It could be said that Yu Mian had unconsciously posed a century-long problem to Huo Ting and Secretary Hals.
Standing in front of the dazzling display of products on the counter, both men fell into a simultaneous silence.
It just so happened that Huo Ting was almost a head taller than everyone in the mall, and his handsome and cold temperament was extremely eye-catching, causing some shoppers passing by unable to stop stealing glances at him repeatedly.
It was rare to encounter such an eye-catching person.
Not to mention that he dared to shop on the most expensive floor of the mall, this clearly indicated that he was genuinely wealthy!
After all, even in the interstellar era, online shopping often offered significantly more discounts.
In reality, neither Hou Ting nor Secretary Hals had even thought of shopping online.
When it came to skincare products, Hou Ting subconsciously thought of the Central Star Shopping Mall, where his aunt, Madam Inas, frequently came with her friends.
“Excuse me, do you need assistance? Are you buying skincare products for a friend or a family member?”
Finally, one of the counter staff cautiously approached to inquire.
After all, neither Hou Ting nor Secretary Hals looked like they’d use these skincare products themselves.
Secretary Hals was also eager to know the answer, and he immediately glanced at Hou Ting.
He was dying to know…who were these products for? And why had they suddenly come to the mall after work to shop for them?
“…Family, for an elder.”
After a moment of subtle hesitation, Hou Ting finally provided an answer.
Hearing this, the originally curious Secretary Hals suddenly had a moment of clarity.
‘Ah, so it was for the elders at home. It must be for Madam Inas or the Old Lady, right?’
“That makes sense. The Old Master seems to be returning soon, and there will likely be a family gathering. Preparing a gift for the female elders is indeed thoughtful. That’s something I overlooked.”
But on second thought, it didn’t seem entirely logical. After all, they’d never specifically come out to pick gifts before!
“Well then, does your family member have any specific skincare needs, or what’s their skin type? Do they live in a particular kind of environment?”
The counter staff skillfully shifted the conversation, successfully redirecting Hou Ting and Secretary Hals’ attention.
“For example, our featured product this season is this whitening and moisturizing series. It not only hydrates the skin but also has a whitening effect.”
“This other series focuses on skin repair and can reduce dark spots…”
Under the staff’s guidance, both Hou Ting and Secretary Hals quickly fell silent. Secretary Hals even began to develop a sense of astonishment.
How could there be so many options?!
It was like flipping through an encyclopedia, with countless types and uses that dazzled the eyes. Anyone with decision-making anxiety would lose their mind.
“So, which type does your family member need?”
Faced with this ultimate question, Hou Ting, who had been silent, finally handed over the piece of paper with the simple diagram.
“This one. I heard it works well.”
When the staff took the paper, she saw that it was a hand-drawn sketch of a small container!
It was oddly adorable.
There was a clumsy yet endearing artistic quality to it. Though it was slightly off in every way, it was still immediately recognizable.
“Oh, you should’ve said so earlier! The “Brilliant Series” is also one of the products under our brand.”
“This product works really well, not just for regular users but also for the scales or armor plates of special races. That’s why it’s so popular.”
With the enthusiastic introduction, the staff quickly retrieved the gift box.
But…
“Wait, are we buying the wrong thing? The Old Lady and Madam Inas aren’t special raced. I think the anti-aging series might be more suitable.”
“Or perhaps the whitening series would be better? Madam Inas might prefer that, considering her frequent visits to outer systems. Her skin likely gets tanned easily.”
Secretary Hals carefully analyzed the products before them as he habitually analyzed.
This led directly to Huo Ting, who had just breathed a sigh of relief and was reaching out for the Brilliant Series gift box, only to watch helplessly as the staff, poised to hand it over, suddenly paused mid-motion.
Hou Ting: “…”
He suddenly realized that bringing Secretary Hals along was a grave mistake. There would be no useful suggestions, only complications.
“Sir, your companion does make a valid point. If it’s for ordinary female elders, I’d indeed recommend these other products instead…”
“Right? These options seem more appropriate. Let’s look again…”
Just as Secretary Hals eagerly prepared to delve deeper into the discussion with the staff, Hou Ting interrupted decisively.
“There’s no need to return anything. Take one of each.”
His domineering and direct statement left not only the staff but also Secretary Hals stunned.
“…What?”
“One of each. Let them decide what they want. This way, we won’t make a mistake.”
Hou Ting offered a concise explanation before handing over his private star card to the still-surprised staff, signaling her to hurry with the checkout.
“Oh… That does make sense. After all, our choices might not match the preferences of the Old Lady and Madam Inas,” Secretary Hals murmured thoughtfully.
Secretary Hals scratched his head, hesitating as he watched his boss turn around, seemingly still examining the introduction to the Brilliant Series products.
Hou Ting, who simply didn’t want any further unnecessary exchanges with Secretary Hals, paused for a few seconds as he read the part about “caring for various special scales”.
