The Prime Minister Becomes a Global Sensation After Transmigrating into a Pariah - Chapter 13

Lou Yishu hadn’t realized it was already half-past two. Fearing he might miss the sales window since it was difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the Bus Boutique, he consulted with Qiao Yuxi, and they decided to head straight toward the red smoke.

They first extinguished their fire to prevent any accidents while they were away and left behind some of the more cumbersome items, like the fish spear and rod, planning to retrieve them later. Ultimately, they set off with one fish and two shrimp in hand.

“I bet we can fetch a handsome price for these,” Qiao Yuxi chatted idly.

“Why do you say that?”

“Aside from you, who else would actually go into a river to spear fish?” Not to mention making a spear and throwing it with such terrifying accuracy. Of course, he kept those thoughts to himself.

However, just because he didn’t say it didn’t mean Lou Yishu wouldn’t ask: “Are you praising me?”

“Who, who’s praising you?” Qiao Yuxi’s pulse quickened instantly. Not only did he deny it, but he also resorted to slander. “You truly have a thick skin. Shameless.”

“Hahaha, very well. I shall take it as a compliment then.”

“I said I wasn’t praising you!!!”

The September weather was cool and pleasant. The afternoon sun filtered through the dense forest, dappling Lou Yishu’s pale, smooth face. When he smiled, his features became exceptionally soft, making the tedious trek pass quickly.

After walking for about forty minutes, they reached the shop and spotted a familiar figure.

Su Er had a petite frame and youthful looks; the tactical gear looked like a child wearing an adult’s clothes on him, making it feel less like a survival show and more like playing house. Beside him stood Yu Yuan; they had likely run into each other and teamed up halfway.

“Yishu!!!” Upon seeing Lou Yishu, Su Er rushed over and grabbed his arm, accidentally bumping into Qiao Yuxi in the process.

Su Er was quite short only about 170cm and had to tilt his face up to look at Qiao Yuxi. He was still wearing makeup, which from Qiao Yuxi’s height made him look delicate and “cute.” “My apologies, Teacher Qiao, for bumping into you.”

Qiao Yuxi shook his head slightly to indicate it was no matter, his face otherwise devoid of expression.

“Yishu, what did you bring?” Su Er had clearly seen the seafood in their hands but followed the script of surprise anyway. “Heavens! You actually have fish and shrimp. You and Teacher Qiao are amazing!”

Lou Yishu humored Su Er; he always found himself helpless against people with this kind of personality. He smiled and said, “There was a river near us, so we caught a few. What about you?”

“We have fruit! Yu Yuan is so tall; picking them was easy for him!” Su Er pointed to the youth beside him.

Yu Yuan chimed in, “Su Er is light. It was easy to reach them once I hoisted him up.”

The comments from Su Er’s specific feed began filling in the others:

• “They spent the whole morning picking wild fruit. Yu Yuan even carried Su Er on his shoulders.”
• “Now I’m wide awake.”
• “So, ship-able. Yu Yuan’s ‘boyfriend energy’ is off the charts.”
• “Su Er looks so pampered in Lou Yishu’s eyes.”
• “Lou Yishu is with Lou Yishu, but he’s totally putting on an act with Su Er.”
• “LMAO he started acting all cold and aloof the moment he ran into Su Er.”

Lou Yishu focused entirely on Yu Yuan as he spoke, missing the way Su Er’s face darkened for a split second when Yu Yuan opened his mouth a look so brief even the camera missed it.

With the talk of “intimacy,” the comments were all over the “ambiguity” between them, yet Lou Yishu was still innocently asking for fruit-picking tips.

“The red ones are edible; it’s fine if they have spots,” Yu Yuan said, showing a round fruit to Lou Yishu. “When you lift someone, stand up slowly. The most important thing is balance.”

“Then I could hoist Yuxi up”

“Are you sick?”

Before Lou Yishu could finish, Qiao Yuxi’s brain seemed to hit an automatic toggle. The words were out before he’d even processed them: “Do you want to snap your neck under my weight so you can sue me for a fortune?”

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it sounded. He crossed his arms and backed away from Lou Yishu. “You malicious man.”

