Seeing that she wasn't speaking, the man pressed his lips together and fell silent as well, seemingly using silence to accuse Sheng Sheng of drugging him. His dark eyes stared straight at her.
Sheng Sheng: "…"
She turned her gaze away, coughed lightly, and said—without much justification but with full confidence—"I'm a girl living alone. How could I possibly take in a strange man with no precautions at all? Last night I let you in because you were badly injured and I was afraid you'd die if I wasn't careful. But I still had to protect myself!"
Better safe than sorry.
Other than making him sleep a bit more soundly, she hadn't done anything else!
A vivid, handsome beauty had been lying on her sofa, and she hadn't touched him at all. What exemplary moral character that was!
TL: hu hu hu
The man looked at her deeply. Perhaps he was convinced. After a long while, he let out a soft sigh. "Forget it."
A moment later, he added, "No matter what, thank you for helping me yesterday."
He took out a wallet as he spoke. "My phone was lost in an accident. This is my business card—"
Sheng Sheng was just about to reach for it when his voice abruptly stopped.
Looking closer, she immediately understood why.
Likely because the wallet's owner had lost an alarming amount of blood yesterday, the wallet—hidden in his pocket—had also suffered collateral damage. Although the crocodile-leather exterior had blocked some of the liquid, it wasn't fully sealed, and the contents inside had been soaked in blood.
The gilded business card he intended to give her hadn't escaped this misfortune. Most of the text was blurred by blood, leaving only a few faint characters. It clearly wasn't suitable to hand over.
Seeing this, Sheng Sheng waved her hand. "Forget the card. I didn't save you for a reward."
The man hesitated at first, but her words seemed to firm his resolve.
"I'll leave you a contact number," he said.
Sheng Sheng declined for a while, but ultimately couldn't withstand the handsome man's earnest gaze. She took out her phone, unlocked it, and handed it over—having to admit that saving him last night did have something to do with his looks.
The man's long, strong fingers moved across the screen. Morning sunlight streamed through the window, outlining him in gold and softening his sharp features.
A warm, beautiful scene—
—if not for the phone in his hand, which had an excessively flashy case covered in rhinestones.
Sheng Sheng turned her head away, unable to look.
It wasn't that she didn't want to change it; it was just that this flashy, sweet style was what the original owner liked. Until she was sure she could deviate from the original plot, Sheng Sheng felt it was best not to touch such details.
"…You have a message." The man's low voice pulled her back to reality.
Sheng Sheng froze. Forgetting that the phone in his hand was hers, she instinctively leaned over to glance at the screen.
[Male God]: This time I just want to play alone. Stop following me. Don't you know how annoying it is to keep pestering people?
Man: "…"
Sheng Sheng: "…"
Compared to the man's awkward expression, Sheng Sheng herself was perfectly calm. She raised an eyebrow, took the phone back, and rapidly typed a reply.
[Sheng Sheng]: Then it's settled—contact me again and you're my great-grandson.
She then blocked him and reported him in one smooth sequence.
She didn't bother hiding her actions, allowing the man to see everything clearly—including the message she sent.
Man: "…"
Sheng Sheng looked up. "What? Never seen a fangirl quit the fandom and turn anti?"
Man: "…" He really hadn't.
Calm as ever, Sheng Sheng simply asked, "Saved the number?"
The man took the phone back and continued, though his movements were noticeably more restrained this time, perhaps intimidated by how decisively Sheng Sheng had "turned anti."
After that, the man politely declined Sheng Sheng's offer of breakfast and left on his own.
Seeing that he could move independently—though the wound at his waist was still seeping blood, but not heavily—Sheng Sheng merely reminded him to go to the hospital and didn't insist on escorting him.
As for whether he'd actually listen, she didn't really care. As long as he didn't die in front of her, she felt no guilt.
…
Having not slept all night, Sheng Sheng rubbed her eyes and finally felt a bit worn out.
This body clearly hadn't been tempered by years of abuse—its original owner probably kept a very regular schedule.
Sheng Sheng: I really need to get used to staying up late. Practice makes perfect.
She boiled two eggs for breakfast and checked her phone while eating.
In her original world, with no close friends, deceased parents, and little social life, her phone had basically just been a device for receiving periodic messages from customer service.
Unexpectedly, the original owner's social circle was just as simple.
So simple that across calls, texts, and all chat apps, there was only one contact labeled [Male God].
Sheng Sheng: "…This must be the novel world."
A cannon-fodder supporting character didn't even deserve a social circle. Truly tragic.
But now there was one extra contact—the man from earlier.
[Ling Yu], 134xxxxxxxx
Sheng Sheng: "…The surname Ling?"
Thinking of the three major families she'd just looked up last night, combined with the man's unmistakable air of authority, the implications were unsettling.
"But that's not right. None of the Ling family photos I saw yesterday showed a Ling Yu…" Sheng Sheng fell silent, then decided to bury the thought.
After today, there would be no further interaction between her and that man anyway.
She'd already blocked the Murong family's people—did it matter if someone was from the Ling family?
…
If the highest-grade nutrient fluid was added to the game pod, it could greatly soothe both mind and body. One hour inside was equivalent to one hour of natural sleep.
For veteran players, being able to sleep and game at the same time was bliss.
After clearing the table, Sheng Sheng happily entered the game pod.
In *Earth Online*, logging out and back in always returned you to the same location.
So when Sheng Sheng opened her eyes, what she saw was—
A scene of bustling construction?
Sheng Sheng: "???"
When she logged out, Preli Town had been engulfed in dragonfire, buildings collapsing, NPCs wailing everywhere.
Yet barely a dozen hours later, the town looked mostly restored.
She asked a passing player.
"You just logged in, right? The mayor released construction quests a few hours ago. The rewards are pretty good, and the tasks aren't hard. Honestly, I think they're easier than side quests. If you want in, hurry up—at this rate, the town will be fully rebuilt soon!"
Without waiting for follow-up questions, the player dashed toward the mayor.
Sheng Sheng pondered.
These construction quests seemed to replace the town's side quests—perhaps compensation for the losses caused by the black dragon's appearance.
She didn't join in.
First, turning in the quest she had would get her to level ten.
Second, after level ten came larger, higher-level maps. The experience from those far exceeded what beginner-town quests could offer.
She even asked other players about the construction rewards.
—as expected, they were similar to ordinary side quests.
After waiting in line for nearly half an hour, Sheng Sheng finally turned in the last main quest of the beginner village.
[Mayor]: Brave adventurer, thank you for your courage and dedication in solving so many problems for our town. You will venture into a broader world, but Preli Town will always be your safe harbor.
The moment he finished speaking, several system messages popped up.
[System]: You have obtained Preli Town's Letter of Recommendation x1
[System]: The mayor of Preli Town's favorability toward you has reached Reverence.
[System]: Congratulations, player [Shengge Weijin], you have leveled up.
A flash of white light enveloped Sheng Sheng as her level updated to ten.
Upon reaching level ten, players could leave the beginner village, head to higher-level main cities, and undergo class advancement.
Sheng Sheng had no intention of lingering.
Preli Town wasn't large—dense forest surrounded it on three sides, with only one exit: a small path.
The path looked ordinary, but at its end stood a teleportation array glowing with pale blue light, quietly awaiting players.
Sheng Sheng stepped onto the teleportation array.