On the night of December 1st, when Lin Xianyu, Gu Yueyan, and Ren Xingmei arrived at Ren Suo's House, Lin Xianyu found Little Jiu opening the door. She immediately spread her arms wide like a Roc and hugged the fluffy Little Jiu, constantly rubbing Little Jiu's cute little face. "So~~ warm~~."

Little Jiu pouted and pushed her away, then scurried to the kitchen with her little legs, shouting, "Big Brother Ren, Little Star, Sister Xiaoyan, and Salted Fish are here!"

Lin Xianyu went over and tugged at her twin ponytails, puffing up her cheeks. "Why am I the only one called by my name?"

Little Jiu snorted. "Because you eat a lot!"

"..." Lin Xianyu couldn't argue.

It was unclear whether Little Jiu realized Lin Xianyu was at the bottom of their small group's food chain, or if she'd discovered Lin Xianyu was completely unaffected by her supernatural charm, or perhaps if Little Jiu had found that her favorite dishes were always eaten by Lin Xianyu first. In any case, Little Jiu, who was usually everyone's comforting presence, turned into a spiky hedgehog only when facing Lin Xianyu.

But this change made Lin Xianyu appreciate her even more; she even started to like her. She didn't care whether her friends were unbearable to deal with since none were as unbearable as herself. As long as they treated Lin Xianyu with the most genuine attitude, that's how Lin Xianyu grew closer to them.

Therefore, the well-liked Lin Xianyu was always closest to just a few people, like Gu Yueyan or Ren Suo. Dong Chengling, however, had an aura too diligent and intense, like a scorching sun, which made Lin Xianyu avoid getting too close to her, for it would make her own salty taste even stronger.

Lin Xianyu peeked into the kitchen and saw a surprising scene. "Big Brother Ren, you're actually cooking!?"

"What?" Gu Yueyan turned around.

"What?" Ren Xingmei, who was opening the door, said in amazement.

"What?" Bai Ji, who had just come in, was very delighted.

They immediately gathered at the kitchen entrance, seeing Ren Suo acting as Dong Chengling's assistant, washing vegetables, which made Lin Xianyu mutter with concern, "Big Brother Ren, there are many things in this world we shouldn't force..."

"Alright, I'm just washing vegetables, not cooking. You won't die from that." Ren Suo glanced at them. "Haven't you seen someone wash vegetables? Is it that interesting? Do you need me to perform washing them with my feet?"

Bai Ji nodded. "Yes, please."

Ren Xingmei curiously asked, "Big bro, how come... I thought you were a man of principles, always just coming to eat and never lifting a finger..."

Ren Suo glanced at Dong Chengling, who was smiling serenely while handling ginger and garlic, and muttered, "Cheng Ling came to my house to cook, and she asked if I wanted to help. How could I just lie around? So, I wash the veggies and rinse the rice..."

Bai Ji asked with concern, "Isn't the water cold?"

"It's cold, that's why I'm washing. What else?"

At this moment, Ren Suo and Ren Xingmei seemed to recall something, exchanged a glance, and snickered. Gu Yueyan blinked, walked in, picked up an apron nearby, and tied it on. "I'll help too."

"Really?" Ren Suo asked in surprise.

"What else could it be... I've been helping Teacher Dong with cooking for several months now!" Gu Yueyan said with slight irritation.

"Then I'll leave it to you; the kitchen can't fit three people." Ren Suo dried his hands and, like a whirlwind, dashed out, leaving Gu Yueyan dumbfounded. How could you utterly destroy the slight goodwill you just managed to evoke?

"Yueyan, I want to make crispy pork. Can you help me beat some eggs and mix in some starch to make a slurry?"

"Sure."

"Also,"

"Yes?" Gu Yueyan turned her head and saw Dong Chengling looking at her. Since she was cooking, Dong Chengling had casually tied her long hair into a low ponytail that rested on her shoulder. She stood upright at the stove, wearing a gentle smile, her gaze meticulous. She looked less like a housewife and more like a master chef.

Gu Yueyan was about the same height as Dong Chengling, but at that moment, she suddenly felt as if Teacher Dong appeared even taller.

"You're here as a guest," Dong Chengling gently said. "Don't keep working in the kitchen like this; it makes it seem like we are impolite hosts."

"But when I'm at your house..."

"Because that's my home, and it's your home too," Dong Chengling said. "Also, outside of class, just call me Sister Ling."

But this is Ren Suo's House... The words churned in Gu Yueyan's throat, but ultimately, she swallowed them. "Okay, Sister Ling."

"Remember not to do this next time."

...

"Speaking of which, the teachers' dorms don't even have heating…" Clinging tightly to the disgruntled Little Jiu and refusing to let go, Lin Xianyu sighed. "The academy is really stingy!"

