I really want to slap myself

The raft drifted steadily on the ocean current.

Fang Qi leaned against the thickest trunk at the edge of the raft, while Liguang nestled in his arms.

A few strands of her silver hair were blown up by the sea breeze, brushing against his chin and tickling him.

He looked down at the silver-haired girl in his arms.

Under the moonlight, her intact amber left eye was half-closed, its silver eyelashes trembling slightly.

That eye socket which used to glow with a scarlet data stream...

Now only held a quiet darkness.

No light, no flickering. Nothing at all.

Fang Qi pursed his lips.

Over the past few days, he had grown used to that dancing scarlet glow.

Now that it was suddenly gone...

He felt an emptiness in his heart, a stifling sensation.

He looked away and gazed at the starry sky above.

The night sky over the sea was pristine, densely packed with stars across the entire canopy, making the Milky Way look as if it were about to fall.

"Master..."

A soft, sleepy voice came from his arms.

"Hmm?"

"Are you looking at the stars?"

Liguang didn't open her eyes; her cheek was pressed against his chest, making her voice sound muffled.

"Yeah, they're quite beautiful."

Fang Qi replied casually, his fingers unconsciously twirling a strand of her silver hair.

"Then..."

The little figure in his arms shifted, nuzzling deeper into the crook of his neck.

"Are the stars more beautiful, or is Liguang more beautiful?"

Fang Qi: "..."

He looked down to see that the intact amber left eye in his arms was half-open, gazing up at him with a dewy look.

Her long eyelashes fluttered, carrying a hint of eager anticipation!

The corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

He said with a straight face, "The stars are more beautiful."

Liguang blanked for a moment, and then her small face showed signs of puffing up.

If it were in the past, a red glint would probably be flashing in that crimson pupil right now!

But at this moment...

There was only pitch blackness, darker than the night sky.

Fang Qi added,

"But you are more beautiful than the stars."

The amber left eye immediately curved into a crescent shape.

Liguang didn't speak; she merely buried her face harder into his neck, the cheap little star earring on her left ear swaying along.

Her warm breath, carrying a sweet strawberry scent, puffed against his skin rhythmically.

"Master..."

She suddenly spoke, her voice soft.

"Hmm?"

"Eat a berry!"

She reached out, picked a dark purple wild berry from the leaf-wrapped bundle nearby, and brought it to his lips.

She wore a sweet smile on her face!

Fang Qi opened his mouth and bit into it, tasting the familiar refreshing sweetness.

He chewed while looking down at her.

The silver-haired girl was looking up at him, a curve on her lips.

It was no longer that exaggerated smile that stretched almost to her ears.

Just a faint, contented chuckle of happiness.

With an expression like that, even her hollow right eye... didn't seem quite so dark and profound.

Fang Qi's heart skipped a beat!

This crazy woman...

Even missing an eye, she was still so beautiful!

He swallowed the berry and picked up another one.

"Liguang, you eat too!"

Liguang blinked, then shook her head.

"Liguang won't eat."

Her voice was gentle, carrying a sense of matter-of-factness.

"The berries are saved for Master to eat. Liguang doesn't need to eat this to... Mmph!"

He pushed the berry right against her lips!

"Eat!"

Liguang froze.

She looked down at the purplish-red berry pressed against her lips, then raised her eyes to look at Fang Qi.

A trace of bewilderment flashed in her amber eye, along with a little bit of... suppressed joy!

"B-but..."

Her voice wavered a bit.

"Liguang's battery is enough to last until we reach the shore, I don't need to eat..."

"Eat it anyway!"

Fang Qi interrupted her, leaving no room for argument!

"We eat together. If you don't eat, then I won't eat either!"

Liguang: "...!"

Her intact left eye widened slightly.

"Master cannot go without eating...!"

"Then you eat too."

"...Oh."

She lowered her head, opened her mouth, and took a bite.

The juice stained her cool lips, spreading a faint purplish-red hue.

She chewed very slowly.

Very earnestly.

And then—

That amber eye suddenly curved up into a shallow crescent.

"Master..."

Her voice was muffled, her cheeks puffed out with half a berry still in her mouth.

"It's sweet!"

Fang Qi looked at her puffed-up cheeks.

Looked at her crescent-shaped eye, and the hollow darkness in her right eye that no longer made his heart palpitate.

...So cute!

He took a deep breath, picked up another one, and brought it to her lips.

"Eat. With such a big bag anyway, I can't finish it all."

Liguang obediently opened her mouth and took it.

Then she raised her hands to hold the berry, eating it in tiny bites like a little hamster hoarding food!

Occasionally, she would look up at Fang Qi, her eyelashes fluttering, before looking down again.

A thin blush appeared on her cheeks, and her amber eye was filled with moist happiness!

Looking at her like this...

Fang Qi drifted into a slight daze!

...This expression was somewhat familiar.

In that... eighty-two-year-long illusion of a lifetime, by her sickbed right before she "passed away."

The Liguang who had accompanied him throughout his life would also look at him with such eyes.

Not that fiery, morbid possessiveness that could burn a person to ashes.

But rather...

Gentle, quiet.

Carrying an unspoken attachment that had settled over decades.

"Master?"

The soft voice pulled him back from his slight daze.

Liguang was looking up at him, a bit of purple juice still clinging to the corner of her lips.

