Chapter 27: CH 27

After an hour and a half, Bai Zhen Zhen got on the plane to Haicheng.

These days, it was really rare to find cities that were named based on their surroundings. How casual was the original author, that a coastal city was named “Haicheng (Sea City)”.

“Please give me a glass of iced cola, thanks.”

The person who just spoke was precisely Huo Xiang.

He was sitting on the seat next to Bai Zhen Zhen, his legs crossed gracefully as he leisurely read a magazine.

Bai Zhen Zhen glanced at him from the side, saying: “Aren’t you afraid you grandpa will be angry with the way you just casually ran away from home?”

Huo Xiang huffed, replying loudly: “You don’t know how much my grandfather dotes on me now! It’s just a trip, not to mention it’s a trip with his favorite granddaughter-in-law. He would be more than happy to hear that!”

“Then how long are you prepared to stay in Haicheng?”

“It depends on the situation. If things goes well, I’ll be done soon.” Huo Xiang replied casually.

Bai Zhen Zhen: “What do you mean?”

Huo Xiang pretending to be calm as he handed the magazine to Bai Zhen Zhen, before changing the subject: “Look, this photo really captures my true handsomeness!”

Bai Zhen Zhen: “…”

“Sir, your cola.” The beautiful stewardess handed the iced cola to Huo Xiang, even smiling sweetly at him, “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“No, thank you.” Huo Xiang responded with a smile.

Then, he turned his head and said to Bai Zhen Zhen: “Did you notice? That stewardess looks somewhat similar to your step-sister.”

Bai Zhen Zhen frowned: “Why did you suddenly bring her up? You know I hate her, yet you still talk about her.”

“No, I just wanted to find an opening to report to you that before we boarded the plane, your sister sent me a text message…” Huo Xiang paused, taking a gulp of cola to suppress his shock.

“When?!”

“It was when we were about to board the plane. You were jumping about in high spirits; I didn’t want to dampen your mood by telling you.”

“What did she say?” Bai Zhen Zhen asked warily.

Huo Xiang pursed his lips: “She apologised on Uncle Bai and your behalf, saying that the divorce had wronged me, and that she hoped I wouldn’t take it to heart. Oh, she even said that there were many good girls in the world, and that I will one day encounter my true love. She also encouraged me to cheer up.”

Bai Zhen Zhen turned her head, giving Huo Xiang a long look, asking: “Do you have any opinions on this?”

Huo Xiang replied: “Utterly hypocritical.”

Appreciation was written all over Bai Zhen Zhen’s face: “You have good insight; I’ll give you a gold star for that.”

****

The plane landed without incident at Haicheng airport.

Huo Xiang’s flamboyant appearance once again attracted the attention of all the Haicheng citizens.

The two went to a five-star resort hotel along the coast. Huo Xiang quickly swiped his card to pay before Bai Zhen Zhen had the chance to, showing off the black card his grandfather had just given to him.

Huo Xiang booked two superior rooms with a generous sea-view. The rooms were side-by-side, and there was a common balcony that was only separated by a folding door. They could visit each other’s room at any time through the balcony. This type of room was specially designed for friends who were travelling together.

After the settled in the room, it was already dinnertime. Huo Xiang and Bai Zhen Zhen planned to have dinner in the hotel first, before heading out to the nearby mall to buy some daily necessities.

The restaurant was located on the second floor of the hotel. It was a buffet-style dinner, and they could gain entrance just by showing their room card.

As she had eaten too much for lunch, Bai Zhen Zhen wasn’t particularly hungry. She wandered around the restaurant for a while, but nothing caught her eye, so she casually picked up a plate of shrimps.

When she returned back to the table with the shrimps in hand, Huo Xiang was currently slicing his steak. His skillful movements made Bai Zhen Zhen pause.

“It seems that your previous lifestyle really was rather well-to-do.” Bai Zhen Zhen said, “Your habits when eating steak is not something that can be imitated on short notice.”

“You must be joking,” Huo Xiang raised his eyebrows, “Even if a prince has fallen onto tough times, the noble temperament he was born with cannot be hidden, ok?!”

Bai Zhen Zhen rolled her eyes: “I merely praised you, yet you’re over the moon.”

His words made it sound like he disdained her praise, but she knew that his heart was actually full of inexplicable happiness.

The reluctance and regret that she originally had at the airport vanished at this moment. Looking at this narcissist in front of her, she felt that her life would always be full of hope and joy as long as she stayed with him.

