Chapter 147: Milk Tea Shop and Pet House

Chapter 147: Milk Tea Shop and Pet House

Shu Fu slowly got into the car and hugged Liu Shuang, Han Lan, and Wen Rou one by one to say goodbye.

She also told Liu Shuang and Han Lan a specific time: in one month, she could accommodate one more raft at her place, and in two months, she could accommodate two more rafts.

Whether they ultimately decided to settle in the water area or wanted to stay at the hotel for a while, they could contact her. After contacting her, they could agree on a meeting point, and she would arrive in a very short time.

The significance of such a promise is self-evident.

Liu Shuang looked at the other's serious gaze, her heart was filled with emotions. After so many encounters, she always thought that the other person was the one in need of help, but in fact, it was always them who received help.

The world is getting worse day by day, but she stands there, not lamenting or complaining about momentary hardships, nor showing off her strength. Even after accomplishing an incredibly significant and sensational event, her emotions remain calm, reminding Liu Shuang of the time she saw her outside the Louyun City dam, where she was also quiet and composed.

At that time, Liu Shuang thought her quietness stemmed from unease, but now, looking back, she realized that kind of quietness came from inner strength.

Liu Shuang wanted to say thank you, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Shu Fu smiled and shook her head: "Sister Liu Shuang, I am also from China."

Soon, only the last vehicle remained on the deck. Cheng Yu and Awen were in the same vehicle, which was loaded with weapons and equipment. Awen checked the vehicle, while Cheng Yu went to move the weapons and equipment.

"Let me do it," Shu Fu said, storing the last batch of equipment on the deck back into her space, then walked to the car door and directly placed it inside.

Cheng Yu came over to close the rear car door and looked back at Shu Fu.

Throughout the journey, the two had little communication. She even increased the speed later, enabling everyone to arrive two hours early. But now, she seemed to regret it slightly.

"Thank you!" Cheng Yu spoke, seemingly anticipating her reaction. "I know these two words are insufficient, and you want to say you are also from China, but I still want to say it."

Shu Fu hummed in acknowledgment.

"Also, I have already instructed everyone not to disclose any details about the raft today. Even if someone inadvertently reveals it, others don't know your name, and the authorities don't know your appearance, so they can't track you via the satellite system. Don't worry..." Even if she didn't care, he didn't want her to bring trouble upon herself for helping out of kindness.

Shu Fu hummed again.

"After everything here is over, I will contact you again. I'm leaving... stay safe and take care of yourself." He reached out, gently patted her soft hair, and was about to turn away.

"Hey—" Shu Fu called out, meeting his calm, deep black eyes, and continued, "...don't die."

He looked at her quietly for a moment, then suddenly walked towards her again and hugged her tightly.

He still couldn't resist, even though she only said four words.

Before today, although he was well aware of the differences between them, it was just a difference, not the huge gap like now.

Most of the authorities are ordinary individuals with special abilities, but there are also a few, like Liu Shuang, Han Lan, and Shu Fu, who possess fragments of memories from another world. They are extremely rare and are referred to by the authorities as "otherworldly visitors."

Because it coincidentally overlaps with some of the content promoted by that organization, this matter and this title are only circulated within the authorities.

Shu Fu is not only an otherworldly visitor but also potentially the most unique one.

No one knows how long otherworldly visitors like them will remain in this world.

And he can't even be sure if she really cares about him or just sees him as a senior, a brother-like figure like Liu Shuang or Han Lan.

He admits that he has expectations because of the serious "Cheng Yu" and the different hug during their last farewell. These expectations have grown uncontrollably during their separation, like a seed planted in his body, gradually growing into a towering tree.

But their every reunion is like two intersecting lines. He has things he must do, and so does she. He can't remain by her side or protect her, so he can't even bring these emotions and expectations before her.

What can he say? He has no right to express anything.

Standing before her, gazing at her, he always felt the urge to draw closer, to embrace her, yet feared startling her. The torrent of emotions within him demanded immense effort to control and suppress, dreading that even the slightest slip might upset her and provoke her rejection...

He believed he could manage it as he had with every past goodbye—uttering nothing more than a few parting words, a bit of counsel, then reining in all his feelings, quelling his reluctance, and turning to depart.

But upon seeing her gaze fixed on him, the concern in her eyes for him, and hearing those simple four words, he was utterly undone.

