I really don't want to date a girl addicted to the internet!

After some time, the two arrived at their destination, a small, somewhat dilapidated church.

"It seems the church in the Fallen Lands isn't very good at winning people's hearts." Cheng Fei looked at the building, which was clearly lacking in funding.

"Stop talking nonsense and go inside." Shen Xi pushed him from behind.

"She always walks in front of me, but she hides behind me whenever we go to an unfamiliar place. Ms. Shen, just how cute do you want to be?" the boy exclaimed, and went in first.

I didn't see anyone. Passing through the front hall, I entered the main hall, which was probably a place for people to pray. There were rows of seats, and at the end of the steps, there was an olive tree with a gnarled trunk and a full crown. A skylight was specially opened above it, allowing a beam of light to shine on the leaves, creating a sense of sanctity for the olive tree. It probably represents the world tree.

An elderly man dressed as a priest came out when he heard footsteps and looked at the two of them.

“Go tell him I have questions about this book.” Shen Xi gave Cheng Fei another push.

The boy walked up to the priest as instructed and said in a serious tone, "Hello, she is my familiar. She is very interested in the contents of this book, 'The Genesis of Arcanes.' Could you please answer her questions?"

“Of course, what’s your problem?” The priest nodded with a kind smile.

Shen Xi, who had been observing from the sidelines, stepped forward expressionlessly. "I have a few questions. First, what exactly does the 'god' mentioned in the book refer to? Is it the World Tree itself, or some other life form?"

“The World Tree is the embodiment of God. We come to know God through the World Tree, but God is neither the World Tree nor a specific life form. God is omnipresent. He transcends the universe and exists among all things. Human language cannot fully describe His essence, just as the eyes cannot look directly at the sun’s brilliance. We only approach His mystery through faith…” The priest began to speak slowly.

Shen Xi frowned, clearly unwilling, but still listened patiently to the other person's explanation.

Cheng Fei felt a chill run down his spine. He grinned, put his hands in his pockets, and walked to the side to observe the old murals on the wall, seeking spiritual peace in the art.

After the priest finished answering, Shen Xi continued to ask questions, which the priest answered again.

After a long back-and-forth, Shen Xi put away her book, nodded to the patient priest, and said, "Thank you, I understand."

"As long as your confusion is resolved, that's good." The priest smiled.

Shen Xi turned and left, kicking the boy who had been observing the mural the whole time. "That's enough, let's go."

"Wait, I have a question too." Cheng Fei snapped out of his reverie and, under Shen Xi's suspicious gaze, walked towards the priest, pointing to one of the female figures in the mural. "I'd like to ask who that is?"

“She is the first Elven Saintess, recorded in the second chapter of the New Book of Genesis,” the priest replied immediately.

"Was her ear drawn wrong?" Cheng Fei asked again.

"Of course not." The priest smiled and shook his head.

"Okay, thank you." Cheng Fei returned to Shen Xi's side.

"What's wrong with this painting?" the girl asked, staring at him.

"It's nothing, I just didn't expect the first Elf Saintess to be a half-elf." The boy looked up at the painting.

"How did you know?" Shen Xi asked in surprise.

“Look at her ears. She has silver hair, but she doesn’t have pointed ears, which makes her clearly different from the elves surrounding her.”

Shen Xi narrowed her eyes slightly as she studied the contents of the painting. "I understand."

"Teacher Shen, don't you think this character looks quite like you?" Cheng Fei suddenly stroked his chin in a serious manner.

"Nonsense nonsense, how does it resemble anything?" The girl stared at the abstract mythological figure floating in the air with its eyes slightly closed, looking utterly bewildered.

"They all have silver hair, round ears, and are the same height as normal people, and their chests are relatively... uh, peaceful." Cheng Fei gestured with his fingers as he pointed to the contents of the drawing.

Shen Xi's gaze swept over the physical details of the various female figures in the mural, her pupils contracted, and she could no longer contain herself. "You hopeless trash! Just say what you want to say. Anyway, I have no hope for a rotten person like you with such vulgar taste. I must be crazy to actually stand here and seriously discuss these things with you!"

The girl kicked the boy hard, gritted her teeth, and turned to leave.

"Teacher Shen, I was wrong. I was just stating the facts and I absolutely did not mean to think badly of you. In my heart, you are perfect!" Cheng Fei quickly caught up.

The two left the church under the loving gaze of the priest.

……

632. Shen Xi didn't refute the little cutie.

Cheng Fei and Shen Xi's next stop is the local Merchants' Corner Chamber of Commerce headquarters to collect their 3,000 gold coin reward.

