Last time, He Fang came to Ao City sneaking around; this time, he entered openly and confidently. As for the peace treaty between the two nations, He Fang didn’t really understand the details. He simply told the government what kind of rights he wanted, and left it to them to draft something based on the actual situation. After all, he was just playing a game; it’s not like he needed to learn how to write a contract.
Fortunately, no one actually asked him to write one. All he had to do throughout the entire process was sign his name.
The real purpose of their visit to Ao City this time was to solidify the little prince’s status there, making it clear to everyone that the only person qualified to speak with the powerful Hope City was the little prince. That alone was enough to put him in charge of Ao City.
He Fang thought signing the peace treaty would be a simple task, but it unexpectedly dragged on for several days. At the negotiation table, he sat there wide-eyed and confused as his government officials and the ministers from the other side crossed verbal swords, clashing fiercely for the sake of their respective national interests. Most of it flew right over his head.
Seated at the head of the table like some mythical guardian beast of the nation, He Fang spaced out completely.
And the reason he was zoning out? His package had just arrived.
Back when he received the deliveryman’s birthday invitation, He Fang had gone online to pick out a gift. This time, the courier quietly left the package right outside his door. Only after waiting nervously by the door for ten minutes, making sure the courier had truly left, did He Fang cautiously open it.
He brought the package inside, carefully unboxed it, and inspected everything for any damage. If anything had been broken, there’d still be time to send it back for a replacement. He examined it thoroughly before delicately placing everything back inside. Then, he removed any logos or tags from the box, rewrapped the gift just as it had arrived, and tucked it neatly into a gift bag he had specially purchased.
The entire package looked exquisite. He Fang curled up in his chair, gazing at the delicate wrapping.
Would the deliveryman like it?
He Fang thought about the courier’s stunning looks. Despite encountering countless handsome and beautiful characters in games every day, the deliveryman had a kind of striking presence that genuinely left him in awe. Surely, someone like that must receive lots of gifts…
But how could he give it to him naturally, without making it awkward?
Even though he had declined the birthday party invitation, He Fang couldn’t help but wonder if preparing a gift anyway made him seem presumptuous.
He stared at the gift, dazed.
To be honest, it was a little embarrassing. This was the first time He Fang had ever picked out a birthday present for a friend. Even back when he lived in a dorm, he’d never had the habit of giving others gifts for their birthdays. Typically, birthday presents were only prepared by people who were actually attending the party.
But he had received an invitation, so giving a gift shouldn’t be too much, right?
Still, considering that he and the deliveryman had never really had a proper face-to-face conversation, wouldn’t giving a gift like this be too much?
Or maybe… it’d be better not to give it at all?
He Fang had never imagined that just giving someone a gift could turn into such a mental tug-of-war.
Being his first attempt at giving someone a present, He Fang found himself completely frazzled. How could something as simple as giving a gift end up this confusing? Was it really this hard to just give something heartfelt?
He Fang picked up his phone, thinking about ordering delivery.
But then he remembered. If it was the deliveryman, he’d definitely be busy. Sure, he might be happy to get a gift, but he probably wouldn’t be able to open it right away and see what was inside.
Since this was He Fang’s first time giving a present, he really hoped to see the deliveryman’s reaction.
After all, no one gives a gift hoping it’ll go unnoticed, and He Fang was no different.
But with two or three days still left before the birthday, he was feeling increasingly restless, like a cat pacing in circles inside his chest.
Eventually, with a helpless sigh, he let go of the idea and rolled back into his game.
When he logged back in, the two sides were still locked in their endless debate. But this time, He Fang noticed something else. The little prince seemed just as distracted and uneasy as he was, shifting in his seat, eyes darting around as if searching for someone.
Until the coronation ceremony was complete, he was still just the little prince. And now, with the treaty taking precedence, that ceremony had been postponed, just as the other party had requested.
