Gifts

"While I certainly appreciate such lightning-fast delivery, isn't this..." Yaxiu watched the flurry of drones depart in swift, orderly formation back toward their designated airspace. "...a bit too rude? Doesn't this count as breaking and entering?" "It's fine," Annan said, wearing an expression that implied he was making a fuss over nothing. "The 'Almo Drone Logistics' system has ranked third on the *Technology Revolution List* for the past decade, standing at the absolute pinnacle of efficiency, security, and Internet-of-Things integration. While companies like Belial and Tafa are hot on their heels, they only managed to catch up by relying on Almo's technology... It can be a little annoying at first, but you get used to it over time." "Couldn't they be just a little more polite?" Igola, who placed immense value on his personal privacy, was equally displeased with the delivery system. "Like leaving the packages on the balcony..." "Leaving them outside carries a risk of damage, and the recipient might forget about them. Deliveries must be placed in the living room, where the customer is most likely to notice them," Annan explained. "I haven't looked into all the fine details, but the current delivery system is undeniably the most advanced in existence, because a company like Almo would certainly develop along the course directed by the *Book of Gospel*. If they took a wrong turn or stagnated, Belial and Tafa would seize the chance to overtake them." Because it was guided by the *Book of Gospel*, it was the most advanced; and because it was the most advanced, it was reasonable...? Both Igola and Yaxiu faintly sensed there was something off about that logic. While they chatted, Lisi had already wandered over and begun opening the packages. The boxes featured convenient pull-tabs, allowing even a little girl to unseal them bare-handed. Banjie squatted beside her and asked, "Do you need any help?" "Nope!" Lisi chirped cheerfully. She pulled a blue velvet gift box from one of the packages and offered it to him. "For you!" Banjie froze for a moment, then pointed at himself. "For me?" "Uh-huh! A present for Big Brother Banjie!" "Thank you!" Banjie accepted the box, pleasantly surprised. Inside lay a sapphire earring, exquisitely crafted, its gem sparkling brilliantly. He put it on; it looked decent enough, but with Annan's amethyst earring as a point of comparison, the sapphire earring seemed somewhat gaudy and ostentatious, almost excessively flashy. Or rather, with the sapphire earring as a contrast, Yaxiu and the others realized just how extraordinary Annan's amethyst earring truly was—gorgeous without being cloying, radiant without being loud. It complemented the wearer's charm while naturally harmonizing with her overall image, and even seemed to subtly harbor miraculous effects like 'Charm.' Trading such rare jewelry for three of their lives meant the Four Pillar Cult had been thoroughly fleeced by Annan. Banjie, however, happily rubbed Lisi's head. "I love it. Thank you, Lisi." Next, Lisi produced another gift box and handed it to Annan, who was sipping her coffee. "Sister Annan, this is for you." Annan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Thank you. May I open it now?" "Go ahead!" Lisi's gift to Annan was a moon-white Foxlight Dragon hairpin. Though it looked a bit childish, Annan seemed quite fond of it. She pinned it to the strands near her ear, instantly lending a livelier air to her demeanor. "And then there's this... Aunt Bogin's present!" "Is it a dress?" Yaxiu asked. "No, but close!" Lisi pulled out a garment that closely resembled a skirt. "Aunt Bogin will definitely look pretty in this!" Igola took it and discovered it was a decorative overskirt designed to be worn directly over trousers. It was lined with numerous hidden pockets, and Igola was surprised to find he had never noticed such a convenient wearable storage accessory before. For a mind sorcerer who specialized in planning ahead and setting up the battlefield, more concealed pockets meant more pre-battle preparations he could carry out. Yaxiu seemed to notice his satisfaction and teased, "Aunt Bogin, you must hate this kind of outfit, right? After all, you didn't even spin Lisi around to show how happy you are... How about giving it to me instead? I love this style!" Igola shot him a sidelong glance, then beckoned to Lisi, whose face was full of anticipation. Lifting her up, he gave her a twirl. "You're pretty heavy." Pouting, Lisi punched him lightly on the head. "Aunt Bogin is so rude!" "My apologies. Little girls fall outside my line of business." At that moment, Harvey appeared to have finally settled in the guest he had brought back. He stepped out of his room with an unlit cat grass cigarette dangling from his lips, eyeing the scene in the living room with curiosity. "Hm?" "Uncle Harvey!" Lisi retrieved a notebook-sized gift from the pile of parcels. "This is for you!" "I get a present too?" The necromancer tucked the cat grass cigarette behind his ear and said flatly, "Thank you... A notebook?" "No, it's a black-and-white thoughtography notebook," Lisi said. "All you have to do is press your hand against the paper, and the images in your mind will be printed right onto the page. You're always standing by the window looking at the scenery, Uncle Harvey, so I figured you'd like drawing." "I wouldn't call this drawing... But thanks." Harvey pocketed the notebook, hesitated for a moment, and pulled out a paper-wrapped candy. "Here, Uncle will treat you to some candy—" Before Yaxiu could even process what was happening, his contract-bound body lunged forward and wrestled with the necromancer. Harvey scrambled to parry Yaxiu's assault, shouting, "It's real candy! I don't even have enough moon sugar for myself, why would I give it away?! This is actual candy I eat to curb my moon cravings!" "Just to be safe, Lisi, don't eat any candy from Uncle Harvey," Igola said. "While I can treat sugar addiction, it tends to cause minor brain damage—to the patient's brain, that is. If Harvey handed you the wrong kind, Yaxiu would probably end up spilling blood within five paces over it with our resident necromancer." "Lisi doesn't like candy anyway. Lisi only likes soft red velvet cream cake." With that, Lisi returned to her