Ren Suo rubbed his hands together. The cold from washing vegetables and rinsing rice earlier hadn't left them yet, and they were freezing. While covertly using 'Flame Overlord' to warm himself, he said, "No place in the south comes with built-in heating unless it's air conditioning heating. But air conditioning heating isn't very effective. It's also very dry and not comfortable at all, unless it's central heating...

"The south doesn't even have heating pipes installed; the academy can't afford north-to-south heating no matter how rich it is. But it might be worth considering buying something like a heater..."

At this moment, Lin Xianyu patted Little Jiu's head and chuckled. "Your Big Brother Ren is going to sell you to buy a heater, Hmph, hmph!"

Facing Lin Xianyu's teasing, Little Jiu was unfazed and retorted, "Why sell Little Jiu?"

"Because you're valuable." Lin Xianyu stretched out a hand while saying confidently, "Selling you would raise at least 5,000 yuan, and then we could feast on delicious food!"

Little Jiu suddenly giggled, pointing at Lin Xianyu. "Little Jiu knows, Salted Fish isn't worth anything! Big Brother Ren won't sell you!"

How should I retort? Admitting it seemed like losing, and arguing that I was worth more also seemed like losing...

"Big Brother Ren...can't sell me," Lin Xianyu said with difficulty. "Because I'm not Big Brother Ren's thing."

"You're not a thing?" Little Jiu tilted her head and said.

Lin Xianyu obediently picked up Little Jiu and stuffed her back into Ren Suo's arms, then slipped into the kitchen shouting, "Is dinner ready yet, Squad Leader—"

Little Jiu behaved herself playing with the phone while in Ren Suo's arms. At that moment, Ren Xingmei rested her elbow on the table, her palm supporting her chin, and asked in a low voice with a laugh, "Brother, do you remember what day is coming up in a couple of days?"

Ren Suo felt a stir inside him but shook his head. "I don't remember."

"Good that you don't remember." Ren Xingmei smiled. "I hope only I remember."

Bai Ji, sitting quietly by the side, squinted his eyes slightly. He thought for a moment, pulled out his phone to check something, and then a realization dawned on him as he slowly loosened the scarf around his neck.

At the dining table, Lin Xianyu asked while eating, "Teacher Dong, why are we having dinner at Big Brother Ren's house today?"

The others were quite curious about this too. Most gatherings had previously been at Dong Chengling's house, so why had it switched to Ren Suo's House today?

Dong Chengling chewed her food slowly and simply stated, "From now on, if there aren't any surprises, let's have dinner here on weekends... Suo, do you think that's okay?"

"Hm? Ah? It's fine by me; I fully support it," Ren Suo said sincerely. This even saved him the trouble of going out. Although the total distance was less than a hundred meters, for someone like Ren Suo who preferred not going out, the saving wasn't just in distance. It transformed 'needing to go out' into 'just staying home'; now he didn't even need to wear shoes.

Little Jiu shook her little short legs, seemingly quite happy; Ren Xingmei's face slightly changed; Gu Yueyan quietly ate; Lin Xianyu, as if in deep thought, made an "oh" sound and snatched the last piece of cola chicken wing; Bai Ji glanced at Dong Chengling, then at Ren Suo, a different light shimmering in his cool eyes.

Lin Xianyu changed the subject. "So, what did Big Brother Ren do today? We had classes all day long—having classes on Saturday is really inhumane! Don't teachers get weekends off?"

Bai Ji chuckled. "They do, but you have supplementary culture classes on Saturdays. Balancing Cultivation and culture classes, of course, means you can't live as leisurely as in kindergarten."

Ren Suo said, "Today, Little Jiu and I spent the whole day at home watching cartoons and movies..."

Lin Xianyu exclaimed, "Not going out? Tomorrow is Sunday, how about we all go downtown together—"

Gu Yueyan slapped Lin Xianyu on the back of the head. Lin Xianyu rubbed the spot, looking at Gu Yueyan, puzzled. "Squad Leader, you've made me dumb. If I fail calculus, it's your fault..."

"Tomorrow we have Sister Ling's class, three lessons in a row. You still thinking of going out?" Gu Yueyan said. "I informed everyone three days ago."

Lin Xianyu was dumbfounded, her jaw nearly dropping. She turned her head towards Dong Chengling, who nodded. "Indeed, three lessons in a row. It takes up almost the entire afternoon."

"Then doesn't that mean I have no days off this week...?" Lin Xianyu wailed. "Teacher Dong, why did you suddenly decide to teach on Sunday?"

"Because I moved Monday's class to Sunday," Dong Chengling said calmly.

"Huh? Teacher Dong, do you have something going on on Monday?" Lin Xianyu was somewhat surprised. "Is it something to do with Cultivation? Are you about to break through again?"

"No, it's just a personal matter," Dong Chengling shook her head.

