Dang Riah

The woman from the Tang Clan hauled So Rihwa out of the shop, marched briskly down the street for a good distance, and finally came to an abrupt halt.

By the time Rihwa gathered her wits, she realized she had been obediently trotting along behind her all this time, still dazed from having her soul practically sucked out back at the store.

"Listen up, kiddo. You shouldn't ever set foot in places like that. That shop is infamous throughout the entire Xi'an commercial district. They force sales down your throat, hang returned clothes right back on the racks, and the second you call them out, they turn viciously rude. An absolute dog-tier rip-off joint, I'm telling you."

"Huh?"

"A friend of mine shopped there once and ended up seething with rage. Looking at you, I got the feeling you were about to buy every single scrap draped over that lady's arms, so I stepped in."

"...Um."

Whether by chance or intuition, it seemed this young lady from the Tang Clan had rescued her from getting royally fleeced. Come to think of it, the lightning speed with which that sales clerk had stripped those hangers was definitely suspicious. With Rihwa's complete inability to handle aggressive pushiness, she very well might have ended up buying the whole pile.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. But seriously, you're crazy cute. How old are you? Where are your parents?"

"I'm twenty-two."

"...Huuuh?"

When the Tang woman shot her a look of utter disbelief, Rihwa hastily whipped out her identity token. The girl inspected it over and over, clicking her tongue in astonishment.

"No way, it's real? With looks like that, you're older than me? You look like a middle schooler at best!"

"People like me exist. Guess that makes you younger than me."

"W-Well, yeah. I'm twenty-one."

"Is that so? Well, thanks anyway."

"Wait, wait! You're just gonna leave like that?"

As Rihwa turned to walk away, the girl panicked and grabbed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her arm. Rihwa tilted her head.

"What else?"

"Weren't you trying to buy clothes?"

"I was, yes."

"Can I come with you? I'm a fashion design major."

She pulled a student ID from her wallet and held it out.

"..."

Rihwa stared down at the ID card, then looked up at Dang Riah. Annoyingly enough, despite being a year younger, she seemed a good twenty centimeters taller.

"What does that have to do with me? We literally just met today."

Her skepticism was entirely justified. The fact that Dang Riah attended Sichuan's most prestigious Chengdu University as a fashion design major bore zero relevance or narrative causality to shopping for Rihwa's clothes.

"...Well, technically, yeah. But..."

"But what?"

"What am I supposed to do when you're just so damn cute?!"

Without warning, Dang Riah cupped Rihwa's cheeks in both hands and brought her face in close. Having a striking beauty zoom straight into her personal space caught Rihwa completely off guard.

"When I spotted you from outside, I thought you were the spitting image of my ideal model! That long silver hair, petite face, mysterious crimson eyes... even that porcelain skin!"

Noticing Rihwa's flustered expression, Dang Riah finally withdrew her hands, only to launch into lavish praise of her appearance. So appearance was the justification, huh? If that was the logic, Rihwa didn't have much of a rebuttal.

It was like how a harem anime protagonist could trip, flip a girl's skirt, and leave her blushing, whereas in his past life, performing CPR would probably get him sued for sexual harassment.

Leaving that aside, while a voice in her head whispered, Is this chick crazy?, the fiery, eccentric temperament of the Sichuan Tang Clan was, after all, a thoroughly documented trope across countless martial arts novels.

"So! I really want to make you my model today. I'll buy all your clothes!"

Dang Riah clasped Rihwa's hands, gazing down at her with sparkling eyes.

"...You'll buy them?"

Rihwa wasn't swayed in the least by those puppy eyes, of course. What swayed her was the magical phrase: I'll buy all your clothes.

"Of course. Don't you know who the Sichuan Tang Clan is?"

"I do."

As one could deduce from the fact that the Shaolin Temple was publicly traded on the stock exchange, in this world, the Nine Great Sects and One Gang were corporate conglomerates, and the Great Clans were sprawling chaebols.

Meaning, if this girl was a bona fide daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan, spending a little pocket change on Rihwa's wardrobe wouldn't even register as a drop in the ocean.

"In that case, feel free!"

"Awesome!"

A remarkably swift transaction had been struck. Frankly, Rihwa was also curious, this being her very first time encountering someone from a legendary martial clan out of wuxia lore.

Her everyday routine was confined to the factory and her cramped apartment in the slums; running into an heiress of a prestigious noble clan like the Sichuan Tang Clan, even by pure chance, was practically impossible. In a way, this was a stroke of heavenly luck. For some reason, good fortune had been piling up lately, lifting her spirits.

