Volume 2: Winter’s End
On the eighth day in the game, Shu Xun was awakened by the rich aroma of grilled meat. He rubbed his eyes and quickly crawled out of the pocket. As he peeked his head out, he was immediately captivated by the golden-brown grilled meat in front of him.
“Awake?” said the low voice of Ye Qian, who was busy handling a piece of wood.
Shu Xun nodded, belatedly realizing that the weather was surprisingly good. The snow was still falling, but the wind had diminished significantly. They were currently in a depression on the windward side of a mountain peak. The protruding rocks above blocked the heavy snow, revealing a rare expanse of snow-free black rocks below.
On the rocks, a bonfire was quietly burning, and the bright and warm flames looked exceptionally lively, appearing precious in this dim world. On the bonfire, skewers of nearly grilled meat were placed, and next to the bonfire, there was a small pile of Baiyan nuts.
Upon seeing the grilled meat, Shu Xun’s eyes immediately lit up. However, when he noticed the pile of nuts, Shu Xun visibly paused for a moment.
Crawling out of the pocket and sliding down the clothes, Shu Xun walked to the side of the Baiyan nuts and pointed at them. “Are these the ones you picked up last night?” Shu Xun had previously searched for Baiyan nuts, but the quantity was limited, and a significant portion had ended up in Ye Qian’s stomach yesterday. The source of this small pile of nuts was self-evident.
Ye Qian, with a deadpan expression, nodded. In fact, given his speed, he could have traveled much farther last night. Even reaching the vicinity of the Micro Lake at high speed was feasible. However, Ye Qian had an obvious flaw: he was directionally challenged.
Guided by the mountain range, Ye Qian’s journey in the first half went relatively smoothly. However, upon encountering a sudden fault in the mountain range, Ye Qian couldn’t guarantee that he wouldn’t deviate. So, he chose to stop in a sheltered area due to the wind.
As the temperature was too low to sleep, Ye Qian began to examine supplies. Along the way, he had collected many usable branches from the Baiyan trees and found several Baiyan tree saplings. The slender saplings were resilient and not too stiff, making them excellent materials for making bows and arrows.
Later, Ye Qian even hunted a wild rabbit, used a fire starter found in the forest base to light a bonfire, roasted meat while processing the Baiyan tree saplings, and prepared to make ranged weapons. During this period, he even took out a needle and thread kit to sew a set of small cotton clothes.
The entire night was thoroughly utilized by Ye Qian. The livestream continued to be lively, with viewers admiring Ye Qian’s omnipotence. When Ye Qian was sewing the small clothes, the atmosphere in the chat became even more frenzied, and some viewers even expressed their willingness to buy and collect the clothes Shu Xun was wearing when the game ended.
In contrast to the lively chat, the game world was silent for the night. In a dark world, the light from the bonfire illuminated this circular little sanctuary. Ye Qian remained unfazed, his face still stern, his gaze sharp as a blade. However, his hands carefully stitched a mini cotton jacket, creating a scene of stark contrast that left a lasting impression on all viewers that night.
Shu Xun looked at the nut mountain in front of him, taller than himself. He then turned his head to look at the grilled meat, sizzling due to the high temperature. The droplets of oil fell onto the bonfire, immediately producing a subtle sound, and enhancing the aroma. Shu Xun tugged at his hair, walked to the bonfire, sat down next to Ye Qian, and folded his short legs, mimicking Ye Qian’s posture. Then, with a chubby face, he spoke with a serious expression, “I will do my best too, to survive. My sense of direction is excellent; as long as I’ve seen the map, I rarely get lost. My perception and luck are good, and my analytical ability is passable. I’m also a quick learner…”
In the live stream, the audience took a while to realize that the little dumpling was providing a detailed introduction of his strengths and weaknesses. It was at this moment that viewers became aware that this small creature was a genuine gamer, not just an appendage to someone, even if that someone was Ye Qian. The little dumpling had never wavered, clearly understanding his own strengths and weaknesses, making the most favorable choices in different situations.
In the wooden house, since the first encounter with Ye Qian, the little dumpling’s intelligence ensured its compliance. This clever little creature found the most appropriate balance while also testing Ye Qian. However, Ye Qian’s poker face caused some trouble for the little dumpling, preventing it from accurately gauging the thoughts of this powerful teammate. The little dumpling’s testing was subtle, paying attention to every move of Ye Qian and carefully listening to every word.
It wasn’t until just now, when it saw that pile of nuts, that the little dumpling made a certain judgment about Ye Qian. Therefore, introducing his strengths and weaknesses as a teammate was also for better cooperation within the team in the future. In a team, familiarity among teammates is essential, and one couldn’t rely on Ye Qian’s poker face for that. So, the little dumpling thoughtfully chose to take the initiative.
“Is it a coincidence? Shu Xun’s actions seem to be well-thought-out!”
“Are children nowadays so high in IQ and EQ? The pressure is a bit much!”
“What’s the deal with perception and luck being considered strengths? I can’t understand Ye Qian bringing along a dumpling. Ye Qian could probably do it faster on his own!”
