Restricted Fantasy Invasion

Chapter 41
"An Le, help dad go downstairs and buy a bunch of green onions, and also buy a bag of salt and soy sauce, otherwise we won't have anything to eat tomorrow."

After dinner, An Le's father, An Bang, called out from the kitchen where he was washing dishes, prompting An Le, who was checking out her wardrobe in her room, to quickly turn her head and respond,

"Okay, Dad~"

On her shoulder, a white snake flicked its tongue and glanced at the clothes in the wardrobe, rolling its eyes as it spoke,

"Look at you, what's with all these clothes in your wardrobe? They're so tacky. No matter how you pick, the outfit you wear to meet Yan Huan next week is just the best of a bad bunch."

"."

Embarrassed, An Le glanced at Little Finger, but not knowing what to say, she could only mumble softly,

"Then I'll use my allowance this weekend to pick out something new. It's been a long time since I bought new clothes anyway."

"Right? You wear that school uniform every day-it's so ugly."

Actually, An Le's family wasn't so poor that they couldn't afford clothes; it was just that there were very few clothes suitable for her.

Occasionally, there were a few pieces she thought were nice, but she didn't dare wear them to school.

Because they were cheap, nowhere near as fancy as the branded clothes her classmates wore.

More importantly, she was worried she'd be mocked for her figure.

The boys were always sneaking glances at her with lecherous eyes, then whispering among themselves.

Even though she couldn't hear clearly, it was easy to guess what they were talking about.

The girls also often teased her about her figure. Pu Shuwen and her friends, for example, would often insult her by calling her "cow."

An Le didn't like that nickname.

So, just like when she studied in Longguo, she could only wear the very conservative school uniform to class.

Here, though, that made her stand out as an oddball.

At this moment, having returned home, An Le changed into a white dress for lounging around the house and was picking out clothes to wear for meeting Yan Huan next week.

After being criticized by both Little Finger and reality, An Le finally made up her mind-not to send a letter through Yaqiao Mu anymore, but to go find him directly.

Of course, given An Le's insecure personality, she wouldn't set out without being fully prepared.

What hairstyle should she have that day?

Should she put on makeup?

Which outfit should she wear?

All of these were things she needed to consider.

Although, in Little Finger's opinion, she only needed to activate the pleasure control and charge in recklessly to win-why bother with all this trouble?

But An Le refused no matter what, and Little Finger couldn't argue with her-after all, she was the host.

Having agreed to her father's request, An Le was about to leave, but before going, she called out to her mother, who was watching TV in the living room,

"Mom, I'm heading downstairs."

"Hey, bring me a cup of milk tea while you're at it, less sugar."

"Okay~"

An Le put on her shoes and walked into the corridor of the old apartment building, pressing the elevator button.

"Why not just buy some clothes while you're out shopping?"

Little Finger looked at the numbers on the elevator and suddenly suggested.

But An Le quickly shook her head, raised her phone, and opened an online shopping app,

"Eh? I-I'm planning to buy online."

"Buy online? Why not buy in person?"

An Le nodded and explained awkwardly,

"Because... um... clothes are more expensive in stores. Online is a bit cheaper..."

Little Finger squinted at An Le, then suddenly exploded,

"I think you're just socially anxious! You even feel embarrassed to buy clothes in person, don't you? I saw it just now-so many of your ill-fitting clothes in the wardrobe, even your underwear, were all bought online!!"

Little Finger had already seen through An Le. This girl would spend days picking things online, then wait a few more days for delivery, and then hesitate for a few more days once they arrived.

Sigh!

By then she'd get shy again and not dare to go!

Just keep dragging it out, dragging it out!

By the time you finally go, the flowers will have wilted and the other fingers will have eaten chicken-you'll be the only one happy!

Little Finger, fuming, lightly slapped An Le's face with its tail, making her yelp and try to block it with her hand,

"Your figure is already out of the ordinary-how could clothes fit if you don't try them on in person?! And when the ones you buy online don't fit, you don't even return them? You just keep them?!"

"Because... because returning clothes is a hassle for others... If it was hard for them to sell..."

"Oh, give me a break! Damn it, don't think I didn't see-you don't return them, fine, but you haven't even worn them and you still give the shop a five-star review?! Why?!"

"Because the customer service... was really nice, seemed like a good person, and asked me to leave a good review, so I..."

"You idiot pig! Their sales pitches are all standardized training-you really think they're nice to you because they're good people?"

"I-I know, but..."

An Le pressed her lips together; she actually knew all the customer service reps used the same trained lines, but she just found it hard to refuse people's requests.

Especially when the other person kept asking, saying they were just one good review short of meeting their monthly quota.

It was just a tap of her finger to help them finish their work-why not do it?

