Su Xi didn’t know how to answer that question.

In her mind, if a game character suddenly realized that he was just a game character, that sort of plot—in a domestic production—might be an AI love story about life and death, but if it were placed in an American film, it would become a full-blown apocalypse blockbuster!

Of course, it might simply be that the game’s programming was intelligent enough to give her Zai Zai a mode of thinking that was almost indistinguishable from that of a real person. Reaching this level in the game, it was natural for the protagonist to start asking such questions.

Besides, her Zai Zai’s speculation made sense. After all, she had always been very proactive in communicating with him, yet had never left behind even a single word.

If she were to answer “no,” her Zai Zai would surely be hurt—if it wasn’t because of some special reason that she couldn’t leave written words, then why had she never once spoken to him all this time?

After thinking for a while, Su Xi flipped over the book lying on the table, indicating—“Yes.”

After she answered, Zai Zai didn’t come back right away, so Su Xi logged off first.

Earlier, the system had told her that every time she accumulated ten points, she could draw a jinli¹ Jinli (锦鲤) — literally “brocade carp.” In modern Chinese culture and internet slang, jinli symbolizes great fortune and miraculous luck. once. The first time, she’d won three million in the lottery. The second time, Father Su and Mother Su’s small factory had been revived from the brink of collapse—Su Xi felt that it must have been thanks to the jinli’s blessing.

Now, her points were at twenty-five. Once they reached thirty, she’d be able to draw another jinli. She wondered what kind of good luck she might get this time.

Thinking that, a small excitement stirred in her chest—just then, her phone rang. It was Father Su calling.

For the past few days, Father Su and Mother Su had been house-hunting. It seemed that they’d finally made up their minds among the last few available units. Over the phone, they told Su Xi to get her crutch ready at home and wait for them to come pick her up to view the place together. Conveniently, she was returning to school next Monday, so it was just right to see it before then.

Father Su’s excitement over the line could hardly be concealed. He kept going on and on about how wonderful the new house was—only a pity that the move-in date would be after the New Year, so they couldn’t move in right away.

Listening, Su Xi’s heart was pounding wildly; she wished she could fly over to see their new home that very instant.

That afternoon, Father Su and Mother Su took her to see the house.

The three of them had previously lived in a small two-bedroom apartment—not exactly cramped, but it was far from Su Xi’s school and not very soundproof.

The new house, however, was a three-bedroom, two-living-room unit. The master bedroom had a large walk-in closet for her parents, while Su Xi would have the second bedroom and a study all to herself. Since she was about to enter her final year of high school, Father Su and Mother Su hoped she could focus entirely on her studies.

Looking at the delicately furnished model room, Su Xi was so happy she nearly cried—so she had to treat her Zai Zai better from now on! No more stinginess; whenever there was a chance to spend money in-game, she’d spend it lavishly!

That evening, when she logged back into the game, she didn’t follow her Zai Zai to Zhong Ganping’s residence to personally witness his conversation with the Minister of Revenue.

But the system popped up a few messages, summarizing the main points for her.

【Currently, a cold epidemic is spreading through the city, striking people down in droves—but this is not even the worst effect of the recent frost disaster.】

【Beyond the capital, the entire Yan Kingdom has suffered a dreadful winter. Countless commoners have starved to death, gnawing on tree bark because the grain harvest was so poor. In the area north of the capital, the trees have been stripped bare. Thus, what the court worries most about now is not the epidemic, but the nationwide famine brought by the frost disaster.】

【If this continues—if the recurring frost each winter remains unsolved—the Yan Kingdom’s military strength will only grow weaker, while neighboring nations eye them greedily, sure to invade sooner or later.】

【Therefore, is there any way to increase agricultural yield, so the people can have enough to eat and stay warm?】

Within the capital, this young divine physician’s name had already spread like wildfire. Many ailments that even imperial doctors could not cure, he had resolved with ease. Thus, in the eyes of the Minister of Revenue, this youth, though so young, must surely be the disciple of some reclusive master! Naturally, in their conversation, they spoke of matters concerning the welfare of the nation and its people.

