Chapter 17: They’re Not Suitable

Radiant like peach blossoms in spring, pure like chrysanthemums in autumn.

For a moment—

Both Qi Wen and Yao Yao were mesmerized by the stunning beauty before them.

Her slender figure, long hair cascading past her shoulders, and the subtle glimpse of her delicate collarbones beneath her perfectly fitted neckline—

Her five-inch shorts revealed two long, fair legs, smooth and supple.

Even more astonishing, her knees bore no visible horizontal lines.

Coupled with the faint blush on her fresh and delicate face, she exuded an aura that made the surrounding girls instinctively want to step forward and protect her.

“Oh my god! Jiang Ning! How is your skin so flawless?!”

“And look at this collarbone! This waist!”

Qi Wen was the first to step up, her hands reaching out like an octopus, pinching and prodding at Jiang Ning, making the latter struggle in protest.

Yao Yao, standing to the side, also gazed at Jiang Ning with envy—especially after a week of military training, how was her complexion still so fair?

And those silky, snow-white legs—

Her knees were completely smooth, as if sculpted from jade.

Just then—

Li Mingyu, who had just finished paying, walked over with bags in hand.

Noticing the expressions on Qi Wen and Yao Yao’s faces, she instinctively turned her head—

And then, with a look of astonishment, her gaze locked onto the somewhat shy girl standing five meters away.

“What a beautiful girl…”

Li Mingyu murmured from the depths of her heart.

She had already thought the girl’s face was stunning.

But now that her figure was also on display—this combination…

Even at Shangyi, one of the country’s top arts schools, a girl like this would easily rank in the top ten of the entire campus.

And she was still young.

In a few years, when she fully grew into her looks, no matter which university she attended, she’d undoubtedly be a campus belle.

However—

No matter how others praised her,

At this moment, Old Jiang had no intention of embracing her beauty.

The feeling of having her bare legs exposed to the air gave her an odd sense of insecurity.

“…Maybe I should just change back…”

With that, Jiang Ning turned to dash back into the fitting room.

But before she could take a step, Qi Wen grabbed her.

“No changing!!”

At the same time, Yao Yao firmly added:

“Don’t change! You look great like this!”

“Yeah! No changing!” Qi Wen clung tightly to Jiang Ning’s arm, refusing to let her go.

Even Li Mingyu chimed in—

“You really do look amazing.”

“But… if you wore a skirt, it would be even better.”

???

You damn old hens!

Did I ever offend you?!

Jiang Ning shivered, her skin breaking out in goosebumps. She shook her head furiously in refusal.

Seeing her strong resistance to skirts, the others could tell she really disliked them. Though they didn’t understand why, they chose not to push further.

A while later—

The two groups parted ways at the entrance of the clothing store.

Watching the two young girls walk away, Li Mingyu casually asked,

“That’s Jiang Ning, isn’t it?”

At those words, Yao Yao’s expression changed slightly.

“Sister Mingyu, how did you—”

“I’m not deaf, and my eyes work just fine…”

Li Mingyu rolled her eyes at the timid girl beside her.

“My bratty little brother likes her, doesn’t he?”

“If you won’t mess things up for them, fine. But why are you helping her hide it?”

The more Li Mingyu spoke, the more annoyed she became. She flicked Yao Yao’s forehead several times.

“I—I promised Brother Mingwei…” Yao Yao lowered her head, mumbling.

“You silly girl! If you keep helping, your Brother Mingwei will end up belonging to someone else!!”

“Can’t you see that brat is completely out of it these days?”

Li Mingyu fumed, her chest rising and falling in frustration—instantly drawing several gazes from passersby.

But she had no patience to care about those looks. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she gazed at the girl before her and said in a serious tone:

“They’re not suitable for each other.”

“W-why?”

Yao Yao looked up, confused.

In her mind, Jiang Ning was truly beautiful. Even compared to the so-called campus belles of the upper grades, Jiang Ning outshone them all.

Yet unexpectedly, Li Mingyu only cast her a look of exasperation.

“I don’t agree.”

As for why—Li Mingyu didn’t bother to explain.

Because she knew—

A beautiful girl like that, in the years ahead, would face countless temptations and difficult twists in life.

One wrong step—

And her entire future could crumble.

As an older sister, she didn’t want her brother—at the peak of his youth—to get entangled with such a dangerously attractive girl.

She much preferred the girl before her—someone she knew well, who had a lovely appearance, and most importantly, had a heart full of love for her brother.

What more could she ask for in a sister-in-law?

—

Meanwhile, Jiang Ning had no idea that she had already been eliminated from the potential sister-in-law selection.

Right now, she was blushing, carrying a bag, shopping at XX store with Qi Wen.

Of course, her flushed face wasn’t from embarrassment—it was from excitement.

She was openly touching and feeling one eye mask after another,

Imagining what kind of girls would wear them in the future.

Someone like Li Mingyu?

Someone like Yao Yao?

Or maybe—

“Miss, this one would suit you. Would you like to try it on?”

Hearing the saleswoman’s recommendation, Jiang Ning instinctively glanced down at herself.

And instantly—

All the excitement in her heart vanished.

The “sage mode” arrived just like that.

MMP.

“Thanks, but no.”

Jiang Ning forced a polite smile at the woman beside her.

At that moment, Qi Wen popped up from nowhere, grabbing Jiang Ning’s arm and dragging her inside.

“W-what’s going on?”

After the last store’s experience, Jiang Ning was terrified Qi Wen would make her try on a pile of eye masks.

She was panicking.

But fortunately—

Qi Wen only brought her to the dressing room entrance, blushing slightly.

“Watch the door for me. I… I don’t feel at ease.”

Oh, guarding the door?

Now that, this old man could handle.

Jiang Ning patted her chest confidently.

“Don’t worry, not even a single male fly will get in!”

A short while later—

Qi Wen emerged with a flushed face and whispered to Jiang Ning,

“Look… any difference?”

Hearing that, Jiang Ning lowered her head to examine her—then raised a brow.

“…Doesn’t seem any different.”

“Huh? No way…”

Qi Wen’s face darkened, and she looked down, gesturing at herself in distress.

Seeing this, Jiang Ning smirked.

“Just kidding—it’s better than before, heh heh heh…”

And with that, she reached out and gave Qi Wen a light squeeze.

The soft sensation beneath her fingers made Jiang Ning’s heart tremble slightly.

“Oh, my lady is blooming—shall this gentleman pluck more?”

The next second—

Jiang Ning’s great escape began.

(End of Chapter)

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—MMP is an abbreviation for (mā mài pī), which is a vulgar curse meaning “your mom is a prostitute”. It originated from Sichuan dialect and is commonly used online to express extreme frustration, anger, or annoyance.

Since the phrase is quite offensive, people often use “MMP” as a censored or humorous way to vent emotions without directly typing out the full insult.