Chapter Thirty-One: Invitations and Refusals (Special thanks to Cat Dream for the grand sponsorship)

The movie ended, and the group emerged from the viewing pod.

They each had different opinions on the film. Millie found it romantic, while Dudu dismissed it as nonsense, insisting that a young lady from the upper class would never fall for a poor boy in reality; she figured it was just the fantasy of some frustrated novelist.

"What do you think, Hexia?" Lina asked the young girl.

"Perhaps such beautiful things have happened in history, but every person is different and makes their own choices," Hexia replied.

Compared to the certainty of her classmates, she was quite open to unconventional things—perhaps because her own recent experiences had been strange enough.

"Oh~ so Hexia believes in it too?" Lina drew out her tone, looking thoughtful.

The group walked out of the theater. It was already past four in the afternoon. They wandered aimlessly through the commercial district, looking around without any specific intention to buy anything—this, perhaps, was the difference between boys and girls.

When boys went shopping, they usually headed straight for their goal, picked it out, and left once they felt finished. For girls, however, the process of shopping was the main point. There wasn't necessarily a clear purchase plan; they might buy something if it caught their eye, or keep walking if nothing interested them. The fun lay in chatting and exchanging opinions with their companions along the way.

Hexia didn't have much enthusiasm for shopping; she had always been accustomed to being frugal. However, she couldn't dampen the spirits of her friends, so she decided to treat it as an opportunity to broaden her horizons.

"Let's go to the clothing street first and see what's new," Dudu said, immediately suggesting her favorite activity.

"A wise decision," Lina agreed.

"Let's go take a look," Millie had no objections either.

Following behind them, Hexia stepped onto the rotating street. The clothing district in the commercial area resembled a massive, spiraling structure; shops lined both sides of the road, and the street itself featured automated escalator floors. One simply had to step on to slowly move forward or descend.

"Let's check out that place first," Dudu said while they stood on the moving floor, pointing at a shop with cute decorations in the distance.

"The 'Fluffy Home'? Dudu, you usually go for the 'cool big sister' look. Why the sudden shift to cute styles?" Lina asked curiously.

"What 'big sister'? I’m only sixteen, okay? I’m not that old!" Dudu bristled at the comment. "It’s just that I was misled by my older sister, who sold me her leftovers, claiming they were branded clothes and bags worth thousands of Federation Credits. The result is a mess, and she swindled me out of all my pocket money." Dudu spoke of this with indignation.

"Hahaha, that’s a real sister for you," Millie chuckled, her mood brightening slightly.

"Let's go see it, then."

The group entered the store. As the sign suggested, it was filled with plush accessories and clothing. In particular, the animal-themed pajamas seemed quite popular, and there was an impressive variety of styles.

"This looks pretty cute."

"It feels quite comfortable."

"Ah, that little crocodile set! I want it so much."

"Are crocodiles actually cute?"

"But it looks majestic, with a big mouth, just like a dragon."

"Why not buy the dragon-shaped one?"

"Dragons are too scary; they don't suit a cute girl like me."

"..."

The girls chattered away in the shop. Hexia contributed a word or two occasionally, then inadvertently turned her gaze outside.

Something seemed to be happening out there. She saw several people running past in a panic, shouting, but due to the shop's excellent soundproofing, she couldn't hear clearly. Just as Hexia was wondering whether to go out and take a look, Lina grabbed her arm.

"Hexia, do you like this?" Lina held up a giant yellow duck pajama set.

"This... uh... it's okay?" Hexia answered, distracted.

After finally navigating her friends' inquiries and discussions, she turned her head back to the window, but the street seemed to have returned to normal. Pedestrians were walking about as usual, with no signs of anything abnormal.

*Strange,* she thought. *Whatever, I'll go check later.*

Over half an hour later, the group finally left the store, having bought nothing, as expected.

"Although it's cute, it's a bit too childish."

"Let's buy something next time." Perhaps they were just shy.

"Didn't find anything suitable."

The problem was, if they weren't going to buy anything, why had they spent forty minutes browsing? Hexia shook her head to herself.

"Come on, let's go to the next one."

They visited several more shops until it was nearly six o'clock.

"Let's go get dinner and then go singing," Lina suggested.

"No problem."

"I know a great restaurant. I got some coupons a while ago, so we can go there," Lina said, shaking her personal terminal and signaling that she had it covered.

The others didn't mind, so it was settled.

