Chapter 753: Awkwardly Dressed

"So it's all ashes down here?"

She stood up, and her tone returned to normal.

"Every inch of ground you tread upon is someone's passing."

XiaDie finally turned her head to glance at her, her lavender pupils shimmering with a silver sheen in the cold light of the flower field, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, "Very romantic, isn't it."

Heimu thought for a moment and decided to swallow the snide remark about where the romance lay.

She quickened a few steps to match XiaDie's pace, and the two walked side by side along the white‑sand path at the center of the flower field.

The soles of their boots rustled against the grains, mixing with the soft rustle of trembling petals.

After walking for about half a quarter hour, XiaDie said nothing, and Heimu felt that, as the visitor and the party who should hold higher standing in the conversation, she needed to say something first.

"How's living here? The remake is the same as the original, after all it was reloaded, so there are bound to be some details—"

"Very good."

XiaDie's voice came from ahead, still calm and gentle, precisely perched on the line between politeness and distance, "The underworld is quiet. Not many visitors. The flower field needs no tending; they bloom on their own, wilt on their own, and are reborn on their own. It's hassle‑free."

"…How's the food?"

"Nectar. Underworld river water. Occasionally offerings brought by wandering souls."

XiaDie tilted her head slightly, a butterfly pendant swaying among her hair, "Rest assured, Golden Descendant doesn't need much sustenance."

"Oh. If you need anything, just tell me. Data‑level adjustments are within my permission scope."

"You are being considerate."

Heimu nodded, then realized she had no idea what to say next.

She and XiaDie were indeed not familiar.

Among all the Golden Descendants of Weng Fa Luo Si, the one she spent the most time with was Xi Lian.

Next was Ti Bao; the memory of a thousand Ti Bao calling her 'mom' hasn't yet been archived from the system logs.

Feng Jin at least chatted with her for a few minutes about the philosophical relationship between buttons and desire.

A Ge Lai Ya, in a Godfather‑like tone, discussed Sai Fei Er's recent situation with her for ten minutes.

Wan Di was just now dueling with Na Ke Xia in the courtyard.

Na Ke Xia needs no introduction; the first to be liberated.

Only XiaDie; the total words they've exchanged since meeting might not even match the length of that one line Na Ke Xia just shouted—"Concrete Earth Beast."

Heimu turned her social skills upside down in her mind, realizing she truly didn't know what to discuss with a demure girl who governs the divine authority of death.

Talk about death?

Too heavy.

Talk about flowers?

We've already talked about that.

Talk about what she's been up to lately?

If she actually started sharing her daily life, Heimu wouldn't be able to keep up, making it even more awkward.

She certainly couldn't say, "Actually I just saw three entries above your head, one of which is 'fan‑fiction girl' and the other two are still being parsed—what do you think about that?"

At this moment she felt like a temporary rural official carrying two bags of consolation gifts, standing at a hometown's doorstep, racking her brain to recall the Civil Affairs Department's "Grassroots Visit Dialogue Guide," and finally forcing out, "The weather's been nice lately."

"…The weather's been nice lately."

"…You come from outside; does that place have weather too?"

A barely audible hint of amusement tinged XiaDie's voice.

Alright, that's awkwardly forced.

Heimu pulled the brim of her hat down half an inch and decided to Shut Up (Cocktail Technique).

A white stone building emerged in the center of the sea of flowers.

Two stories tall, its lines clean and crisp, standing starkly simple against the surrounding ornate Greek‑style colonnades and domes, as if built from a hermit scholar's own blueprints as a private study.

The walls were pure white stone, polished to a flawless smoothness, reflecting the flower field's cold light with a pearl‑like warm sheen.

The window frames were deep‑purple metal, and warm yellow light glowed behind the glass—the only splash of warmth in this underworld dominated by cold white and pale violet.

On either side of the doorway sat a pot of unknown purple blossoms, their petals shaped like tiny butterfly wings, fluttering gently in the mist.

"Arrived," XiaDie pushed the door open and gestured sideways, inviting entry.

Heimu stepped over the threshold, the soles of her boots striking the stone floor with a crisp click.

She looked around and couldn't help uttering an utterly naive exclamation.

"Whoa."

The interior décor was even more exquisite than the exterior.

The living room was modest, just enough to fit a few armchairs and a low table.

The walls were light‑gray stone, with seams inlaid with ultra‑fine purple light threads that formed several abstract patterns; she recognized them as likely depicting a butterfly's life cycle.

A lamp hung from the center of the ceiling, its shade a cocoon‑shaped assembly of semi‑transparent white sheets; warm yellow light filtered through, bathing the room in a soft amber glow.

The bookshelf in the corner wasn't a regular rectangle but shaped like branching twigs, each "branch" holding a few books or small ornaments.

Most ornaments were butterfly specimens and flower‑shaped sculptures, including a palm‑sized crystal butterfly that glowed with a faint violet fluorescence.

Next to the bookshelf was a half‑open window, beyond which stretched the boundless Antiling flower field; the cold white flower light met the interior's warm yellow glow at the window frame, forming a stark dividing line.

Heimu sat on an armchair, took off her Witch Hat and placed it on her lap, continuing to survey the surroundings.

She had seen the underworld in the game, even seen XiaDie's standing illustration in the flower field, but none of those scenes featured this building.

The game had never shown XiaDie's private space.

The living room before her, from floor to ceiling, was entirely her own design and arrangement—the angles of the butterfly specimens on the bookshelf, the layout of the light‑thread patterns on the wall, even the flowers in the small pots on the windowsill differed from those in the outside field.

Very orderly, very aesthetic, very personal in style.

Heimu placed the hat on his knee and decided to try socializing again.

"Is this house arranged by you yourself?"

"Hmm."

XiaDie stood beside the low table, bending over to take a tea set from the cabinet.

Her movements were slow and light, and no sound of collision came from the porcelain.

"The flowers in the flower field don't need maintenance, so there's more time. I just did it little by little. The bookshelf was made with the help of Ms. A Ge Lai Ya, those butterfly specimens were collected by myself, and the lamp materials were obtained as scraps from His Majesty."

"Does Ke Lv De La even manage this?"

"His Majesty is unexpectedly easy to talk to."

XiaDie placed the teacup on the tabletop, her purple eyelashes drooping, "If you stand in front of her for three seconds without speaking, she'll proactively ask if you need anything, and whatever you say she will agree to."

"…How did you know this information?"

"Sai Fei Er told me."

XiaDie lifted her eyes, a faint smile flickering in her light purple pupils, "She compiled Ke Lv De La's weakness into a handbook that circulates within the Golden Descendant. It sells for a Neruid Spring shell."