breakfast. Pinning Harvey beneath him, Yaxiu watched wistfully as the white-haired little girl spread custard on a slice of bread. Under everyone's peculiar gazes, Yaxiu helped Harvey up, then sat down beside Lisi, clearing his throat loudly. "*Cough, cough, cough—*" Harvey slapped Yaxiu firmly on the back. "If you're out of breath, a good pat helps. No need to thank me—consider it return courtesy for just now." Glancing at the embarrassed Yaxiu, the corners of Igola's mouth curled upward. "Lisi, you bought so many presents. Is there one for the only zero-star genius in this house?" "Yes," Lisi replied, her mouth full of breadcrumbs. "But someone is very angry and doesn't want to give it to him." "Why angry?" "Because last night, while playing a game, someone got their chair kicked out from under them by underhanded tricks, which made them lose. They were so mad they couldn't sleep all night, so someone doesn't want to give him a present." Now, the glances everyone directed at Yaxiu held an added dose of disdain—resorting to dirty tricks while playing video games with a little girl was utterly shameless. Even Igola felt disgraced to be associated with him. Even as a swindler, he hadn't tricked little girls since he was five years old! "No way, you still remember that after a whole night?!" Yaxiu was flabbergasted. "Aren't kids supposed to be forgetful? Your grudge-holding capacity is on par with Igola's!" Igola looked at Harvey in confusion. "Do I hold grudges?" "I don't know you that well," the necromancer replied. "If you ignore the fates of everyone who ever crossed you in prison, then no, you probably don't hold much of a grudge." Having finished her bread, Lisi drank a full glass of warm milk, then turned to Yaxiu. "If you don't apologize, someone is going to stay mad forever, and the present she bought won't be given away—" "I'm sorry, my fault. I shouldn't have done that and made you land on your bottom." "Heehee." Lisi reached up and patted Yaxiu. "A good father admits when he's wrong. You won't do it again next time we play, right?" "Right. Next time I'll make it look like a natural accident so you won't catch me." "..." Lisi pulled her hand back. "Not just someone—even Lisi is getting a little mad now." "Put yourself in my shoes for a second, Lisi," Yaxiu reasoned patiently, trying to coax her. "Imagine you're about to lose a game, and your opponent reveals a flaw in reality. Wouldn't you seize that opening and claim a raging, tempestuous victory to teach your opponent a lesson—showing her that a true gamer must remain flawless in reality too?" "Put that way, Daddy, it does make sense..." *No, it doesn't make sense at all!* the others thought in unison. Even so, their esteem for Yaxiu rose yet again. It was common knowledge that little girls were notoriously unreasonable, yet Yaxiu had managed to wrap his crooked logic in sweet talk and spoon-feed it to Lisi, who swallowed it whole. That proved he was remarkably skilled at handling children. Or perhaps he simply dragged his own IQ down to the level of a child, then beat her with vast experience. Whichever it was, it indicated that Yaxiu had thoroughly bonded with Lisi. The two formed an impenetrable little clique of their own. For a startup company of just six people, Yaxiu and Lisi were practically a major faction. Completely persuaded, Lisi retrieved a large box and handed it to Yaxiu. Yaxiu opened it with delight. Thinking back, this seemed to be the second gift he had received in reality—the first being the blessings bestowed by the good old pals of the Four Pillar Gods, complete with a complimentary, all-inclusive VIP stay at Shattered Lake Prison. A deep red gradient trench coat appeared before Yaxiu's eyes. He blinked, then slipped the trench coat on, feeling as though he had draped himself in a battle cloak of pure vanity. "Lisi has good taste. It really suits you." "To be honest, given Yaxiu's sense of fashion, nothing Lisi bought could possibly make him look any worse." "I think it looks nice. It'd make a fine shroud for your funeral." Ignoring their commentary, Yaxiu asked, "Lisi, why did you buy me this jacket?" "Because it suits you, Daddy," Lisi said. "And check the pocket." Yaxiu pulled a card inscribed with numbers from the pocket. "This is..." "It's a top-up card for *Epic*. It came free with the trench coat," Lisi explained. "Isn't the virtual game you play called *Epic*? This 'Purgatory Trench Coat' is their official merchandise, and buying it comes with a top-up card. I figured you'd like it, Daddy..." "For today and today only, you are my flesh-and-blood daughter!" Yaxiu pulled Lisi into a tight embrace. "Lisi likes red velvet cake? Igola, find me a cookbook on cake baking, learn it, and bake one for her!" Igola said coldly, "Next time you ask me for a favor, I'll be sure to make you bake a cake." Yaxiu blinked. "There won't be a next time... Well, we'll see when the time comes." "You're so dramatic, Daddy," Lisi giggled, squirming out of Yaxiu's arms to pack up the remaining parcels. "I'm heading back to my room to keep opening gifts, then." "Huh?" Annan asked. "What about the dozen or so boxes left over...?" "That's right, they're all presents Lisi bought for herself!" Lisi proclaimed with righteous confidence. "A lot of things have happened lately, so Lisi felt she deserved a treat!" Banjie helped carry the packages over, asking casually, "After buying so much, Lisi, do you still have any money left in your balance?" Lisi stiffened. Without answering, she darted into her room and slammed the door shut. "Hehehe..." Yaxiu noticed Igola covering his mouth, chuckling, and asked curiously, "What are you laughing at? And so sinisterly, too." "Nothing." Igola picked up a portion of shrimp salad with his fork. "I just have a feeling someone is about to get scolded." ... ... "Lisi!" In the half-length mirror, the White Queen could barely maintain her composure. "You spent all of it?!" Lisi knelt obediently before the mirror, the very picture of earnest self-reflection. Suddenly, she held out a gift box. "Sister White, I picked this out especially for you." The White Queen laughed out of sheer exasperation. "What difference is there between giving me a gift and giving yourself one? Did you really think you could fool your big sisters like this?"