CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 46: WONDERFUL AND SPECIAL CONSUMPTION

Xi Luting rarely showed the coquettish, gentle, cute, and fragile qualities typical of an ordinary girl.

She stared intently at Han Lie, suddenly hmphed, haughtily lifted her chin, and turned her head away.

That meant something like, "What’s so great about you?" She was clearly saying one thing and meaning another.

Han Lie didn’t spare her any face and scoffed out loud.

Xi Luting immediately got her feathers ruffled and glared at him angrily. "Is it that funny?"

"No, not at all..."

Han Lie quickly raised his hands in surrender, but his face still clearly wore a smile, as if he were cajoling a child.

Xi Luting knew her behavior didn’t match the image she painstakingly maintained. Now that Han Lie had mercilessly seen right through her, she was both angry and anxious. She jumped up in an instant and turned to leave.

"I can’t be bothered with you! Get lost!"

She’s flustered! She’s flustered!

Han Lie stroked his chin, letting out a series of mischievous chuckles.

Ah, the classic push-and-pull. You push, you pull, you apply some pressure. That last move was to provoke her; now it’s time to reel her back in.

Han Lie leisurely followed Xi Luting, preparing to mollify her, when a girl suddenly rushed in through the doorway—Yu Yun, the Sea Queen.

The moment Yu Yun saw Xi Luting, who stood out like a crane among chickens, and then Han Lie not far behind her, her pupils constricted sharply.

After standing still for roughly three seconds, Yu Yun beamed at Xi Luting and opened her arms wide.

"Ting Ting! I’ve finally found you... How are you feeling? Any better?"

When Xi Luting saw Yu Yun, she also paused for a moment before walking over with a faint smile.

"I’m fine. I can’t be bothered to get angry with them."

TSK TSK. Women, huh...

When the two girls finally embraced, Han Lie at last understood why they always hung out together.

Xi Luting was 179 cm tall, Yu Yun 168 cm.

Xi Luting was an A++, while Yu Yun was an E-cup that pressed ever onward.

Xi Luting was cool and distant; Yu Yun was charming and alluring.

Xi Luting wore hot pants that emphasized the shape of her legs; Yu Yun wore a tight T-shirt with a deep V-neck that revealed the upper curve of her breasts.

They complemented each other perfectly.

Standing together, they enhanced each other: Xi Luting appeared even more aloof, slender, and ethereally beautiful, while Yu Yun was voluptuous, enchanting, and incredibly sexy.

In terms of facial beauty, Xi Luting was certainly prettier and had a more striking appearance.

But when it came to capturing attention, Yu Yun was by no means inferior; she might even have been more potent.

As the two girls chatted warmly and decided to visit the elephant enclosure together, Han Lie felt a sudden unease.

Wait, isn’t there another troublemaker at the elephant enclosure?

When they had finally chatted enough, they planned to invite Han Lie to join them. Then they turned around...

Huh?!

Where was Han Lie?!

The two girls looked left and right, searching all around, but couldn’t find any sign of him, only wave after wave of unfamiliar tourists.

Yu Yun grew anxious. "Should we call him?"

Xi Luting thought for a moment and proactively took out her phone. "Okay, I’ll call him."

She dialed his number and put it on speakerphone. They continued searching as they walked towards the venue entrance.

The call connected quickly.

"Han Lie, where are you?"

"Guess?"

Han Lie’s voice sounded particularly cheerful, with a hint of mischief. "I have to continue my unfinished business from earlier! Why are you calling? To cheer me on?"

"Pfft! Go to hell!"

Xi Luting, both furious and embarrassed, abruptly ended the call.

Yu Yun looked at her suspiciously and instinctively pressed, "What business? What were you two doing just now?"

This was precisely what infuriated Xi Luting.

It’s one thing to joke in private, but was it polite of him to let Yu Yun hear it on speakerphone?

Stomping her foot twice in anger, she resolved to completely ignore that damn man for the rest of the day.

However, Yu Yun kept pressing, appearing particularly anxious.