“By the way, Zhen Zhen, don’t worry about finding a job these days. Let’s experience the charm of being in a tourist destination first, ok?” Huo Xiang asked.

“That won’t do. My dad is still waiting for me to earn money for his treatment.”

This sentence was clearly said for the system.

As for what she would actually do, it was another matter altogether.

“How about I hire you as my tourist partner for a week? I’ll pay you ten thousand dollars a day, what do you think?!” Huo Xiang suggested.

“Ten thousand a day?!” Bai Zhen Zhen raised her eyebrows, “The heir to the richest man sure is generous!”

Bai Zhen Zhen thought about it in her heart. If she earned Huo Xiang’s money now, even if she wanted to pass it to her father, her father would refuse. When that happens, this money would still be hers, and she would gladly accept it!

“Then it’s decided!” Huo Xiang said.

As he spoke, he examined Bai Zhen Zhen furtively, tentatively asking: “Zhen Zhen, do you have any wishes that you want to fulfil as soon as possible? The kind that once you fulfil it, your sense of happiness would burgeon?!”

Bai Zhen Zhen peeled a shrimp, dipped it in some sauce and handed it to Huo Xiang.

Huo Xiang was joyfully surprised, but he didn’t use his hands to receive it, instead opening his mouth, motioning to Bai Zhen Zhen to feed him.

Bai Zhen Zhen didn’t fall for his tricks, immediately retracting her hand and biting down on the shrimp instead.

Huo Xiang: “…”

“Wishes…” Bai Zhen Zhen chewed contentedly while pondering on his question, “I have numerous wishes that I want to fulfil. Some of which are temporarily impossible to fulfil, some…”

“Feel free to say it. Whether or not it can be fulfilled, I will be the judge of that.” Huo Xiang hurriedly responded.

Bai Zhen Zhen looked at him in suspicion: “What do you mean? You want to help me fulfil my wishes?! Why?”

“You should quickly tell me about your wishes while I’m in a good mood. Maybe I can really help you fulfil them.”

Bai Zhen Zhen thought carefully for a few seconds before sincerely saying: “I miss my mother.”

Huo Xiang: “… Oh, then you can continue to miss her.”

****

The largest shopping center in Haicheng was not in the city center, and was also not far from the hotel. It’s likely that during the planning stage, the mall had taken into consideration the hotel guests, which were mainly rich foreign tourists who came here to shop.

Before leaving, Huo Xiang shed his disguise.

He removed the makeup from his face, took off his wig, and changed his clothes back into his original set of clothes. After that, he copied Bai Zhen Zhen and wore a set of sunglasses. Besides that, he also bought a large fisherman hat at the hotel, covering most of his face. With that, his armor was prepared.

Bai Zhen Zhen stood aside and examined his outfit. If she didn’t look closer, she wouldn’t associate him with the heir to the richest man who had appeared on TV.

The two immediately set off.

This was the first time Bai Zhen Zhen shopped at a major shopping mall after coming to this world. Other than the time when she went to Xiangju Commercial Mall for the lucky draw, the largest mall that Bai Zhen Zhen had been to was the supermarket next to the hospital.

As soon as she entered the first floor of the mall, a whiff of perfume greeted her.

The shopping mall in the novel was similar to reality. The first floor were mainly filled with cosmetics and jewelry shops.

Bai Zhen Zhen took a deep breath, sighing: “Today! I am going to start my brand new life! Everything I need, I will buy a new set!!”

“Buy, buy, buy!” Huo Xiang followed behind her like a bodyguard, echoing her words like a chant, “I’ll pay!”

“You’ll pay?!” Bai Zhen Zhen was astonished.

“Yes!” Huo Xiang nodded seriously, “During the toughest period of my life, it was you who reached out to me and helped me, lending me a thousand dollars when I needed it the most. I will always remember his kindness. As the saying goes: ‘A drop of water as a favor will be rewarded with a fountain of water as gratitude.’ Now that I have the ability to do so, I must find chances to repay you. It’s just a trivial matter of spending money; you can leave it to me!”

“Our fake marriage is already a form of repayment to me.”

“That won’t work. We both benefit from the fake marriage, so there is no repayment.”

Bai Zhen Zhen took out her own platinum card, saying: “My card still has hundreds of thousands of dollars. I don’t need your repayment.”

