“Not tasty. Not tasty at all,” Yun Luohe said on purpose to tease it.Fenfen puffed up, eyes round. “Chiu-chiu, impossible!”Ignoring it, Yun Luohe opened the Cooking Master Tournament interface to submit the task, then ladled a few bowls to send to her friends. Only then did she sit down to enjoy her own share.She drank a bowl of seafood congee in peace, paired with her homemade beef sauce and sour pickles.The taste—indescribably good.Watching her relish it, Fenfen smacked its beak. “Lemme try!”Amused by its impatience, Yun Luohe found a clean bamboo tube for a bowl and served it half a tube.Fenfen pecked in a rush; the scalding congee startled it.It drew its head back and squawked, “Burns!”“Who told you to rush?” Yun Luohe said.Fenfen imitated her, blowing lightly on the congee, then took a cautious sip.And just like that, a new world cracked open.Its little head buried itself in the bamboo tube; its tiny tongue flicked fast over the warm congee, even pecking the rim spotless.Seeing it act like it might swallow the whole tube, Yun Luohe couldn’t stop laughing.“Slow down, no bird’s stealing from you.” She needled it. “Weren’t you saying it wasn’t good?”Fenfen’s beak was only so big, but it ate shockingly fast—after a few moments of pecking, it had finished.A few grains clung to its beak; broth dotted its feathers. “Chiu-chiu~ Who said it wasn’t good! I want more.”It stared at Yun Luohe with pleading eyes.She had to give it another half tube; Fenfen dove right in.The spring water carried its own sweetness, and the shrimp and crab had melted wholly into the rice, making the congee thick and silky—easily a hundred times better than those dry, hard Golden Seeds.Fenfen ate with lingering greed. Uncharacteristically, it edged close and rubbed its head against the back of Yun Luohe’s hand, chirping ingratiatingly. Its round eyes said plainly: still want more.Up to now, its buttering-up had been pure fear—knowing which way the wind blew.Now it was different.The seafood congee had conquered Fenfen completely.“One last spoon and that’s it.” Yun Luohe added a small spoonful and watched it happily lick the final mouthful clean.Fenfen squatted on a nearby rock, contentedly preening, sneaking glances at her with a pleased rumble in its throat.Its earlier heartache over Golden Seeds had already vanished to the clouds.Yun Luohe packed up, ready to check on the miners’ progress. As soon as she stood, she noticed Fenfen tailing her step for step.This thing had turned very proactive—like a little shadow.She lifted a brow.Fenfen fluttered onto her shoulder, nuzzled her cheek, and spoke in a [N O V E L I G H T] soft voice: “Chiu-chiu… your congee is too delicious. I want to follow you.”???Where was the foul-mouthed parrot?Yun Luohe felt like the bird before her had been swapped.“Follow me? To do what? Besides cursing and guiding the way, what else can you do? I don’t have extra food to feed you.” She smiled with her eyes. “And I’m leaving here. Where I’m going doesn’t have Golden Fruit Island’s bounty of wild fruit, and there’s no one and nothing to play with.”“I’m not picky!” Fenfen declared at once, puffing its chest. “I can work! Whatever you tell me to do, I’ll do—as long as I can eat your cooking every day!”Looking at its earnest face, Yun Luohe couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh? Do what? I told you to stay back and not make trouble, and you charged in anyway—nearly got swatted flat by that gray wolf.”Fenfen’s cheeks colored; it muttered, “That was an accident… I’m actually useful!”“What use? Spell it out.”“Fenfen doesn’t just curse! Fenfen’s Fiery Golden Eyes can see what others can’t! Like… like treasures buried underground, and… I can tell which fruits are poisonous and which aren’t!”It flitted to an agarwood tree, tapping an inconspicuous crack with its beak tip. “Look! Lots of resin in here—more than you collected earlier!”Yun Luohe went over for a look. Sure enough, a big clot of deep-brown agarwood resin had congealed in the crack; vines had hidden it, so she’d missed it before.Fenfen then hopped to the pool’s edge, clawed aside a rock, and revealed a few plump river shrimp beneath. “I can find food too! In the water or in the trees—if there’s something good nearby, I can smell it!”It flashed its speed, streaking through the grove like a pink bolt and soon returning with a fragrant little purple flower clamped in its beak. “This one’s a flower—also useful. Eat it and you’ll sleep especially well!”Seeing Yun Luohe remain unmoved, Fenfen pressed on: “I can sing! Though… it usually comes out like cursing, but—”Watching it show off, Yun Luohe felt herself waver a little.Judging from what it had done just now, its senses were sharp.Not a huge asset.But out in field exploration, it had real utility.The problem was how noisy it was. She’d planned to take it back and sell it to another player.With that face, even with a foul mouth, you just made it keep quiet.Maybe some woman would like it—buy it as a mascot.But now it said it wanted to follow her.“Fine,” Yun Luohe spread her hands. “You can tag along for now. If you slack off or make trouble, I’ll sell you.”No contract for now—let it follow and prove itself.Fenfen chirped with excitement: “Chiu-chiu! I promise I won’t make trouble! From now on I’m your exclusive guide and pint-sized treasure-hunter!”Yun Luohe flicked its forehead. “You sure know how to sell yourself.”Fenfen’s tail lifted high. It fluttered, giddy.She ignored it and headed for the waterfall. It followed obediently.She stopped. “Go stay by the fire and make sure it doesn’t go out.”