I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 415
Chapter 415: Another Water Magic Battle?
After swapping bodies, Xiao Mo seemed to have genuinely handed over all decision-making power to me.
It’s as if she completely sees herself as innocent and naive, much like “Yin Xiamo” currently being cared for by “Yin Nuo’er”. Not only is she completely defenseless towards me, but she also displays absolute trust in the entire world.
“It seems like there are many food shops around here.”
Walking near the pedestrian street, bathed in sunlight on the flat avenue, Xiao Mo curiously observed the crowds coming and going.
“The experience of coming to the city center in the morning is completely different from coming at night, there are so many fewer people during the day!”
“Of course, today isn’t a holiday. Everyone has to work during the day.”
“Yin Nuo’er” bounced along like a little rabbit, leaving me no choice but to reluctantly adopt the demeanor of an adult and follow behind her, making it clear to passersby that we were out together.
It had to be this way because ever since getting off the bus until now, in just over ten minutes, Xiao Mo’s “sixth sense” kept telling me that at least ten people around us had noticed us.
My brain now functions like a giant monitor. Even if Xiao Mo and I buy bubble tea together, chat, walk, it collects a wealth of information from eyes, nose, skin, and ears, then integrates it all for detailed analysis.
For ordinary people, like university classmates or couples, when they go out together, their attention usually stays on their companions. Their brains can’t afford to be distracted, and sometimes someone walks right into you unexpectedly, and in that moment of apologizing, you don’t realize they’ve already picked your wallet from your pocket.
But Xiao Mo’s body can absolutely avoid such situations.
For someone to “commit a crime,” unless they’re also a peerless expert like Xiao Mo, who has lived for thousands of years and can perfectly conceal their physical changes, Xiao Mo’s brain would have already locked onto them from afar.
Even if I just turn my head and catch a glimpse for a fraction of a second, just a single frame, my brain can analyze that person’s facial expression, deduce their current mood, and conclude that the person seems tense, with an unnatural facial expression, and is discreetly watching us.
If someone is watching either Xiao Mo or me, it indicates their target is us, which falls under “malicious intent.” My brain will then sound an alarm, directing more attention and computational power towards that person, thus preventing them from coming over and attempting to steal something.
From getting off the bus, to going to the nearby bubble tea shop with Xiao Mo, and then leaving the shop, in just over ten minutes, I’ve noticed no fewer than ten people watching us.
Among these ten people, seven or eight were “sneaking glances.” Based on their facial expressions and body temperature data, it seems they harbor no ill intentions towards us.
They likely just find Xiao Mo and me exceptionally pretty and cute, which makes them take a few more glances. Afterward, they notice our clothing and realize it’s impolite to stare at girls on the street, so they can only sneak peeks at us using their peripheral vision.
My brain can analyze that most people sneaking glances at Xiao Mo and me have no ill intentions. After all, today Xiao Mo and I are both dressed in Lolita-style dresses and chunky heels. This style naturally draws attention, and with our looks—one being pretty and the other cute—it’s perfectly normal for us to attract notice.
However, there were two or three individuals who genuinely triggered an “alert signal” in my brain with their malicious intent.
For example, right after we got off the bus, there was a scruffy, unkempt man dressed like a hoodlum who stared at us for almost a minute. He pretended to walk the same route as us, deliberately slowing down to follow behind.
Even without turning around, I could see his reflection in small mirrors of nearby phone and clothing stores, and on the shiny advertising signs of shops. Based on the heat changes emanating from him, his heart rate, and my skin’s sensory input, I could tell he was very tense and serious, clearly plotting something. Fortunately, they eventually gave up.
Yes, I can even determine when “someone has given up.” When a person shifts their focus, their facial expression, heart rate, and body temperature change. I don’t know why I can make this judgment based on these changes. It must be Xiao Mo’s body’s terrifying “sixth sense.”
In other words, after Xiao Mo and I arrived at the pedestrian street, our noticeable outfits indeed made us the targets of many people’s attention.
Fortunately, since it’s daytime, with a police station nearby and patrol cars frequently checking the area, these people are mostly in a state of “having the intention but not the courage to act.”
If we relied on Xiao Mo’s “sixth sense” to catch people, we’d probably end up apprehending hundreds just by walking around the pedestrian street. At this moment, I finally understood how Xiao Mo felt when she was my “guardian” while we were out.
