Chapter 038: Unchanged

Back then, he had nothing. To repay Yun Xi, he even offered to sign a “slave contract” with her.

But Yun Xi refused—she hadn’t saved him for that.

Later, Gu Shi’an had a stroke of good fortune and became strong. After that, he often helped Yun Xi with quests and leveling up.

Gradually, the two became friends and comrades who could truly trust each other.

The only thing Yun Xi wasn’t sure about now was—did her counterpart in this timeline have the same experience with the reborn Gu Shi’an?

[Yun Xi, I know what I’m about to say might sound unbelievable, but please trust me…]

Yun Xi had still harbored some doubt about whether Gu Shi’an was reborn, but after reading this message, her suspicion was completely confirmed.

Gu Shi’an told her something extremely important—information about the possibility of Bluestar being invaded by the game.

In their previous exchanges, Gu Shi’an had always shared tips and precautions about the game—just normal, thoughtful advice. But these new messages crossed the line into something more.

He was risking suspicion just to tell her all this…

[Yun Xi, even on Bluestar, be careful.]
[Divinefall Continent is far from simple. I’ve long suspected the system wasn’t just bringing us there—there’s a real chance they’ll come here too.]
[You’ve seen how dangerous the monsters there are… and the sinister miasma…]

Looking at this long string of messages, Yun Xi didn’t know how to reply at first.

[Yun Xi, while Bluestar is still relatively stable, make sure you train diligently.]

Before she could respond, another system notification popped up on her friend interface:

[System balance: 10,000 silver coins have been received. Please check your account.]

Startled, Yun Xi opened the transaction details—and sure enough, it was from Gu Shi’an.

Had she saved Gu Shi’an in this timeline too?

10,000 silver coins… that wasn’t a small amount.

She suspected that if he hadn’t been worried about scaring her, Gu Shi’an might have sent even more.

[Gu Shi’an, why are you being so kind to me? We were only an arranged couple before. And when you were in trouble, I even dissolved the engagement…]
Yun Xi chose to ask him directly.

[Because I want you to be safe. Even though we’re no longer engaged, we can still be friends, can’t we?]

[Mmm… but I really can’t take your money. I haven’t done anything to earn it.]
Yun Xi was just about to return it when his next message made her hesitate.

[Yun Xi, the fact that I gave it to you means I still have plenty more. Right now, our main priority is to become stronger. These coins don’t mean much—they can’t even buy a single spell pattern scroll. But they can be used to purchase informational books that will help you quickly understand Divinefall Continent.]

[For example: monster characteristics, town histories, profession guides… These will help you avoid many pitfalls.]

[Don’t feel pressured. You’re not the only one—I’ve sent some coins to a few other friends too.]

Yun Xi’s chest felt tight with emotion. She could feel that Gu Shi’an was truly trying to guide her, even paving the early road for her, so she wouldn’t fumble around blindly in Divinefall.

If she hadn’t been reborn, Gu Shi’an’s help would have been a rare blessing, a lifeline in the snow.

As for his last comment—Yun Xi didn’t fully believe it. Even if he had sent money to other friends, she was sure none of them received an amount as large as this.

Gu Shi’an was a reborn player, not an idiot. He knew the value of silver coins, and only those he truly cared about would receive this kind of heartfelt generosity.

[You… Thank you, Gu Shi’an.]
Yun Xi didn’t refuse him anymore. She accepted his sincere gift.

In that moment, a memory rose before her eyes—the look on Gu Shi’an’s face when she saved him in her previous life, so vulnerable he was on the verge of tears.

The Gu Shi’an of this life overlapped with the one from her past.

And at that moment, Yun Xi understood:

No matter how time and space changed, some people remained the same.

This was also true of Yu Jinxiang and Tu Jiaojiao. Different timelines wouldn’t change who they were at heart.

---

Although Yun Xi had accepted Gu Shi’an’s gift, she didn’t treat it as something she was entitled to. After logging into Divinefall Continent, she also began considering ways to repay Gu Shi’an.

Even if she couldn’t find any rare items, she could at least gather knowledge-based books that might be helpful to him.

Unfortunately, Gu Shi’an had logged into the Wild Plains, the same area Yun Xi had been in during her previous life.

That meant—in this life, the places where they spawned were worlds apart.

If they couldn’t meet on Bluestar by logging off, they might never cross paths again in-game.

Yu Jinxiang and Tu Jiaojiao were the same. Perhaps because they entered the game earlier, their login locations were names Yun Xi had never even heard of.

She had expected as much, but still—a trace of disappointment lingered.

Besides her three friends, Yun Xi also learned where her other family members had logged in.

Unsurprisingly, everyone was scattered, all in different regions.

Among them, Yun Hu, Yun Hai, Yun Li, and Yun Linlin landed in small villages.

Yun Mei and Liu Yue’e, however, spawned in towns.

[Yun Hu: Xiao Mei, Yue’e, since you’re the only ones in the family who landed in towns, you should join the local patrol teams.]

[Yun Mei: Dad, do you even know what joining a patrol team means?]

[Yun Hu: I do. But if you want to grow stronger, it’s the only way. You might even become local nobles. We’d be proud to bask in your glory someday.]

[Yun Mei: Dad, the city I’m in is huge. Their patrol team’s contract is insane—they want us to sign up for 100 years! That’s basically chaining me there for life!
And we can’t even take leave freely. The work hours are at least 10 hours a day!
Patrolling means risking your life outside the city—do you really think I can do that?
At my age? Good grief, I’ll probably die before the 100 years are up.
And what if I breach the contract? They’ll weaken my soul power and I’ll be reborn in a pigsty or something!]

Yun Mei ranted furiously, extremely opposed to joining the patrol team.

[Yun Hu: Xiao Mei, don’t think of it that way. Look at the benefits—you’ll earn at least 10 silver coins a month, right? And there are all kinds of perks.
As long as you train well, you’ll become strong, and your lifespan will increase.
The rest of us who landed in small villages are really envious of you.
Even if you have to work 10 hours a day, you can always log off during breaks and come back here.]