Ch 143: TGCIR

The next time they were to visit Shen Cheng’s world, the only preparation Li Weilan could manage was to casually grab a handbag from an abandoned store along the way.

Even though the handbag fetched a pretty good second-hand price, after Li Weilan inquired about the prices and market values in Shen Cheng’s world, he immediately fell into a deep contemplation.

Soon after, Shen Cheng was shocked to discover that her boyfriend had started losing sleep at night: though he didn’t say anything, he often stared at Shen Cheng’s face, lost in thought, as if calculating some complex equation.

But whenever she asked, he would snap out of it, smile, and completely avoid revealing what he was so worried about.

He clearly had something on his mind!

As the day of their return to the modern world drew closer, and seeing how often Li Weilan was lost in thought, Shen Cheng began to feel uneasy herself: Could it be that he was worried about encountering some unforeseen complication during the crossing?

Or was he anxious about leaving Noah behind and not being able to return?

Or maybe, he actually preferred to stay here?

When she got to this last thought, Shen Cheng couldn’t help but consider the question: “Where would it be better for us to live?”

Of course, living in a stable era would be better for her, but that would mean carefully hiding her anomalies, figuring out how to deal with being an undocumented resident, and making sure she didn’t slip up.

More importantly, she might not be able to achieve the same position and level of power she had in this world.

For a man, the desire for power can be a deep, lifelong need. Shen Cheng wondered, would Li Weilan be willing to give up the solid foundation he had already built here?

After all, Noah was now running smoothly, and despite the difference in ingredients compared to the modern world, she had found that with the skillful hands of the chefs, the food tasted surprisingly good.

Aside from this, in the reconstruction of the wasteland, with vast land and sparse population, housing is something that people naturally want to build more of. Here, the cost of a three-constant system, which is so expensive in China that it makes one question the meaning of life, consumes only a bit of energy. The comfort level of the residences is at the opposite extreme compared to the cramped, expensive conditions in China.

Not to mention the occasional chance to cuddle the fluffy creatures that the nature-based ability users at the base take care of. In a world where the threat of the zombie virus still exists, this is practically a fantasy world!

Shen Cheng fell into a subtle self-doubt: Would returning to the modern world really be better for their little ones? Could this world be more suitable for them to live in?

Her emotional shifts were quickly noticed by Li Weilan. After all, he was always attentive to her. The moment he saw the slight worry between her brows, Li Weilan immediately realized she had something on her mind.

As their agreed-upon “return home” time approached, and Ian had already fully explained and instilled in Shen Cheng the concepts of design, the drawn plans, and the business operation strategies, Li Weilan became increasingly anxious: Could it be that she was thinking there was something wrong with what they planned to bring back?

Or had something happened in these few months that she hadn’t told him about, something that made her hesitate about their life together?

As the departure date drew nearer, Li Weilan finally couldn’t hold back any longer and gently said to Shen Cheng, “Cheng Cheng…”

The soft voice snapped Shen Cheng out of her deep thoughts. She raised her eyebrows slightly in confusion, seeing that Li Weilan hesitated to speak. She tentatively said, “Should we stay here?”

Her face clearly showed the words: “Cautiously testing the waters.”

Li Weilan’s brow twitched slightly.

He knew she was an exceptionally considerate girl who always thought of others. Maybe it was her experience of growing up without a stable home that made the fear of being displaced deeply ingrained in her, and it also made her very sensitive to the emotions of those around her.

This, of course, made her incredibly thoughtful, but from another perspective, it also revealed a lack of security.

A girl who grew up in a sheltered environment wouldn’t need to constantly read the room or worry so much about what those around her thought. She would only need to be confidently herself. Only someone who was always afraid of being abandoned, who felt they were only needed as long as they didn’t cause trouble, would worry that if they weren’t good enough, they would be cast aside.

And now, the cautious expression in her eyes, like a little bunny perking up its ears to sense its surroundings, revealed just that.

Li Weilan felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

He hadn’t provided her with enough security, which was why she was speaking so carefully now.

If he followed this logic, the question she just asked was likely not her true wish but rather a conclusion she had drawn after much careful consideration, thinking it might be what he wanted.

Even if this assumption was wrong, it was still the result of serious analysis.

Li Weilan’s voice softened as he asked, “Then why does Cheng Cheng want to stay here?”

Shen Cheng hesitated.