The young prince had yet to ascend the throne formally, and it made him seem a bit restless. However, the coronation ceremony was incredibly complex. For now, he was acting as regent, signing contracts on the empire’s behalf. Once he officially took the throne, those contracts would take effect.
At first, He Fang had assumed he didn’t care.
But now…
Wait… maybe his restlessness wasn’t just about the delayed ascension.
It might be because Sai Gu had gone missing.
Where did Sai Gu go?
He Fang quietly pulled up his system map. His brow lifted. Sai Gu was in the soldiers’ barracks just outside Ao City, the very place He Fang had arranged.
He Fang was stunned. He looked at the anxious future emperor, who now seemed visibly agitated due to Sai Gu’s disappearance. Unconsciously, He Fang found him a little pitiful.
He recalled the rumors he’d heard about Sai Gu’s romantic escapades when they first met; something about juggling seven relationships at once…
Today, the peace treaty negotiations have finally yielded a conclusion. He Fang and the future emperor both signed their names on the agreement.
“I hope we’ll have more opportunities to work together in the future,” He Fang said, doing his best to project the image of a strong, competent city lord. But oddly enough, the young emperor seemed even less composed than he was.
Panic was written all over the emperor’s face.
“If there’s something you need…” He Fang began uncertainly.
But before he could finish, the emperor dashed away at lightning speed.
He Fang: “…”
“What’s with all the frantic scurrying?” said the negotiator who had accompanied He Fang, clearly irritated by the young emperor’s flustered behavior.
“We apologize. His Highness has yet to undergo proper imperial etiquette training. Once you depart, we’ll certainly intensify his instruction. I believe that by the next time you meet, he’ll leave a much better impression,” said the negotiator from Ao City.
“We hope you’ll properly fulfill your responsibilities, so our cooperation can continue smoothly and last a long time.”
“Of course.”
He Fang more or less understood what was going on beneath the surface. It was a warning not to try any tricks.
After all, if they refused to let the young prince ascend the throne, it would mean tearing up the peace treaty they had just signed. Or they could wait until after the coronation and then make a move—anything from underhanded sabotage to outright betrayal. These veiled threats were their way of ensuring that the young emperor could ascend without incident and remain securely on the throne—a puppet, readily manipulated.
Everyone understood this unspoken truth. Everyone knew Ao City wouldn’t dare act rashly at this moment. But what schemes were quietly churning in the minds of these seasoned negotiators, no one could say for sure.
He Fang, already intrigued, had quietly followed behind the young prince.
He was a player, after all. Secretly tailing an NPC to watch a storyline unfold didn’t seem like a big deal, right?
And sure enough, the little emperor kept flinging open doors and peering around, clearly searching for someone. His anxious expression left He Fang with no doubt; he was looking for Sai Gu. Unfortunately, since Sai Gu had already made it to the military camp stationed outside Hope City, it was clear he intended to leave the young emperor behind.
The emperor was on the verge of tears, his eyes and nose reddened. At last, in one of the rooms, he found a letter.
He Fang watched silently from the shadows, then saw the young prince break down sobbing after reading it, collapsing onto the table, clutching the letter tightly in his hands.
He Fang was tempted. As a player, reading an NPC’s journal wasn’t exactly unusual, right? But after a pause, he decided against it. That would feel… a little too invasive. Still, he could guess. It had to be a farewell letter from Sai Gu.
At this point, He Fang felt a little awkward about having followed along. The young emperor was crying so heartbreakingly. It didn’t feel right to leave, but staying wasn’t any better either. Never having been good at comforting a crying person, He Fang stood to the side, completely at a loss.
“He’s my beloved,” the young emperor said suddenly.
He Fang jolted in surprise, realizing this must be an important plot moment. The emperor lifted his head from his folded arms. “He came into my life so suddenly, yet captivated my entire heart. He was perfect—powerful, unstoppable. He always knew what I wanted, even the feelings I never dared to speak aloud. At times, I wondered if he was just a beautiful dream I imagined.”
