Talking about road trips, the first thing that comes to mind is of course Route 66, nicknamed the 'Mother Road.'
Although none of the group was particularly sentimental, when presented with such a rare opportunity under Stark guidance, everyone decided to follow the trend and take a journey along Route 66.
However, the eastern starting point of Route 66 is in Chicago, quite a distance from New York.
Fortunately, everyone had adjusted their mindset and made psychological preparations before departure, so nobody felt the extra distance was troublesome or unnecessary.
Of course, little Kanna was the most excited of all.
Though Shi Xiaolei and 2B, like her, had only been in America for a short time, their situation was different.
Since being summoned to this world, little Kanna had never left New York City.
Her occasional weekend outings merely took her away from her usual small area of daily life.
Meanwhile, Shi Xiaolei and 2B range of activity was much larger, after all, running the shop required purchasing supplies.
To buy better ingredients at lower prices, the two would occasionally drive out of New York to small towns in neighboring New Jersey to purchase first-hand ingredients directly from farms or ranches.
For her first trip away from home, the little girl mood was easy to imagine.
In fact, from the moment they left the dense skyscrapers of the bustling downtown area and entered the more open suburban territory, she began to get excited.
Whether it was trees along the roadside, a particular rock on a distant hill, or clouds floating in the sky.
Whenever she spotted something with a slightly unusual shape, the little girl couldn't help but make a big fuss about it.
Happy as a bird released from its cage, the little girl giggles and laughter scattered along the entire journey.
Infected by the little one joy even 2B, an intelligent mechanical being with emotions naturally more subdued than humans, and Bayonetta, who had just been summoned and possessed a somewhat cynical personality, wore smiles on their faces the whole time, looking quite happy.
As for Shi Xiaolei.
Although long periods of driving could be somewhat tiring, the laughter of his family members made him unconsciously forget this fatigue.
Despite having driven all day, covering nearly seven hundred kilometers, after arriving at the campsite, he still wore a smile brimming with joy, without showing the slightest trace of impatience or irritation.
"Tony."
After parking the car, stepping out, and stretching, Rhodes turned to look at Tony Stark, who was also relaxing his muscles, and called out.
"Do we rest for a while first and deal with things later? Or do we push through, set up the campsite first, and then relax at our leisure?"
"I need to take a breather first."
Waving his hand with a pained expression, Stark glumly gave the tire a gentle kick.
"I'll replace you when we get to Chicago. Ouch, my back."
Just thinking about not wanting to damage his reputation, he had ignored the common knowledge that 'low-chassis sports cars aren't suitable for long trips.'
Even though he had adjusted the suspension system on the way and increased the flexibility of the shock absorbers, he had still been thoroughly jolted.
Twisting around a couple of times and still feeling uncomfortable, Stark turned back and naturally appealed to Pepper.
"Pepper, can you massage... hey, where are you going?"
"Sorry."
Leaving behind a playful smile, Pepper walked away laughing.
"You know, I have an appointment."
"Eh? But..."
Before Stark could finish speaking, Pepper had already struck up a conversation with Bayonetta, who had just gotten out of the car.
What else could he do? Stark awkwardly touched his nose and instinctively turned his gaze toward Happy.
"Happy to serve you, boss."
Having observed the whole process, Happy smiled at the opportune moment, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.
"Tsk."
"Let's forget about it."
Twisting his mouth, Stark shifted his gaze stiffly.
On the other side, Shi Xiaolei took out his bank card and handed it to Bayonetta along with the car keys.
"Lady Bayo, please spend moderately. Our household budget has been a bit tight lately. After we finish renovating the shop and there aren't many expenses left, then you can spend more freely."
Looking at Bayonetta, Shi Xiaolei felt somewhat nervous.
Bearing the title of a witch, from a professional perspective, things from the everyday world might seem useless to her, so expenses in this area should be minimal.
But in reality, Bayonetta was a genuine big spender.
Just look at the opening sequence of "Bayonetta 2" – she dressed more elegantly than a wealthy socialite, with luxury goods from her shopping spree stacked higher than Enzo height.
Although Enzo was a short, chubby guy, it was undeniable that Lady Bayo had little restraint when it came to spending money.
With Lady Bayo habits, if she were to spend freely, the money left in his account would probably vanish in the blink of an eye.
"That's not a very generous thing to say."
The silver-gray bank card deftly spinning between her fingertips, Lady Bayo characteristically threw a flirtatious wink at Shi Xiaolei.
"But since you're my dear, I'll be careful and try to leave you something at the bottom."
Before Shi Xiaolei could respond, Bayonetta turned her gaze to 2B and Kanna.
"Little one, Stubborn, want to come along?"
Hearing Lady Bayo nickname for 2B, Shi Xiaolei couldn't help but smile wryly.
Excluding the time spent eating lunch, they had been in the car for over five hours throughout this journey.
With such a long time, the topics of conversation were naturally numerous.
And because Lady Bayo had just arrived, Shi Xiaolei spent considerable time during their casual chats introducing her to various things, such as the background of this world, his family current living situation, the neighbors and friends they had made, and so on.
Unlike Shi Xiaolei, who had received nine years of compulsory education, Bayonetta personality to put it nicely, was casual and direct; less kindly, one could say she was somewhat overly self-centered.
So, after hearing Shi Xiaolei describe the events of the past few months, she expressed differing opinions on how he had handled certain matters.
It wasn't quite disdain, but she certainly didn't approve.
Because of Bayonetta viewpoints, 2B couldn't help but argue with her a bit.
As is widely known, Bayonetta had a habit of giving people nicknames. So during their debate, after saying a few "cannot's" and "should not's." 2B received a brand-new nickname from Bayonetta.
Fortunately, 2B was an intelligent mechanical being and wouldn't take it to heart.
"I'll pass."
"Setting up the campsite needs hands; you take Kanna and go."
Not at all bothered by Lady Bayo nickname for her, 2B shook her head.
"Come along."
"Sylvia, didn't we agree that setting up the campsite would be left to them? Let's go and relax for a day first."
Pepper smiled and stepped forward to link arms with 2B.
"But..."
"Come on, come on, it's rare to get out for a trip like this. It's more fun if we all go together."
Looking toward Shi Xiaolei, 2B still hesitated.
"Go ahead, take care of Kanna, and help me keep an eye on Lady Bayo."
"Alright then."
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist?you can read 20 chapters ahead on my P@treon [[email protected]/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)