She began to explain the reasons she had come up with, saying, “Because the housing here is better, and your abilities have already reached a high level. You can build a career here, and if we leave, what will happen to Noah’s base? Who will manage it?”

The more Shen Cheng spoke, the more reasons she could think of, and she started seriously counting them on her fingers: “And besides, the idea that we only use one travel attempt together is just your guess. Over there, I’m just a small employee, and I’m undocumented, so life could be very tough.”

Li Weilan listened with a smile as she rattled off every reason she could think of, carefully laying out all the arguments. Finally, he reached out and held her hand.

“You’re right about all that.” The smile on Shen Cheng’s face had just started to bloom, but then she heard his next words, “But those are all practical reasons. What about your reasons?”

“My reasons?” Shen Cheng repeated in surprise, furrowing her brow slightly.

“My reasons?”

“Yes.” Li Weilan nodded. “The housing here may be better, but we’re just two people living together. No matter how strong the abilities are, they’re just for storing and organizing things. The base is now running smoothly; even if we leave, it will continue to operate as usual. Otherwise, it would have fallen apart the moment we went through that gate. The concerns about being undocumented and struggling to make a living—those are things we’ll have to figure out, but they’re all about taking care of me.”

Shen Cheng’s heart trembled, and she slowly lowered her head.

Li Weilan’s gaze was filled with helplessness. “Cheng Cheng, you don’t have to be so sensible all the time. You’ve been taking care of me for so long, but I also want to take care of you.”

“I haven’t taken care of you that much…” Shen Cheng’s voice grew soft, and her face flushed slightly. If she had taken care of him, it was back when she saved him from the wolf pack, but Li Weilan had long since started taking care of her.

If it were just anyone, she wouldn’t have even been able to get back her property.

But precisely because of this, she sometimes felt she hadn’t helped Li Weilan much at all.

She even wondered if the game required “a kind heart,” would another kind-hearted girl also have raised such a wonderful person?

“No, you have.” Li Weilan said earnestly. “You’ve given me enough respect. Every choice you’ve made, every time you’ve helped, you’ve considered my position. When you knew what could be accomplished, when you stood in front of me, you never tried to use your space abilities to achieve greedy goals. So to me, you’re uniquely precious.”

Shen Cheng’s face grew warm.

“Do you know what’s been on my mind recently?” Li Weilan had already begun to suspect why she was suddenly being so cautious: She must have noticed that he seemed preoccupied, perhaps even secretly wondering what was bothering him! Given the imminent return home, could she have guessed wrong?

Shen Cheng looked at him, wide-eyed.

“There’s only one thing I’m worried about,” Li Weilan sighed softly, “How to be like other boyfriends. What should I do? Will my girlfriend think I’m useless?”

“Uh, what?” Shen Cheng stared at him in confusion.

What was he talking about?

“Marriage, a house, a car, savings, right?” He looked down, a hint of embarrassment on his face, “I don’t have any of those.”

“???” Shen Cheng felt a sense of suffocation.

A house? A car? Savings?

These seemed completely out of place when it came to Li Weilan.

Li Weilan continued speaking, seemingly lost in his own thoughts: “I’ve thought about my skills carefully. Chopping zombies and fighting won’t be of much use in your world, and the storage space will probably just be like a refrigerator. On top of that, I’m undocumented, so even getting a job might be difficult. Lately, I’ve been worried about whether my girlfriend will get tired of me and just throw me away when the novelty wears off. If that happens, I’ll probably end up as a pitiful vagrant on the streets.” He put on a pitiful expression, clasping his hands together in front of Shen Cheng, “I’ve been thinking a lot about how to make money lately.”

Shen Cheng took his hand, her gaze firm yet warm, shining with a light that brought a gentle warmth to his heart. “You’re not just my boyfriend, you’re also my most precious person. Even if some girlfriends might discard their boyfriends, who would ever throw away their precious one? What I really wanted to say is, as long as I’m with you, wherever we are, that’s my home. Whether it’s the post-apocalyptic wasteland or a peaceful world, as long as we’re together, I’m content.”

Li Weilan had intended to resolve her concerns, but instead, he heard words that deeply moved him. Between the two of them, perhaps he was the one with stronger abilities, but Shen Cheng, though seemingly weaker, was the one who was more steadfast, pure, and straightforward in their relationship.

Li Weilan had never felt such peace and gratitude. Even the initial awkwardness of being called ‘precious one’ had now transformed into a fond recollection of past experiences.

His voice grew hoarse with emotion: “It’s time. Let’s go see your home.”