“…” Sai Gu’s ability to charm was terrifying. For the first time, He Fang felt that “philanderer” suited him better than the label “con artist”.
“He left me a letter. He said he would return, but he didn’t want to hinder my growth. He hoped I wouldn’t drown in love but become the ideal emperor. He said… he said I was the most suited to rule out of anyone he’d ever met. That to him, I was a shining lamp.”
The young emperor’s voice grew more choked as he spoke, emotions pouring out without restraint.
He Fang: “…” Gradually, he couldn’t help but feel that what Sai Gu had done was truly unfair.
“I understand, I understand… he’s always done it for my sake, always…” the little emperor sobbed.
Come to think of it, before Sai Gu’s seven lovers found out about one another, they probably thought the same thing, right?
“I should put his mind at ease. I will do well in this position. When he comes back, he’ll be my empress,” the little emperor declared with sudden resolve.
But He Fang suddenly choked. Empress? Sai Gu? That was… unimaginable.
“Why didn’t he just tell me? Why did he have to leave so quietly? He promised… he promised he’d stay by my side, even for my father’s share…” The little emperor’s earlier show of strength crumbled. He hugged himself, grief-stricken, as though falling apart.
It was the first time He Fang had seen a romance subplot in “Ruins Without Restart”. He wondered whether the creators of “Ruins Without Restart” had ever really been in love. Normal people in relationships don’t usually act like this, right? This little emperor seemed a bit off. Mentally unwell, perhaps.
Suddenly, as if recalling something, the little emperor leapt to his feet and once again ran past He Fang.
And He Fang, as if drawn by fate, followed without thinking.
This time, the little emperor went a bit far. He went directly down to the lower levels and then went to a room guarded by a few soldiers with the words “□□中” written on it.
“Open it!” the little emperor said anxiously.
When He Fang saw the soldier next to him trembling as he immediately opened the room, the little emperor rushed straight in.
The first glance He Fang took, he locked eyes with Zhou Fang inside.
Zhou Fang froze for a moment, and He Fang also froze for a moment.
They could run into each other like this?
How could it be such a coincidence?
“Which things here belong to Sai Gu?” The little emperor asked everyone inside coldly, his expression extremely dark.
However, when Qiao Qiao saw the clothes on the little emperor’s body, her first reaction was confusion. When she heard him mention Sai Gu, she instantly understood the little emperor’s identity. Because of the long-term resentment of having Sai Gu taken away, when Qiao Qiao saw the little emperor, she completely forgot her own place and shrieked out sharply without thinking: “Is it you, the one who’s been keeping Sai Gu tied up, making him revolve around you all the time?”
“What did you say?” The little emperor’s cold, knife-like gaze shot straight at Qiao Qiao.
However, Qiao Qiao had been locked up tightly for a while now, and it was obvious that her mind wasn’t quite right. Her face was full of jealousy, suspicion, and an unhidden love for Sai Gu: “You rely on your status as the emperor’s son to forcibly monopolize Sai Gu, making him stay by your side at all times. Sai Gu is free. He’s a free mercenary. As our companion, he was supposed to be with us…”
“Shut up!” The little emperor immediately exploded with anger. He waved his hand. “What are you all to him? Sai Gu plans for me, arranges for me, and soothes my wounds for me. He’s only for me!”
The difference in status between the little emperor and the mercenary Qiao Qiao was enormous, yet this huge gap made the two of them stand on completely equal ground as they cursed each other out. As they realized they couldn’t out-yell each other, they were even about to roll up their sleeves to fight. The mercenary Qiao Qiao’s physical strength was better than the little emperor’s, but the little emperor had soldiers protecting him. The two of them yelled at each other, faces flushed, necks bulging with veins, neither giving in to the other.
The soldier beside them also looked extremely awkward. He didn’t know whether he should try to stop them. If he were to try, well, the little emperor clearly was genuinely determined to argue; but if he didn’t, the little emperor was about to cry from anger.