Huo Xiang shot back: “Don’t you know that in this kind of shopping mall, just a bag can cost up to a hundred thousand dollars? If you can’t afford it then, it will be very embarrassing for us.”

Bai Zhen Zhen was stunned: “That’s true. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are not worth mentioning in front of luxury brands.”

“So,” Huo Xiang waved the black card in his hand, “Leave it to me!!”

Bai Zhen Zhen walked off while shaking her head, even sighing: “I don’t know what you’ve been possessed by, to actually rush to pay for someone. Indeed, the world of the rich is complicated and confusing.”

Huo Xiang replied: “I won’t hide it from you. When I told my grandfather that I was going on vacation with you, he entrusted me with a task.”

“Hmm?”

“He asked me to spend a million dollars on you in one go. If I can’t hit that target, then he will withhold my next month’s allowance.”

“What?!” Bai Zhen Zhen’s knees nearly buckled, “Why would grandpa give you such a… wonderful task?!”

Huo Xiang spouted nonsense with a straight face: “Grandfather told me that we no longer need to go out and earn money in this generation, the next generation, and even in the generation after. I only need to learn how to spend money! He’s currently testing my spending ability, letting me learn how much I should spend in order to appear generous, so that I can portray the identity and status befitting a wealthy scion.”

“Grandpa truly is the world’s richest man. Every move he makes is bold and majestic!” Bai Zhen Zhen admired.

Huo Xiang looked proud of himself.

— Huo Xiang: “I don’t believe that one million dollars can’t buy ten happiness points!”

— System: “Let’s wait and see.”

****

The two decided to start shopping for their daily necessities first.

The highest floor of the mall was the sixth floor, which sold household goods.

As Huo Xiang and Bai Zhen Zhen were walking together, it was easy for others to mistake them as lovers or a young couple. The staff of many household stores stood near the store entrance shouting at the top of their lungs: “Great deals on wedding bedding sets, enjoy discounts starting from $5.20* off on the listed price! Wishing you a passionate and sweet love!”

There were even a brave soul who took a step forward and stopped Huo Xiang and Bai Zhen Zhen, holding out a flyer: “Mr, Mrs, would you like to know more about our wedding bedding set? A set of quality bedding will make your bedroom life more enjoyable!”

An ambiguous smile hung on his face.

“No, thank you.” Bai Zhen Zhen declined politely.

On the other hand, Huo Xiang proclaimed: “Our bedroom life is based on our own personal abilities; we don’t need any external help!”

The moment Bai Zhen Zhen heard his words, before the staff could react, she immediately pulled Huo Xiang and ran away.

— System: “Ding~ Female lead happiness points -1.”

— Huo Xiang: “???”

— System: “Knight 9938, I warmly remind you: There are a million ways to die in the world, so safety should be the number one priority. Please be more careful with your words.”

— Huo Xiang: “…..”

Arriving at a warmly lit household store, Bai Zhen Zhen began to choose daily necessities such as towels, pajamas and toothpaste etc.

“I think this one is pretty good.” Huo Xiang picked out a pink bunny towel.

Bai Zhen Zhen frowned: “Why?”

“Because there’s a bunny on it; it’s so cute!” Huo Xiang made a kawaii expression, acting cute, “Don’t girls usually like this kind of things?”

“Speak normally,” Bai Zhen Zhen rolled her eyes, “Don’t forget that you’re now dressed as a boy.”

“Oh, that’s right!” Huo Xiang recalled his current gender identity, coldly throwing the bunny towel aside.

He casually picked up a black towel with orange stripes: “Then let’s just get this!”

Bai Zhen Zhen: “Can you not be so extreme? You can buy that for your grandfather instead…”

Huo Xiang: “…”

A staff member approached them, smiling: “Would you like to browse the latest season that our store has received? There are many couple sets, which have been very well received!”

“No thanks.”

“Sure!”

Bai Zhen Zhen and Huo Xiang blurted out together, but their answers were vastly different.

Huo Xiang reacted extremely quickly, throwing the staff a meaningful look before grabbing Bai Zhen Zhen’s hand and pulling her over to another shelf.

As he walked, he forcibly brainwashed Bai Zhen Zhen: “I want to buy a towel too. Let’s just buy a couple set. These sets are usually more well-made, and they definitely have discounts!”

“…Didn’t you just swear to spend a million dollars on me?! Yet you’re already starting to calculate the discount for a few towels worth at most a few measly dollars?!”

“You don’t understand. The joy of petty gains cannot be bought for any amount of money!”

