Bai Zhi had just breathed a sigh of relief at the system's announcement when her Light Computer pinged with a notification: one million Star Coins had been transferred to her account. She gave the deed to the mansion a quick scan and was surprised to find it was located near the home of the novel's original heroine.
By the time Sang Mo and Hu Yan arrived, Bai Zhi had composed herself. She was already seated, smiling as she told them, "Have a seat. I've already ordered for us."
Sang Mo chose the seat furthest from her and leaned back casually. His injuries made the posture uncomfortable, and a cold light glinted in his dark eyes.
After Hu Yan sat down, he watched her with a grim expression. "After this whole song and dance," he said, "why don't you just tell us what you're really up to?"
Bai Zhi had spent over a million Star Coins today. Their family didn't have anywhere near that kind of money!
It could only mean one thing. She had sold them.
And this meal was their Last Supper.
There was no other way to explain where she'd gotten so much money.
That would explain why she had suddenly started treating them well, buying them so many things, and even taking them out for such an expensive meal.
Due to widespread contamination, the interstellar environment was unsuitable for agriculture, making natural plants exceedingly rare. Even the few crops that could be grown were tainted and required purification before they were safe to eat.
As a result, all food in the interstellar era was incredibly expensive.
Bai Zhi said, "I already told you. I'm treating you to a feast."
Seeing her play dumb, Hu Yan decided not to beat around the bush. "Did you sell us to the Gladiatorial Arena?" he asked directly.
Her eyes widened in shock at his words. 'So that's what Sang Mo meant when he said I sold them! To the Gladiatorial Arena!'
But according to the original owner's memories, the Gladiatorial Arena was no playground.
The Gladiatorial Arena pitted Beastmen against High-level Beasts for the entertainment of betting spectators.
Every match in the arena was a fight to the death. Either the High-level Beast was killed, or the Beastman was left severely injured—or simply dead.
But every match drew massive crowds and huge bets, earning the arena anywhere from hundreds of millions to billions of Star Coins per event.
Coupled with the high prices the arena paid, some females who grew to despise a particular Beastman would sell him off to them.
And her shopping spree today had successfully convinced Hu Yan that she had sold them, and that all these gifts and this fancy meal were just compensation.
Especially since the original Bai Zhi had apparently threatened to do just that before.
Bai Zhi knew this was a mess left by her predecessor, and that their suspicions wouldn't be easily dispelled. With a sincere expression, she said, "I swear to the Beast God, I haven't sold you to the Gladiatorial Arena or to anyone else. I never will. And I won't ever treat you the way I used to again."
At her words, Hu Yan remained somewhat suspicious. But since Bai Zhi had dared to swear an oath to the Beast God, she probably hadn't actually sold them. At least, not yet.
As for her promise to treat them better, Hu Yan didn't believe a word of it. He'd settle for peaceful coexistence.
Sang Mo, on the other hand, didn't let her oath lessen his animosity in the slightest.
Just then, a robot server arrived and began placing dishes on the table one by one.
In total, there were five dishes, a soup, and a serving of rice for each of them.
That meant each dish cost an average of four thousand Star Coins.
Even though she knew interstellar food was expensive, a price tag this high still made Bai Zhi suck in a sharp breath.
'This food is seriously expensive…'
She had been planning on eating three proper meals a day, but now it looked like that would require some careful budgeting.
'I wonder if I can buy seeds? Can I grow my own food? If I could grow my own, I'd save so much money!'
As Bai Zhi lowered her head to start eating, she was surprised to see a faint black aura wafting from the dishes. But when she saw that neither Hu Yan nor Sang Mo seemed to notice, she figured she was just seeing things.
Bai Zhi picked up a piece of a vegetable and put it in her mouth. After just two chews, an indescribable flavor exploded on her tongue. She coughed violently.
'I like sour and spicy, even sweet and spicy, but what the hell is this sour-sweet-spicy monstrosity?'
On top of that, the ingredient itself had an unidentifiable bitterness that even the overpowering sauce couldn't mask.
She tried the other dishes. Without exception, every single one was flawed in some way.
She looked up at Hu Yan and Sang Mo. Since neither of them had ever eaten real food before, they both seemed to find it delicious. They weren't eating particularly fast, but their pace was steady.
Bai Zhi, in contrast, had lost her appetite completely.
After a moment's thought, Bai Zhi asked, "Do you guys know where to buy groceries?"
Though puzzled, Hu Yan answered, "You can buy them on the Star Network."
Bai Zhi logged into the Star Network on her Light Computer and scanned the prices of various vegetables: tomatoes for 600 Star Coins per 250g, potatoes for 500 Star Coins per 250g, corn…
After a quick scan, she found it odd that there were only a hundred units available for each item. Still, it didn't seem entirely unaffordable, especially considering a tube of nutrient liquid only cost one to two hundred Star Coins, with the more expensive ones topping out at a few hundred.
She recalled the taste of nutrient liquid. It came in many flavors, but the texture could hardly be described as pleasant.
Good thing she had that one million Star Coins that just came in.
'I'm rich!'
'Time to buy!'
'I can't let my stomach suffer!'
Bai Zhi immediately placed an order for several types of vegetables, along with rice, oil, and a variety of seasonings.
Once they finished their meal, they took a Hovercar home.
Bai Zhi stepped out of the Hovercar and stared at their dilapidated house, her expression complicated. She made up her mind instantly. 'We're moving. Today!'
She turned to Hu Yan and Sang Mo with a serious expression. "Go inside and pack your things. We're moving today."
Hu Yan's brow furrowed. "Moving? Where to?"
Bai Zhi pulled up the deed the system had given her and showed it to him. "Here!"
He glanced at the address. It was in a neighborhood famous for being an enclave of the wealthy.
A single home there was worth tens of millions of Star Coins, to say nothing of a mansion with its own private garden.
When he confirmed the deed was authentic, his shock deepened. When had she managed to quietly purchase such a luxurious mansion?
He thought back to her million-Star-Coin shopping spree earlier. Even if she sold all of them, she could never have made that much money.
'Did she really win the lottery?'
Seeing him just standing there stunned, Bai Zhi reached out and patted him. "What are you gawking at? Open the door."
However, due to their height difference, her hand landed squarely on Hu Yan's pectoral muscle. It was rock-solid, and she couldn't resist giving it an impulsive squeeze.
The touch was like a trigger. Hu Yan instinctively flinched away, preventing her from getting a real grip, but a moment later, after he processed what had happened, his entire body went rigid.
Sang Mo, who had been watching, let out a derisive scoff.
'No matter how good his act is, his body's instincts give him away completely.'
The tips of Bai Zhi's ears turned red at her own audacity, but she kept a nonchalant expression. "What are you dodging for?" she said, feigning composure. "It's not like a little touch will make you lose a chunk of flesh."
She then deliberately slid her hand down to his abs, feeling the solid eight-pack beneath her palm. She couldn't help but sigh in appreciation, "Feels pretty nice~"
Hu Yan, who had just been unexpectedly groped: "..."