Ren Xingmei fiercely bit down, crushing the chicken bone in her mouth; Bai Ji squinted his eyes, his gaze lingering on Dong Chengling.

Ren Suo said, "Even if you don't have classes, I wouldn't accompany you to the city anyway. In this freezing weather, if you ask me whether I'll go out or not, I'd rather die in bed than venture out. But if you say we're teaming up for ranked matches, then that's different. Our story begins there."

"So we can only meet up tomorrow night for some ranking and possibly lose again..." Lin Xianyu muttered.

"You think we'll definitely lose rank when you're with me?"

After a hearty meal, everyone went their separate ways, and Ren Suo naturally ended up washing the dishes with cold water.

On the way back, while checking her phone as she walked to the girls' dormitory, Lin Xianyu suddenly exclaimed, "Sister Qiao has to work overtime tonight."

Gu Yueyan said, "It's quite normal for the Tactical Bureau to work overtime."

"According to her social media, she's working overtime tonight to finish work early, aiming to take a break the day after tomorrow," she explained.

Ren Xingmei suddenly turned her head. "The day after tomorrow?"

"Yes, the day after tomorrow," Lin Xianyu asked curiously. "Teacher Dong is taking a day off the day after tomorrow, Sister Qiao is taking the day off. Do you think they might be…"

"...planning to team up for a hot spring trip!?"

Ren Xingmei blinked, her expression relaxed, and said, "Maybe."

Lin Xianyu glanced at Ren Xingmei and then at the silent Gu Yueyan. She seemed thoughtful but then started another topic. "By the way, Little Star, just now when you and Big Brother Ren talked about washing vegetables, how did you both end up laughing together?"

"That's from when we were kids," Ren Xingmei said. "Over in Baiyun City it's similar to Lianjiang. It's cold in winter and there's no heating. When we were kids, my brother and I noticed Dad would be particularly diligent in winter. He would do all the chores Mom usually did, like washing vegetables, rinsing rice, and washing dishes, while Mom would just do the cutting and cooking...

"Then when Dad was rinsing rice, we asked him, 'Isn't the water cold?' Dad didn't even turn his head, just answered 'Yeah, it's cold. That's why I'm washing, what else?' exactly like my brother's reply just now. We remembered that and so we laughed," she explained.

Lin Xianyu found it amusing and said, "It's nice that you can both appreciate each other's sense of humor."

Unable to help herself, Ren Xingmei nodded and murmured softly, "My brother and I grew up together. I know his temper, his stories, his likes and dislikes... We spent all the holidays together. I know what he wants most; he would give me all his pocket money... If..."

"I've arrived." Ren Xingmei stopped in front of dormitory No. 11, bidding farewell to Lin Xianyu and Gu Yueyan with a smile.

Gu Yueyan and Lin Xianyu had to walk several dozen more meters to dormitory No. 13. At that moment, Lin Xianyu came closer and heard Gu Yueyan murmur softly, "It must be nice..."

"What must be nice?" Lin Xianyu asked softly.

"Childhood friends, like…" Gu Yueyan snapped back to reality, slightly embarrassed and angry, and glanced at Lin Xianyu before turning her head away.

"Squad Leader, Squad Leader," Lin Xianyu grabbed Gu Yueyan's hand, asking, "What day is it the day after tomorrow?"

Gu Yueyan said indifferently, "It's not a holiday."

Lin Xianyu shook Gu Yueyan's hand. "I know it's not a holiday, but Little Star, Teacher Dong, and Sister Qiao all seem to care a lot about the day after tomorrow. You know too, Squad Leader, I want to know as well!"

"He didn't say, so it's normal that you don't know. There's no need to worry about it." Gu Yueyan replied, her cheeks flushing. "It would be odd if you knew."

Lin Xianyu was slightly stunned and then realized something. "Could it be..."

She took out her phone to check, confirming her thoughts, and caught up with the quickly walking Gu Yueyan, giggling. "Squad Leader, you should come to me with this; I am an expert..."

...

After Dong Chengling and Little Jiu left, Ren Suo finally breathed a sigh of relief, laid back on the sofa comfortably, and continued strategizing for "Night of the Hunt."

He had spent the entire day with Little Jiu, and his game progress had stalled right after Luna had snatched the second Silver Moon Crystal, only to then be ambushed.

He tried several times to have Luna escape in a different direction after grabbing the Silver Moon Crystal, but the outcome was even worse. Samurai and pursuing Apostles of the Moon God were everywhere in the park. Almost always, she ended up seriously injured and falling into a Dream Death State, sometimes even getting finished off by an Apostle of the Moon God.

Among the samurai, there was more than one sniper, and Luna couldn't get far before being shot.