"Teacher Shen, are you still angry?" The boy asked cautiously as he walked, observing the girl's cold face.

"There's nothing to be angry about. It's not the first time anyway. What Cheng Feiyu, with his vulgar taste, thinks about body shape is none of my business." The girl sneered, looking straight ahead without glancing at him.

"As expected of an insecure little cutie, why don't you try to show your usual confidence in this matter? I definitely don't dislike you, there's absolutely no need to be so sensitive." The boy softened his tone.

"Nobody here is sensitive!" The girl raised her voice in an instant, gritting her teeth and glaring at him fiercely. "Cheng Feiyu, stop pretending. You look as regretful as two fried eggs. You're just an inconspicuous hill on the plain. Everyone can understand what you mean by those words!"

"Shen Xi, is it really necessary to hold onto that casual remark from back then?" The boy's expression hardened, and he raised his hands in surrender.

"Excuse me, I have hyperthymesia. I will never forget such rebellious remarks." The girl stared straight ahead with a piercing gaze as she walked, startling a passing child who dropped his toy bell with a thud.

“Teacher Shen, people change. I really only acted on a whim back then. Now I deeply realize my mistake and have already changed my mind. Why don’t we just let bygones be bygones?”

"Shut up. As the old saying goes, it's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature. Don't think I'll believe you if you say you've changed your mind. This is the second sin you've committed in front of me, and I will never forgive you." Shen Xi took a deep breath, her flat chest heaving violently.

"It's the second deadly sin? By the way, what is the first deadly sin?" Cheng Fei asked in surprise.

"Your first sin was provoking someone surnamed Lin." The girl looked at him with calm, emotionless eyes.

"These two things are actually of equal severity?" the boy exclaimed in shock.

"I knew Cheng Feiyu had no idea how serious the problem was, and he was still taking it for granted!" The girl sneered, kicked him, and quickened her pace.

“Shen Xi, if that’s the case, then starting from the next meeting, let me bury my face in your chest all night to repent until I atone for this sin. I want your forgiveness no matter what.” The boy quickly followed her, his face serious.

"Stop daydreaming, don't even think about it." The girl shivered as if disgusted, crossed her arms over her chest, and glared at him even more fiercely. "I will never forgive you for this!"

"Teacher Shen, please don't do this!"

"Don't come any closer, stay away from me!"

After much persuasion, it was finally possible to calm the agitated girl down.

"Professor Shen, let's get down to business." Cheng Fei coughed lightly. "What did you learn from consulting the priest for so long?"

"Could it be that Cheng Feiyu is deaf?" Shen Xi frowned slightly, revealing a serious expression of doubt.

"Teacher Shen, I just wasn't listening carefully. I couldn't stand how he explained things in such a roundabout way." The boy shook his head.

The girl paused for a second, then looked ahead while holding the green book. "It's not a matter of gaining anything or not. The contents of this book cannot be verified at the moment. I just want to learn more in case of any unforeseen circumstances. After all, the reason why the Protoss are researching this world may very well lie within this book."

"I see. Her Majesty the Empress is indeed far-sighted." The boy lowered his head in a second.

As they spoke, the two arrived at the main gate of the Merchant's Corner.

Shen Xi silently took a half step back, switching from leading the way to following behind the boy.

Cheng Fei went inside and took out the credentials he had obtained from the young nobleman from the Empire named Haisen. He soon met with the head of the local chamber of commerce.

"Uh, I understand. But three thousand gold coins is no small amount, and we can't come up with it right away. How about this, Lord Haisen will arrive here in five days at the latest, and you can come over then?" The portly manager said cautiously after looking at the voucher with his glasses.

Cheng Fei thought for a moment and then nodded, "No problem, but you still have to give me the money even if he's not there."

"We at Business Travel Corner have always valued our reputation," the person in charge nodded quickly.

The two then returned to the Light & Magic Technology Association by the same route.

Cheng Fei put his hands behind his head, looked at the sliver of sky above the canyon, and smacked his lips with a relaxed expression, as if he was savoring something.

"What is it now?" Shen Xi glanced at him expressionlessly.

"It's nothing, I just think it's pretty nice to be able to play games with my little cutie like this," the boy sighed.

"The corridor isn't a video game." The girl lowered her eyes.

"So now you're not arguing with the little cutie at all?" the boy suddenly asked curiously.

"What's the point of refuting it? Cheng Feiyu will just keep using that disgusting nickname forever anyway." Shen Xi sneered, her tone devoid of much coldness.

"That's true, but this attitude of accepting reality is also quite endearing." The boy nodded.

"Furthermore," the girl paused, her gaze wandering aimlessly around her, "if it's genuine, even something a little disgusting is tolerable. After all, nicknames are a normal way for humans to connect emotionally, and I won't object to that."

