“Monica Grant, hello, I’ll treat you to some ice fruit tonight!” Sean Foster greeted her, then ignored her and walked straight to the back studio. He turned on the light, skillfully picked up a few pieces of fabric, and began making a plush doll.

Of course, he didn’t need to make plush dolls to make a living. It was just that a year ago, he had happened to come to this shop and tried making one. In this area, he seemed to have some talent. Amazingly, the dolls he made were very beautiful and all sold out.

In a way, the original Sean Foster was just a lonely young man.

The shop owner was an old man, also surnamed Qian, with hair already half white and his usual calm expression. He just glanced at him, hugged a few pieces of rolled-up fabric and plush, and said nothing more.

Sean Foster stroked the fabric with his hand. It felt very smooth, like touching human skin. He took out a tailoring knife, thought for a moment, and the tip of the knife slowly slid across a piece of fabric.

Sean Foster’s gaze was focused and confident. He felt the original Sean Foster’s skill and Nathan Thompson’s experience naturally blending together. His hands were calm and nimble, precise in every movement.

The cut pieces of fabric were carefully placed one by one on a nearby rack. Then, he started threading the cut pieces together. Although he had done this many times before, today his speed and movements were especially skillful.

In no time, a bear was finished. He turned the stuffed fabric inside out. The work wasn’t done yet. After thinking for a moment, he took out some fur and carefully sewed it on. Once all the sewing was done, he stuffed in cotton, using a special stick to firmly pack the cotton into the tips of the hands and feet. After another moment’s thought, he picked up two small jade stones to use as eyes and sewed them on.

An incredibly cute teddy bear was thus completed.

Sean Foster looked it over, touched it, and found it felt very nice.

“Very well done.” Old Mr. Grant spoke: “Your craftsmanship has improved.”

After finishing this, before he knew it, it was probably dusk. Sean Foster felt that his sense of loneliness had lessened a lot, and he was a bit happy. He just nodded and smiled, then left the back room, casually placing the teddy bear on the rack outside.

“Sean Foster, you did a great job, it could sell for 300 yuan!” Monica Grant said.

“Come on, I’ll treat you to some ice fruit, and we can have dinner too.”

“Sure, I’ll go right away.” Monica Grant was very happy, packed up her things, and went out the door.

The ice fruit shop was not far away. As soon as they entered, Sean Foster casually ordered, “Two crystal ice fruits, two servings of chocolate No. 3 cake, and two iced teas.”

The sweet and adorable Monica Grant glanced at Sean Foster, giggled, found a seat, and a waiter came over.

The so-called ice fruit was actually similar to jelly, made with a method much like ice cream. It was cool and refreshing, and very popular among young people.

Music was playing in the shop, the singing lingering and distant, with a touch of ethereal beauty.

The two of them listened and ate in silence. Monica Grant looked over and saw Sean Foster deep in thought. Unconsciously, he carried a kind of maturity and charm not usually seen in teenagers. Her heart stirred, and she asked, “Sean Foster, school starts in September. Are you ready?”

Sean Foster shook his head. “Not yet, but I’m not worried.”

Here, middle school was no longer full-time. Each year, there were only four months of classes: May, June, September, and October. The rest of the time was all self-study at home. During class months, lessons were concentrated and exams were given. Once you passed a subject, you were done with it. It was very flexible, and there was a reason for this, but that’s a story for another time.

Monica Grant lowered her gaze, not daring to meet Sean Foster’s eyes. She just finished eating and said, “That’s it then, I should go home.”

As she stood up, she couldn’t help but glance at Sean Foster again. When their eyes met, for no reason, a blush crept onto her cheeks. She quickly pretended nothing had happened and said, “I’m off! See you tomorrow.”

With that, she was out the door. Sean Foster smiled, paid the bill, walked to the entrance, closed his eyes, and felt that his heart had more or less settled. He was eager to try out the most exciting thing in Sean Foster’s memory. He crossed the street and arrived at a quiet An Yi Club. As soon as he entered, a faint fragrance greeted him.

At the counter was a young girl, who didn’t look like an adult woman—probably a student from nearby doing social practice and part-time work. She gave a slight bow: “Welcome, please show your membership card.”

Sean Foster did have a membership card. He took it out and swiped it on the sensor.

Immediately, information appeared on the screen in front of the girl. She glanced at it, then looked up: “You have 14,000 membership points remaining on your card. What would you like to use them for?”

Sean Foster got a good look at her—a very beautiful face. The men and women in this world seemed to be a level above those on the original Earth in terms of looks. While this kind of beauty wasn’t rare on Earth, it wasn’t something you saw every day either. He muttered to himself, then said, “I’d like to book a level-two quiet room.”

“Thank you for your patronage. It’s twenty membership points per hour. Your number is B-15.”