Although Bai Xia wasn’t prone to indecision, buying clothes still consumed a significant portion of her time. The sheer number of shopping bags, large and small, nearly overwhelmed her. Fortunately, most stores now offered home delivery for purchases exceeding a certain quantity or value, otherwise, transporting everything back would have been a genuine problem.
After providing the store with her delivery address, Bai Xia leisurely exited the clothing boutique. She took a brief rest, checked her location, and then headed towards her next destination.
Having subsisted on takeout daily since her transformation, she was determined to treat herself to a truly satisfying meal. Consequently, she not only purchased high-quality beef and lamb, along with fresh fruits and vegetables, from the supermarket but also, with a slight pang of regret, acquired a lobster almost half her size.
She vaguely recalled the salesperson mentioning some specific breed from a particular continent, but Bai Xia hadn’t understood a word. All she knew was that it looked incredibly delicious.
It had been a long time since she had last enjoyed lobster. Whether braised or served as sashimi, this magnificent creature promised to be exquisite. Succumbing to her craving, she bought it without further thought.
Next, she browsed the household goods section, stocking up on anything her home might lack. She also made a detour to the snack aisle, filling a large bag with an assortment of treats.
Finally, she shamelessly grabbed two massive packs of ‘intimate little angels’ – discreetly placing them amidst a pile of other items before checking out.
Given the volume of her purchases, she naturally opted for the supermarket’s home delivery service. After coordinating the delivery time with the staff and arranging for everything to be sent to the same designated location as her clothes, Bai Xia finally departed the complex where the supermarket was located.
She had spent a considerable amount of time shopping, yet a glance at the sky revealed it was still early.
Feeling no particular hunger, Bai Xia pondered for a moment before boarding a sightseeing bus that circled the city.
Suhua, the ancient capital of this world’s China, boasted highly advanced technology without abandoning its unique cultural heritage. In fact, it had expanded upon this foundation, transforming into a distinctive attraction that drew countless visitors, earning its place among the world’s top ten tourist cities.
This city truly achieved a perfect blend of classical charm and modern technology. Here, one could discover antiquated gardens and pavilions alongside futuristic skyscrapers. The sky-blue Jade Lake shimmered with natural beauty, while pearlescent iron towers seemed to pierce the very heavens.
The city was vast, and its sights were innumerable. To explore everything in just half a day would be a fool’s errand.
Bai Xia, however, had no intention of visiting every single place. Her current legs were short, and her stamina was limited; even a nearby excursion was pushing her limits.
For half a day, she fully embraced the role of a tourist, casting aside all her bothersome worries and immersing herself in the joy and wonder the city offered.
From its cuisine and landscapes to its unique culture, even in such a short span, Bai Xia truly felt herself grow much closer to this world.
Moreover, despite being a ‘native-born’ local, she still spent money on numerous local specialties, both edible and recreational. Though, truth be told, she often found many aspects of this world’s culture utterly perplexing.
Her afternoon meal was taken at a specialty restaurant. The delivery boy, upon witnessing Bai Xia devour an entire table’s worth of food without leaving a single crumb, nearly dropped his jaw in astonishment.
Bai Xia often wondered if her body’s attribute points had been entirely misallocated. Despite her small stature and tiny stomach, why did it feel like she could consume an entire ox once she truly let loose? Surely, a girl’s ‘second stomach’ was only meant for desserts, right?
‘Am I abnormal?’ she occasionally thought, though she would typically dismiss such notions almost immediately.
After a full day of joyous exploration, despite utilizing various convenient modes of transport to minimize physical exertion, Bai Xia’s delicate physique still succumbed to an undeniable weariness.
Upon her return home, all her afternoon purchases had already been delivered. Bai Xia carried them in several batches from the community’s central collection point back to her apartment. Clothes were neatly organized into her wardrobe, while the fruits, vegetables, and lobster were placed in the refrigerator.