Xi Luting had no choice but to reply as coolly and nonchalantly as possible, "He went to the restroom. He’s just clowning around, thinking it’s funny to be disgusting. So childish!"

Yu Yun didn’t believe a word of it.

She instinctively felt Han Lie wasn’t that kind of person, and Xi Luting’s reaction was off too. Still, she just murmured an "Oh" and didn’t press further. She’d keep her wariness and anxiety to herself; she didn’t intend to confront Xi Luting directly over this. Against Xi Luting, her chances of winning were too low.

As their visit to the zoo continued, everyone gradually gathered together again.

To be honest, an occasional trip to the zoo could be quite fun.

Han Lie had a very enjoyable time at the golden monkey island and the small animal petting zoo.

The golden monkeys, in particular, seemed like an entirely different species compared to their infamous counterparts on Mount Emei.

They were beautiful, polite, and docile; the thrill of feeding them was off the charts.

If the country didn’t use criminal law to scare people, Han Lie would have loved to raise a pair himself. Petting monkeys whenever he was free would surely be more satisfying than petting cats. Alas, he could only dream.

So, Han Lie took a bunch of videos and photos and sent them all to Chen Yanfei.

His ’guardian beastie’, who happened to be waiting for a flight at the airport, replied with a flurry of excited voice messages, her regret at missing out almost palpable.

Han Lie promptly made a series of empty promises.

"When you have free time, I’ll bring you here to play again."

"If we have enough time, we can even go to Sichuan to see the pandas!"

"The dolphin show here is just so-so. During the winter vacation, we can go to Sanya..."

He felt like his Level 3 sweet-talking skills weren’t cutting it anymore; he almost wished he could crank them up to Level 5.

And Chen Yanfei’s responses were always so positive, expressing strong anticipation while also leaving plenty of room for things to change.

After chatting for half an hour, when Han Lie saw Yu Yun, Xi Luting, and Fang Feifei again, the restless, virile energy of his youth that constantly surged within him had calmed down considerably.

Around four-thirty, everyone left the zoo together, ready for their group dinner.

Then, predictably, the bickering began anew.

This exact scene had played out in his past life, and he still hadn’t managed to avoid it in this one.

It was normal, after all. Young men and women from all corners of the country, gathering in the Magic Capital for the first time, were bound to have different tastes, not to mention irreconcilable spending habits. The Jiangzhe locals from the Magic Capital couldn’t handle spicy food, while those from the Northeast and Sichuan weren’t fond of sweet dishes. Some didn’t care about the cost, while others didn’t want to chip in extra money...

Xi Luting could have easily overruled anyone, but since this was a casual outing, not official business, she couldn’t be too overbearing.

Han Lie observed coolly from the sidelines, then suddenly made a suggestion.

"Why don’t we skip the restaurant and head straight to Changli Road Snack Street? We can stroll through it like tourists, everyone grabbing what they want to eat and paying for their own food."

Fang Feifei, who probably hadn’t even heard him clearly, immediately clapped her hands. "Great idea, great idea!"

Yu Yun quickly agreed.

With the added enthusiastic support from the usual followers and those simply going with the flow, Han Lie had secured a majority of affirmative votes before Xi Luting even had a chance to properly consider it.

So, it was settled.

And so, everyone strolled along Changli Road, eating and wandering, and by seven-thirty, they still weren’t finished.

The vast majority expressed extreme satisfaction.

Han Lie was even more delighted. Fang Feifei treated him to Zhou Bin’s stinky tofu, and then Yu Yun insisted on treating him to Sanzi’s grilled seafood.

WOW! They really spared no expense—squid, oysters, giant scallops—Han Lie ate until his mouth was glistening with oil.

The absolute best was the grilled fresh abalone: tender yet firm, with a rich aroma... SLURP!

Han Lie was the first to get full. He then continued to stroll along, and after more than two hours, he found himself ready for a second round of eating...

Naturally, he couldn’t just freeload.

Han Lie put in his dues as well, accompanying Fang Feifei and Yu Yun through numerous interesting shops.