Bai Zhen Zhen was silenced.

Although she wasn’t very willing to admit it, but she actually agreed with him on this point.

However, the two of them only saw eye-to-eye on the petty gains and acting. As for which towel to choose, they spent more than half the day arguing on it.

“You can use the pink towel, and I’ll use the blue towel. Isn’t that just nice? I like this set.”

“I don’t want the pink towel. I like cooler shades; I want the blue towel.”

“You want the blue towel?! Then what about me?!”

“I don’t care, you’re the one who wanted to buy the couple set.”

“….”

Next was pajamas.

As it was summer, the staff member considerately recommended a set of silk pajamas, with the female version being a spaghetti strap silk nightgown.

“That won’t do,” Huo Xiang shook his head vehemently, “It’s too revealing.”

Bai Zhen Zhen frowned: “No one’s going to look at me as I sleep, how is it revealing?”

She immediately turned to the staff, saying: “We’ll take this!”

Huo Xiang swallowed nervously.

“Why are you blushing?” Bai Zhen Zhen looked at Huo Xiang suspiciously.

Huo Xiang didn’t dare to look directly at Bai Zhen Zhen at this moment.

If not, he would keep imagining how Bai Zhen Zhen would look like wearing the nightgown.

“I’ll go take a look at the reed diffusers.” Huo Xiang made up an excuse and left.

Bai Zhen Zhen gazed at his back, muttering to herself: “Unexpectedly, he’s such a delicate silly boy.”

****

Bai Zhen Zhen and Huo Xiang shopped for three whole hours, only leaving after the mall closed.

The results of their shopping trip were very fruitful, and the back seats of the taxi were all occupied by their loot.

However, Huo Xiang’s calculations did not come through.

Bai Zhen Zhen’s happiness index had indeed increased by ten points over the entire evening they spent happily shopping. It was a pity that it rose irregularly.

Buying daily necessities, happiness index +1.

Buying beautiful clothes, happiness index +2.

Buying skincare products and cosmetics, happiness index +2.

Buying branded bags, happiness index +5.

If Huo Xiang had gained anything from this experience, it’s that he had personally proved a truth in life — Indeed, the netizens were right. Bags solved everything!**

— The important point is: Bags, particularly branded ones!

After returning to the hotel, Bai Zhen Zhen and Huo Xiang separated and returned to their respective rooms, agreeing to meet at the conjoined balcony after a shower to watch the stars.

Huo Xiang had actually finished showering a while ago. However, he hid in his room, not daring to go out. His current emotions were slightly restless.

He thought to himself, it should be such a scene next.

In the dim moonlight, Bai Zhen Zhen stood in front of him wearing the silk nightgown she had just bought. Her hair was still damp as it curled around her small rounded shoulders. Her right hand gracefully cupped around a wine glass, half filled with red wine, while her long slender fingers on her left hand wrapped itself around the balcony railings. Her head would be tilted at a forty-five degree angle as she gazed at the night sky filled with stars.

The scene would be both literary and artistic, with a slight seductive undertone.

However, after Huo Xiang calmed his excitement and walked out, reality hit him hard.

“You’re here!” Bai Zhen Zhen called out loudly, tossing over a can of pineapple beer, “You’re a big man, yet you shower so slowly. I’ve been waiting for you for quite some time already!”

At this moment, Bai Zhen Zhen was smiling at him, wearing an oversized T-shirt dress, with Doraemon wearing a bamboo dragonfly hat printed on it.

Huo Xiang asked weakly: “You’ve showered?”

“Of course!” Bai Zhen Zhen answered without a second thought, “I’ve already blown dry my hair! You’re too slow!”

“No, I meant if you’ve showered, why didn’t you put on your pajamas?” Huo Xiang struggled with this question.

Bai Zhen Zhen frowned: “I’m not sleeping now, why would I change into pajamas? It’s much more comfortable to enjoy the breeze while drinking alcohol in this outfit!”

“You’re sure this is alcohol?!” Huo Xiang bit his tongue.

“Why wouldn’t it be alcohol? Isn’t it written here, alcoholic content 3%…”

“…”

Huo Xiang pulled open the tab of the can indifferently, waving: “Let’s not talk anymore, drink!”

“Cheers!” Bai Zhen Zhen grinned and toasted Huo Xiang.

The night view in Haicheng was beautiful, and the air quality was exceptional. They could even see the stars twinkling high up above in the night sky.

