"This set is good," Senior Qingruo nodded with satisfaction.

"Of course it is—you picked it out yourself," Tiyi thought inwardly. Her hands instinctively covered her chest as she turned sideways, but that pure, narrow strip of white couldn’t be hidden.

Naturally, Tiyi trusted Qingruo’s taste.

"We’ll take this one. Try the next set," Qingruo said, standing like she was inspecting a songstress she’d cultivated—she owned this beauty.

To Tiyi, her senior’s gaze felt like a whip—not painful, but shaming.

Tiyi avoided thinking about her past as Qingruo’s swordsmanship teacher. Dwelling on it now made her wish for an actual whipping instead.

The curtain closed again. Changing only underwear should be quick, but Tiyi, a former boy, wasn’t faster than a real girl.

This time, she lacked the courage to yank it open. She pulled it aside slightly, revealing part of her beige-clad body sideways. "Is this okay?"

Qingruo found this charming. Her watery eyes showed approval, but she needed a full view to decide—not to admire Tiyi, but to choose what this girl should wear under her school uniform.

"Open the curtain fully. Let me see. Then turn around for your back," Qingruo said seriously. Choosing underwear required a full inspection.

Yet with every new angle Qingruo saw, Tiyi’s confidence waned a little.

The mother-daughter customers seemed uninterested, except the little girl who occasionally peeked over innocently.

"Tiyi, what’s wrong? Can’t handle a child’s stare?"

But that innocent gaze made Tiyi feel the reality of being a woman more deeply.

"Senior… this set…" Tiyi felt dizzy from her flushed face. After changing into sapphire-blue underwear, she struck a pose: one hand half-covering her chest, the other arm straight down.

"It’s a bit mature, but suits you well," the senior praised, her voice carrying a feminine magnetism.

"Why am I posing for every set… I must be crazy," Tiyi thought. The blush made her lightheaded. She just wanted Qingruo to approve everything, buy enough underwear, and end this torturous display.

But why did this torture feel sweet? Probably just her own scent. Any sweetness was likely madness.

"This one isn’t quite right. Try another," Qingruo said calmly, shaking her head slightly, her rosy lips serene.

Tiyi had braved such embarrassment to pose, only to feel disappointment. For the next set, she placed even more hope on satisfying her senior.

How did this emotion arise? Tiyi couldn’t know.

"Ugh, this black set… is it too revealing? Did Senior really pick it?" Tiyi held the large black bra, frowning. "Will she get mad? No—she chose it herself…"

Better change it…

"Mom, are you done?" a little girl’s voice called from outside. Tiyi startled, but it was probably for the next stall. The restless girl paced nearby.

"Mom, not yet…" Outside, the girl was drawn to an ornament hanging from a plant. Her gaze fixed on it, she hurried over, almost brushing Tiyi’s curtain.

She tripped while running. "Yikes!" she cried, knocking over a lingerie mannequin in her panic.

The mannequin fell, snagging Tiyi’s curtain. It was heavy with its iron stand.

Riiip!

Tiyi’s curtain tore off completely, falling to the ground.

Instantly, the shop assistant, the fallen girl scrambling up, and the mother who’d just changed were drawn by the noise. They instinctively looked over.

Tiyi had just taken off her previous set—she wore nothing.

There she stood, pure as snow and jade, like a treasure of the Empire, like a forest under snowy plains… fully exposed before Qingruo.

Even for Qingruo, it was a breathtaking, dreamlike moment. But she snapped to awareness instantly.

The Empire’s strongest young Lady Templar Knight didn’t hesitate. She stepped forward in two strides, her taller frame blocking the changing room.

Still not enough. She took half a step inside, wrapping her arms around Tiyi.

"Senior…" Tiyi was already dizzy. The sudden exposure and Qingruo’s swift action overwhelmed her. She felt enveloped in warmth and strength, her vision darkened by Qingruo’s body blocking the light—and the stares.

Had others seen her? Probably not—Qingruo’s reaction was too fast. But she… had definitely been seen completely by her senior.

If it were the old Yedi, being seen naked by Qingruo would be embarrassing but acceptable.

But now—a boy turned girl, seen in her female body by the one girl she least wanted to know the truth—this shame was unimaginable to any man or woman.

No matter what, her senior had seen her.

Tiyi felt like fainting. Her soul and body craved a dark place to hide.

Thankfully, Qingruo’s body shielded her.

Since she’d been seen, hiding behind her was the only option.

But wasn’t the real problem being seen by this perfect girl she secretly loved—seen as a woman?

"Don’t be afraid. They saw nothing," Senior Qingruo whispered gently in Tiyi’s ear. Her arms, delicate yet commanding, held Tiyi protectively, shielding her from everything.

Alandiye felt her very soul melting at the sound.

"Mm…" She almost said she wasn’t afraid.