Free Web NovelChapter 54: Chapter 54: Most Different Towards Him
Shi Lan didn’t notice anything unusual about Mu Tangfeng and, with a slightly flattered feeling, moved on to the next cell.
As before, Ye Ming didn’t walk up to the security door, but his figure was visible just beyond the light. His green pupils were clearer than usual and didn’t seem as intimidating.
Shi Lan passed his gift over. He had purchased a set of colorful fabric, though she had no idea what he planned to make.
Still, she was surprised that a male would buy something like that.
Next up was Jiang Xia, who had bought a pack of black pearl beads. She glanced at his paws, her suspicions piqued. ’Is he going to wear them on his paws? Or around his neck?’
Her gaze drifted upward and inadvertently met the Tuxun’s adorably alert golden eyes. Her heart instantly softened. ’This little guy is so cute, he’d look good in anything.’
Jiang Xia quickly hid the yarn ball, its string tangled from being chewed on, under his fluffy stomach. He couldn’t let Shi Lan think he was so childish.
After all, times were different now. He was going to have a mate; he needed to be more responsible.
Of course, Shi Lan didn’t notice any of this. She was mesmerized by the fluffy Tuxun, her palms itching with the urge to pet him. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
’Sigh. This stupid prison door! Why does it have to keep me away from the fluffballs!’
Shi Lan lamented silently for a good while before she couldn’t stop herself from sneezing a few times.
’The perfume from Cell Four is so strong.’
She immediately closed the small window. Out of the corner of his eye, Jiang Xia glanced at the perfume box under his Snowfall Chair. A hint of guilt flashed in his eyes, and he quickly flicked his tail, piling some snow on top of it.
Thankfully, Shi Lan had moved on to Cell Five. Compared to the last one, the air here was remarkably fresh, with no overpowering scent of perfume.
Shi Lan placed the item Yan Huoshui had purchased into the slot. His gift, a locator, was the most expensive of the bunch. She had no idea what it was for.
She didn’t press the matter, but she still felt a silent pang of regret for her money.
The perfume for all five of them had cost about 2,000 Star Coins, but the various gifts they’d ordered today had set her back over ten thousand.
If it weren’t for the compensation—double the price difference—that she’d received for her last spaceship ride, Shi Lan would have been much more reluctant to spend it.
Of course, compared to the help they’d given her and the fact that they’d saved her life, money was just a worldly possession. It was well worth it.
At that thought, Shi Lan no longer felt the sting of the expense. Seeing that several of them had used her perfume, she knew her gesture was appreciated. Even the more difficult ones, Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng, had used it.
Shi Lan returned to the Prison Director’s office. As soon as she sat down, she started receiving a series of transfers. They were all paying her back for the gifts.
Puzzled, she sent back a question mark.
They all gave her the same excuse: "Since you already gave us perfume, just think of this as something I bought for myself. There’s no need for you to spend your money on us. And I happened to need this anyway."
She was about to refuse, but Jiang Xia immediately threw a fit. "Shi Lan, do you not consider me one of your own? You already got me the perfume, so what’s wrong with me paying you back for this?"
"I’m stuck in prison and can’t go out. I have no way to spend my money, so all I can do is transfer it."
Although Shi Lan didn’t understand the connection between her giving them perfume and them sending her money, she could tell he was upset. Since the others felt the same way, she didn’t try to send the money back again.
"Alright, alright, thank you, my kind sirs~"
Shi Lan tried to be cute, sending everyone an adorable emoji of a character bowing deeply, before closing her comms chip.
Unbeknownst to her, as they received her message, some of the prisoners had already started quietly searching for cute emoji packs. She, meanwhile, was busy organizing her Space Bag.
Her Space Bag was stuffed with so much stuff that it was almost full. Now that she thought of it, it was the perfect time to give it a proper cleaning out.
The project was practically on the scale of moving houses. Shi Lan worked on it all morning, continued after lunch, and only had it mostly sorted out by evening. It was only while organizing that she rediscovered the gift from Leo and the Space Twist from Jiang Xia’s mother.
She pulled up her chat history with Leo. She had actually messaged him about it last time she was on the Capital Star, but he hadn’t replied after all this time, so she hadn’t been able to return the gift.
’He must be busy.’
’I’ll just have to wait for another chance.’
Shi Lan then looked at the Space Twist. You could generally store one space-folding type item inside another. However, if you tried to stack too many, it could cause the dimensional space to collapse, spilling everything out.
A Space Twist was quite expensive, but it wasn’t easy to carry around. Worried about losing it, she had specifically searched the Star Network for a solution. When she found out you could store one in another, she put the Space Twist inside her Space Bag, which she kept securely hung around her neck with a cord.
Thinking back, it was a good thing she did. Otherwise, it might have been lost during that chaotic encounter with the Insect Clan.
No wonder Space Chains existed for Space Twists—they were clearly necessary. A Space Bag had no preservation function and limited capacity. A Space Twist offered preservation but was difficult to wear. Thus, the Space Chain was created to address both of these shortcomings.
Moreover, a Space Chain could be customized into a bracelet, necklace, or other accessory. Aside from its exorbitant price, it was flawless.
Shi Lan stroked her chin. ’If I ever get rich, I’m definitely buying one.’
However, a quick search revealed the price. The cheapest ones started at tens of millions of Star Coins.
Shi Lan: "..."
’Alright, fine. That’s definitely not happening on my current salary.’
Shi Lan shook her head and patted her stomach, deciding to focus on the here and now.
After treating herself to a sumptuous dinner, she went to deliver the prison meals. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
To save herself the trouble, she now delivered the main course and dessert at the same time, avoiding an extra trip.
Since she had been too busy organizing to make a delivery in the afternoon, she made a point to prepare a few extra desserts for them that evening.
Peanut pastries, chocolate pudding, and strawberry tiramisu, paired with watermelon juice. Perfect.
Shi Lan had to marvel at the convenience of technology. The kitchen was full of robots, allowing her to prepare all these items simultaneously in just eight minutes.
Jiang Xia had been worried that Shi Lan would stop putting in the effort once she had won them over. He deeply regretted having been so eager to use the perfume.
His mother had told him to be more reserved around females; that way, they would be the ones to take the initiative. He seemed to have done the exact opposite.
Jiang Xia stewed in self-reflection for a moment, but the instant he saw the veritable feast of desserts Shi Lan brought, he threw his mother’s teachings to the wind.
’Shi Lan still cared about them!’
He paced back and forth in front of the door happily. Seeing him staring at her with such eager eyes from inside his cell, Shi Lan thought he must be hungry. He looked just like a little kitten begging for food. She couldn’t help but adopt a gentle, coaxing tone. "Be good now. You’ll get to eat in just a moment."
Jiang Xia’s ears shot up in excitement. ’Just as I thought! Even though Shi Lan gave perfume to everyone, she treats me differently. She only ever uses that tone of voice with me.’
He immediately puffed out his chest with pride. Even from two cells away, Ye Ming could see his smug look.
Ye Ming’s gaze darkened. He glanced across at Shi Lan, then lifted a paw, staring at his own jet-black fur. Silently, he retreated deeper into the shadows of his cell.
He had once taken pride in his lightning speed and his strong, agile body. But now, for the first time ever, Ye Ming hated his beast form.
