Rare Peace

Chapter 24: A Rare Calm

It was already 2 AM. Lu Li was tired from working until now, so he said:

"Let's rest for a bit. I'll buy you some daily necessities tomorrow."

As he spoke, he went to lie down on the sofa. The apartment was a one-bedroom with only one bed.

But Jessica jumped up, looking frightened like a fawn, and said, "I'm scared, sleep with me~"

Lu Li knew the little girl was faking it and felt quite helpless.

As expected, Jessica immediately smiled and pulled him into bed with her.

Seeing that the bed was quite large, Lu Li didn't bother anymore. He closed his eyes and focused on sleeping, falling into a deep slumber shortly after.

Jessica gazed at him for a long while beside him, then gently pecked him and whispered:

"Lu Li, will you marry me?" "If you don't say anything, it means you agree~"

The young girl smiled sweetly, snuggled into Lu Li's embrace, and fell asleep a short while later.

~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Lu Li opened his eyes, feeling refreshed.

Jessica was tangled around him like an octopus, fast asleep and snoring.

Her delicate body was shapely, and she exuded a faint, alluring fragrance. A fair, smooth thigh was hooked around his waist.

This was also why Lu Li felt uncomfortable. He gently withdrew his limbs and slowly got up.

But the little girl suddenly opened her eyes, her expression full of panic!

After a moment, she realized where she was and let out a long sigh, saying, "Good morning, Lu Li."

"Get up when you're awake. Let's go shopping for some things."

He didn't live in the apartment much and lacked many daily necessities.

Now that he had money, it was the perfect time to stock up, and also to buy some for the two girls from the other world.

As soon as she heard they were going shopping, Jessica was overjoyed and jumped out of bed.

She held Lu Li's arm and said coquettishly, "Let's go to Revolution Avenue, okay~"

Revolution Avenue was the city center of Tijuana, and its most prosperous area.

Lu Li hadn't had the money to go before, but things were different now.

~~~~~~~~~~

Tijuana didn't have many tall buildings, so it lacked the crowded and oppressive feeling of a modern city.

Walking on the city streets, the distant mountains and the clusters of buildings built on the slopes were all in full view.

A young couple, hand in hand, as intimate as siblings, browsed extensively in the shopping center.

First, they each bought a few outfits. Lu Li specifically chose retro-style clothing so they wouldn't stand out too much in the other world.

Next, they bought a pile of unlabeled bar soaps and shampoo in glass bottles.

The latter used crystal bottles and cost a full 10 times more than ordinary shampoo!

But even if it cost 100 times more, Lu Li wasn't short on money anymore.

Especially the money he'd snatched – it felt good to spend without any heartache.

They also bought two of the latest and most expensive smartphones before ending their shopping trip and heading to a restaurant called "Cabanna."

This restaurant had high online reviews, with beautiful tiled walls and a lovely painted ceiling.

They ordered grilled red snapper, cheesy baked crab, steak, and corn chowder.

Exquisite and delicious food was served one after another. Lu Li looked out at the busy street and sighed with emotion.

This was the first time in five years that he had enjoyed a meal in an elegant and comfortable restaurant.

The chaotic slums and brutal gangsters instantly disappeared, and he felt a rare sense of peace.

And this peace was bought with slaughter and money...

"Lu Li, eat up~"

The girl's soft, melodious voice woke Lu Li.

He saw Jessica with her mouth full of food, like a little chipmunk, playing with her new phone in her hand.

Lu Li also started eating and said at the same time:

"There's something I need to tell you. I'm very busy and often go away for days at a time. You need to be good at home."

Jessica's expression froze. She immediately thought of the man's incredible marksmanship and his swift, decisive killing methods...

She realized Lu Li was no ordinary person and must have important matters to attend to, so she obediently said:

"You go ahead and be busy. I'll take care of myself."

Lu Li wiped the cheese from the corner of the little girl's mouth and smiled, "You don't have to worry about being bored either. I'll send you to school when classes resume."

"Huh? School? Can I not go..."

Jessica's pretty face tensed; she hadn't set foot on a campus in many years.

"You should go. Knowledge is far more important than you realize."

Lu Li unlocked his new phone and took a look, saying, "The news said negotiations just started. Judging by the situation, it'll take another month or two before classes resume."

Hearing it would be several more months, Jessica felt a bit relieved and began to enjoy the rare happy moments she had.

After dinner, Jessica begged Lu Li to accompany her to a movie before heading home.

"Today is the happiest day of my life~"

The young girl, wearing a beautiful new dress, held Lu Li's arm with a sweet smile, utterly delighted.

It was dusk at this time, and the two walked down a street filled with souvenir shops.

There were an unusual number of foreign tourists here, and naturally, no shortage of streetwalkers.

Of course, those standing by the roadside soliciting customers were generally of average looks. However, they wore revealing clothing and were quite bold.

Just then, Jessica spotted a prostitute by the roadside, her face instantly changed, and she quickly hid behind Lu Li.

Lu Li focused his gaze and saw it was actually an acquaintance—Heidi, who had caused a scene at the hospital before.

This woman in her 40s was now wearing a school uniform skirt, paired with fishnet stockings, effectively becoming a streetwalker!

Jessica said, "It seems the Decapitation Gang is completely finished. The new gang replacing them is establishing their dominance... This woman truly deserves it. At her age, she won't live past three months!"

The young girl, having witnessed Heidi's cruelty and malice firsthand, was filled with schadenfreude.

Lu Li nodded. "This is karma."

As they spoke, three Star Alliance Country tourists with strong preferences, their faces full of curiosity, shoved the dazed Heidi into a small alley.

Lu Li felt a wave of revulsion and quickly pulled Jessica away.

By the time they returned home, the sun had already set.

Lu Li had spent a warm and pleasant day, and it was time for him to leave.

Before departing, he handed a Glock pistol to Jessica and said, "According to my original plan, I definitely wouldn't have let you come into contact with something like this. But looking at things now, survival here truly requires the ability to protect oneself. So, when in Rome, do as the Romans do."

Jessica took the gun and examined it with half-formed familiarity, nodding. "There are video tutorials on YouTube. I'll learn how to use it."

"Alright, good luck. Then I really must be going."

Lu Li picked up his travel bag and waved goodbye.

Jessica hugged him tightly. "You have to come back safely. You promised me~"

"???"

Lu Li was completely bewildered, having thought about it the entire way but unable to recall what he had promised.

He carried his half-height travel bag to the apartment's rooftop and issued the [Cross-Realm] command.

"So much stuff... can I take it all?"

A flash of blue light swept past, and Lu Li vanished.