DEM Chapter 19: That Kind of Thing Is Not Okay!

At one in the morning, Su Yuan and Chen Nuoyi finished their security shift.

“It’s my first time seeing the city at one a.m. I usually go to bed by eleven.”

The girl gazed at the sparse, lonely streets, murmuring softly.

Su Yuan’s heart skipped a beat as he suddenly realized that taking Chen Nuoyi out this late at night might cause her parents to misunderstand.

Even in a world of universal cultivation, most families would expect their daughters home by eight.

Not to mention, Chen Nuoyi had a dragon king dad.

“Class Monitor, uh… won’t your dad be mad that you’re out this late?”

Su Yuan asked cautiously.

Chen Nuoyi replied without hesitation, “Him? He’s probably so drunk he doesn’t even know what time it is. Why would he care if I’m home?”

Heh, according to the classic trope, your seemingly washed-up dragon king dad is secretly keeping tabs on you and protecting you.

Art imitates reality, so that’s probably the case… right?

Chen Nuoyi continued, “Forget about him, Su Yuan. Where are we eating? Is there really a place cheaper than the school cafeteria?”

“Of course.” Su Yuan held out his hand. “Give me your phone.”

Chen Nuoyi: “???”

Since her family went bankrupt, her phone was all she had left to entertain herself, making her a full-blown internet addict who knew all the latest memes by heart.

So, the moment Su Yuan said that, she instantly felt a wave of PTSD.

Did Su Yuan mean that eating cheap meant taking out a microloan to afford a meal?

Sure, that would let them eat heartily, but loans had to be repaid!

Chen Nuoyi hesitated for a long while before saying carefully, “Su Yuan, I’ve never done that kind of thing. We’re still high schoolers. Isn’t doing something like that a bit… wrong?”

Su Yuan paused, then seemed to catch on and said, “Exactly because you’ve never done it, the first time is all the more precious!”

Chen Nuoyi was alarmed, “You mean you’ve done it tons of times already?”

Su Yuan grinned, “Of course. Since I’ve done it so much, we have to use your phone and account to do it.”

“Class Monitor, I know what you’re worried about, but don’t be scared. It’s totally safe. No one will come after you.”

Chen Nuoyi: “…”

She understood, and she was floored!

Who would’ve thought that young Su Yuan already had such extensive experience with microloans?

But… didn’t he worry about missing a payment and spiraling into deeper debt?

In the end, Chen Nuoyi stayed true to her principles, shaking her head firmly, “Su Yuan, I think it’s best to avoid microloans if possible. If you mess up, it could ruin your life.”

Su Yuan: “???”

“How’d we get to loans? I meant using your Kangaroo account to buy restaurant discount coupons!”

“Ohhh? Discount coupons? I… I thought you meant coupons too. The loan thing was just a passing comment, no big deal. Here’s my phone, take it!”

Chen Nuoyi’s pretty face turned bright red as she hurriedly changed the subject, shoving her phone into Su Yuan’s hands.

Chen Nuoyi, oh Chen Nuoyi, didn’t you say to stop watching those trashy videos? Look, now you’ve caused a misunderstanding!

Good thing it wasn’t noticed.

Su Yuan didn’t think much of it. He opened the Kangaroo app on Chen Nuoyi’s phone and, as expected, this former heiress had barely ordered takeout.

As for snagging restaurant discount coupons on Kangaroo? She’d never done it once.

For users like her, the Kangaroo platform typically offered bigger discounts than for veteran users.

Well then, Miss Chen, your first… coupon-buying opportunity is mine!

Sure enough, Su Yuan quickly found a nearby buffet restaurant with a massive discount. Checking the same restaurant on his own Kangaroo app, the cheapest coupon was thirty bucks more expensive than the one on Chen Nuoyi’s account.

With all the discounts factored in, they could eat at a buffet restaurant, originally priced at 168 per person, for just fifty bucks each.

After checking with Chen Nuoyi, Su Yuan bought two coupons.

Sure, eating at the cafeteria would cost less than fifty bucks, but the cafeteria’s food quality couldn’t compare to a buffet restaurant.

At the buffet, gorging on spiritual fruits and meats would definitely make it worth their money.

Su Yuan’s only slight regret was that he was out of blue pills.

If he’d taken a blue pill before hitting the buffet, he could’ve taught the restaurant owner a lesson.

After buying the coupons, Su Yuan added himself to Chen Nuoyi’s chat app friend list, transferred the money for his coupon, and clicked accept.

He noticed that the former heiress had pathetically few friends—just three: one labeled “Jerk Dad,” one a toy store manager, and one a policewoman from Taihua City’s precinct.

Not a single real friend.

So, the righteous saintess’s first friend slot was claimed by him, a demon lord?

He felt a bit flattered.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the 24-hour buffet barbecue restaurant.

“Su Yuan, why are you holding up your phone to record?”

Chen Nuoyi looked at Su Yuan, who seemed like a seasoned videographer, puzzled.

Su Yuan explained calmly, “You wouldn’t get it, but this is a divine skill that instantly improves any shop’s service attitude. It’s called the camera effect. Learn it, it’ll come in handy when you eat out.”

“I see.”

After scanning their codes to enter the restaurant, Su Yuan added, “Don’t eat pre-made fried rice or instant noodles, those fill you up too much. When picking meat to grill, go for unmarinated cuts where you can see the quality clearly.”

“And definitely don’t drink carbonated beverages.”

Chen Nuoyi nodded repeatedly, “It’s my first time at a buffet. I had no idea there were so many tricks to it.”

Su Yuan: “With me here, just follow my lead on picking ingredients. Come this way.”

Chen Nuoyi: “Su Yuan, that machine just spat out a drink! Did you see that? What kind of treasure is that?”

Su Yuan: “…”

She didn’t even know what an automatic drink dispenser was? There had to be a limit to being out of touch.

After bringing a pile of barbecue meat back to the table, Chen Nuoyi pointed at the sizzling grill in the center, asking curiously, “Su Yuan, will someone come to grill the meat for us later?”

Su Yuan: “Sorry, our spending level doesn’t qualify for that kind of service.”

But then he gave a confident smile, “Don’t worry, though. I worked at a high-end barbecue restaurant for two months over the summer. Just wait and eat.”

With that, he tossed large chunks of meat onto the grill, cranking the heat to max.

“Coach, you’re so reliable!”

Chen Nuoyi picked up her chopsticks, her bright eyes fixed on the meat as it went from raw to cooked.

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