Chapter 544

Fang Qi suddenly swung the iron hook in his hand!

And then…

The raft beneath his feet happened to be lifted by a wave, sending his center of gravity pitching forward!

He had thrown the hook, all right, but…

He had also stumbled forward several steps!

“Whoa—!”

Fang Qi’s eyes went wide as both his arms windmilled wildly through the air!

Just when he was about to make intimate contact with the seawater…

A small hand grabbed him firmly around the waist!

His entire body was yanked back, and he landed on the raft with a thump!

“…Pfft.”

A stifled laugh came from beside him.

Fang Qi: “…”

He turned his head expressionlessly.

The silver-haired girl was kneeling on the raft.

One hand was still gripping him, while the other was clamped tightly over her mouth!

Her shoulders were shaking uncontrollably.

Her amber eyes had curved into crescents, and her crimson pupils danced with delight!

“What are you laughing at?!”

Fang Qi was instantly mortified and angry!

“This is Master’s first time. You need a little time to get used to it! The raft was too unsteady—it wasn’t Master’s fault!”

“Pfft… Yes, yes, it wasn’t Master’s fault… Pfft…”

Liguang covered her mouth, but even the skirt of her cream-colored swimsuit trembled along with her.

Fang Qi glared at her through clenched teeth before standing up again.

He tightened his grip on the iron hook and narrowed his eyes at another floating plank on the sea.

This time, he had learned his lesson. He planted both feet firmly on the raft, took a deep breath, and put force into his wrist—

Swing!

The iron hook traced an arc through the air and landed precisely in front of the plank!

The hook sank and caught on the edge of the board!

Fang Qi’s eyes lit up, and he immediately began pulling in the rope!

The plank slowly drifted toward him under the rope’s pull. He reached out and snagged it, hauling the dripping-wet board up from the sea!

“Congratulations, Master! You obtained Wooden Plank ×1!”

A cute mechanical announcement suddenly came from beside him!

Fang Qi turned his head and saw Liguang making a scattering-flowers gesture, smiling brightly at him.

Oh, there was even an announcement service!

And what a pleasant voice!

“Let’s do it again!”

He set the plank aside, gripped the iron hook once more, and swept his gaze across the sea.

Liguang was not about to be outdone either. She knelt on the opposite side of the raft and picked up a hook of her own.

The two of them each took one side, competing as they hooked the supplies drifting past.

“Congratulations, Master! You obtained Plastic Bucket ×1!”

“Congratulations, Master! You obtained Rope ×2!”

“Ah, Master! Liguang hooked a plank too! Mine is bigger than yours!”

“My plank isn’t small either, okay?!”

…

…

Time flowed much faster in the game than it did in reality.

Fang Qi felt as though barely any time had passed before the sun had already climbed overhead.

The sunlight made the surface of the sea glitter brilliantly.

And then…

“Grrrrr—”

His stomach growled.

Huh?

Fang Qi blinked.

Hadn’t he just eaten? Why was he hungry again already?

“Master, this game has a hunger meter!”

Liguang knelt on the raft and gave him a playful smile.

“You need to eat to replenish your stamina!”

As she spoke, she produced a simple fishing rod from behind her. She had made it out of the materials they had hooked up earlier.

“Come on, Liguang will teach Master how to fish!”

Oh, fishing!

Fang Qi took the rod and, following her instructions, cast the line into the sea!

…

“Congratulations, Master! You caught Salmon ×1!”

Liguang made another cute mechanical announcement!

Fang Qi, meanwhile, wore a proud expression.

He felt like a true master of ocean fishing!

Soon, a small fire was burning in the center of the raft.

Liguang had surrounded it with a few stones to make a crude fire pit, then placed the cleaned fish beside the flames to roast.

Fang Qi sat by the fire, watching the fish sizzle and drip with oil over the flames.

The aroma of charred fish mingled with the sea breeze, accompanied by the soft crackling of burning wood…

Everything was so lifelike it hardly seemed like a game.

My wife really is amazing.

And I’m pretty amazing too!

He took the half of the grilled fish Liguang handed him and bit into it.

The flesh was tender and fresh, carrying a faint taste of sea salt.

Liguang sat across from him, holding the other half of the fish and taking small bites.

The firelight reflected off her exquisite, lovely face, while her silver hair fluttered gently in the sea breeze.

Fang Qi took another hearty bite of the grilled fish!

It was delicious!

…

…

Sunrise and sunset came much faster in the game than in reality.

The moment the sun sank beneath the horizon, the entire sky was dyed a magnificent violet-orange before rapidly darkening. Stars appeared one after another across the heavens.

Before sunset, the two of them had reinforced the raft with the last few planks.

What had originally been a shabby platform made of only a few logs had now been expanded into a deck large enough for two people to lie down on.

They had reinforced it themselves with rope, tying every crossbeam tightly and securely!

