An Accidental Encounter

Amidst the bustling crowds of the Imperial Capital's shopping street, Zhixi looked at the people and vehicles nearby, her head already starting to spin due to her mild trypophobia.

She was really not good at dealing with crowded scenes—if possible, she wanted to finish her shopping before noon.

"What's wrong with you?"

Yinhua asked kindly.

"I'm just a little dizzy, don't mind me. Where should we go now?"

"Well, we might buy quite a lot of things this time. If possible, we should try to go to a large supermarket, because they have some special deals, and some items are a bit cheaper than outside."

"It's my first time here, and I really can't figure out this place. Anyway, you lead the way, I'll just be the bag carrier."

Zhixi yawned as she spoke.

"Were you really too tired last night? You look really sleepy."

"No, no matter what the nights are like, I can never pull myself together during the day. It's an old problem."

"Is it alright?"

"Don't worry about me, I'm not as fragile as you think. Let's just hurry up and finalize the plan."

"Alright then... As for large malls, there are two nearby: one close to the Magic School and the other near the Palace. The one by the school is a bit far—if we don't have any means of transport, it'll take about three hours roundtrip, while the palace one is just half that time."

"And we do have a lot to buy: pots, bowls, basins, clothes to change into, food items—we at least need rice—plus toothpaste, toothbrush, cups to drink water, and so on. With so many things, going to the one by the school is definitely inconvenient, so let's just pick the nearby one."

"Come with me."

After saying this, Yinhua grabbed Zhixi's hand and jogged eastward. Zhixi was momentarily stunned but didn't resist, letting herself be pulled along by Yinhua. For some unknown reason, Yinhua always felt a strange sense of aversion whenever she had touched Aili or Xiya, yet touching Zhixi didn't make her feel like that at all.

The girls stopped in front of a mall named "Rainmaker Mall."

Staring at the almost five-story-tall shopping center, Zhixi's mouth hung open slightly—in true Imperial Capital fashion, it really was luxurious.

Yinhua didn't leave her much time to think, pulling her into the mall. As they entered, a staff member came to greet them.

"Hello, ladies. May I ask if you need help with anything, or would you just like to browse?"

"Please help me prepare the items on this list. Nothing too fancy—just regular quality is fine,"

Yinhua said, handing over her list and Aili's storage card to the attendant.

She didn't know exactly how much money was on the card, but Aili had said it would be enough.

"Certainly, please wait a moment."

The staff member bowed and left.

No wonder it was one of the top malls in the capital—within less than twenty minutes, everything Yinhua and Zhixi needed was ready.

There were three whole packages in total. Glancing at the bill: 1,227 gold coins.

An ordinary family's monthly living expenses were about 30 silver coins, equal to 0.3 gold coins.

If you converted 1,227 gold coins to an ordinary family's living expenses, that would be about 4,090 months—an ordinary person's lifespan was generally about a hundred years, or 1,200 months.

Doing the math, she had just spent nearly the lifetime income of almost three regular people.

She felt a bit embarrassed.

Although Aili's earnings had always supported the household from the start, she had no idea where Aili's money actually came from.

But judging from how much was on this card, there was certainly a lot.

"I should have told you—nothing too high-quality, just ordinary will do."

Yinhua's voice trembled slightly.

"These are ordinary items, at least for someone like you," the attendant replied, a little confused as she looked at the two customer's pale skin. Judging from the card limit, these goods really were about as ordinary as it got—but she'd never met someone with white skin before.

"Well, since we've finished shopping, we should get back."

Zhixi hoisted the three big parcels onto her own back. It was definitely a hefty weight, but she looked relaxed.

"Ah, mm."

Yinhua still wanted to say something, but since they'd already bought everything, she felt embarrassed to ask someone to return it all and help her pick new items again.

Yinhua checked the time—it was already close to 11 o'clock.

It was February now, and temperatures were rising. The sun wasn't as kind as it had been in winter.

As they left the mall, Yinhua noticed a familiar figure: her eldest sister, the one who had signed a Spirit Pact with the gods through the Spirit Selection—Lingxian.

There was a silver-haired woman beside her. Unlike Yinhua, this woman had golden eyes and was a head taller than Yinhua.

Her hair only reached her waist, while Yinhua's long hair already brushed her legs; any longer and she'd trip over it.

Lingxian evidently noticed Yinhua as well—her eyes widened in surprise as she walked slowly over.

"Is she an acquaintance of yours?"

Zhixi asked beside her.

"She's my sister..."

Yinhua's voice quivered slightly.

Zhixi squinted, then said to Yinhua, "Remember, you are no longer Yinhua. This is your first meeting—don't give yourself away."

"Mm, I know."

Yinhua took a deep breath, gradually steadying herself.

Lingxian already stood before Yinhua and directly asked, "Why are you still standing here? Weren't you already sent to Yuexing Kingdom?"

'Huh?! Did she just expose me outright?'

"You must have the wrong person—that's my friend. Today is our first time visiting the Imperial Capital,"

Zhixi offered from the side.

"What's wrong? Do you really think I won't recognize you if you just decorate your face a little?"

Lingxian's voice was like winter's ice, making Yinhua feel as if she'd plunged into a deep abyss.

"Lingxian."

Suddenly, the silver-haired woman beside Lingxian spoke, calling her name.

She continued: "You're mistaken. This young lady and your sister are two different people. Although they look similar, you can still spot some differences."

"Baixue?"

After listening, Lingxian used inspection magic to examine Yinhua's face and discovered she truly hadn't applied any disguise.

Only then did she realize she had misidentified her.

"Sorry, it's my master's mistake. I apologize on her behalf. I am Shen Baixue; this is Lingxian, my host."

Even as she apologized, this woman was majestic—her tone seemed to carry a magical power, making one feel pleased to obey, like a phoenix soaring above the clouds, whom mortals could only gaze up to.

"I'm Zhixi, and this is Luna. She's very shy."

"Ow, that hurts."

Suddenly, Yinhua clutched her right arm and saw a trace of crimson.

'Crap, I forgot about this.'

Zhixi immediately took out the parasol from her bag and held it up over Yinhua's head.

"My companion is in frail health—she cannot be exposed to sunlight for long. If there's nothing else, we'll be going now."

With that, Zhixi took out a bottle of ice water, poured some onto her hand, and applied it to Yinhua's right arm, gradually fading that hint of red.

"Feeling better?"

"Thank you, much better."

"Then let's head back."

Zhixi helped Yinhua up, supporting her on her shoulder and slowly walking away. As they passed beside Shen Baixue—

That Shengu quietly spoke: "There is one thing I'd like to ask."

"Why from the very beginning—"

"Have you shown me such hostility?"

Zhixi's steps paused for a moment.

She did not answer Shen Baixue's question, but continued supporting Yinhua and slowly left into the distance.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=Now that I think about it, Yinhua now has 2 sage level powerhouses with her...And if you include the Sage of Water, then that's 3, but the Sage of Water is with Liqin...【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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