Over the next few days, Luo Li's daily routine changed completely.
His slacker-streamer lifestyle of reversed sleep schedules, instant noodles, and takeout was replaced by three regular meals, thorough cleaning, and "everyday knowledge lessons for a saintess from another world."
He carefully put layers of encryption on the folders named [★Treasured Collection★Casti of Amphoreus★], hid them in the deepest recesses of his drive, and sternly warned himself never to let his hand slip again.
Fortunately, Castorice also seemed to be deliberately avoiding that embarrassing "computer lesson incident." Only occasionally, when her eyes met Luo Li's, would she blush slightly and quickly look away, leaving him feeling as if a kitten's claws had scratched at his heart-both ticklish and guilty.
That afternoon, Luo Li finally started a livestream after his long absence.
He did not let Castorice appear on camera, nor did he even mention that someone else was living with him.
Partly, it was because of the psychological shadow left by the last "looking for a partner" incident-he did not want any potential trouble spilling over onto Castorice, who knew nothing about the online world. Besides, Castorice had no legal identity, and too much exposure would only bring unnecessary risks.
"Hey, fam! Long time no see! Miss me?"
Speaking into the microphone, Luo Li tried hard to recapture his old streaming groove, his fingers flying across his phone screen as he steered Yuan Ge through the battlefield.
[Holy shit! Li Dog's back from the dead!]
[Thought a vampire had carried you off!]
[What've you been doing these past few days? Turned over a new leaf?]
[Your Yuan Ge gameplay still goes great with a meal. Love it.]
The chat was as lively as ever. Luo Li cracked jokes as he played, as though everything had returned to the way it used to be.
Only occasionally would his gaze involuntarily stray toward the closed bedroom door-Castorice was resting inside, or fiddling with the new tablet he had bought her, which could only run little offline games and play locally stored videos.
During a break in the stream, his phone vibrated. The caller ID read "Shan Zai."
It was his childhood friend, Yang Shan.
Luo Li told his viewers, "Gotta take a call. Be right back," then stepped away from the camera.
"Hello? Shan Zai, what's up? I'm streaming."
Luo Li lowered his voice.
A boisterous, energetic male voice came through the phone. "Li Zi! Look at you! Haven't seen you in days, and you actually remembered to stream? I thought you'd gone full hermit!"
It was Yang Shan, Luo Li's best friend since they were little enough to share a pair of pants. They had hung out together from elementary school through college.
The difference was that Luo Li had awakened a "not particularly useful" C-rank ability and become a gaming streamer, while Yang Shan had awakened a powerful A-rank elemental manipulation ability. Luo Li wasn't entirely sure what kind, since Yang Shan was always so secretive about it. After graduating, he had joined Jiangcheng's ability-user patrol directly, becoming part of the backbone of the city's security.
"Cut the crap. What do you want?"
Luo Li laughed as he cursed him out.
"Nothing much. Your buddy here got transferred to the night shift recently. I spend every night staring at the Blood-Erosion Clouds on watch. I'm practically pickled in the stuff! I've got tomorrow off. How about dinner at our usual place, Old Wang Barbecue? It's been ages. I need to hear you talk some shit."
Yang Shan sounded relaxed, but Luo Li could hear a trace of fatigue from his late nights.
Patrol work was not easy, especially at night, when they had to stay constantly alert for vampires that might infiltrate the city.
Luo Li considered it. Going out to unwind would be nice, and... he glanced at the bedroom door. He really did need a little personal space to catch his breath.
"Sure. What time?"
"Same as always, eight in the evening! Be there! Oh, and remember to bring money. You're not dodging the bill this time!"
"Get lost! When have I not paid?"
After hanging up, Luo Li returned to his computer, gave his viewers a brief explanation, and continued streaming.
It was not until he ended the stream that evening that he pushed open Castorice's bedroom door.
Castorice was sitting on the bed with the tablet in her arms. A nature documentary Luo Li had downloaded was playing on the screen, and she was watching with rapt attention.
"Castorice."
Luo Li called to her softly.
Castorice looked up, her purple eyes especially gentle in the lamplight. "Luo Li, are you finished?"
"Yeah, the stream's over.
"Um... I'm going out tomorrow evening to have dinner with a friend. I might be back a little late."
Luo Li said, "Will you be... okay at home alone? Remember to lock the door and get some rest early."
Castorice nodded obediently. "Mm, I understand. You... stay safe."
Her concern warmed Luo Li's heart.
The next evening, Luo Li arrived on time at the familiar Old Wang Barbecue, wreathed in smoke and mouthwatering aromas.
Yang Shan was already sitting in his usual spot, wearing casual clothes, but his upright posture and sharp eyes still revealed an air that set him apart from ordinary people.
He was a little more muscular than Luo Li, with healthy, wheat-colored skin. When he smiled, he showed a mouthful of white teeth and a hint of roguishness.
"Li Zi! Over here!"
Yang Shan waved. As soon as Luo Li sat down, he hooked an arm around his neck. "Let me get a look at you. Have you gotten even weaker after just a few days? Keep hiding at home all day and your ability might degenerate!"
"Screw you! You're the weak one!"
Luo Li escaped his clutches, picked up the menu, and expertly ordered a pile of skewers and beer.
After a few glasses of ice-cold beer, the skewers began arriving, and the mood between them quickly warmed up.
They shot the breeze about everything under the sun, going from games to amusing incidents on recent patrols, then to appraising a certain actress's looks.
