chapter32

The reason the shopkeeper returned the silver might be because he saw you yesterday, recognized your identity, and asked the assistant to send it back to you.

"There's a rule like that?" Ran widened her eyes in shock. She felt that this world had once again shattered her understanding.

"They won't lose money doing that?" After thinking about it, Ran still asked.

If someone takes goods worth one hundred taels every time, wouldn't the store suffer a loss? You have to know, one hundred taels is not a small amount. Even in modern times, it would be considered a large sum.

"They definitely won't lose money!" Simeon didn't expect her to think of that. He found it funny, but he still explained it seriously to her. "Not only will they not lose money, they will actually earn a lot.

Because as long as a noble lady takes something from their shop, they spread the news. Then many people will rush in, all wanting to buy the same thing as her. When more people buy, the boss will naturally make a profit."

"Oh! I get it now!" Ran nodded in sudden realization. Isn't this just like the celebrity effect from before the end times? The shopkeeper giving her a set of furniture for free was just like her advertising for the shop.

Only her fans were all men. "What about the silver then?" Simeon looked at the pouch in his hand and asked. This was something she needed to decide.

"Since it's the shopkeeper's kind gesture, we'll accept it!" Ran didn't feel embarrassed at all. If someone offers a free bill, only a fool would say no.

Besides, even if she didn't accept the money, the shop would still use her name to sell things. So why not take it? "Alright!" Simeon placed the pouch into his sleeve.

Just joking, there's no way he would let Ran carry a pouch handed over by another man. Ran glanced at him and instantly understood what he was thinking. But she didn't say anything, silently agreeing with what he did.

After sending off the team that delivered the furniture, Ran excitedly pulled Simeon and Caleb into the room to take a look around. "Ran brother, this is top-quality redwood. Why didn't the shopkeeper take your money?" Caleb touched the finely crafted furniture and asked curiously, thinking about the assistant's actions earlier.

"They want me to promote their shop!" Ran casually answered while admiring the well-made wooden bed. "What does promote mean?" It was the first time he had heard the term, so he asked with interest.

Not only Caleb, even Simeon looked over curiously. It was also the first time he had heard the word. "Promote means to widely spread the news!"

Seeing their curious looks, Ran immediately explained. "To spread it widely! That makes sense!" Simeon softly repeated the phrase, his eyes lighting up as he looked at Ran with admiration.

He didn't expect that Ran, someone who couldn't even recognize all the characters, could say something so insightful. It truly surprised him. But right now, Ran was completely focused on the beautiful furniture and didn't notice his stunned expression.

Even if she had noticed, she wouldn't have cared.

After visiting the house, Ran glanced at the time. It was still early. Since the housewarming banquet would be held the day after tomorrow, she casually looked at the nearby mountain, then turned to Simeon and smiled as she asked, "Didn't you only take three days off? When are you planning to return to the academy?"

"I already asked for more time off from the academy. I'll go back with you in a few days." Simeon didn't think too much about her question. He just assumed she was worried about his studies, so his smile grew even gentler.

Ran looked at Simeon, who was smiling in a daze, and felt confused about what he was imagining again.

She originally planned to enter the mountain after he returned to the academy. That way, she could hunt a bit and store some food in her space for later. She also wanted to visit Smoliv and the old plum tree.

She intended to give them some of her powers and tell them she would be heading to the academy soon. Even though she couldn't visit them often, she would still have two rest days every half month, so she could visit them then.

But now that Simeon was not leaving for the academy, she had to talk things through with him before entering the mountain.

"What's wrong?" Simeon noticed she was looking at the mountain. For some reason, his heart skipped a beat and he asked instinctively.

"Nothing." Ran shook her head and said, "Since we're going back to the academy after the housewarming banquet, I plan to enter the mountain tomorrow."

"What? Go into the mountain? I don't agree!" When he heard that Ran wanted to go into the mountain, Simeon's face immediately turned pale. He looked panicked and spoke in a fluster.