“It wouldn’t come to that, hahaha.” Lou Yishu was amused by the way Qiao Yuxi avoided him like a scorpion. He was confident in his strength; he could carry someone of Qiao Yuxi’s stature and run without issue. However, seeing how much the man feared being “sabotaged,” he dropped the idea, also fearing Qiao Yuxi might lose his balance and fall.

“Brother Yishu, we have plenty of fruit where we are. You and Teacher Qiao should come by and pick some this afternoon~” Su Er interjected, glancing between the two of them.

“Certainly,” Lou Yishu replied warmly. “We have the river. If you want fish, I shall catch one for you.”

“Mm-hmm.” Su Er gave a perfunctory nod, then turned to Qiao Yuxi. “Teacher Qiao, you should come too.”

Qiao Yuxi looked at Su Er but didn’t give a definitive answer, only offering a polite, slight nod.

The comments flared up again:

• “He really puts on airs the moment he talks to Su Er. Qiao Yuxi’s face is flawless from every angle.”
• “Mama approves of him with our Su Er!”
• “It’s the eyes. When Qiao Yuxi stares into the lens, I feel like I’m the one he loves.”
• “He has a totally different attitude toward Lou Yishu vs. Su Er. It’s like he’s shy.”

After a brief chat, Lou Yishu entered the Bus Boutique.

“Welcome to the Bus Boutique~”

The rules were simple: gathered resources could be exchanged for Gold Coins, the shop’s only hard currency. Coins could buy anything from nightly accommodations to special “game cards.”

“The Villa!” Qiao Yuxi immediately locked eyes on the Mountain Villa, priced at 150 Gold Coins per night. It was the most expensive item and the best possible lodging.

“How many coins can our resources fetch?” Lou Yishu asked the host.

“One fish is 35 Gold Coins. Three shrimp are 15.”

Lou Yishu checked the price list and found that his steel ruler was worth 40 coins, while Shen Mo’s enamel mug was a staggering 80. The host’s words on the bus had been a “boomerang” all that talk about “exclusive deals” was just a setup to gouge them now. Furthermore, he learned that items bought on the bus could not be traded back for coins.

“Is the 150 for the villa for two people? Or 150 each?”

“The total for two is 150, dear guest~”

That meant he and Qiao Yuxi could save up and stay there together. 150 wasn’t much; at most, he just needed to spear another five, six, or eight fish before seven o’clock.

However, the Director seemed to have anticipated this. The host’s next words shattered their illusions. He gave a villainous grin and whispered: “The first fish is 25 coins, the second is 15, and the third, only 5 coins, dear guest~”

“Stop with the ‘dear guest,’ it’s disgusting,” Qiao Yuxi snapped, though he accidentally made it rhyme. The host, seeing his goal achieved, laughed even more wickedly. “So, to avoid losses, I suggest you look for variety in your resources~”

“Just call it ‘exploitation’ and be done with it,” Lou Yishu chuckled, finding the bickering highly entertaining.

“What is this game card for?” Qiao Yuxi asked, holding a small card.

“The Buzzer Challenge. The holder can challenge one person. You decide the wager in Gold Coins (it cannot exceed your total). It’s a best-of-five buzzer game. The loser gets a slap. Cards are only 5 Gold Coins, three available, first come first served.”

Ultimately, Qiao Yuxi bought a game card. Since they had already finished one of the two bottles of water from the airdrop, Lou Yishu bought another bottle of mineral water.

Just as they finished their purchases, some unexpected guests arrived.

“Yishu.”

Shen Mo and Gu Huazhang arrived together. Shen Mo was holding a rabbit.

“You actually caught a rabbit,” Lou Yishu said with surprise. It seemed everyone had their own talents. He had thought of hunting rabbits, but he couldn’t craft a proper bow and arrow; the weight of the bow and the sharpness of the arrow required specific materials to pierce a rabbit.

“Shen Mo knows how to make traps,” Gu Huazhang said, being the talkative one. Shen Mo maintained his usual habit of being “stingy with words.”

Gu Huazhang recalled the ferocity Shen Mo showed while hunting, and goosebumps broke out on his skin. In that state, Shen Mo didn’t even seem human; his eyes were more like an animal’s, a beast that would rip your throat out the moment you let your guard down.