The other Apostles of the Moon God were no joke either. Apart from their regular Spells, their Miracles were bizarre—lightning strikes, sensory deprivation, muscle rigidity...

Luna might barely manage against one or two Apostles of the Moon God, but when there were more, bombarded by Miracles, she was as good as paper.

The priority of Miracles was far too high for her Physical Condition, "Gauze Clothing," or "Mysterious Sovereign's Secret Records - Mortal Shedding" to withstand.

This time, with the appearance of a second brilliant silver light pillar, once Luna was sniped and seriously injured by the samurai, other Apostles of the Moon God immediately caught up, and there was no chance of escape.

Ren Suo thought it over and realized that the initial save file was the best. At least Luna hadn't died and was revived by the doctor. Though the Silver Moon Crystal was gone, they still scraped together 1,000 Experience Points.

Now, Ren Suo let Luna rest a bit more and quietly waited for the next appearance of the Silver Moon Crystal.

Soon, Ren Suo discovered that the Silver Moon Crystal appeared four times a day, at the exact moments of the Third Quarter Moon, the Waning Moon, the Waxing Crescent Moon, and the First Quarter Moon.

In the first round of Moon Phase changes, Ren Suo seized the opportunities of the last two phases. Perhaps it was because no one else that day had triggered the Miracle of 'predicting the next location of the Silver Moon Crystal.' Luna, with her ability to reload a save game and thus predict events, effectively had her own prophetic Miracle.

The silver-white column of light had just appeared and dissipated three seconds later, leaving other Apostles of the Moon God unable to react in time!

This time, without a mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, Luna successfully obtained two Silver Moon Crystals:

"Silver Moon Crystal: Splash: Owning this Silver Moon Crystal enhances the range of your Moon-Related area attacks by 20%, increases the power of all Supernatural Abilities by 5%, and boosts the power of Moon-Related Supernatural Abilities by an additional 25%."

"Silver Moon Crystal: Divine Movement: Owning this Silver Moon Crystal increases your Movement Speed by 10%, enhances the power of all Supernatural Abilities by 5%, and boosts the power of Moon-Related Supernatural Abilities by an additional 25%."

However, Ren Suo noticed that the 'Mysteriously Ill Patient' character tag for Luna in this save had turned gray at some point.

But that character tag wasn't of much role-playing value anyway, so Ren Suo didn't mind.

However, although Luna could seize the initiative every time, during the fourth scramble for the Silver Moon Crystal, there was an Apostle of the Moon God not far from the fountain where the crystal appeared, and this apostle's Miracle was shockingly 'Swap places with the target'!

As for the cost of this Miracle, Ren Suo soon guessed—it meant the Apostle of the Moon God could not move normally.

That is, he could swap places with his target, but during the Moon Phase where he possessed this Miracle, his only means of movement was also just to swap places with his target.

There was no way to beat him to it, as he could swap places just by looking at a distant tree, and there was no way to avoid him. God knows why he insisted on standing next to the fountain in the city center.

It just so happens that Luna's Miracle this time was a fairly useless one—

"Your Miracle is 'increased efficiency by a hundred times.'

"But your cost is 'you can only operate in a narrow, dark cubicle.'"

Hence, Ren Suo had Luna seize the Silver Moon Crystal and then try to find cover to escape or attack the Apostle of the Moon God to force a mistake.

However, after a confrontation between the two, it attracted the Transcendent from the League of Legends who maintained order, and the ultimate loser naturally was Luna, the foreigner. Even though Luna ultimately escaped, she still triggered a city-wide manhunt.

With no other choice, Ren Suo thought of the NPC doctor and planned to have Luna take refuge with him for a while.

After dodging from east to west, just when Luna was about to reach the clinic, the moon in the sky changed again.

It went from a First Quarter Moon to a complete Full Moon!

The Full Moon that marked the arrival of a new day!

At that moment, Ren Suo saw the game's graphics suddenly drop from 4K Ultra HD to 48p ultra-low definition, blurring for a whole half-minute before clarity returned.

However, Ren Suo, with a memory slightly better than a goldfish's, soon noticed a massive change in the game map!

Just now Luna had been standing on a rooftop, but now she stood atop a streetlight!

This nearby area was still residential, but it had gone from old, rundown apartments to high-end residential units!

Under the Full Moon, everything changed.

Ren Suo hesitated for a moment, but sticking to the original plan, had Luna look for the NPC doctor living not far away on the fourth floor.

The building had changed, the clinic was gone, but the door number had not changed. After a short knock, the NPC doctor opened the door, looked at Luna, and yawned knowingly. "It's you again... Do you want to come in?"

Luna naturally agreed and after entering, she saw a Little Nurse wearing rabbit pajamas come out of the bedroom. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and asked, "Brother... who is it so late at night?"

Brother?

Ren Suo was stunned. Are you siblings running a clinic together?

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