Half an hour later, the four of them took the elevator to a glass-walled restaurant located at a scenic viewpoint.

"This looks high-end," Dudu remarked, looking at the sign and decorations. It even employed uniformed human servers.

Generally, serving and cleaning in ordinary restaurants were handled by T6-class robots to save money; human staff were much more expensive. The reason the "Glass Dream" used robots was to maintain the quality of the waitresses and ensure a quiet, comfortable atmosphere; a crowded, noisy environment would ruin that.

"Yes, the T4-class wind-flat beef steak inside is quite good," Lina introduced.

"Wait, did you say T4-class?" Dudu asked.

"Yes, what's wrong?" Lina asked, feigning ignorance.

"A T4-class set meal costs at least over a thousand credits. Is it really necessary to spend that much for a meal?" Although Dudu cared about appearances, they were close friends and knew each other's family backgrounds well; there was no need to put on a show.

"Dudu is right," Millie nodded. Among them, her family was the most well-off, but she wouldn't usually come to a restaurant like this on her own; at most, she would visit when accompanying elders to entertain guests.

"It's fine. I came here with an acquaintance last time and got several coupons. If worse comes to worst, I can just talk to him; he's friends with the owner and can give us a significant discount," Lina reassured them again.

"Alright, but you said it. If it ends up being over 300, I can't afford that," Dudu said, refusing to be at a disadvantage.

"I'm not so concerned about the cost," Millie said, appearing indifferent to the money.

"As for me..." Hexia wondered if she should refuse. She wasn't unfamiliar with T4-class set meals, as she often ate them at the shop, but it was far too expensive to eat out. *That's basically half a day's work gone,* Hexia estimated.

"It's fine!" Lina patted Hexia on the shoulder, cutting her off. "I'll treat you all today, okay? Look at how scared you are." She shook her head, placing a hand on her chest as if her kindness had been misunderstood.

In the end, they entered the restaurant.

"Welcome to the Prism Restaurant. We provide you with absolutely secure and comfortable service."

As they walked in, the servers in butler attire bowed. Dudu and Millie were both surprised and delighted. This kind of rhetoric reminded Hexia of what her manager had told her: never use words like "absolutely" or "certainly" in front of guests, as it was digging a pit for yourself, and it felt hypocritical and exaggerated.

Even though she thought this way, the language worked well on Millie and Dudu; their eyes lit up as they walked in, and they felt everything was wonderful.

Shortly after sitting down, Lina began ordering and talking about the restaurant's decor and furnishings.

"See this dark gold transparent tabletop? It's made of 'Meheris transparent metal.' The porcelain plates and tea cups are from the 'Gilded Jade Sand' brand..."

She spoke with such authority that the others felt it was all very fresh. Even Hexia wondered why the seniors at "Glass Dream" never introduced the brands of their decorations.

A short while later, the main course arrived. The freshly grilled beef steak exuded an enticing aroma and color. Because it was T4-class cuisine, it even had some transcendent effects.

"Looks pretty good," Millie said, having had T4-class meals several times before, and remained composed.

"Wow, is this T4-class cuisine? It feels completely different from what I remember," Dudu said, her reaction still quite dramatic despite having had it once before.

"How is it? Pretty good, right?" Lina replied with a hint of pride, though her eyes caught sight of Hexia not far away. *This child looks so indifferent. Is she not surprised? No, no, it must just be her personality. I rarely see her acting all excited,* Lina thought to herself. She took out her personal terminal and sent a message under the table before joining the conversation again.

The meal was pleasant. Since none of the three girls were paying, and Lina had someone else covering the costs, no one felt the pinch.

"Guest, here is the freshly mixed 'Citrus Fruit Wine'."

While they were chatting and eating, the waiter brought over four glasses of enticing orange-red fruit wine, which gave off a light fragrance.

"We didn't order this, did we?" Lina asked.

"Indeed, but a gentleman asked us to bring it to you." The waiter stepped aside, revealing a man sitting at another table not far away. He was well-dressed, wore silver-rimmed glasses, and had the air of a business elite.

"Oh, who is this?" Dudu asked Lina curiously.

"Ah, so he's here today too. That's the acquaintance I mentioned. He said he comes to this shop often, so he introduced it to me." Lina waved at the man, and he walked over.

"Good evening, ladies." His tone was slightly different, carrying a hint of Elven linguistic style.

"Hello." Dudu and Millie felt flattered and immediately recalled the etiquette lessons from school, but they couldn't remember much and felt a bit anxious.

