Chapter 27

With such a good reason, although Zhu Youxiang was actually willing in her heart, she still blushed and emphasized, "Young Master Xu, changing clothes is not impossible, but I am not the kind of... the kind of shameless and frivolous woman. Therefore, I will absolutely not wear overly revealing clothes. Please do not force me."

Xu Yan felt a headache — what kind of person does this girl think I am? It sounds like I would force her to wear something seductive... However, this idea isn't bad. Since this girl knows nothing, I can persuade her to wear a bikini or a seductive maid outfit and tell her that this is the normal attire for women on Earth — oh no, that's bad!

Zhu Youxiang leaned forward, "smiling" at Xu Yan, "Young Master Xu, what are you thinking about?"

Seeing her curved lips and her half-smiling, half-serious gaze, Xu Yan immediately sobered up, cold sweat breaking out on his back: Am I really that foolish? To have such thoughts about her?

The person in front of him was someone who could kill several people without batting an eye. In terms of danger, even all the gangsters and fugitives in the province combined probably wouldn't be as terrifying as this human Tyrannosaurus. I actually thought of teasing her? Am I tired of living?

Xu Yan put on a serious face and said, "Xuan Yun, actually, I am a very traditional person. In terms of clothing style, I prefer the aesthetic of Eastern women, elegant, dignified, and reserved."

Specifically, considering your temperament, I believe that overly provocative and extreme fashion styles are not suitable for you. You are more suited to a noble, pure, and elegant style... a bit more conservative."

Xu Yan rambled on, and Zhu Youxiang maintained her half-smiling, half-serious expression — her smile made Xu Yan feel very guilty. She said, "I don't quite understand what you're saying, but it sounds very impressive. So, have you prepared the clothes for me to change into?"

"Xuan Yun, I don't have any women's clothes at home, but we can go to the mall to buy some. If you have nothing to do, shall we go now? We can also have lunch outside."

"I will follow your arrangements, Young Master."

Zhu Youxiang went back to her room to change quickly, and the two hurried out. As they were leaving the neighborhood, Xu Yan, with his sharp eyes, saw a group of police officers walking towards them. He immediately knew that the police from Fengyuan neighborhood had finished the crime scene investigation and were now conducting a search in their neighborhood.

Zhu Youxiang, with her unusual attire and lack of ID, was a very noticeable target. Xu Yan was afraid of being caught by the police. In a panic, he grabbed Zhu Youxiang's hand and turned to walk in another direction, walking half a street before he could no longer see the police. He then breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, he noticed that Zhu Youxiang's face was as red as an apple, and she lowered her head, mumbling, "Young Master, your hand..."

"Ah!" Xu Yan realized and quickly let go of Zhu Youxiang's hand, chuckling, "The police came, and I was too anxious..."

"Young Master, there's no need to explain. I understand."

Because of this little incident, the atmosphere between the two became a bit awkward. Zhu Youxiang kept her head down, her face flushed, and Xu Yan felt embarrassed to speak to her.

The young man and woman walked side by side on the shaded path, the early winter sun shining warmly on them. Looking at the beautiful girl beside him, Xu Yan suddenly felt that the current scene was like one he had once dreamed of: on a street filled with golden leaves, the autumn wind blew, and petals fell from the sky. In this season of falling flowers, he and a beautiful, serene girl walked hand in hand, hearts beating as one.

A strange, sweet feeling slowly spread in Xu Yan's heart. He suddenly wished that the road they were walking on would never end, that he could always walk slowly with Zhu Youxiang, making this warm moment last forever.

Unfortunately, things never go as one wishes. At the intersection, a taxi stopped beside them, and the driver leaned out, asking, "Hey, handsome and beautiful, do you want a ride?"

Xu Yan looked at Zhu Youxiang, who was also looking at him but said nothing. After a moment of eye contact, Xu Yan nodded, "It's still a long way, so let's take the car."

It was Zhu Youxiang's first time in a taxi. Xu Yan opened the door for her and let her sit in the back seat, then he sat next to her, instructing the driver, "Driver, please take us to the Wanhema Mall on Beijing Road."

The driver responded, "Sure thing!" He was surprised by Zhu Youxiang's unusual attire and turned to look at her again, praising, "Is this girl playing a female knight? She really looks the part. Are you filming a movie?"

Zhu Youxiang's eyes widened, not knowing how to respond. Xu Yan chuckled, "Driver, we're just playing around for fun, not a production team."

The driver understood, "Oh, you're quite professional. This outfit looks better than what actors wear on TV. You're a lucky guy, having such a beautiful girlfriend, even prettier than movie stars."

Xu Yan's first reaction was to deny it, but he hesitated and just smiled, not saying anything, only glancing at Zhu Youxiang out of the corner of his eye — did you hear that? Look, he's saying we're a couple!

To his disappointment, Zhu Youxiang was focused on the scenery outside the window, showing no reaction to the driver's words, as if she hadn't heard. Xu Yan felt a pang of frustration, wishing he could grab the driver and shout, "She didn't hear you, driver, say it again!"

Xu Yan didn't notice that Zhu Youxiang's cheeks had already turned a light red.

Although it was her first time in a car, Zhu Youxiang didn't seem nervous. Unlike many people who get carsick on their first ride, her only discomfort was feeling a bit stuffy. Xu Yan opened the window for her, and the strong wind blew on Zhu Youxiang's face, messing up her hair.

Xu Yan was worried the wind was too strong and tried to close the window, but Zhu Youxiang stopped him, "No, it's fine like this."

"The wind is too strong, I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it."

