I was the fourth disaster in Yokohama and was loved by everyone.

*

The summer sun lazily spilled onto the country lanes, and the rice paddies on both sides rippled with green waves. The chirping of cicadas rose and fell, mingling with the sound of flowing water from the distant mountain streams.

Zhu Yu and Xia Youjie walked slowly along the gravel path.

At the end of the path, an old Japanese-style house stands quietly. The bamboo water-filling device by the courtyard wall makes a crisp "dong" sound, startling away the sparrows that are drinking water.

The mottled wooden porch and the stone lanterns in front of the door are covered with small patches of moss in the cracks, yet they still maintain their elegant appearance, indicating that people still live there occasionally and that they are not neglected to clean.

"We've arrived." Xia Youjie pushed open the creaking courtyard gate, startling the wind chimes under the eaves, which rang out with a clear and melodious sound.

Because his parents are busy with work, Xia Youjie spends his holidays in his hometown in the countryside if he gets too busy to take care of his child.

After spending a few days at his home in Tokyo, Xia Youjie took Zhu Yu to this remote rural area.

In the courtyard, wildflowers grow freely, dotting the cracks in the stone slabs. An old flowering tree casts dappled shadows, and a few pale pink petals lie on the stone table and benches beneath it. The wooden floor of the corridor is bleached white by the sun, exuding a faint woody fragrance.

Xia Youjie showed Zhu Yu around the house to familiarize her with the furnishings, and then pointed to a room that had been tidied up, indicating that it was her room.

After walking around, he asked Zhu Yu if she wanted to rest or go out to play.

Zhu Yu chose to explore the house first before going out to play!

Zhu Yu, leveraging the player's exceptional exploration skills, swiftly traversed every corner of the room, her fingertips brushing against the edges of the bookshelves before curiously crouching down to examine the clutter piled on the floor.

Xia Youjie leaned against the door frame, a faint smile on his lips, his gaze following her cheerful figure.

As Zhu Yu excitedly pulled a rusty key from behind the cabinet, he was secretly suppressing a laugh.

Knowing that Zhu Yu had a hobby of exploring new places, he had already hidden some small items in various corners of the old house a week in advance, hoping to bring him some small surprises.

So it seems the results are pretty good.

Xia Youjie thought to himself with a smile.

*

"Grandma Hayata, these are just brought back from the city. Please have a taste." Xia Youjie smiled and handed a basket piled with various fruits and vegetables to the hunched old woman.

The old woman squinted as she took the gift, patting Xia Youjie's hand with her rough fingers: "Oh dear, Jie is such a good boy. But you can come back to visit more often, not just during holidays, but also on ordinary days..."

"Well, I will."

Xia Youjie chatted with the old man with ease, politely declining his invitation to come in as a guest, and continued to deliver freshly picked fruits and vegetables to each household.

As dusk approached, after a busy day, he finally had only one delivery left to make.

If you look closely, you might notice that the expression on his face was numb the moment he turned to leave.

So, how did things turn out this way?

Xia Youjie glanced wearily at the basket in his hand.

The key to his door-to-door delivery was Zhu Yu, who was squatting under a tree by the roadside, enthusiastically teasing a stray cat, completely lacking any semblance of decorum.

Xia Youjie paused, unable to resist calling out to her.

Zhu Yu looked up, her face still covered in stray cat hair.

Seeing that the evil human hadn't noticed him as he forcibly held it down and was deliberately touching it against the direction of its fur, the wild cat seized the opportunity to escape and disappeared in an instant.

Xia Youjie sighed, but couldn't help but smile.

"Remember to stay by my side, it'll be over soon."

Perhaps it all started when he casually mentioned to Zhu Yu that there were several acres of abandoned farmland next to the house...

"The fields? They're still abandoned?!"

Zhu Yu jumped up and down excitedly, then paced around Xia Youjie anxiously, as if he was about to rush out to dig.

No player can resist the temptation of "farming" in a game with such a high degree of openness!

So, in the blink of an eye, Xia Youjie discovered—

The family's wasteland has been completely overrun by crops, with some green stems and branches seemingly poised to aggressively reach the front door. A gust of wind blows, and several fruits fall to the ground from the trees whose branches are bent under the weight of the dense fruit.

And...on closer inspection, there's a whole bunch of off-season crops!

Xia Youjie's pupils dilated.

“These…” He mechanically wiped his face, his eyes lifeless, “What do you plan to do with them?”

Chapter 136 Whose Great Crisis?

[A major overcapacity crisis has emerged! Faced with fields full of crops, what are your plans?]

A. He ate heartily, getting so engrossed in his meal that he forgot himself, and then casually invited Xia Youjie to eat with him.

B shouted, "This is all the choice of Steins;Gate! I want to become Farmer Star!" And so, she diligently developed her farming business...

C. Throw everything into the juicer and blend until it's a smooth paste.

A quick glance at the options reveals that the players' ambition has been ignited!

Make the decisive choice – B

Zhu Yu suddenly bent down and deftly lifted a round watermelon from behind her with a "whoosh," its bright green rind standing out vividly in the sunlight.

With her chin held high, she solemnly declared, "All of this is the choice of Steins;Gate. I want to become Farmer Star!"

"Join my great cause, Jay!"

To show her sincerity, she chopped the watermelon in her hand in half with a chop and stuffed one half of the watermelon into Xia Youjie's hands.

Xia Youjie looked down at the half watermelon that had suddenly been shoved into his hand—the cross-section was jagged as if a dog had gnawed on it, the bright red flesh was still trembling, and juice was dripping down between his fingers.

Hmm...why aren't you eating?