He nodded kindly to their greetings and began to introduce himself. "My name is Senqueld. I'm a friend of Lina's. I didn't expect to run into you while dining here after work."

Eating here after work, and alone at that—it was hard not to imagine that he lived this kind of luxurious life every day. Dudu and Millie's imaginations ran wild, and the fact that he was an Elf only added to their admiration. Although Elves made up less than 1% of the Federation's population, they lived nearly three times longer than humans and had a significant advantage in cultivating the Natural Sequence, so they were often in the upper-middle class and envied by many.

"Hello, my name is Millie..."

"Hello, my name is..." Millie and Dudu introduced themselves, even mentioning some of their hobbies.

Finally, it was the turn of the gray-haired girl in the corner. "Hello, my name is Hexia." Her introduction was simple and unadorned, with no extra details.

"Hello. I hope I'm not interrupting your meal." He spoke as he pulled out a chair and sat down naturally.

Senqueld first chatted with them about the restaurant, then slowly began to talk about how he and Lina met.

"It was actually because of a shared hobby. At a concert, I happened to be sitting next to Lina, and we talked a lot about music. We got to know each other gradually after that."

"Yes, yes. I was quite surprised at the time. I initially thought there was a big age gap between Mr. Senqueld and me, and I felt he might not understand the types I liked. But I didn't expect Mr. Senqueld to be so learned. Many things I mentioned, he understood instantly, and he even told me a lot about the history and evolution of music." Lina spoke with feigned infatuation, making the others at the table laugh.

*Since when does Lina understand music?* Hexia tilted her head. The person in class truly obsessed with music was probably Clara, who dreamed of being an idol, but she said practicing the guitar was too painful.

As the group laughed and chatted, Hexia didn't say much. Finally, Senqueld took the initiative to speak to her.

"Hexia, have you thought about where to go during the holidays? I see everyone else seems to have plans."

"Ah, me? I haven't thought about it yet. I'll probably work to save some money. Since I'm in high school now, I won't have time to work, and I'll need money for many things in the future," Hexia shook her head.

"That's a pity. After all, the holiday after junior high graduation only happens once. When I graduated, I didn't go out with my classmates because I was preparing for a re-examination, and I left behind many regrets," Senqueld said, shaking his head. "Although studying is important, you only live once. If you miss it, it's gone."

"That's right. My sister told me the same thing. Girls should seize many things while they're young, or they'll lose out when they get old," Dudu agreed.

"That does seem to make sense," Millie nodded frequently.

"Don't keep thinking about your part-time job, Hexia," Lina said, joining in to assist. "You can't save much money working for a month, and going out for a week won't waste much time. Life is about experiencing things."

"But..." Hexia was about to refuse when Senqueld spoke up.

"It's fine. It won't cost much to go out and see the world. My company is organizing a trip recently, and as a manager, I have two slots for family or friends. We're going to the beaches in the South Third District. Would Hexia be interested in going with Lina?"

If he had invited Hexia alone, it likely would have caused suspicion and resistance. But by including her classmates and her former desk-mate Lina, he could lower her guard.

"I..." If it were before, Hexia might have hesitated, as she wasn't good at refusing people. But now...

"I'd better not go," the girl shook her head.

For one, she didn't want to accept favors for nothing. Secondly, perhaps it was intuition—she didn't particularly like Senqueld. She couldn't put her finger on the reason, but she just didn't like him.

"Just go and see. It's a rare holiday. You don't want to look back later and find that you were always stuck in the underground of Panyin City, do you? It's good to go outside and breathe some fresh air," Lina grabbed Hexia's hand and urged her again.

At this point, Dudu and Millie sensed something was off. But they still had some favorable impressions of Senqueld, and since they had enjoyed a free meal, it was hard to say anything. *Hexia is lucky,* Dudu thought. *Such a rich man has taken a fancy to her.*

*Tsk, why Hexia? Am I not pretty?* Millie drank her beverage, feeling frustrated.

"I'd better not," Hexia struggled to pull her wrist away from Lina. She rarely refused people, and speaking like this in front of everyone put her under immense pressure.

Seeing Hexia's reaction, a nameless fire rose in Lina's heart. *What is this? Putting on airs at a time like this? I made promises to others, and here she is, usually acting timid, but now she's acting cold and arrogant. Hmph.*

"Hexia, are you looking down on me?" Lina stopped pretending and stood up, her face tight.