He Fang, who was watching from the side, shivered hard. He immediately turned his head, spun around, and left. What kind of terrifying scene of carnage was this? He didn’t want to get dragged into this at all. Besides, he also knew where Sai Gu was right now. It’s said that people in love are always extra sensitive. If they sensed his guilty conscience, he’d have to endure the wrath of two people in love.
Too terrifying.
Is love supposed to be this scary?
He Fang, who had never felt the stirrings of romance before, for the first time began to doubt love itself.
He Fang secretly tugged at the negotiator next to him and said nervously, “Hurry… let’s hurry and go…”
Negotiator: “?”
Shouldn’t there still be a proper celebration ceremony next? And a friendly meet-and-greet, and then a simple introduction to Ao City? Leaving just like this?
Although it didn’t really break any rules, it still felt like something was missing.
“Let’s go, let’s hurry and go…” The moment He Fang thought about how Sai Gu was actually at the military camp he had set up outside, his scalp went numb. If that got found out…
He’d be torn apart alive by those two people in love.
Besides, He Fang had no intention of staying in Ao City to enjoy any banquets. The food in the game only made him feel hungrier in reality. That kind of satisfaction with only the taste but no sense of fullness was quite torturous.
He Fang issued a gathering order. Everyone who was inside Ao City at that moment returned to the military encampment outside.
When they left, the little emperor was busy pulling at his love rival Qiao Qiao’s hair, so he didn’t come to see them off. However, Hope City was already strong enough that it didn’t need the little emperor to put on a show for them anymore.
This time, He Fang had come all this way from afar, and it could be said he had completely resolved this major mission. He also used the mission to accomplish his own goal, and then…
During this trip, he had brought many people with him and went into Ao City to have a look around: the government, the design institute, the research institute, the weapons research institute, and so on. It was actually a large-scale study tour of Ao City. Ao City was a city that had developed extremely well in the current apocalypse. He Fang felt there must be quite a few things worth learning from.
Although this was an expedition, in reality, it wasn’t really for fighting a war. It was more like a small team-building trip. He Fang even allocated a spending budget for everyone. During the negotiations, everyone could roam around Ao City freely, it was just that…
“Was it really that boring?” He Fang obviously noticed that everyone’s enthusiasm was a bit lacking.
“Actually, the governance of Ao City right now is very ordinary. Especially in this apocalyptic situation, politics has instead regressed. Compared to playing with political power, people prefer to speak with strength. I didn’t find anything we could learn from. City lord, what you pursue is development, not regression. If you tried to copy Ao City, it would only hold you back,” said one of the government staff who had come along with He Fang.
“If we’re talking about city design, there isn’t much difference from what we understand about mobile cities now. The only difference is that they’re more willing to use certain resources, like not worrying too much about consumption and using more materials in greater quantities. If you really want to talk about technology, it’s just that they try their best to be energy-efficient, but that’s the only thing worth borrowing,” said someone from the design institute.
“I went to see Ao City’s weapons. They focus on power, so they try to make them refined and economical. But our weapons development facility is already working on that and won’t be worse than Ao City’s. At most, you could say it’s just a line of thought,” said the weapons development facility person.
Anyway, after listening to all of it, He Fang summed up a core point. The main city is the most amazing; Ao City is nothing.
Although He Fang knew that, judging by things now, his city really could probably sweep across the entire apocalypse, but that didn’t mean he could get careless. The main city’s population was still so small, and the number of wild NPCs surviving in the apocalypse was even greater than he had imagined. Wiping out a random city out there would still match the main city’s population.
Among so many people, there would always be something special or unexpected. If he was too blindly confident in himself, He Fang was afraid of becoming stubborn and self-opinionated.
But if he thought about it, it still didn’t make sense. After all, it was all true.