This Minister of Revenue, though rotund and relying on the influence of the Noble Consort’s eldest daughter and the Fifth Prince to strut about the capital, was in fact a loyal, patriotic official who truly cared for the common folk. As for Prince Ning, whose head was filled only with wine and women—he was not worthy of comparison.

All the more so, during that conversation, the Fifth Prince had also been present behind the scenes.

“The Fifth Prince?” Su Xi couldn’t help but ask.

“Correct.” The system displayed a current power map of the capital.

At present, there were four princes who held significant influence within the palace: the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fifth Prince.

The Crown Prince was thirty-four years old, known for being loyal and upright, but his temperament was somewhat weak. His faction included the Empress and several of her royal relatives.

The Second Prince, aged twenty-two, appeared modest and unassuming, rarely drawing attention to himself. He had a reputation for being fair-minded and putting the greater good above personal gain. His allies were the General of Zhenyuan and Prince Ning’s household.

The Third Prince, aged eighteen, had the worst reputation. Rumor had it he frequently indulged in pleasure houses and kept company with the city’s idle young nobles. Yet the Emperor doted on him, believing that such behavior reflected a “true temperament.” As a result, he too had his own faction in court.

The Fifth Prince, aged seventeen, was the one most praised by the common folk. Last year, he had managed disaster relief and river dredging, achieving several major accomplishments. Yet, for some unknown reason, he was not favored by the Emperor.

On Su Xi’s interface, the portraits of all the princes and princesses glowed—except for one: the youngest prince, the Ninth Prince. His portrait was gray.

A sudden intuition struck Su Xi. She tapped on the Ninth Prince’s profile.

【Age difference from Crown Prince: twenty years. Died in infancy before birth. Other information: none.】

…Could her Zai Zai be this Ninth Prince?

That was Su Xi’s guess. But since the game’s plot hadn’t yet revealed itself, she couldn’t be sure, so she temporarily closed the character introductions of the princes.

After returning from the Minister of Revenue’s residence to the firewood courtyard, Lu Huan passed through a bamboo grove, his thoughts heavy, brows knitted. His two small hands were clasped behind his back, and his short legs strode quickly, as if pondering the minister’s words about frost disasters leaving the people hungry and the lands barren.

Every time Su Xi saw him, her heart melted from the cuteness—she always wanted to poke his cheeks. But just then, two messages popped up on her screen:

> “Congratulations on completing Main Quest 5 (Beginner): Befriend the Minister of Revenue! Reward: +100 gold coins, +2 points.”

Indeed, this quest had been relatively simple—just meeting the minister once was enough.

Judging by her Zai Zai’s abilities, today’s conversation must have already earned him both the Minister’s and the Fifth Prince’s admiration and favor.

Su Xi was just about to rejoice over reaching 27 points when a new mission appeared:

> “Please accept Main Quest 6 (Beginner): Manage disaster relief, feed the local populace, and make your name known throughout the capital to earn the title of ‘Anonymous Divine Merchant,’ thereby drawing the Emperor’s initial attention.”

> “Quest difficulty: 9 stars. Reward: 1000 gold coins, +10 points.”

This quest would run concurrently with Quest 2—producing 2,000 kilograms of yield and befriending Wan Sanqian—and it was by far the most difficult of all the current missions. But once the Emperor took notice, it meant that the winds of great change were soon to come.

Su Xi felt both excited and anxious, subconsciously taking a sip of water.

On the screen, her Zai Zai had already strode briskly back into his room.

───♡───

The first thing Lu Huan saw was the twelve calligraphy brushes scattered messily to the left of the inkstone on his desk.

He froze for a moment, then the indifference in his expression softened, and a faint trace of a smile flickered in his eyes.

…Was this meant to signify “twelve parts of happiness”?

At first, Lu Huan had thought that person harbored ulterior motives and had been extremely vigilant. Later, he suspected that person must be someone of high status, mysterious and unfathomable, so he had always maintained a degree of caution.

But with each passing day of contact, he gradually realized… that person’s actions were spontaneous and tinged with innocence—like someone bright and full of life.

