched, making her already slim waist appear even thinner.

The skirt flares out, the fabric hangs smoothly, and it sways gently as you walk.

She turned to the side, then back, her fingers touching the fabric at her waist.

It fits perfectly, like it was tailor-made.

Arya stood in front of the mirror, looking at herself intently, somewhat dazed.

The woman in the mirror, wearing such a beautiful dress, looks gentle and young, as if she has returned to a few years ago.

Arya reached out and touched her face in the mirror; her fingertips felt cool.

She smiled, her eyes welling up with tears. A warm feeling spread from her chest to her limbs, then caught in her throat, leaving a sour, throbbing sensation.

Arya sniffed, suppressing the sour taste.

Then his gaze fell on the black mass on the bed.

Lin Yu bought black stockings.

She picked it up and unfolded it; the fabric was very thin and shimmered faintly under the light.

My fingers pinched the top of the sock, and I could see my fingerprints through the fabric.

Arya bit her lip.

She had never worn anything like this before, and neither did the women in the village. It was too alluring and not the proper attire for respectable people.

She lived to be thirty and had never even touched such a material, let alone worn it.

Why would Lin Yu buy something like this?

Arya turned the stockings over to look at them, then turned them back over, rubbing her fingertips on the fabric, which was incredibly slippery.

A thought flashed through her mind, and her ears burned.

Lin Yu...does he want to see it?

No, no, no, don't overthink it. He probably just bought it on a whim, or the salesperson recommended it, or maybe he didn't even know what it was.

Arya stood in front of the mirror for a while, placed the stockings by the bed, and picked up her slip to change.

He stopped halfway through reaching out his hand.

She glanced back at the stockings, then at herself in the mirror.

The blue dress she wore, paired with those old cloth shoes, looked completely mismatched.

She hesitated for a moment, then picked up the stockings again, tore open the top, rolled it into a small loop, and then bent down to put them on starting from her toes.

The stockings slid up against my skin, the sensation spreading from my toes to the instep, calf, knee, climbing little by little upwards.

It felt like something was gently stroking her legs, tickling and tingling.

She stood up and pulled the stockings up to her thighs. When she let go, the fabric snapped back, wrapping tightly around her entire leg, glistening with a damp sheen under the light.

Arya looked down at her legs.

The black stockings clearly outlined the lines of her legs, exposing every curve of her kneecaps, calves, and ankles under the light.

Arya never knew that her legs would look like this when she dressed like this.

She turned to face the mirror and looked at herself from the side, then turned her back to look at herself from behind.

Her face grew increasingly red.

She reached out a finger, hooked it around the waistband of her stocking, and flicked it back with a soft snap, causing the flesh on her thigh to tremble slightly.

"Really..." she muttered under her breath, her voice muffled in her throat, "Why would you buy this kind of thing..."

But her tone didn't sound angry; it sounded more like she was being coquettish, only the person she was being coquettish with wasn't around.