That's so hot! It's the sound of breathing! She's still alive!

"that..."

Lin Mo couldn't hold back any longer and tried to break the silence. Just as he was about to say something, he was interrupted by the girl's nasal voice.

"If you're here, then this is home," Li Qingran said quickly, like a child answering a question beforehand.

Hearing this, Lin Mo blushed, her heart pounding. She wondered if Ran Jiang had used some kind of seductive spell to make her blush.

"Snow wants to see a little river in front of my house, lots of friends, little pigs, little cows, and little chicks..."

The girl excitedly described her imagined home to him, which sounded like a scene from a fairy tale.

"We have two small beds side by side, so we can sleep together when it's cold..."

"The house has such big windows; no matter which way I look, I can see you..."

"There are so many flowers...not planted in vases, but blooming freely all over the mountains and fields..."

"You can hear the sound of the sea, and you can see the stars when you look up..."

At this point, Li Qingran's voice faltered.

"Lin Mo..."

"Here!" Lin Mo didn't know why he was so excited, but he was just extremely excited!

Is this world... endless?

Lin Mo felt that Li Qingran was holding the microphone very close, so he also held the receiver to his ear...

For the first time, I've ever longed to hear a girl's voice so much.

"correct."

"Then...we can stay together forever, forever and ever..."

"Forever." Lin Mo replaced her word with a more evocative one.

"..." The girl paused for a long time, as if her hurried breathing had been suddenly interrupted, and a breath caught in her chest.

It was like a child who had suddenly been given a big red flower sticker, looking up and sweetly confirming this unexpected reward.

The sound waves of a heartbeat, clashing with the lines of radio waves operating at the same frequency, are heard with unparalleled clarity in the ear.

"Ah."

"Forever, forever," she said, her voice firm yet cautious.

Having said that, Lin Mo maneuvered the small boat in the game, carrying Li Qingran away, afraid of wasting her already peak emotional state.

The location chosen for "home" was at the intersection of a forest, a coastline, and snow-capped mountains, perfectly matching Li Qingran's fantasy.

There's no such coincidence; in reality, Lin Mo secretly entered the cheating commands.

But if it makes her happy, so what if it's all a lie?

The perfect location amazed the girl again, but Lin Mo lied and said it was randomly generated and that she was just lucky.

Don't ask, it's just fucking destiny.

Soon, the girl began learning how to build a house, and Lin Mo found her various materials.

She quickly assembled a rather rudimentary matchbox, but to achieve the goal of "being able to see you whenever I look up," the walls of the matchbox were entirely made of glass.

Looking at this awkward, completely transparent house, Lin Mo thought to himself, if this were real, wouldn't he and Ran Jiang be unable to do anything intimate inside?

...Actually, we haven't decided on a name for our grandson yet, but we have decided how many children we want.

Ten is an exaggeration; starting from age twenty-two, it's probably around eight...

Oh no, he's been led astray by Jiang Wanfeng and has started fantasizing too.

Seeing that the girl's construction was progressing slowly, seemingly stuck at a certain step, Lin Mo suggested that he take over and finish it quickly...

"No." Li Qingran's refusal was swift, her tone carrying a strange sense of guilt...

"Build it little by little, slowly..."

"Take it slow, it will be fine."

"Oh..."

Something's not right again, but Lin Mo can't quite put his finger on what's wrong.

Is it because she enjoys the process?

"That's...that's it."

Li Qingran planted a flower in front of her house. She had to move the flower, soil and all, to the new house, and she would bring several more flowers, as if afraid they might feel lonely or homesick...

"That's it for today...." Her voice was weak, and her reluctance was palpable.

"Let's play a little longer?" If Lin Mo couldn't even tell how much it was going to happen, they'd have to start over.

"Um...no."

The sound of the girl's hair swaying in the wind came through the receiver. Lin Mo could imagine Li Qingran nodding subconsciously and then quickly shaking her head.

So cute, I want to...

"I still want to play," Lin Mo said, beginning his manipulative tactics.

Li Qingran remained silent for a while.

Just for a moment.

The girl said it in a flash, and it really was just a flash. After building another block, she hurriedly logged off.

Could it be that I need to pee?

But the call was still connected...

"Are you sleepy?" Lin Mo asked.

