NOVEL NEXT Chapter 54 Shopping
After lunch, the three people who had moved out of their dorm didn't return to their former dormitory but instead went to the library, finding a corner to discuss the base construction in further detail.
They listed the functional zones each needed, what they wanted to design it like, and the furniture that was needed, all written down clearly.
"How should we decorate the entertainment room? What should we put in it?" Li Qianxia asked the other two with keen interest.
"Move all the books from the bookstore into it."
"Ah." Li Qianxia was noncommittal.
"Hmm." Li Changzhou's tone was meaningful.
"Do you two have any objection?" Yang Qinglan asked.
"No." The siblings shook their heads at the same time.
Yang Qinglan looked at them for another two seconds, like a cat raising its paw, contemplating whether to scratch you or not.
Planning the base was not at all a burdensome task; the three were not only full of enthusiasm but truly spirited about it.
In the blink of an eye, the lunch break was over, and they met up after classes in the afternoon at the entrance of the Si Ming Building (where Yang Qinglan's classes were held).
The long, straight, and wide road leading to the school gate was lined with plane trees that had shed quite a few leaves, though most were still green, perhaps because of yesterday's rain.
After putting the books back in the house on Yanhe Road, the two female college students also changed their clothes.
Li Qianxia had a good constitution and was not afraid of the cold, wearing high-waisted denim shorts, an off-the-shoulder top with the hem tucked into her jeans, and even a black hat in the evening, exuding vitality while also being a tad sexy and hot.
But it didn't matter how she was; Li Changzhou didn't care at all; the focus was on Yang Qinglan.
A dark blue cinched waist sleeveless long dress and a beige knit cardigan, her hair like a black gauze, soft as the evening breeze.
"Miss Yang, you look very beautiful."
"Thank you."
"Hmm? What about me?" Li Qianxia asked.
Li Changzhou was about to speak when the announcement at the bus station interrupted him.
(The number 28 bus is about to arrive, please be ready to board.)
All three were startled, silent for two seconds, then realizing, they laughed together.
Li Changzhou gave a wry smile, Yang Qinglan covered the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, looking down with a faint smile.
Li Qianxia laughed the hardest, her left hand on her waist, her right hand resting on Li Changzhou's shoulder, her whole body going limp.
In the end, she simply placed her left hand on top too, burying her face in his shoulder, the visible slender shoulders quivering, to the uninformed it might look as if she were crying.
(The number 28 bus has arrived, please board.)
The bus station announcement sounded again.
Yang Qinglan patted her shoulder, "Let's go."
Li Qianxia stood upright, "I laughed so hard." Her voice still held traces of laughter as she wiped the corner of her eye, rubbing it onto Li Changzhou's clothes with practiced motion, all in one breath.
Watching the two of them board the bus, if it weren't for Yang Qinglan, Li Changzhou would definitely have smacked Li Qianxia's butt to teach her what brotherly love is.
"Brother, hurry up."
Alright then, she still remembered him; forgive her this time.
Li Changzhou dusted off the spot where the tears were wiped, and stepped onto the bus.
"Swipe your card, don't forget yourself," Li Qianxia instructed, linking arms with Yang Qinglan and heading to the back rows.
"..."
Li Changzhou swiped his transit card three times.
The place they were going to was dubbed "Decoration Street."
Opening the map, one could see densely packed markers for "Doors and Windows," "Hardware," "Flooring," "Integrated Stoves," "Lighting," "Building Materials," "Bathrooms," "Custom Whole-House Solutions," and so on.
The difference was that these words had different prefixes, like "Ming City First-Class Building Materials" where they were currently at, and "Ming City Top-Class Building Materials" across the street.
"What do you think of this stone slab?" Yang Qinglan asked, her delicate fingers pointing to a slab.
"The pattern is nice," Li Qianxia nodded.
Li Changzhou disagreed, saying, "Even if we don't use steel, we should at least go to a stone yard, buy large and thick rocks for paving... even if we have skills, it doesn't feel safe. It can't be just about looking good."