“It’s great that everyone is at work! The entire pedestrian street is ours to explore freely. When it’s crowded, even walking becomes difficult.”
After finishing her milk tea, Xiao Mo politely threw the bottle into a nearby recycling bin and looked ahead. “That looks like a street full of clothing stores?”
“Want to buy some clothes?”
I caught up with her, took out an umbrella from my bag, and opened it. “If you like, we can go in and have a look.”
“I’d love to! How can a girl not have beautiful clothes?”
Hearing this, Xiao Mo seemed very happy and ran over to hug my arm. “Lead the way, Sister Momo!”
“You…”
I couldn’t help but sigh as I held the umbrella over Xiao Mo’s head as much as possible. “Don’t be so rowdy, or you’ll end up sweaty and needing a bath when we get back.”
“Bath time is fun!”
“No, it’s not!”
I was exasperated. “At most, we’ll switch back before we take a bath tonight!”
“That’s fine too, we can take a bath together.”
“Please allow me to refuse. I’m not a child, I don’t need help with bathing.”
“Ugh…”
“Why are you making that face like a kid who’s been scolded for not getting candy! This role-playing game has gone too far!”
As we spoke, we passed by a “children’s playground.” I looked at the various slides, tunnels, trampolines, and ball pits inside and said instinctively, “Keep it up and I’ll send you in there to play with the kids!”
Places like these are usually for children aged seven to twelve. The owner was smart to set up the playground here because right in front is a street lined with clothing and furniture stores. From a glance, it was full of men’s, women’s, and shoe stores of all kinds—brands, non-brands, luxury items. It almost felt like it could be called “Clothing Pedestrian Street.”
Adults love shopping for clothes, but kids usually get impatient because they have almost no interest in clothing stores. Even if they do, most parents tend to say things like, “Buy this one, trust me,” which makes kids dislike shopping for clothes with their parents.
Back in college, I once heard my roommate complain about this. He said his parents were very controlling and “hypocritical.” He was often dragged to clothing stores to buy clothes, and when they asked him which one he wanted, they would always be unhappy with his choice. They’d put back the clothes or shoes he picked, saying, “This doesn’t look good” or “This is uncomfortable. Listen to us, this one looks good, buy this one.”
“If that’s the case, why don’t they just buy the clothes and give them to me? Why ask for my opinion?” my roommate had said at the time.
I’ve heard that many parents are like his, which makes most kids dislike shopping for clothes with their parents. No matter how much they shop, it doesn’t matter to them.
The business owner who opened this children’s playground was very perceptive of this commercial opportunity: since kids don’t like shopping with their parents, opening a children’s playground near clothing stores is a great way to make money. Parents can shop while their kids play, and everyone is happy.
Nowadays, with better nutrition, it’s quite normal for ten-year-olds to be around 1.4 meters tall. “Yin Nuo’er” happens to fall within this height range, so even if I were to send Xiao Mo to this “children’s playground,” no one would question her age.
“Don’t, don’t, I’ll bathe myself…”
Hearing that I seriously considered sending her to the “children’s playground,” Xiao Mo quickly put on a pleading expression, then muttered softly, “It’s not like I haven’t seen your body before. I’ve touched every part inside and out. Previously, I kept meowing because of the frequent use of water magic…”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing, nothing!”
Afterward, Xiao Mo and I strolled through the core area of the pedestrian street, “Clothing Avenue,” but we left in less than half an hour.
The reason was simple: the clothes and shoes there were too expensive.
There’s no need to mention the brand-name stores, some luxury shops had bags costing tens of thousands.
Even the less extravagant stores commonly had clothes and shoes priced at seven or eight hundred per item. The cheaper ones were still two or three hundred, but their quality didn’t seem great, making them a poor value compared to online shopping.
As Xiao Mo put it, “Even the free bunny backpack is better. At least it’s cuter than those fancy backpacks.”
Xiao Mo was well aware that the branding strategy for some clothes here was similar to that of “diamonds”, they were selling the brand. Xiao Mo and I just weren’t the target audience for these branded clothing stores. Neither of us were particularly vain, nor did we feel inferior because others wore name brands. We also didn’t like flaunting branded items.
