Chapter 57 Doubts

The night wind carried the lingering smell of fish, ruffling the stray hairs on Gu Yunqing's forehead.

He timely revealed a hint of fatigue and concern for safety on his face, his gaze falling on Jun Xiangbei with a touch of helplessness and probing:

"Mr. Jun, it seems our 'affordable room' is unavailable tonight. Would you... be able to trouble us for the night?"

His request was reasonable, his posture was humble enough, and his eyes were innocent, as if he were just an ordinary teammate seeking protection.

Jun Xiangbei looked at his face, which appeared even more delicate and harmless under the moonlight, but his mind was uncontrollably filled with the image of him clinging to his sleeve in the illusion, as well as the blood-stained smile and the cold kiss at the end.

My heart felt like it was being spun by a tiny electric current, bringing a tingling and throbbing sensation.

He remained silent.

Reason told him that letting Gu Yunqing into his safe zone was tantamount to inviting a wolf into the house.

This person's thoughts are too unpredictable, and the variables they bring are too great.

But emotionally... perhaps it was the lingering protective instinct at play, perhaps it was the inextinguishable desire to explore in his heart, or perhaps it was simply that he couldn't resist those eyes that were now filled with a hint of vulnerability and expectation, even though he knew it was probably just an act.

The silent monk stood to the side, still with that blank expression, as if he didn't care about anything.

Finally, Jun Xiangbei's cool voice broke the silence, saying only one word: "Okay."

There were no extra questions, no polite small talk; it was as if he had simply agreed to a trivial matter.

A triumphant smile flashed in Gu Yunqing's eyes, but her face showed gratitude: "Thank you, Mr. Jun."

He called out to Wu Jueji, who was still leaning against the broken door frame as if he might fall asleep at any moment, "Mr. Wu, let's go, we have a place to stay tonight."

Wu Jueji lifted his eyelids, lazily hummed in agreement, and slowly followed. As he passed Jun Xiangbei, his half-closed eyes seemed to glance at him with an ambiguous meaning that made Jun Xiangbei feel inexplicably uncomfortable.

And so, Gu Yunqing and his “companion” Wu Jueji temporarily moved into Jun Xiangbei and Wu Yan’s solid stone house.

The stone house was simply furnished, but clean and tidy, a stark contrast to the dilapidated thatched hut outside.

Most importantly, the thick stone walls completely blocked out the howls and crashes of the ghosts outside, providing an absolute sense of security.

Gu Yunqing slept exceptionally well that night.

Jun Xiangbei, on the other hand, spent the time meditating, his divine sense extending outwards, both alerting to the outside world and keeping a watchful eye on the movements of the other three people inside the room.

Especially Gu Yunqing, whose breathing was steady and who seemed completely unguarded.

He found himself increasingly unable to understand this person.

The next morning, sunlight streamed in through the small windows of the stone house.

Gu Yunqing woke up feeling refreshed and glanced at the system panel.

Current funds: 5800 yuan

We are more than halfway to our goal of 7,000 yuan.

Today, the [Economic] property will automatically generate another 2,000 yuan in revenue. Even after deducting possible repair costs, his funds will easily exceed 5,000 yuan.

There is almost no pressure.

He was in a good mood and even had time to leisurely tidy up his not-so-disheveled robes.

In contrast, the atmosphere was much more somber for the other players.

Jun Xiangbei and Wuyan chose the "Sturdy" room, and although they are safe, the daily fine of 1,000 yuan is like a mountain weighing on them.

Jun Xiangbei has accumulated 4,200 yuan thanks to his efficient task completion ability, and Wuyan Heshang has 3,500 yuan, but they are still far from the goal of 17,000 yuan.

Players who chose the "Aesthetic" room received no penalty, but also no extra rewards; they relied entirely on quests to accumulate experience.

Each member of Elena's team received approximately 4,000 yuan, while Han Chunhua received approximately 2,800 yuan. The progress was acceptable but not easy.

Players like Ji Changyu and Wang Hu, who chose the "Economy" room but lacked effective ways to deal with dangers at night, found themselves in a predicament.

With slow capital growth and constant concerns about personal safety, progress is extremely difficult.

Gu Yunqing was an anomaly, appearing remarkably relaxed while everyone else was struggling to raise funds.

He even had the leisure to turn into the town's only grocery store on his way to the mission bulletin board.

The general store was filled with a wide variety of items, from basic supplies to trinkets that seemed to have little practical use.

Gu Yunqing's gaze swept over those things, finally settling on an inconspicuous corner.

There hung a hand-woven pendant, made of what appeared to be some kind of pale silver metal wire, twisted into a simple leaf shape, with a small, milky-white stone set in the center, like solidified moonlight, emitting a faint aura.

The label reads: 【Tranquilizing Pendant】(Slightly calms the mind and helps with concentration).

Price: 300 yuan.

For other players struggling to make ends meet, this is an absolute luxury.

Gu Yunqing just smiled and readily paid the money.

He held the pendant in his hand and played with it for a while, feeling the cool and warm touch of the jade on his fingertips.

Then, as he walked out of the general store, he happened to run into Jun Xiangbei, who was on his way to the town mayor's mansion to see if there were any new assignments.

"Mr. Jun," Gu Yunqing greeted him with a smile, her tone natural.

Jun stopped in his tracks and looked at him.

