Castorice's typing practice advanced at a tortoise's pace, slow but steady, to a series of crisp "tap... tap... tap..." sounds.
She seemed completely absorbed in the pleasure of "writing" Amphoreus's story in this novel way. Whenever she encountered a character she couldn't type, she would frown and mutter quietly, or turn to Luo Li for help. Luo Li could never get enough of that focused, slightly troubled expression.
Amid this peaceful, warm daily routine, a day comparable to an "annual boss battle" for Luo Li quietly approached-his mom's birthday.
A full week in advance, Luo Li began feeling restless.
He made noticeably more mistakes during his livestreams, and he kept struggling to concentrate when practicing his Path power.
Castorice keenly noticed something was wrong.
"Luo Li..."
After he stared blankly into space yet again, she set down her tablet and asked softly, "You seem to have something on your mind these past few days?"
Luo Li sighed and scratched his head. It was a little hard to bring up, but he finally decided to come clean.
"In a few days... it's my mom's birthday."
He paused, his face showing a mixture of helplessness, guilt, and a hint of nervousness.
"As usual, I have to video call home... and inevitably, she'll start... pressuring me to get married again."
He said that last phrase extremely quietly, with an obvious headache.
"Pressuring... you to marry?"
Castorice blinked her purple eyes, seemingly unfamiliar with the phrase.
Luo Li could only steel himself and explain, "It means... pushing me to hurry up and find... um, a 'girlfriend,' like in the movies, then get married and have kids."
He gave her a rough account of his mom's classic progression during past calls, from "Is your job stable?" to "Have you found a girlfriend?" and then "So-and-so's kid is already old enough to run errands," along with his own miserable attempts to wriggle out of it, racking his brains and exhausting excuses like "bad reception" and "busy with work."
"...So every call like that is practically a battle." Luo Li slumped on the couch, looking as though he had nothing left to live for.
Castorice listened quietly, a faint gleam shifting in her purple eyes.
She remembered the phone call she had happened to overhear before, the strong, concerned voice of Luo Li's mother, and how embarrassed and helpless Luo Li had looked.
So... human parents in this world worried about these things for their children too?
Throughout her long years in Amphoreus, as a pilgrim of the River of Souls, emotional ties had often been something she needed to restrain or even sever.
Such frank, earnest expectations were an unfamiliar and novel experience for her.
Watching Luo Li look as though he were facing a formidable enemy, she felt something stir faintly in her heart, though she didn't know why.
"Luo Li," she began softly, a barely perceptible seriousness in her tone.
"Do you... not want to find a 'girlfriend'?"
The question struck Luo Li's heart with the precision of an arrow.
He froze, instinctively wanting to brush it off with his usual excuses about it being "too much trouble" or "being fine on my own."
But when he raised his head and met Castorice's clear purple eyes, filled with pure curiosity and a trace of... inquiry, those evasive words suddenly caught in his throat.
His gaze involuntarily fell on her face so close to his-her delicate, fair skin, her exquisite, flawless features, those purple eyes that seemed to hold a galaxy, and her long, smooth, silver-purple hair with its faint sheen...
Did he not want one?
The answer rose from his heart almost instantly.
How could he not?
It was just... the "girlfriend" he wanted felt impossibly far away, yet stood right before his eyes!
But... could he say it?
Would saying it now be too abrupt? Would he scare her?
Various thoughts clashed fiercely in his mind. In the end, Luo Li merely turned his face away a little awkwardly, his ears faintly red, and mumbled vaguely, "It's... it's not that I don't want one at all... I just... haven't met the right person..."
His voice grew quieter and quieter, plainly betraying his guilty conscience.
Castorice quietly watched the suspicious blush on his profile and his evasive gaze. That vague thought in her heart seemed to become a little clearer.
She didn't press him further, merely giving a soft "Oh."
But deep within those purple eyes, something quietly changed.
At last, his mom's birthday arrived.
That evening, after an intense round of mentally preparing himself, Luo Li took a deep breath and carried his phone onto the balcony like a warrior heading to the execution grounds-he needed a relatively private, well-lit space to face this "video interrogation."
He glanced back at Castorice in the living room. She was sitting on the couch with her knees hugged to her chest, apparently reading, though her gaze kept drifting toward the balcony.
Luo Li gave her a "wish me luck" look, then tapped the video call button.
It was answered almost instantly.
His mom's well-kept face immediately appeared on the screen, beaming like a flower. Behind her was the familiar living room back home, and he could hear his dad watching television nearby.
"Oh! My darling son! You remembered it's your mom's birthday today?"
His mom's voice was loud and full of joy.
"Happy birthday, Mom!" Luo Li hurriedly offered his wishes, forcing a bright smile onto his face.
His dad leaned into view as well and greeted him with a cheerful smile.
The opening atmosphere was fairly harmonious.
But Luo Li knew it was only the calm before the storm.
Sure enough, after a little small talk and receiving Luo Li's birthday money transfer, his mom's conversation began subtly shifting toward that eternal subject.
"Xiao Li, how's work been lately? You haven't been staying up late, have you? Look at you, you seem to have lost weight again..."
