Chapter 59: The World of Ice and Snow

Habit is a terrifying thing. Once a person gets used to something, they will subconsciously adhere to this habit. When this habit is disrupted, various forms of discomfort arise.

The most obvious example is children who are used to having family around them. Suddenly, they have to leave for studies or work, finding themselves alone in a foreign place without their family's company. Initially, they will experience all sorts of adjustments, with homesickness being the most prominent.

But no matter how uncomfortable these changes may be, people must gradually adapt. As they get used to the new environment, they form new habits and follow them.

One's life is spent constantly changing and adapting between old and new habits. For Li Nianlong and Nalan Ruyue, what they needed to do now was to readjust to life without the Yue sisters.

For Li Nianlong, it was the consecutive losses of Auntie Li and Uncle Guan;

For Nalan Ruyue, it was leaving Longcheng and coming to Tianfu with Li Nianlong.

Both had already experienced a new adaptation and formed new habits once. Now, all they needed to do was go through that adaptation process again, which wasn't difficult for them.

Nalan Ruyue nodded gently and signed, "Actually, I feel a bit lonely too, but since Changchang and Xi Xi have left, we must quickly adapt to our new lives. Brother, you are the pillar of our home; without you, it wouldn't be a home. I hope you can be happy because, you still have me."

"You still have me." These words, usually spoken between intimate lovers, took on a peculiar meaning when Nalan Ruyue used them, causing Li Nianlong's heart to race momentarily.

The night, the villa, a man and a woman alone, intimate words – all these factors combined created a special, ambiguous atmosphere.

Since Auntie Li fell ill half a year ago, Li Nianlong hadn't been with any woman. Six months of suppression had made Li Nianlong's desires… difficult to bear. Now, with no one else at home but him and Nalan Ruyue, the sweet scent emanating from her was refreshing and intoxicating. She was as beautiful as jade and held affection for him. If nothing happened, wouldn't it be a waste of the opportunity and mood provided by fate?

A fiery glint flashed in Li Nianlong's eyes as he put down his bowl and chopsticks, grabbing Nalan Ruyue's hands. Their gazes met, and his intense stare made Nalan Ruyue flustered. She tried to pull her hands away but couldn't free herself from Li Nianlong's grip.

Brother...

Nalan Ruyue's eyes reddened, and tears threatened to spill.

The pure tears struck Li Nianlong's chest like a heavy hammer, leaving him breathless.

"I'm sorry…" Releasing Nalan Ruyue's hands, Li Nianlong covered his face with both hands, propping himself up on the table. "I'm sorry, my mind was a mess just now. I'm sorry."

Nalan Ruyue placed her hands on her chest. Li Nianlong had gripped her quite hard, leaving finger marks that turned her skin blue and white.

Skillfully massaging her hands, the marks gradually faded, though some discoloration remained, it was not a major issue.

Seeing Li Nianlong's dejected appearance, Nalan Ruyue pursed her lips, stood up, and slowly walked behind him.

A fragrant breeze enveloped Li Nianlong as he suddenly found himself in a warm and soft embrace.

"Ruyue..."

Nalan Ruyue hugged him tightly from behind, her cheek gently rubbing against his hair. After a while, she extended her hands, placing them about twenty centimeters away from Li Nianlong's eyes and signed several gestures, "Brother, I don't blame you. Everything I have now is thanks to brother. No matter what brother does to me, I won't blame you."

"Ruyue..." Li Nianlong was overwhelmed with shame. Nalan Ruyue was such a wonderful girl, yet he had allowed impure thoughts to cloud his judgment. For a moment, Li Nianlong wished he could slap himself hard.

Burdened with guilt, Li Nianlong took her hand again, this time very gently. He tenderly pressed her soft, warm hand against his cheek and caressed it lightly. "Ruyue, it was my fault earlier. I've been under a lot of stress lately, and today, with Changchang and Xi Xi leaving, I wasn't in a good mood. I did something that hurt you, and I'm sorry."