“One thing I love about Earth is its advanced industry, which has caused the prices of what would be considered luxury items in another world to plummet.”
Behind the clothing stores was a food street, also recently promoted by the Shenzhen City government as a “stall area.” Considering the domestic economy hasn’t been great in recent years, many places have been encouraging people to start businesses by setting up stalls.
Shenzhen City was no exception, and this pedestrian street in the city center was one such “stall spot.” As long as you set up your stall in the designated area, clean up after yourself, and pack up at the end, you didn’t even have to pay a stall fee.
“Food! Let me see if there’s… oh wait, I’m Nuo’er now, so I should see if there’s any fruit!”
As we left the main avenue of the clothing street and entered this “food street,” Xiao Mo seemed very happy looking at the array of stalls ahead.
“The fruit here shouldn’t be too expensive, right?”
“Technically, it shouldn’t be,” I replied with a smile. “You just drank a huge bottle of dragon milk and then had a big cup of milk tea. You’re still not full?”
“Nope! As long as it’s food, I can eat as much as possible!”
Xiao Mo looked very curious. “What kind of fruits are available this season?”
“Now? Let me think…”
I pondered for a moment. “Watermelon, lychee, jackfruit, mango, banana… strawberries and cherries should also be available.”
Xiao Mo’s words reminded me that due to Earth’s advanced industry, the prices of many former “luxury items” have plummeted, making them affordable for ordinary people.
For example, sugar. In another world, without the appropriate machinery and factories, even if people knew how to make sugar, they couldn’t produce it on a large scale. Therefore, white sugar was considered a “luxury item” that only royalty and nobles could afford, and it was extremely expensive.
I used to wonder why people in the other world, knowing they had no magical talent, would still rather learn magic than make sugar and quietly get rich. This should be a highly profitable industry.
It wasn’t until I met the little lizard girl, Nida, that I understood… Ordinary people have very limited time. Nida, for example, had to hunt in the lizard village, help her father with village chores, build the village, and occasionally prepare for battles against external threats like the “Cote Pirates.” Even if she had the intention to grow sugarcane, she wouldn’t have much time to manage it, let alone the conditions to research sugar production.
This is the life of the village chief’s daughter. As for ordinary lizard people, they have even less opportunity and means to learn about sugar production.
Most lizard people have been in a semi-reclined state for thousands of years: some collect shells, some practice swordsmanship, and some dig tunnels, but none are interested in science.
Considering this, Xiao Mo’s “space spell” truly lives up to its title as the “unique forbidden spell”: it connects two worlds, making fruits common in the other world potentially rare on Earth. For example, the “coconut” with a melon flavor that Nida gave me, which reportedly has a shorter growing cycle than real coconuts and is very easy to cultivate, making it a superior substitute for coconuts.
There’s also that white fruit resembling strawberries, which is common in the forest but rare on Earth, where scarcity increases its value.
On the other hand, “Grandis” has far more gold reserves than Earth, and obtaining it is very simple. Even if I casually brought a bunch of white sugar from Earth, I could probably exchange it for a lot of gold in the other world. Then, using that gold to buy more white sugar, I could quickly get rich through repeated cycles.
Many countries on Earth have flags with only a few colors, and almost none use purple as the primary color. This is because, during the time when national flags were created, purple dye was very scarce.
For instance, some Western countries could only obtain purple dye from the mucus of dye murex or red-mouth rock snails, which are difficult to catch and produce low amounts of mucus. Back then, purple dye was as expensive as gold. If a country had a purple flag, not many could afford to make it.
The information between the other world “Grandis” and Earth is entirely unequal. If Xiao Mo and I wanted to, it wouldn’t be a matter of how much money we could make. So, this “space spell” truly lives up to its nature and the risks involved.
“This granny’s cherries seem pretty good.”
While I was still considering whether to bring some magical items from the other world to make a living if we ever run out of money, Xiao Mo trotted towards a stall ahead like a husky off its leash, waving her little hand at me from the vendor’s stall.
“Momo, I want to eat cherries!”
Alright, alright, we’ll buy them. It’s your phone and your money anyway…
I reluctantly followed her.
As a southern city, Shenzhen’s fruit prices are relatively cheap. Although cherries, carmine cherries, and strawberries are considered on the pricier side among fruits, they aren’t at the “luxury” level. Eating them occasionally is no big deal.
