Whether it was construction or entertainment culture, both had developed extremely well. Moreover, the new main-city romance drama starring NPCs produced in Angel City had suddenly become a massive hit. Almost everyone had watched it. The lead actor had already begun to show signs of becoming a celebrity. This romance drama was the very first TV series to be included on the list of shows that future terminal merchants would take out into the world.
The creative desire of Angel City’s NPCs was simply astonishing. They had achievements in all kinds of fields. There were also many very pleasant songs, and they had even produced a song ranking chart. Because of the scripts, quite a few literary creators had emerged as well. Angel City, possessing the traits of being post-apocalyptic NPCs, longed for peace and freedom, and the things they wrote truly touched people’s hearts deeply.
He Fang was a bit bewildered, too. Although it was because of the game’s settings, He Fang had no way to watch these so-called hugely popular films, songs, or literary works. After all, game settings were game settings. If things that players could read, binge-watch, or listen to actually appeared in the game, then what need would there be for humans in reality? Wouldn’t it be enough to just generate them inside the game and copy them out?
But although He Fang couldn’t watch them, he really could hear them!
He heard the same little hums and tunes coming from the mouths of many NPCs, and he genuinely thought they sounded very nice.
It was simply absurd.
He Fang sat in the small park that had just been opened in Hope City, listening to adults and children hum songs, feeling a sense of unreality.
It was as if he wasn’t sitting in Hope City at all, but in the main city.
Could the development of a city be this fast? It was practically like riding a rocket.
Because the city was developing, there hadn’t been any missions of particularly high quality around He Fang for the time being. Every time he logged in, it was just to check the development progress and carefully investigate whether there were any hidden dangers. After that, he would log off to grind achievements and rankings in his other games.
It was only when he suddenly logged in one day that He Fang saw, in the incident statistics, an entry: Deputy City Lord of Hope City, Wei Qixuan, has recently been in low spirits.
Wei Qixuan?
That child who knew so well how to adjust his own mindset, why had he suddenly become downcast?
He Fang, full of doubt, logged in and headed straight for Wei Qixuan’s private classroom in Hope City. He stood at the door, gently pushed it open to create a small gap, and saw a female teacher with an air of intellectual charm standing at the podium, continuously writing out things that even He Fang himself couldn’t understand. And her only student was Wei Qixuan, who was listening intently.
From He Fang’s angle, he could see half of Wei Qixuan’s side profile as he listened earnestly. The boy looked excessively thin and frail because he kept growing taller, yet his energy and spirit had always been very good. But now, it was clear that his state was not quite right compared to usual.
He Fang had looked at Wei Qixuan’s attribute panel. Apart from a single “low mood” debuff, there was nothing else. It was not a physical problem, so it was very likely a mental one.
Even when feeling down, Wei Qixuan could still listen to the lesson so attentively.
A teenage boy should have been full of vitality, but Wei Qixuan was too mature for his age. Having lost both parents and needing to care for his younger brother and sister, and having truly experienced the fear of imminent death, Wei Qixuan had clearer goals than others. He carried the tags of “Determined”, “Persistent”, and “Enduring”, which always made him more hardworking than others.
But in the end, he was still just a child.
Thinking about it carefully, he didn’t even have a single friend. Most of his time was spent studying. Even though He Fang knew it was probably because of the NPC setting, he suddenly felt what it was like to have a real friend. Even now, just thinking of the deliveryman still made him want to laugh. If possible, he hoped that Wei Qixuan, who worked so hard, could have a friend, too.
He Fang knocked on the door and walked in. The beautiful female teacher NPC immediately stopped teaching and bowed to him.
Wei Qixuan’s body froze. He knew very well that the only person who could make the female teacher be so respectful and who could walk directly into the classroom like this was the city lord he respected most. But unlike usual, when he would have hurried to get closer to the city lord, this time he kept his head down like a child who had done something wrong.