He’d stand there with his hands clasped behind his back, his stance unchanging. You guys pick whatever you like. Don’t ask me. If you do ask, my answer is always ’they all look great.’

He played this same routine for a full two and a half hours before it finally backfired.

They were in a Swarovski boutique.

Yu Yun had forcibly dragged Han Lie inside and hadn’t let go of his hand the entire time.

Having just devoured a seafood feast paid for by her, and still holding a milk tea she’d bought, he had to show some professional courtesy as a kept man, right?

So, he feigned interest with a little more effort for a while.

Suddenly, Yu Yun stopped in front of a particular necklace, letting out an admiring gasp. "WOW! It’s so beautiful!"

Han Lie glanced over nonchalantly, but then his eyes narrowed, his expression becoming rather intriguing.

"You think it’s nice?"

"Mm-hmm!" Yu Yun nodded frantically. "It’s gorgeous!"

It was a classic Swarovski swan necklace—from the same collection as the black swan design that would become incredibly common in later years.

The one Yu Yun had her eye on was this year’s new release: a gradient blue swan.

In an almost unbelievable coincidence, this was the exact necklace Han Lie had scrimped and saved to buy for her in his past life. Back then, Yu Yun had accepted it perfunctorily and never once worn it. Now, as if time had rewound, her sudden passionate adoration for this necklace filled Han Lie with a powerful sense of the comical and absurd.

"Excuse me, miss, could you get this out for me? I’d like to try it on!" Yu Yun eagerly communicated with the sales assistant and soon had the necklace, shimmering with a faint blue light, around her neck.

Beaming as she admired herself in the mirror, she repeatedly asked for Han Lie’s opinion, "Does it look good? Does it?"

"It looks quite nice."

Han Lie nodded sincerely, his gaze fixed on the blue swan nestled in the center of her plunging Y-neckline.

Suddenly, Yu Yun tilted her head up, grabbed Han Lie’s arms, and pleaded pitifully, "I really, really love it, but my living allowance is running out..."

What the actual heck?!

Han Lie felt a major headache coming on.

Is she expecting a professional freeloader like me to cough back up what I’ve already eaten?! Actually, he knew very well her real request wasn’t for money, but for a gift imbued with a certain meaning. Just like his own mooching off her wasn’t because he lacked money, but was a form of "revenge" born from a twisted sense of humor. This put him in a really awkward position... Just for that grilled seafood earlier, Yu Yun had spent 200 yuan on him. She hadn’t uttered a complaint, only choosing the expensive items and ensuring he had more than enough. I can’t just eat my fill and then turn my back on her, can I?

Besides, Han Lie actually found this whole situation incredibly interesting. In my past life, I gave this to you, full of heartfelt emotion, and you tossed it aside like a worn-out shoe. Now, I see you as little more than a plaything, yet you’re begging me for it... At this very moment, a wondrous sense of fate and accomplishment intertwined, stirring his soul, bringing him pleasure and making him even more curious. What will the outcome be this time? This is just too amusing!

The corners of Han Lie’s lips curled into a smile that, to Yu Yun, seemed inexplicable—hard to describe, yet she found it mysterious and captivating.

Yu Yun’s eyes were glazed with a dazed, infatuated look. Her expression a mix of delight and petulance, she took another step forward.

Then, leaning her body forward, she swayed his arms from side to side, her voice full of expectation as she continued her coquettish pleading.

"Pleeease... Pretty please?!"

Savoring the moment while weighing his options, Han Lie finally decided: let this necklace become a special symbol connecting his past and present lives.

He pulled out his wallet, handed the sales assistant exactly 498 yuan, and said softly, "Ring this up, please."

Yu Yun was overjoyed and pressed her entire body against him.

"Thank you, thank you! You’re the best~~~ I’m so happy!"

From the way she was acting, if their other classmates hadn’t been in the store, she might have even offered him a kiss.

Of course, Han Lie wasn’t going to be satisfied with just this little perk; it was far from enough.

However, the moment he handed over the money, the system activated.

[You have made a purchase that is profound, wondrous, and Special. You have therefore received a complimentary gift related to your expenditure.]