Customer Interactions

Everybody stared at the spot Mei Xue pointed at. Their eyes fell on Li Yangyi, who was peacefully sleeping on the table. If his chest wasn't bobbing up and down, some may even mistake him for being dead.

Though there were around 10 people present, none of them said a word within this awkward atmosphere. Mei Xue continued talking. "Does he not have a home?"

Zhang Yong poked Li Yinyis' shoulder and whispered, "Hey, he's your brother, do something about it."

"Honestly, this situation is so cringeworthy, you wouldn't even get me to admit we are related under torture," the sister replied steadfastly.

". . ." Zhang Yong did not know what to say. He thought the girl was an innocent or naive person, but the more he interacted with her, the more he realized how ruthless she could be.

Shou facepalmed. "This is what happens when you don't have any chairs. . . You hear that Si?" He slid through the small crowd, and grabbed Li Yangyi bis his shoulders, carrying him on the nearest chair. Now, he looked more like a youth that worked too hard and fell asleep, instead of some kind of kidnapped kid.

"Alright, alright! I will get some comfortable cushions next time [waves hands]. Stop nagging me like you are my mum," Si said, rolling her eyes—if she had any at all.

"Is this your first time here, miss, uh, miss Mei?" Ah Liang talked slowly, fearing that any misstep could cause some kind of offense. "See, well, how do I explain this. That boys' spirit has entered an illusory world, as such, only his unconscious body remains here. No, really, we aren'T doing anything shady here, I swear."

"Oh, so that is what happens, I did not know that." Mei Xue nodded in understanding. The Zheng Tianhe hadn't really mentioned that part, though, given everything that happened yesterday, it wasn't unusual to forget a few details.

"Uh, I am glad I could be of help." Ah Liang slowly moved back, his forehead dripping with sweat. He felt incredulous about what was happening. He quickly ascertained his surroundings. One could say that this was the most influential meeting within the City of Delight right now! Not even the City Lord or Fu Hao could compare. Of course, it was Mei Xue's sole presence that elevated this feeling.

Yet, he could not help wonder what exactly her intentions were. Did she also gather here because of the rumors? Or had she come with different ulterior motives?

The two store clerks whispered to each other. "Don't you feel like we are really out of place right now," Ran Wei asked her co-worker. "This doesn't really seem like an establishment we should be part of."

Lin Zhuyue's eyes fluttered. She hadn't listened to anything that wench was talking about. She simply could not take her sight away from that otherworldly beauty in front of her. "Woah, she is so gorgeous. . ."

Mei Xue tilted her head, glancing at these people. She wondered, should she have come veiled after all? No, but the owner didn't like people hiding their real appearances. In order to keep good relations, she should try to appease him as much as possible. However, if this situation went on like it normally would, the situation would continue to be awkward.

Thankfully, the people here weren't normal either.

Li Yinyi approached her with a cheerful expression. "Miss Mei, why are you here? Aren't you busy with all the business of the Wang family?" Only someone as clueless to the pressing atmosphere could be this straightforward. And it's not like this was their first meeting. Li Yinyi had taken many glances at her during the gatherings of the three families. Though at that time, she wore a white veil, covering any features.

"I am, indeed," Mei Xue answered with a peal of laughter. "But if you keep working, you will surely die young, don't you know?" She hid her mouth behind her sleeve as if shy.

"I agree, I agree!" Li Yinyi nodded vehemently.

The young lady clasped her face. "To be honest, I feel like more and more wrinkles have appeared on my forehead. Skincare is a ladys' lifeline, so, is it that wrong for me to come here and relax once in a while?"

The others all looked at each other, then shrugged in relief. That's true, this was the mysterious Store of Fates, and the owner was that enigmatic Shou. If they had met any other place, the situation would have been grave, but everyone here knew. In this place, they were all equal.

"Ne, ne, miss Mei Xue, I've got to ask, what do you use to keep your skin so supple and glossy," Lin Zhuyue approached the lady from the Wang Family. In this group, she was the second-best person at not reading the mood. "It looks so nice," she said with yearning. She stretched, then retracted her hands, unsure of what to do. "Oh, my names' Lin Zhuyue by the way."

"I don't use anything, really. Except for washing my face in the morning." She realized that the girl stared daggers into her. "You look like you want to touch it."

"Can I?"

Mei Xue shrugged her shoulders. "Sure."

Lin Zhuyue, elated, began caressing Mei Xue's soft cheeks. They were smooth and velvety, just like how she imagined clouds to feel. "Woah. . . "

"Uh, could I also touch it," Li Yinyi asked expectantly, and when she had gotten the approval, she touched the other cheek. She had to hold herself back from pinching it, as the feeling was so squishy. As such, a unique scene of two girls fondling Mei Xues' face appeared.

"Alright, that is enough. Let's get to playing," Zhang Yong said and pulled Li Yinyi back (at the same time, Ran Wei also dragged Zhuyue away), "We are wasting time here."

"That's right, that's right," the two merchants said while nodding. "I've been thinking about progressing the story and seeing what exactly the item is." After the talk with Fu hao, and his casual dismissal of the store, they had a small feeling of wishing to prove that old fool wrong.

"Oh, how far have you guys gotten," Zhang Yong asked. "Have you already found out about the origin of these mysterious beasts within the fields?"

Ah Liang shook his head. "To be honest, I've been too scared to take a look at that place ever since I've witnessed someone being chewed alive at that place." The man shuddered.

Wan Gu, the person in question, had a wry smile on his face. He still remembered the scene clearly. To call it life-changing was an understatement. He hoped that this time he'd not come to encounter such ferocious monsters, otherwise, he may not be able to sleep at night.

Lin Zhuyue spoke. "But I've found something else that is interesting though! Have you guys heard about the statue in the village? Some other dude came up and talked to me about it. I was weirded out at first, but I suppose it was important to the plot." She racked her brain. "What was its name again? The wizard?"

Those who hadn't seen her complete the instance stared at her, eyes wide open. Li Yinyi jumped forward. "Who is that? Who is that?" Given his name, he had to be related to the witch, no doubt.

Ah Liang answered. "It's only a statue. We don't know that much, to be honest."

Mei Xue listened to them talk, with an utmost interested expression. "There're quite a lot of people here today. It fits what I had planned." She clapped her hands twice, gathering everyone's attention, though they had all long been focused on her. "To be transparent, I've come early today to use this chance for gathering info from other customers. How about we sit at the table there and exchange what we know? It may shed light into that mystical world and the ephemeral witch." The young lady had a radiant smile, sweeping away any feelings of refusing.

"That's a good idea. I was just talking to Shou that his game was too complicated," Zhang Yong spoke.

They all gathered at the table, though some were standing while others took a seat. the space was a little tight, with so many people gathered at the same time, but nobody minded. Instead, they had a fervent expression, as if they were one step closer to their desired treasure. Even Zhang Yong, who had gone through many hardships during his cultivation road, and Ah Liang a veteran in the cutthroat merchant business, could not contain themselves from the excitement that came from discussing this store.

Shou simply watched over them with a smile. He had wisely exited their conversation to not feed them any spoilers. Though he had much stuff he wished to say, he kept these as thoughts only. Still, seeing how many people had gathered here, discussing his product with exhilarated faces, he couldn't help feel at peace.

—Meanwhile, Li Yangyi remained oblivious to the world outside, as he dozed away, enjoying his time in the illusory world.