Helplessly, He Fang shifted his gaze to Sai Gu, who was at that moment sleeping extremely peacefully at his side.
After returning to the army, he immediately went to look for Sai Gu. Sai Gu was lying asleep in this vehicle. His tall, well-built body stretched out casually, sleeping deeply. He Fang had even gone up and pushed him, but he still hadn’t woken up. He Fang scratched his head, feeling a little confused, too. This vehicle was his own exclusive living quarters, a camper van.
Although He Fang also felt that bringing a camper van on an expedition was a bit absurd, the camper van really did bring a lot of comfort. At the very least, He Fang felt quite good living in it.
And Sai Gu was just lying there on He Fang’s bed like that. He had even carelessly taken off his clothes. There was a faint smell of water vapor, like he had just showered, and now his whole body was curled up, sound asleep.
The vehicle was already moving. He Fang sat in the camper’s living area, talking to others through a communicator. But in this noisy environment, Sai Gu had not woken up the whole time.
His complexion looked fine, but he still wouldn’t wake up, like someone who hadn’t slept for a very long time. Sai Gu’s long arms and legs looked a bit cramped on He Fang’s bed, but he did look like he was sleeping comfortably.
Sai Gu had been in Ao City this whole time—at Zhou Fang’s side, at the little emperor’s side—could it be that he had felt very unsafe?
Thinking back to when he’d seen Zhou Fang—that expression, and the malice—He Fang faintly sensed that maybe Zhou Fang had a hand in this, too. But now that Sai Gu wouldn’t wake up, it was very hard to ask him what exactly had happened in Ao City.
Sai Gu was lying there on He Fang’s bed, his silver hair scattered messily, seeming a bit longer than before. As if led by a ghost, He Fang reached out and gently touched those silver strands. Sai Gu’s hair was always messy. Only by touching it did He Fang realize that the hair texture was rather stiff, with a natural wave that made it look fluffy and tousled. Some darker strands faintly carried a bluish tint, adding a touch of melancholy to him.
Sai Gu really was the kind of man whose hair alone looked like that of a wanderer.
Suddenly, Sai Gu moved a little. He Fang was so startled that his hand froze in place, holding Sai Gu’s hair. But then he realized that Sai Gu wasn’t about to wake up, but seemed to be dreaming instead. No one knew what kind of dream it was. The corner of his mouth is curled up slightly, looking a bit different from his usual romantic and steady self, looking quite cute.
Looks like he really was exhausted.
On the way back, nothing unusual happened for He Fang and the others. Because He Fang always kept the tracker on, he also noticed on the system map that whenever the territory of some mobile cities came close to their route, the other side would very consciously avoid them, clearly on purpose.
In the end, had he still affected these people a bit too much?
Looks like he had to hurry up and push forward some entertainment activities to change Hope City’s reputation.
Sai Gu’s sleep this time was practically soul-deep. Halfway through, he only got up to have a meal and deal with some physical needs. By the time they were almost at the edge of Hope City, he finally woke up completely. But Sai Gu refused to enter Hope City.
“Why won’t you go in? We’re already so close,” He Fang asked doubtfully. The whole army had temporarily stopped because of Sai Gu’s request.
“My identity makes it bad for me to appear in Hope City again,” Sai Gu said.
“Then just wear a mask and go back to the main city. Chong Xiao always does that,” He Fang thought of Sai Gu’s spy identity, but then remembered how well Sai Gu had been sleeping these days. “You’ve worked hard these days. You should rest for a bit.”
Sai Gu lazily leaned against the sofa inside He Fang’s camper van. He looked at He Fang and curled his lips slightly. That naturally seductive face made people’s hearts itch even more.
“If I appear in Hope City too often, my identity will draw suspicion.” Sai Gu rubbed his hair, his eyes never leaving He Fang. “I’ve already rested more than enough these days. By the little city lord’s side, these days I’ve been dreaming as if I were in heaven.”
