The Outsider
A lot of passersby sneaked glances at her, but Ran Ying didn't care. Every now and then, she even smiled at them. When she saw Xu Huo, she closed the magazine app, stood up, and walked over.
Ran Ying was tall to begin with, and in high heels she was a good bit taller than Xu Huo. She seemed to enjoy it, though, and took his arm of her own accord. "There's a new restaurant that's pretty good. They have fresh whitefish lips. You'll be hooked after just one bite."
"I don't eat anything raised on aliens," Xu Huo said with a smile.
Ran Ying tilted her head to look at him. After a couple of seconds, she laughed. "I like honest people like you. Don't worry, it's all naturally occurring. In District 011, any food involving aliens is strictly forbidden. Even if you wanted to eat it, you couldn't."
Xu Huo nodded readily, then rode with Ran Ying to the restaurant.
From the private room, they could watch a film playing in one of the city's public areas. There were no special effects or stand-ins; every player in it was the real deal, captured in lifelike detail from every angle.
"In District 011, players can take up any profession they like. You could say things are even more lenient than they were before the game changed everything. A lot of ordinary people have carved out a place for themselves here by virtue of being players." Ran Ying ate as she spoke. "Have you found a place to stay yet? Eternal Star is expensive, so you can't stay long. If you want to rent or buy a place, I can help."
"I haven't decided yet," Xu Huo said. "But I like living farther from the busy areas."
"Good