Not long after, several large, heavy bags were carefully carried over by the counter staff, who were visibly filled with awe and admiration.
“No need to deliver them. We’ll take them ourselves.”
For Hou Ting and Secretary Hals, carrying a few bags was nothing at all. They directly took the bags and signaled that the shopping was done.
“They’re a bit heavy… Oh, okay, thank you! We’ve also included the rewards from your loyalty points in the bags. Please come again!”
As they watched Hou Ting and Secretary Hals effortlessly walk away with the bags, the entire counter exploded into chatter.
News that a mysterious, handsome big spender had appeared in the Central Star Shopping Mall and swiped his card without hesitation quickly spread across the entire circle of counters.
But somehow, it felt like the customer hadn’t been entirely honest.
The counter staff, in particular, recalled the little sketch on the paper and couldn’t help but feel it didn’t seem like something a female elder in the family would have drawn.
Of course, that wasn’t something a salesperson could pry into.
Maybe wealthy people just liked being mysterious?
—
Not long after, Madam Inas, who was still conducting research in an outer star system, was shocked when she received an enormous package delivered via interstellar courier. When she opened it and saw that it was filled with various skincare products, she was completely dumbfounded.
“Why did Hou Ting suddenly decide to send so many things over?”
Still, the contents were all from brands she often used, which touched her deeply.
“Maybe it’s just the child’s way of showing thoughtfulness. But why didn’t I get any gifts?” Huo Dong, who was standing by, felt a little jealous and felt uncomfortable being forgotten by his nephew.
Was it just because he was a man that he didn’t deserve skincare products too?!
“But Hou Dong, you’ve never bought me so many gifts in all these years,” Madam Inas said with a suddenly dangerous expression.
Hou Dong: “…”
Oops. He felt like his nephew had just thrown him under the bus.
What was going on with that kid Hou Ting? Since when had he become so considerate?
—
Meanwhile, in the study, Yu Mian stared in confusion at the enormous shopping bag Hou Ting had brought back that evening.
“What did he buy? It’s just one bottle of essence, right? Could it be a few kilograms of it?”
But when he opened the packaging, he discovered that, besides the essence he had wanted, there was an entire assortment of baffling, miscellaneous items.
“Oh my God, did Hou Ting get scammed? Has he never gone shopping before? Is he a total newbie who got treated like a gullible customer and ended up buying everything they pitched to him?”
Yu Mian could almost picture Hou Ting being bombarded by sales pitches, growing impatient, and buying everything with a wave of one hand.
Even if he was rich, this was too wasteful!
[Now you’ve got enough to last until the end of time…]
The little system was speechless at Hou Ting’s behavior which was akin to being the ultimate wish-granting genie.
“Huh, a mermaid…?”
Just as Yu Mian was about to try out the Brilliant Moisturizing Essence he had specifically wanted, he spotted a small box decorated with a mermaid design in the bag.
The sight startled him so much he almost dropped the essence.
Why would Hou Ting buy something related to mermaids? Could he have figured out he was one?
[Don’t panic! It looks like a free gift from the loyalty points program!]
The little system quickly analyzed the situation and found that Hou Ting probably hadn’t bought it on purpose.
“A mermaid-series product preview?”
Yu Mian picked up the exquisitely designed VIP gift and discovered it was a sample of a new product line inspired by the concept of mermaids.
“Dive into the deep sea’s starlight, chase the pearls of the tides, and achieve the beauty of a mermaid…”
The advertisement was filled with extravagant language, clearly emphasizing the importance of this new launch.
The accompanying magazine was packed with fashion spreads featuring mermaid-themed photo shoots.
“Ugh, this is too much. Even my mermaid tail can’t help but shed scales!”
As an actual mermaid, Yu Mian couldn’t help but feel embarrassed as he read through the exaggerated descriptions and his tail almost curled up in embarrassment.
[Mermaids are super popular in the interstellar era! This new product line is already trending online, and everyone’s eagerly waiting for the pre-orders!]
The little system, frustrated with Yu Mian’s lack of ambition, could only sigh. This was supposed to be the perfect “protagonist” setup!
“Whatever, as long as Hou Ting didn’t buy it intentionally.”
Yu Mian quickly lost interest and decided to try the essence instead.
To his surprise, it worked very well.
The strange dryness that had plagued his scales recently vanished as soon as he applied the essence, leaving them hydrated and even softening their color.
“This stuff is amazing!”
Yu Mian admired his now-glowing scales and felt as if he had discovered a miraculous black technology.
—
The next day, when Hou Ting entered the study again, he noticed that the shopping bag had indeed been opened. Although only the small bottle of essence had been unwrapped.
However, he didn’t touch anything and merely glanced at it from the corner of his eye.
By now, the two of them had developed a subtle understanding of each other. The left side of the study was reserved for Yu Mian’s belongings, while the right side remained Hou Ting’s domain for documents and materials.
When Hou Ting noticed that the slip of paper had been replaced with a new one, he couldn’t help but pull it out to take a look.