He Fang sat down in the teacher’s chair, facing Wei Qixuan, and asked, “How has your studying been lately? Have you run into any difficulties?”
He Fang felt that his opening line sounded exactly like a homeroom teacher, but since he had gone through adolescence by himself, he didn’t know how to guide a child.
“Although studying is a bit tiring, the teacher is a very patient and capable person. She always teaches me using the simplest methods, so at the moment there’s no difficulty. You don’t have to worry.” Even though he looked like he didn’t want to meet He Fang’s eyes, Wei Qixuan’s admiration for He Fang was impossible to suppress, and his tone always carried a hint of eagerness and excitement.
“Then how has your life been lately?” He Fang felt a bit troubled. He didn’t know why an NPC would feel down, so he could only ask about every aspect, trying to find the reason.
“Uncle and Aunt have always been very kind to me. My younger brother and sister are currently attending school, and they were even praised by their teacher. Recently, Uncle and Aunt’s daughter came back. She’s an older sister I have always respected greatly. Because big sister came back, everyone has been very happy.”
Older sister? He Fang froze for a moment, then opened his system panel and saw that in the current record of Wei Qixuan’s family, there was an extra, unfamiliar name: “Song Mianjue”. Was this Uncle and Aunt’s biological daughter?
“Your sister suddenly came back, do you feel a bit uncomfortable about it?” He Fang asked tentatively. In his view, this seemed the most likely reason. After all, for a young boy to live in someone else’s household must feel difficult.
“No. Even before, big sister took special care of me and my younger brother and sister. If it weren’t for her, we might have died long ago. Now that big sister is back, we’re all really happy.” Wei Qixuan’s lips curved slightly. His happiness didn’t have the slightest trace of being fake. “Big sister hadn’t been back long when she found a job. She’s a Gatekeeper herself, so she applied to work at the border as a border guard. Now she’s working under Ye Sheng. Ye Sheng said Big sister’s work ability is very good. Even among the people from the main City, it’s quite impressive.”
He Fang blinked. He felt that Wei Qixuan was happy about this. When he spoke, his eyes were bright and without a shred of hesitation.
“Then… then you’re here getting private lessons every day, have you made any friends?” He Fang asked again.
“Yes. Lately, I’ve gotten very close to Shen Houyun. Shen Houyun is a bit older than me, but because we have a common language, we have no barriers when we talk. Although he’s not very talkative, we get along very well.” Wei Qixuan replied.
He Fang was taken aback. Shen Houyun? At first, he had only arranged for Shen Houyun to assist Wei Qixuan. He hadn’t expected that by accident, it would lead to a friendship.
“Having a friend is very good. I have a friend, too.” He Fang said this without realizing it.
Wei Qixuan blinked, seeming not to quite understand why He Fang would suddenly say something so out of the blue, but he nodded.
He Fang’s face flushed red, and he turned his head aside, looking a bit embarrassed.
He Fang couldn’t find the root of the problem at all. As someone with social anxiety, he couldn’t even manage to be a theoretical “master of emotions”, let alone deal with the very complete NPC settings in “Ruins Without Restart”. If it weren’t for the system panel’s prompt, he wouldn’t even have known that Wei Qixuan was feeling down right now.
In the end, He Fang cleared his throat and simply asked bluntly, “Then why are you unhappy?”
Wei Qixuan was stunned.
“Aren’t you feeling down lately?” He Fang asked.
The boy’s face, which had still looked somewhat spirited, finally changed a bit. He lowered his eyes with a hint of shyness and gave a helpless smile. “As expected, nothing can be hidden from you, City Lord. I really thought I’d hidden it well. At least no one around me noticed…”
He Fang looked at Wei Qixuan. The boy had lowered his head, his gaze a bit empty, clearly revealing the gloominess he had been hiding. He looked so downcast that even the soft strands of his hair seemed to droop as if telling of his sadness.
“What’s wrong?” He Fang wondered if it was something troublesome. But there wasn’t any quest marker hovering over Wei Qixuan’s head either.