"This..."

Seeing this scene, Senqueld felt like rubbing his forehead. He was a man of status, and this was a somewhat reputable restaurant; this was really not good. The girl named Hexia clearly seemed like someone who hadn't seen much of the world and was a bit timid. She might have refused out of shyness, and they could have gotten to know each other slowly. But with Lina causing a scene, it would be difficult to handle later.

Seeing the two about to quarrel, Dudu and Millie rushed over to mediate. Dudu hugged Lina, and Millie pulled Hexia away.

"Calm down, Lina. Hexia didn't mean it; that's just her personality," Dudu comforted Lina.

Millie also whispered to Hexia, "Alright, don't mind Lina. She's probably just acting on impulse. You know her; she's always been a bit blunt... Just say hello to Mr. Senqueld, apologize, and leave. After all, he treated us to a meal and spent quite a bit of money."

With their mediation, the situation calmed down slightly. However, no one was in the mood anymore. Just as Millie and Dudu were thinking about how to wrap things up, say some pleasantries, and leave, footsteps came from outside the restaurant.

"Special police?" some guests whispered.

Unlike the common white-clad police, these officers were fully armed, wearing matte-black tactical armor and helmets. Their pulse rifles exuded a murderous aura. As they entered, they dispersed to guard the area and began checking and questioning each shop one by one.

"What's happening?" Senqueld stood up and walked to the front desk. He was a regular here, and the staff knew him.

"It's said there was an accident on the street today, and someone lost control and hurt others. Although it was brought under control, things don't seem that simple," the staff member said, having just learned the news from a group chat of surrounding shops.

"I see..."

Although there was a possibility of mental contamination and loss of control when advancing in rank or practicing transcendent sequences, the probability was very low. In a city of over a million like Panyin, there weren't even a few such cases a year, and even if someone lost control, they were easily subdued. There was no need for such caution and fanfare.

"I can't figure it out. I'll call and ask," Senqueld, being a middle manager in a company, knew many people and wanted to inquire.

After a brief call, he put down his personal terminal, shook his head, and ordered another fruit wine from the staff.

"What happened?" Lina tucked her arm into his, looking like a little bird. After her temper subsided, she felt something was wrong and wanted to salvage her image in his eyes.

"Nothing. Everyone, sit for a while. We'll be fine once the special police finish their inspection." In reality, he didn't know what happened either; his friend only said that Panyin City would be under stricter control recently.

"Alright."

They sat back down and waited boredly. Other guests in the restaurant had more or less received some news through various channels. Seeing they couldn't use privileges to leave, they all sat back and waited patiently.

If it weren't for the earlier falling-out, they might still be chatting and laughing, but the atmosphere was very cold now. Seeing this, Senqueld waved his hand again and had ice cream served to all four of them.

"Have some dessert. It's fine; it has nothing to do with us." His gesture won back some favor with Millie and Dudu.

Time ticked by. About twenty minutes later, the special police arrived at their restaurant, checked everyone with instruments, and only allowed them to leave after seeing nothing unusual.

As they were leaving, Hexia called out Senqueld's name, and they exchanged communication IDs before leaving.

"Hexia was moved after all," Dudu and Millie walked together on the way back.

"Well, it's understandable. Hexia's family situation isn't great, and her parents are gone. It's not like our situation," Millie shook her head.

"Why is Millie so reasonable today? You weren't like this before," Dudu looked surprised.

"People always grow up. Anyway, after this heartbreak, I've seen through a lot."

"Uh, heh, does heartbreak really make people grow up like that?"

Dudu and Millie walked off into the distance.

On the other side, after Senqueld dropped Lina off at home, he received a text message from Hexia.

*[I am very sorry for the embarrassment I caused Mr. Senqueld today. Here is the cost of today's meal, 1612 Federation Credits. I have transferred it to you.]*

*[I know Lina might have just spoken on impulse, and she has her own ideas, but I have my own decisions. At the very least, I want to continue living in my own way, rather than relying on others.]*

*[I apologize for the trouble. Please delete my communication ID after you receive the transfer.]*

*—Hexia Tilan*

Putting down his terminal, Senqueld sat in his car and looked at the commercial street in the distance, sighing.

"I really misjudged her. I didn't expect there to be a girl like this nowadays."

"But, how long can such pride last? Modern society is not something you can survive in just by having backbone."

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PS: Plots about "slapping faces" or "getting even"—I guess I'm just not good at them.