· Where to Sleep Tonight (Contracted)

At night, Lu Qiming and Eina walked out of a restaurant.

"Burp! Eina, the food here was really good!"

Lu Qiming walked with a sway, rubbing his rounded belly. He had originally assumed the food in this world couldn't compare to the five-thousand-year culinary history of his homeland.

However, after the first bite, he had to admit that the cuisine in this world was indeed significantly better than what he was used to.

It was truly worthy of a fantasy world blessed by gods; the fragrant, tender, and unique monster meat, the exquisite magical cooking techniques, the variety of novel seasonings, and the culinary skills passed down by the Ganesha Familia left him unable to stop eating.

"Of course, this is a chain restaurant opened by the Ganesha Familia, and it's highly acclaimed all over the world!"

Eina looked at her wallet with a pained expression. While the restaurant was delicious, the prices were far from ordinary. Add to that the bottomless pit of an appetite Lu Qiming developed after his enhancement, and the bill for tonight's meal had cost her nearly half a month's salary.

However, Eina didn't say anything about it. She was the one who invited Lu Qiming, and she couldn't very well let a friend who accepted her invitation go hungry.

"Thank you, Eina."

Lu Qiming looked at Eina, who was trying to hide her distress while pretending not to care, and struggled to suppress a laugh. He had intended to pay, but Eina had insisted that since she was the one who invited him, she couldn't let him pay.

"You're welcome."

Eina forced herself to perk up and smiled at Lu Qiming, signaling that he shouldn't worry about it.

"I'm heading off then. Be safe on your way back, Eina."

"Mm, see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Before Eina noticed, Lu Qiming's hand brushed lightly against her waist, and he walked off in the other direction as if nothing had happened. Eina watched him walk away and sighed helplessly.

Yet, she didn't regret treating Lu Qiming to dinner at all. Even knowing his appetite now, if time were to rewind to the evening when she invited him, she would do it all over again.

After all, true friends were hard to come by in this world, and in Eina's eyes, Lu Qiming was a great friend. Regardless of his strength, she could feel a kind heart beneath that feigned cold exterior.

"Home, sweet home! Wuwuwu, my wallet... I'll have to be frugal for a while now."

Although Eina didn't regret it, she still felt sad about her flattened wallet. She was just like one of her colleagues who would emphasize not spending money recklessly right after getting paid, only to buy everything in sight, end up with nothing left, and have to survive on steamed buns until the next payday.

Eina felt she had a lot in common with that colleague now, because she would have to do the exact same thing until next month's salary arrived.

The sorrow of being broke hung over Eina until she returned home and collapsed onto her bed in exhaustion, only to notice something in her waist pocket.

Curious, Eina took the object out and found a white piece of paper wrapped around ten coins, each worth ten thousand Valis.

"This is?"

Eina didn't remember having an extra hundred thousand Valis on her, and she looked at the gold coins in confusion. Suddenly, she remembered Lu Qiming leaning in slightly when they parted ways.

She hadn't paid much attention at the time, assuming he had just stumbled in the dark, but it seemed he had slipped the hundred thousand Valis into her pocket then. Thinking of this, Eina felt a bit unhappy. She was the one who invited him to dinner, so why was he giving her money when he left? What was the meaning of this?

However, she noticed writing on the paper wrapping the Valis. She picked it up gently and read: Eina, this is a loan of one hundred thousand Valis. Don't you dare borrow it and not pay it back!

Your friend: Lu Qiming.

"Hmph! This brat, who does he think I am? Honestly."

Eina looked at the note, and though her words were sharp, the smile on her lips grew increasingly evident.

"Stupid brat, see you tomorrow."

Eina tucked the Valis Lu Qiming had slipped her into her wallet. Looking at the now-plump wallet and thinking about how she wouldn't have to eat steamed buns for the next half-month, Eina drifted off to sleep with a smile.

While Eina was sleeping, Lu Qiming arrived at his destination. He had no place to stay in this world and was unfamiliar with everything, so after dinner, he immediately thought of the first person he had met here.

That raggedly dressed, broad-minded young lady.

Of course, Lu Qiming's main purpose wasn't to admire her "broad-mindedness," but rather the fact that he still lacked a place to stay, and she had warmly invited him for free tea that morning.

She hadn't been angry when he refused due to his lack of money and his reluctance to accept charity, and she had even kindly pointed him toward the Adventurer Guild. When he left, she had told him to come support her tea house business regardless of whether he had earned money or not.

As a man of his word, now that he had money, he certainly had to repay the kind-hearted lady and support her business.

In front of the tea house, a young lady who looked to be about eighteen was leaning against the doorway, casually greeting the adventurers passing by on the street. She spotted Lu Qiming standing at the entrance.

Slurp! Could it be my lucky day?

The young lady swallowed her saliva discreetly, her eyes fixed on Lu Qiming. He looked like a total novice, and he was quite handsome, too—fair skin, black hair and eyes, which were rare in Orario, and a face that, while a bit cold, was very dashing.

He was completely different from the rough-and-tumble adventurers she usually saw. Such a top-tier catch—even if he didn't have money, she'd be willing to let him drink tea for free!

"Little brother, who are you looking for? Why don't you come inside and play with big sister? Let me show you a different world; it's very exciting, I guarantee you'll want to come back again!"

Anya suppressed the urge to carry Lu Qiming back to her room and have her way with him right then and there. She walked up to him with a sweet, delicate tone, puffing out her chest to reveal that unfathomable cleavage.

"Um, I'm looking for Tia. When I first arrived in Orario this morning, I didn't know the way to the Adventurer Guild, and she pointed it out to me. She also said that no matter if I earned money or not, I could come find her here tonight."

Lu Qiming sniffed the faint fragrance in the air, his eyes darting toward the deep cleavage before him. Truly, this is another world; the young lady is so... I like it!

"So you're that top-tier catch Tia mentioned today. No, I mean, that innocent little brother. Come, come, follow me, I'll take you to Tia; she's been talking about you all afternoon."

Hearing Lu Qiming's words, Anya licked her lips with her tongue and pulled him straight into the tea house.