His mom stared at the screen, examining Luo Li closely.
"It's good, it's good. The streams are going smoothly, I haven't been staying up late, and being a little slimmer makes me look sharper!"
Luo Li handled it with practiced ease.
"That's good... Living away from home on your own, you need to know how to take care of yourself."
His mom paused, her tone turning earnest.
"Honestly, if you had someone by your side looking after you, I wouldn't have to worry so much..."
Here it comes! The standard opener!
Luo Li's scalp tightened, and he hurriedly interrupted, "Mom! I think my reception's getting bad! What did you say? I can't hear you..."
"Don't give me that!"
His mom immediately saw through him, raising her voice.
"Every time I bring this up, your reception goes bad! I'm telling you, Luo Li, you're giving me a straight answer today! When exactly are you planning to sort out your love life? Huh?"
"Mom, it's not like buying groceries. I can't just sort it out on demand..."
Luo Li tried to struggle.
"Why isn't it like buying groceries? All those fresh, lovely cabbages will be gone if you get there too late!"
His mom began backing up her argument with examples.
"Look at Auntie Zhang's son. He's the same age as you, and his second child can already call him Daddy! Then look at you! Not even a girlfriend in sight! You're not bad-looking-you take after me! How can you be such a disappointment?"
The familiar comparisons, the familiar crushing blows.
Luo Li felt the veins in his temples throbbing.
His dad quietly spoke up for him from the side. "Honey, don't be so anxious. Xiao Li knows what he's doing..."
"He knows jack shit!" His mom went all out. "If he knew what he was doing, would he still be single? I think he just doesn't care! All he does is stare at that computer all day! Can a computer give you children?"
Rendered speechless, Luo Li could only force a dry laugh.
The balcony's sliding door wasn't particularly soundproof. From the living room, Castorice heard every word of the faintly transmitted pressure to marry, filled with anxiety and concern, as well as Luo Li's flustered excuses and dry laughter.
She set down her book and frowned slightly.
She remembered the headache Luo Li had shown when he mentioned this before, his meticulous care for her, and the fleeting looks of heat and panic he sometimes gave her...
A thought grew wildly in her heart, like a tender shoot breaking through the soil.
She didn't want... to see him in such a difficult position.
She wanted... to help him.
The thought came so naturally and so strongly.
Just as his mom's rapid-fire questioning forced Luo Li back step by step, until he was almost ready to invoke the great "bad reception" technique again-
The frosted-glass sliding door between the living room and the balcony gently slid open.
A slender, graceful figure stepped out, carrying a steaming cup of water.
Luo Li was pulling a miserable face at his phone screen. Hearing the movement, he instinctively turned around.
Then he froze in place as though struck by a body-binding spell.
Castorice walked to his side and gently handed him the cup. Then she turned her clear purple eyes toward his mom on the phone screen, who had likewise frozen at the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar, breathtakingly beautiful girl. Tilting her head slightly, she gave a faint, polite, somewhat shy smile, and her ethereal voice rang out clearly:
"Hello, Auntie. Happy birthday."
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
On the phone screen, his mom's mouth hung open, her eyes round and wide. Her expression instantly shifted from exasperation at his failure to live up to her expectations to utter shock, bewilderment, and a hint of incredulous delight.
Holding that warm cup of water, Luo Li's mind went blank. All he could hear was his own heart pounding wildly like a drum.
Was... was he hallucinating? Castorice... why had she come out?! And she'd even greeted his mom?!
"(⊙ˍ⊙)!!! Holy shit! The pretty lady went on the offensive! Master! Master! This is the crucial moment! Follow through!"
Xiao Hong let out a groundhog-like scream in the mental space.
There was a full five seconds of dead silence on the other end.
Then his mom's voice erupted, trembling with enormous surprise and delight, its pitch completely changed:
"Oh-my!!! Y-young lady?! Y-you're...? H-hello! Hello!"
His mom was so excited she could barely speak coherently, her face almost pressed against the phone screen as she scrutinized Castorice, murmuring nonstop, "This, this girl... she's so beautiful! Like she stepped out of a painting! Xiao Li! Th-this... this is...?"
Luo Li felt as though his CPU had completely burned out.
He looked at Castorice beside him, calm as though she had only done something perfectly ordinary, then at his mom on the screen, so excited she looked ready to faint. He opened his mouth, but his throat was too dry to produce a sound.
What should he do? How could he explain?
Say she was his roommate? A distant cousin?
Faced with this ironclad evidence-a stunningly beautiful girl appearing on his video call late at night and even bringing him water-any explanation would sound utterly feeble!
Just as his brain crashed and he stood at a loss, Castorice spoke again.
She lowered her head slightly, a faint blush appearing on her face in just the right measure. Her voice was gentle, with just the right touch of shyness. "Auntie, my name is Castorice... I'm... Luo Li's... friend."
She paused, seemingly considering her words, then raised her head and looked at the screen with clear purple eyes, adding naturally and sincerely, "He takes very good care of me."
Those words were like a finishing blow, completely shattering all his mom's doubts.