He clicked on the screen that had been minimized and overlooked for so long, and then selected ‘Use Travel Privilege.’

**

When Li Weilan opened his eyes, he felt a bit dizzy, but as soon as he recovered, he began to look around, a smile quickly forming on his face: So this is Shen Cheng’s home?

Everything on the desk was neatly arranged, and he immediately noticed a lemon-yellow phone still plugged into a charger by the wall.

Li Weilan walked over, unlocked the phone using the password Shen Cheng had told him, and then his face lit up with a mischievous smile: Haha!

Li Weilan suppressed his mischievous impulse and tapped the screen, where a little character was anxiously looking around.

Now that he thought about it, when Shen Cheng called him ‘precious one’ at first, it all made sense! If, in person, Shen Cheng as the Druid had an ethereal beauty, like a fairy in the woods, then the little character on the phone screen was entirely ‘kawaii’!

He couldn’t resist the urge to poke the little character’s cheek on the screen or even give the little character a small hug, to see if it would respond with more cute expressions.

Shen Cheng’s head popped up with three question marks “???”

She froze like a statue, clearly baffled by what was happening.

She glanced around helplessly, and Li Weilan, seeing her confusion, couldn’t help but smile. He reached out and touched the character’s hand, and when the little character’s frustrated voice finally came through, it was clear he had hit his fun button: poking was so addictive!

As he realized that Shen Cheng had only seen him as this adorable, squishy little character for so long, Li Weilan finally understood why she had been calling him ‘precious one’ all this time.

Because a three-headed chibi version of him was truly something special!

Even when the little character got mad, stomping its feet in protest, it was like an adorable little explosion, with dark swirls of smoke puffing out from its head.

It was so cute, he almost wanted to make her even angrier.

Li Weilan held back his laughter.

He found the voice interface and realized that his voice could be heard on the other side. After finding the communication screen, he finally smiled at the confused little character in the center of the screen and said, “Hehehe, I’ve finally tricked you into switching places with me. Now you get to stay in the bottle!”

“Li Weilan! I can’t believe someone as reliable and serious as you could be this childish after just coming over here!”

While pinching her cheeks, Shen Cheng couldn’t help but think that the tables had indeed turned. Now that she was the one being poked, she could only tearfully surrender. But now he was deliberately pretending to be evil and scaring her with that tone? Was this for real? Really? Is this how you talk?

“Li Weilan!” She puffed up her cheeks and called out angrily.

Li Weilan stifled a laugh, a muffled chuckle escaping his lips.

Shen Cheng heard that laugh clearly!

Annoyed, she pouted, and without needing to think too much, she could easily imagine the cute image she must present on screen now. The thought of how her handsome boyfriend had turned into a cute little character on the screen made her realize just how adorable she must look right now.

Li Weilan’s mischievous streak was a bit too much!

Just as she pouted, on Li Weilan’s side, her screen avatar was surrounded by black smoke, and the original playful intent in him turned into a soft, warm feeling. Li Weilan reached out and touched her little head, gently saying, “Alright, don’t be mad anymore.”

His touch felt like a breeze.

Warm and incredibly comforting, it made Shen Cheng pause in surprise. So, this is how it feels when Li Weilan touches her usually?

Li Weilan stroked her little head, and though his fingers were only touching the cold, smooth surface of the screen, in his mind, it felt like he was caressing soft hair. His heart filled with a fuzzy warmth, and all thoughts of teasing her vanished.

He even considered taking off his T-shirt, which he had chosen for the time-travel journey, and thought for a moment about putting it on her instead.

Shen Cheng wasn’t aware of the flurry of thoughts racing through his mind, but even though they were separated by a screen, she could feel the intensity of his gaze, focused and warm, as if he was intent on something precious.

Shen Cheng’s heart began to flutter.

She finally understood how Li Weilan felt when she was gazing at his face, playfully poking at it. It was like wanting to avoid his antics but also knowing that this screen was their only connection at that moment, so she couldn’t bear to distance herself.

She couldn’t bear to say goodbye.

This was her affection for him.

Shen Cheng had just figured it all out and was about to say something when she suddenly heard Li Weilan on the other side of the screen make a surprised sound, followed by a puzzled expression, “Cheng Cheng, I think someone’s knocking on your door.”

“???”

Shen Cheng froze.