He Fang choked up a little. He wasn’t really into Sai Gu’s casually spoken romantic phrases. After all, in real life, if someone talked like that, they’d be treated like a weirdo.
“Don’t you need to enter Hope City to report some information?” He Fang asked.
“All the information I need to report is already here.” Sai Gu found a small black card from inside the pile of clothes he’d casually thrown on the floor and took it out, placing it on the table and pushing it toward He Fang. “Everything about what I did in Ao City, the information I got from Ao City, and everything that needs to be reported, I’ve already recorded.”
He Fang stared at the little card in a daze. This Sai Gu… wasn’t he a bit too flawless in how he did things?
“You’ve been a spy with your nerves so tight all the time, don’t you need to relax a bit mentally?” He Fang pointed lightly at Sai Gu’s forehead.
Sai Gu looked at He Fang’s fingertip, then suddenly bumped his forehead against it. He Fang was stunned, and then heard Sai Gu let out a very happy laugh. There was nothing particularly refreshing about that laugh, no deliberately curved lips or alluring gaze. He just laughed very simply, purely expressing his own joy.
“Little City Lord, having you by my side has already fully healed my mind.” Sai Gu pressed his forehead against He Fang’s finger and smiled as he spoke.
“You’ve made a huge contribution this time. I should reward you.” He Fang drew his hand back, feeling that this action looked a bit strange.
Sai Gu leaned against the table, his slender, beautiful fingers lifted slightly, his fingertip gently brushing over the spot on his forehead that He Fang’s finger had touched. This small action made He Fang’s heart inexplicably skip a beat. This Sai Gu practically had the word ‘seduction’ engraved in his bones.
“A reward?” Sai Gu stroked his forehead as if just thinking about it. He thought for a moment, then suddenly said, “Little City Lord, is there something you have right now that you can give me?”
He Fang froze.
Right now?
He Fang rummaged through his player inventory for a bit, but there really wasn’t anything special in it. After all, “Ruins Without Restart” was a base-building game. It wasn’t like an adventure game that would give players chances to use items from their inventory.
“Does it really have to be now? Can’t you come back with us?” He Fang asked.
“Mm.”
Seeing that Sai Gu was determined, clearly having no intention of returning to Hope City, He Fang paused for a moment and suddenly thought of something. “Do you want a gift?”
Sai Gu answered directly, “Mm.”
He Fang was taken aback for a moment. A gift, huh? He suddenly thought of the gift still sitting on his coffee table, and his feelings grew a little complicated. A gift… what kind of gift would be good to give Sai Gu?
“Is there something you want?”
“Something that the little city lord keeps close is fine,” Sai Gu said.
“But I can’t think of anything I can give you right now.” He Fang couldn’t just take off his jacket and hand it to Sai Gu, could he?
But then, Sai Gu suddenly reached out his hand toward He Fang.
Sai Gu’s fingertips brushed against He Fang’s neck. Completely trusting Sai Gu, He Fang didn’t have the slightest intention of dodging. He let Sai Gu’s fingers slip inside his collar and hook out a red cord.
Sai Gu’s slender fingers twisted the red cord gently. It was still warm with He Fang’s body heat.
“You want the landmark?” He Fang was a bit surprised. The little pendant he always wore under his clothes was a miniature landmark.
“No, what would I want the landmark for?” Sai Gu, very unusually, showed a hint of distaste—a rare expression that He Fang almost never saw on Sai Gu’s face. What Sai Gu was touching wasn’t the little landmark pendant at all, but the red cord itself. “Can you give me this red cord?”
“I don’t understand. What’s the point of this?” He Fang said as he took off the little pendant hanging around his neck. The red cord was tied to the landmark pendant; it had come like that when he’d bought it from a stall. He Fang wore it so he could input commands into the landmark at any time. Now that he thought about it, he realized he had indeed worn this red cord for quite a while already.
