Soon, a series of exquisite dishes were served—cheese-glazed baby lobster, steamed red grouper, abalone sauce sea cucumber…
"Hmm? The 1288-yuan set menu is actually quite reasonable." Ye Chuan often shopped for groceries and had seen the market prices of these ingredients. As he gazed at the delicacies before him, despite the modest portions, he couldn’t help but feel it was a decent deal.
Luo Xi had never eaten such dishes before. She was mostly worried about the cost, so much so that she hadn’t even picked up her chopsticks, her eyes blinking nervously.
Having helped with household chores since childhood and with her mother constantly needing medication and medical care, Luo Xi understood the value of money better than anyone. She rarely spent on herself, saving almost everything she earned.
"Not eating?" Ye Chuan asked when he noticed Luo Xi hesitating.
"I’ll eat." Luo Xi nodded softly. Since the dishes were already ordered, she didn’t want to dampen Ye Chuan’s mood.
For her, once Ye Chuan had placed the order, there was no point in insisting they leave. It wasn’t practical, and they couldn’t exactly return the food now.
Picking up her chopsticks, she placed a piece of fish belly on Ye Chuan’s plate. "This part is the tenderest."
"I don’t like fish," Ye Chuan said, glancing at it.
"You just don’t like picking out bones, right?" Luo Xi knew him too well. She nudged him playfully. "I’ll pick them out for you. Eat up—how can you skip fish? It’s so nutritious."
Ye Chuan found her pouting expression amusing and didn’t argue further.
After the meal, Ye Chuan stopped Luo Xi from paying and settled the bill himself.
Even splurging over a thousand yuan on a meal didn’t make him wince—something that would have felt absurd to his past self. Was it because things came too easily now that he didn’t treasure them as much?
"Over a thousand for one meal… that’s so expensive," Luo Xi murmured as they left the restaurant. She could’ve eaten at her family’s barbecue stall for a whole week with that money. She glanced at Ye Chuan. "Chuan Chuan, are you heading home now?"
"Come take a walk with me first." Ye Chuan pulled out his phone to check nearby stores.
A walk?
Luo Xi assumed they’d be shopping for clothes or something similar, but instead, Ye Chuan led her to a store selling bathroom fixtures. Inside, everything from showerheads and bathtubs to faucets and toilets was on display.
"Chuan Chuan, are you buying a showerhead?" Luo Xi guessed. Ye Chuan’s current setup at home involved a simple hose running hot water into a bucket—something Luo Xi had commented on before, though he’d insisted he was used to it.
But now, it dawned on her: what he called "habit" was just an excuse to make peace with his circumstances. It wasn’t that he was used to it—he was used to settling.
"Boss, how much for this shower set?" Ye Chuan pointed to a black shower system, complete with a rainfall showerhead, a shelf, and temperature control.
"That’s a premium brand—1299 yuan," the shopkeeper said with a smile. "This one will last you a good eight to ten years without any issues."
"599, including installation," Ye Chuan countered without hesitation, cutting the price in half.
The shopkeeper’s expression stiffened. "No way, young man. My cost price is already 1100. I’m barely making a profit here."
"Then pack it up if you’re selling. Otherwise, I’ll check elsewhere." Ye Chuan turned to leave.
The shopkeeper sighed. "Fine, go ahead. I can’t do this deal."
Ye Chuan took Luo Xi’s hand and walked toward the exit.
Just as they were about to step out, the shopkeeper called after them, "Hey, handsome! Alright, alright—599 it is. Let’s consider it a friendly deal. Just remember to come back next time!"
"Sure." Ye Chuan smiled.
After paying a deposit and leaving his address for installation, he and Luo Xi left the store.
"I’ll never learn to haggle like you. Wasn’t that too harsh?" Luo Xi asked once they were outside.
"You can tell from their tone how much markup there is. Brick-and-mortar stores need at least a 50% gross margin to survive," Ye Chuan explained.
"Ohh?"
After treating Luo Xi to bubble tea and strolling around to cheer her up, the two parted ways and headed home to rest.
Back at his place, Ye Chuan grabbed a bag of snacks and knocked on Bai Qianshuang’s door.
He first checked her status in his log, confirming she was just lost in thought, before calling out, "Immortal Bai, got a moment?"
"Come in."
Pushing the door open, he found Bai Qianshuang seated in a chair, a book in her hands.
She wore his white robe, her jet-black hair cascading down her back like a waterfall. Her serene, obsidian-like eyes remained calm and unreadable.
Ye Chuan took a closer look at the book’s cover.
Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Mock Tests
Ye Chuan: "…"
"You understand this?" he asked. Since when had Bai Qianshuang taken an interest in high school prep books?
"No. But… it’s intriguing," she admitted, though her attention soon drifted to the snacks in Ye Chuan’s hands. Though her face remained expressionless, the way her hair tuft perked up betrayed her excitement.
"Here, snacks for you."
"Thank you, scoundrel," Bai Qianshuang said solemnly.
Ye Chuan fell silent for a few seconds before clearing his throat. "Uh, ‘scoundrel’ can have different meanings depending on context. Just call me Ye Chuan normally."
Bai Qianshuang nodded. "Then you may call me Qianshuang."
"Sure." Ye Chuan smiled. A little familiarity wasn’t a bad thing.
Amused by her struggle between curiosity about the snacks and maintaining her dignified composure, Ye Chuan pulled out the spirit stones.
"Oh, by the way, I found these by the river when I was a kid. They’re pretty—want to keep one?"
Bai Qianshuang’s gaze flickered over them. When she recognized the stones and sensed the pure spiritual energy radiating from them, her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Spirit stones?"
"Spirit stones?" Ye Chuan feigned surprise. "Are they valuable?"
Bai Qianshuang collected herself. "In my world, they’re not rare—just currency for cultivators, infused with refined spiritual energy."
In the Heavenly Mystery Continent, they were commonplace. But here? The minuscule traces of energy she’d absorbed over the past days paled in comparison to even a tenth of what a single stone contained.
With enough spirit stones, Bai Qianshuang could fully restore her power!
Her expression turned conflicted. She didn’t know how to ask, but she desperately needed them.