Bai Zhen Zhen leaned against the railings, and looked up at the starry sky. Suddenly, she felt a wave of emotions overcome her.

“Ah Xiang, if parallel worlds exist, would there be another world with me and you, but they don’t know each other?” Bai Zhen Zhen asked.

“Of course,” Huo Xiang nodded, “If parallel worlds exist, there will definitely be a different version of ourselves. And there wouldn’t just be one, but thousands, even countless numbers of ourselves.”

Bai Zhen Zhen subconsciously rubbed her arms: “That image is so intense, I’m developing claustrophobia…”

Huo Xiang laughed: “Listening to you speak, I really want to know what a different version of ourselves would be currently doing in a parallel world.”

“I have an idea!” Bai Zhen Zhen replied.

Huo Xiang looked at her, puzzled.

Bai Zhen Zhen pointed to the Doraemon printed on her shirt, saying: “You can tell him!”

Huo Xiang: “…”

“But to be honest, looking at your current situation, you wouldn’t want to exchange life with your parallel self, right?” Bai Zhen Zhen asked, “After all, you’re already the heir to the richest man in this world. In another world, you might still be lying in the hospital.”

“Can’t you think of anything positive?!” Huo Xiang put his hands on his hips, a look of contempt on his face.

Bai Zhen Zhen was amused by his look.

“Hahaha, just kidding!” Bai Zhen Zhen took another gulp of pineapple beer, and pretended to change the subject casually, “Then what if you found out one day that the world you live in is fake, the people you come in contact with are all NPCs and that your life experiences are nothing more than a story that someone else has thought up for you? What would you feel?”

“Are you talking about《 The Truman Show 》?!” Huo Xiang retorted.

Bai Zhen Zhen was surprised: “You know this movie?”

Unexpectedly, the people in the novel had knowledge of movies from reality. Was this part of the author’s settings too?!

“You’ve watched it too?” Huo Xiang harbored the same suspicion in his heart, but it flashed past just as quickly.

Bai Zhen Zhen sighed, saying: “Thinking about it, the protagonist of the movie is quite pitiful. After experiencing so many unforgettable challenges, in the end it was all for naught. If I was Truman, I would probably collapse.”

“Once you’re aware that the world around you is fake, you must not have feelings towards the people inside, otherwise you’re only hurting yourself in the end.” Huo Xiang continued from Bai Zhen Zhen’s words.

After speaking, he was stunned.

It was as if he was giving himself a warning.

However, both of them were hiding secrets in their heart. Bai Zhen Zhen frowned unconsciously when she heard Huo Xiang’s words, and her grip on the beer can tightened.

“That’s right! Who would be so foolish as to develop feelings for people in a fake world! That’s the same as falling in love with a NPC in a game, or a character in a comic!” Bai Zhen Zhen pretended to laugh naturally.

Huo Xiang also chuckled awkwardly: “Indeed! No matter how real it feels, it’s ultimately fake. You must firmly keep that in mind, if not it’ll lead to huge problems.”

The two of them tacitly looked at each other.

Complicated feelings swirled within both their eyes.

“Hahaha –” Huo Xiang suddenly laughed without warning.

Bai Zhen Zhen: “?”

“How could there be such a ridiculous thing in the world! You almost made me anxious thinking about it!”

Bai Zhen Zhen breathed a sigh of relief. The atmosphere finally relaxed.

“It’s rare to watch the moon and stars with you. Shouldn’t we have some kind of deep conversation?” Bai Zhen Zhen laughed with him, brushing past the topic, “Speaking of which, this pineapple beer is really good. You won’t get drunk on it, yet it can give you that intoxicated buzz.”

Huo Xiang looked shocked: “Are you sure this is called intoxicated buzz?! Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about what an intoxicated buzz is?!”

The moment he exclaimed, Bai Zhen Zhen swayed, before falling over. It was so quick that even Huo Xiang, who was less than fifty centimeters away, couldn’t react in time to catch her.

“Bai Zhen Zhen?!” Huo Xiang was dumbstruck, glancing at the can in his hand, “Drunk?! On pineapple beer?!”

——————-.

*520 – Sounds similar to ‘I love you’ in mandarin.

**Adapted saying: 网友诚不欺我，果然是“包”治百病 – The netizens were right, “bags” cures all illness.

Original saying: 古人诚不我欺, 包治百病 – The ancestors were right, there’s a cure for every illness.