"May I ask if this is for a wedding home decorating?" The salesperson came over, "How about taking a look at wood-grain tiles? They have the texture of wood flooring as well as the convenience and longevity of tiles."
Perhaps to better ascertain specific preferences, she asked, "May I know which two of you are getting married?"
"Me and her," Li Qianxia said, arm in arm with Yang Qinglan.
The salesperson: "..."
"Nonsense," Li Changzhou said, "it's me and the two of them."
The clerk: "..."
"Who wants to marry you?" Yang Qinglan walked out of the store.
"Hey, Qinglan! The 'you' you mentioned, does it refer to him, or me?" Li Qianxia chased after her.
Li Changzhou, being more polite, stayed behind to explain to the clerk, "Sorry, once we decide who is marrying whom, we'll come back to your store to pick out the flooring."
The clerk managed a strained smile, "Okay."
The three went to a steel material store and ordered what they thought were suitable materials.
Because they needed a lot and had high requirements, the money Li Changzhou had was only enough for the deposit, and they would need another sum later on.
They also strolled along a street famous for renovations but didn't buy anything, just preparing for future furniture and renovations.
By seven-thirty, they went to a mall for dinner, and the two of them were out of money, so they had to mooch off Yang Qinglan.
"Qinglan, this one, I want this one!" Li Qianxia pointed at a car displayed in the middle of the square, with a big screen in the middle—it looked very high-end.
"No."
"How about this one…" She pointed at a bag store next, the kind where most are locked inside cabinets.
"No."
"This has to be okay, right?" This time she pointed at a sightseeing train in the square.
The passengers were either parents with children or couples.
"What do you think?" Yang Qinglan asked Li Changzhou.
"Yes?"
"The antonym of that."
"Still a yes?" Li Changzhou ventured.
Yang Qinglan gave him a look.
Li Changzhou felt like he'd been hit by the little train. Miss Yang's glance had that kind of power, making one's heart race and mouth go dry.
While two female college students went to buy lingerie, he sat in the rest area outside the store, still savoring that look.
It was a bit of a wait, so he casually picked up a brochure from the table.
All about bra models and their various functions, a piece of paper fell out from the page titled "Shock Wave"—it was a missing persons notice.
Li Changzhou casually slipped it back inside.
When they got home, around 10 o'clock, the delivery had already arrived from Yong City.
The courier handed the Identity Card to Li Changzhou, simultaneously deducting 89 Game Coins (the extra one was for shipping).
On the white Identity Card, with only one skill slot left, Li Changzhou first plundered the C-grade "Flame Wave."
[Name: Flame Wave]
[Type: Skill]
[Quality: C]
[Special Effect: Manipulate existing flames]
[Minimum Use Conditions: Intelligence 5, Charm 5, Perception 3]
[Introduction: 1. The power is determined by the size of the flames. How much flame can be manipulated is determined by intelligence, charm, and perception. 2. The force of nature, can be upgraded through learning]
[Note: We do not encourage setting forests on fire for the sake of power, even though nature does not care whether a place is a forest or wasteland]
"From now on, when I enter the game, I'll set fires!" Li Changzhou decided on the spot.
Yang Qinglan nodded, "Pay more attention to the forums lately, and try to get another skill that lets you move through the sea."
"Wait, are you really going to set fire to forests?" Li Qianxia asked, somewhat reluctant.
"Yes, in the instance, aside from players, there are no other lives. Those trees are just ordinary trees," Yang Qinglan said.
Li Changzhou patted his sister's hand and softly comforted her:
"During the Qin Dynasty, Bai Qi flooded Yan City to defeat Chu, drowning tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians. That was for victory. We won't do something that cruel, but to survive, we need to have the resolve to burn down a forest."
"Okay," Li Qianxia reluctantly agreed, feeling it was more of an instinctive question.
Upon reflection, who would care about a forest when their own life was at stake? Perhaps heroes, saints, or forest rangers might, but they are not those people.
They are just ordinary people trying to survive.