Chapter 84

After days of driving and half a day of travel, her waterproof boots were covered in mud and grime. Even the rain couldn’t wash them clean. Stepping onto the damp, soft ground, she made her way to the raft, tossing her backpack onto it first before climbing up in an awkward, ungraceful manner.

Though the movement was far from elegant, it kept the deck clean. She sat on the edge, removed her boots, and took out an old brush. Using the rainwater outside the raft’s protective shield, she began scrubbing them vigorously.

Once the boots and brush were clean, she set them aside on the deck, picked up her backpack, and stepped under the front porch.

After constant use, her backpack had started emitting all sorts of strange odors. She planned to empty it out today and toss it into the washing machine for a thorough clean.

Her raincoat also needed a good rinse in the shower, and the waterproof sportswear she had been wearing for nearly a week smelled of sweat—worse still after last night. Not only did it need washing, but multiple rounds of it.

Shu Fu disengaged the raft’s mooring mode, allowing it to drift freely across the vast lake. Then she inserted a power card, activated the washing machine, and began a full self-cleaning session.

Half an hour later, freshly showered and smelling nice from head to toe, she stepped out of the bathroom in slippers. She activated the “One-Click Dust Removal” function on the control screen, eliminating any nonexistent dust and any dirt she might have tracked inside.

Barefoot, she walked into the living area and leaped onto the soft chaise lounge, rolling around happily.

To her, this moment felt like the end of a long, exhausting work period—finally, it was time to relax again!

And this time, she wasn’t the only person left in the world.

She didn’t know when the final task would arrive, or how long Chen Fa and Lu Zheng would stay at the nearby military school shelter. But reunions and farewells were both part of life, and no matter the situation, living in the present was what mattered most.

Tomorrow, she had guests coming over, and she planned to serve them grilled meat. So for today, she decided to have hotpot—specifically, a yin-yang hotpot with bone broth on one side and spicy Sichuan broth on the other!

A short while later, Shu Fu opened the front door. Outside the protective shield, the rain had intensified. The raft had drifted to the center of the lake, and from this vantage point, she could see the surrounding mountains, their deep green slopes stretching far and wide. Raindrops peppered the dark, clear water, creating countless ripples, and a faint mist rose near the shore.

The land around her appeared and disappeared between the raindrops and mist, both distant and close. She could let the raft drift closer anytime she wanted, yet also maintain this perfect distance—a way of coexisting with the world that she found most comfortable.

She cast an automatic fishing rod into the water. Though this was just a lake and she wouldn’t catch much beyond freshwater fish, she hadn’t used this “golden finger” in a while, and she wanted to give it some presence.

Then she set up an extra table under the porch and started laying out her meal: the dual-section electric hotpot filled with two types of broth, plates of fatty beef and lamb, crisp tripe, baby bok choy, kelp sprouts, tiger prawns, baby squid, oyster mushrooms, glass noodles… plus her favorite dipping sauces, along with minced scallions, garlic, and cilantro.

Compared to the hotpot meal kits she had pulled from the system before, today’s selection wasn’t as lavish. But after over a month of eating instant food, every fresh ingredient on the table gleamed with an irresistible allure.

Hotpot had to be paired with a fizzy soda and a fun, lighthearted variety show. She poured a glass of ice-cold cola, listening to the satisfying fizz as it met the ice cubes, and couldn’t help but smile.

The beef and lamb were tender, rich, and spicy, the tripe crisp and chewy. She cooked the vegetables and mushrooms in the non-spicy bone broth, enjoying both the greens and the deeply flavorful soup.

If she lost interest in a dish halfway through, she simply stored it away in her spatial inventory. If she suddenly craved a stir-fried dish or some braised delicacies, she could take them out, have a few bites, and put them back again.

A mountain lake, a torrential downpour, and her, sitting on a raft sheltered from the rain—surrounded by untouched nature yet living in a futuristic safe haven stocked with resources. Even though she was stuck in the outskirts of Youcheng for now, it hardly felt like a problem.

After dinner, she cleaned up, took care of the trash, and deactivated the raft’s protective shield. A small drifting raft in the middle of a lake wouldn’t seem out of place.

She had been drifting for a while now, and now that she was back in a secure shelter, she wanted nothing more than to relax. No overthinking, no tasks—just lounging around with a good book, playing single-player games, listening to music, watching movies, dramas, and variety shows.

Under the front porch, she set up a lounge chair. On the table beside her, she placed a freshly made coconut-flavored iced latte, a matcha red bean mochi, a box of jackfruit, and a tray of crispy fried duck tongue. Then she started a thrilling rebirth revenge drama and settled in for a proper lazy evening.

Since the raft’s protective shield was off, every so often, when she shifted her position, her foot would accidentally extend past the porch and get splashed by the heavy rain outside.

The outside temperature was around fifteen degrees, about ten degrees cooler than under the eaves. The rain was refreshingly cool, and when it splashed onto her bare feet, it felt quite comfortable.

Shu Fu wiggled her toes, then pulled her feet back into the warmer area under the eaves. After a moment, she stretched them out again to feel the cool raindrops once more, repeating the action with delight.