That's how An Le saw it.

And seeing how useless An Le looked, Little Finger had lost count of how many times it had gotten so mad it was about to overheat.

"Useless! Now, right now, go downstairs and buy a new outfit! Stop buying online!"

It wanted nothing more than to crawl inside this silly girl's head to see what exactly was in there that made her so uniquely minded.

Is it a tumor?

"And get your hair done, too! You look like a ghost girl every day-aren't you scared when you get up at night? And washing it is such a hassle! Watching you agonize every night over whether to wash your hair is driving me nuts!"

"Okay, okay."

An Le stroked her long hair and nodded; this was one of the few things she and Little Finger agreed on.

It's a pain for girls to wash their hair-if you don't, it gets greasy, but if you do, it takes forever and you have to blow it dry strand by strand. Such a hassle.

Not to mention An Le's thick, heavy hair...

"Ding dong~"

The elevator had arrived.

An Le smoothed her hair and stepped in, pressing the button for the first floor.

There were lots of little ads stuck inside the elevator, looking as battle-worn as the old corridor itself.

Housing prices in Linmen were really high. Part of Luoqiao District and most of the southern district were Linmen's old city, where the prices were relatively low.

Back in the day, An Le's father, Comrade An Bang, returned from a failed business venture in Longguo and used all their savings to buy a secondhand apartment of just over sixty square meters in Luoqiao District-barely enough to settle down.

They couldn't be called wealthy, but at least they owned a place in Linmen, making them a middle-class family.

She passed through some narrow, dim corridors on the first floor, emerged from a small alley, and finally stepped back onto the bright, bustling streets of Linmen.

Little Finger glanced around and pointed in a direction,

"Go there first-get your hair cut!"

"Oh, okay."

An Le nodded, walked a bit, pushed open the door to the hair salon, and entered, bowing her head and mumbling softly,

"S-sorry to bother you."

"What do you mean bother? You're the customer, you're the boss! Stand up straight!"

"Oh."

An Le straightened up obediently, but when the hairdresser looked her way, she got shy and lowered her head again, nearly making Little Finger faint from frustration.

"You're here-let's wash your hair first, okay?"

"Mm."

She went to the back where another apprentice washed her hair. When she sat back up, her hair was drooping down, still wet, and she really did look like a ghost girl.

She could perfectly pass for Sadako, making the other customers getting their hair cut stare in disbelief.

"How do you want it cut today, miss?"

"Just a bit shorter... thank you."

"Alright, how about I give you a normal-looking hairstyle?"

"Mm, thank you."

An Le nodded. Even with the cape around her, the curves on her chest were still very obvious.

"Snip, snip, snip..."

The bangs that were cut off landed on her chest, blocked by the mountains.

"Miss, want to get a membership card? If you top up now, you get twenty percent off-it's a great deal!"

"Ah, huh?"

An Le blinked her big, watery eyes and turned to look at the smiling hairdresser behind her.

She hesitated, about to speak, when Little Finger's snake head suddenly appeared in front of her face, expressionless.

The crimson snake eyes suddenly enlarged, just inches from her own eyes.

With a look that said, "I'll be watching you, forever."

"An Le, if you dare say yes, do you believe I'll kill you right here?!"

An Le's little face turned pale with fright. She pressed her lips together, quickly turned her head, and stammered to the hairdresser,

"I-I'd rather not. Thank you."

"Alright then."

Sigh.

An Le looked at the hairdresser in the mirror, who was calmly continuing to cut her hair, and cautiously withdrew her gaze.

So,

nothing bad actually happens if you refuse.

This thought suddenly popped into her mind.

It was such a normal idea, yet when she thought it, it felt like a weight had finally been lifted from her heart, leaving her with mixed feelings.

Haircuts for customers like An Le always showed the most obvious results. When the hairdresser behind her said, "Take a look, what do you think?" the person An Le saw in the mirror looked almost like a stranger.

The black bangs that had been cut off could no longer hide her fair and adorable face, and her thick long hair finally felt light, as if the weights had been lifted from her head.

She had a pair of bright, watery eyes, but they seemed a little less lively now, making her look adorably dazed.

Her pink lips were slightly parted in surprise, unadorned by makeup yet shimmering with a watery glow, making anyone who saw her want to exclaim,

"Who dares to kiss?!"

An Le blinked, and the beauty in the mirror blinked too.

It was as if, only after making this gesture, she realized the person in the mirror was herself.

"J-just like this. Thank you."

"Alright, let's wash it again."

"Mm, thank you."

Washed again, then blow-dried.

After paying, a much fresher-looking beauty finally walked out of the hair salon with a huge sense of relief.

Having left the place where she had to talk to people, she breathed a sigh of relief and touched her chest.

