Under the night sky dotted with starlight, brilliant fireworks bloomed.
With a serious expression, Fu Zhu finally spoke the words he had been holding back for a long time to March 7th.
"March, I like you. Will you be my girlfriend?"
March 7th's pupils suddenly constricted. Out of surprise, her hands couldn't help but cover her small mouth. She felt only a trance; the surrounding music and the sound of exploding fireworks were all drowned out by this single sentence from Fu Zhu—a confession she had fantasized about privately countless times.
Fu Zhu waited for a good while but didn't receive a reply from the girl in front of him. She just stood there covering her mouth, staring at him without saying a word.
Fu Zhu grew a bit anxious from waiting and asked with some helplessness, "No matter what you think, give me a reaction, will you?"
Hearing Fu Zhu's words, March 7th realized she had been dazed for a bit too long. Her two small hands waved frantically in front of her.
"No, no! Wa-wait a moment!"
March 7th hurriedly pulled her phone out of her skirt pocket. Because she was too flustered, she almost dropped the phone on the ground several times. Fu Zhu simply reached out and grabbed her hands, helping her steady the phone.
"Don't drop it."
Suddenly having her hands held by Fu Zhu, March 7th's small face flushed red. She held the phone up, barely blocking her burning cheeks, and peered out cautiously from behind the phone like a startled fawn, sizing up Fu Zhu.
Although her hands had been held by Fu Zhu before, either actively or passively, this time felt different from all the previous times.
Seeing March 7th's shy appearance, Fu Zhu realized he might have been a bit too hasty. He smiled and said, "It's okay. If you haven't thought it through, you don't have to rush to answer. We still have a long time to travel together; I have time to wait for you."
"That's not it..."
March 7th hid her face behind the phone, tapped on the screen a few times with both hands, then opened the recording function and held it up, aiming it at Fu Zhu.
"Can... can you say it one more time?"
Seeing her like this, a smile tugged at the corner of Fu Zhu's mouth. complying with her wish, he repeated it again.
"March, I like you."
"T-time was too short... One more time, okay?"
"March, I like you."
"There was a bit of an issue with the audio... One more time, okay?"
"March, I like you."
Fu Zhu tirelessly repeated the same sentence. Just as the recording captured the tenth time, March 7th suddenly pressed the pause button.
This stunned Fu Zhu, who was planning to repeat it an eleventh time. He asked in confusion, "Is that enough?"
March 7th shook her head, the corners of her mouth curling up and her eyes curving into crescents. "Just like you said, for the remaining times, I want to record them slowly, every single day from now on."
Hearing her say this, Fu Zhu received the answer he had been waiting for, but he still stared at March 7th with a look of anticipation. Before she actually said it out loud, it was ultimately just his speculation.
"So, you mean?"
March 7th clutched the bottom of her phone with both hands, blocking her mouth with it, and looked away somewhat shyly.
"I'm willing."
Fu Zhu's eyes gradually widened. Finally, with pleasant surprise, he reached out, wrapped his arm around March 7th's waist, picked her up, and spun her around in circles happily on the spot.
"That's great!"
March 7th also hugged his neck happily, laughing along with Fu Zhu.
After spinning a few circles, Fu Zhu happily put March 7th down. As soon as March 7th's feet touched the ground, she immediately picked up her camera and pulled Fu Zhu to lean against the railing.
"This is a moment worth commemorating. Let's take a photo!"
"Of course."
As the shutter clicked, March 7th looked at the photo of the two of them with satisfaction, then took out her phone somewhat unsatisfied and held it up to take another one. Then, she extended her small hand toward Fu Zhu.
"Where's your phone? Lend it to me."
"Here."
Fu Zhu handed his phone to March 7th. Leaning against the railing, she sent the photo she had just taken to his phone, then changed the lock screen and wallpaper on both of their phones to the photo of the two of them.
Not only that, but March 7th also took the opportunity to change the contact names for each other in their address books. Afterward, she stared at the photo of them together and giggled foolishly.
Watching the foolish smile on her face, Fu Zhu couldn't help but laugh.
"I didn't expect your desire for monopoly to be this strong?"
"Of course! You are my first love! Besides, every time we split up and act alone, you always bring back some beautiful girls. As a girlfriend, of course I have to have a sense of crisis!"