“Upstairs, without the dumpling, Ye Qian might have starved by now!”
“No! Without the dumpling, all the supplies in the forest base and the system backpack would belong to Ye Qian!”
“I finally understand why Ye Qian always goes solo. Our aloof Ye Qian actually needs a thoughtful and wise dumpling to understand him!”
“Seeing this, I can finally be at ease. God Ye is aloof, but the dumpling, even though it can’t understand the poker face, can interpret Ye Qian’s actions and respond. With this, the team should be able to go far together.”
At some point, the livestream chat began to show two opposing opinions: one group praised the Ye Qian and Shu Xun combination, while the other considered bringing Shu Xun completely unnecessary, seeing him as a burden.
The emergence of this phenomenon, as time passed, was inevitable. After the initial novelty wore off, viewers were more concerned about the final victory. Bringing along a seemingly non-combative dumpling meant consuming additional resources and time. Moreover, from the current perspective, the dumpling’s appetite was clearly not proportional to its size. Additionally, Ye Qian had been mostly solo since the beginning of the broadcast, and the sudden appearance of a teammate made some viewers uncomfortable.
However, the number of those with the latter view was significantly smaller than the former. Most viewers remained hopeful and supportive of this team combination, showing tolerance towards the little dumpling. Regardless of its strength, the irresistibly cute dumpling seemed to carry a softening effect that could melt the hearts of many.
As Shu Xun provided a detailed introduction of himself, it became evident that he had defined Ye Qian through some incidents, just as viewers speculated. A person who would spend time searching for small nuts for his teammate in the harsh winter night, even if his demeanor was as cold as iron and his gaze as sharp as a knife, must have a soft side within. Shu Xun didn’t know how he touched upon this softness, but he believed in his judgment. Once the connection was established, he would treat the other with sincerity.
Ye Qian remained silent, carefully listening to Shu Xun’s introduction. After Shu Xun finished, Ye Qian lowered his head, glanced at the dumpling sitting cross-legged beside him, and gently patted Shu Xun’s little head with his fingers. Then, he calmly uttered two words, “Very good.”
Upon hearing the praise, Shu Xun straightened his small chest, adopting a serious expression as if to say he wouldn’t be proud of compliments. However, his little belly rumbled quite unceremoniously. Shu Xun straightened his back, pretending not to have heard, and maintained his serious, bun-faced look.
Ye Qian: “Heh~”
Chatroom comments:
“Ahhh, Ye Qian is smiling again!”
“Why does every time God Ye smiles, I get goosebumps!”
“My God Ye looks so charming when he smiles!”
“I only feel a cold chill!”
The sudden smile from the poker-faced Ye Qian surprised and even scared many.
Next to the campfire, Shu Xun’s ears turned a little red. Suddenly, a white porcelain plate containing a roasted rabbit leg was placed in front of Shu Xun. Shu Xun looked up and happened to gaze into Ye Qian’s pitch-black eyes.
Ye Qian’s withdrawn hand paused for a moment, then he patted the little head that was gazing up at him. “Done cooking.”
Shu Xun happily decided to forget about the recent light laughter, lifted his small feet, stepped onto the plate, stood beside the rabbit leg, and picked a spot that seemed good to bite directly.
Ye Qian also picked up another plate, enjoying the most abundant meal since entering the gaming world.
“I, Ye Qian, am eating from the plate, and my little treasure is also eating from the plate…”
“Why is the scene inexplicably funny? The little guy is almost lying on the grilled meat, while Ye Qian is still eating so elegantly on the side.”
“Save it, save it! This scene must be recorded in the history of ‘Winter’s End’!”
“Hahaha… When the little guy grows up and sees this picture, I wonder what feelings he’ll have!”
Not long after, a roasted rabbit entered Ye Qian and Shu Xun’s stomachs. Of course, Shu Xun had already eaten a rabbit leg and was now leaning against Ye Qian’s legs, rubbing his bulging little belly with a contented and decadent look.
The sky was gradually brightening, and the dim daylight told every surviving player that they had once again spent a night in the harsh winter.
The campfire burned with dry Baiyan tree branches, and Ye Qian, not intending to waste this rare heat source, took out a kettle collected from the forest base, melted snow, and prepared to boil the water. He planned to experiment later to see if the boiled water was drinkable. If it was, the water supply would be secured before the ignition tools ran out.
While Ye Qian was busy, Shu Xun was not idle either. First, he rolled the two plates to the nearby white snow, cleaned them with the snow, and then, holding the two white porcelain plates, wobbled back to the campfire. He washed them again with warm water before storing the two plates in his small backpack.
After washing the plates, Shu Xun ran to the pile of nuts, collected the Baiyan nuts, and shuttled around the campfire, bustling.
Author’s note:
Small theater:
Ye Qian: “I’ll be in charge of cooking from now on.”
Shu Xun: “I’ll be in charge of washing dishes from now on.”
Ye Qian nodded in agreement, finished eating, and left.
General, after working for a long time and preparing to rest, didn’t see a trace of the little guy. With a poker face, he went to the kitchen and found the little guy stuck in a pot because of washing it.