Her chin resting against Li Nianlong's head, she gently shook it, freeing herself from his grasp, and signed again, "Brother, don't apologize to me. It's my fault for not being able to make you happy again…"

"It's not your fault." His large hands caught hers again, stopping her from continuing. "You've already given me so much; I truly can't ask for more. It was really just an accident, Ruyue…"

Twisting his face ninety degrees backward, Li Nianlong locked eyes with Nalan Ruyue and declared firmly and persistently, "I promise it won't happen again. I promise not to let you be hurt again. I swear to you!"

Li Nianlong's words sounded incredibly pleasing to Nalan Ruyue's ears. Her eyes, filled with tender affection, gazed at Li Nianlong's handsome face, and she smiled, hugging him tightly.

Brother, I like you.

This little episode during dinner not only didn't harm their relationship, but instead brought their hearts closer together, enhancing their intimacy. In every movement and stillness, their eyes would meet, bringing smiles to their lips, as if they shared a married couple's unspoken understanding.

As the night deepened, life continued without the Yue sisters.

On the third floor of the villa, Li Nianlong lay in bed, his consciousness diving into the system. Having not fought monsters the day before, his Money column remained pitifully at 5. Without money, he couldn't purchase equipment or pills. Before nine o'clock today, Li Nianlong had excused himself to rest, citing exhaustion, with the aim of using the hours before midnight for training. Afterward, he would still have to hunt.

Money, money, money! Li Nianlong felt driven mad by the lack of it; his mind was now solely fixated on finances.

"Qingting, I want to challenge the Level 20-2 Training Ground."

"Very well." With a flutter of her wings, Qingting flew to the Level 20-2 Training Panel and lightly pressed a button with her tiny hand, instantly materializing a door in front of Li Nianlong. "Host, please enter."

Li Nianlong stepped through the door, and the scene changed. Unlike yesterday's vast grassland, today he found himself in a world of drifting snow and ice, where the temperature was at least minus thirty degrees Celsius. Instantly, he felt a bone-chilling cold.

Crossing his arms and rubbing them vigorously, he exclaimed, "Damn it, what kind of godforsaken place is this?"

"This is the world of ice and snow," Qingting explained. "Please survive in this world for three days. If you survive after three days, you'll have cleared the stage successfully. If you perish, you'll fail, and experience points will be deducted accordingly." For the first time, Li Nianlong found Qingting's words grating. How could he survive three days in such an icy world? Without clothing, shelter, or even a fire to keep warm, it seemed impossible!

"You're joking, right! Just the cold here is unbearable, and I have no means to protect myself from it. How am I supposed to survive three days here?" Li Nianlong cursed.

Qingting's smile vanished, and she said seriously, "That depends on your abilities. According to the system's calculations, the host has the capacity to survive in this world for more than three days. Otherwise, the difficulty level of this training scenario wouldn't be set at 20-2."

"This must be a bug! I demand a complaint! Let me out!"

"Once the host enters a training scenario, there are only two ways to exit: One, by successfully clearing it; Two, by failing it. If the host wishes to leave now, suicide is the only option." Qingting stated, her expression unchanged.

"Holy sh*t!" System, you're ruthless!

Li Nianlong glared at Qingting with gritted teeth. Qingting promptly looked pitiful. "It's not my fault. I'm just a guiding spirit; I can't alter the system's rules."

Glaring at her fiercely, Li Nianlong promptly pulled out his machete and started digging into the snow and ice, constructing an igloo.

In this critical moment, his Grandmaster-level architectural skills proved invaluable. Being proficient in constructing any building below 100 floors, creating a simple igloo posed no challenge.

After laboring for some time, Li Nianlong finally built a two-meter-tall, three-meter-diameter circular igloo. With the igloo blocking the biting cold, he immediately felt warmer. Moreover, the physical exertion had warmed up his body, causing sweat to bead on his forehead.

Having finished the igloo, Li Nianlong noticed that he lacked a hide curtain at the entrance to shield against the cold. Without it, he wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully.

Without pausing to rest, Li Nianlong ventured out of the igloo, marking his path as he went, searching for suitable prey.