He embraced her so tightly she nearly lost her breath, yet Shu Fu didn’t resist this time, standing compliantly, allowing him to tighten his hold. She sensed he was using this embrace to release his long-suppressed yearning, drawing vigor from her.

Shu Fu encircled his sturdy back with her arms, rose on her toes, and nestled her face into the curve of his neck, her voice muffled as she murmured, "That time... it was me."

"I know," Cheng Yu's voice was husky, "Sorry, I didn’t intend to overlook you... In the future, you might try to trust me a bit more."

"I'll try," she chuckled, her tone brightening.

With the mission looming, he didn’t linger in the embrace. After releasing her, he gently tucked the disheveled strands behind her ear with his large hand, scrutinized her face once more, then let her go: "I'm off."

Just as he was on the verge of turning away, Shu Fu suddenly interjected: "Wait, there's something I haven’t given you yet."

"What—" Cheng Yu reflexively turned back, only to have his attire seized by her, yanking him downward. She rose on her toes once more, advancing directly toward him, tilting her head upward to meet his lips with hers.

The kiss spanned two seconds—neither lengthy nor brief—sufficient for her to discern the texture of his lips.

Soft and dry, his breath unusually pure due to his abstention from smoking and drinking, evoking the free winds of the sky and the verdant trees of the mountains.

It was an invigorating sensation.

She released him, smiling as she observed the stunned man: "Your ears are red..."

Cheng Yu: ...

"A parting gift, don’t you like it—" The trailing end of her words was captured between his descending lips once more.

It mirrored the previous kiss—merely the simple contact of lips, unskilled and shallow, yet more intense and intimate than before. She could discern his pounding heartbeat and his deep, irregular breaths.

After a moment, he released her, drawing her back into his arms, his voice near her ear, still breathless: "Do you grasp what this signifies?"

"I do."

"I'm not one... to relinquish easily; I'm tenacious, at times bordering on obstinate."

"Mm, I concur," she encircled his slender waist with her arms, her voice laced with mirth, "And I don’t consider that a shortcoming."

"...Await my return; I have something of great import to share with you."

"Mm, I'll await you."

Regardless of the reluctance, before the nation and the survival of humanity, it had to be set aside.

Such is the duty of soldiers, and their destiny.

Shu Fu stood on the deck, silently observing the convoy's departure, and exhaled softly.

She planned to go to the back hotel to announce her return, but as soon as she turned, she saw Lu Zheng and Lu Ce had somehow already emerged from the hotel and were standing on the deck. Lu Zheng was looking at her, while Lu Ce glanced between her and his brother, his head swiveling like a rattle drum.

Shu Fu didn’t feel embarrassed, merely smiling: "Oh, we've been seen..."

"Fufu Jie!" Finally, it was Lu Ce who spoke, "Is Captain Cheng your boyfriend?"

"Not yet," Shu Fu shook her head, her pure and tender face speaking with natural dominance, "He is—the man I have my eye on." With that, she waved her hand, indicating she was ready to return, "Let's go back, we need to tow Fa Fa Jie and Fei Fei Jie's raft!"

"Yay—" Lu Ce was still just a teenager. When he heard they needed to tow two more rafts, he didn't care about his brother's mood anymore. Holding Lan Lan in his arms, he happily rushed back to the raft.

They had to check in again. After unlocking the bathroom, the hotel could bring on a new employee. There were also the new guests from yesterday who still didn't fully understand the hotel's facilities. He had to draft some notices, and he could probably help out at the planting house...

There was so much to do—he was swamped!

**

Six hours later.

They didn't need to use the speed-up card on the way back. But since they'd used it on the way there, the round trip, transporting people and equipment, only took ten hours. Before night fell completely, the raft returned to the lake.

On the highland by the shore, the main group that had stayed behind, due to the signal disconnection in the Sha City area, couldn't get any updates on Cheng Yu's situation, even with satellite phones. Only when they saw Shu Fu's raft reappear by the lake did they know everything was okay.

Chen Fa and the others, who'd already been through the underground river journey, felt confident about Shu Fu's trip. As long as the raft stayed on the water, it was unstoppable!

They even played cards to pass the time, having rested well the night before and with nothing else to do. Zhang Tian, preoccupied and down, didn't join in. Wu Shaoshan knew who she was worried about and figured the earlier events had upset her, so she didn't press and just stayed with her.

Others, like Xu Jiechu, Longsheng, and Yue Dong, who weren't playing, chatted about what had happened in Sha City and Zhashui County.