"You really look just like a doll. How can a human being look this pretty?"

"...Personal space, please."

Rihwa gently pushed Dang Riah's approaching face away with an open palm. Good looks aside, those sparkling eyes were far too overwhelming.

"I normally hate it when anyone touches my body, you know? But you have such a nice touch. I kind of want you to keep stroking me."

"..."

This Tang Clan heiress wasn't merely fiery; she was unnervingly blunt. Even knowing she didn't mean it that way, how could anyone not get strange ideas?

Then again, Rihwa reasoned it might just be because she used to live as a guy. Maybe girls talked to each other like this all the time. Having never made any female friends her age since turning into a woman, she had no frame of reference.

"So, where are we going?"

Rihwa asked. They had originally been on the shopping street lined with casual apparel stores like Shark Lady, but for some reason, Dang Riah was steering them out of the neighborhood and toward an even more upscale downtown area.

"Changgung Department Store, obviously."

"Pardon? A department store?"

Even Rihwa knew about Changgung Department Store. Was it not the luxury retailer operated by the Namgung Clan, whose crest bore the Azure Sky? She knew of it because it was the largest department store in all of Xi'an. Naturally, she had never set foot inside.

Of course, in her past life she had visited department stores before, and she knew they didn't exclusively house ultra-luxury brands. There were plenty of mid-range options as well.

"What's with the face? You've gone totally pale, like someone who's never been to a department store in their life."

"My skin is naturally pale."

"Ah, fair point. How are you so porcelain white, anyway?"

Dang Riah reached out to touch Rihwa's cheek again, prompting Rihwa to take a quick step back.

"Stop touching me. I'm not an actual doll."

"Ah, fine, fine. My bad. You're pricklier than you look."

Dang Riah merely giggled, clearly finding even Rihwa's grumpy reaction adorable.

Before long, they stepped inside the Changgung Department Store at the very heart of Xi'an's bustling metropolis.

"...Whoa."

Rihwa let out an involuntary breath the moment she passed through the entrance. Perhaps because this was the Central Plains, the sheer scale eclipsed any department store she remembered from Korea. True to Zhongyuan's love for opulent grandeur, ornate sculptures and dazzling golden ornaments were suspended from soaring vaulted ceilings.

"Aren't you a Xi'an local?"

"I am."

"Yet this is your first time at Changgung? Granted, it's my first time at the Xi'an branch too, since I usually go to the one in Chengdu, Sichuan."

"Uh, yeah. Never really had a reason to come here."

"Then where do you buy clothes?"

Dang Riah asked with genuine, innocent curiosity. This damn silver-spoon brat. There were plenty of places to buy clothes outside of high-end department stores, you know. Not that Rihwa had ever actually bought any herself.

"...Usually just online, I guess?"

"Ah, online shopping malls. Those are pretty convenient, true. Still, shopping in person is way more fun."

"I-Is that so?"

"Totally, totally!"

Glancing around, all Rihwa could see were sleek, impeccably dressed patrons. Feeling painfully shabby in her black Supreme cap and cheap sweatpants, she shrank her already petite shoulders.

Dang Riah guided her into an elevator. A directory was posted on the wall; women's apparel was on the 3rd floor.

Yet Dang Riah bypassed the 3rd floor ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠entirely and pressed the button for the top floor. According to the directory, the top floor was dedicated to restaurants.

"Are we going to a restaurant?"

"Nope. Haven't you eaten?"

"I had lunch before leaving."

"Yeah, me too."

Before Rihwa could ask Then why are we here?, the elevator dinged and opened onto the top floor. Dang Riah strode forward without a shred of hesitation, her long legs carrying her effortlessly. Left with no chance to question her, Rihwa could only scamper along behind.

Passing lavish fine-dining establishments, Dang Riah led her toward a secluded wing in the corner of the floor. Carved into the sleek marble wall was a discreet, gilded sign: VIP Lounge.

"...Uh, um."

"Come on in!"

As Rihwa hesitated at the entrance, Dang Riah, already inside, waved her over as casually as inviting a guest into her living room. Having come all this way, turning back now would be awkward, so Rihwa shuffled inside with timid steps.

The moment they entered the VIP Lounge, a woman dressed in a crisp business suit approached them.

"Welcome. May I have your name, please?"

"Dang Riah."

Dang Riah produced a sleek black card from her wallet and handed it over. At the Changgung branch in Sichuan, the staff would probably have recognized her on sight, but being at the Xi'an branch, her face seemed unfamiliar to them.

"Understood, Miss Dang Riah. Please follow me this way."

