"If we have to wear them in a few days, then there's no way to custom-make them. We'll have to buy off-the-rack. But nowadays, off-the-rack clothes are pretty good, and since Sister Ling and Ren Suo both have standard figures, you can find some decent formal wear if you look in a slightly better brand store."

"If there's time, I would still suggest getting a custom full suit. I'm not very familiar with the area around Lotus River, but in Shenhai and Sky Capital, there are shops that have been around for decades..."

Ren Suo dug at his ear, interrupting Gu Yueyan's suggestion that was full of petit bourgeois flavor, "Do either of us look like we'd often wear suits? It's only because the school requires it that we're buying them now. There's no need for custom-tailoring..."

Dong Chengling nodded as well, "Athletic wear is more comfortable. I rented a suit once after graduating from college, and it was so troublesome and uncomfortable to wear."

Gu Yueyan was helpless. Ren Suo was a hopeless homebody, more reclusive than a sheltered young lady. As for Dong Chengling, her life was a straight line between the lecture hall and home. Even if she wore slippers to class, no one would question her teaching ability or Cultivation. All her students only held her in greater awe.

She had no choice but to say, "Wearing a well-fitted suit is a form of respect for others. Suits are troublesome and uncomfortable to wear precisely to show how much you value others. Aren't you guys going to a banquet? I heard there will be international guests. You can't embarrass Heavenly Lotus Academy, right?... Xiaoyu, why are you holding onto me?"

Lin Xianyu grabbed Gu Yueyan's hand and pointed at an ice cream shop on the side of the underground mall, "Second cone half price! Let's buy one together, class rep!"

Gu Yueyan crossed her arms, clearly annoyed, "I'm not eating!"

"You don't have to eat it; you could give it to me. I can eat two by myself!" Lin Xianyu said confidently, thumb up, but when she saw the horrifying curve of Gu Yueyan's smile, she backed off. "I mean... if you don't want to eat, you could give it to Little Star or Big Brother Ren..."

In the underground passage of Star Moon Shopping Mall, the five of them, Ren Suo included, were immersed amongst the crowd for the first time in a while. The three girls seemed a bit excited—after staying in the serene academy for so long, the hustle and bustle of the mall felt quite refreshing.

That day, after Ren Suo talked to Dong Chengling about getting suits, they made plans to shop together—buying suits online was too unreliable—and naturally, Ren Suo also succeeded in continuing to mooch meals. However, when Gu Yueyan also came over for a meal and Dong Chengling mentioned this, Gu Yueyan volunteered to help them pick out clothes.

Gu Yueyan came from a good family, something Ren Suo had long known. The fact that Gu Yueyan could afford to hire him as a Healing Cultivator on the spot was telling. Everyone wore uniforms in middle and high school, so there was no difference. But once Gu Yueyan skipped a grade and went to college, where she could wear her own clothes, her fashion sense shot up a notch.

Her taste was trustworthy, and fortunately, both Ren Suo and Dong Chengling had no clue about picking clothes, so they left it to Gu Yueyan to consult and planned to shop for clothes together over the weekend.

"Bro," Ren Xingmei came over and said to Ren Suo, "Help me buy a suit too."

Ren Xingmei was wearing the dress Ren Suo had bought for her last time. Although she still had short hair, she was wearing a star-shaped hair accessory, exuding the vibe of a youthful girl, a stark contrast to her previous tomboy appearance.

"You don't need to attend the banquet, so why buy one?" Ren Suo shook his head.

"I'll need it sooner or later. After graduation, I'll be job-hunting, and for the graduation photo shoot, I'll need to wear one..."

"That's a few years away!" Ren Suo continued shaking his head.

"Isn't it better to buy it in advance?" Ren Xingmei pouted.

"No, if you gain weight in a few years and can't fit into it, it'll be a waste," Ren Suo responded, shaking his head like a wind chime.

