Different strokes for different folks.
If a blonde, blue-eyed, uninhibited Western woman is compared to a passionate flame, then a gentle, elegant, serene, and reserved Eastern beauty is like a clear spring.
Although both are equally appealing, the feelings they evoke are diametrically opposite.
Don't let Shi Xiaolei's tall stature and robust build, even more imposing than an average Western man, fool you; his Crossing to the Marvel world didn't alter his aesthetic preferences.
Even now, Shi Xiaolei still prefers more traditional Eastern women.
He admired Barbara's beauty and her capable, efficient way of managing the store alone, but when it came to romantic affection… frankly, Barbara wasn't Shi Xiaolei's type.
Her appearance alone wasn't enough to capture Shi Xiaolei's special attention, and her identity as an agent, which would have certainly raised his guard, wasn't revealed to him.
Barbara's arrival was merely an insignificant interlude in Shi Xiaolei's daily life; it didn't truly grab his attention.
Well, Barbara's lack of initiative was a secondary reason; the real key was that Shi Xiaolei had been contemplating some ideas recently and didn't have the mental space for other trivial matters.
"Sylvia, Kanna."
After a day of business, Shi Xiaolei closed the shop and returned to his home in the back.
Instead of heading straight to the bathroom for a shower as usual, he plopped down on the sofa and called out to the two girls who were watching cartoons: "There's something I want your opinion on."
Children shouldn't stay up too late.
Kanna and 2B had returned an hour earlier and had already finished their ablutions, just waiting for bedtime.
Without getting up, Kanna crawled on all fours across the carpet, emitting the scent of children's bath soap, and happily climbed onto the sofa, snuggling into Shi Xiaolei's embrace.
"I haven't showered yet; I'm all greasy."
Sitting a bit precariously, Shi Xiaolei, fearing the little girl might roll off, had to put an arm around her while pinching her nose: "Aren't you bothered by the smell, little one?"
"Xiaolei is the most comfortable."
Giggling, Kanna found the most comfortable sitting position, completely unfazed by his scent, and instead showed a very satisfied smile.
Anyone else might have found Shi Xiaolei's cooking oil smell off-putting, but don't forget, little Kanna is a top-tier foodie.
The aroma of cooking oil, a blend of various food scents, was her absolute favorite.
Indeed, after a few sniffs, the little girl couldn't resist her cravings and looked up, asking cutely, "Xiaolei, I want snacks~."
"Only two pieces, okay?"
Shi Xiaolei patted the little girl's head and smiled, looking at 2B, who hadn't sat down yet: "Sylvia, please get them for her."
Hearing this, 2B turned and went to the kitchen, opening the refrigerator to retrieve a plastic lunchbox with cartoon characters printed on it.
Through the translucent lunchbox, one could vaguely see what was inside.
Bright red, twisted and tangled, dotted with small white specks… that's right, the lunchbox contained 'latiao,' also known as spicy strips, a popular internet snack.
Like the caramel pudding Kanna used to love, this was also made by Shi Xiaolei himself.
The difference was that he had to look up recipes online and do some research before making the pudding, but for these spicy strips, he didn't need to consult any material ; he had all the production steps memorized.
In fact, before his transmigration, Shi Xiaolei had tried setting up a stall, learning to make over a dozen kinds of small snacks and pastries.
The taste and texture were actually quite good, but because his appearance was too intimidating, and naturally gluttonous young girls were somewhat afraid, his business never really picked up, and he eventually had to abandon the idea of selling snacks from a stall.
In the Marvel world, this skill came in handy… With 2B responsible for greeting customers, he didn't have to go out and scare people; he just had to stay in the back kitchen.
The shop's business was quite good, so he didn't have to worry about making a living.
Therefore, Shi Xiaolei had the leisure to spare some time to make the small snacks and pastries he had learned for Kanna to enjoy.
"Awoo~."
Sitting on Shi Xiaolei's lap, her eyes shining as she waited for 2B to open the lid, Kanna immediately reached out her small hand, grabbed a spicy strip, and put one end into her mouth.
Salty, spicy, a slight numbing sensation intertwined with the rich aroma of sesame… The taste was wonderful, and the little girl, holding the spicy strip, unconsciously showed a happy smile on her face: "Mmm~, so delicious~."
"Even if it's delicious, you can't eat too much.
It's almost bedtime; if you eat too much, you'll have diarrhea in the middle of the night and won't be able to go to school tomorrow."
"Mmm-hmm, I'll only eat two."
Kanna looked at the spicy strips in the lunchbox, blinked hesitantly, and then held up a third chubby finger: "…Just one more, only one.
I'll only eat three, can I?"
"NO."
Not wanting Kanna to develop the bad habit of 'taking an inch when given an ell,' Shi Xiaolei shook his head firmly: "We agreed on two, and two it is."
"…Okay then."
Lowering her head in disappointment, Kanna thought for a moment and then tentatively asked, "Then can I choose?
For the second one, I want to pick a longer one."
"Emmm."
To put it negatively, it's finding loopholes; conversely, to put it positively, it's cultivating the little girl's ability to adapt on the fly.
After a moment's thought, Shi Xiaolei nodded: "Alright."
"Hehe, Xiaolei is the best."
After comforting the little girl, 2B had also sat down.
"Sylvia, Kanna."
Remembering that he hadn't brought up the main topic, Shi Xiaolei cleared his throat and looked at his two family members, presenting his idea: "I've been thinking about something these past few days, emmm, what do you two think, should we move to a bigger house?"
"Moving…" 2B thought for a moment and raised a question: "What about Kanna's schooling then?"
Analyzing the plot of 'NieR: Automata,' it's not hard to see that 2B and her companions have actually transcended the concept of 'machines,' evolving into a new species.
However, limited by their initial directives and their origins as intelligent androids, they themselves haven't realized this.
After being summoned to the Marvel world, freed from the constraints of 'underlying directives,' and combined with their daily interactions with Shi Xiaolei and Kanna… at this moment, 2B has vaguely come to realize what kind of being she is, becoming more and more 'human-like.'
For instance, her current question is the most direct proof.
"No, no, no, you misunderstood.
I mean, finding another house nearby to live in."
Shi Xiaolei found 2B's question perfectly reasonable and didn't overthink it: "I'm thinking that once we find a suitable house, we'll move there, freeing up this space.
Then, I plan to knock down the partition walls and redecorate, making the business area larger…"