“I did something wrong, City Lord,” Wei Qixuan said softly, but He Fang could hear him clearly. He Fang was completely confused and just listened as the other continued, “I secretly brought Bei Ji to the battlefield before. Because he saw the battlefield, he was greatly shocked. Now, his entire mental state is very bad, and it seems like he has developed a mental illness. If it weren’t for my selfishness, he wouldn’t have become like this.”
Bei Ji?
If Wei Qixuan hadn’t brought it up, He Fang would’ve almost forgotten about Bei Ji, that cannon-fodder character.
“Is Bei Ji still in the city?” In He Fang’s mind, Bei Ji was just an NPC meant to be cannon fodder for a newbie quest. He hadn’t expected this “three-good” kid Wei Qixuan to still be worrying about him for so long.
“He is.” Wei Qixuan nodded. “His mental state is very bad now. He won’t let anyone come near him, acts half-crazy, and screams the moment anyone gets close. The guards who were originally by his side have no leader now, so I assigned them to other tasks. Those guards themselves already had thoughts of betraying Bei Ji, and since everyone from Hope City has returned here, the guards have reunited with their families, too, but now Bei Ji is completely isolated and abandoned by everyone. I think all of this is my fault.”
In He Fang’s view, it was only natural that his city, being so good, would make the guards want to stay. Besides, Bei Ji himself was a very sensitive person. He was a bit similar to He Fang’s real self: rejecting social contact, always overthinking.
“What does that have to do with you?” He Fang didn’t understand why Wei Qixuan insisted on taking the blame himself. “Right now, the entire Hope City is running really well. Even though so many people were added all at once, there hasn’t been any unrest. You’ve done well.”
Wei Qixuan felt a little embarrassed from being praised, a faint flush appearing on his cheeks, yet his eyes still carried a trace of disappointment: “But I didn’t do it perfectly. I brought Bei Ji to the battlefield out of my own selfishness. That goes against the rules. I didn’t fulfill the fairness and selflessness that a deputy city lord should have.”
He Fang was at a loss for words.
This kid. Had he recently started idolizing Yuan Zhiran or something? Picking up all that perfectionism?
“What selfish motive did you have then?” He Fang was a little curious.
“I didn’t want Bei Ji to keep coveting your position, City Lord!” All of a sudden, Wei Qixuan became agitated. “It was you, City Lord, who brought Hope City back from the brink of death. It was you who saved Arrival City. And now Angel City has also pledged allegiance to you. You are the true founder of Hope City. Even if Bei Ji once gave us shelter, the one who truly gave us life is you, City Lord!”
He Fang: “…Ah?”
Wei Qixuan’s eyes were full of tears: “That Bei Ji, who abandoned us back then, how could he have the shamelessness to come back? None of us wants to see him ever again. The more despair I felt back then, the more I can’t accept that Bei Ji still wants to covet your position, City Lord. I want him to understand that no one can compare to you, City Lord. I want him to know that you are the strongest!”
“Ah…” He Fang stared, eyes wide, looking at the agitated Wei Qixuan, and stammered out, “Th-thank you?”
“But… but…” The arrogant flare disappeared, and Wei Qixuan lowered his head again. “As the deputy city lord, I was too impulsive like this. I shouldn’t have done this, but I couldn’t hold back my selfishness.”
He Fang scratched at his cheek. Was this what they called an honest official suddenly doing something out of personal interest, only to be tormented by his own conscience afterward?
This child’s character was so good, it was almost frightening. Even Chief Qi Jingwei from the police couldn’t compare.
Wei Qixuan looked very dejected. He knew very clearly what it meant to hold a high position, yet let personal motives run wild. Bei Ji and his subordinates were the best example. The city created by the City Lord was so perfect, everyone in it was laughing and joyful, yet because of his tiny, selfish desire, he had brought a stain to Hope City. This thought kept him tossing and turning at night.