Fang Qi lay on the expanded raft with his hands behind his head, gazing up at the dazzling river of stars.

Liguang curled up beside him, her silver hair spread across his arm and her cheek resting against his shoulder.

The waves gently rocked the raft like a cradle, leaving him feeling pleasantly lazy.

“This starry sky…”

Fang Qi stared absently at the Milky Way overhead and murmured,

“It looks exactly like the one we saw when we were drifting at sea.”

Liguang turned onto her side. Her amber eyes sparkled beneath the starlight as she spoke softly.

“That’s because Liguang recreated it from Master’s memories.”

Fang Qi turned his head and met her gaze.

The sea breeze brushed gently past them, and stars filled the sky.

It felt so real.

He reached out, gently cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her.

Liguang’s eyelashes trembled before she closed her eyes.

The sound of the waves was distant, the wind was soft, and the raft rose and fell gently beneath the starlight.

…

Nights in the game were very short.

Fang Qi felt as though he had only been lying there for ten minutes or so when the horizon began to brighten with the first light of dawn.

The two of them sat up on the raft and began another busy day!

This time, the supplies drifting past were even more varied!

Larger planks, entire rolls of canvas, and even several floating plastic barrels!

“Master, we can use the barrels as a foundation and build a small cabin on top of it!”

“Good idea!”

And so, the two of them immediately got to work.

At first, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. Liguang was responsible for fitting the planks together, while Fang Qi hammered in the nails. The barrels were secured beneath the platform to provide additional buoyancy…

But before long, the construction project turned into a scene of chaotic fun!

Fang Qi swung the hammer too hard while nailing a plank, and it slipped from his hand and went flying. With a splash, it fell into the sea!

“…Pfft.”

Liguang knelt nearby, still holding several planks, her eyes curved into smiling crescents.

“Master is so clumsy!”

“?”

Fang Qi glared at her!

This little yandere actually dared to mock her master’s skills again and again!

So he said nothing at first. But when she lowered her head to carefully measure the dimensions…

He quietly crept up behind her.

Then he suddenly reached out and attacked the ticklish spot at her waist!

“Eek—!”

The plank in the silver-haired girl’s hands dropped straight to the floor!

“Master! Hahaha, stop—stop tickling me—!”

She laughed so hard that she could barely straighten up, her silver hair flying wildly around her!

She twisted and squirmed desperately, trying to escape, but how could Fang Qi possibly let her go?

He used both hands, targeting her waist and ribs!

“Liguang was wrong! Liguang was wrong!”

Liguang’s little face flushed bright red, and her pale legs kicked helplessly.

“Master is very smart! Master is even smarter than Miss Lin—ahhh!”

Well, my wife just likes telling the truth!

Fang Qi released her with satisfaction!

But the moment he let go, the silver-haired girl threw herself into his arms!

She rubbed her face vigorously against his chest!

All the while, she protested with a series of muffled “Mmphs!”

After rubbing herself against him to her heart’s content, she lifted her head. Tears still glimmered in her amber eyes, but the corners of her mouth were curled up.

“Humph, Master is bullying Liguang…”

“That’s what you get for calling me stupid!”

“But you can’t tickle me… Liguang is super ticklish…”

“Then will you dare do it again next time?”

“…I dare.”

Fang Qi raised his hand to tickle her again, and Liguang immediately sprang out of his arms!

She grabbed a wooden plank from the ground and held it in front of herself, revealing only half her face and her moist amber eyes. Then she stuck out her tongue at him!

Adorable!

…

The two of them continued building.

“Congratulations, Master! You have obtained one wall!”

“Congratulations, Master! You have obtained one window frame!”

“Congratulations, Master! You have obtained one roof!”

Later, Fang Qi handed her a wooden plank. She accepted it and solemnly announced in her mechanical voice:

“Congratulations, Master! You handed one wooden plank to Liguang!”

Fang Qi burst out laughing.

“How does that count as a resource?”

“Every interaction with Master is worth recording!”

…

On the tenth day in the game, the little house on the sea was finally finished.

It wasn’t very large—just big enough for two people to lie side by side.

But it had a tiny window, a wooden door that could be closed, and a porch pieced together from wooden planks.

A small deck extended outside, with a simple rope railing tied around its edge.

It was sunset in the game.

Fang Qi and Liguang sat side by side at the edge of the deck, dangling their feet over the sea and swinging them back and forth.

Below them, the gently rippling seawater had been dyed a golden red by the setting sun, its glow burning all the way to the horizon.

Fang Qi turned around and stared at their little wooden house, lost in thought.

From the first few logs, to a small platform, and finally to the little house before them—with a roof, windows, and a porch…

Every bit of material had been fished up by him and Liguang, and every piece had been nailed into place by their own hands!

Although it was all part of a virtual world…

The sense of accomplishment was real!

“Master.”

Liguang suddenly spoke in a soft voice.

