Runes • Rifles • Reincarnation
53. Design Lessons

Jin Shu walked through the spacious halls of the guest home his Aunt Chen had lent him. Despite being a spare residence for entertaining visitors, the building was enormous, every detail lavishly designed. It took him several minutes to navigate from the bedroom to the drawing room, where Biyu, Tian Li, and Yin’er were waiting.

Even before opening the door, their animated voices reached him, carrying through the quiet halls.

“Stay away from Yin’er, boobie monster!”

“Come here, my little baby. I just want to fix your robes—they’re all messy,” came Tian Li’s teasing response.

“Senior Sister, you shouldn’t call her that. You might make her father angry,” Biyu chimed in, her soft chuckle laced with a sharp undertone that Jin Shu couldn’t quite place.

“Hmph! So what? I’m at the 9th stage of the Core Realm. What could he possibly do to me?” Tian Li retorted dismissively.

“He killed a Core Realm cultivator on our trip here,” Biyu replied, her tone casual yet pointed.

A heavy silence fell over the room, and Jin Shu sighed, rubbing his temples. Without further hesitation, he pushed the doors open.

The first thing he saw was Tian Li, her expression frozen in shock and horror as her eyes locked on him.

Even now, Tian Li’s beauty caused Jin Shu to pause. Yet when his gaze shifted to Biyu, he couldn’t decide who was more breathtaking. Each possessed unique features that set them apart, making comparisons seem almost unfair.

Tian Li flinched but quickly regained her composure, her tone sharp as she retorted, “I’m sure it was someone at the 1st stage. I could have done the same when I was at the 9th stage of the Qi Realm.”

“I was only at the 5th stage,” Jin Shu replied, shaking his head. “Though I’m unsure of my opponent’s cultivation strength.” He moved to sit on a soft cushion, brushing off the topic. “Anyway, let’s talk about something a bit less grim, shall we?”

Both Biyu and Tian Li nodded in agreement, though Tian Li discreetly scooted her cushion a little farther away from him.

Reaching into his space earring, Jin Shu retrieved some paper and a pencil. He laid out three sheets and began to sketch, grateful that the young Jin Shu of this world had inherited a remarkable talent for art. If it had been left to the Jin Shu from Earth, even a semi-straight line would have been a challenge.

Curiosity lit up Tian Li’s and Biyu’s faces as they leaned closer to peek at his drawings, while Yin’er busied herself munching on cookies. Spotting a small plate with just a few left, Jin Shu surmised that Tian Li must have prepared them for the little tiger cub.

As Jin Shu sketched, he chatted casually with the two girls. “What made you so interested in fashion? It’s not something I’ve seen much of here,” he asked, glancing briefly at Tian Li.

“That’s true. Fashion is usually something only mortal noblewomen care about,” Tian Li replied. “However, there’s a profession that uses fashion and beauty to draw in customers. Do you know which one?”

Without thinking, Jin Shu shook his head. “I don’t.”

“A courtesan.”

Jin Shu’s hand flinched, his pencil slipping and marring the line he was drawing.

Unbothered, Tian Li continued. “My mother is a courtesan. She used to tell me, ‘A woman needs to look her best to get ahead in this world.’ She was wrong, but I still want to show her that I listened to her advice,” she said, her tone tinged with melancholy. Then, with renewed cheerfulness, she added, “Besides, creating something unique and beautiful is fun!”

“I see.” Jin Shu nodded thoughtfully, then slid the paper he was working on toward her. “This is the type of fashion my... friend designed.”

The sheet depicted six dresses, each in a distinct and elegant style.

“Ooh, wow! They’re so pretty!” Tian Li exclaimed, her eyes transfixed on the drawings.

Biyu leaned over Jin Shu to get a better look, her body pressing lightly against his arm.

“Oh, these are quite interesting,” she remarked, her tone calm yet pointed. Then, glancing up at him with a warm smile that didn’t reach her frosty eyes, she asked, “Did that ‘girlfriend’ of yours model them for you?”

“No,” Jin Shu said calmly, though a cheeky smile crept across his face a moment later. “I’d like to see you model them.”

He blinked, startled by his own words. But they weren’t his. It was kid Jin Shu who had said that.