Gu Yunqing stepped forward and handed over the [Tranquility Pendant] with a gentle and harmless smile, as if she were simply giving away a small, ordinary gift.

"Thank you for taking me in yesterday. This... is a small token of my gratitude. I've noticed that Mr. Jun often needs to concentrate and meditate; this might be of some use."

Jun Xiangbei stared at the pendant that emitted a faint calming aura, and paused for a moment.

He didn't expect Gu Yunqing to give him something.

Moreover... these are small, personal items.

The sensation of that kiss in his hallucination seemed to reappear, causing a barely perceptible blush to rise on the tips of his ears, so quickly that no one noticed.

He instinctively wanted to refuse.

Jun Xiangbei is not used to receiving gifts from others, especially from someone as unpredictable as Gu Yunqing.

But looking into Gu Yunqing's open and sincere eyes, the words of refusal circled on his lips, but he swallowed them back.

He silently accepted the pendant, his fingertips inevitably brushing against Gu Yunqing's for a fleeting moment.

It was warm to the touch, with a slightly dry feel.

Jun Xiangbei's heart skipped a beat.

"No need to be polite." His voice was still cool, but if you listened carefully, it seemed a little lower than usual.

He held the pendant in his palm, and the cool touch seemed to spread from his palm all the way to his heart.

The people in Jun Xiangbei's live stream exclaimed in surprise:

"Gu Yunqing sent a gift?!"

"It's still a pendant worn close to the body."

"Does this count as a token of love? (doge)"

"Did the Lord's ears turn slightly red?"

"He accepted it! He actually accepted it!"

Gu Yunqing took in Jun Xiangbei's subtle reaction, secretly amused, but remained outwardly calm: "Mr. Jun, are you going to the mayor's residence?"

"Hmm." Jun Xiangbei put the pendant away, his expression regaining its usual calm. "Go and inquire about the fine."

Gu Yunqing raised an eyebrow, showing interest: "Oh? Mr. Jun, do you think there's something fishy about this fine?"

“Rules are not immutable,” Jun Xiangbei said succinctly. “There may be ways to circumvent them.”

He considered the possibility of improving the aesthetics of the house through "renovation".

“Then I won’t bother Mr. Jun any longer.” Gu Yunqing smiled. “I’ll go see if there are any new gathering tasks.”

He chose to continue leveraging the advantages of "economic" housing to seek stable sources of income.

The two split up.

Jun headed north to the town mayor's mansion and met the always smiling, well-dressed mayor.

He directly raised his question: "Mayor, is it possible to avoid the daily fines for 'sturdy' and 'economical' houses by improving their appearance through later repairs and decorations?"

The mayor's smile remained unchanged. He stroked his beard and spoke in a kind tone, yet with an undeniable authority: "Young townsman, your idea is very creative."

"However, unfortunately, the characteristics of a house are determined from the moment you make your choice. The beauty recognized by this town comes from the harmonious unity between the essence of the building and the initial design; it is 'natural' and cannot be changed by decorations that are forcibly added later."

"The fines are to maintain the overall aesthetic environment of the town and cannot be waived."

Jun Xiangbei's heart sank.

The mayor's answer effectively blocked the path of evading fines through "renovation."

Rules are rules. They may seem to offer choices, but in reality, every path has a clear cost and objective.

He calmly thanked the mayor and left his house.

Next, he needs to complete tasks more efficiently and accumulate funds.

Meanwhile, Gu Yunqing easily accepted a task to collect "Morning Dew Flowers," with a reward of 400 yuan.

In the evening, at the time of settlement.

Gu Yunqing looked at the numbers flashing on the system panel and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

Current funds: 5900 yuan

It's only the third day of the dungeon. In just two more days, when the [Economy] room income arrives, he can easily break through the 7,000 mark and complete the mission ahead of schedule.

However, Gu Yunqing lowered her eyes slightly. Was the task really that simple?

Jun Xiangbei, although he completed two difficult tasks and received a reward of 800 yuan, barely reached a total of 5,000 yuan.

The silent monk has 3,900 yuan in funds.

Although their progress was still ahead of most players who chose the "Sturdy" room, it seemed slow and sluggish compared to Gu Yunqing's rocket-like ascent.

Night fell again.

Gu Yunqing, as usual, followed Jun Xiangbei back to the [Solid] Stone House to stay overnight.

This time, Jun Xiangbei seemed to acquiesce to his presence and said nothing more.

Inside the stone house, the silent monk sat in meditation in a corner, while Wu Jueji leaned against the other wall, feigning sleep.

Gu Yunqing and Jun Xiangbei faced each other in silence.

A subtle atmosphere permeated the air.

Looking at Jun Xiangbei's cold profile, Gu Yunqing suddenly felt that it was quite interesting to watch this aloof and self-possessed protagonist of the original work reveal a different expression under his calculations.

As Jun Xiangbei closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, his fingertips unconsciously caressed the slightly cool [Tranquilizing Pendant] in his bosom.

The pendant seemed to actually work, calming his chaotic thoughts that had been a result of overthinking.

But at the same time, the person who gave him the pendant made it impossible for his mind to return to its initial calm and tranquil state.

The ripples in the Heart Refining Tower, the daily interactions in the town instance, and this seemingly casual yet subtly meaningful gift... everything is like an invisible net, slowly entangling him.

He opened his eyes and looked at Gu Yunqing, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully opposite him, his gaze deep and intense.