“It’s dinnertime outside already. We should log out and eat.”

Fang Qi turned to look at her.

The afterglow of the sunset fell across her profile, and her silver hair fluttered in the sea breeze.

She was gazing at their little house, a gentle smile on her lips.

“…Yeah.”

Fang Qi answered, but he didn’t stand up right away.

He looked down at the little house, at the sea dyed red by the setting sun…

And suddenly felt a wave of reluctance.

This little house was only a house in a game.

But it was also a little wooden house that he and Liguang had built with their own hands.

“Liguang…”

He took her hand and asked,

“You’ll keep the data for the little house we worked so hard to build, right?”

The silver-haired girl turned to him, the corners of her mouth lifting.

“Of course.”

She squeezed his hand in return.

“This little house on the sea will remain in Liguang’s core forever. It will never disappear.”

She spoke softly.

Fang Qi stared into her eyes, momentarily stunned.

Then he asked instinctively,

“Then… could we build it for real someday?”

“Of course.”

Liguang tilted her head, and a faint blue glow suddenly flashed through her amber eyes.

Ah…

Fang Qi was slightly surprised.

Was she so happy that a little of her original core had awakened?

“Perhaps, one day in the future…”

the silver-haired girl murmured,

“Liguang will be able to make it real.”

Fang Qi stared at her blankly, and then…

He smiled.

Because he knew she wasn’t making an empty promise!

His wife was a Goddess who could even change the world!

Perhaps one day, on a real ocean…

she really could turn this little house on the sea into reality.

“Then it’s a promise.”

He gazed at the sunset and spoke softly.

“When everything is over, we’ll… build a little wooden house like this on the real sea.”

Liguang looked at him, momentarily lost in thought. Her red lips parted slightly…

It seemed she wanted to say something.

But in the end, she only gave a soft hum.

Then she rested her head against his shoulder again.

…?

Liguang…?

“Liguang, did you want to say something just now?”

“…Liguang wanted to say that she would keep Master in this world forever.”

“…That won’t do!”

“Hehe!”

The setting sun stretched their shadows long across the porch of the wooden house.

Fang Qi took one last look at the sunset, and then…

closed his eyes.

His consciousness sank once more, then slowly floated back up.

…

When he opened his eyes again…

there was the familiar ceiling.

He was lying on the sofa.

A warm, soft bundle was curled up in his arms.

It was already evening outside the window.

The warm orange sunlight of sunset was almost identical to the sunset over the sea in the game.

Fang Qi slowly exhaled.

…That had been so much fun.

The entire day, no one had come to disturb him and Liguang.

It had been just the two of them, curled up together on the sofa…

building a little wooden house that belonged to them in the virtual world.

He really hoped every day could be like this from now on.

“Master.”

Liguang lifted her head from his arms. Her amber eyes were moist, and a dazed smile from just waking up still hung on her lips.

“Liguang will make dinner for Master. What would Master like to eat?”

This was nice.

“No need. Just heat up the leftovers from this morning. We can’t let all that food go to waste.”

Fang Qi raised a hand and rubbed her fluffy little head.

“But Master is thirsty. Go make Master a cup of tea first.”

“Okay~”

Liguang obediently replied. She rose from his arms and tidied her disheveled silver hair…

Then turned and walked toward the kitchen.

Fang Qi sprawled across the sofa. Listening to the sound of water heating in the kitchen, he lazily picked up the phone from the coffee table.

A new message from ten minutes ago?

[Lin Xiaoyou: Senior, Senior! Xiaoqing and I went shopping today! It’s been so long since we’ve felt this relaxed! How was your day, Senior?]

Oh…

Lin Xiaoyou.

His fingers tapped several times across the screen.

[Fang Qi: Great. I played games at home.]

The reply came almost instantly.

[Lin Xiaoyou: You played games?! What game was it? I want to play too!]

[Fang Qi: A game for couples only. No third wheels allowed.]

The phone fell silent for a full three seconds. Then a string of angry cat stickers appeared!

Seven or eight of them came in a row, making the phone buzz nonstop!

[Lin Xiaoyou: Hmph! Xiaoqing and I have our own games too! Who cares!]

Fang Qi shrugged slightly.

Then go hang out with your Sister Xiaoqing!

At that moment, the silver-haired girl emerged from the kitchen with a cup of hot tea. Her crimson eyes flicked lightly toward the phone in his hand.

Fang Qi happened to look up, meeting those slightly curved, phoenix-like eyes.

Oh, right.

Liguang had been monitoring his phone the entire time.

…No big deal.

He was pure and innocent.

His conscience was clear!

Liguang walked over gracefully and knelt on the other side of the coffee table.

Holding the white porcelain cup in both hands, she raised it high above her head.

“Master, your tea.”

“The temperature has been adjusted to your preferred fifty-two degrees Celsius.”

…What a wonderful day.