Chapter 39 The General Faints: He's Sick.
"Really?" Shen Mi was a little embarrassed. "I just saw that the store had the longest line, and I thought it wouldn't be a bad choice, so I bought some to try..."
"Good taste." He glanced at her, his gaze softening slightly. "Looks like I can send you out to buy breakfast more often from now on."
Shen Mi lowered her head and pretended to eat seriously, not daring to respond to his words. But a smile still crept onto her lips—if she had known this would happen, she would have bought more steamed buns.
After finishing their meal, accompanied by Jingyuan, Shenmi arrived at the Earth Balance Division located in Changletian.
Having someone like that by your side makes getting things done much easier. Almost everything went smoothly, and in less than half a day, Chen Mi's personal information was complete.
Now, she can freely enter and leave Luofu, and she is qualified to obtain a Starship pilot's license. She can work and study. In short, she has everything a Celestial Boat person should have.
Unfortunately, Shen Mi didn't have time to express her gratitude before Jing Yuan was about to leave.
"I'm sorry, there's an urgent matter at the Shence Palace, so I can't accompany you on your stroll."
"This is a supplementary card, linked to my account. I can just swipe it when I check out."
Jing Yuan took out a rectangular platinum-colored core card from his pocket and handed it to Chen Mi. The card was simple and elegant, with light gold immortal boat patterns engraved on the edges, radiating a faint luster. It was clearly a high-limit card with no spending restrictions.
Shen Mi was taken aback and subconsciously didn't accept: "This... isn't appropriate? I've already troubled you with food and lodging, I'd feel bad if I used your money again."
Jing Yuan remained calm and said slowly, "This is for you to buy daily necessities. There's no need to be polite or feel burdened." He paused, then spoke even more gently, "You don't have a formal job yet. Since I'm your temporary guarantor, I should make sure your daily needs are taken care of. Otherwise, I'll feel uneasy."
Yes, as a new member of the Immortal Ship, Shen Mi had to undergo a probationary period, during which she needed a temporary guarantor. Jing Yuan became her temporary guarantor.
Shen Mi wanted to refuse, but after looking at her savings, she realized she was willing but unable to. The exchange rates on different planets were too different. After successfully passing the probationary period, she needed to find a job to earn money, otherwise she would really be penniless.
Shen Mi pursed her lips, but finally reached out and took it, whispering her thanks: "...Thank you, Jing Yuan."
Jing Yuan watched her accept the card, his gaze gentle. He didn't say anything more, only reminding her, "You can browse around Changletian, and there are also many shops on Xuanye Street. You can take your time to choose. The spare access card for home is tucked in the mouth of the stone lion at the entrance. I'll be home very late tonight, so you can have dinner out and come back later."
"Okay, I understand." Shen Mi nodded. "Be careful on the road."
She stood there, watching Jing Yuan leave cleanly and decisively, his red robe fluttering in the wind, and in no time he blended into the flow of people at the entrance of Dihengsi Street.
She put the supplementary card into the inside pocket of her coat, then turned and walked towards the bustling area of Changletian.
The streets were even more bustling than in the past few days. Many tourists from other places lingered in the market, various vendors' cries rose and fell, lanterns were hung high, the aroma of medicine filled the air, and long queues formed at teahouses and pastry shops.
Shen Mi originally intended to just browse around, but since she had already accepted the card, she decided to seriously purchase some daily necessities as a way of responding to Jing Yuan's kindness.
She went to the clothing store first.
This store must be a chain brand of Xianzhou; she'd seen it in several places. The clothes were simple and elegant, and the prices were reasonable. Chen Mi browsed the clothes on the rack and picked out a few suitable casual outfits: a beige long coat, a light gray traditional Chinese-style cardigan, two pairs of trousers, and several innerwear pieces. She also picked out a few sets of everyday underwear and pajamas, all in clean colors, comfortable, and easy to wash.
While trying on clothes, the sales assistant whispered beside her, "You have a great presence; you look good in anything." Shen Mi smiled slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
After filling a large bag with clothes, Chen Mi went to the general merchandise counter and bought a lot of daily necessities: toothbrush and toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, soap, laundry detergent, a set of dry and wet towels, and even a pair of kitchen gloves and an apron.
Now that she's here, we can't leave the kitchen empty, nor can we let people barely survive by eating out every day.
Although her cooking skills can't compare to professionals, she can still make decent home-style dishes. She can stir-fry vegetables, make soup, cook noodles, and cook rice herself. The taste may not be as good as restaurants, but they are clean, piping hot, and can fill your stomach while adding a touch of homey warmth.
Back on the desolate planet, she had no choice but to survive; now that she has arrived in this peaceful and stable place, even if it is only a temporary stay, she hopes that her life can be better, that she doesn't have to wrong herself, and that she shouldn't make the people who took her in compromise.
"You bought so much stuff, did you just move to a new house?" the cashier asked casually while packing the items.
Shen Mi did not give a direct answer, but simply nodded and casually replied, "Mm."
It wasn't that she was impolite, but it was really inappropriate for her to casually reveal her address.
She is currently staying at the general's mansion on the Immortal Ship. Although the other party took her in voluntarily, Jing Yuan's sensitive identity is not suitable to be mentioned casually, especially in public. Ever since she left the desolate star, she has unconsciously become aware of this.
The cashier didn't ask any more questions and just focused on packing the food.