"Sleepy...no." Li Qingran seemed hesitant, muttering for a moment before...

"You are a good guy."

Uh... what does it mean to give someone a "friend zone" card at this time? You don't feel like you've lived a life without regrets, and then you want to stand on the balcony and let yourself go, do you?

No, Ran-chan!

At this moment, an intelligence pop-up appeared.

[Special intelligence target: Li Qingran]

You created a fairy tale for the girl, giving her a glimmer of hope for the future. In her dark world, you lit a lamp of hope...

She doesn't want to leave... A world without you makes her terrified of death.

[If she had never seen such light, even if there were an abyss ahead, she could have stepped into the darkness and leaped down. But she had seen it, and even if she had to use her body as fuel, she would keep the flame burning forever...]

[...The girl knows it's hard to repay your companionship, knows her naivety is so incomprehensible...but she doesn't know how to explain to you why she looks forward to tomorrow, hoping it's not just a fleeting moment...]

If we were to describe it with an emotion, the girl is filled with regret... but if you can't continue to provide for her, regret might even turn into the seeds of despair...

In short, she has opened her heart to you.

Is that so...? The redemption isn't over yet; I've only just officially entered her heart.

"The candy...is very sweet."

The game had just ended when Li Qingran murmured again.

"Take a small lick, then put it away."

"Eat little by little, for a long, long time."

The girl recalled her life in the courtyard. The candy you bought by selling recyclables was hard-earned. She would only lick it once before putting it away. After a while, when the taste on her tongue was gone, she would lick it again. The sweetness would turn sour if left for too long, but it was still a joy she cherished dearly...

The joy and hope you give her should also be cherished and nurtured in your heart, little by little.

The pleasure derived from greed will quickly vanish.

[Reward: Sleepy Tea, every 100ml of which will induce a one-hour sleep]

My eyes are starting to water again, Ran-chan.

Lin Mo regretted not buying more earlier. Damn it, how could she be so useless at seven or eight years old? Couldn't even afford a few candies!?

No wonder Li Qingran said she hated sweets at noon; they all turn rotten if left out too long, what's the point of eating them then?!

Lin Mo suppressed his emotions, took a deep breath, and said gently:

"There will only be more and more candy in the future."

Eat and play as much as you want.

"And what about you?" The girl's trembling voice came through the receiver.

"I?"

"You want some candy too..."

"I'm fine..." Lin Mo replied instinctively.

"..."

The conversation fell silent again.

"No," she said, then seemed to regret it, "No...don't hang up..."

Although it's unclear whether the girl's words were a cover-up or her true feelings, we should just do as she asks...

"Okay, no need to hang it up."

"Talking to you and playing with you is what I really want. I'm happy when I'm with you, do you understand?" Lin Mo vaguely sensed the girl's thoughts, so he worked hard to fix the bug.

"Hmm..." Li Qingran responded, her voice trailing off heavily.

It seems like they don't understand.

"Want to sleep?" Lin Mo asked with feigned concern as it approached one in the morning.

"Will you disappear?" Li Qingran suddenly asked a nonsensical question.

"Hmm? No."

"No..." Li Qingran repeated his words.

"No, that's right."

Then, Lin Mo heard the rustling of clothes, and a girl's long, sweet-sounding sigh.

"I'm ready to lie down."

Then I'll go in... wait a minute,

What do you mean, "lying down"? Ran-chan, be clear, it doesn't mean lying in a grave, right?

"Is the blanket covering you properly?" Lin Mo asked, playing the role of a preschool teacher.

A sound of the blanket being pulled up.

"All right."

"Uh, do...do you want to hear a story?" The atmosphere had gotten to this point, so Lin Mo had no choice but to follow up.

"...Um."

Is there anything you'd like to hear?

He lay down on the bed, staring at his phone. He thought of Li Qingran, obediently covered by the blanket and holding her phone, lying there—it seemed a little ambiguous.

Thinking about it, Xia Tou figured they'd at least shared a bed...

I want to hear your voice.

Ran-chan is surprisingly satisfied.

"Only...today?" she asked again.

Every day.

"Ah."

Lin Mo thought for a moment, then began to tell stories about the orphanage, such as how there was always a blond-haired guy lighting will-o'-the-wisps at the gate...

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