They'd hoped to get some info from the team members, but unfortunately, everyone kept tight-lipped, not giving anything away.

They waited all day, through lightning, thunder, and relentless rain.

After leaving the hotel raft, they found the weather outside sweltering and damp, like being stuck in a steamy bathroom. Because there were so many crawling insects, they had to wear long pants, rain boots, and long sleeves to cover themselves.

As a result, they felt stuffy and hot, and had little appetite for lunch, just eating a few bites of biscuits to get by.

They watched as the sky gradually darkened, thinking they would have to have dinner there too. However, in a blink of an eye, they saw Shu Fu's raft reappear by the lake. At that moment, the joy that surged from their hearts made them clearly realize how much they missed the raft and the hotel.

Even though they had been living this way for the past two years, enduring hardships all along, after more than a month on the raft, they couldn't imagine life without it anymore!

Shu Fu got off the raft with an umbrella, letting all her companions go to the hotel to check in again, while she found Qi Kai to ask about their plans.

"Still following the plan, trying to find a detour to Sha City," the other party didn't mention having Shu Fu send more people in.

After all, the most crucial part before wasn't how many team members went in, but how many military vehicles and how much weaponry were sent in. Now they only had one large transport vehicle and one supply vehicle left, both with large capacities to carry people.

They had stayed here before, also to take care of the team members from Shu Fu's side before she returned.

Just then, the rain lessened, and the thunderstorms temporarily ceased. They planned to set off immediately, hoping to meet up with other teams along the way, which would be even better. Shu Fu knew they had a mission and couldn't stay longer, so she bid them farewell directly.

In the hotel, after everyone checked in, they didn't return to their rooms because they were still on the inland lake in Xizhou Province. To return to the waters, they had to first complete the 100 kilometers of land travel.

Shu Fu was in front of the functional screen inside the house, deactivating the "Subsidiary Raft Vacation Card."

This card was a seven-day card. After deactivation, the usage time would pause, and it could be used again next time or on different rafts. But she found that each time the time was deducted not by the hour, but by the day.

That is, she equipped this card yesterday afternoon, and now it was the evening of the second day, which meant this use would deduct two days, leaving five days of usage time on the card.

She didn't mind the loss of a day or two, as today's trip was particularly important and had to be made.

After a while, she changed the raft back to the villa type and first released two vehicles on the rear deck.

They currently had three vehicles in total. Originally, there were twelve people, with four in each vehicle. Now, with six more people, squeezing into three vehicles was still manageable.

As for the vehicle Chen Fa originally rented, the rear windshield was completely shattered, the body was full of bullet holes, and the tires were blown out. It couldn't be driven anymore and had to be left with Shu Fu for now, to see if there was a chance to repair it later.

However, the chance wasn't high, as they were quite complete in number now and would probably stay in the waters for a long time afterward.

While the thunderstorms had temporarily stopped, everyone set off by car.

The trip back went pretty smoothly, since the damaged parts of the road were all near inland Sha City, and they were heading away from the city. However, the rain made the roads slippery and muddy, and it was already dark, so it still took them about two hours to get back to the shore where they'd landed earlier.

Shu Fu brought the raft back out, and after everyone got off the car, she mentioned that most people had been out all day and suggested everyone go clean up, rest, and get settled. An hour later, they'd have a hot pot dinner on her back deck.

After saying this, Shu Fu glanced at Chen Fa meaningfully.

Chen Fa got the hint—after the hot pot dinner, she'd tow her raft.

"Yay!" Lu Ce cheered.

"Senior, you're the best! I love you!" Yao Ruoyun giggled, rushed over to hug Shu Fu, and then took her parents back to their home.

"Hot pot?" Zhang Tian asked Wu Shaoshan, surprised. Since last night, they'd been eating the food and water she'd bought after leaving the hospital in Zhashui County, mostly dry stuff like bread, crackers, and instant meals.

Wu Shaoshan wasn't a person with special abilities and didn't have a backpack grid. When she left Kangsu County, all she had was some saved money, a backpack of stuff, and some gold her parents had hidden, which she grabbed after Chen Fa rescued her.

Zhang Tian was better off—she'd suddenly gained special abilities while in the hospital.

Wu Shaoshan didn't find out until later.

