This nursery rhyme doesn't exist in this world. Lu Fei sang it to himself and shamelessly recorded it as his phone ringtone.
Lu Fei wiped his hands and picked up his phone.
It was Ke Xin calling.
The image of the cute girl with twin ponytails gradually formed in his mind.
"Hello, class monitor."
Ke Xin's soft and adorable voice came from the other end of the line, "Lu Fei, are you busy?"
Facing the extremely awkward opening, Lu Fei's eyebrows slightly raised. He had already guessed seven or eight out of ten that she must need his help.
He smiled and said, "Not really. Do you need something?"
With her hidden thoughts exposed, Ke Xin fell silent.
After a moment, she stammered, "The Beast Tamer level advancement assessment is next year, right? We want to use the three months of the winter break for an expedition and travel." She paused and then extended an invitation, "Our team already has five members, and I want to invite you to join us."
Lu Fei was slightly stunned.
*They're this diligent? Shouldn't they be playing games, binge-watching shows at home during the winter break, sleeping late and waking up at noon every day?* Lu Fei mused.
He asked, confused, "Don't you already have companions? Why are you inviting me?"
Ke Xin fell silent again. Everyone knew that Lu Fei was now a celebrity at the academy, no longer the person he used to be. She had extended the invitation on a long shot, but if he refused, she wouldn't know how to convince him to join her team.
At this point, it seemed highly likely that Lu Fei would reject her.
She began to feel a little flustered. After a moment of internal struggle, she decided to state her reasons. If she were rejected again, at least she would have tried.
Ke Xin explained, "It's like this: the academy rules require external expeditions to be done in teams of six. If we complete certain tasks, we'll receive bonus points in the Beast Tamer level advancement assessment next year." She paused and added, "You were actually the first person I wanted to invite."
The girl on the other end of the phone blushed furiously. Lying on her bed, Ke Xin couldn't help but wring her bedsheets with her toes, feeling both shy and nervous.
After a moment of contemplation.
"Alright, I'm bored by myself anyway." Lu Fei agreed after thinking for a while.
"Really?!" Ke Xin's delighted voice exclaimed from the phone.
"Mm," Lu Fei confirmed. However, he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about the expedition; he had more important matters on his mind. He then asked, "By the way, how do you usually wash yourself?"
"Huh?"
Ke Xin was bewildered.
Lu Fei felt that he might not have explained himself clearly, and she hadn't understood. He clarified, "I mean, when you wash, do you apply anything fragrant to yourself?"
Silence ensued on the other end of the line for over ten seconds.
"Class monitor, are you there?" Lu Fei asked, completely oblivious to the gravity of his question.
"Lu Fei! You're so mean!" Ke Xin retorted playfully.
Lu Fei was taken aback.
*Is there something wrong with how I phrased it?* He attributed the issue to his wording and added again, "It's like a soft, mud-like substance, but it's fragrant. When you rub it on your body, it creates a lot of foam, and that feeling makes you feel brand new!"
This time, his description was quite detailed.
A soft scolding came from the other end of the phone.
"Lu Fei, you're annoying. I'm not talking to you anymore." Ke Xin hung up the phone.
Looking at the phone screen indicating the call had ended, Lu Fei fell into thought.
Finally, he snorted.
"Hmph, women."
On the other end, Ke Xin buried her head under the covers. She hadn't expected Lu Fei to discuss such things with her! In her eyes, such private matters were only for parents!
Thinking of this, her face grew even redder.
After staring blankly for a while.
Perhaps feeling that hanging up the phone earlier was impolite, Ke Xin hesitated for a moment before picking up her phone again and sending a text message.
"Lu Fei, I haven't thanked you for what happened last time. There's a lively market at Wanda Plaza tonight. Do you have time? I'd like to treat you to a meal."
After sending the message, she put down her phone and pretended to be nonchalant.
However, her eyes kept darting towards her phone, eagerly anticipating it to light up.
Time ticked by.
Finally, the text message notification rang.
Ke Xin snatched up her phone and looked closely. Lu Fei's reply was simple, just three words.
"Sure!"
Ke Xin was overjoyed.
...
Wanda Plaza was the liveliest place in Cang Town. Both commoners and nobles came here to shop, and the prices of the goods varied greatly, from tens or hundreds to tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands.
Stepping onto the main avenue, rows of bustling shops lined both sides, showcasing an array of dazzling goods.
Due to the special existence of contract beasts, the shopping malls in the Beast Tamer Continent were vastly different from those in the previous world, grander and more magnificent. The buildings were as if crafted by divine hands, exceeding Lu Fei's imagination.
Here, contract beasts of various forms were everywhere. Some transformed into clowns to entertain children, while some outwardly cute and beautiful contract beasts displayed various special effects with their abilities, creating a stunning spectacle. The most common sight was contract beasts helping people carry things or performing simple manual labor.
Lu Fei stood beneath a giant contract beast sculpture, wearing a white T-shirt. The seasons in the Beast Tamer Continent were the same as in his previous world. It was currently winter.
However, what was different was that there was a large heating system in the city's hub. The operation of these systems relied on fire-element contract beasts, so even in winter, the temperature here was like spring.
After waiting for a while.
An urgent voice called out, "Sorry, sorry, I'm late." Ke Xin explained, "The DiDi horse I was riding somehow started running towards another DiDi horse, so I had to run over myself." Perhaps feeling that the details weren't specific enough and worried he might think she was making excuses, Ke Xin added, "It even climbed onto another DiDi horse's back. Honestly, it's so rude."
*Huh?...*
Lu Fei tugged at the corner of his mouth, his expression strange.
*You didn't have to add that, I could understand...* Lu Fei thought.
His gaze settled on the young girl. She was wearing a white long dress today. Unlike usual, she wasn't wearing her twin ponytails. Her beautiful hair cascaded down, adorned with a cute hairpin. She looked elegant and graceful.
"Cough cough..." Lu Fei averted his gaze and said, "Shall we find a place to eat first?"
"Okay!" Ke Xin readily agreed.
Soon, the two entered a steakhouse that looked quite upscale.
After being seated, the waiter brought the menus.
Ke Xin rested her chin on her hands, smiling sweetly, "Order whatever you'd like to eat."
She was a bit of a sugar mama, and this expense was nothing to her.
Lu Fei nodded and didn't stand on ceremony. They each ordered a steak.
After a while, the two steaks were served.
Lu Fei cut a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. After a few chews, he found that the steak's flavor was quite different from what he had tasted before.
"This steak is excellent. It tastes even better than Kobe beef!" Lu Fei exclaimed.
Ke Xin naturally didn't know what Kobe beef was. It was the Rolls-Royce of steaks, with a small portion costing tens of thousands. But she still nodded with a smile, her eyes resembling crescent moons.
"Right, tell me more about that training assessment you mentioned at noon?" Lu Fei mumbled, his mouth full of steak.
Ke Xin put down her knife and fork. She had intended to discuss this matter with Lu Fei tonight, but now that he had brought it up, it was even better.
So, she patiently began to explain:
"This affects the class assignments for the second year."