CH 9.2

They go to another store, but still can’t find the right clothes. 

Chen Ying’s patience runs out. “Okay, the phone is confiscated, don’t talk anymore. Focus on looking at the clothes.”

Although Mi Xi is reluctant, she obediently hands the phone over. Chen Ying quickly says goodbye to the other end, hangs up the phone, and takes Mi Xi straight to the sports brand store. Now, it’s all wrapped-from-head-to-toe, all-zippered, and can be pulled up to the top of the neck. Chen Ying quickly takes three sets, reports the size they want, asks Mi Xi to try on the clothes to confirm that there is no problem, and swipes the card to pack them.

Then head straight to the underwear store. Mi Xi has talked with Su Xiaopei on the phone and has made some mental preparations, but she is still very uncomfortable. Chen Ying is even more uncomfortable, but he couldn’t back down at this time. Damn it, what does teenage underwear look like? 

He is frowning and looking at the styles, and from the corner of his eyes, he sees Mi Xi secretly pull the saleslady aside and tell her, “I want cotton ones, but not thickly padded ones.” The saleslady smiles and nods to help her choose the style.

Chen Ying looks over just as Mi Xi also peeks over, both pretending to be okay. Mi Xi tries hard not to blush, while Chen Ying continues to swear in his heart. F*ck. This. Sh*t. That’s right, just now Su Xiaopei has already given remote guidance, so why is he still involved ah? Damn it, he really wants to smoke a cigarette.

Chen Ying stands outside the store and waits, feeling uncomfortable all over because he’s addicted to cigarettes and the smoking ban in this place prevents him from smoking. He looks at his watch. Fortunately, there is enough time. He waits for a while, looking back from time to time, and sees that the saleslady has selected several items for Mi Xi. She points to the fitting room, but Mi Xi waves her hand, as if she’s embarrassed to try. Since that’s the case, then don’t try it. 

Chen Ying goes back in and asks the saleslady to swipe the card and pack everything. Both he and Mi Xi secretly breathe a sigh of relief—the most difficult part of shopping is finally over!

Fortunately, Auntie’s towel doesn’t need to be bought right away. Chen Ying thinks he’ll ask Feng Xin to help buy it later; this kind of thing doesn’t need to be done by Mi Xi and himself. It can be done directly in the supermarket and thrown into the shopping cart—so easy!

The two continue shopping, ending up with bags and bags. Chen Ying plans to choose a place to eat here. He answers another call and after talking for a few minutes, he hangs up and finds Mi Xi standing outside an ice cream shop, looking in curiously. In the store, two children are waiting for their cones with obvious excitement. Mi Xi looks at them, then at the big advertising picture of ice cream cones outside.

Chen Ying sighs and walks over. “It’s very beautiful, isn’t it?”

Mi Xi nods, her eyes sparkling.

“Let’s go.” Chen Ying leads Mi Xi into the store, and there are more than a dozen flavors of ice cream to choose from. Chen Ying doesn’t give Mi Xi a chance. He thinks that if he gives her the choice, they will probably have to stand in this store for half an hour. “Vanilla, one scoop.”

The clerk quickly digs out one scoop, puts it on a cone, and hands it over. Mi Xi looks at it, very excited, but also very careful, and doesn’t dare take it. She looks at the children just now: they are licking happily.

“What is it?” she asks quietly.

Chen Ying pays over the money, takes the cone, and passes it to Mi Xi. “Try it, you can eat it.”

Mi Xi can’t help smiling. Although she doesn’t know the taste, seeing the children eating so happily, she also feels a little anticipation. She takes it with much caution and says, “Thank you.”

Chen Ying smiles—this little miss is still very polite. Every time he does something for her, she would say thank you.

He watches Mi Xi look at the cone and then at the kids, again and again, probably studying how to eat it. Mi Xi carefully sticks out her tongue and licks it a little. Surprised by the ice coldness, her eyes go round, but she hasn’t actually tasted anything yet. Seeing Chen Ying looking at her, she smiles; feeling shy, she turns her back and carefully licks a bit bigger this time. It tastes sweet and fragrant, and the ice is soft. She almost jumps up, her eyes narrowing in pure joy.

Chen Ying can see her expression clearly in the decorative mirror next to her and almost can’t help laughing out loud. Should she be so exaggerated and vivid? Does she think she’s shooting an advertisement?

Mi Xi doesn’t want to move and stands stock still, licking the ice cream clean. Chen Ying waits and reminds her that the cone can also be eaten. Mi Xi eats it, but her expression is a bit regretful—it seems that she likes the ice cream part more. After eating, she wipes her hands with the paper towel handed over by Chen Ying, and looks at the ‘very beautiful’ ice cream cone posters several times, feeling very reluctant, until finally, under Chen Ying’s watchful eyes, they finally leave.