'Negative emotions from Ren Xingmei, +233'

Ren Xingmei jabbed Ren Suo hard in the ribs, saying, "Is this how you treat your sister? You're the one who needs a favor from me."

Ren Suo blanked out for a moment before he remembered, "How's Qin Lian doing?"

Previously, Ren Suo had promised Yu Kuangtu to look after Qin Lian at school. However, several factors made it difficult: he wanted to avoid suspicion, he had no reason to get close to Qin Lian, and he was simply reluctant to go out. Fortunately, it just so happened that Ren Xingmei was in the same class as Qin Lian. Although in college, being classmates mostly meant just attending lessons together, Ren Xingmei could undoubtedly approach Qin Lian easily.

He naturally outsourced this task to his sister, asking her to make friends with Qin Lian and indirectly keep an eye on her life.

"Her personality is great, as is her appearance; she's diligent in her studies, frugal in life, enjoys reading and playing the harmonica, and is extremely popular in class. Her measurements are..." Ren Xingmei didn't skimp on the praise, casting a sly glance at Ren Suo before asking, "This friend of yours... isn't part of the 'I have a friend' series, is it?"

Ren Suo didn't reveal the fact that Yu Kuangtu was Qin Lian's boyfriend because it seemed that Yu Kuangtu still had many concerns. If they didn't come forward with it themselves, Ren Suo would not engage in Gossip behind their backs, let alone stir up trouble—exposing something like Yu Kuangtu slacking off from work was a different matter, though.

He had merely told Ren Xingmei that Qin Lian's boyfriend had asked him to look after her for a bit, and now Ren Xingmei was speculating that he was that boyfriend?

However, according to Ren Xingmei's description, it seemed Yu Kuangtu had struck gold this time, making Ren Suo wonder if it had cost Yu Kuangtu a lifetime's worth of luck.

At that moment, Dong Chengling curiously leaned over and asked, "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing much!" Ren Xingmei's eyes quickly shifted as she squeezed between Ren Suo and Dong Chengling, smiling as she said, "I was just reporting the private affairs of a female classmate to my brother!"

Hey, hey, hey, although what she said was the truth, why did she make it sound like I'm some kind of vicious, monstrous pervert who uses his sister to scout out information?

Ren Suo could almost hear an alert for negative emotional feedback. Yet, Ren Xingmei still feigned innocence, observing Dong Chengling's expression. If Bai Ji or another man had been present, she definitely would not have acted this way; instead, she would have done her best to protect Ren Suo and consider his feelings.

She had no idea what she was thinking. If someone opposed Ren Suo, she would certainly stand by his side; but if no one opposed Ren Suo, then...

Dong Chengling looked at Ren Suo with interest. Ren Suo simply shrugged and didn't reveal anything about Yu Kuangtu, just mentioning that a friend had entrusted him to take care of Qin Lian.

Then, Dong Chengling believed him without hesitation, nodding and saying, "Qin Lian? Oh, she happens to be one of the students I'm responsible for. I remember her; she has great Potential… Since she's your friend, Ren Suo, I'll pay more attention to her."

Dong Chengling thought for a while and said, "The academy is planning to start a 'Hard Cultivation Intensive Class' from October, lasting for a term, based on my training intensity. I get to choose the students, so I'll put Qin Lian on the list."

Ren Suo naturally couldn't, nor was he in any position to, refuse this kindness on behalf of Qin Lian. He could only silently light a candle for Yu Kuangtu in his heart. Based on Dong Chengling's training intensity, they shouldn't even think about having a chance to date after October.

When they arrived at the ready-to-wear clothing store selected by Gu Yueyan, a young female sales assistant came to serve them. But when she saw Ren Suo, she hesitated, asking somewhat uncertainly, "Ren Suo, senior brother?"

Ren Suo blinked, scrutinizing the sales assistant for a good while before suddenly remembering, "Li Ke'er?"

"Big Brother, you know her?" Ren Xingmei scrutinized the girl—why was she also quite pretty?

