Alison was clearly no stranger to this type of store; she navigated it with practiced ease, turning to look at Aurora. At work, Aurora was a formidable presence, but here she seemed somewhat embarrassed. Alison looked at her as if she were an alien.
“You haven’t worn this kind of thing before, have you?”
The last time Aurora had seen anyone in such attire was when Ivy wore it to seduce Julian. She herself had never worn it. She shook her head earnestly.
“No.”
“Given the hickey on your neck, I thought you were more liberated. I assumed you’d worn such things before. After all, from commoners to the elite, men are all the same once the clothes come off.”
It was clear Alison had more than one man’s experience; she knew exactly what men wanted and didn’t need Aurora to lead her.
Aurora looked around at the various colorful and transparent garments, lost in thought.
Alison quickly chose lingerie that suited her, and Aurora blushed at a mere glance. This woman was truly bold; no wonder Paul was completely enchanted by her, especially with her choice of lingerie that was as light as gossamer!
“Miss, that’s an excellent choice. It’s our best-selling item,” the salesperson said, quickly coming over to make conversation.
Aurora had only ever shopped at regular stores; she wondered if less fabric was somehow better.
Alison also picked up several accessories, opening Aurora’s eyes to new possibilities. Aurora thought dealing with Julian was enough, but Alison was buying so many accessories!
It was a complete paradigm shift for her. Seeing Aurora’s stunned face, Alison asked, “Haven’t you ever indulged before? That can’t be possible; you’ve got hickeys on your neck.”
Although Aurora wore a scarf, the observant Alison had spotted the marks. She and Julian had indeed been intimate.
Yet, beyond accommodating Julian, she had not ventured into anything more scandalous, while Alison looked at her as if she were completely unsophisticated.
“What era do you think this is? Don’t you and your man have any variety in bed?” Alison whispered into her ear.
It was like the first time Aurora watched an adult film: her face flushed, her breathing quickened. How could this woman ask about everything?
“Cough, just pick what you like; I’ll pay,” Aurora said, turning her gaze away, clearly wanting to change the subject.
“To think you appear so aloof at work, yet you know so little about these things. Let me teach you. You should always keep things fresh for your man, even in bed, to make him more dependent on you,” Alison said in a teachery tone.
If it hadn’t been for Aurora’s interference, she could have used Paul to go even farther, but unfortunately, fate had other plans.
Sometimes whether one can make it to the end is unknown to all; luck plays a big part.
“Is that so…”
Aurora thought of that man who had gone to New York, wondering if he had landed yet, her thoughts drifting again.
“You, a young lady born with everything, lack our sense of crisis. Let me teach you a few tricks to make sure your man will love you to death.”
With that, Alison pushed her into the middle of the store.
“Your body is outstanding; I believe no man could resist you. But Paul’s wife is also quite something. Why then does he still seek affairs?”
Aurora had reached her limits of knowledge. Ask her which stocks would rise today or which were performing well, and she would know it all in detail. But when it came to affairs of the heart, she only felt disgust, disdainful of any lack of moral integrity.
“Why? Isn’t it because men are naturally flawed?”
“That’s one reason, of course, but there’s another important one-it’s what his wife isn’t giving him at home.”
“His wife manages the household, bears his children, and does so much for him. What more could she possibly not give him?” Aurora thought of her own mother, the gentlest woman, who had also suffered greatly.
“I won’t speak of others, but take Paul’s wife, for example. She comes from a prestigious family and has an excellent background. She’s still beautiful, even as she approaches middle age, not aging nearly as much as we young people do. If the wife is so exceptional, why isn’t Paul satisfied? It’s because at home, she only scolds and yells at him, stripping him of any sense of manhood. That drives him to seek comfort in young women like us. In the end, I’m at fault, he’s at fault, but isn’t his wife at fault too?”
Alison’s words left Aurora speechless. She didn’t know what the dynamic in Paul’s household was like, but it made her wonder about her own relationship with Julian. Was he getting tired of her as well?
“What I mentioned is just one scenario. Every man’s reason for straying is different. Sometimes, in addition to looking at men’s faults, women need to examine themselves. Your face is pretty enough, but novelty is fleeting. If every time a man sees you in bed, you’re as still as a corpse-once, twice, but what about after ten times, twenty times? Do you think he will still desire you? A woman needs to shine not just outside but also in bed. There are clothes for wearing outside and clothes for the bedroom. Looking at you, it seems you’ve never tried them on. Why not give it a shot?”
The topic of novelty caught Aurora’s attention, though she wasn’t sure if Alison’s perspective was right or wrong. She glanced at the dazzling array of sexy lingerie around her, feeling somewhat lost.
“See, you’re inexperienced. Since your man has never seen you in these, start with something conservative.”
Alison picked out a bunny costume among the clothes. Although it had a bit more fabric compared to others, Aurora had never worn anything like it.
“I don’t think… this covers anything at all.”
“Nonsense, how will a man be interested if you wrap yourself up? This set is just an appetizer; once your man gets used to it, you can switch to this when the novelty wears off.”
Alison then brought over several uniforms, including a nurse, a teacher, and a flight attendant outfit.
“Sometimes, role-playing is a good option.”
“What else?” Aurora was almost driven to pry open Alison’s mind. What was she thinking every day, and how did she understand gender relations so clearly?
“After he gets used to these, you can move on to more sophisticated options. Remember, don’t go overboard at once; otherwise, it kills its novelty. You have to progress gradually.”
Alison handed her several sets of black lace lingerie, and Aurora listened attentively, like a diligent student.