Chapter 30

Time flowed silently in the darkness, each second feeling especially long.

When he opened his eyes again, Li Feifei's figure was gone from beside him, leaving only himself lying on the empty bed.

He glanced at the time; it was past ten in the morning.

He propped himself up on the bed's edge, sat up, stretched his body, and a faint soreness and numbness spread through his limbs.

His gaze swept over the vacant space beside him; the bedding still bore a slight depression, as if Li Feifei's presence had not yet faded.

She had probably gone off to busy herself, for this precarious fortress, and also for him, the one who had just barely snatched back his life.

Thinking of yesterday's heavy dark circles under her eyes and those bloodshot eyes, Li Qingxuan felt a complex sourness well up in his chest, mixed with gratitude and a deeper sense of responsibility.

Having dressed, his gaze fell on the small wooden table at the head of the bed.

There lay a portion of food, carefully covered with a clean wooden tray.

He reached out, his fingertips lightly touching the edge of the tray, and his palm immediately sensed the residual warmth of the food.

Lifting the tray, he found several reheated meat patties, their edges slightly crisped, exuding a familiar aroma, with a few deep-red berries placed beside them.

He picked up a meat patty, took a bite, then pinched a berry and put it in his mouth; a faintly stimulating sourness instantly spread across his tongue, rousing his dulled taste buds and making his dazed mind feel a bit clearer.

He finished the food on the tray in big mouthfuls.

The food settled in his stomach, bringing a warm sense of fullness.

He set down the tray and leaned his body back against the head of the bed.

Just then, from somewhere deep within the fortress, a faint, familiar footstep sound came, drawing nearer from afar toward the bedroom.

The footsteps echoed in the stone corridor, growing clearer from far to near with a light rhythm—that was Li Feifei's unique gait.

Li Qingxuan leaned against the head of the bed, his gaze fixed on the tightly closed bedroom door, waiting silently.

The door hinge emitted a soft 'creak' as it was pushed open from outside.

Li Feifei's figure appeared in the doorway, holding a steaming coarse pottery bowl.

She seemed to have just finished her chores; a bead of crystal sweat clung to her temple, a few strands of hair stuck to her cheeks, her face flushed with healthy color from exertion, her eyes bright, with a hint of anticipation not easily noticed.

"Awake?" she said, seeing Li Qingxuan already sitting up, a warm smile instantly spreading across her face as she hurried over, "How do you feel? Any better?"

Her eyes fell on the empty wooden tray he had just set down, her smile deepening, "What a good appetite—you ate it all."

She walked to the bedside, handed him the pottery bowl holding warm water, "Here, drink some hot water."

Watching Li Qingxuan take the bowl and gulp down the water, she couldn't help but chuckle softly, "Drink slowly, no one's going to snatch it from you."

Li Qingxuan said nothing, merely nodded, lifted the bowl to his lips, and drank the water dry.

She took the empty bowl, placed it on the small wooden table by the bed, then sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning slightly forward to examine him closely.

"Your complexion is much better than yesterday," she said in a gentle voice, carrying a soothing power, "and your eyes have regained their focus."

She paused, her tone turning serious and concerned, "How do you feel now?"

Her questions came one after another, her gaze locked tightly on Li Qingxuan's face, missing not the slightest flicker of expression.

"I'm fine, already recovered," he said, standing up and moving his body a bit in front of her.

Li Feifei's smile froze; almost reflexively she reached out, hovering her hand beside him, fingertips just a thin layer of air from his arm, ready to catch any sway he might have.

The worry in her bright eyes had not completely dissipated, like a thin mist hovering over her joy.

"Really?" she said softly, "Don't push yourself; you lost so much blood yesterday…"

"Really." Li Qingxuan smiled, interrupting her, his voice steady as usual, then reached out and pulled her into his embrace.

Li Feifei blushed, lifting her head to look at him, "What are you doing, you rascal." Then, bashfully, she buried her head in Li Qingxuan's chest.

"If we're talking about rascals, you're worse—last night you sneaked into my blanket." Li Qingxuan gave her an ambiguous glance.

Li Feifei's ears instantly burned red; her fingers gripping his shirt tightened unconsciously, her voice muffled against his chest with a shy, annoyed nasal tone: "Who—who let you faint the day before yesterday, your body so cold… I was shivering from the chill, I feared your wounds weren't healed yet and you'd catch cold again… my good intentions treated like dog's lungs and liver!"

"Wait, the day before yesterday? Are you sure it wasn't yesterday?" she snapped her head up, cheeks flushed crimson, her eyes flashing with a mix of annoyance and playful teasing as she poked his solid chest lightly, "Regardless of how many days, aren't you just taking advantage? You take the advantage and then turn around and blame me—who's really the rascal?"

Li Qingxuan was momentarily choked by her sudden "accusation," looking at her flushed yet defiant face; the emotions welling up in his depths settled, turning into a hint of helpless yet warm tenderness.

Holding her silently for an unknown length of time, Li Qingxuan patted her back and asked, "How's the transaction going? Any progress?"

Hearing Li Qingxuan bring up business, Li Feifei released her embrace, stepped back half a step, her flush not yet faded but her expression turned serious: "During this period, Survivors have experienced explosive growth; we've exchanged for large amounts of basic materials and some daily necessities. Currently we have 2290 units of lumber, Unit Stone, and 3270 units of iron block. Moreover, I found someone selling energy stones; it took great effort to gather 100 units, mainly because there are few sellers."

She paused, then continued: "Also, the sales of Tang Swords aren't doing well; many people are now selling weapons. Water purifiers have also started being sold, weakening our competitive edge considerably; the best‑selling item right now is the fireplace."

She slightly furrowed her brows, "The amount of basic materials needed to upgrade the fortress and build the city wall is enormous; we may still need some time to gather them all."

She slapped her forehead, then added: "We've already exchanged for seeds, including wheat seeds, rice seeds, and some vegetable seeds, but the weather is still cold, so we haven't planted them yet."

Li Qingxuan nodded; this result was not unexpected to him.

In the Weird World, scarce resources are always hard currency.

"Energy stones are key," he mused, "The fortress upgrade needs them, and they're also required to power the runes. We must secure this first, even if the price is high—we can't afford to waste time."

"We can try planting a few seeds first; there's no rush." His gaze swept over Li Feifei's slightly tired yet still bright eyes, "You've worked hard this period."

"Nothing too hard," Li Feifei shook her head, then, as if recalling something, her tone tinged with lingering fear, "You don't know—during yesterday's transaction, the Regional Channel was rife with rumors of the Black Goat… many had been brutally killed before… lots of people were snapping up basic supplies regardless of cost. Fortunately we acted fast, exchanging for these before prices spiraled out of control. These past two days, seeing the Black Goat go quiet, many have started dumping their holdings in large quantities."

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