Regret began to bubble up as he realized how often he’d allowed his other psyches to take control of their shared body. While he’d initially thought their growing ability to swap control on the fly was a useful skill, he now saw its downside: they were starting to take liberties with his moments.

Biyu’s eyes widened in surprise, and for a brief moment, she was silent. Then, with a slight nod, she replied, “Okay. If Senior Sister Tian Li makes them, I’ll model them for you.”

“Haha! See that! I knew it would work!” Kid Jin Shu shouted from the special space in his soul.

Jin Shu cleared his throat, trying to mask his embarrassment, and redirected his focus to the other two sheets of paper in front of him.

Meanwhile, Tian Li was utterly engrossed in the designs on the first page. Holding it up and tilting it at different angles, she seemed completely oblivious to their conversation.

“Amazing,” she murmured. “I’ve never seen anything like this before… But, what if I added this here? No, maybe that… Oh! A jewel right there would be perfect!” Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she muttered ideas to herself, fully immersed in her own world.

Jin Shu, now finished with his sketches, slid the two additional sheets toward her. “I think these might interest you even more,” he said.

On the pages were designs of all manner of modern clothing—shirts, pants, skirts, and whatever else he could conjure from his memories.

“Oh my!” Tian Li exclaimed as she set the first page down and eagerly examined the other two. Her eyes widened as she pointed to a specific design. “What’s this? It’s so short.”

“That’s a miniskirt,” Jin Shu explained.

“And this one?” She gestured to a flowing dress with delicate lines.

“A sundress.”

She continued pointing to various designs, her curiosity endless. Jin Shu patiently named and described each one.

Suddenly, Tian Li clasped his hand, her eyes brimming with excitement. “Give me more!” she demanded, only to shake her head an instant later. “No, wait—teach me instead!”

Jin Shu hesitated, opening his mouth to politely refuse, when he felt a sharp pinch on his side. “Ow!” He turned to Biyu, who glared at him, her expression firm.

She mouthed a single word: Accept.

He shook his head, but the pinch intensified.

“Ow! Okay, okay,” he relented, rubbing his side.

“Really?!” Tian Li’s face lit up, and she swung his hands back and forth in excitement.

He sighed and nodded.

“Yay! I didn’t even have to cry!” she cheered.

“Cry?” Jin Shu raised a brow, confused.

“Yep! That’s how I get Master to give me what I want,” Tian Li said with a sly smile. “I learned it from Martial Aunt Mei’er.”

“You learned how to cry from my mother?” Jin Shu asked, incredulous.

She shook her head. “No, I learned that Master is weak to tears. Martial Aunt Mei’er always says it’s the fastest way to get what you want from her!”

He turned to Biyu with a questioning gaze. “Did she teach you that as well?”

“No,” Biyu replied, then leaned in close to whisper in his ear. “But I knew she taught it to Senior Sister.”

“Oh…” Jin Shu murmured, realization dawning on him. That explained why Biyu had been so insistent he agree to Tian Li’s request.

Turning back to Tian Li, he sighed. “Alright, I’ll teach you. However, only for an hour a day, and you should know I only have a superficial knowledge of fashion. I can teach you a little about the designs, but don’t expect anything too advanced. Deal?”

Tian Li nodded enthusiastically, her face lighting up. “That’s more than okay!”

“Good.” He paused, then gave her a flat look. “Now, I have one more question.”

“Uh-huh?” she asked, leaning closer, her excitement practically radiating off her.

“Can you let go of my hand?” he said evenly, hiding the fact that he was enduring immense pain.

Tian Li blinked in confusion, then glanced down at her hands. Realization struck, and her face turned crimson.

“Oh no!” she gasped, pulling her hands back as though they’d touched fire. The sudden motion caused her to lose balance on her cushion, and she flipped over backward with a surprised yelp.

Jin Shu winced, holding his sore hand while Biyu hid a small smile behind her sleeve.

If Tian Li realized just how much strength she had been using, she might have been even more mortified. After all, as someone at the 9th stage of the Core Realm, her grip could crush steel. On Earth, she could have torn a tank in half.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice tinged with both concern and amusement.

Tian Li popped back up, her face red but determined. “I-I’m fine! Let’s get started tomorrow!”

Jin Shu chuckled softly. “Tomorrow it is.”

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