“Something from the little city lord is an object touched by good fortune to me,” Sai Gu said, looking at He Fang. “Especially something carried so close to your body. To me, that’s the best gift.”
He Fang lowered his head to look at the red cord that couldn’t be any more ordinary. “But this thing has no value at all as a gift.”
“A gift, no matter how big or small, as long as it’s from someone one admires, is precious beyond measure to the one who receives it,” Sai Gu said.
He Fang fell slightly silent. He looked away, as if Sai Gu’s words had stirred something in him and made him think. “Then, what if… what if you don’t know whether the other person is hoping for that gift?”
“You only find out if they’re hoping for it once you give it. If someone who’s been waiting doesn’t receive the gift they should have, how heartbreaking that would be,” Sai Gu said. He didn’t really understand what He Fang wanted to ask; he was just sharing his own view about gifts.
He Fang mulled over Sai Gu’s words, then suddenly asked, “If that’s so, then why didn’t you leave a gift for the little emperor?”
“He doesn’t need my gift.” Sai Gu had already become the person the little emperor most wanted him to be. He had become the reason behind the little emperor’s ambition.
He Fang thought for a bit, then finally untied the landmark pendant from the red cord. He looked at the cord in his hand. He really wanted to find a pendant to give to Sai Gu with it, but unfortunately, he truly didn’t have one.
A single red cord, if hung directly around the neck, would look rather odd.
Suddenly, He Fang remembered a method he’d learned back in elementary school—a way to weave a pattern out of a single cord. The cord was long, so maybe it would work.
Sai Gu watched He Fang lower his head and start thinking as he fiddled with the red cord. Sai Gu’s gaze unconsciously softened a little. He leaned casually against the sofa, quietly enjoying this rare moment of peace.
He Fang fiddled with it for quite a while before he finally remembered how to do it. It was very simple to make. In the end, He Fang said, “Uncle Gu, give me your hand for a second.”
Sai Gu held out his hand. He Fang tied the red cord, now woven into a simple pattern, around Sai Gu’s wrist, and was a little surprised. “Huh? What a coincidence, it’s just the right length.”
He Fang tied a knot on Sai Gu’s wrist. Sai Gu could feel the soft touch of the adorable little city lord’s fingers brushing against his wrist.
When Sai Gu drew his hand back, he could see the simple pattern resting on his wrist. It was delicate, light, almost weightless—yet such a small thing could bring him a sense of calm.
“Is this enough?” He Fang asked.
Sai Gu looked at it for a while, then suddenly said, “It looks like a gift a child would give to their father.”
He Fang: “…” Why was it that when it came to other people, Sai Gu talked about love and affection, but when it came to him, it turned into father and son?
“I’ll also need a car, some food, some water, a detector, a compass, and some tools for modifying the vehicle, plus some parts…” Sai Gu rattled off a whole list of things.
He Fang listened, feeling a bit lost, then suddenly remembered Sai Gu’s “mechanical genius” label. So he really did plan to modify a vehicle himself and leave their group, didn’t he?
So he was still going to go after all.
“In any case, take care of yourself and get enough rest,” He Fang said.
“Got it, little city lord.” Sai Gu’s words still carried a teasing warmth, his smile calm and relaxed in the sunlight.
In the end, Sai Gu still left. After the army equipped him with everything he needed, he departed without a moment’s hesitation. So decisively that He Fang couldn’t help wondering if he’d been planning to run all along.
He Fang returned to Hope City, but all he did was check the event statistics for a few cities through the system control panel. Once he confirmed that everything was basically running normally, he logged off right away.
Stretching out hard, He Fang felt incredibly comfortable in that moment. This big mission had taken far too long, and he’d had to stay linked with his avatar the whole time. Otherwise, if the vehicle drove off and he was left behind at the original spot, he’d have to run back on his own two legs. That would be far too miserable. Besides, with how weak his avatar’s stats obviously were, being left alone would have been the same as waiting to die.