Chen Ying looks at the mall’s shopping guide map. There is a Thai restaurant on this floor. He decides to eat Thai food, but when they walk past McDonald’s, there is a poster advertising soft serve ice cream cones hanging outside. Mi Xi is suddenly excited again, pointing at it; Chen Ying shakes his head. Mi Xi is positively drooling, and when she sees the picture of the hamburger next to it, she feels shy to ask, but she still tries to point to the hamburger.

Chen Ying frowns and stares at her. Mi Xi lowers her head slightly, biting her lips and tightening the corners of her mouth, feeling very embarrassed, but she can’t help but glance at the poster again.

Chen Ying looks at the signboard of the Thai restaurant not far away from where they are and sighs in his heart. Forget it. He has already eaten everything, but Mi Xi hasn’t tasted anything yet, so just wrap it up, don’t blame him for her lack of vision. It’s either steamed buns or hamburger buns—she will choose buns!

He walks into McDonald’s. Mi Xi is overjoyed and runs after him.

There are so many ‘very beautiful’ pictures, Mi Xi looks at them carefully. Before she finishes looking at everything, Chen Ying has already finished ordering. She watches him hand over the money and take the tray full of food. With the shopping bag hanging on her arm, she hurriedly follows, finds a seat with him and sits down. Surrounded by people, Mi Xi looks curiously around her, and finally returns her attention to the magical food.

“This is Coke.” Mi Xi stares at the cup with a pipe inserted in it and listens to Chen Ying say, “You’ve never drank this before coming to this world, but since you’re already here just drink it less. I only want you to taste it—but don’t drink too much in the future.”

Such a miraculous thing? Mi Xi looks at Chen Ying and imitates him, taking a small sip on the straw. Ummm, it doesn’t taste like much. She is serious again: this taste needs to be pondered.

Chen Ying laughs out loud, takes a hamburger and demonstrates how to open it and take a big bite.

Mi Xi watches with disapproval on her face. Chen Ying purses his lips and asks her to look around: he wasn’t alone in eating it this way. Mi Xi looks around, sighs, and says to him, “There are a lot of indecent and inappropriate things here.”

Chen Ying smiles. “Hurry up and do something indecent and inappropriate, little young lady.”

Mi Xi sighs again, picks up the hamburger, opens it, and looks at it carefully for a while. 

Chen Ying can’t help but say, “What are you staring at for so long, fill your stomach quickly.” 

“I was talking to my parents. I told them that I am alive and I ate things that I have never eaten before. It is very different here—but I’m alive.”

Chen Ying is stunned for a moment, and before he has time to be infected with sadness, he sees Mi Xi open her small mouth bravely, and bite on the hamburger. The dressing spills a little from her mouth, but she doesn’t care, and continues to munch on it. Seeing him looking at her, she smiles at him: her eyes are red, but she’s still trying to smile.

Chen Ying also smiles at her and hands her a tissue. He pours out the fries, teaches her to squeeze the ketchup, and how to eat her fries.

After eating this meal, Mi Xi comments, “The taste is quite good, but I prefer the dim sum shop.” Chen Ying silently helps her take half of the shopping bags, thinking that it’s a good thing no one asked for your opinion.

As the two go downstairs, Chen Ying answers another call. It’s Wang Bing, the vice president of Yongkai who he’s going to meet that night. He wants to confirm the time of the meeting with Chen Ying directly and says that he would be there on time. Hello and goodbye, all very polite. 

After Chen Ying ends the call, he sees Mi Xi leaning on the railing, looking down at the floor below. To her, everything is new and everything is very interesting. He remembers her saying that he’s on the phone half the time, and that does seem to be the case. 

And she is always alone, with no friends. 

He should buy her a mobile phone so that she can contact him, Su Xiaopei, and the others—so she can feel that there is someone by her side.

Thinking about it this way, Chen Ying takes Mi Xi to pick out a mobile phone. Mi Xi doesn’t think this new gadget is ugly. On the contrary, it seems that all of them are very beautiful. She doesn’t know the functions, so she only picks the color, but there are quite few colors available. With a final finger pointing, Chen Ying sees that she is indeed from a General’s household, and she dares to make a move. There are so many counters, but she chose the most expensive one.

Chen Ying doesn’t want to spoil her interest—although he honestly feels that she can’t use 99.9% of the features—so he still buys it for her. She obviously has no concept of price.

Once they get into the car with all these trophies, Chen Ying is hit by the realization of how ignorant of their world Mi Xi truly is. She asks him happily, “Why do you need money for food, but not for other things like clothes and mobile phones?”

Chen Ying almost pulled out the steering wheel in his shock. Swiping the card is also paying money, Miss! Are all those shopping bags in the backseat stolen goods?