It was the absolute pinnacle of luxury hospitality. Was it really okay for someone dressed in black sweatpants like Rihwa to be here? Dang Riah, meanwhile, followed the suited woman with practiced nonchalance.

At the reception desk, the employee swiped Dang Riah's black card to verify her identity.

"Nature Realm tier confirmed. Welcome, Miss Dang Riah."

Nature Realm tier, my foot. Rihwa was left completely dumbfounded. To think they were using martial cultivation realms as department store VIP membership tiers! The ancient martial arts purist dwelling within her soul screamed in outrage, though she lacked the guts to say it out loud.

In the martial world, the Realm of Nature was revered as the absolute pinnacle right alongside the Profound Realm. As expected of a direct daughter of the Sichuan Tang Clan, she held the department store's highest tier of VIP status. Dang Riah suddenly seemed to shine with a whole new aura of wealth.

"Guide us to the PSR, please."

"Right away. I will escort you to the PSR, Miss Dang Riah."

What in the world was a PSR? The pace of this conversation was moving far too fast for her to keep up. Regardless, Rihwa had no choice but to trail after her. Before long, they arrived at an opulent private suite.

A row of empty clothing racks lined the wall, a massive digital display dominated the center, and several plush reclining armchairs invited them to kick up their feet.

"Please make yourselves comfortable while we arrange your personal shopper. What would you like to drink? Today's special tea is Rooibos Oriental."

"I'll have that."

"And for your guest?"

"Uh, um... The same, please."

Not expecting to be addressed, Rihwa stammered out her response.

With the order taken, the staff member offered a polite bow and quietly shut the door behind her. Having never set foot in such a luxurious room in either her past or present life, Rihwa felt utterly out of her element.

"...What's a PSR?"

"Personal Shopper Room. Take a seat."

Hearing "Personal Shopper Room" didn't enlighten her in the slightest. Dang Riah was already lounging on an armchair with her long legs ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stretched out as if relaxing in her own living room. Rihwa awkwardly shuffled over and perched on the chair beside her.

"...Um, no matter how you slice it, isn't this a bit too overwhelming?"

"No way, totally fine! I'm buying because I want to. You don't need to feel burdened at all. Dressing up pretty girls is basically my hobby."

Was this what they called the eccentric whims of the aristocracy? To be fair, it wasn't a bad deal for Rihwa at all. If anything, it was an unbelievable windfall. It was just impossibly daunting.

At this point, Rihwa felt an immense social pressure to show some sort of polite interest in Dang Riah.

"B-By the way, what Chinese character do you use for 'Riah'? In my case, I use the 'Li' for pear tree..."

Damn it. Rihwa internally cursed herself mid-sentence. What kind of old-geezer icebreaker was that? Did she think they were two grandpas sitting in a Baduk parlor?

Yet Dang Riah seemed genuinely delighted that Rihwa had initiated conversation.

"Haha! What, did you just come down from living in the mountains or something?"

"Pardon?"

Caught completely off guard by how precisely she had hit the nail on the head, Rihwa froze. She really had spent the last five years living on a mountain! For a split second, she wondered if this chaebol heiress had had her background investigated on the drive over.

"Hardly anyone names their kids with Hanja characters these days. It's a global era, after all! People pick names that work well overseas so you don't even need an English alias. Especially in our clan, since we do so much international business."

"Ah... I see."

"First time I've ever had someone ask me that, though."

Come to think of it, Rihwa had heard similar trends mentioned in her past life. Dang Riah continued cheerfully.

"If you want the origins of 'Riah,' think Leah—Jacob's first wife and Rachel's older sister."

"Jacob?"

"Yup. The Tang Clan is a Protestant household."

Just as Rihwa was agonizing over whether she was joking or dead serious, Dang Riah's phone buzzed with an incoming call. She picked it up immediately.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

A stream of furious curses crackled through the speaker, but Dang Riah hung up without batting an eye. Turning back to Rihwa, she flashed a bright, sunny smile.

"Where were we?"

"..."

Rihwa firmly clamped her mouth shut. She had a feeling that if she uttered a single word right now, the ancient martial arts fossil inside her soul would suffer internal qi deviation.

Right then, a polite knock sounded at the door. The lounge attendant reentered alongside an elegant woman dressed in a sharp smart-casual suit. The attendant carried a silver tray bearing the tea they had ordered.

"I am your personal shopper, assigned to assist Miss Dang Riah today."

The woman offered a crisp, polished bow. Though Rihwa had no clue what was about to unfold, one thing was clear: the real shopping spree was about to begin.