She remembered that before leaving, she had called the company to take some accumulated vacation days. She had over thirty days of vacation saved up, and given that the time flow between the post-apocalyptic world and the modern world was 1:1, she’d only been gone a few days. There shouldn’t be any problems, right?

Seeing the question marks floating around his head, Shen Cheng already knew the answer without needing to ask. She also had no idea who could be at the door.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Shen Cheng suddenly had a hunch about who it could be. But just as she hurriedly called out to Li Weilan to not open the door, it seemed she was too late, because she heard a familiar voice on the other side of the screen, “Is Cheng Cheng home?”

It was Sister Ma, who had decided to visit Shen Cheng.

She knew Shen Cheng’s address because she had helped Shen Cheng find this villa. The owner was a friend of hers, also a local, with so many properties that they could live comfortably off the rental income alone.

Sister Ma had been thinking about Shen Cheng’s recent behavior at work and suspected that something might be wrong. A young woman who usually didn’t take time off had suddenly requested an extended leave, possibly due to an illness or some other issue. Thinking that Shen Cheng was all alone in this big city, Sister Ma decided to visit her at home, just in case she needed help or support. She was also curious about this “boyfriend” Shen Cheng had mentioned, who didn’t sound particularly reliable. Sister Ma wanted to check if he was the kind of person who could really take care of Shen Cheng.

However, when the door opened, she was met by a man who looked even more handsome than a movie star—sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and broad shoulders. He tilted his head slightly in curiosity and asked, “And you are?”

Sister Ma was taken aback, feeling a chill run down her spine!

At her age, she thought nothing could make her heart race anymore, but this man standing in front of her was so extraordinarily handsome that it felt almost surreal. Sister Ma immediately wondered if she had the wrong address, but after double-checking the house number, she realized she was in the right place. The man in front of her was too good-looking, with a calm yet slightly intimidating demeanor. Sister Ma, who had seen a lot in her years, instinctively became suspicious: Could this man be some kind of con artist who had heard about Shen Cheng’s inheritance and was here to swindle the poor girl out of her money?

She began to scrutinize him more closely, her initial shock giving way to a more guarded and analytical gaze.

Li Weilan, on the other hand, had already guessed who she might be.

Shen Cheng’s social circle was extremely simple, and there were very few people who might visit her. Being polite, he nodded at the woman and said warmly, “You must be Sister Ma? Cheng Cheng has mentioned you many times, saying you’re the one who takes the best care of her at work. She’s out shopping right now, but why don’t you come in and have a seat while we wait?”

His words were polite and considerate, which softened Sister Ma’s expression a bit.

To be honest, she wasn’t particularly close to Shen Cheng. There was no real reason for him to be so polite to her. His words indicated that he had paid attention to what Shen Cheng said and held her in high regard, which was a good sign.

Sister Ma felt a bit more at ease.

Li Weilan smiled and invited her in, then awkwardly searched around to find a way to make tea. However, the technology in this world was far more advanced than in his own, and Sister Ma noticed him fumbling with the appliances. When he finally brought out the tea, she looked at him with a slightly stern expression.

“So, you’re Cheng Cheng’s…” Even though she had a good guess about who he was, Sister Ma wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of making it easy. If he admitted it, it meant Shen Cheng had mentioned him, and she wasn’t about to let him get too comfortable.

“Boyfriend,” Li Weilan responded without hesitation, smiling as he spoke.

Sister Ma frowned as she looked down at the tea in her hands.

At first, she thought his clumsiness was a bit off-putting, but now she found it more endearing. A hard-working girl like Shen Cheng deserved a caring and gentle boyfriend. If this guy was so clumsy that he couldn’t even make tea properly, did that mean Shen Cheng was the one taking care of everything at home?

That wouldn’t be ideal.

Li Weilan noticed her gaze drop to the tea and felt a pang of anxiety. The fancy kettle with a built-in heater had confused him, so he ended up using his powers to heat the water. Now, seeing her odd expression, he worried she might have noticed something strange about the temperature or the tea.

Feeling uneasy, he shifted in his seat, not realizing that the phone lying face down on the table was transmitting everything to Shen Cheng, who was now listening intently, her virtual ears perked up. She was fully engrossed in the conversation, her eyes wide and unblinking, with a hint of playful amusement in them.

“He’s probably regretting poking me earlier and putting me in this situation,” she thought to herself with a smirk.

“So, you’re the boyfriend?” Sister Ma gave Li Weilan a sharp look, her frown deepening. “And where exactly do you work?” she asked pointedly. Was this guy just freeloading off Shen Cheng, staying at her place all day? Could he be unemployed?

