Chapter 289

Chapter 289: Why Are You Blushing?

Feeding? I don’t have milk to give you. Even during the egg-laying period when my belly swelled up, there was no lactation.

Ah, wait—I meant…there’s absolutely no need for feeding!

The white-haired girl blushed crimson as she rapped Lvzi’s head with her knuckles.

"Ow! Why’d you hit me?"

"Got a problem with that?"

I’m your mother. It’s perfectly natural for mothers to discipline their daughters!

"Well…"

The green-haired girl rubbed her forehead, swaying awkwardly from side to side.

"Do it again?"

"…"

Lin Yu ignored her, turning to browse through the shop’s garments.

Seizing the opportunity, Lvzi bounded over and glued herself to the pale-haired girl’s arm like sticky rice cake. No amount of shaking could dislodge her.

At last, Lin Yu understood what Army Lady had experienced while traveling with Lvzi.

Though the clinging made movement cumbersome, she couldn’t bring herself to dislike it—after all, this was her own daughter.

"How about this one? It’d look perfect on Mom."

Lvzi whispered directly into the white-haired girl’s ear to avoid being overheard by the shopkeeper.

The warm breath made Lin Yu’s skin prickle with goosebumps.

She stood frozen for several heartbeats.

"Mom?"

Lvzi tilted her head before slipping into that lecherous grin of hers.

"Being this close doesn’t bother me anymore. I wonder how much closer I could…"

The emerald-haired face inched nearer.

"St-stop! Not here!" Lin Yu blurted, palm flattening against the approaching cheeks.

"Heh…So home would be okay?"

"Not anywhere!"

Lin Yu schooled her features into sternness.

"Which outfit were you mentioning earlier?"

She withdrew her damp palm and quickly changed the subject.

"This one."

"The…buttons are on the back?"

The garment before her resembled a women’s evening gown, though crafted with more fabric and a relatively looser silhouette.

It seemed a bit cumbersome to put on.

"But it looks perfect for Mother. You should try it!"

"…Alright."

The design felt rather mature – could she truly carry it off…

Yet wouldn’t wearing it accentuate her adulthood? Wait, no – she was already grown!

Lin Yu lifted the garment from its hanger and moved toward the fitting room.

Through her peripheral vision, she noticed the young shopkeeper still facing away behind the counter.

Still nursing her infant…

Choosing not to disturb her, Lin Yu entered the changing area.

As she reached to close the door, Lvzi slipped in behind her.

"…What are you doing here?"

"This outfit appears complicated. I came to assist Mother."

"Unnecessary. Leave."

"Nonsense! Even if you don’t need help dressing, surely you could use me for something else!"

Really… That earnest expression can’t possibly hide whatever improper thoughts you’re harboring…

"There’s nothing else requiring your help. Out."

"But wait – actually…"

The maiden raised another ensemble in her hands.

"I intended to change clothes too."

"Then wait until I’m finished."

"Oh come now, what’s wrong with changing alongside your adorable daughter?"

"…"

Realizing resistance proved futile, Lin Yu surrendered to the situation.

The garment did appear challenging to manage alone… she rationalized.

…

Over half an hour later.

Both women emerged from the fitting room with faint blushes coloring their cheeks.

"My, what thorough preparations you’ve made," remarked the shopkeeper, who had since finished feeding her child and now approached them.

Upon seeing the transformed pair, even this seasoned merchant accustomed to beautiful human race women caught her breath.

The white-haired maiden particularly captivated – her new attire enhancing beauty no mask could conceal. The facial covering instead wove an air of mystique around her, which combined with her slightly flushed cheeks, made her all the more captivating.

Hmm? Wait… why is your face blushing?

And the other one’s flushed too…

What’s going on here…

Under the skeptical gaze of the female shopkeeper, Lin Yu averted her eyes and selected over a dozen garments that caught her fancy, along with the one she currently wore. After changing back into her original attire, she tossed all the purchased clothes into her Magic Backpack. Then, beneath the shopkeeper’s shifting expression—from suspicion to thoughtful contemplation—she tugged Lvzi out of the store.

By the time they left the clothing shop, noon had arrived. They found a nearby restaurant and ordered a dozen signature dishes, though Lin Yu only lightly sampled them. Money? Not an issue—she’d sold a fraction of the three-year monster hoard from the ant nest to human merchants, and that small portion alone had yielded coins enough to form a small mountain.

Truthfully, wealth mattered little to her. In her previous life, she’d neither coveted luxury accessories nor cared for lavish trips. With barely any friends—no, let’s be honest, *zero* friends—and a family fortune already ample, financial scarcity had never crossed her mind. Now history repeated itself in this bland, predictable cycle.

"Mommy, open wide~ Ah—"

"Ah—"

The silver-haired girl obediently accepted the offered spoon, savoring the flavors. While she preferred self-reliance, refusing would only invite pestering. At least the private dining room spared them public scrutiny.

As for the green-haired girl glued to her side…

Lin Yu side-eyed Lvzi, who’d just used the same spoon to take a bite herself, wriggling with barely contained glee. *This* was the Lvzi she knew. But the version in the changing room earlier… what was *that* about?

Post-lunch, they ventured to the arena near the central square—a bloodsport venue where humans dueled, sometimes against goblins or Big Goblins. This internet-less world’s version of prime-time entertainment drew both fight enthusiasts and gambling addicts.

Yet for Lin Yu, the Identification skill rendered it laughably simple. Peeking at combatants’ Attribute Panels made predicting outcomes child’s play, stripping betting of its thrill. Sure, she *could* withhold her cheat code… but losing coins through willful ignorance? Preposterous.

Besides, the arena’s so-called warriors were pathetically weak. Why deploy a Class B ant when even a Class C daughter could swat these amateurs like flies?