March 7th lowered her head and fiddled with Fu Zhu's phone, replying as if it were only natural.
"Then shouldn't I leave my mark here too?"
"Huh? Where? Mmph——"
Fu Zhu held March 7th's chin, lifted her face, and kissed those soft, pink lips.
After a long time, their lips parted.
March 7th lay dizzily in Fu Zhu's arms, refusing to lift her head for a good while.
Fu Zhu looked at her appearance and couldn't help but laugh. He patted her shoulder gently and said, "March, get up for a second. I want to give you something."
"What is it?"
March 7th sat up from Fu Zhu's embrace and looked at him with some anticipation.
"Don't be anxious yet."
Fu Zhu opened the System's Mod Store, searched based on his memory, and found a mod named [Millénaire] (凡家物语).
This mod could make villagers become diverse and varied, enhancing the fun for players when exploring the game.
It didn't provide the player with particularly ridiculous stat bonuses directly, nor did it have heaven-defying equipment, but inside it, there were a few items with special effects.
One was named the [Wedding Ring]. After the player used it on a villager, that villager would be considered the player's spouse. Aside from this, it didn't have any special effects.
But two other items could make it extremely useful: the [Staff of Life] and the [Scythe of Death].
Both dropped from unique monsters in [Millénaire]. Both could revive the dead. The former had a very low drop rate, while the latter required killing a person to gain charge before it could revive the dead.
Fortunately, because [Millénaire] didn't have particularly sturdy stats, the System judged it as a Support-type Mod. The selling price was only 20 Achievement Points. If he wanted to buy it, he had more than enough.
[Millénaire Mod Installed]
After the notification of the mod's completion popped up, Fu Zhu immediately placed a [Crafting Table] on the spot, surrounded a slot with Gold Ingots, and took out two rings.
"Come here."
Fu Zhu held one of March 7th's hands and carefully put one of the rings on her hand.
Seeing Fu Zhu suddenly putting a ring on her, March 7th didn't resist, but she asked with some hesitation, "Fu Zhu, isn't this too fast? We haven't even told Himeko and the others yet."
"Sorry, March. I know this is a bit hasty, but this ring is different. It can protect you. I don't want any accidents to happen to you."
Fu Zhu's tone was serious. These words made the look in March 7th's eyes soften a lot. She glanced at Fu Zhu's empty hand, then extended her other hand and said, "Give me the other ring."
"Here."
Fu Zhu placed the other ring in her palm. March 7th mimicked Fu Zhu's previous actions, grabbed his hand, and put the ring on him.
"You have to wear this kind of good stuff too! I don't want any accidents happening to you either... By the way, should we give some to Himeko and the others too?"
Hearing this, Fu Zhu's expression instantly became a bit eccentric. He whispered a reminder, "March, the name of this ring is called the [Wedding Ring]..."
March 7th's face stiffened instantly. Then, she shyly raised her hand and hit Fu Zhu's chest. "You should have reminded me earlier! Then indeed, we can't just give it to others casually..."
Just then, Xing walked over, holding popcorn in one hand and an origami bird in the other. Seeing Fu Zhu and March 7th standing by the railing, she immediately shouted with a grin, "Old Bro, March, so you guys were here! Want some popcorn? Himeko and the others are looking for you... Huh?"
Xing noticed the somewhat ambiguous posture of the two and the identical rings on their hands. She stood there dumbfounded. After a good while, she woke up with a start. The popcorn in her hand fell to the ground, and the origami bird she was holding in her other hand took the opportunity to break free and fly away.
"You guys?! You skipped the dating phase and went straight to marriage?! Are you two embarking on the Path of [Procreation] together?"
Fu Zhu rolled his eyes at her grumpily. Just as he was about to say something, he heard the sound of something dropping from the other side. He turned around and saw a red button dropped on the ground by a waiter's hand.
The waiter stared at Fu Zhu with a bewildered expression, then spun around and transformed into Sparkle. Sparkle stood with her hands on her hips, gritting her teeth as she stared at Fu Zhu.
"So it was you! Do you know how many times Lord Sparkle pressed the button? In the end, you actually ruined my plan! What's even more excessive is that you actually had someone hack my broadcast!"
Sparkle was furious. She had been busy for half the day, but in the end, she didn't even get a chance to scare anyone!