Li Weilan hesitated.

His gaze fell on the phone lying face down on the table, and suddenly an idea struck him: “I work for a mobile game app.”

“A game developer?” Sister Ma immediately looked even more skeptical. Game developers? Weren’t they usually bald, overweight, overworked, and constantly stressed out?

Realizing he might have said something wrong, Li Weilan hesitated and nodded.

Sister Ma stared at him for a few seconds before continuing her questioning. “How long have you two been dating? Have you met her in person? Have you discussed any real-life issues? Are you sincere about your intentions with our Cheng Cheng? Don’t think you can fool a young girl just because she’s lost her parents. Let me tell you, there are plenty of local boys from well-off families, but Cheng Cheng has always said she already has a boyfriend, so she hasn’t been introduced to anyone else.”

Li Weilan initially tried to speak, but as the barrage of questions continued, each one hitting closer to home, he found himself at a loss for words.

When Sister Ma mentioned potential suitors from wealthy families, Li Weilan visibly frowned but maintained his composure out of respect for Cheng Cheng’s relationship with Sister Ma. He simply nodded and said, “I understand you’re concerned for Cheng Cheng, but those wealthy families may not be suitable for her. She has a simple heart, and complicated family dynamics would only tire her out.”

Sister Ma noticed his expression gradually softening.

“That’s why I live here with her, and it’s also why we’ve had some distance in our relationship,” Li Weilan continued honestly. “But within the next month, I’ll be purchasing a property here, and oh, by the way,” he added as if remembering something, “the house and car will be in Cheng Cheng’s name.”

This was a bombshell, leaving Sister Ma momentarily speechless.

She knew better than anyone how expensive property in this city was. A house and a car, both in Cheng Cheng’s name? Where could you find such a good deal these days?

Now, some unscrupulous men just wanted to marry a woman to pay off their mortgages, while they barely contributed. But this man? He was offering a house and a car outright?

Sister Ma, still skeptical, asked, “In the city center?”

Li Weilan nodded without hesitation.

“A car worth at least a B-class or higher?”

Again, Li Weilan nodded.

Sister Ma, now genuinely impressed, took a seat, sipped her tea, and left with a satisfied smile.

After she left, Li Weilan finally exhaled in relief. He quickly transferred Cheng Cheng back into the “space” and then used his spatial abilities to release her from the storage. He checked: it still only counted as one travel.

Shen Cheng immediately poked Li Weilan’s forehead, “Hey, hey, hey, what’s this about a house and car in my name? If I remember correctly, aren’t you still technically without legal status here? Where are you getting all this money? Do you know how much a decent house costs in the city? Even the good ones are worth millions!”

“Don’t worry,” Li Weilan chuckled, a smile playing on his lips as he leaned in close to Shen Cheng’s ear, whispering, “I’ve memorized the coordinates of this space.”

This was something Li Weilan could achieve when his spatial abilities reached their peak. At this point, his abilities allowed him to mark a specific coordinate point, meaning that after their next trip, they could always return to this moment.

In the future, his spatial abilities would provide endless resources, and they would no longer be restricted by the game app.

Shen Cheng, understanding the explanation, excitedly exclaimed, “Really?”

Li Weilan nodded.

She jumped up and gave him a big kiss on the cheek!

Just as she was about to pull away, Li Weilan pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

When they finally parted, Li Weilan smiled and pulled out a small bag of dazzling diamonds from his space.

“???” Shen Cheng was stunned by the sheer quantity of diamonds. “How many carats is this?”

“These are all created with my abilities,” Li Weilan explained, leaning in closer and lowering his voice.

This was a new technology at the base, similar to how modern synthetic diamonds are made, but these diamonds, created with special abilities, were indistinguishable from natural ones. Li Weilan didn’t plan to sell too many to avoid disrupting the market, but selling this small bag would be more than enough to buy a house.

Finally, from the bottom of the bag, he took out the largest diamond, which sparkled brightly—it was a real, natural diamond, something he had collected at great expense.

The diamond had already been set in a teardrop shape, with ripples of smaller stones around it, and as Li Weilan knelt down on one knee, the diamond gleaming in his hand, he gazed into Shen Cheng’s eyes, which shone just as brightly. “Cheng Cheng, will you marry me?

🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋

Thingyan: it’s over. Thank you all the readers. See you next time 😚