“Okay okay, got it, boss!”—As soon as she stepped into the mine, the clack-clack echoed toward her.The six Gemstone Miner Spiders were buried in work, their chelicerae ringing against ore through the cave.She raised her lamp—and blinked at the sight.In just a few hours, a little mountain of ore had formed deeper in the mine.Rubies were stacked separately in a corner, casting red facets under the light; Earth Crystals glowed with a faint halo; other ores were sorted neatly to the side.Seeing Yun Luohe, the miners stopped and called out, elated.“Hiss—ss—ss!”All the Gemstone Miner Spiders were asking for credit.“Nicely done.” She nodded in satisfaction. “We’ll feed you bugs when we get back!”She stowed the dug-out ore into her pack. “Dig a bit more, then we’re heading home.”They took the order and dove back into work.By the time she left the cave, the night had deepened.The fire by the pool still burned. Fenfen was dozing beside it, its little head bobbing.“Wake up. Time to work.” Yun Luohe poked its back lightly.Fenfen jolted awake, squawked in a daze, then, seeing her, shook its head and wings and followed.She headed for the agarwood grove she’d found in the day.She’d just browsed the forum.There was a useful post: someone was buying agarwood leaves at a high price—they had a refreshing, calming effect and could be made into a new mental tonic.She had seeds now, but it would take time before those grew enough to harvest leaves.So she decided to pick more tonight.At night the agarwood scent was thicker; trunks shone faintly in the moonlight.She had the Horticulture Nanny Spiders weave several large nets nearby as an early-warning screen.Collecting leaves was simpler—just avoid the resin patches and pick healthy blades. The spiders moved quickly; Fenfen barked orders at the side:“Left! Left! That tree’s leaves smell stronger—definitely more effective.”She lifted one leaf to her nose; a cool clarity shot to the crown of her head, washing away most of her drowsiness.Fenfen puffed up proudly. “How’s that? I’m great. I’ve eaten untold wild fruits—I’m the ‘forest mini-radar’!”When they had enough leaves, Yun Luohe led Fenfen deeper. The spiders cleared the way; Fenfen flitted at her side, alighting now and then to point out finds.Soon she’d gathered various wild greens and produce, plus a few bird eggs.“This clutch was laid not long ago—still fresh!”Fenfen pointed at a shrub thicket. “There’s honey there! I smell sweetness!”Yun Luohe smiled. It really was useful.“That’s enough. Time to head back.” She checked the time. If they moved for the shore now, they’d reach at dawn.She returned to the mine to bag the ore, then recalled all the spiders into the Broodmother’s Ring.“Let’s go, let’s go!” Fenfen said, thrilled.One look from her and it settled obediently on her shoulder.—Back at the reef, the sight stunned Yun Luohe.The reef had completed its upgrade yesterday; the familiar place had undergone a complete transformation.The land stretched out, forming rolling hills and fertile plains. The coastline kinked into coves and tiny natural harbors. Seawater had retreated at the fringes, exposing new beaches and reef flats.A crescent shallows spread out; white sand glittered under the sun, fine and soft underfoot. The tide was ebbing, revealing a vast reef shelf.Plants on the island were more lush than ever; vigor saturated every corner. Everything that had existed on the island had been automatically optimized and upgraded.The reef had become a true island—and a large one.Yun Luohe was overjoyed.Good things were arriving one after another.[Reef upgrade successful. Unlocked: Advanced Island Ecological System; unlocked: Reef Mall.][Congratulations, player—top 3 in District 2 (No. 1) to upgrade the reef to Lv.9!][Rewards: Island Construction Blueprint ×1, Island Deed ×1, Yacht Blueprint ×1, Warehouse Blueprint ×1, House Deed ×1, High-Grade Pet Pouches ×2, Watchtower Blueprint ×1, Mechanical Island Teleportation Array Blueprint ×1, Iron Ore ×500, Blue Crystal Ore ×100, Rubies ×50.][Island Infrastructure System activated. Begin building your island…]The system voice cut off.A semi-transparent holographic model of the island bloomed before her eyes.It was packed with infrastructure options.Zoning: designate Residential, Agricultural, Industrial, Defensive, Leisure…Roadways: choose stone slab roads, boardwalks, pebble paths…Building Blueprints: unlock more advanced buildings…Environmental Design: plant functional or ornamental species, cut streams and lakes, stack rock-garden landscapes, place streetlights…Her blood raced.So after Lv.9, the reef could be built freely.The game’s main task had shifted from survival to infrastructure.Ecstatic as she was, she also worried.With an island this big, interior and site design—would she need to consult a professional architect…“This place is in no way worse than where Fenfen used to live. It’ll be great living here,” Fenfen’s voice broke her thoughts.Yun Luohe snapped back. Right—where was her house? She hadn’t seen it yet.

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