And just at this moment, a squad of Hound Family members chased over, pointing at Sparkle and shouting, "Found her! That serial killer! The intelligence was true!"
Seeing the Hound Family members chasing her, Sparkle's expression changed. She made a funny face at Fu Zhu, left behind a sentence saying "I will definitely return," and then took to her heels and ran.
Fu Zhu's phone also received a message at the right time.
[Chadwick: Sir, it's done. You can continue with your plan.]
Fu Zhu looked at this message and couldn't help but reply with some gratitude.
[Fu Zhu: Doctor, you didn't hack my phone and watch a live stream, did you?]
[Chadwick: Sir, you wrong me. I just paid special attention to that girl in red we met before while assisting you. I didn't expect that upon checking, I'd find she was that serial killer, so I just kept an eye on her movements!]
[Fu Zhu: Thanks.]
Fu Zhu put away his phone, took March 7th's hand, then walked to Xing's side and patted her shoulder. "Let's go. Didn't you say Himeko and the others were looking for us? Just as well, I have something to announce to them."
Afterward, he led March 7th by the hand and walked past Xing. Xing stared blankly as the two walked past her hand in hand, sweetly and cloyingly. Caught off guard, she was force-fed a mouthful of dog food.
When she came back to her senses, she couldn't help but raise her hands to cover her mouth and fake-sob, "Wuwuwu, this family won't have a place for me anymore!"
"Stop acting!"
Fu Zhu turned around and extended his other hand to her in exasperation. "Let's go."
"Hehe."
Only then did Xing run over happily, grabbing Fu Zhu's arm and leaving the second floor together with them.
...
Inside a lounge, the three of them found Himeko, Welt, and Dan Heng sitting inside, drinking tea and resting.
The three people in the room saw Fu Zhu and the others walk in so intimately. At first, they didn't think much of it, but soon, all three sharp-eyed individuals noticed the rings worn on Fu Zhu and March 7th's hands.
"Cough cough cough..."
Himeko and Welt couldn't hold it back; they choked on their tea. Afterward, the two of them looked at Fu Zhu and March 7th with strange expressions.
"You two?"
Fu Zhu and March 7th looked at each other, smiling as they held up their hands wearing the rings and said in unison, "We are together."
After a brief moment of being stunned, Himeko and the others also couldn't help but reveal smiles on their faces.
"Congratulations." x3
Xing looked at the three of them with some confusion and asked, "Himeko, is your reaction that flat?"
Dan Heng, sitting to the side, roasted her out of the blue, "Himeko and Welt both choked. You call that flat?"
Xing rubbed her chin. "Shouldn't this be the time for the drama of 'the ugly daughter-in-law meeting the in-laws'? Although they choked, it feels like the flavor isn't right!"
March 7th knocked lightly on the back of Xing's head from behind. "Who are you calling ugly!"
Xing clutched the back of her head and stuck out her tongue at her, then walked quickly to an empty seat and sat down.
Fu Zhu and March 7th also walked to a double sofa and sat down shoulder to shoulder. The former looked at Himeko with some curiosity and asked, "Himeko, Xing said you were looking for us? Is something the matter?"
Himeko and Welt looked at each other, then nodded.
"You should also know that the Express is running low on fuel. The fuel required by the Astral Express isn't ordinary fuel, but a kind of conceptualized energy. Although we can rely on the Redstone Block in Fu Zhu's hand to maintain it, as Nameless, we cannot stop forever. So, Miss Black Swan, whom we met before, gave us a suggestion. She said she knows a place that even Akivili has never been to.
"If we can successfully carry out a Trailblazing journey there, we won't have to worry about fuel in the future. But since it is a place even Akivili has never been to, risks naturally exist, so I wanted to ask for your opinions."
Fu Zhu had always looked forward to all kinds of unknown adventures. Moreover, he felt that with his current strength, as long as he wasn't facing an Aeon, there would be absolutely no problem. He nodded and agreed.
"I have no objections."
March 7th and Xing also expressed one after another that they had no objections.
After listening to them, Himeko smiled and said, "I didn't expect our opinions to be quite unified. We all think this itinerary is no problem. However, the Xianzhou Luofu sent an invitation earlier, inviting our Astral Express to attend the Wardance. But Welt and I accepted a commission midway and cannot go for the time being. We can only let you, Fu Zhu, act as the representatives of the train."
"I understand."
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