She remembered that Ren Suo was supposed to be studying a monk-like profession. Could it be that he had saved up all his luck in college, and it was now gushing forth after graduation?

"Oh, we met during a blind date," Ren Suo said frankly.

Ren Xingmei cooed, "Oh~"

Dong Chengling said simply, "Oh."

Gu Yueyan asked, "Oh?"

Meanwhile, Lin Xianyu was outside the store, licking two ice creams.

Li Ke'er glanced at them, seemed to realize something, and laughed softly.

"Don't tease, senior brother. At that time, we wanted to consult about the civil service exam content. Then my roommate's mother knew your mother, so that's why we agreed to meet and chat. The older generation takes any meeting for a chat as a blind date."

Li Ke'er was a freshman Ren Suo had met on a blind date arranged by Ren's mother. This was when the resurgence of Spiritual Energy was still a well-guarded secret within the Tactical Bureau. At the time, Ren Suo had recognized Li Ke'er and Xia Lingyu as Awakeners. He had thoroughly explained the civil service positions to them, subtly hinting that the state would have other arrangements for Awakeners and suggesting they wait.

Back then, neither Ren Suo nor Li Ke'er had expected that in a few months, even a Superior School would be established.

Events were unfolding much faster than anyone could have anticipated.

"Are you working part-time here?" Ren Suo asked curiously.

"Yes," Li Ke'er replied. "I work part-time here on weekends when I'm free."

"As a student, your studies should come first. Have you considered Heavenly Lotus Academy?" Ren Suo reminded subtly.

Without a doubt, for young people Li Ke'er's age, if they want to pursue Cultivation, entering a Superior School is the best choice. The military and civil service follow, as both are akin to 'work-study' programs and can't compare to students in terms of Cultivation time and Spell learning.

Li Ke'er blinked at Ren Suo and shook her head gently, "No need, I think things are good as they are now."

At that moment, a middle-aged couple entered the shop. The well-dressed woman, upon seeing Li Ke'er, quickly approached her. "Miss Li, I'll have to trouble you again this time. I told my husband that the clothes you make are much more comfortable than other custom-made clothes, but he didn't believe me, so you'll have to make him a suit to prove my point."

Li Ke'er smiled, "Thank you for your support, Madam Gao. The last time you brought your sisters, and this time your husband..."

"It's all right, it's all right. Good things need to be shared with everyone." The woman grabbed Li Ke'er's hand and glanced at Ren Suo and the others. "You have customers? Then we'll go and sit down to wait for you."

"Okay."

The middle-aged couple headed to the waiting area, and on their way, the middle-aged man could be heard arguing with the woman: "Too young," "Waste of time and money," "Have you been deceived?" and so on.

"You can do custom tailoring too?" Gu Yueyan showed some interest in Li Ke'er. Nowadays, being able to make custom clothes is a rare skill. This college freshman not only can do it but has also managed to attract customers by word-of-mouth?

"I know a little," Li Ke'er said with a smile. "Occasionally, I promote my own clothes to customers, a way to make some extra money, and luckily the store owner doesn't mind."

Gu Yueyan asked, "Then why don't you do part-time work in a real tailoring shop? This store only sells ready-made clothes."

"If I went to a tailoring shop, customers go there for the established master tailors. A newcomer like me wouldn't get a chance to make clothes for years, and it would be hard to make a name for myself. Besides, being an apprentice is much harder than being a salesperson..."

Li Ke'er said, "It's better to work as a salesperson in the store, and I also get the chance to sell my own clothes... I've drifted off-topic, though. Do you want to order custom clothes?"

"She and I are buying formal wear," Ren Suo indicated himself and Dong Chengling.

Purchasing clothes didn't take long, but Ren Suo felt his outfit was a bit tight when trying it on. However, Gu Yueyan and Li Ke'er both thought it was fine, explaining, "Everyone's build is slightly different, the clothes in a ready-made clothing store are all standard sizes, and since formal wear is meant to accentuate the male figure, a bit of tightness is normal."

