Chapter 158

Chapter 158

Taking a day off, Zhang Ying coaxed her teacher from his distant hometown to the capital. Zhang Ying insisted on dragging Feng Xia to a newly opened large shopping mall for a stroll. Feng Xia was only twenty now, an age when many young people were still studying in college, yet she spent all her time in the lab, accompanied only by experimental equipment. Zhang Ying, who had studied psychology, knew this wasn't good for the child's mental health. In her eyes, Feng Xia was still a child who hadn't grown up.

She had accompanied Feng Xia through her teenage years, watching the little girl with dull yellow hair blossom into the stunning beauty she was today. Most of her time was spent in the lab, making tremendous contributions to the Flower Kingdom, collecting many first-class, second-class, and third-class merit medals. But Zhang Ying felt that Feng Xia had skipped the years when she should have been laughing and playing carefree, living like a true teenager. As a bystander, it made her heart ache to watch.

So Zhang Ying often dragged Feng Xia along to eat at specialty restaurants in the alleys or visit newly opened shops, not for any other reason but because she felt sorry for this girl.

The grand opening of this large shopping mall had stirred up the capital's business district. With the mall's arrival, several internationally renowned brands, seeing the potential of this Eastern continent, had swiftly secured counters. As soon as it opened, people entering were greeted not only by dazzling clothes but also by huge posters of brand ambassadors. The economy was booming, and the citizens who flocked to the mall were snapping up various goods like crazy. Money felt like Monopoly money, spent in huge wads.

Zhang Ying and Jiang Long shielded Feng Xia as they walked inside. The place was packed, shoulder to shoulder, with people bustling with noise. Feng Xia smiled at the lively scene, blending into the crowd, completely inconspicuous.

"Let's go eat some Western fast food first, over there—those hamburgers and fries, super popular," Zhang Ying yelled, pointing at the Golden Arches.

Feng Xia raised an eyebrow. This chain, which had barely survived after the apocalypse, had already made its way into the Flower Kingdom so early. In the apocalypse, it was expensive, and getting it depended on luck. She had only eaten it once or twice. The big cup of cola, ice-cold with fizzy bubbles—thinking of that refreshing sensation, Feng Xia missed it. And the sweet, creamy ice cream was one of her favorites.

The person taking orders was a foreigner who looked like a typical TV character: white hair, rosy cheeks, smiling kindly and warmly, occasionally stumbling out some crooked Flower Kingdom phrases, which made him very popular.

This employee must have been trained. He could understand the Flower Kingdom orders from customers, and his service attitude was excellent. The Golden Arches had also made a colorful menu board featuring various combo meals. Big cups of cola, large pieces of fried chicken, fries, and hamburgers—all dazzling to the eyes. The three of them ordered different combos so they could share. Feng Xia then asked in Beautiful Country language, "Do you have ice cream?"

The old man looked a bit surprised, perhaps never expecting this young girl to be so fluent in English, nor that she knew about their hidden menu item, ice cream. It was still early spring in April, and ice cream wasn't very popular among the health-conscious Chinese, so it wasn't listed on the menu.

The old man smiled warmly and asked Feng Xia how many she wanted. Feng Xia held up three fingers. The old man immediately handed her three ice creams. Jiang Long carried three trays to find seats, Feng Xia followed behind with her hands full of ice cream, and Zhang Ying paid. Their division of labor was clear.

"This stuff is really tasty, way better than our popsicles," Zhang Ying said, licking the sweet, creamy ice cream with delight. Jiang Long also ate carefully, seemingly analyzing the ingredients, thinking about whether he could replicate it for Feng Xia later, since store-bought things were never quite reassuring.

Feng Xia alternated bites of ice cream, sips of iced cola, and pieces of fried chicken. She had to admit, eating like this was amazing. It reminded her of her past life, after hunting zombies, she and her teammates would feast on big chunks of meat and drink heavily in the ruins. Strangely, she missed that a little.

The three of them sat in a corner, unnoticed. Then, at the next table, a group of dazzling, tall, broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted, long-legged foreign men with high noses and deep-set eyes arrived, instantly drawing countless stares. Zhang Ying and Jiang Long's backs stiffened, their nerves suddenly tense. They quickly finished their remaining burgers and fried chicken, subtly shielding Feng Xia from any possible harm.

Feng Xia's identity was special. It was fine with fellow countrymen, but foreigners were a different matter. In their eyes, any foreigner trying to get close was suspicious, likely meaning harm to Feng Xia.

After Feng Xia finished eating, the group of Russian handsome guys were still chatting loudly, looking excited, talking about what they had seen on their way here and marveling at the Flower Kingdom's rapid development.

Wait, their voices sounded familiar! Who were they?

Feng Xia tried to recall while casually glancing at the group. Her eyes settled on the young man in the middle, with his bright golden hair more radiant than sunlight, deep ocean-blue eyes that were captivating, and a maturity that set him apart from the others. He stood out from the crowd like a peacock among pigeons.

Who was this?

In a flash, Feng Xia remembered his name. So it was him.

Meeting an old friend, but this was hardly the place for a reunion. Feng Xia had no intention of greeting him, so she simply left with Zhang Ying and Jiang Long.

She had only taken a few steps when a low, slightly hoarse male voice, pleasant to the ear, called out, "Hello, miss. Have we met before?"

Daniel stood up in surprise, staring at the slender figure of the girl two steps away. His friends were stunned by his sudden move and helplessly rolled their eyes. "Daniel, hitting on a lady like that isn't very gentlemanly."

A faint smile played on Feng Xia's lips as she turned around. The crowd around them seemed to fade away, leaving only one person who caught her eye and heart.

"Xia, long time no see!" Daniel rushed over to her in two quick steps, lowering his head, almost pitifully and intimately, wanting to give her a hug.

Feng Xia blocked him. Zhang Ying and Jiang Long glared at Daniel with unfriendly expressions. Only then did Daniel realized he was in the Flower Kingdom, a land of restraint and propriety. Such a gesture was inappropriate.

Somehow, his head drooped dejectedly, his golden hair seemed dimmer. Feng Xia found it amusing and took one of the golden retriever's hands, saying softly:

"Long time no see, Daniel."