"Are you reading?"
Deng Ru walked up to the young girl and waved his hand, casually glancing at the book resting on the desk in front of Qiu Yuan.
It was a history book about the planet Blue Star.
Due to the existence of the gods of Blue Star, its history was quite different from that of Earth.
For instance, while World War II did occur on Blue Star, it was fought differently.
Unlike on Earth, ordinary people did not have to die on the battlefield.
Instead, it was the gods and their fervent followers who faced death.
After all, ordinary people were no longer considered combatants; they were resources to be fought over.
The page Qiu Yuan was reading described the World War on Blue Star.
"Hmm, I'm kind of bored, A'ru brother. I don't know what I want to do right now," Qiu Yuan said, changing her position and continuing to rock in her chair.
She continued, "A'ru brother, I don't understand. In the time ahead, I can do whatever I want. Even if I wanted the stars in the sky...well, my parents can't do that, but still, as long as I want to do something, they'll do everything they can to help me achieve it. Yet now, I don't even know what I want to do or where I want to go. It's strange."
Qiu Yuan's words revealed a hint of confusion.
Of course, no matter how casual she pretended to be, she was still just a young girl. Facing the great danger of death, she could pretend to be casual, which was already quite remarkable.
How could she be like the great philosopher Zhuangzi, who could sing joyfully while facing death, finding happiness within himself?
Deng Ru could understand and sympathize with her feelings.
He actually felt a great sense of sadness for Qiu Yuan and the other girls who had been chosen as brides.
Knowing one's own death a month in advance and facing a gruesome end was something that no one could easily bear.
At this moment, in Deng Ru's eyes, Qiu Yuan was like a small beast facing a tiger, trembling with fear yet trying to put on a brave face for her loved ones.
"A friend of mine invited me to dinner. Do you want to come with me?" Deng Ru asked, knowing that grand philosophies and the meaning of life were of little comfort to a girl facing her own mortality.
It was better to bring her some joy in the moment, like going to the harbor to grab some fries.
"Ah...if I tag along, would it be impolite? After all, he only invited you, A'ru brother," Qiu Yuan said, sounding uncertain.
"Don't worry about it. Who am I? I'm a god. It's a great honor for him to invite a god to dinner. Trust me, he won't mind," Deng Ru assured her, patting his chest confidently.
The one inviting him to dinner was a county-level god. Would a county-level god fear one more mouth at a buffet?
"Just don't mention that you're my follower or anything like that. Say that you're my childhood friend. And don't reveal my identity as a god," Deng Ru cautioned.
"Huh? Childhood friends? Me and A'ru brother? Is that really okay?" Qiu Yuan exclaimed, suddenly sitting up straight in her chair. Her hands fluttered nervously, touching everything from the desk to the books on it, the phone, and even the flowers in the planter.
A blush crept across her face.
"Why not? You're my only follower, and that identity is even more important than being childhood friends," Deng Ru said with a gentle smile, patting Qiu Yuan's shoulder.
"Okay, then...I'll get ready. A'ru brother, wait for me!" Qiu Yuan said, pushing open the glass door of her family's shop and dashing inside at top speed.
"What's...what's going on?" Deng Ru wondered, puzzled by Qiu Yuan's sudden dash into the house.
But since he had to wait, he would wait.
"Uh...are you...the god that Xiaoyuan mentioned?" a feeble voice interrupted his thoughts.
An old man with a cane hobbled up to Deng Ru.
"Yes, I am. And who might you be, sir?" Deng Ru asked, eyeing the frail old man curiously.
This old man was definitely not Qiu Yuan's grandfather, as she had already told him that her grandfather had passed away.
"Oh, I'm just an ordinary old man from this street. I've watched these children grow up, you know. These little girls, they used to come and chat with me every day when they were young. They're all such kind-hearted children," the old man said, tears welling up in his eyes as he spoke with deep sadness.
He discarded his cane and knelt down on the ground, his trembling body bowing low.
"So, Oh Divine One, I, an old man, plead with you to save the children of this street. The gods have chosen ten girls, all of whom are little ones I have watched grow up. When they were young, they would come to me every day to chat, and they were all such kind-hearted children."
The old man's tears streamed down his face, and his words were filled with profound sadness.
"......"
Deng Ru felt a little overwhelmed in this situation.
A pitiful and hunchbacked old man knelt on the ground, begging with tears streaming down his face.
His sobs were heart-wrenching, unlike anything he had ever pretended to be.
This old man really regarded all the children he had watched grow up as family.
Losing his family was undoubtedly the most painful thing for him.
"Old man, please get up. I promise you, I will do everything in my power to rescue these innocent girls. Rest assured," Deng Ru said.
He now had over 200 million ants, and it had only been five days.
The queen ant was constantly increasing the number of meat beds, and there was already hope for a billion ants, or even nine hundred million.
Regardless, the gods of H City were no longer as unattainable and lofty as they once seemed to Deng Ru.
"Oh, merciful god! I, an old man, will kowtow for you on behalf of these poor children like Xiaoyuan," the old man said, bowing heavily.
As he kowtowed, two points of faith flowed into Deng Ru's body, equivalent to about twenty ants.
Even if expressions could deceive, faith could not.
Only the most fervent believers could provide such doubled faith.
"Old man, please get up. I will do my best," Deng Ru said, helping the old man to his feet and using his divine power to brush off the dust on his body.
"Brother Ru, I'm ready. Let's go. Oh, Grandpa Ku, why are you here too?" Qiu Yuan pushed open the door, looking genuinely happy, unlike her previous forced bravado.
Her appearance was also quite different from when she was lying in the rocking chair.
She looked much prettier, and a small, unobtrusive beauty mark on her face had been covered up with foundation.
Her lips were coated with a bright red lipstick.
It was evident that she had used her mother's makeup to dress up.
Qiu Yuan was not usually a girl who loved to dress up and did not have her own makeup.
This was evident from her rough makeup job, which consisted only of some foundation and lipstick.
There were no fancy eyelashes, eyebrows, or contact lenses.
She had also changed into a cool, light blue dress with white trim, giving her the appearance of a girl next door.
Her innocent beauty was captivating in an unassuming way.
Qiu Yuan's outfit and makeup gave off a youthful and青涩 feeling, lacking the mature style of most women.
However, her face, still attractive despite the rough makeup, was the most alluring.
"Did you put on makeup in such a short amount of time?" Deng Ru couldn't help but feel a little amused as he looked at the girl's inexperienced appearance.
Her attempt to dress up despite her lack of skill was quite endearing.
"Well, I have to look good. Otherwise, as the childhood friend of a god, it would be too embarrassing," Qiu Yuan said with a smile, feeling pleased with herself.
She wasn't very confident about her makeup skills.
"Hmm, you're really a thoughtful girl. Come on, let's go eat," Deng Ru nodded approvingly.
He couldn't help but praise her, even if her makeup wasn't perfect.
After all, Qiu Yuan had a naturally pretty face, and it was hard for her to look bad unless she tried.
Qiu Yuan's smile widened at Deng Ru's praise, and she felt extremely happy.