During this time on the road, apart from that brief stretch with Sai Gu, nothing much had happened. It was so boring that the moment He Fang logged off, he collapsed straight into bed and fell asleep instantly. That long journey was practically a lullaby.
Half-asleep on his bed, He Fang suddenly, inexplicably thought: After midnight tonight, it would be the deliveryman’s birthday.
In the game, his NPC had said that if a gift wasn’t given, someone waiting for that gift would be heartbroken if they never got it. He Fang thought that line made sense.
And besides…
If the gift he’d prepared didn’t get delivered in the end, he would be heartbroken, too.
So at midnight tonight, he’d send the deliveryman a text to wish him a happy birthday.
But He Fang was simply too exhausted. In the middle of the night, he woke up by chance, vaguely remembering he’d wanted to send that message. Forcing his bleary eyes open, he managed to send out a message on his phone with great effort, then immediately drifted off into a deep sleep again.
Tomorrow… what should he order for takeout?
When He Fang woke up the next morning, he still felt a bit dazed.
How did he end up sleeping straight through to early morning?
Half-awake, he stumbled to wash up. But when he saw the gift still sitting on his table, he suddenly jolted fully awake and immediately grabbed his phone to see if the deliveryman had replied to his message.
However, what He Fang found was that there was a whole string of messages from the deliveryman on his phone.
“Customer? Did I do something to upset you?”
“Customer, please don’t be angry with me. If there’s something I did wrong, tell me and I’ll change it, really. Please believe me!”
“Customer, customer, customer, please, I’m begging you, don’t be angry with me, alright?”
“Customer, you’re a very important friend to me. Can you please not ignore me? I’m really so upset.”
“Customer, may I buy you breakfast? I’m waiting at your door.”
“Customer, I’m at your door now. If you’re willing to forgive me, just knock on the door and I’ll understand. Please don’t be angry with me, alright?”
He Fang stared at the screen, dumbfounded. He immediately scrolled up through the messages and realized that, half-asleep, what he’d sent wasn’t “Happy Birthday” at all, it was just: “Angry.”
How did it end up sending “Angry”?!
He Fang was stunned.
Looking at each tearful, pleading message, He Fang felt as if he’d committed some unforgivable sin. From the look of it, the deliveryman must have seen the message long ago and had been sending these desperate pleas ever since.
He Fang’s heart skipped a beat, and his first instinct was to type out a reply to explain.
But as he grasped the meaning behind all these messages, he suddenly realized something. He rushed over to the door and quietly pressed his eye to the peephole to look outside.
And that one glance nearly made He Fang’s soul fly out of his body.
The deliveryman was really standing right there at his door!
If it had been a stranger standing at his door because of this, He Fang would have practically felt his hair standing on end from the pressure of his social anxiety. No matter what, he would have called the police.
But the person standing at his door was the deliveryman.
The deliveryman looked utterly aggrieved, his long golden hair seeming to have lost its shine because of it. He stood there quietly, and that god-sculpted, breathtakingly beautiful face already had red-rimmed eyes. His eyes were red, not just from crying, but from having obviously cried for a long time. There was a vivid flush at the corners of his eyes.
Right now, he seemed to have calmed down and wasn’t crying anymore, but as He Fang kept staring at him, it was as if the delivery guy suddenly thought of something sad again. His eyes turned red all over again, filling with tears that fell drop by drop, so beautiful it was almost unreal, and so pitiful it made one’s heart ache.
The childlike delivery guy wasn’t even wearing his delivery uniform today. Instead, he was wearing a simple single-layer shirt, white in color. When he used his sleeve to wipe the tears from his eyes, he looked just like a wronged child. So pure and innocent.
He Fang’s brain instantly froze.
![How to Achieve Godhood with a Life-Threatening Persona [Quick Transmigration]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/219974s.jpg "How to Achieve Godhood with a Life-Threatening Persona [Quick Transmigration]")