"Come to think of it, Li Zi,"
Yang Shan mumbled around a chicken wing, "you've been a little weird lately."
"How have I been weird?" Luo Li's heart lurched.
"Can't quite put my finger on it. You just seem... healthier? Less miserable? And you agreed to come out so easily. I used to have to ask you over and over."
Yang Shan narrowed his eyes as he studied him. "Come clean. Have you gotten lucky in love?"
Luo Li forced himself to stay calm and took a sip of beer. "Bullshit. I stay home all day. What, is romance supposed to fall out of the sky?"
"You never know..." Yang Shan grinned wickedly.
"Maybe some female fan tracked you down? Or... you met an online girlfriend in person?"
"Nothing like that!"
Luo Li denied it flatly.
But Yang Shan would not let up. Lowering his voice, he nudged him with an elbow. "Hey, seriously, if you really are hiding someone at home, you'd better be careful.
"They're pretty strict about checking transient residents and unidentified people these days. Our night shift, especially, sometimes helps the household registration department with surprise inspections.
"Don't pull some 'hiding a beauty in a golden house' stunt only to end up hiding someone with no legal identity. That would be one hell of a mess."
Luo Li's hand holding his skewer stiffened almost imperceptibly.
He struggled to keep his expression unchanged and probed in a half-joking tone. "Shan Zai, let me ask you something. Just out of curiosity, hypothetically-say someone accidentally took in a person who... had no ID and no records whatsoever. What would happen?"
At that, Yang Shan's expression grew a little more serious. He put down his beer and looked at Luo Li. "Li Zi, are you serious? Is this really just hypothetical?"
"Of course!"
Luo Li hurried to stress, "I've just been reading a novel lately with a similar plot. I was curious, that's all."
Yang Shan stared at him for a few seconds before picking up his chicken wing again. His tone returned to its earlier casualness, but his words alarmed Luo Li. "What do you think would happen? First, the person sheltering them would be in trouble too. Knowingly failing to report it could mean a fine or detention at the very least, depending on how serious it was. If an investigation found ties to some sensitive incident, it wouldn't be a minor matter anymore."
"As for the person with no legal identity being sheltered..."
Yang Shan shrugged.
"Once discovered, they'd definitely be taken away for investigation.
"Unknown origins? First comes quarantine and observation, to check whether they're infected with a virus or pose any danger.
"If they can't find anything and the person really is human... they'd probably be sent to a centralized shelter for 'resocialization' training, then most likely assigned to work at a collective factory or farm in the outlying regions. You could call it... work relief, contributing to humanity's survival."
Luo Li's heart sank.
Quarantine and investigation? A shelter? Labor in the outlying regions?
He could not imagine Castorice being taken away and locked in a cold isolation room, or sent to some remote factory to spend day after day doing work she did not understand at all.
Those pure purple eyes of hers should not be tainted by that kind of environment.
"It's... that strict?"
Luo Li's voice sounded dry.
"No shit!"
Yang Shan rolled his eyes at him. "This is the apocalypse era! Of the five major powers, our Longxia has the strictest internal controls. How else would we maintain stability?
"There are only so many resources. Every legal citizen's identity and consumption are on record.
"Having someone appear out of nowhere, taking up resources without contributing, is itself forbidden.
"You aren't actually getting any funny ideas, are you? I'm warning you, don't do anything stupid!"
Looking at Yang Shan's half-teasing, half-warning gaze, Luo Li quickly waved his hands. "No, no! I really was just curious! Come on, let's drink!"
He forcibly changed the subject, but a huge rock seemed to weigh on his heart.
Yang Shan's words confirmed his worries.
Castorice's lack of a legal identity was a far more serious and urgent problem than he had imagined.
He had to find a solution as soon as possible. Until then, he absolutely could not let anyone discover her existence.
Luo Li barely tasted the barbecue that night.
Afterward, he politely declined Yang Shan's suggestion to go somewhere else and returned home, weighed down by his thoughts.
He gently opened the door. Only a dim yellow night-light had been left on in the living room.
Castorice's bedroom door was shut, and there was no sound from inside. Presumably, she had already gone to sleep.
Luo Li let out a breath of relief, yet also felt an inexplicable wave of pressure.
He washed up quietly, lay down on the sofa, and stared at the ceiling, Yang Shan's words echoing through his mind.
"A centralized shelter... labor in the outlying regions..."
No. Absolutely not!
He had to raise Castorice's affection as soon as possible, or complete a key system quest and unlock that so-called "identity legitimization" solution.
[Ding! Strong protective intent and a sense of responsibility detected in the host. Target "Castorice" affection +1. Current affection: 47%.]
The system notification sounded quietly, carrying a hint of encouragement.
Luo Li clenched his fists, his gaze gradually growing resolute.
What more was there to say? Never mind the consequences he himself would face if they were caught. Just look at Castorice-although there was no way any vampire virus would be found in her, her strange powers would surely subject her to suspicion, and even attacks.
Luo Li was, of course, well aware of her strength. Aside from the purple scythe that had yet to make an appearance, Castorice had one ultimate trump card-the death dragon [Pollux]. But against a large group of ability users and advanced technological weapons, what could that do besides inflict a few losses on them?
(Note: Although Castorice had already escaped the curse that killed people with a single touch, this had also weakened her combat power to some extent.)
(P.S. This book has officially been signed! Dear readers, please send some "Power of Love" support.)