Mysterious Little Fruit

Unlike his previous life on Earth, in this parallel world Lin Li was still alone. But back on Earth, he'd been a 996 wage slave, working two or three years without saving much.

In this parallel world, though, his departed family had left him two apartments over a hundred square meters each and a million yuan in savings.

That inheritance meant even if he never worked for anyone else, he could coast through this life comfortably.

It was precisely because of this cushy safety net that, after learning his cultivation aptitude was abysmal and he couldn't become a Cultivator, he had the confidence to choose a carefree life as a Salted Fish.

"Ding-ling-ling..."

Just as Lin Li stood by the window, watching someone in the neighborhood exercise with a Pale Gold spiritual light flickering around them, the phone on the nightstand rang.

He turned, walked over to the nightstand, bent down, picked up the phone, and glanced at the caller ID.

"Why's this woman calling so early in the morning?"

"Hello, what's up?" Lin Li answered, his tone less than friendly.

"Lin Li, the kitchen drain at my place is clogged. Come over and unclog it for me," came a very pleasant female voice from the other end.

"Su Yue, I just unclogged your drain last week. How's it clogged again so fast? And I'm your landlord, not your personal drain unclogger," Lin Li said, annoyed.

"When there's a problem with the rented place, isn't it the landlord's job to fix it?" Su Yue muttered softly after hearing his words.

"If there's a problem with the house, sure, you can come to me. But that doesn't include unclogging your kitchen drain or changing broken light bulbs.

Think about it—how many years have I rented this place to you? Over all that time, I've unclogged your drains, changed your bulbs, even dealt with cockroaches.

How many times have I handled these trivial little things? How can you still have the nerve to ask me to do them? Go find a professional to unclog your drain," Lin Li said to Su Yue on the phone.

"I'll cover lunch. I'll cook your favorite Boiled Fish myself," Su Yue said lightly.

"..." Lin Li paused, then said flatly, "Deal... but let me be clear, I'm not doing this just for your cooking.

I just think, besides being landlord and tenant, we're also old friends. When a good friend's drain is clogged, and I have time, it's only right to help out..."

"Mm-hmm, I know! Thanks, my adorable landlord and good friend," Su Yue said cheerfully.

"Adorable? If you don't know how to use adjectives, don't use them. Who calls a man adorable?" Lin Li's forehead creased with several black lines as he corrected her.

"Yes, yes, I get it. Next time I'll say handsome, okay?" Thinking about the clogged kitchen drain, Su Yue quickly changed her tune.

"That's more like it. I'll come over to unclog your drain after breakfast."

"Mm, make sure you come early!"

"Got it. Let's leave it at that."

Lin Li hung up, thinking about the good meal he'd have at noon, and his mood instantly brightened.

No helping it—he had no cooking talent in his past life, and after being reborn into this parallel world, he still had none.

Even living alone and cooking often, he couldn't improve his culinary skills. It was so unscientific.

But that female tenant and friend of his—she barely seemed to cook, yet her skills were amazing. Heaven was so unfair!

Breakfast was very simple: two boiled eggs, a slice of bread, and a glass of milk.

After eating, Lin Li wanted to enter that Small Island again, but found he couldn't. His spiritual energy was completely depleted.

Estimating his recovery rate, he figured it'd be around ten at night before he was fully recharged. He'd have to wait until tonight to enter the Small Island again.

On the mysterious Small Island, after Lin Li was forced out due to depleted spiritual energy, the two-meter-tall Small Tree at the island's center suddenly emitted a Pale Gold glow.

The white mist on the surrounding water began to churn as the Small Tree's Pale Gold light flared.

The thick white mist roiled violently, then transformed into strands of spiritual energy.

The Pale Gold light on the Small Tree at the island's center grew increasingly dazzling. The spiritual energy converted from the white mist surged rapidly toward the brilliantly glowing Small Tree.

Minutes later, the Pale Gold light on the Small Tree faded, and the churning white mist around it returned to stillness.

Everything seemed to revert to how it was before, but if you looked closely, you'd notice a Crimson Fruit had appeared on the Small Tree at the island's center.

The fruit was as red as flame, with Pale Gold light occasionally flickering across its surface.

The sun was bright, the sky cloudless—what a great day!

After breakfast, Lin Li set off for Su Yue's place. The apartment he rented to her wasn't far from his own neighborhood, just a ten-minute walk.

Strolling slowly along the road, Lin Li observed the hurried passersby.

These people were all wage slaves rushing to work. Watching their frantic pace, he couldn't help thinking to himself.

"If I didn't have that million in savings and two apartments, I'd be just like them, busy making a living."

Blue Star's technology was nearly identical to the world Lin Li had been reborn from, and the city's development looked almost the same.

If it weren't for two people arguing not far ahead, both radiating Pale Gold spiritual light, Lin Li might have thought he was still in his pre-rebirth world.

"Hey, do you even know how to drive? Since when do electric bikes go on the sidewalk?"

"Every time I drive through this stretch, I take the sidewalk. What are you gonna do about it?"

"What am I gonna do? You almost hit me. You need to apologize."

"Apologize? You're dreaming! If you hadn't suddenly jumped out, I never would've almost hit you. Instead, you should be apologizing to me. I fell trying to dodge you—look, my hand's all scraped up."

The two young men argued louder and louder. Passersby instinctively stopped in their tracks, turning into bystanders with snacks in hand, watching the pair shout at each other.