But Little Finger on her shoulder was as bossy as ever, flicking its tongue and immediately pointing in another direction,

"Next stop! Go buy clothes!!"

An Le blinked and followed Little Finger's lead to a clothing store.

Little Finger's sharp eyes swept over the mannequins in the window, then seemed to spot a piece of clothing it really liked.

So, it turned back and instructed An Le,

"Quick! Go to this one!! That dress is amazing, it'll definitely suit you!" However, An Le opened her mouth, looking like she wanted to say something but hesitated.

But seeing her like this made Little Finger furious. It puffed up and started yelling,

"Stop being scared! Are you even alive?! You don't even dare to try on clothes in person? It's all female staff inside, what are you afraid of? Get in there!!"

"O-okay."

An Le swallowed nervously, but still mustered up her courage and walked in.

"Welcome! Feel free to take anything you like and try it on."

"Not this one! That one! Yes, that dress-have her take it down for you to try."

Under Little Finger's urging, An Le tremulously picked up a hanging floral high-waisted dress, had the clerk fetch her the right size, and then went into the fitting room.

When she came out again, even the clerks waiting by the door couldn't help but cover their mouths in surprise.

The form-fitting high-waisted dress revealed the shape of An Le's waist without a doubt, the curve of her proud chest tracing down along the outline of the dress, finally flowing into the slightly ruffled princess skirt.

Her figure was impressive without looking bulky, making her seem both youthful and pure.

But even though everything from top to bottom fit so perfectly, the girl's face was tinged with a shy blush, and her eyes darted around nervously-

Like a cherry perched atop a cream cake, a touch of tempting red against snowy white, making one's mouth water.

"Wow, young lady, you have great taste. With a bust like yours, it's hard to find clothes that fit, but this one is perfect."

"R-really?"

Standing in front of the mirror, An Le swayed the skirt back and forth, while Little Finger on her shoulder looked so smug its nose was practically pointing to the sky.

"Are you kidding? I'm the smartest Little Finger-my taste and brain are both top-notch. So, Little An Le, are you convinced yet?"

"Huh?"

An Le blinked, still looking like she wanted to say something but held back.

But seeing how smug it looked, she kindly didn't interrupt, and nodded appreciatively.

"Mm."

"Alright, buy it! This is the outfit for when you meet Yan Huan next week-he'll be totally captivated!"

Captivated-

Xiaohuan?

Looking like this?

An Le's face turned even redder. She didn't dare look at herself in the mirror, but couldn't hide her excitement at the future Little Finger was painting.

Just thinking about Yan Huan made her like this.

"Ah, stop overthinking, you'll win! Hurry up and pay, we still have our next stop! And your underwear too-make sure you change it! You have to pick your best battle underwear for that kind of thing."

"Th-that kind of thing?!!"

An Le's face instantly turned bright red, like a boiling kettle, startling the clerks around her.

"What's wrong, miss?"

"N-nothing!"

An Le panicked and replied to the clerk, then stared at Little Finger on her shoulder and said in her mind,

"Little Finger, y-you've already thought that far ahead? I-I'm not going to see Xiaohuan for-"

"Huh?"

But Little Finger just gave her a sideways glance and calmly retorted,

"Don't tell me you've never thought about doing that kind of thing with Yan Huan."

"I-"

That question instantly shut An Le down.

Her face was crimson, her lips trembling like a sieve, but for a long time she couldn't squeeze out a single word.

"Or is it that you just want a purely spiritual romance with Yan Huan?"

"O-of course not!"

Oh, so now you admit you want to date Yan Huan, huh?

Before, you kept denying it, saying you just wanted to reconnect with him.

Oh, oh, good girl~

Little Finger transformed into a ruthless judge on the bench, delivering a fatal blow to An Le below, and asked bluntly,

"Just be straight-since starting high school, have you ever used Yan Huan as a side dish at night?"

"..."

After stammering for ages under Little Finger's scrutinizing gaze, An Le finally blushed and whispered a tiny "Mm" in her mind.

An Le was an honest girl.

"Heh."

Little Finger sneered, then flicked its tongue.

"See, that's it. Now hurry up and pay, let's get to the next stop!!"

"B-but-"

"But what? Do I have to give you a full psychological pep talk?!"

Before Little Finger could explode again, An Le glanced around and then whispered,

"This dress... I can't afford it."

"Huh?"

The previously excited Little Finger suddenly froze, turning its head in a daze to look at An Le.

Then, it stuck its long head into An Le's black hair to peek at the tag on the back of her neck.

One second later, it seemed to instantly achieve enlightenment and retracted its head.

"..."

"..."

The girl and the snake exchanged a glance.

