Chapter 32

Shopping is a woman's forte, and Xianyu is no exception.

Li Jia browsed from shop to shop, with Hera following behind her like a ruthless bag-carrying machine. The tokens given by the merman chieftain were for discounts, essentially coupons.

"Two items for 10% off, three items for 20% off, four items for 30% off!"

Limited quantity, first come, first served!

The vendors were all incredibly skilled at hawking their wares, and Li Jia was so engrossed in the shopping spree that she rushed in again for another big purchase after she had already bought everything.

The dispute ended with seven or eight seashell bracelets, a pearl necklace, and some pretty pebbles.

Li Jia said with satisfaction, "Things are still cheaper where they are from. If we bought these in Xiangcheng Quandu, they would cost dozens of gold coins. We only spent eighteen gold coins on these."

Xiangchengquan is an inland capital city, lacking access to the sea, and therefore does not produce abundant seafood or shellfish.

Seeing her delight, Hera asked, "Do you like it here?"

Seeing Hera's eager expression, Li Jia probably knew that the boss had misunderstood again. She took a string of seashells and put it on Hera's wrist: "Your Majesty, I think this bracelet suits you very well. As the saying goes, no wildflower can compare to the fragrance of home flowers. No matter how good other places are, I only like the hot spring valley."

The bracelet is made of three natural seashells of different shapes strung together. The main seashell is spiral-shaped and covered with a delicate frosted texture. The first time Li Jia saw it, she felt that it was a perfect match for Hera. It is simple, elegant and easy to match without being obtrusive.

Hera was easily swayed by this flattery. She raised her hand, then looked at the unremarkable bracelet under the light and said, "You really like it?"

Li Jia: "Yes, I like it. I specially picked it out for His Majesty."

Sure enough, upon hearing the word "specially," the boss's mood improved considerably, and he lowered his hand, saying, "It's alright."

Damn it.

What to do when your boss is so arrogant and aloof?

Having eaten and drunk her fill, seen the scenery, and finished shopping, Li Jia was very sleepy and tugged at her sleeve, wanting to go back to her room.

Hera led her back, and as soon as they got back, she put her things on the table and collapsed onto the seashell bed. Hera even had to help her take off her shoes.

While Li Jia was still half asleep, she felt that the boss seemed to have gone out, but she couldn't be bothered to care. She was a god, and who would bother her for no reason?

Even couples need boundaries, let alone employees and bosses; she wouldn't ask her where she went.

A sense of boundaries is the highest form of respect.

...

When she woke up, it was night again, and in the blink of an eye she saw those familiar red pupils.

"Your Majesty, you've returned?"

Li Jia asked her routinely why the two of them were living like a married couple, and that when she occasionally got up in the middle of the night to pee and couldn't smell her scent or touch her back, she would feel inexplicably uneasy.

"Um."

As if in response to her words, Li Jia then noticed that she had a bracelet on her wrist that was exactly the same as hers.

When she bought it, she felt that the design was very special. The vendor said that this was the last one and that it would be discontinued after it was sold out. So Li Jia gritted her teeth and paid an extra gold coin to win ownership of it.

Li Jia reached out and compared Hera's wrist for a long time. Apart from the size difference, they were exactly the same, and there was no difference at all.

"Your Majesty, where did you buy it? I knew that vendor was lying to me. How could there only be one of these bracelets?" Li Jia muttered, regretting that she hadn't spent that extra gold coin.

“I strung them myself,” Hera said calmly.

Seeing the little guy's incredulous look, she felt a little smug.

Li Jia was very curious. Could it be that she went out just for this bracelet? It seemed unlikely.

Li Jia flattered, "I never expected Your Majesty to know how to make bracelets."

Hera countered, "Is it difficult?"

Fine, she didn't want to argue with a pretentious idiot.

Li Jia quickly noticed the difference in this bracelet. It looked exactly the same as the one Li Jia had given her, but the difference was the smell.

A metallic scent, salty and cold like seawater, emerged, cool, clean, and full of mystery.

"Why does my bracelet smell so nice?" Li Jia held her hand to her nose so she could smell the fragrance of the bracelet.

Hera touched her earlobe, not looking at her face, and said mysteriously, "You'll find out later."

Alright then, Li Jia understands Hera; if Hera doesn't want to talk about it, Li Jia won't ask.

Because Li Jia knew that Hera would never do anything she thought was wrong; everything she did had its reasons and justifications.

Many people believe that a relationship needs to be thoroughly investigated.

What did you do?

Why do this?

And what are the results of doing this?

Li Jia believes that regardless of the form of concern, one should understand the importance of avoiding suspicion and maintaining appropriate boundaries, rather than using the guise of friendship, acquaintance, or colleague to test others and break their comfort zone, which is unethical.

Moreover, as the ancients said: the more you know, the faster you die.

She might forget things that others are curious about as soon as she turns her head; it's good to be a little oblivious in life.

The bracelet was on her wrist, and Hera wouldn't let her take it off, so Li Jia had no choice but to nod in agreement. The bracelet smelled really nice.

