The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

At that moment, a pair of soft, delicate arms wrapped around his waist from behind, and a faint, elegant floral fragrance wafted into his nostrils.

"Let's go out for a walk," Xu Xi said.

Xu Nian turned around and ruffled her hair: "Weren't you supposed to be doing business with that Young Master Zoro?"

"Let's talk again tonight." Xu Xi's tone instantly turned indifferent at the mention of Zoro's name, and his brows furrowed slightly, clearly showing no interest whatsoever. "I didn't bring any luggage when I came, so I went out to buy some everyday necessities."

"Oh, okay." Xu Nian nodded, quickly put on her clothes, and left the room side by side with Xu Xi.

This time, the door to room 2002 next door did not open at the same time as usual. Only a cleaning cart was quietly parked at the door, and a cleaner was bending down to collect garbage bags. Obviously, the guests inside had already checked out.

That guy finally left.

Xu Nian breathed a sigh of relief.

Why did that guy leave?

Xu Xi seemed somewhat disappointed.

Looks like I won't need to buy any throat lozenges for this trip.

When we arrived at the hotel, a black bulletproof van that had been arranged in advance was already waiting there.

The two got into the van, and Xu Nian drove, heading forward.

Behind them, Long Teng and his group started their engines in two off-road vehicles on time, keeping a safe distance and quietly following.

The car drove slowly along the coastal road, with the azure sea on one side and the sea breeze sneaking in through the cracks in the car window, carrying a salty and damp scent.

On the other side was lush vegetation. The two walked along the coastline and soon arrived at a shopping center on the island.

At first glance, this place looks no different from large shopping malls like Wanda Plaza in China.

Clothing, daily necessities, luxury goods, gourmet food—everything you can find in domestic shopping malls is available here.

Xu Nian followed closely behind Xu Xi, shopping all the way.

In addition to her daily clothes, she also bought several swimsuits, wetsuits, and a whole bag of black and white stockings.

While she was paying, Xu Nian quietly slipped into a toy store in the corner, quickly scanned the shelves, and picked out a few of Xu Xi's favorite toys.

With the toy in hand, he felt much more at ease, and even straightened his back a bit.

This will save us some energy.

Long Teng and the others wisely followed, taking over the large and small bags from the two of them, each carrying a full load, acting as porters.

In this way, Xu Nian and Xu Xi can continue shopping without their hands being tied up by their luggage.

Of course, there are also some things here that are not available in China.

As you walk deeper into the mall, a gun shop suddenly appears before you, with a huge poster on the door, the red lettering particularly eye-catching.

"Huge promotional offer! Buy a gun and get free ammo. The more you buy, the more you get free, and the more you save!"

"Hey buddy, wanna take a look at our new semi-automatic rifles?"

A shop assistant came up excitedly, holding a model of a long spear. He was overly enthusiastic and leaned close to Xu Nian, introducing the weapon's advantages incessantly, his eyes revealing a hint of fanaticism.

Even though she knew it was just a model, Xu Nian's arm still throbbed with pain the moment she saw it, and she subconsciously frowned.

Long Teng and the others quickly stepped forward and grabbed the shop assistant, who looked like he had been seriously injured, and carried him away from Xu Nian.

"Sir! It's alright if you don't need it!"

While struggling, the shop assistant looked past Long Teng and the others and at Xu Xi's petite back, shouting loudly.

"Our store also carries semi-automatic rifles designed for students, which can protect your school-aged child from bullying. Please consider your child's future!"

Listening to his incoherent shouts, Xu Nian could barely understand a few words. She felt a chill and a sense of unease rose in her heart, so she subconsciously quickened her pace.

After walking a few steps, the two came across another gun shop, with promotional posters on the door as well, and the discounts seemed even greater than the previous one.

"Why are there so many guns for sale here?"

Xu Nian turned her head and asked Xu Xi, who was standing next to her.

Xu Xi shrugged, his tone indifferent.

"The law of the jungle: when everyone else has a gun and you don't, you become prey in the mouths of hungry wolves."

She thought for a moment and added, "North America has always had a high gun ownership rate and gun crime rate. People are forced to buy guns to protect themselves, but the more people buy guns, the higher the gun crime rate becomes, which creates a vicious cycle over time."

As Xu Nian listened, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

"Our country is so much better; we don't have to worry about being shot."

He paused, then seemed to remember something, and continued.

"Should we buy one for self-defense?"

