"Sister Shuang didn't bully me."
Lu Li's face was slightly red; she realized she had been the one overreacting.
"What are you all doing? Come inside quickly."
After Pei Lingyi entered the main hall, she saw that the three were still outside, so she turned back and called out.
"Coming, coming."
Jing Hanshuang responded and led Gu Xiao and Lu Li inside.
"Xiao Xiao and Xiao Li have been traveling for so long; you must be hungry. Let's eat first."
The drive from Yunqi City to the Central District takes over four hours. It was already well past lunchtime, but Pei Lingyi and the others hadn't eaten lunch, knowing that Gu Xiao and the others would arrive hungry.
"Actually, we're fine."
There were many snacks in the hovercar, and Gu Xiao had given plenty to Lu Li, so they weren't very hungry right now.
"artificial intelligence butler, tell them to serve the dishes."
[Yes, Madam.]
As Pei Lingyi's voice faded, a machine-synthesized voice sounded in the room.
"artificial intelligence butler is the smart butler of the Jing Residence. As long as you are within the Jing Family's area, no matter where you are, if you call out 'artificial intelligence butler,' it will hear you, and you can ask it for help with any trouble you encounter," Jing Hanshuang turned and told Lu Li.
"Mhm, okay."
Lu Li had seen this level of smart butler online before, but this was her first time seeing one in reality.
While waiting for the dishes, Jing Hanshuang took Lu Li and the others to the restroom to wash their hands. Although the Jing Residence looked like an old, traditional house, its internal facilities were quite modern.
After washing their hands, the group went to the Dining Hall and sat down.
Before long, servants carrying plates began entering.
The servants who entered included both men and women. The maids wore black and white cheongsams, slit just above the knee, which was perfectly dignified and elegant, without being overly seductive.
The male servants wore black gowns with red trim and red patterns on the front, looking energetic and capable.
Even the least attractive of the servants had a delicate appearance; to work as a servant for a top family like the Jing Family, looks were naturally a requirement.
The servants held the plates with their right hands, lightly supporting them with their left, ensuring the plates did not shake at all as they moved.
After placing the dishes from the trays onto the table, the servants orderly exited the Dining Hall.
The dishes on the dining table were dazzling, and Lu Li felt that this one table of food was enough for her family to eat for several days.
"Don't just stare, hurry and eat. It won't taste good if it gets cold."
Seeing that Lu Li was still a bit reserved, Pei Lingyi smiled and urged everyone to start eating.
"Ah, okay."
Since entering the Jing Residence, this was the phrase Lu Li had repeated the most.
"Come on, don't be shy, treat this like your own home."
Pei Lingyi picked up the serving chopsticks and smiled as she placed food onto Lu Li's plate, her tone gentle so as not to pressure her.
"Thank you, Aunt Pei."
Lu Li quickly thanked her. Just then, she suddenly felt someone nudge her arm.
She turned her head and saw Gu Xiao hunched over her bowl, shoveling rice. When she noticed Lu Li looking over, she gave her a playful wink.
For some reason, upon seeing Gu Xiao's actions, Lu Li immediately felt much of the pressure in her heart dissipate.
The Jing Family did not have the rule of 'no talking while eating or sleeping,' and Pei Lingyi kept the atmosphere lively throughout the meal.
Lu Li's remaining slight pressure slowly faded away during her casual chat with Pei Lingyi.
Initially, when she suddenly learned that Pei Lingyi was the City Lord of Tianyuan City's wife, Lu Li felt tremendous pressure. Even though Pei Lingyi didn't deliberately show off, Lu Li still felt a noble aura constantly emanating from her.
This might be related to Pei Lingyi's high cultivation level and prominent position, naturally giving off this aura, or it might simply be due to Lu Li's nervousness about visiting a stranger's home for the first time.
However, after spending the meal together, Lu Li realized that Pei Lingyi was a very approachable elder who put on no airs.
"We're full. Let's go out, shop a bit, and take a walk. It'll help digest the food."
After the meal, Pei Lingyi planned to take Gu Xiao and Lu Li shopping for daily necessities.
Passing through pavilions, woods, and small bridges, the group arrived at the parking lot.
Pei Lingyi lightly touched her necklace, and an ice-blue aerial track lit up in the parking lot a hundred meters away, extending all the way to Jing Yuan and the others.
Communication equipment in this era did not have fixed styles; smart bracelets were just the most common type. Pei Lingyi's was a smart necklace.
Take Jing Hanshuang, for example: her smart communication device was the sky-blue earring on her right ear.
Jing Yuan's smart communication device was also an earring. Jing Hanshuang had insisted on picking out a matching sibling set for Jing Yuan, and since he couldn't refuse her, he took that one.
As the aerial track reached the group, a purple hovercar slid along the track right up to them.
The hovercar, Flowing Light.
Compared to the Sky Traveler they rode in this morning, the Flowing Light's model was softer, and its dazzling purple paint reflected a crystalline sheen.
Pei Lingyi took the driver's seat and called the four people to get in. They drove all the way to the shopping center in the Central District.
Compared to Yunqi City, the number of skyscrapers here and the lavishness of their construction far surpassed the commercial streets of Yunqi City.
The commercial street here was huge; a rough glance from high above suggested it was no smaller than a small town.
The pedestrians on the street were all dressed fashionably, and a luxurious hovercar could be seen every few steps.
"We've arrived. Let's go."
Pei Lingyi drove the hovercar to a skyscraper and stopped. After they got out, an aerial track rose beneath the car and moved it to the aerial parking lot.
"Let's go inside."
Tianhong Commercial Building, the largest shopping mall in the entire commercial center, had every type of commodity imaginable.
As soon as they entered, Pei Lingyi led the group straight to the clothing section.
"Come, let's start by buying clothes. Xiao Xiao, Xiao Li, pick whatever you like."
Pei Lingyi waved away the sales assistants who wanted to approach and turned to speak to the two girls.
"This... it's too expensive."
Lu Li quickly scanned the prices on the racks. She felt that any random piece of clothing here could cost half her life savings.
"Xiao Li, don't worry about the money. Just pick what you like. Consider it a welcome gift from Aunt Pei."
"That's too generous."
Lu Li waved her hands repeatedly. If it were just buying two ordinary pieces of clothing, she might brazenly accept them, but any random outfit here cost hundreds of thousands, so how could she dare accept it?
"It's just a small amount of money. Xiao Li, you're still treating Aunt Pei too formally. Let Aunt Pei help you pick. When it comes to taste, Aunt Pei is quite confident."
Noticing Lu Li's discomfort, Pei Lingyi picked out an outfit according to her own taste and then gently pushed Lu Li into the fitting room.
Looking at the beautiful dress in her hands, Lu Li suddenly remembered what Gu Xiao had said before they came: "You won't be able to refuse."