Stepping off the bus, Xing Chen immediately pulled Theresa to the mall's food court.
Theresa seemed to have never seen so many food stalls together; she stood there as if in a daze.
“Theresa?” Xing Chen waved his hand in front of her.
“Sorry, Xing Chen, I just zoned out,” Theresa said with a smile, covering up her momentary lapse. “Are we having lunch here?”
Xing Chen nodded and led Theresa into a shop with a large 'M' sign, then shouted to the cashier, “Four large fries, two Cokes, and a combo meal!”
“Coming right up!” the cashier said with a wide grin.
Xing Chen didn't have any particular preference for fast food. The only reason he didn't choose the 'K' branded store across the street was because a classmate of his worked part-time at this one year-round.
“Oh! Our wooden Xing Chen has finally wised up,” After finishing the order, the cashier glanced at Theresa and said to Xing Chen, “And she shares your hobby, that's great.”
“Alright, we just met, we're just normal friends,” Xing Chen said helplessly.
“I understand, I understand,” The kitchen sent the food to the counter, and his classmate packed it and handed it to Xing Chen. “Come again next time, I'll give you extra.”
Xing Chen took the tray and found Theresa, who had already claimed a table. At that moment, the girl's gaze was curiously fixed on Xing Chen's phone.
“Are you very curious about this?” Xing Chen shook his phone.
“Yes, your terminals have so many functions.”
“Next time, I'll see if there's a cheap second-hand one and get you one,” Xing Chen said, placing several bags of large fries in front of Theresa. “Here are your potatoes.”
“These are potatoes?” Theresa cautiously tasted one, and the rich potato aroma immediately filled her mouth.
“Is it good?” “It's delicious.”
Xing Chen remembered that when Theresa and Theresis were overseeing the construction of Kazdel, they had introduced advanced mobile city farms from abroad, so she shouldn't be so excited about eating a potato.
Theresa explained that potatoes were a common food in Kazdel, but their processing was limited to the simplest boiling or roasting, because seasonings like salt and cooking oil were not common in Kazdel. Moreover, she and her brother did not want to use the Demon Lord's privileges for such things.
“Then don't just eat potatoes, you need to eat meat too,” Xing Chen said, opening the packaging and handing the fried chicken to Theresa.
“No, thank you, Xing Chen, I can just eat potatoes.” Although Theresa refused verbally, her eyes still secretly watched the golden-brown fried chicken in Xing Chen's hand.
“Fried chicken isn't expensive. Here, take it.”
Theresa didn't refuse again, but she also felt awkward taking it all for herself, so she prepared to split the fried chicken in half. However, she seemed to have overestimated the chicken's strength; with a slight effort, the entire chicken burst open, and crumbs flew directly onto the face of a customer across the aisle.
“Sorry, sorry,” Xing Chen immediately apologized with a forced smile, and the other party didn't pursue it further.
Theresa knew she had caused trouble, but Xing Chen waved his hand, signaling her to continue eating. The golden, crispy, spice-covered chicken brought a very happy expression to the Demon Lord's face.
In any case, if a real commotion broke out, all the customers and staff in the restaurant combined probably wouldn't be able to defeat her alone. Xing Chen couldn't quite tell if he was protecting the customers or protecting Theresa... After eating their fill, Xing Chen planned to take Theresa to the supermarket.
One reason was for the various daily necessities he would need after school started, and the other was for Theresa's personal items.
“What is this?” Theresa asked, pointing to a bottle of shower gel.
“This is for washing your body. It kills bacteria, removes dirt, is gentle on the skin, and leaves a lavender scent after washing.”
“Can't you just use soap for bathing?”
Standing between the rows of shelves, Theresa's eyes sparkled, but out of basic modesty, she didn't say anything to Xing Chen.
Xing Chen also knew Theresa was shy, so he didn't ask too many questions. He simply bought an extra one for her when he was choosing items for himself.
The two walked in tacit agreement silence, and wherever Theresa's gaze lingered, Xing Chen would go over to look. If the price was right, he would put it in the shopping cart.
But there were some things Xing Chen couldn't help her with.
“Actually, I don't need to buy clothes, I can sew them myself,” Theresa said to Xing Chen, standing outside the women's clothing section.
“I know, but do you understand our style of dress?” Xing Chen's question made Theresa shake her head. To dispel her hesitation, he had to tell her, “Actually, the economy hasn't been great these past few years, and some ready-made clothes are cheaper than buying fabric.”
“Really?” Theresa couldn't believe that finished clothes would be cheaper than unprocessed fabric.
“Some are like that,” Xing Chen said. “Oh, and buy your own feminine hygiene products. I'm going to the checkout now.”
“Feminine hygiene products?” Theresa only thought about it for a moment before Xing Chen disappeared. So, she had to act according to her own understanding.
Seeing Theresa enter the product section, Xing Chen emerged from behind a nearby shelf. He wasn't sure about the Sarkaz's body structure; these people of Terra had gradually grown to resemble humans under the influence of Originium. Whether they had special needs, only they themselves would know, so the best way to handle such private matters was to leave it to them.
He couldn't even confirm whether the people of Pre-civilization were the same as himself, after all, the humans in his understanding couldn't get up in the middle of the night to make instant noodles with their mouths.
After waiting at the checkout for a while, Theresa also came over, carrying a small shopping basket.
“Xing Chen, I'm really sorry to have troubled you.”
“It's alright, who told you to come to my home first?”
As he spoke, Xing Chen looked through the items Theresa had bought. He wasn't short on money, but he wasn't rich enough to buy whatever he wanted. If they went over budget, he would have to quickly put things back.
“Wait a minute, didn't you buy anything to wear underneath?”
“Wear underneath what?” Theresa asked curiously.
“You know, for those few days each month when you feel unwell.”
Theresa shook her head, and it seemed he had been overthinking it.
Right, she's over two hundred years old; she can take care of herself without others worrying needlessly... After finishing their shopping, the two of them took a taxi back to the rented apartment this time.
The apartment was a classic single room, with only one bedroom and one bed. Following the spirit of 'ladies first,' Xing Chen generously gave the bed to Theresa and went to sleep on the sofa himself.
“Actually, I can sleep anywhere; the environment in Kazdel is much worse than here,” Theresa told Xing Chen. “And I'm older than you, and stronger.”
“But you're a guest, and a girl at that,” Xing Chen said, then lay down on the sofa. “Alright, hurry back to sleep. Tomorrow has its own things to deal with.”
Theresa stood at the bedroom door for a while, and seeing that Xing Chen's mind was made up, she didn't say anything more and quietly returned to the bedroom.
After the day's commotion, with a broken arm and a trip to the mall, Xing Chen was too tired to play on his phone and fell asleep early.