Xu Xi shook his head and snapped his fingers. Long Teng and the others behind him immediately stepped forward, gently lifting their clothes to reveal the small pistols tucked into their waistbands.

Xu Nian understood immediately.

He hasn't gotten used to having a group of bodyguards around him yet.

As Xu Nian passed by a stationery store, her attention was drawn to a row of shelves in the window.

There stood a row of exquisite ink bottles, all black and round, reflecting a metallic luster in the sunlight.

What's even more eye-catching is its price.

Xu Nian could only vaguely understand the foreign language annotations next to her, but she could clearly see the price numbers.

$199!

"My goodness, a bottle of ink costs $199! Is it made of gold or silver?"

His lips twitched; he felt it was utterly absurd.

"This is no ordinary ink."

Xu Xi took out the fountain pen he carried with him and drew some trial ink.

Then, she grabbed the man's arm and wrote a line of words on it.

"I'm a stinky dog!"

What are you doing?

Xu Nian immediately pulled her arm back, frowned and glared at Xu Xi, then vigorously rubbed the writing on it.

Xu Xi smiled faintly, then grasped the man's wrist, stopping him.

"Let go of me! This is so embarrassing!"

Xu Nian struggled desperately, reaching out to rub off the line of ink.

Although we live in an English-speaking country, there might be people who can understand Chinese.

The handwriting on his arm was very conspicuous; if someone who could read Chinese saw it, it would be incredibly embarrassing.

But before he could rub it a few times, the mark began to fade and then disappeared completely.

Xu Nian's eyes widened, she rubbed them, and checked again.

Not to mention the handwriting, not even a trace of black ink was left.

"This ink is disappearing ink, also known as magic ink."

Xu Xi stretched out her finger, dipped it in the ink bottle, and rubbed it on her little face a couple of times.

After a while, the marks on my face began to fade away.

"This ink disappears after a while without leaving any trace. It is mainly used for magic shows and for children to practice writing. The material is special, so it is very expensive."

"I see."

Xu Nian suddenly realized.

Xu Xi took a bottle from the shelf and paid at the cashier.

"I'll buy you a bottle; take it home and use it to practice your calligraphy."

She said jokingly.

Xu Nian's lips twitched, a wave of helplessness washing over her.

Is this girl mocking him for writing worse than a child's?

However, what she said didn't seem to be wrong.

After all, his handwriting was really ugly, like a wriggling ant.

......

As you exit the stationery store, you'll find yourself facing an outdoor basketball court.

Just then, a commotion carried on the wind, attracting their attention.

A dark-skinned little boy was squatting on the ground, clutching a basketball tightly in his hands, crying loudly. His shoulders were shaking, and no matter how much they pulled, he wouldn't let go.

Beside him, a group of white teenagers, around seventeen or eighteen years old, formed a circle, their faces bearing mocking smiles.

Several of them reached out and snatched the basketball from the boy's arms, their movements rough and their tone harsh: "This isn't a place for you, you nigger, go back to your sewers!"

The little boy was too young to be a match for them, and after struggling for a short while, the basketball was snatched from his hands.

He watched as the group of boys played with his basketball with abandon, and could only cover his face, sobbing as he stood up and left the basketball court, looking back every step of the way.

"These people have no manners whatsoever."

Xu Nian frowned unconsciously.

That's just how North Americans are.

Xu Xi glanced at the group of boys who were playing around, his eyes full of disdain and his tone cold.

"The genes of robbery are etched into their bones; even their land was acquired by plundering the local indigenous people."

Xu Nian didn't say anything, but just watched the group of boys running and jumping around the basketball hoop, laughing freely, and a strange sense of envy rose in her heart.

When he was very young, the children around him could run and play basketball freely on the court, sweating profusely.

He could only squat by the field, picking up the water bottles they had left behind to sell and fill his stomach.

Back then, watching the figures running on the court, he was filled with longing, wishing he could be one of them.

Even if he had the means now, his body would probably hurt his back after just a few jumps.

Young is so good.

He rubbed his aching lower back and sighed.

The envy in her eyes was so obvious that Xu Xi noticed it at a glance.

She looked at his forlorn profile, a gentle smile curving her lips. She quietly turned her head and gave a wink to Long Teng and the others behind her.

Long Teng and his companions immediately understood. They exchanged glances, rolled up their sleeves to reveal the strong muscles on their arms, and walked with steady steps toward the group of white teenagers who were still playing around.