That gradual, day-by-day deepening of understanding felt like a kind of gentle companionship.

It was as though, within the ice-sealed depths of Lu Huan’s heart, a tiny hollow had begun to thaw open—one that held secrets known only to him and that person, and tucked inside as well were faint traces of ordinary human feelings he’d thought himself incapable of…

…Joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness—he was beginning to feel them again.

Both of his questions had been answered.

The second one, that person’s reply was—“Yes.”

Lu Huan’s brows drew together. Just as he had suspected, that person must be unable to leave behind any written words for some reason.

But… what exactly was that reason?

He pondered it carefully, pen in hand, just about to write a reply when Guard C outside the firewood courtyard came to report. The cold-weather sheds and other structures he’d ordered earlier had been roughly assembled according to his diagrams; Laborer E had also cleared the manor grounds, and the snow had been fully removed.

The guard asked if he would come inspect the place tonight, to decide on the layout and give further instructions.

Lu Huan’s train of thought was interrupted, so he set down his brush and went out into the night.

Su Xi also wanted to see how the manor was coming along and hurriedly switched her view to follow her Zai Zai.

Sure enough—once the snow had been cleared from the hillside, the place looked completely transformed!

Her Zai Zai had even hired workers to build a small wooden hut on the grounds so that Laborer E could keep watch at night. Inside the little hut there was tea, a bed, tables, and chairs—everything one could need.

All the cold-resistant sheds, roosters, hens, and crops that had originally been in Zai Zai’s own courtyard had been moved here. From this day onward, the manor could officially begin operations!

Watching this first step of building from nothing unfold before her very eyes, Su Xi felt a surge of emotion.

She switched her view to the cold-weather shed beside the manor hut and glanced at the chickens that had kept Zai Zai company for nearly a month—far too few.

She was going to give him a grand gift.

She opened the in-game shop.

───♡───

Meanwhile, upon hearing that the Third Young Master would be coming that night, Laborer E and Master D were beside themselves with excitement. After all, the Third Young Master was their true pillar of support; from now on, everything would depend on his direction. The two of them—one old, one young—hurried out to the manor gate to greet him.

When Lu Huan arrived with Guard C, he went straight inside.

Guard C was a chatterbox, and as he prattled all the way, Su Xi’s interface flooded with messages.

Her Zai Zai merely furrowed his brows slightly.

When the four little characters reached the manor hut, they suddenly heard a great clamor coming from the nearby cold-weather shed.

Then a gust of wind blew past, and countless chicken feathers filled the air.

The sight was spectacular under the evening sun—it looked as if a flurry of goose-down snow mixed with feathers were dancing through the golden light.

Laborer E jumped in shock and hurried over, eyes widening in disbelief.

“The chicken shed—there’s suddenly so many more chickens… at least—at least two or three hundred of them!”

Guard C and Master D’s little avatars ran over as well, jaws practically hitting the ground—they nearly fell to their knees.

“My heavens!”

What was going on? They had only just left to welcome the Third Young Master, and in that brief moment, the chickens had—what, bred themselves? From twenty-six to two or three hundred?!

They were so stunned they didn’t know what to do.

Behind them, Lu Huan gazed from afar at the feathers rising and drifting in the sunset. His handsome face seemed steeped in that golden light, and the pair of eyes that were always dark and heavy now shone like stars.

They, of course, didn’t know.

But Lu Huan did—he knew this was a gift from that person.

The first time he had earned silver, the first time he’d owned a home outside Prince Ning’s residence, the first time he had crawled out of the mire and looked toward the future with hope—

In all those moments, there had been no one to share his joy.

Only that person had been there with him.

If only that person could be here—if only that person could be here…

───♡───

Outside the screen, Su Xi was equally dumbfounded by the flurry of flying feathers. Together with her Zai Zai, she looked toward the sunset and the drifting down.

Two people, in different times and spaces, gazing upon the same scene.

Footnotes

• 1
  Jinli (锦鲤) — literally “brocade carp.” In modern Chinese culture and internet slang, jinli symbolizes great fortune and miraculous luck.