Zhu Yu was munching on a watermelon when she noticed that Xia Youjie hadn't made a move yet, so she looked up at him with some confusion.

Sunlight danced on her eyelashes, her face smeared with watermelon juice from her hearty eating, and her eyes held a clear confusion, which she seemed oblivious to, her eyes still sparkling as she awaited an answer.

Am I an idiot?

"...I'm defeated by you."

He sighed softly, turned his face away, and took a bite of watermelon. The unexpected sweetness immediately spread in his mouth.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zhu Yu using her supernatural ability to make the mature crops obediently separate their edible parts. The rustling sound of the plant branches waving in the air was mixed with the chirping of cicadas.

Xia Youjie looked down at the half-eaten watermelon in his hand and suddenly thought that it might be nice to fool around occasionally.

*

No, it seems we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Xia Youjie's face was expressionless.

Since agreeing to join Zhu Yu's "Become a Farmer Star" program, he has been living a busy life, getting up earlier than the chickens and going to bed later than the dogs.

Zhu Yu was happy and focused solely on farming, completely ignoring what to do with the crops she grew!

If we don't do something about it, the whole village will be flooded with fruits and vegetables!

Before the morning light had even penetrated the curtains, Xia Youjie had already sat up cross-legged, his left hand pressing the calculator, his right fingertips flying across the computer screen.

His phone started vibrating early in the morning, with countless unread messages popping up like bursting beans.

He contacted some sorcerers who liked to do business in the ordinary world, and sold these crops to supermarkets, hotels and other businesses under these sorcerers' names that had relevant needs. He supplied large quantities to various places to quickly solve the situation of "oversupply".

Fortunately, there are many industries for sorcerers, and the demand is high. The products of supernatural abilities are unexpectedly of excellent quality. In addition, there are many rare off-season crops. The crops produced have not been unsold at all. On the contrary, they have gradually gained a reputation.

Xia Youjie, who never expected that he would actually help the so-called "Farmer Star" project: ...

"Convenience stores use light trucks... Supermarket orders are shipped in refrigerated trucks..." He casually tied his long hair up with a rubber band, the ends of his hair still sticking up in a messy, sleepy arc.

Various forms, notepads, and document bags were scattered around my feet.

He muttered to himself in front of the computer, the cold light from the screen reflecting his dry eyes. He picked up his coffee and took a sip, accidentally burning his tongue, but he just frowned and let the bitterness spread in his mouth.

If you look closely, you can see his lifeless eyes and the dark circles under them.

Feeling the bitterness in his mouth, Xia Youjie suddenly felt that he might as well go and exorcise the cursed spirit.

At least when you're on a mission at a vocational college, you can get a full night's sleep...

I miss school a little.

Xia Youjie closed his eyes in despair.

*

Zhu Yu's stamina was fully restored, and she jumped out of bed, ready to begin her day's adventure.

As is her custom, she would inspect the house before leaving.

I pushed open the living room door and almost slipped on the order slips scattered all over the floor.

Wow, what are these?

Zhu Yu curiously leaned closer and discovered that the notebook on the table was filled with notes, detailing the needs and preferences of various clients. Dazzling flowcharts were drawn on the white paper, with arrangements down to the minute, from "loading" to "transportation."

Oh no, malicious words have entered my brain!

Zhu Yu immediately looked away, secretly glancing at Xia Youjie behind her, who seemed to be emanating dark energy.

I have a feeling that if Jay's resentment could generate cursed spirits, then he could definitely generate ten top-tier cursed spirits.

However, she still wants to say—Jay is incredibly capable! (Thumbs up)

In the yard, workers were busy packing the crops into boxes.

Xia Youjie moved among them, sometimes checking the tightness of the netting on the melons and fruits, and sometimes making sure there were no bumps or knocks.

His phone remained pressed against his ear, and he alternated between polite forms of address: "...Yes, the wholesale price is negotiable..."

"Ah... ma'am, your shipment of fruits and vegetables is already en route..."

When the delivery convoy finally set off, Xia Youjie leaned against the porch pillar and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Even cursed spirits aren't this difficult to deal with..."

He muttered to himself, gazing at the empty road. The evening breeze ruffled his bangs, and he suddenly remembered the headaches of haggling with clients and the hectic work of ensuring a smooth transaction...

No, I can't think about it any further!

He finally let himself slide to the ground, too lazy to even move his fingertips.

(That night, Xia Youjie dreamed of eggplants and cucumbers dancing ballet around him, which startled him awake.)

*

Upon discovering that Jie was suffering from the "Fatigue" debuff, Zhu Yu sensed something was wrong.

She didn't consider herself a devil. What if she went too far in enslaving the NPCs and drove away the players? Who would take care of the players' vast estates then?

Although currently only she and Xia Youjie are involved in her so-called "huge family business".

But that doesn't matter (sound of vibration)

Most importantly, dear NPC, please don't abandon your duties and run away!

Players need you!

Therefore, she immediately took action—

The morning light, like a fine veil, slowly covered Xia Youjie's face, condensing into tiny golden spots on his eyelashes.

His busy schedule during this period made him sleep very soundly.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, his eyelashes trembled slightly, and his consciousness rose from the chaos. When he groggily opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Zhu Yu's magnified face—so close that he could count the number of her eyelashes, so close that their breaths were intertwined.

Xia Youjie: !!!

He jolted awake and leaned back abruptly—only then realizing that the sensation was wrong.

Chapter 137 Falling for the Trick Again

He should have been supporting himself on a soft pillow, but instead, he was gripping prickly grass stalks. The scent of grass and earth suddenly filled his nostrils, and he realized with a start that he was lying on the edge of a field, completely away from his warm bed.