Lu Zheng was right. This endless rain, which might seem annoying to others, had once been a source of inspiration for her. Especially when she used to sit in front of her apartment’s glass windows, watching the neon-lit city through rain-streaked panes. At those moments, countless scenes and stories would flash through her mind.

In a way, she was a contradictory person. She loved traveling, exploring the world, and seeing different landscapes, but at the same time, she longed to return home every night, to sleep in her familiar bed.

That was why she had always wished for a teleportation door—so she could work at home in the morning, have lunch in a mountainside eco-restaurant, return to the city for a refined afternoon tea, watch the sunset on a beach while enjoying barbecue in the evening, and then be back in her own bed at night.

Now, in a sense, she had her own version of a teleportation door. On land, she traveled with her home; on the water, her home carried her as she drifted. It was perfect.

She spent the entire afternoon eating, drinking, and lounging around. When dinner time came, she wasn’t hungry, so she pulled out a pot of silver carp head and glass noodle soup from her storage. It was something she had cooked last year in Suicheng but had never finished.

She scooped out a bowl for herself, stored the rest back in her space, and added some sea urchin and salmon sashimi to make a light, low-calorie dinner.

Later that night, she locked the front and back doors and sprawled on a cushion near the floor-to-ceiling window, enjoying the moment. Suddenly, she remembered that she had three lottery draws available.

Originally, she had planned to save them until she completed her next mission, accumulating more chances to increase her odds of a high-level prize. If she hadn’t thought of it, she could have ignored it. But now that she remembered, she couldn’t shake the itch.

On one hand, logic told her that saving up more draws would increase the chances of getting better rewards. On the other hand, she felt as if a hundred little ants were crawling around in her mind, urging her to try her luck now.

Eventually, she gave herself a reason to justify using the three draws: Tomorrow, “Little Cutie” (her raft) would be hosting a guest for the first time. Normally, as a host, she would go grocery shopping beforehand. But since she had no access to a supermarket, she might as well use the lottery and see if she could get any useful supplies.

Having convinced herself, she went to wash her hands, applied some fragrant lotion, lit a scented candle, and began her ritualistic lottery drawing.

The first spin: Green Second Prize – Raft Extension Card (One Week).

Shu Fu: …

It was a good reward, but she felt slightly disappointed.

Her raft was close to reaching level four. Once it leveled up, its daily operation time would undoubtedly increase. Right now, she could use it for twenty hours a day. Once it hit level four, she estimated it would go up to a full twenty-four hours.

Getting a one-week extension card at this point felt a little redundant.

If only she had drawn a red or blue reward of the same level instead. Blue Second Prizes were rare, but they were always incredibly useful.

The second spin: Red Third Prize – Sichuan Cuisine Gift Pack ×10.

This was a lucky draw. The last time she had gotten this gift pack was back in Suicheng. It contained over thirty Sichuan dishes, all of which she had already finished. Although she had stocked up on plenty of delicious pre-made meals in Lou Yuncheng, supplies would eventually run out.

With the world falling into chaos and cities collapsing, even if she wanted to stockpile more gourmet dishes, she might not find them—or worse, she might not trust the ingredients’ quality.

At least the gift pack guaranteed tasty and safe food.

The third spin: Blue Fourth Prize – External Wooden Ladder.

Shu Fu felt like she had manifested her wish into reality. It was only a fourth-tier prize, but it was on her home improvement wishlist.

She collected the reward and immediately went to check outside. The new ladder had appeared on the left side of the front deck, just outside the eaves. It was a wooden staircase with handrails on both sides, leading directly to the roof platform.

However, like the raft’s deck, it was exposed beyond the eaves. Without the protective shield, the ladder would get soaked by the rain.

Now that she had a proper ladder and enough wooden railings, she decided to set up a rooftop terrace.

First, she activated the raft’s protective shield to keep out the rain. Then, she accessed the system’s remodeling feature, opening the 3D model of her floating house. She carefully arranged the wooden railings she had collected, enclosing the upper section of the cabin along with the eaves. She also left an opening in the back corner near the rear door and moved the ladder there.

This way, the view from the front door remained unobstructed, and with the entrance positioned at the rear, the upper deck now resembled the observation platform of a yacht when the raft was in motion.

Once the modifications were complete, she exited the system, grabbed a pair of plastic sandals from the shoe cabinet near the back door, and climbed up the newly placed wooden staircase.

Sure enough, with the ladder and railing in place, the upper deck now felt like a proper little terrace. The spatial compression effect didn’t apply to the rooftop, so the entire space, including the top of the front and back eaves, covered around nine to ten square meters—just enough for her needs.

Shu Fu took out a lounge chair and a round table to test out the rooftop terrace.

As she lay there gazing at the night sky, she could see the raindrops falling onto the protective shield, making it seem as if an invisible glass dome was enclosing the entire terrace. She imagined that on a clear night, stargazing from here would be even more breathtaking.

However, once the shield was turned off, the area would be exposed to heavy rain, and strong winds might blow things away. This meant she couldn’t leave any furniture outside.

Fortunately, she had her storage space, so she could take things in and out as needed, which was quite convenient.