"I see, so this means you're completely admitting you're a cutie? Shen Xi, you're just too adorable." The boy exclaimed in surprise.

"Heh, Cheng Feiyu is twisting things again. Please make it clear that I just think there's no point in refuting it. If you really want me to accept such a disgusting title, wait until you actually prove that you're sincere." The girl said coldly.

The boy stood with his hands in his pockets, smiling as he gazed at her delicate profile without saying a word.

"What is Cheng Feiyu trying to say now?" The girl glanced at him and quickly looked away, her eyes filled with disgust.

"Shen Xi, this kind of behavior of yours, where you're clearly a tsundere but occasionally frank, is just too unfair. You're definitely doing it on purpose, aren't you?"

"Shut up, label me however you want, I don't want to discuss this anymore." The girl frowned slightly.

"Yes, my occasionally frank and tsundere little cutie."

"Disgusting! Take back what you just said if you keep doing this!"

"I was wrong, my little cutie."

……

Back at the shipyard, Shen Xi decided to begin repairing the tailless scorpion. In addition, the Miriam also needed maintenance, and Cheng Fei was ordered to assist as his assistant.

The grotesque, pitch-black mechanical monster was hoisted by a crane to an open area in the dock, where ladders were set up for easy access.

Wei Nuo also came over to assist, or as he put it, to observe Shen Xi studying ancient artifacts.

When the three of them went to the association's warehouse to retrieve tools, a strangely shaped, dilapidated, silver-gray building appeared in front of Cheng Fei and Shen Xi in the corner of the association's backyard.

The building's surface is covered with vines, but it is well-preserved, probably because it has been preserved in situ as an ancient relic.

A teleportation station.

"Teacher Shen, you actually left a save point here too?" Cheng Fei raised an eyebrow.

633. Cheng Fei called Ye Shuang.

Shen Xi, expressionless, manipulated the panel of the teleportation station, awakening this ancient ruin that had been sleeping for countless years.

"Although I don't have much energy, it can still hold out for a while," the girl said softly.

"You actually know how to activate the ruins?" Vino stood to the side with her hands folded, staring in surprise at the glowing panel.

"Of course, don't let her young age fool you, she's an expert in ancient relics." Cheng Fei patted Shen Xi on the head, only to be met with a murderous glare from the girl.

"Then I would like to ask what the purpose of these ruins is? There are several similar ones in Riften alone, and the guild's craftsmen have studied them for a long time without reaching a conclusion." The baby-faced girl's eyes shone with a thirst for knowledge.

Shen Xi remained silent and glanced at Cheng Fei.

The boy coughed seriously, "Well, as far as we know, it might be a kind of transportation that can quickly reach other ruins. However, our understanding of it is not yet thorough enough. I suggest you don't touch it. Improper operation can easily lead to fatal danger. We will publish our findings when we have them."

"I see." Vino nodded, her expression turning serious as she looked at the teleportation station, as if she were facing a wild beast ready to devour its prey.

Because there were outsiders present, Cheng Fei and Shen Xi did not use the teleportation station on the spot, and continued to go to the warehouse to get tools according to the original plan.

Next, the two began repairing the tailless scorpion.

Midway through, Weinuo, who had been observing from the sidelines, disappeared for a while. When she returned, she brought a teapot, teacups, and some pastries and quietly placed them on the workbench next to her.

"If you're tired, you can come here to have some tea and snacks and rest," the baby-faced girl said with a smile.

"Still saying you're not a maid?" Cheng Fei couldn't help but stop what he was doing and look at the well-behaved girl with bangs. He felt that she was no different from a maid in terms of her appearance, demeanor, and behavior.

"I'm not a maid! I was just looking out for you because I saw you were working so hard, and I didn't get anything in return for my kindness! Honestly!" Vino raised her voice in an instant and stomped her foot.

"Trash, if you want to chat with that maid, you can just go!" Shen Xi, who was busy replacing the tubes for the tailless scorpion, turned her head and glared fiercely at the boy.

"I told you I'm not a maid! Why are you all like this?" The baby-faced girl wearing a headband and a black and white dress continued to protest.

Not long after, Nagasaki Asuna and Zhou Han also logged on. Together with Leia, who didn't have to stay behind, the five of them split up to buy supplies and search for Shadow.

In such a busy atmosphere, a day passes in the blink of an eye.

That evening, Cheng Fei took off his infiltration helmet and opened WeChat to see the messages.

Good morning, Master Ye.

This was posted hastily in five minutes this morning.

"Cheng Fei! What exactly do you mean?"