Chapter 1 An Afternoon Stroll

"We've been walking all morning; let's rest here for a bit."

It was noon, the sun hung high in the sky, and the group was parched and exhausted from being on the road for hours. Mingmei led everyone to a spot near a stream and a grove of trees to rest.

"Seriously, why is this road so difficult? How much longer until we reach the Fox Spirit Temple?"

For these interstellar travelers, used to flying vehicles and starships, this primitive mountain climbing was a rare experience.

Especially since they had been walking the entire time since the game started!

"I don't even walk this much when I'm shopping."

Lu Xiaoyao pouted and sat on a large rock in the shade, complaining softly.

Hearing Lu Xiaoyao's words, Julian's eyes flashed with a hint of doubt.

Logically, everyone in the game should have the same physical stats. Julian noticed that the others didn't seem particularly tired, only Lu Xiaoyao.

It was clear that Lu Xiaoyao's fatigue wasn't physical, but psychological.

This meant that Lu Xiaoyao's real-life physique probably wasn't great either; otherwise, why would she be so aware of her exhaustion?

"How did someone like you get into military academy?"

Looking at Lu Xiaoyao, he couldn't imagine her passing the military academy's physical fitness selection.

"I just got in, what about it?"

Lu Xiaoyao looked completely confident when asked this, not showing even a hint of guilt.

This made Julian dismiss his suspicion that Lu Xiaoyao had gotten in through connections.

However, there was constant debate in the comments about Lu Xiaoyao entering the Central Military Academy. The true fans didn't mind, but Lu Xiaoyao was so popular that the haters often brought it up.

Mingmei had been paying attention to these comments through the livestream. She naturally admired Julian's observation skills.

However, when it came to Lu Xiaoyao's physical fitness, asking Lu Xiaoyao herself would only get a negative answer. Asking Da Yao would be a different story.

The school hadn't said whether they could talk about the special admissions class, so Lu Xiaoyao naturally didn't dare to say anything directly. Zhen Po, being from the same school, naturally knew what was going on.

Remembering that Lu Xiaoyao was livestreaming, he stepped forward to change the subject.

"Your stamina issues will improve greatly in your third year, when everyone goes to a desolate planet for survival training."

"Oh, right! The desolate planet in third year… huh?!" Lu Xiaoyao stopped halfway through her sentence, realizing what Zhen Po had said. "We're going to a desolate planet?"

"Yeah, didn't you know?"

Lu Xiaoyao: "…"

Why would she know?

Even Mingmei, who had been listening for a while, didn't understand what their expressions meant.

"A desolate planet is a planet on the edge of the Interstellar Alliance, without a permanent population, with some conditions for survival, but with a harsh environment," Mu Chen explained to Mingmei.

"But… wasn't Hua Lan Star developed from a desolate planet?"

Mingmei had read a lot of interstellar history in private, so she naturally knew about desolate planets. However, because of Hua Lan Star's success, she didn't have much of an idea about the danger of the original desolate planets.

"Yes, there are many desolate planets in the Interstellar Alliance, and many people have tried to develop them, but only Hua Lan Star succeeded. They are the only success story," Mu Chen said. "Many desolate planets are far more barren and dangerous than Hua Lan Star was originally. There might even be traces of the zerg there…"

Mingmei could tell that Mu Chen wasn't exaggerating as he explained. After listening, she nodded slowly, already thinking about brushing up on her knowledge of the subject after the game ended.

She and Mu Chen had stopped pretending not to know each other in the game. Anyway, Mu Chen would always find her and act like they were old friends.

However, others who didn't know their dynamic couldn't understand Mu Chen's actions at all.

Zhen Hu, who was passing by them to wash his face by the stream, overheard the conversation about a player introducing desolate planets to an NPC?

Zhen Hu couldn't understand.

What was going on?

Had the game… become this competitive?

NPCs learning interstellar common sense?

And the player answering the NPC's questions?

Was this how you raised affection?

What's more, Zhen Hu remembered that the guiding NPC… Zhen Po had reminded him on the road that the NPC's character setting might not be human due to his special abilities.

Since he wasn't even human, he definitely wasn't a good person!

That was some impressive logic!

No wonder he got along well with Lu Xiaoyao.

Thinking this, Zhen Hu looked at Mu Chen, who was talking to Mingmei with a gentle expression, and couldn't help but show a look of sympathy.

Hey, buddy, be careful!

Mingmei, who didn't know what Zhen Hu was thinking, took out the boxed lunches she had been carrying.

"Everyone must be hungry, right? I brought boxed lunches. Do you want some?"

[Here it comes! The boxed lunches!]

[Wait! The village girl leading the way is actually a merchant miss?! But why did the mysterious merchant miss change her face?]

[Yeah! Why?]

[But this face is good too. I think it suits the game better. You guys are really…]

[That's why. Without that face, shipping this CP isn't as fun~]

Mingmei knew that Lu Xiaoyao's livestream would react like this when she took out the boxed lunches, but she didn't care. She walked over to Lu Xiaoyao and the others and recommended her boxed lunches again.

"Natural farmhouse boxed lunches, fragrant, delicious, and filling. We have braised pork rice, cola chicken wings boxed lunches, anyone want some? We've been climbing for half the day, and we still have more to go."

"No, thanks. I have prey. I can eat barbecue."

Zhen Hu remembered his younger brother's reminder and politely declined Mingmei.

"I'm not used to it either. I brought my own dry food." Zhen Po also declined.

Mingmei: …

Great! This wasn't a good start!

Two out of the five players weren't buying?

"I don't want any either…"

Lu Xiaoyao was indeed hungry, but when she thought of the CP she was shipping, this was a matter of principle, and she had to stick to it!

Mingmei was speechless when she saw Lu Xiaoyao's decisive refusal and even turned her face away, as if she would rather starve to death than buy a boxed lunch.

Because she had already figured out Lu Xiaoyao's thoughts through the comments.

[Speaking of—remember what our girl said?]

[Huh?]

[She must think the merchant miss in front of her is different from her friend. And because she's so close to that Mu Chen guy, she's angry! Her CP just broke up today!]

[Oh, oh, oh! Right!]

Great, Lu Xiaoyao not buying boxed lunches is normal. I'm not angry.

Mingmei comforted herself in her heart, but at the same time, she was heartbroken.

There were only two players left.

Mingmei looked at Julian, but saw that he had taken out two exquisite pastries from his wide sleeves in order to maintain his persona.

Mingmei: ??

Lu Xiaoyao: ???

"I am the richest man in Pingcheng, how could I eat rustic country food? I specially asked the innkeeper to make me a small portion of pastries this morning."

For a moment, Mingmei felt the string of reason in her head about to snap!

It had been so long!

It had been so long since she left the novice village that she hadn't felt like this!

Seeing the countdown timers for four consecutive unsuccessful transactions, Mingmei silently turned around and looked pitifully at Mu Chen, who was standing not far away.

Mu Chen was smiling and looking back at her, his mouth moving slightly, silently saying—"Beg me."