She lay in Hera's arms. The boss had his eyes closed and didn't speak. Li Jia could feel her breathing and pulse throbbing so close to her.

The next second, a familiar AI electronic voice rang in Li Jia's mind.

"Good evening, Master."

It's the system!

Her beloved assistance system is finally back!

Unable to contain her excitement, Li Jia communicated with the system in her mind and learned that the system had gone to attend training.

Its performance was so poor that the Transmigration Mission Bureau had it learn from another top-selling system for a period of time.

This top-selling author previously roamed through various obscure novels. It had its own set of unorthodox cultivation methods. Although the process was stumbling and unsteady, the endings always reached the expected tragic or happy conclusions.

After learning from the top salesperson for a while, the system suddenly became much clearer.

Whether it's good or bad, green or white, just turn them all yellow and that's it.

Sex and love are inseparable. Platonic love is too far removed from ordinary people. Once you get involved with it, you'll find that all grudges and resentments don't matter. Physical attraction can break all principles.

"Master, your relationship with the person you're pursuing is at a critical point. This relationship is extremely dangerous. Whether it can move forward is entirely up to you. If you take one step forward, you will be the closest people in the world. If you take one step back, you will become the most familiar strangers."

The system coldly reviewed the numerical values ​​Hera had inflicted on Li Jia during its absence, arriving at a less than satisfactory result.

Human lifespan is short and fragile. If this continues, Li Jia may perish before the day she completes her mission.

"Master, you can choose to use the assistive function. This is the result of your continuous efforts over this period of time."

Li Jia was still pondering the phrase "the most familiar stranger."

In that instant, my heart skipped a few beats, just like the extra beats when I first saw her—a painful, numb, and breathless sensation.

So, what should I do?

How to do it?

The system also asked the top seller about the plot and mission points of its book, and the top seller answered directly.

"Since your main mission is to prevent the woman you're trying to seduce from marrying someone else, why don't you just preemptively register your names in the marriage history? That would be the fastest way to complete the mission."

It is indeed a heretical practice, achieving its goal in one step. This is a perspective that the system had not considered before.

When the system was taking notes, it also asked the top salesperson what the service provider should do if the client (Party A) is unwilling.

The top salesperson was pleased to see how motivated it was, so it used all its knowledge to ramble on, its brainwaves flashing a string of words, and the system's electrical activity lighting up repeatedly. So this was how it could be done!

Before leaving, the top salesperson highlighted the key points:

Remember, it must be done unintentionally by the host; the process is not important, only the result matters!

You told the host what happened. She might not be very cooperative and has the right to refuse. She might feel guilty towards the person she was trying to conquer and would rather self-destruct than complete the mission.

This could also cause the plot to stall or progress too slowly, resulting in the plot failing before it even begins. It would be better to take a more drastic approach.

Forced melons aren't sweet, but they're very thirst-quenching!

The system listened to the top salesperson's words, which were worth more than ten years of study, and promptly wrote them down in its notebook: "You must force it."

The system suddenly developed its own subjective consciousness, something the system itself had not anticipated.

Upon hearing Li Jia ask what to do, the system frantically searched its database for the plot it could perceive, as well as the analysis of the surrounding environment.

"The affection level of the person you're trying to win over is stagnant, but your life is rapidly slipping away, Master. To prevent you from losing everything, the system will provide you with auxiliary functions."

"However, the system is not 100% useful. If you activate the auxiliary functions, it may cause your relationship with the person you are pursuing to revert to square one."

"Would you like to activate accessibility features, master?"

Only after being reminded by the system did Li Jia belatedly realize that her identity in this world was merely that of a mortal. She did not have an eternal lifespan; even if she were free from illness and disaster, she could only live to be a hundred years old at most.

If I die before I complete my mission, will she repeat the same mistake and marry that scumbag?

The system paused for a few seconds in surprise before responding coldly.

"Yes, Master. If you are unable to complete the mission before you die, then the one you conquer will continue her destiny in the book and fulfill her duties as the Queen of Gods."

What is the success rate of enabling accessibility features?

Li Jia's voice was muffled; she was truly unwilling to accept that she had married such a terrible man.

The probability of success and failure is 50% each.

After a long pause, Li Jia suddenly smiled and said softly, "Okay, let's activate it."

"Master, are you alright...?"

The system sensed that the host was acting a bit strangely. In the past, no matter how big the matter was, Li Jia would always prioritize her own interests, making her a complete lazy bum.

Li Jia shook her head, and the system disappeared from her mind.

She nestled against the blonde woman's chest, gently touching her hair, which was entwined around their shared ring, the ruby ​​gleaming vividly in the darkness.

Li Jia buried her face even deeper, the familiar woody scent lingering around her nose, her breath mixed with laughter, her voice terrifyingly soft: "Your Majesty, you are the best person I have ever met."

"May I be like a lamp, shining brightly for you forever."

"May I be like firewood, to prolong your eternal night."

"Your servant asks for nothing more than that all the gods and demons treat my Lord's soul kindly, protect her from worry, and bless her to see the light again."