"No, I'm fine!" Zhu Youxiang turned to him, her eyes shining with excitement, "When I first arrived at Bailu Academy, my master took us, his disciples, on a journey. He led us to fly on a sword. We flew so high, looking down at the mountains and clouds, and everything below looked like tiny black dots. The wind was so strong then! It was my first time flying on a sword, and it felt amazing—"

Zhu Youxiang paused, unable to describe the feeling in her heart—Xu Yan thought that if it were him, he would have shouted, "Awesome, so awesome!"—but Zhu Youxiang's vocabulary didn't include such words. She could only say, "I felt so refreshed!"

"While flying, my master drank from a wine gourd and recited, 'Riding the six directions, I am alone and silent, traversing the nine provinces, I am a fleeting shadow.' He covered a thousand miles in half a day, it was truly amazing. Since then, I have been determined that, no matter how difficult it is, I will become a sword immortal like my master."

As Zhu Youxiang spoke, the wind outside the window blew loudly, so Xu Yan wasn't worried about the driver in the front row hearing their conversation. Curiosity piqued, he leaned closer to Zhu Youxiang's ear and asked, "Xuan Yun, how is your cultivation now? Can you fly on a sword yet?"

Zhu Youxiang immediately became dejected. She shook her head, "Not yet. I am only at the Foundation Establishment stage, far from my master's level... My talent is limited. Not only can I not catch up with my master, but even my senior disciples, like Liu Yun and Qing Yun, and even the junior disciples who joined later, have made more progress than me... I fear I will never reach my master's level in this lifetime."

To be honest, Xu Yan was already quite immune to Zhu Youxiang's stories. He was in a middle ground: he didn't dare to completely believe her, but he also couldn't completely disbelieve her.

If Zhu Youxiang had said her master was a qigong expert who could break stones with his chest, punch a bull to death, and walk on walls, invulnerable to blades and bullets—though it was also hard to believe, it was still within Xu Yan's realm of understanding, and he would have believed it. But Zhu Youxiang said her master could fly on a sword for thousands of miles, which was beyond Xu Yan's comprehension. He couldn't imagine:

Has universal gravity failed? How does one overcome the Earth's gravity?

What is the energy source that propels the flying sword?

How can a person stand on such a small sword, let alone carry several people? How big would the sword need to be?

What is the acceleration, and can a person withstand it?

How can one breathe and survive at high altitudes?

...

If Xu Yan believed Zhu Youxiang, it would mean completely颠覆 his scientific worldview and basic knowledge, which was unacceptable. But if he didn't believe her, he couldn't explain the events of last night.

So, now, for all of Zhu Youxiang's claims, Xu Yan simply adopted an ostrich policy: he just listened without thinking about whether it was reasonable or possible, without delving into or pondering it—because the more he thought, the more confused he became.

The car sped down the road and soon arrived at the Wanhema Mall in the city center, a bustling area with prime real estate. Wanhema Mall was the largest mall in the city, and the surrounding pedestrian streets were filled with the most complete selection of clothing stores, with flagship stores of various brands, especially a wide range of women's brands.

Since getting out of the taxi, Zhu Youxiang had been in a daze. Although she had seen luxurious malls on TV, the experience of being there in person was vastly different.

Seeing the towering forty-story mall building, the continuous annexes, the seamless glass exterior, the spotless marble floor, the large square in front of the mall, the musical fountain, and the huge electronic screen, Zhu Youxiang was truly amazed, unable to move her feet.

"It's so beautiful! So great!"

Girls are naturally sensitive to beautiful and dazzling things, and Zhu Youxiang, who had never been to a large mall, had no immunity. Her first experience of the luxury of a big city left her breathless, and she often exclaimed in amazement:

"Wow, Young Master Xu, look at that big yellow duck! It's so beautiful! So cute!"

"Wow, Young Master Xu, look at that big screen up there! It's much bigger than your TV!"

"Wow, Young Master Xu, look, the stairs move by themselves! You don't have to walk to go up! Is it a magical artifact?"

"Wow, Young Master Xu, that chandelier is so big, so big!"

"Cough, Xuan Yun, the fountain isn't worth looking at. Let's go, the clothes are on the third floor."

"No, Young Master Xu, let me look a bit more—there's music and colorful lights! It's so beautiful!"

Zhu Youxiang's constant exclamations and gawking drew curious glances from passersby—this girl is so beautiful and cute, she doesn't seem to be from the countryside?

Xu Yan stood with his hands in his pockets, looking out the window, pretending to be uninvolved, but he secretly marveled: Since meeting Zhu Youxiang, she had always been calm and composed, even in the face of armed robbers. She gave the impression of being overly mature and calm. Only today did she show her other side—the innocence and joy of a teenage girl.

Zhu Youxiang had mentioned that in her hometown, she had to wake up at the fourth watch of the night to practice literature and martial arts, and she had to be busy from morning till night. Compared to himself and his classmates, this girl had carried a heavy burden.

Wanhema Mall was a super-large clothing mall, with nearly a hundred famous domestic and international brand clothing stores.

As is well known, famous brands often mean high prices. According to Xu Yan's experience, the more famous and branded the clothing, the higher the price, and the more frightening it was. Usually, just seeing the brand names would scare him away, and he would never dare to enter these stores.

But today was different. As the saying goes, "With money in your pocket, you have no worries." With over 40,000 yuan in his pocket, Xu Yan felt confident—having this much money as a cushion, he wouldn't embarrass himself, right?

He waved his hand at Zhu Youxiang, "Come, Xuan Yun, let's go shopping. You pick out the clothes you like. I'll treat you, so go ahead and choose whatever you want!"

Zhu Youxiang looked at Xu Yan with admiration, her eyes sparkling with countless stars. Although she didn't say anything, Xu Yan could read her sincere gratitude from her gaze: "Young Master Xu, you are such a good person!"

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