An Le was sweating from nervousness, while Little Finger was also feeling guilty and started to-

Oh wait, it's a snake, it can't sweat.

"Why didn't you tell me this store was so expensive earlier?!"

"I-I wanted to tell you at the door, but you kept interrupting me, so..."

"..."

Little Finger blinked guiltily, then sighed helplessly and muttered,

"This was supposed to be an ability you unlocked later, but I guess your desire is just barely enough to use it now."

"Ah, Little Finger, what are you talking about?"

Little Finger turned its head, sighed, and said,

"I'll teach you a new way to use your ability, one that will let us take this piece of clothing with us, and in the future, it'll also make Xiaohuan fall for you easily-do you want to hear it?"

"Y-you go ahead."

"Later on, when your ability evolves, you'll only be able to unlock further abilities by choosing between manipulating pleasure or manipulating pain. So, tell me first-which one do you want to keep: pleasure or pain?"

An Le opened her mouth, and almost instinctively replied,

"Pleasure, I guess."

Little Finger gave her a "I knew it" look, then simply continued,

"That's right. So, about pleasure-like when you infused it into Yan Huan earlier, that pleasure comes on suddenly, so it's easy for people to notice something's off, right?"

"Exactly, that's what I was worried about before."

"Now, you can to some extent set the source of the pleasure as yourself."

"Myself?"

Little Finger blinked and said, word by word,

"People often say 'it's comfortable being around someone'-in reality, it's because being with that person often brings positive feedback from their actions.

"But you, with the ability I've given you, can skip this whole process and directly give people positive feedback-in other words, pleasure."

An Le wasn't stupid; she understood what Little Finger meant almost instantly.

"So, you mean, I... can use this ability to make myself more popular?"

Little Finger gave a sinister smile and said meaningfully,

"Not just that. Anyway, just try it and you'll see."

As soon as he finished speaking, a line of illusory text appeared in front of An Le.

[Do you wish to choose the Pleasure Evolution Path?]

Yes.

That was An Le's choice.

Then, the illusory text in front of her shifted slightly.

[Congratulations, you can now activate 'Superconductor Mode'!]

[In this mode, you can designate a target within 15 meters. When you're near them, they'll feel a constant stream of pleasure. Their consciousness will also automatically adjust, subconsciously treating you as the source of that pleasure.]

[Duration: 15 minutes. When it ends, their memory will automatically correct any unreasonable phenomena. But beware of exposure risks caused by third parties or other uncontrollable factors.]

[Activate 'Superconductor Mode'?]

An Le blinked, then clicked confirm.

Little Finger glanced back at the clerk and said,

"Her. Choose her as the target."

"Huh?"

An invisible circle with a radius of fifteen meters suddenly expanded, and as the clerk behind was selected, a stream of white mist instantly formed a bridge between An Le and her, flowing endlessly.

"!!"

The clerk was briefly stunned, then her face instantly flushed, and her gaze toward An Le became heated.

An Le blinked, still not quite realizing what had happened, but Little Finger had already spoken up beside her,

"Now's the time-ask her if you can take the clothes with you!"

An Le subconsciously followed Little Finger's prompt and said,

"Can I take this piece of clothing with me?"

"Of course!"

The clerk, face red, seemed to want to get closer to An Le with her fingers, as if there was some kind of magnetic field around An Le that made being near her feel good.

"Ha, just take it, you don't need to pay! I'll cover it later, ha... ha..."

An Le opened her mouth, while Little Finger sinisterly shook its snake head and said to her,

"What are you spacing out for? Let's go!"

An Le blinked, looking at the clothes draped over her arm.

She glanced back at the clerk, whose face was flushed and eyes dreamy, and instinctively wanted to follow Little Finger's instruction to leave the store.

Taking a four-digit-priced piece of clothing for free-no matter how you look at it, that's a huge bargain, right?

An Le walked toward the door, breathing heavily, but when her hand grasped the cold doorknob, she suddenly stopped.

That chill seemed to travel from her fingertips back into her body.

"What are you doing? Go already?!"

Little Finger turned its head to look at her, urging loudly.

An Le's eyes widened, and she too was breathing heavily.

Her long lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, her pink lips pursed slightly, and her gaze landed on the help wanted ad posted at the door,

"Now hiring clerks, monthly pay 4000-6000."

The price of this piece of clothing was more than a quarter of that clerk's monthly pay...

An Le's small hand loosened its grip on the doorknob bit by bit, while Little Finger beside her was about to blow its top.

But An Le still hesitated, turning back, her gaze slowly rising and gradually becoming resolute as she looked at Little Finger.

After a moment of silence, she stared at Little Finger's slightly dazed crimson eyes and spoke, timid but firm,

"I

"I can't do this, Little Finger."

(End of this chapter)