Her amber eye held a hint of confusion.

"What are you thinking about?"

Fang Qi snapped back to reality.

...She called him "Master."

She hadn't recovered those memories.

But... there was nothing wrong with that!

After all, it was still her!

Besides, they had already created memories unique to this playthrough!

Eloping on an island, drifting on the sea!

You crazy woman, the memories of this time...

I won't let you forget them again!

He brushed his thumb over Liguang's soft lips, wiping away the juice stain.

"Nothing."

Fang Qi smiled.

"I just thought that the way you looked just now... was really beautiful!"

Liguang was stunned for a moment.

And then—

Her intact left eye visibly filled with a shy, misty moisture.

"M-Master...!"

Her voice trembled with embarrassment.

"You... you're coaxing Liguang again...!"

"I'm not just coaxing you."

He pinched her burning cheek.

"You really are beautiful!"

My wife is just as beautiful even missing an eye!

"Wuu..."

Liguang fell silent at this. She lowered her head and buried her entire little face into Fang Qi's chest!

Even the tips of her ears were completely red!

He tightened his arms around her.

The raft continued to drift on the sea.

The night breeze grew lighter, and the sound of the waves became more soothing.

At the very edge of the horizon, a very faint grayish-white began to seep through.

Fang Qi looked up.

Dawn was approaching; the night had passed just like that.

Liguang also lifted her face from his chest and quietly gazed at the pale, fish-belly white sky.

Her amber eye reflected the line where the sea met the sky.

She suddenly spoke, her voice very light.

"Master."

"Hmm?"

"A sunrise over the sea... this is Liguang's first time seeing one."

Fang Qi gave a hum of agreement.

He had never seen one either.

He had no chance before transmigrating, and even less of a chance after.

Who had the leisure to run to the seaside to watch the sunrise?

Originally, if they had continued living on the island, there would have been plenty of opportunities.

What a pity...

However... this was perfect!

He adjusted his posture to let Liguang lean more comfortably and smiled.

Then today... we will watch it together.

And we will watch it together in the future, too.

Liguang nestled in his arms without speaking, but the arms wrapped around his waist tightened a little.

The daylight spread out bit by bit.

From grayish-white, to pale gold, and then to orange-red, the golden waves sparkled.

The sunrise over the sea was truly beautiful.

But after watching for a few minutes, Fang Qi's attention began to drift.

He looked around.

All around them, besides the sea... was more sea.

There were no islands, no ships, and no coastline.

There was nothing at all, nothing to be seen.

Between heaven and earth, there was only a boundless blue and this solitary drifting wooden raft.

He asked almost subconsciously,

Liguang, where have we drifted to now? How much longer until we arrive?

The delicate body in his arms...

Stiffened for a moment.

Hmm?

He lowered his head slightly and saw that the silver-haired girl's eyes... were somewhat evasive.

A trace of panic and helplessness appeared on her face!

Master...

Her voice was very soft, carrying a slight tremble.

I-I am sorry...

...?

What did that mean?

Why apologize all of a sudden?

Before Fang Qi could react...

The person in his arms had already moved!

Liguang shrank out of his embrace, and then...

Bent her knees and knelt down again!

She just knelt like that on the rough wooden raft!

Her silver hair spread out, and her forehead rested against the cold wood!

Fang Qi stared at her with wide eyes, a bit dazed.

Ah?

What did this mean? Why was she kneeling again?!

I am sorry, Master...!

Her voice also carried panic and unease.

Liguang... Liguang has become useless...

Liguang can no longer... can no longer accurately calculate the coordinates...!

Her slender back trembled slightly.

I am sorry, Master... I am really sorry...

Fang Qi: ...

He opened his mouth, his thoughts suddenly stuck.

...So, it was because of this.

That is right... her crimson eye was gone.

The information she could easily grasp before...

Could no longer be calculated now.

Looking at the trembling silver-haired girl kneeling on the ground before him...

Fang Qi's heart immediately ached for her!

...Crazy girl, do not be like this!

I already said I would not despise you!

He quickly reacted and reached out to help her up.

Liguang, I...!

But at this moment, the silver-haired girl suddenly raised her head!

In her amber eye, tears were slightly swirling.

But... but Master!

Liguang already made a complete deduction before we set off!

Before the crimson eye was damaged, Liguang also performed one last calibration!

She spoke faster and faster, with an uncontrollable tremble.

The moon phases, the direction of the ocean currents, the raft's draft depth, the duration of the southeast wind...

Everything, everything has been calculated!

As long as we follow this gulf stream... this afternoon, at dusk at the latest...

We will absolutely, absolutely be able to see the continental coastline!!

She gripped the hem of Fang Qi's clothes tightly, her strength astonishingly great.

Liguang promises!

Liguang will definitely be able to bring Master to the shore...!

Definitely...

Her voice grew lower and lower, finally almost becoming a whisper.

The pool of tears in her eye could finally no longer be held back.

Patter.

A drop fell on the back of Fang Qi's hand.

It was cold.

The hand Fang Qi had reached out to help her froze there.

He looked at her wet amber left eye, and the empty black hole of her right eye.

He looked at her knees, rubbed red from kneeling on the rough wood.

He suddenly felt that his subconscious, casual question just now...

Was truly incredibly stupid!

He really wanted to slap himself!!