Moreover, as Gu Yueyan's recommendation suggested, you got what you paid for. The clothes were incredibly expensive; the price could practically match the total cost of all the clothes Ren Suo had ever bought in his life.

But it had only been a few days since Ren Suo got paid, so he was feeling flush and promptly paid for both his and Dong Chengling's clothes.

But one doesn't just make a single purchase and go home on a trip out like this. After Ren Suo bought his clothes, it was the others' turn to shop, so he had no choice but to accompany them.

Watching the one man and four women leave, Li Ke'er thought it was really interesting—she never would have guessed that this senior brother had such potential the first time they met.

But had he really not noticed the change in the atmosphere just now? He's bold...

While waiting for the students to try on clothes, Dong Chengling suddenly said, "That girl is an Awakener."

Dong Chengling spoke matter-of-factly, and Ren Suo didn't argue, merely responding with a hum.

"Her awakened spells are related to her hands."

This surprised Ren Suo. "Why?"

"Her hands are very pretty, prettier than the rest of her. This is the effect of Spiritual Energy only washing over one part of the body without overall Cultivation."

Awakened spells related to hands, a preference for tailoring, and high customer satisfaction...

Naturally, Ren Suo thought Li Ke'er's awakened spells might have something to do with tailoring.

"It seems she has no plans to enter the national system for cultivators," Ren Suo lamented.

"As long as it's not illegal and there's no harmful competition, earning money through awakened spells and leading a peaceful and ordinary life is also a perfectly fine option," Dong Chengling said. "As long as she likes it, that's what matters."

In this world, there are Truth Seekers like Dong Chengling, tax evaders like Ren Suo, and of course ordinary people like Li Ke'er who are content with the simple pleasures of life.

There's no hierarchy in ways of living, but the life you choose is the best life for you.

For dinner, they went out for Japanese cuisine, and midway through the meal, Ren Suo hurriedly left—for rehearsal.

If there are simple pleasures, then there are show-offs like Zhao Huo too.

Zhao Huo had directly rented a large dance studio for rehearsal, claiming it was for a stage play. However, judging by the broken props left after each session, the studio managers suspected they were actually brawling inside.

"Do a flip before you strike!"

"Don't dodge, use your head to block the blade!"

"What are you scared of? Even if it hits below the belt, you can heal yourself anyway."

If Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun weren't on the same side, Ren Suo felt he would have had his chance, and he would have definitely struck down Zhao Huo, that damned showboat.

After rehearsing for two hours, leaving their sweat all over the dance studio, everyone stopped to take a break.

Then, a girl used a hot towel to wipe Zhao Huo's sweat and handed him some hot water. Zhao Huo thanked her, then erupted into laughter as they discussed the details of the play.

Over the past few days, Ren Suo naturally learned the names of the other cast members. The girl was called Sun Shu, and it was said she had been in the same club as Zhao Huo back in college.

When Sun Shu interacted with Zhao Huo, Ren Suo noticed everyone else would knowingly give them space, speaking softer to give them a disturbance-free environment.

But, didn't Zhao Huo notice the change in the atmosphere? Impressive...

"Rehearsals are basically complete… Oh, Ren Suo, the cultural exchange banquet is tomorrow night, have you bought your formal wear yet?" Zhao Huo suddenly asked.

"Do I really look like someone without formal wear?" Ren Suo was quite displeased.

"As long as you've bought it... Do you speak English?" Zhao Huo asked again.

"Swearing in games? I'm pretty proficient at that," Ren Suo replied.

Zhao Huo snickered, "Then you can go cool off by yourself tomorrow night, and watch me converse merrily with the foreign guests."

"Pfft, as if chatting with foreigners is that fun," Ren Suo scoffed.

Zhao Huo seemed to want to say something else but held back. "You'll regret it when the time comes."