"Do you even know there are wolves and bears in there? What if you get hurt?" His voice was trembling as he spoke. He looked extremely anxious.

Simeon wasn't exaggerating. He had seen it with his own eyes. When it got too cold and there wasn't enough food on the mountain, wolves came down and killed livestock and even people.

Now the weather was already getting cold. Many animals had begun to hibernate. There wasn't much food in the mountains, and if she ran into starving wolves, even if she was strong, the outcome could be very bad.

Back then he didn't know her identity and hadn't fallen for her. He didn't care what she wanted to do. But now it was different.

Even if she weren't a noblewoman, just the fact that he liked her meant he couldn't just watch her take risks.

Simeon's reaction was within Ran's expectations. Still, she had no intention of giving up on entering the mountain.

Not only did she have her powers to rely on, but if there was real danger, she could transform her vines into sharp wooden arrows. Normal animals wouldn't stand a chance against her.

Besides, she had secret weapons hidden in her space, including a gun and grenades she had never taken out. These were things she secretly collected during the end times to protect her life.

Even after coming here, she never brought them out. She kept them in her space as her last line of defense.

With those weapons, even if she really ran into wolves or bears, she was confident she wouldn't be fatally injured.

No matter how strong or fast the animals were, they would be helpless against guns and grenades.

More importantly, her wood-type power had a certain level of affinity with animals. Unless they had a grudge against her, animals rarely took the initiative to attack her.

"You don't have to worry. I know this mountain very well. There's absolutely no danger," Ran said patiently, trying to reassure him.

"I've been to this mountain so many times. I know exactly where it's safe."

"No way!" Simeon said seriously, "Things are different now than before. If you really run into a pack of wolves coming down the mountain to hunt, you won't be able to deal with them alone!"

"Relax. I'm not some arrogant fool with no ability. I have enough confidence to go into the mountains.

I value my life more than anyone. If there's really danger, I absolutely won't go!"

Even though she knew he was doing this for her own good, Ran still started feeling impatient. She didn't like being controlled like this. It made her feel like she was just a doll in his hands, having to do everything the way he wanted.

So the smile on her face faded, and she looked at Simeon with a bit of displeasure in her eyes. Seeing this, Simeon panicked inside. He really was just worried about her safety.

He didn't expect her to be so upset. But he quickly remembered that Ran was different from all the other noblewomen he had met. From the first time he saw her, she had shown more determination than any other woman.

Even more than many men. Later, what she showed to the outside world, her strength, her bravery, her constant wariness of others, and her amazing skills were not things an ordinary noblewoman could display. A woman like her would never willingly let herself be controlled.

Thinking of this, Simeon couldn't help but show a bitter smile. Only now did he realize that Ran liked him, but just a little bit. If he behaved well, she would treat him kindly like before.

But if he crossed the line, she would immediately take back all her affection for him. If he wanted to stay by her side and be loved and pampered by her, he had to know his place. And just as he guessed, to someone like Ran who had survived the end times, it was hard to truly trust anyone completely.

Even in a world where women ruled, she didn't believe betrayal didn't exist. She had seen many people stabbed in the back by their closest ones during the apocalypse. Even before the world fell apart, as long as the reward was big enough, lovers who once shared a bed could bare their fangs without hesitation.

Ran looked calmly at Simeon's slightly pale face, took a deep breath, and said in a flat voice, "I know you're doing this for me. But I still hope you can respect my decision. After all, I have my own way of thinking.

I don't want to be like other noblewomen in this world, just waiting to enjoy life, knowing nothing, allowed to do nothing, just constantly giving birth. This is my bottom line. I know it might be hard for you to accept right away, but I still hope you think carefully before making a decision.

Don't make a choice you'll regret." After speaking, she glanced at him calmly, then turned and walked away. To be honest, she still liked Simeon's face a lot.

He was so handsome that she couldn't bear to end things just like that. But if he kept testing her limits, trying to control her life, she would cut off that bit of affection without hesitation.