After escaping Zhashui County and moving into a clean, safe hotel, Zhang Tian told her privately that her backpack grid was different from Chen Fa's—only ten slots, with three taken up: a raft, a water filter, and a fishing rod.

The other seven slots could only hold one item each, but identical items could stack. For example, a slot could hold up to 10 packs of instant noodles. If it was a big bag of instant noodles, only one bag could fit per slot. In short, the space was limited, so not much could be stored.

Later, before meeting Zheng Feifei in Zhashui County, she went back to her rented place to pack clothes and daily stuff into a big travel bag, but it wouldn't fit in her backpack grid. She had to split the items into several backpacks to store them in her space.

Fortunately, she didn't have much food and water supplies at home at the time, so she managed to take everything with her after a little packing.

Although she later thought about living on the water with Chen Fa and the others, she still had many concerns, especially since the food and water supplies were limited. What would they do when they ran out?

So now, upon hearing Shu Fu mention a hot pot dinner, she was stunned. Hot pot? Where would the ingredients come from? Where would the pots and bases come from?

Seeing this, Yao Ruoyun immediately leaned over: "Don't worry, usually when Senior says this, she prepares all the ingredients and bases for the dinner. Senior is omnipotent, no need to worry, just come over later!"

Zhang Tian was still a bit worried and couldn't help but look back as she walked towards the hotel with Wu Shaoshan.

On the deck, Shu Fu seemed to be talking to Zheng Feifei. What were they talking about?

"Tow position 3: Chen Fa's raft (bond value: 100). [Initial shared function: Option 1 (protective shield); Option 2: (not yet selected); Option 3: (not yet selected)] [Special: None]"

**

"Tow position 4: Zheng Feifei's raft (bond value: 96). [Initial shared function: Option 1 (protective shield); Option 2: (not yet selected); Option 3: (not yet selected)] [Special: None]"

This was the first time Shu Fu had towed two rafts at once, and with this, all the golden cards were used up, bringing her back to square one.

Position three was behind Yao Ruoyun's raft, almost parallel to it, and position four was behind Lu Zheng's raft, also parallel.

Because they needed to tow the rafts, the Drift Island House was still moored at the riverbank where they had previously landed. However, Chen Fa, her grandmother, Zheng Feifei, and Zheng's mother were not only raft owners and their families but also hotel guests, with dual identities. Therefore, when towing their rafts, they didn't need to temporarily deactivate the protective shield as others had to do before.

Chen Fa was no stranger to her own raft, having used it countless times.

But this was the first time Zheng Feifei had the opportunity to release her raft on the water. Her raft was completely natural, with nothing inside or out, clean like a game's initial template house.

Even so, it made Zheng's mother extremely happy and relieved.

Although living in the hotel was also very good, even more modern and comfortable than the current raft cabin, the traditional mindset of the Chinese people always hoped to have a home of their own.

No matter how ordinary, small, or shabby this home is, it is still a cozy little spot that's all your own.

"Don't worry, Auntie Zheng, it won't be shabby for long!" Shu Fu smiled, asked them to wait a moment, and then went back to the Drift Island House.

"Docking Position 3: Chen Fa's Raft (Bond Value: 100).]

[Special: Upgrade Set (Milk Tea Shop)] (Note: If the raft is detached, the upgrade set will automatically detach and disappear, and the upgraded levels will be reset to zero)."

"Docking Position 4: Zheng Feifei's Raft (Bond Value: 96).]

[Special: Upgrade Set (Pet House)] (Note: If the raft is detached, the upgrade set will automatically detach and disappear, and the upgraded levels will be reset to zero)."

Shu Fu wasn't surprised when Chen Fa picked the "Milk Tea Shop." As for Zheng Feifei, she ultimately chose the "Pet House" over the "Convenience Store."

Actually, Zheng Feifei quite liked the "Convenience Store," but since the raft construction was still in its early stages and she had joined, she saw herself as part of the team. Compared to her personal preferences, she placed more emphasis on the overall development of the raft.

With the increase in the number of people living on the raft, better construction and development were crucial, and production was the most basic and important aspect.

The "Planting House" was already set up, but you can't survive on just veggies and fruit; you need meat too.

Since she was under the protection of Shu Fu's raft, she naturally wanted to pitch in. As for raising animals, she and her mother could learn together or ask for help. In any case, she had already faced the toughest challenges, so these things were nothing.

A moment later, the two rafts blocked by Yao Ruoyun and Lu Zheng's rafts both started to change.