He heard the City Lord’s sigh. Just that one sigh made Wei Qixuan’s heart clench tight.
But all of a sudden, Wei Qixuan felt a hand fall on his head. Realizing this made Wei Qixuan’s entire body freeze. The City Lord’s hand wasn’t very broad. When it touched him, it felt very light, just a gentle pat. Yet within it, Wei Qixuan could feel a deep sense of comfort.
“People are alive. Who doesn’t have a bit of selfishness? If you have no selfishness at all, you’re a machine. But look at Arrival City, ruled by machines to this day. Did it get any better? Don’t take it so to heart. The power you worked so hard to earn, surely it’s not so strict that you can’t even use it.”
He heard the City Lord’s words of comfort. Wei Qixuan had known all along that once the City Lord knew the truth, he would comfort him. He trusted the City Lord’s gentleness more than anyone. The more he was comforted like this, the more Wei Qixuan felt that the thing he did out of selfishness was unbearably filthy.
The touch that Wei Qixuan cherished left his head. Wei Qixuan lifted his eyes a little and saw the City Lord’s incomparably attractive face—so gentle, so natural, with not even a trace of reproach in it.
“The very reason I fought this city battle in the first place was to intimidate others; it could also intimidate Bei Ji. Bei Ji’s personality is something he was born with. Things that others can accept, he just can’t. That’s all there is to it. There’s no need to force it too much.” Everyone’s capacity for bearing things is limited. So many people saw the city battle and didn’t go mad. It was just that Bei Ji was more fragile, that’s all.
A city lord who had always been pampered, once he lost protection, rejected everything. It wasn’t really hard to understand.
And besides, who doesn’t have a bit of selfishness?
Weren’t all the players of “Ruins Without Restart” playing the game out of selfish motives? Even He Fang himself was playing for his own selfish reasons. There was no need to hold an ordinary NPC to such harsh standards, especially a child.
Wei Qixuan knew that he was being comforted by the City Lord. He even faintly felt that he was being favored by the City Lord.
But he also knew clearly that if he kept letting his selfish desires grow unchecked, he might end up wanting even more.
He wanted to become the City Lord’s one and only right-hand man in Hope City!
But how could that even be possible? Among all those strong people who admired the City Lord, he was surely the most unremarkable one. Yet he was so bold as to harbor such an impossible wish. If he kept indulging his selfishness, he’d feel terrible.
The City Lord was too outstanding. If everyone were allowed to be selfish, wouldn’t everyone want to get close to the City Lord?
He couldn’t let that happen.
“City Lord, please don’t spoil me too much.” Wei Qixuan said, very dejected. He really wouldn’t be able to stop himself from wanting more.
He Fang scratched his hair. He felt that this child was very delicate and rather tricky to handle.
“About Bei Ji’s situation, send him to prison, let him do some simple chores. Aren’t Shi Qiu and Uncle Zhou there, too? It might do him some good.” He Fang sighed, “If he wants to leave, then give him a few things and let him go.”
Wei Qixuan nodded his head.
“Anyway, don’t be sad anymore.” He Fang once again patted Wei Qixuan on the head, somehow feeling like he hadn’t managed to comfort him at all. “Spend more time playing with your friends. Don’t get too hung up on your role as Deputy City Lord. Before anything else, you’re still a child. Let yourself be free, do what comes naturally. Having a friend is a good thing.”
Maybe a friend could help ease Wei Qixuan’s feelings?
Wei Qixuan lifted his eyes slightly, feeling that today, whenever the City Lord mentioned the word ‘friend’, his mood would become especially good.
Had something happened?
And why was his teacher, right now beside the classroom, showing a terrifying and twisted expression where anger, regret, and remorse were all mixed together?
![After I Transmigrated as a Mermaid, I Transmigrated Back [GL]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/mermaidtransmigrate2.jpg "After I Transmigrated as a Mermaid, I Transmigrated Back [GL]")