Shu Fu lounged on the terrace for a while as her raft drifted slowly across the lake. The water was vast and open, with dark, silent mountains surrounding it. The eerie emptiness made her feel a bit uneasy, so she soon packed up her table and chair and retreated back inside her floating home.

Inside, the warm, soft orange glow of the lights created a cozy atmosphere. After washing up, Shu Fu climbed onto the small wooden loft bed, wrapped herself in a soft, lightweight blanket, and picked up the book from her nightstand. Turning on the bedside lamp, she settled in for her nightly reading.

**

During her days at the salt lake, she had secretly stored the raft inside her floating home every night and cooked some private meals. But because she had to keep her abilities a secret, she always set an alarm to make sure she returned to the container house in time.

But today was different—it was the first time in a long while that she had a completely unburdened day, free of alarms and entirely her own.

At around six in the morning, her biological clock woke her up for a quick trip to the bathroom, but she crawled back into bed and slept until past ten.

She figured she still had about two hours before noon, so she planned to enjoy a variety show while washing up and having breakfast. However, just as she finished brushing her teeth, she heard a loudspeaker blaring from the lakeshore.

With a beef and fried egg sandwich in her mouth and a latte in her hand, she hurriedly opened the front door to check.

There, parked by the lake, was an old Jeep. The driver’s and passenger’s doors opened simultaneously, and Lu Zheng and Chen Fa stepped out, waving at her through the pouring rain.

Standing under the eaves, Shu Fu waved back. Then, she opened the map panel, set their location as the destination, and adjusted her raft’s speed to its maximum—60 kilometers per hour.

Back in the Jeep, Lu Zheng and Chen Fa were prepared for a long wait, but to their surprise, the raft, which had been drifting in the middle of the lake, suddenly surged forward at the speed of a speedboat, cutting through the waves and rapidly approaching them.

Since the lakeshore was a wetland, Shu Fu’s raft couldn’t dock completely. Lu Zheng and Chen Fa had anticipated this, so as soon as they saw the raft speeding toward them, Lu Zheng got out of the car and placed a wooden raft plank over the muddy ground.

The two of them walked onto the raft, took off their shoes, and left them in a corner of the cabin. Then, barefoot, they moved through the cabin to the front of the raft. Chen Fa then took out another wooden raft, connecting its end to Lu Zheng’s raft. This way, the front end of Chen Fa’s raft reached the lake surface, forming a makeshift bridge between the two.

Meanwhile, Shu Fu slowed down her raft and manually adjusted its direction via the control panel, guiding the front end to align with theirs.

As she watched the two of them step across the rafts and pass through the cabins, a realization struck her. She suddenly stepped out and called to them, “Wait, does this mean Awakened ones can freely enter each other’s raft cabins?”

After all, she had been able to do so before, but her situation was a bit different, so she couldn’t assume it was the same for them.

Chen Fa smiled. “No, normally there are restrictions. When we went into the mountains earlier, we took some time to test it out and found that access isn’t always allowed. However, when two rafts are within a certain distance, the system prompts us with a notification asking if we want to allow visitors. If one side agrees, the other can enter freely. Since we both agreed just now, we can move between both rafts.”

“That’s a pretty useful feature. So when does visitor access expire?”

“It disappears if the distance between the rafts exceeds a certain range or if someone retracts their raft,” Lu Zheng replied.

Then, as he took a good look at the person standing under the eaves, he suddenly froze, feeling his face heat up.

Since their reunion, they had all been constantly on the move, wearing dark waterproof gear layered with loose raincoats, often with wet hair and exhausted, battle-worn faces.

But this was the first time in a long while that he saw her with her hair down, dressed in comfortable loungewear. It instantly reminded him of their first meeting last year—her fair and clean face, long hair draping over her shoulders, looking soft and smooth, her entire presence exuding a lazy, relaxed charm.

Shu Fu’s raft gently nudged against Chen Fa’s, looking noticeably smaller in comparison. In both length and width, hers was nearly half the size of theirs.

“Come on!” she called to them, waving her latte. “Let’s have some coffee together!”

“You didn’t just wake up, did you?” Chen Fa teased as he stepped onto Shu Fu’s raft. “Your raft looks brand new… but it’s kind of small.”

However, a moment later, the three of them realized a serious problem—neither Chen Fa nor Lu Zheng could enter Shu Fu’s cabin. They couldn’t even step under the eaves.

Shu Fu carefully checked her control panel and wrist device, but there was no prompt asking if she wanted to allow visitors.

Chen Fa and Lu Zheng watched as Shu Fu bustled in and out, busy but ultimately accomplishing nothing. Meanwhile, Shu Fu stared back at her two guests, who stood outside in the pouring rain wearing waterproof jackets.

All three of them had somewhat blank expressions.

The host wanted to welcome her guests, only to realize that they couldn’t even step inside—not even under the eaves.

“Why doesn’t my raft have the ‘allow visitors’ function?” Shu Fu asked, confused.

Chen Fa sighed. “Your raft is so small… maybe it just doesn’t have all the features yet.”

Shu Fu: …