She had so many things that she stored the larger items in the shop's temporary lockers, made a shopping list, and took a public chariot to a large supermarket on Xuan Ye Street.
The supermarket was cool and comfortable, with bright white lights and neatly arranged shelves. Chen Mi pushed her shopping cart through the various products, and soon the cart was full.
As she made her selections, she silently planned out the menu for the next few days.
Slice bamboo shoots and stir-fry with shrimp; stir-fry bok choy with minced garlic; stew potatoes and carrots into a clear soup; combine shiitake mushrooms and bok choy to make noodles; marinate chicken thighs and put them in the oven; slow-cook beef shank into braised beef; pan-fry salmon and serve with lemon.
Thinking that she was unsure if she could still use many of the items in the kitchen, she went back the way she came and carefully replenished every single one in the condiment section. Salt, soy sauce, rice vinegar, fermented bean paste, white pepper, sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce... she put them all into her shopping basket without missing a single one.
Seeing the Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies still tucked away in the corner, she hesitated for a moment before reaching out and taking them. She doesn't cook spicy dishes often, but the thought of Mapo Tofu and Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce, those kinds of spicy dishes, whetted her appetite.
Finally, she stood in the snack section and bought a small box of hawthorn cake and a bag of osmanthus glutinous rice balls. She thought that if Jingyuan got hungry when he came back that night, he could have something to eat.
After a full day of shopping, she was exhausted, but felt more relaxed than ever before. She retrieved the household items she had stored, repackaged them into several bags, and then paid a small fee to call a car. She asked the driver to stop at the intersection so she could go back to get a cart and carry the items home.
It was already dark when she came in. She carried the shopping bags into the living room one by one, organizing them while silently planning the kitchen's storage. How should the refrigerator be divided? Which shelf should the spices go on? Should she buy more hooks…?
Once everything was in place, she stood at the kitchen doorway, stretched her arms slightly, and let out a soft breath.
The house was very quiet, with only the sound of her tidying up, but Chen Mi didn't feel lonely. Looking at the tidy kitchen, the clean sofa, and the new coat on the clothes rack, she suddenly felt that she had really "settled down".
She checked her phone, took a picture of the kitchen she had tidied up that day, and sent it to Danheng.
【Look!】After sending the message, she couldn't help but add a little emoji at the end, a proud little cat face.
The phone sat quietly on the coffee table, its screen still lit, but she didn't seem eager for a reply. She simply smiled, turned around, and went back into the kitchen to put the last bag of washed vegetables into the refrigerator.
Having traveled from a desolate planet to this place, and moved around several times, she now has a clean kitchen, a soft sofa, and a few clothes she chose herself. For her, this is a rare sense of peace and stability.
She stood at the kitchen doorway, looking at the row of neatly arranged spice bottles and the clean, shiny countertop, as if the house had finally gained some "human touch" because of her presence.
After a while, the phone screen lit up slightly—
Did you do this yourself? It's very neat.
Get some rest early, don't overwork yourself.
It was Danheng's reply, just two short sentences, that warmed Shen Mi's heart and brought a slight smile to her lips.
She replied "Okay," turned off the screen, and prepared to take a hot shower and cook a bowl of noodles for a late-night snack—she was indeed tired today, but the sense of peace she felt was real.
The night was deep, and the only sound outside the window was the rustling of the wind through the treetops. Chen Mi woke up in a half-dream state, feeling a little thirsty and with a slight bloating in her lower abdomen, so she put on her coat and got up to go to the bathroom.
As she stepped out of the bedroom and was about to turn the corner, she heard a very soft "thump," as if something had fallen to the ground. She paused, looked up towards the living room, and saw, in the dim light, a tall figure leaning against the side of the sofa, swaying precariously.
Her heart tightened, and she quickly stepped forward. Only when she got close did she see that the person's face was ashen, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, his arms were tightly clutching his abdomen, and his body was almost curled up in a ball, as if he was enduring excruciating pain.
"Jingyuan?" Shen Mi called him softly, his voice filled with unease.
Jing Yuan struggled to lift his eyes, his expression blurred, his lips almost bloodless. He didn't speak, only his breathing was rapid, sweat trickling down his temples. His palms were pressed tightly against his abdomen, his knuckles turning white from the force, as if he were being tormented by a deep, tearing pain. That pain wasn't a brief spasm, but rather like a knife tip repeatedly churning inside his stomach, dull and prolonged.
Shen Mi immediately squatted down and reached out to help him, but he was clutching his stomach and didn't even have the strength to open his eyes: "...It's nothing, just a minor ailment, I'll get through it."
He spoke casually, but his hands were gripping his stomach tightly, and his back arched involuntarily from the pain. He was like a twisted bowstring, and even his breathing was trembling with restraint.
Shen Mi listened with trepidation. Endure it? How could she endure it? The pain was so intense that she couldn't even stand up, indicating that this had happened more than once before.
“But you look terrible. Why don’t we go to the Pill Refining Department?”
"No, we can't let anyone know," Jing Yuan said firmly, clearly resisting the idea.
What should we do then?
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Author's Note: Just letting the plot unfold. After tonight, you two will be different; your bond will be one of life-or-death experiences. Feeling sorry for Jing Mi online, the next chapter will be a little different! [winking emoji][winking emoji][winking emoji] You can tell from the author's expression—something big is coming! [winking emoji][winking emoji][winking emoji]
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