Speaking of which… switching bodies like this, seeing myself from her perspective, really does help increase mutual understanding.
Looking at myself using Xiao Mo’s body, I genuinely feel that “Yin Nuo’er” is incredibly cute, like a little animal. It makes me want her to talk more, be more lively, or act spoiled. Even a little glance or a hug would give a feeling of being “healed.”
I used to not understand why Xiao Mo had such an almost pathological love for me or why she always wanted to stick to me and bully me. But now, being in her body, I understand these feelings.
As for Xiao Mo… I believe during the time she spends outside playing as me, she’ll also come to understand “Yin Nuo’er” better, right?
“Grandma, how much are your cherries?”
There are quite a few elderly men and women selling stalls behind the clothing store’s snack street, perhaps because there are also many elderly people selling stalls downstairs from Ai Luodi’s rented apartment, giving me a very friendly feeling.
At this moment, the elderly lady selling cherries mentioned by Xiao Mo is pushing a small cart. Besides a few cherries, there are also some apples and what appears to be homemade peanut sweet potato triangular rice dumplings, with a variety of types.
It’s obvious that the cherries sold by the old lady should be from her own home, with a small quantity in just a small basket. And from their appearance, they don’t look that good. There isn’t the bright, round shine of cherries next to some other fruit sellers.
Forget the cherries. The apples this elderly lady sells are also not very attractive, with a surface that is yellow and red and small in size.
However, since I deal with these small vendors often, I know—when it comes to buying fruit, cherries and apples are actually the best to eat.
“3 yuan per kilogram.”
“Is the scale accurate?”
“Don’t worry, it’s absolutely accurate.”
The uncle appeared confident. “Which one do you want?”
“I’ll take this one.”
One of the boys picked a melon and placed it on the scale. “How much?”
“7.2 kilograms, that’ll be 21 yuan for you.”
“Can I weigh it myself?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
Then came the anticipated scene—the boy took out his own electronic scale and weighed it in front of the uncle. “This isn’t 7 kilograms, it’s only 6 kilograms. You’re shortchanging me, aren’t you?”
“I use an old-style scale, don’t you understand? It’s an eight-ounce scale.”
“You’re so shameless using an eight-ounce scale like this? I’m going to report you.”
“Report if you want, why are students so audacious these days…”
“……”
It seems like such news has been increasingly common lately.
The scene unfolding nearby made me think to myself.
During this period on Tongmeng, there have been quite a few reports exposing small vendors for shortchanging customers. Even our café has been “tested” by some influencers, but fortunately, under Ouyang Xue’s management, we haven’t had such issues.
Some small vendors, driven by cutthroat competition, have resorted to shady tactics. They buy scales that can be adjusted, then lower their prices to appear more affordable than other vendors nearby.
As a result, customers flock to them, squeezing out other vendors who can’t compete, thus leading to a situation where the bad money drives out the good.
“Grandma, how much for your cherries?”
Seeing a few students arguing with the boss over there, I turned to the old lady selling cherries from her cart next to Xiao Mo.
“For these? 12 yuan.”
The old lady seemed surprised that we were patronizing her stall. She cautiously replied in slightly unfamiliar Mandarin, “They’re sweet, you can try them. Absolutely no shortchanging. They’re just… a bit small. I don’t have big ones, they’re all picked from my own trees.”
This pedestrian street, compared to big cities like Shenzhen, is actually quite remote in location.
It’s not like those large pedestrian streets in bustling downtown areas, so there are relatively fewer people here, and the vendors who come here are not as “glamorous” — in more common terms, they’re more down-to-earth.
It’s exactly because of this that I used to come to this pedestrian street often back in the day, wandering alone until I discovered the “secret base” not far from the pedestrian street.
“Well… I’ll take a pound of cherries, please.”
I signaled to the grandma to pick out about a pound of fruits while I took out my own phone from the pocket of my skirt and weighed it in my hand.
This phone was bought by me for Xiao Mo, and I remember clearly that its weight is 270 grams.
Xiao Mo’s body can accurately identify subtle facial expressions of people around her, and of course, it can also accurately perceive specific weights, provided that I first clarify the feeling of numerical weight in my hand.