"A friend! Good! A friend is good! Of course he should take care of you! Of course!"
His mom grinned from ear to ear, looking at Castorice as though she were a priceless treasure and nodding repeatedly. "Oh, Xiao Die, right? What a lovely name! And you're even lovelier! If our Xiao Li ever does anything wrong, just tell me. I'll straighten him out for you!"
The whole tone abruptly changed!
The storm of pressure to marry instantly became gentle, springlike concern and... the growing satisfaction of someone sizing up a daughter-in-law.
Standing off to the side, Luo Li felt like an unnecessary piece of scenery.
He watched his mom fuss over Castorice and ask her all sorts of questions, which Castorice answered simply and appropriately. Watching her cooperative, faintly smiling profile, he felt a jumble of emotions.
There was shock, panic, and bewilderment...
But more than anything, there was an indescribable surge of warmth and... a flutter in his heart.
She had stepped forward to get him out of trouble.
She was clearly so unused to speaking with strangers, yet for his sake, she had taken the initiative to face his mother's scrutiny and questioning.
That kindness was like the warmest sunlight, instantly dispelling all the gloom and embarrassment in his heart.
"Mom... um, it's getting late. You and Dad should get some rest..." Luo Li finally managed to find his voice, trying to end this call that had sent his heart into overdrive.
"All right, all right! I won't keep you young people!" His mom was incredibly understanding now, her face beaming as she gave Castorice another round of reminders.
"Xiao Die, have Xiao Li bring you home for a visit when you have time! I'll make you something delicious!"
At last, amid his mom's reluctant parting reminders and his dad's cheerful gaze, the video call ended.
The balcony fell silent.
There was only the faint noise of the distant city and their somewhat quickened breathing.
Luo Li slowly turned his head to look at Castorice beside him.
She seemed to breathe a sigh of relief too, lowering her eyes slightly. Her long eyelashes trembled gently, and the blush on her cheeks had yet to fade completely, making her look especially lovely beneath the balcony light.
"Um... thank you." Luo Li's voice was a little hoarse, carrying a tenderness and fluttering emotion he hadn't noticed himself.
Castorice gently shook her head and looked up at him with her purple eyes. In them was a trace of relief after accomplishing something important, and a tiny bit of... mischief?
"Your mother... seemed very happy," she said softly.
"Happy doesn't begin to cover it..." Luo Li gave a wry smile, his heart still beating fast.
"She'll probably be too excited to sleep tonight."
He looked at her, the warmth within him surging more and more fiercely, almost overflowing.
Unable to help himself, he stepped forward and gently took her hand.
Her hand was slightly cool, but very soft.
Looking into her eyes, he said with utter seriousness, "Really... thank you so much."
Without her, he probably would have been put through the wringer by his mom's relentless interrogation tonight.
Feeling the burning warmth of his palm and his undisguised gratitude and... deeper emotion, Castorice blushed a little more, but didn't pull away. She merely lowered her head slightly and said softly, "There's no need to thank me... I could see you were in a difficult position."
Those words brushed Luo Li's heart like a feather.
Looking at the softly gleaming crown of her lowered head and the tips of her ears, faintly reddened with shyness, an unprecedented impulse spread through his heart like wildfire.
He wanted to hold her tightly, to tell her about the emotions surging within him.
But in the end, he restrained himself.
He merely squeezed her hand firmly, tightly, then slowly released it. His tone carried a relieved lightness and a promise. "Well, that settles it... This New Year, I can finally hold my head high and tell my mom-"
He looked at her, his lips curving into a brilliant, slightly smug smile. "I'll definitely bring a 'girlfriend' home this year!"
Those words seemed like an unspoken agreement, and also like a bold, direct attempt to test the waters.
Castorice abruptly raised her head. A flicker of surprise crossed her purple eyes, quickly replaced by a deeper blush and a trace of... indescribable shyness and panic.
She parted her lips as though she wanted to say something, but in the end merely gave him a quick glance, then turned and hurried back into the living room like a startled butterfly, leaving him with the sight of her graceful, somewhat hurried retreat.
Watching her "flee in defeat," Luo Li felt no disappointment. Instead, he chuckled quietly, his spirits brighter than ever and... full of hope.
He knew some things didn't need to be spelled out.
Some feelings had already become unmistakable in their exchanged glances and actions.
[Ding! Target 'Castorice' took the initiative to get the host out of a difficult situation and sensed the host's intense gratitude and implicit promise, causing tremendous emotional fluctuations. Shyness, joy, and the feeling of being needed intertwined, bringing about a qualitative leap in her feelings! Affection +8. Current affection: 99.1%!] [(Only a hair's breadth remains until the final breakthrough!)]
As he listened to the system notification in his mind and watched that adorable figure in the living room pretending to read, without even noticing that she was holding the book upside down, Luo Li felt his whole heart fill to the brim.
He looked up at the starless night sky shrouded in Blood-Erosion Clouds outside the window, yet seemed to see a brilliant river of stars.
Castorice, wait for me.
I will bring you home, openly and honorably.