Once they were done eating, Xue Yiran brought Xue Haoran to his bedroom and tucked him inside the quilt. After telling him some hero saving the world fairytale, the little fella fell asleep with a smile on his face.
Xue Yiran gently closes the door to his room before heading back to her own room. After having a wash, she walked out of the bathroom with her hair still dripping wet with water. Unhurriedly, she reached for the white towel placed on the bed, making attempt to use it to dry her hair as she was currently lazy to make use of the hair dryer.
Xue Yiran sat on the bed drying her hair with the towel. Her communication device suddenly rang. Xue Yiran assumed it must be Uncle Mike who was calling to check up on her and unswervingly tap on the received option without checking the caller ID.
A small holographic screen unknowingly pops in front of her. On the screen was a male figure. Instantaneously, the expression on the face of the male figure changed to that of surprise the moment he saw Xue Yiran current state.
…
It has been several days. Ian hadn't bothered to make a call to Xue Yiran. Seeing the read message that hadn't been replied to, he felt sad.
'It seems like she doesn't want to talk to me.'
Ian couldn't sleep no matter how he tries to. Resolving, he took out his communication device and dialed her number. It was a video call. Ian thought she wouldn't pick up once she sees the caller ID, but who would have thought that the call would go through in a matter of seconds.
At the same time, a holographic screen showing a female figure seated on the bed whilst wiping her hair came into his view.
This... Did she just come out from the washroom?
Ian was too stunned to speak. The image of the girl seated on the bed, wiping her hair with a towel brought a lot of shockwaves to his state of mind. Thankfully she was don in a fully clothed pajamas or else, he might have witnessed some indescribable scenario.
Still, Ian discerning eyes noticed her flushed face which he supposed stem from her earlier bath. Her long black hair clung stubbornly onto her face, while she made use of the towel to dry them. This was a state Ian never envisaged to see. Soon, her soft voice rang out.
"Are you still busy, Uncle Mike? Xue Haoran has been clamoring to see you for a while now. Why don't I bring him to your place for this weekend?"
Uncle Mike? Xue Haoran?
Those two name were unfamiliar to Ian. But Ian understood something. She must have mistaken him for someone else. It looks like she hadn't bothered on checking the caller ID before picking up the call.
Almost immediately, Ian saw the girl suddenly lifting her head and gazed in the direction of the hologram screen.
"What are you doing here?" If Susu hadn't informed her that the person she was interacting with was Ian, she wouldn't have known.
Why did the other person call her? How did he know her contact information? Oh, it seems that the two of them had exchanged contact previously.
But why was he calling her in the night. A video call at that. Xue Yiran immediately changes the video setting out of the holographic mode to a portrait mode. With that, Ian could only see her face.
"I... hello." Ian didn't know what to say in this kind of awkward situation. He hadn't expected that she would pick up his call and now, he was suddenly found in this dilemma. "Hum, you didn't reply to my last message. So, I just call to say hello."
Xue Yiran recalled that Ian had messaged her when she was going back home at the mercenary hall. Then, she was in a rush and had forgot to replied. Seems like the other person thought she must have ignored him.
"I'm sorry. I was in a rush at that time. Which is why I forgot to reply to your text."
"It's nothing." Both sides went silent. Thinking that he should say something to keep the conversation going, Ian asked. "Are you going to bed?" Damm what sort of retard question is that. Can't you see she's in her bedroom. If she's not going to bed, what would she be doing there. Ian immediately added. "Well... I was thinking if we could meet in the virtual net tonight. But since you're going to bed, my request does not seem quite feasible."
"Okay."
"Huh?" Ian wasn't sure on what Xue Yiran was agreeing upon.
"The virtual net. Let's meet there. I also have something to do in the virtual net."
It was such a sudden surprise for Ian. She agreed. This is great.
"O-okay. Which zone are you? I'll come and meet you there."
Xue Yiran knew Ian must be of higher zone than hers and mentioned the zone she was in.
"Okay. I'll meet you there." Ian cut the call, the excitement in his voice could not be concealed.
[Host, are you going to the virtual net because of him?]
"Not really so. It has been long since I last visited our store in the virtual net. I want to go and see how its doing. Moreover, to see if that annoying fella is already back."
The annoying man whom she took as her master suddenly seems to have vanish into thin air. If Xue Yiran knew it would be like this, she would never have taken that guy as her master. Although he does have some skills, but who would want a teacher who has no time for his students.
Because of his disappearance, Xue Yiran hadn't gone to the virtual net for some while now. The running of the store had been left to Susu. It's been several months. That master of hers should be back from wherever broken place he is hiding at. Probably.
At first, she had been lazy but seeing that it was taking long to dry her hair, Xue Yiran puts away the white towel and readily use the dryer to dry her hair.
Once her hair was dry, Xue Yiran head to the room where the cabin pod was place and log into the virtual net.
The virtual net was still as bustling as before. Different kinds of people were moving about. The C zone was full of activities. There was a constant noticeable change in the economic activities of the virtual net. Such as the change in the fashion trends, new skin care, beauty products and so on. The creamery creamer store in the C and F zone equally welcomes a new change.
The store front which was constantly full of people now appeared desolate. Although there were still a few lines at the store front, but in compare to the previous turnover of crowd, it is just like a drop of water in the ocean.
Xue Yiran was seated in the CEO office room, busy looking at their profit for the month. Coupled with the Federation big move, the gourmet industries of all planets had undergone a tremendous change.
There were several crafty businesses men who had long been eyeing the business of creamery creamer store in the virtual net. Who doesn't like profit. When the revelation of the food recipes was publicized, different stores started to appear one after the other in the virtual nets, all selling several mouthwatering snacks.
For those who had come from the upper zone to buy snacks at the Creamery Creamer store, why would they come a long way when there was another restaurant selling the same snacks as creamery creamer in their zone. As a result, the traffic of their store started to dwindle and so along with their profit.
*Sigh* Xue Yiran big sigh resounded in the room.
"There goes my short-lived dream of becoming the richest woman in the planet." Although she said that, Xue Yiran wasn't feeling any disappointment about the decline in the profit of their store.
Being a monopolist is somehow great since you alone can earn all profits. However, Xue Yiran didn't want to walk on that path. Only she knows how tiresome it is to be surrounded by a whole crowd of people.
If this wasn't the virtual net, perhaps she would have long been killed by the greedy people who had taken a fancy to her wealth. She was just a weak girl with a little brother. How could she fight against them.
Xue Yiran didn't bother on looking at the account any longer and closes her eyes to rest.
'Wait a minute, I seem to be forgetting something.'