Chapter 27: I Will Always Believe in You

No matter what, Su Ning calmly finished making Mr. “Fat Sheep”’s custom hoodie.

“Beep, congratulations, player! Crafting successful. Item detected: Clothing: Hoodie. Assigning attributes…”

“Beep, item attributes assigned successfully. Please name the item.”

“Custom Hoodie”—naming it was that simple.

*“Beep, naming successful.

Item: Custom Hoodie
Grade: Green
Required Level: 5
Attributes: Strength +4, Constitution +2
Craftsman: Su Ning”*

Six attribute points in total—an unexpected opportunity for a price increase. Su Ning was delighted, though she didn’t know whether it was due to her improved skills or just a limitation of standard sizing. But today was no time to verify that—better to rest early, recharge, and be ready tomorrow to finally see what this little Ma Shangting was really about.

The next morning, the group gathered at the south gate, ready to attack the wild monster area.

Because Su Ning was present, Ma Shangting obediently stood by her side as usual, causing Qiao Duoduo to feel a bit uneasy and shoot her a cautious glance.

The little girl behaved well all morning. Su Ning couldn’t be sure if they had misjudged her or if she was holding back her full strength. Following the principle: “Never wish harm, but always be prepared for it.”

They carefully passed noon without incident.

“Let’s rest on the main road over there, recover some energy, and fight again this afternoon,” Huoyang said, glancing at his wife’s flushed face and then the sky, deciding it was time for everyone to take a break.

For Qiao Duoduo, the morning had been truly exhausting. Fighting monsters required focus, Huoyang was in close combat, and though Su Ning’s healing was reliable, it was impossible not to worry—especially with Ma Shangting, a little firecracker, right behind her best friend. If anything happened, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Focusing on three things at once had completely drained her energy.

In the wild monster area, roads were common. Between streets, special cobblestone avenues allowed carriages to pass safely, with roughly five meters on either side free of monsters.

Even in the heart of the monster zone, wide gravel paths were scattered around for safe resting spots.

Su Ning walked to the roadside, intending to rummage in her backpack for lunch, but unexpectedly discovered a new item card:

Blue-Quality: Accordion Paper Sofa
Details: A sofa made from paper, adjustable according to the number of users. Sitting on it restores HP and MP at double speed. Comes with ten cushions.

“Duoduo, look at this.”

Su Ning shared the accordion paper sofa with Duoduo without hiding it. It could serve as a rest spot for everyone.

Her pulling-step bed was nice, but too conspicuous—dangerous in case of theft or attack. The sofa was much safer. Despite the double-speed recovery, its appearance was simple and unobtrusive.

Huoyang and Ma Shangfei each grabbed one end of the sofa and stretched it out straight. Su Ning placed five cushions, and everyone finally had a place to rest.

“Brother Su, it’s been the whole morning. Aren’t you tired? You know the saying—one can be a thief for a thousand days, but who can guard against thieves for a thousand days?”

Qiao Duoduo wanted to tell Su Ning to just test the waters, as she was tense and had a headache from being constantly on alert.

“Fishing for evidence isn’t really a good idea,” Su Ning said. She also felt impatient waiting, but it wasn’t right to randomly test someone without proof—they weren’t acting in a TV drama.

“True… then we wait a little longer. A little blond girl—there’s no way she’ll outlast me,” Qiao Duoduo said.

Just as they finished talking, Huoyang and the others discovered the benefits of double-speed recovery. Their MP quickly restored, lifting everyone’s spirits. After a brief rest, they went back to fighting monsters—mice this time.

The entire afternoon passed in harmony.

On the way back, Qiao Duoduo carefully asked Su Ning,

“Brother Su, do you think I’m overreacting?”

She knew Su Ning always liked pretty girls and tended to be naturally more lenient with them. Although these “pale, beautiful little spirits” outside were no match for her own firmly established position in Su Ning’s heart, this time she hadn’t returned injured, and Su Ning hadn’t seen anything firsthand. She didn’t even dare tell Huoyang about her suspicions—without being there, no one could understand her fear in that moment.

“What are you talking about? Do I need to set up surveillance for you to say, ‘Wow, this woman is so scheming’?” Su Ning thought, then took a breath and comforted her:

“It’s okay. If she doesn’t act for a day, we wait a day. Ten days, we wait ten days. Even if nothing happens, it’s an accident. We didn’t fish for evidence or secretly retaliate, so you don’t need to feel guilty. But don’t tell Huoyang for now. Men and women think differently, and feelings are hard to explain. Don’t burden yourself— I will always believe in you.”

Hearing this, Qiao Duoduo felt a warmth in her heart. She knew Su Ning would always stand by her side.

“Mm, then you take care of yourself too.”

After dinner, Su Ning returned to her room to study her sheep bone specimens.

She wasn’t sure if she should make them into a full set of specimens. She considered making a hat from a sheep skull, but it was a hornless fat sheep—otherwise it would look imposing.

The spine could be fixed into a staff.

The ribs, covered with leather, could become armor.

The leg bones, also covered with leather, could be split and strung into a makeshift leather skirt.

Su Ning felt incredibly creative. She immediately started making a sheep-bone hat. To ensure comfort, she smoothed rough parts and padded them with fabric. After a full night of hammering and shaping, it was almost done.

She didn’t submit it for appraisal immediately. This time, she planned to make the full four-piece set together. If she could create a matching set, all the effort wouldn’t be wasted.

Finished with that, it wasn’t too late. She didn’t know if Mr. Fat Sheep had rested yet, so she sent the custom hoodie’s attributes.

Su Ning also had a small plan. Although the last “standard size incident” was partly her fault, this hoodie had six attribute points and was custom-made—adding a little extra cost seemed fair.

Just one silver coin—no more. Next time, she could give him a small discount if needed.

“Beep, your friend Luo Nanchuan sent a remote trade request. Accept?”

“.”

Su Ning regretted that she hadn’t had the chance to request a price increase yet—how could she now?

After hesitating, she reluctantly pressed accept.

She placed the custom hoodie in the trade and was delighted to see that Luo Nanchuan’s final payment was three silver coins.

As expected from Mr. Fat Sheep! She hadn’t dared to ask, yet he understood on his own. How thoughtful!

“I wasn’t planning to increase the price, but since you paid an extra silver coin, I’ll accept it. Wishing our next cooperation goes smoothly.”

Su Ning sent the message to Luo Nanchuan, feigning seriousness, and quickly received a reply:

“Of course.”