The sheer volume of items meant that organizing everything consumed a fair amount of time. Fortunately, she had eaten her fill earlier, so she considered it her post-dinner exercise.
As she relaxed on the sofa, she discovered that her Tianxun, which she had barely used all day, had received numerous messages. At this point, Tian Zheng was likely the only one who would be messaging her.
Unlike the girl who had spent the day exploring, he had diligently continued his adventures in the game, having already emerged from the novice village.
The first piece of information concerned the novice village chief’s quest. Tian Zheng had completed it, and Bai Xia should be able to claim the final reward directly upon logging in.
Of course, this was a minor matter. The initial rewards for that quest had already been obtained, and completing the subsequent stages would, at most, grant some gold and experience – hardly significant for either of them at their current stage.
Tian Zheng’s primary reason for contacting Bai Xia was a different matter entirely. According to him, several of his friends would all be leaving the novice village by tomorrow at the latest, and they could arrange to meet up then.
Tian Zheng didn’t elaborate much on these friends for now, merely stating that they were interesting and reliable individuals, making them excellent choices for both adventuring and team play within the game.
Furthermore, perhaps to allay any potential concerns she might have, he informed her that two of the three people he had provisionally invited were female.
Bai Xia naturally had nothing to object to. Firstly, he was the leader, and his word was law.
Secondly, ‘Another World’ had never been a solo game. She had already realized the shortcomings of insufficient combat power during her battle with the Lava Giant. Had it not been for the fortunate activation of the Shura’s Fated Strike’s special attribute, a comeback would have been utterly impossible.
If even a single additional mage had been present in the party when they faced the Lava Giant, their initial struggle wouldn’t have been so precarious, nor would they have nearly failed at the very end.
Therefore, having reliable teammates was essential for tackling more challenging dungeons in the future, and Bai Xia had complete faith in Tian Zheng’s recommendations.
Leaning back on the sofa, she chatted with him for a long time, transitioning from text messages to phone calls, from game developments to real-life matters, even sharing her day’s observations and the photos she had taken.
As her only friend in this world, Bai Xia unreservedly shared the joys of her life with Tian Zheng.
For most of this time, he simply listened quietly. He didn’t say much, yet Bai Xia felt no awkwardness or impatience, so much so that she only realized the sky outside had darkened as their conversation continued.
Coincidentally, Tian Zheng seemed to have something urgent to attend to, and it was with a slight sense of regret that she ended the call.
Bai Xia wasn’t actually a chatterbox; on the contrary, she was typically quite reserved. However, she had encountered so many novelties recently that she couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming desire to share them with someone.
And currently, Tian Zheng was the only person she was relatively close to in this world, which inadvertently led her to speak more than usual.
Upon regaining her composure, Bai Xia did feel that this behavior didn’t quite align with her calm, wise, and taciturn persona. However, since the call was already over, dwelling on it was pointless. So, after taking a shower, she simply grabbed a large bag of popcorn and settled down in her bedroom to watch a movie.
The constant availability of various animated series and films was undoubtedly another benefit of this new world; there was no need to worry about a lack of mental sustenance.
Keeping up with new series and watching movies had become Bai Xia’s primary way to pass the time outside of gaming. She was even contemplating buying a holographic projector.
While her Tianxun was fully functional, its inherent limitations meant that the quality of movie or series playback was ultimately restricted.
A holographic projector, however, would offer an immersive, almost real-life experience. Although it would still be a projection – visible but intangible – it would undoubtedly be far more enjoyable than her current setup.
Especially for big-budget sci-fi blockbusters, the upgraded special effects would be absolutely explosive when viewed through a holographic projector!
However, decent holographic projectors were not cheap, so this plan would need to be postponed for a while.
“Slowly but surely,” she murmured.
Regarding the creation of her ‘cozy little home,’ as her understanding of this world deepened, Bai Xia’s plans became increasingly clear in her mind.