"Die?"
Fu Yunhe twisted his body, propped himself up on the Flying Device, and stood. He took a few breaths, and after his breathing stabilized, he finally spoke.
"Nian Shutong, let's talk."
Nian Shutong raised an eyebrow and walked over to Fu Yunhe.
"Speak."
Fu Yunhe organized his thoughts since speaking too much was also tiring.
"I am of use. Alive, I am worth more than dead."
"Is that all?" Nian Shutong looked at Fu Yunhe.
"That's all."
Nian Shutong sized up Fu Yunhe with her eyes. Although he was good-looking, other than being a decorative piece, he wasn't much use.
"Your value dead exceeds your value alive, and besides, even if I do nothing, you won't live much longer."
"Don't worry, I will find you an excellent gravesite."
"Do you prefer burial or to have your ashes scattered by the wind?" Nian Shutong, who had already begun to consider the method of disposing of the body, asked the soon-to-be corpse with utmost seriousness.
One should at least let a person die comfortably.
"Cough cough cough—" Fu Yunhe felt discomfort in his chest, and a violent cough bent him over in agony.
"Cough cough—cough cough—"
Nian Shutong stopped watching Fu Yunhe, turned, and walked away, intending to return once he was dead.
"Wait...I...have...money!"
Money?
Nian Shutong turned back with a smile on her face and said to Fu Yunhe, "Look at you, we're practically family, yet you're talking as if we're strangers."
"You should've mentioned your money earlier."
Fu Yunhe watched Nian Shutong's familiar gesture, as for the third time, the same arm reached out in front of him.
He understood, opening his Star Network and once again transferring 5,000 Star Coins to Nian Shutong's account.
Upon receiving the transfer, Nian Shutong wasn't satisfied with the amount but became slightly gentler, even offering a decent service as she helped Fu Yunhe by holding his arm.
"Come on, walk carefully."
This was her cash cow. She hadn't revealed her spiritual power; the "wealthy sickly one" could stay for now to be fleeced slowly. She'd worry about the money running out later.
Fu Yunhe, being supported, looked at his arm being held and thought about his account balance, calculating how many more times he could afford such support.
Sigh... It seemed he needed to find a way to make money.
Mainly, Fu Yunhe felt that his future life would likely involve spending money on "buying life."
Both were preoccupied with their own thoughts, yet both wore the most sincere smiles on their faces, as if the life-and-death discussion from moments ago had nothing to do with them.
At this moment, they each gained a preliminary understanding of the other.
He, wealthy and ailing, had nowhere to go.
She, money-loving, thick-faced, harbored the coldest intentions of a woman's heart.
"Ah... Sickly one...what's your name again?" Nian Shutong changed her tone and looked toward Fu Yunhe.
"Fu Yunhe."
"Oh…" Nian Shutong nodded repeatedly.
"Xiao He..."
Fu Yunhe, filled with confusion and shock, looked toward Nian Shutong. Xiao He? What kind of nonsense was that?
Nian Shutong wasn't even looking at Fu Yunhe as she continued, "Xiao He... your body is really in bad shape. With all your money, why don't you treat yourself?"
Could he say that he hadn't had the chance to seek treatment yet?
"Cough cough...congenital weakness, hard to treat."
Fu Yunhe was telling the truth; no matter how advanced genetic medicine became, it was predicated on having a good body to begin with—it only worked to enhance and improve your own physique, not to transform you entirely.
Hard to treat?
It seemed the interstellar medical standard was rather mediocre.
Nian Shutong supported Fu Yunhe for a while longer, arriving at a clearing backed by a mountain, with a small stream in front and a boundless forest beyond.
"Here will do."
"We're... cough cough... staying here?"
"Yes." Nian Shutong released Fu Yunhe and found a flat rock to lie down upon.
"Rest early."
Rest? Where to rest? Outside in the open, as if he was eager to expedite his death?
Fu Yunhe had indeed slept in the wild before, but that was back when he was the First Commander, and his own spiritual power could fend off external toxins.
But his current body, if he slept out like this, he'd be gone by midnight.
He looked at Nian Shutong, who seemed truly prepared to rest, and finally said, "I'll buy a temporary shelter and protective cover."
Nian Shutong, lying down, immediately opened her eyes and urged Fu Yunhe on, her mood brightening.
"Xiao He, hurry up and buy it. If you die soon, I'll have nowhere to live."