“One pound, right here.”
Soon, the grandma weighed out a pound of cherries and handed me the bag, saying, “Is there… anything else you need?”
This grandma doesn’t seem to be in very good health.
I observed the elderly person in front of me.
She was small and frail, her heartbeat irregular, and her spirits not very high.
But her eyes were very bright, kind-hearted, completely different from the uncle selling watermelons not far away.
However, now that “Yin Nuo’er” is here, so close to the old grandma, passive “life aura” should help the grandma’s body recover somewhat, right?
“Wait, let me see.”
After hesitating for a few seconds, I took the bag of “one pound of cherries” from the old grandma and tested its weight.
“Okay.”
After confirming that the grandma’s scale was completely fine, I pointed to the cherries in the middle of the cart and said, “I’ll take all of these, and then about a pound of apples and lychees.”
“……”
After buying fruits and browsing through the flea market-like area nearby with Xiao Mo, we purchased some daily necessities and small hair accessories for girls.
I took Xiao Mo out of the pedestrian street, crossed the green belt along a small path behind it, and arrived at a place that was almost “desolate” compared to the bustling downtown area.
This place used to be a paid park, but it closed due to poor management. No one has taken over since, and the land disputes have been dragging on. The city government hasn’t handled it properly yet, so it has become a kind of “free park without fences or gates.”
From the outside, it’s all trees inside. Most locals of Shenzhen City don’t know about this place, and I discovered it by accident. After walking out of the pedestrian street, crossing the green belt, and walking about a hundred meters along a shaded path, you can find the entrance.
Otherwise, from the outside, it looks like a very remote forest with seemingly nothing inside, giving the impression that there are probably a lot of mosquitoes and snakes, so no one dares to venture in.
My “secret base” is right here in the center of this abandoned park, with a large slide next to an unmanaged lake.
Sitting on the small platform at the top of the slide, you can see the entire view of the lake. If the sun is too hot, you can hide underneath the slide.
Whenever I’m feeling unhappy, I come here for a stroll—though compared to here, the scenery near the medicinal botanical garden is better, it’s just that this place is closer to the pedestrian street, making shopping and travel more convenient.
“Wow!”
Walking together through the thick shaded path, we arrived at the worn-out slide that had almost lost its color due to the sun. Looking at the lake ahead, Xiao Mo opened her arms and ran along the lake shore.
“Indeed, it’s a secret base!”
“Take it slow.”
I found a cool spot under the slide and sat down, taking out the bottled water I brought and rinsing some cherries.
“If you’re thirsty, come over and drink.”
“Okay!”
Over there, Xiao Mo completely let herself go, running back and forth along the rocky path by the lake several times before turning back.
“I want Sister Momo to feed me!”
“You’re not that little anymore…”
I handed over the washed cherries helplessly.
“Thanks.”
Swallowing the cherry in one gulp, Xiao Mo looked around at the “outskirts of the city center,” and in her childish voice, she asked, “Are there no people here?”
“There’s still disputed land. The previous developers couldn’t reach an agreement with the government on compensation issues, and no new developers dare to take over. Both sides are at a standoff… that’s what they say.”
I took a small knife and started peeling an apple. “And in the past decade, the nearby pedestrian street has overshadowed it. Everyone thinks this place is some undeveloped wasteland. Very few people come in… at least there’s no one within a three-kilometer radius.”
Peeling the apple skillfully, I handed the crisp white apple to Xiao Mo and used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat off her face.
“Take a break, you’re all sweaty.”
“If that’s the case…”
Xiao Mo took the apple. “Can we do whatever we want here?”
“What, what are you planning to do?”
I was taken aback. “Now I am Xiao Mo, remember? Whether it’s physical strength or magic, you can’t beat me.”
“I know.”
‘Nuo’er’ turned her head, her small face revealing a cute yet mischievous smile.
Then, she suddenly hugged me, brought her head close to my ear, and whispered softly, “Xiao Mo, I love you!”
Hearing that, I felt my body temperature suddenly rise, my heart start racing, and my mind react in a chaotic way.
“How about that? Every time I hear it, I can’t think of anything else but you. Looks like you’re feeling it too now.”
“It’s precisely because of this that I know my weaknesses very well, you know?”
“……”
……