Lu Chen stood frozen in front of the lingerie section in the mall... drawing more attention than he'd like.
He never imagined there'd come a day when he'd be shopping for women's underwear.
...
Out of nowhere, a line from the ghost clan girl Mikoshi Chiyo floated into his mind.
Back then, the two of them were talking about the future. With hope in her voice, she'd said, "You've already become the strongest in Inazuma at such a young age. No one can beat you. I wonder what you'll be doing two thousand years from now."
Answer: Buying underwear for women.
And even debating which style would look best on Ei.
A strange, guilty amusement crept up on him...
People bustled through the mall, and the stares aimed at him were growing. After over three thousand years, his old face flushed red as Lu Chen forced himself to step inside.
The worst part? He was alone. If he'd had a woman with him, it wouldn't have felt so awkward.
A pretty sales assistant approached with a professional smile.
"Good afternoon, sir!"
"Hi."
When she noticed no one was with him, her smile faltered slightly.
She blinked and double-checked, thinking she might have been mistaken.
"Sir... are you here alone?"
"Yeah."
"Right this way, please..."
"Thanks."
"Um..." Seeing Lu Chen seriously studying a row of the latest lingerie, her smile was on the verge of cracking.
"Are you buying this for your girlfriend?"
"Something like that."
Lu Chen thought, It's not like I'm buying it for myself. Geez, don't ask so much. Isn't the customer supposed to be king?
"Wow, you're so good to your girlfriend! Here, these are all the latest styles..."
Her professional smile returned.
Lu Chen's eyes were immediately drawn to a purple lace bra. He didn't recognize the brand, but it looked expensive, and the color was exactly the kind Ei liked.
What size was she again? He stared at the bra, deep in thought.
That look on his face made her smile tighten—with a hint of is this guy a creep?
There was a matching pair of panties too. Lu Chen didn't even bother thinking about sizes anymore—he waved his hand and decided to buy the whole set.
Money wasn't an issue. Completing a single achievement netted him 100,000 yuan, and once Ei enrolled, he'd be getting another 1.6 million.
The assistant's professional smile returned again.
This had to be the most emotionally chaotic day of her career.
After sending off the slightly odd young man, she stared at the wad of cash in her hands, lost in thought.
An 800-yuan tip, just like that. So what if he was a little weird?
The customer is always right!
...
Lu Chen swept through the mall, unsure what kind of clothes would suit Ei. He just bought whatever he thought she'd look good in.
By the time he made it home, he was dragging several shopping bags and collapsed onto the sofa, panting.
Ei stepped out of the room, wearing an oversized white shirt. She held a book in her hands, her amethyst eyes filled with curiosity.
"Why do you look so exhausted?"
"Don't even ask. I haven't been in a mall for thousands of years—got turned around so many times I almost got lost." Lu Chen chugged down water.
"You're still as directionally challenged as ever." Ei, curious about the bags, placed her book on the coffee table.
Lu Chen set down his cup and saw the title: Encyclopedia.
Reading was definitely a good way to understand the world. Looked like Ei was putting in real effort.
Then a thought struck him. "Wait, can you actually read the language here?"
"I can." Ei held a beige trench coat up to herself, clearly liking the foreign design.
"It seems like it would block wind and rain... but is a waist-cinching design like this really good for combat?"
"That's meant to highlight the figure." Lu Chen looked at her—this kind of tall, elegant figure was made for clothes like that. Anything else would be a waste.
And besides... combat-ready? Was Ei still mentally stuck in the war era?
Weren't those thigh-highs and heels you always wear the real problem? Seriously?
(Don't ask—game mechanics.)
(Art team yyds!)
"Wait, you're getting off-topic again." Lu Chen picked up the encyclopedia. The page Ei had been reading was on "Modern Cooking."
"You mean the writing in this world? I really can read it." Ei set down the coat. "It's strange—like I was born knowing a language I'd never seen before."
Must be the system's doing. Nothing else explained it.
Lu Chen casually flipped through a few pages, then suddenly froze.
That encyclopedia was on his bedroom bookshelf. Right next to his study materials. And more importantly, right next to that Five Three...
She didn't see those books too, did she!?
Ei noticed how he suddenly jolted upright like a spring, and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
"Uh..." Lu Chen hesitated. "Besides the encyclopedia... did you read anything else?"
There was a moment of silence. Ei nodded slightly.
"Yes."
That expression. That mood.
She definitely found them!
It's over—Ei saw the part of me I keep buried deep down... my dark, shameful side... My image is ruined!
Wait, no—that was his doing. The old "Lu Chen." Had nothing to do with this Lu Chen!
...
Even after cultivating a thick skin for 3,000 years, Lu Chen's face turned red twice today. A rare feat.
Watching the suspicious blush creep across his face, Ei pursed her lips.
She didn't know what he was trying to say, but this shy, flustered expression was something she'd rarely seen. Back in the day, only Makoto or the clever Kitsune Saiguu could tease him into acting like this.
She had always been the quiet one—good at fighting, and not much else. Lu Chen was the one making everyone laugh, while she was usually the last to get the joke.
He once told her her laugh threshold was too high. But really, it wasn't about that at all...
Lu Chen waved a hand in front of her blank stare.
"Hm?" Ei tilted her head slightly, a few violet strands falling over her small nose.
She paused, then remembered what they'd been talking about.
"I also read The Eight Great Cuisines, Complete Guide to Chinese Cuisine, Quietly Learning to Bake, and Dessert Master."
Lu Chen blinked. All cooking books?
Still, judging by her pure expression, she probably hadn't seen any of the risqué manga.
He'd have to switch hiding spots again.
"If you're that curious about cooking..." Lu Chen glanced toward the kitchen, a new idea forming.
He gently brushed the hair from Ei's cheek, eyes full of anticipation.
"Wanna learn to cook?"
Cooking had always been Ei's Achilles' heel.
She didn't need to cook—her status spared her from that. But back when everyone used to travel together, Makoto would always tease her for it, especially when her own dishes were disasters.
"Really... can I?" Ei looked toward the kitchen stove, eyes sparkling.
"Of course."
Lu Chen agreed without hesitation—but little did he know, this was the beginning of his kitchen's pots and pans being utterly wrecked...