Chapter 240

That evening, everyone went out for a stroll and passed by a Sumeru clothing store. 

The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata stopped in her tracks, saying she wanted to go inside for a look. 

"You're buying more clothes again?" 

"I'm not buying." 

"I don't believe you." 

"I'm buying them for you." 

"I don't need them. I already have clothes, and you just bought me some yesterday." 

"You won't even wear those, so you must not like them. I'll buy you something new. Come on, let's just take a look." 

"…" 

Xia Zhi was helpless, following the girls into the store. 

The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata examined one garment after another, finally selecting a few. Then, to Xia Zhi's surprise, she started haggling with the store owner. 

The scene gave him a strange feeling. 

The God of Wisdom… bargaining over a few Mora… 

And the worst part? She wasn't even spending her own money. 

Walking out of the clothing store, the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata looked utterly satisfied. 

"Had fun?" 

"What fun? I was saving money for you, cousin!" 

"Heh, women." 

"The clothes I bought for you this time are plainer. Since you don't like colorful ones, these should be better." 

"Did you haggle like this yesterday too?" 

"Of course." 

"How much did you get it down to?" 

"I bought them at a 90% discount." 

"?! How did you pull that off?" 

"I told the Sumeru store owner that I also worship the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. Then we praised her together in Sumeru's language. The owner was so happy that he originally wanted to give them to me for free, but I thought taking them for nothing wouldn't be right, so I still paid something." 

"…Truly, you never fail to impress." 

As they walked further, Diona spotted a high-quality hunting knife in a shop. She wanted to buy it as a gift for her father, but it was too expensive. 

So this woman—no, this goddess—once again stepped in to negotiate. 

There was a beauty in watching a deity descend into the mortal world. 

Xia Zhi shook his head and turned his attention to Ying'er, who was chatting with Zhu Zi. 

She was gesturing like a local guide explaining things. 

Xia Zhi didn't know what she was saying, but Zhu Zi's face remained flushed the entire time. 

This woman wasn't normal either. 

Pairing the two of them as roommates was truly a stroke of fate. 

After wandering around and buying a bunch of miscellaneous things, they returned to the Summer Shop. 

The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata took her newly acquired items back to her room. 

After her bath, she came over and tugged at Xia Zhi's sleeve. 

"Cousin, it's time for my massage." 

"Alright, alright." 

Ying'er, who was watching Zhu Zi play mahjong, perked up at the word massage. 

She subtly glanced over, seeing the boss and Miss Xia Ci walk into the back room together. 

Moments later, strange sounds came from inside. 

Her mind instantly conjured up dozens of thrilling scenarios. 

Cousins, huh… 

After a while, the sounds stopped. 

She saw the boss walk out of the back room and ask, "Anyone else want a massage?" 

Qiqi raised her little hand, nodded, and went in. 

Ying'er leaned toward Zhu Zi and whispered, "Aren't you going for one?" 

"I just got one yesterday, so I'll skip today." 

"Every other day?" 

"Usually every two days. Gotta save money. Even the employee price is 800 Mora per session." 

"A massage with effects this miraculous… 800 isn't expensive at all." 

"Exactly." 

Zhu Zi nodded. She knew there were plenty of people in Liyue willing to pay for this, but the boss didn't offer the service to just anyone. 

"You could try it, Ying'er." 

"But I'm not overweight." 

"You could get a regular massage instead. It's really good for your body. Miss Ningguang gets one from the boss five times a week." 

"That rumor is actually true?" 

"Yep." 

"How much is a regular massage?" 

"Friend price: 500 Mora. Employee price: 300." 

"…Forget it." 

Ying'er hesitated. 

She needed to save up to buy more spices. 

Last month, she had failed countless times trying to analyze the incense the boss had given her, and now her savings were running low. 

"First-time massages with the boss are free, though." 

"Then I'll go try it later!" 

After a while, Xia Zhi emerged again. "Anyone else want a massage?" 

Shenhe stood up and softly answered, then walked inside. 

Shortly after, the strange sounds resumed. 

Ying'er felt that… this time, the sounds were a little different from the previous ones. 

She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but the session seemed to last longer than the previous ones. 

Finally, Xia Zhi came out and asked again, "Anyone else?" 

Silence. 

"No one? Then I—" 

"I will!" 

"Ying'er? Come in, then." 

"Alright!" 

Ying'er quickly stood up and followed him inside. 

The air inside was filled with a pleasant blend of incense and essential oils. 

It smelled incredible. 

Xia Zhi pointed to a small bed. "Lie down." 

Ying'er walked over and examined it. 

It was clean—no suspicious stains. 

Guess I was overthinking. 

Lying on the bed, she suddenly felt a little nervous. 

"Boss." 

"Hmm?" 

"Zhu Zi said the first massage is free, right?" 

"Yes, but it's just the trial version." 

"Trial version?" 

"It means I'll only massage your arms, shoulders, and back—just the normal areas. No full-body massage." 

"Oh! That's fine!" 

Ying'er sighed in relief. 

Xia Zhi nodded. "Alright, let's start." 

As he prepared to begin, Ying'er couldn't help but ask, "Boss, aren't you using essential oil?" 

"Essential oil costs extra." 

"How much extra?" 

"1000 Mora." 

"…No free perks?" 

"You can try it for free the first time, but I recommend pairing it with a full-body massage—it's more worth it. Want to try now?" 

"…I'll save it for later." 

"Alright." 

Xia Zhi placed his hands on Ying'er's shoulders. 

Her muscles were a bit tense. 

So much for acting all confident. 

For someone who talks so boldly, she's surprisingly stiff. 

"Boss, your essential oil smells amazing. It must contain rare ingredients, right?" 

"Yeah." 

"Like what…" 

Just as Ying'er was about to probe for information on the formula, a tingling sensation shot through her shoulders, making her gasp softly. 

"Mm~" 

What kind of top-tier pleasure is this? 

It was just kneading and pressing—so why did it feel this good? 

Ying'er immediately melted into the sensation. 

The incredible comfort spreading from her shoulders erased all thoughts of essential oil formulas from her mind. 

Unfortunately, the experience didn't last long. 

"Alright, we're done." 

"Eh… already?" 

"It's just the trial version, so I only massaged a few areas." 

Right. 

And yet, even just this trial felt so amazing. 

If she got a full-body massage… and added essential oils on top… wouldn't that be pure bliss? 

Ying'er fell silent for a moment. 

"Boss, give me a full-body massage." 

"Alright. Essential oil?" 

"Yes!" 

Xia Zhi picked up a bottle and poured out the rich, viscous oil. 

Ying'er closed her eyes. 

Just inhaling the scent filled her with a dreamy sense of satisfaction. 

This… This is it! 

This is the perfect fragrance I've been searching for! 

As for whether the massage felt good… that wasn't the main point. 

She just wanted to experience it firsthand to analyze the formula. 

And if one session wasn't enough… 

She'd just keep coming back.

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