Rover crossed her arms and sneered, "Oh, really? I never pegged you as a master fortune-teller."
Zhezhi: "...Well, it was actually quite accurate."
Lucian, seemingly oblivious to Rover's sarcasm, continued on his own, "You sit when you eat, lie down when you sleep, and I bet you weren't even at your parents' wedding."
Zhezhi: "Uh... they really didn't invite ."
Rover: "You call this fortune-telling?"
"And didn't you say you were going to read her career? Why are you digging into her family history instead?"
Lucian fanned himself with his folding fan. "I know you're impatient, but hold on. We're just getting started."
He examined Zhezhi's palm again, then suddenly exclaid, "Ah! You'll face so minor setbacks on your path as an artist, but a benefactor will help you, and soon everything will go smoothly."
Rover narrowed her eyes. "Really?"
Lucian laughed. "Of course! You wouldn't know this, but back where I'm from, people call the 'Divine Calculator.' Everyone who ets respectfully addresses as 'Grandmaster.'"
Rover pulled Lucian's hand away from Zhezhi's. "With your personality, I doubt they call you 'Divine Calculator.' More like fraud.'"
Lucian: "?"
Zhezhi retracted her right hand, coughing lightly into her fist. "Um, Grandmaster Lucian, thank you for the reading. How much do I owe you?"
Lucian wagged a finger. "Ah! We don't speak of money—we speak of fate!"
Zhezhi nodded in understanding. "Oh, right... So, how much shell credit?"
Rover stopped her from reaching for her purse. "You're not actually buying his nonsense, are you? You don't need to pay."
Abby: "Lucian really does love pulling people's legs."
Zhezhi, embarrassed, said, "In that case... Is there anything I can help you with? Maybe I can offer so assistance..."
Honestly, Zhezhi was adorably naive. Lucian had just been spouting nonsense, yet she took it seriously.
She had read similar stories about fate before—tales claiming that fortune-tellers who peek into others' destinies incur the wrath of heaven, so they must demand equivalent exchange...
[Option 1: Put on the Comical Eyepatch and ask Zhezhi to show you houses. Reward: Talent 'Gaping Blind Man']
[Option 2: Cover Rover's eyes with Zhezhi's white stockings and ask Zhezhi to show you houses. Reward: 50% reduced pain when Rover beats you up.]
[Option 3: Take off Rover's black stockings, cover your own eyes with them and Zhezhi's socks, and ask Zhezhi to show you houses. Reward: Item 'Rover's Speaker']
Lucian's expression turned solemn as he turned to Rover. "Rover, if I did sothing really outrageous to you, would you get mad?"
Rover smirked. "Not only would I get mad, I'd beat you up."
Lucian: "..."
He coughed awkwardly, then repeated the sa spiel he'd given Zhezhi about wanting her stockings.
Rover scoffed. "If you want my socks, just say so. No need for such a la excuse."
"I've caught you staring at my thighs more than a few tis already."
Lucian: "?"
anwhile, Zhezhi blushed furiously. So, in Rover's eyes, this was a "la excuse"?
She'd never even doubted it...
If this was a lie... did Lucian collect stockings because he had a thing for them?
Zhezhi stared at Lucian with an inexplicable look, leaving him utterly baffled.
Rover swiftly took off her shoes and socks, not bothering to hide anything from him.
She tied the black stockings around his head, blindfolding him.
Then, satisfied, she patted his head. "Now you can't ogle any other girls."
Lucian: "?"
Zhezhi: "..."
Abby gasped. "I never knew Lucian was such a pervert!"
But that wasn't all. Lucian took out Zhezhi's white stockings from his system inventory and tied them over his eyes as well.
Rover gave him an approving pat. "At least you're self-aware. But... where'd you get those white stockings?"
Zhezhi shyly turned her head away, unable to look at them.
Finally, Lucian put on the Comical Eyepatch, instantly achieving a state of complete detachnt.
His voice turned serious. "Miss Zhezhi, I ca here to look at properties. Do you happen to know much about Taoyuan Vale?"
Zhezhi brightened. "Oh! I often co here to sketch, so I'm quite familiar. If you'd like to see so houses, I can take you there..."
[Reward obtained: Talent 'Gaping Blind Man,' Item 'Rover's Speaker']
['Gaping Blind Man': When your eyes are closed, your damage against enemies increases by 10%.]
['Rover's Speaker': A smart speaker that understands you best, automatically providing background music. Note! This item has a will of its own, cannot be controlled, and cannot be stored in the system inventory.]
Rise at dawn to the crow of roosters, return at dusk to watch the sunset. Work with the sun, rest with its setting—tilling the land, passing down knowledge, poetry and books continuing through generations.
Plant a single grain in spring, reap ten thousand in autumn. Cool breezes in sumr, snow in winter—each season distinct, each with its own charm. Neighbors in harmony, the sounds of chickens and dogs mingling, young and old all content, joy abundant.
No clamor of music to disturb the ears, no burdens of paperwork to weary the body. Such is the joy of Taoyuan Vale—a paradise on earth.
On the way down the mountain, Rover asked curiously, "Why do you suddenly want to buy a house? Given your habit of mooching, you should be thrilled that Jinzhou provides you with free lodging."
Lucian: "Rover, is that really how you see ?"
Rover: "Not just that. You don't just mooch—you're also a pervert."
Lucian: "..."
Admittedly, Rover had him pegged.
Zhezhi led the two to the courtyard of a small Western-style house. The four-story building stood beside a tranquil stream, with gardens both in front and behind. A winding stone path led deeper inside.
Zhezhi: "This is the place. It hasn't sold yet because the price is too high..."
Lucian waved a hand. "No worries. I'm just here to take a look and ask about the price."
Zhezhi said softly, "This house costs eight million Shell Credits..."
Lucian: "..."
He knew Jinzhou was expensive, but this was ridiculous—and this wasn't even the city center!
Lucian sucked in a sharp breath. "Suddenly, the residence the Magistrate assigned us seems like heaven on earth. What do you think, Rover?"
Rover: "I think so too."
Abby gasped. "Eight million Shell Credits! That's enough for to eat... so many als!"
Lucian "Wait, you count als in 'als'? I figured you'd asure in 'tons.'"
Abby: "?"
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