Starforce Warriors-Chapter 1000: Cold Little Hands

How could it just be familiarity? He saw it every single day. At this very moment, for example, all he needed to do was look in the mirror.

Li Xiaofei had never imagined, not even in his dreams, that the so-called God of Evolution worshipped by countless ancient Reapers would actually be himself. He couldn't help but stand up and move closer for a careful inspection.

There was no mistake. Whether it was the facial features or the expression, everything looked exactly like him. The divine statue was him. Li Xiaofei couldn't make sense of it no matter how hard he tried.

When he had visited those ruins, the gods worshipped by the Reaper King-ranked clans had remained unclear. All the divine statues had been shattered, making it impossible to piece them back together.

Moreover, any historical records among the various clans regarding their deities had been thoroughly erased. It was as if some mysterious force had wiped this deity entirely out of existence.

The headless statue in the ancient city of the Ruò Iron Tribe had already been the most intact one. This kind of phenomenon was deeply abnormal. It was utterly strange and unsettling.

Yet now, what disturbed Li Xiaofei even more was the fact that this deity looked exactly like himself.

How could this be?

He couldn’t figure it out. A gentle breeze drifted by him. Li Xiaofei withdrew his gaze and steadied his thoughts. His eyes fell on the white beast hides atop the clay table. They were covered with writing.

As the daughter of a wealthy family, Si Kongxue’s handwriting used to be quite average, but now the characters on the beast hides appeared neat and forceful. Each stroke was clearly defined. Some areas even featured charming, whimsical little illustrations.

The contents on the beast hides were devoted to an introduction to the outside world, outlining some of the fundamental behavioral rules and orders within human society. They included customary norms and commonly acknowledged taboos. It was like a written code of conduct.

The moment Li Xiaofei read it, he understood that it had been prepared for their daughter. No matter how intelligent or gifted a child might be, she would inevitably grow wild if she were separated from human society for too long and raised in a secluded realm.

This kind of wildness, once brought back into a civilized society, would immediately become a source of conflict and alienation. It was clear that Si Kongxue had crafted this behavioral manual with all her effort to prevent such an outcome.

For someone who had once lived a life of luxury, who never had to lift a finger for food or clothing, Si Kongxue’s attempt at this task appeared slightly clumsy and lacked formal structure.

But one could see the deep motherly love and steely determination behind it all from the now well-practiced, neat, and strong handwriting. Li Xiaofei stared at the white beast hides, silently contemplating for a long while. He turned to the side. Si Kongxue was soundly asleep on the reclining chair made of beast hide, her rest peaceful and sweet.

The slight curve of her lips revealed she was probably having a good dream. Li Xiaofei gently reached out and held her hand. Her small palm was fair and cool to the touch.

After a long moment, Li Xiaofei slowly stood, stretched lazily, and walked to the door of a thatched hut. He glanced inside, then stepped in.

About half an hour later, Si Kongxue woke up on the recliner. Her eyes were first filled with a hint of confusion, but the next moment, as if suddenly remembering something, she sat up in alarm and looked around. She didn’t see him. The light in her beautiful eyes quickly dimmed. But just then— 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Creak.

The door of the nearby bamboo hut opened.

“You’re up? Eat something first,” said Li Xiaofei as he stepped out, carrying a tray in his hands.

The aroma of food filled the air. Si Kongxue stared at the tray of dishes, her lovely eyes revealing a look of disbelief. They were all her favorite foods. When they were in Chongque City, these were dishes she would always order every time she went to restaurants or malls with Li Xiaofei.

“Have something to eat.” Li Xiaofei placed the tray in front of her and said, “It’s been a while since you last ate, hasn’t it?”

Si Kongxue gazed quietly at him for a long moment before letting out a soft laugh. She asked, “You made this?”

Li Xiaofei nodded and replied, “I’ve been carrying ingredients with me all this time. After searching for you for so many years, I always made sure to prepare a little something. I kept thinking about what kind of gift I should give if I really did find you? In the end, I decided on two things.”

A trace of delight surfaced on Si Kongxue’s fair and beautiful face. What girl wouldn't feel moved being treated with such care and thoughtfulness?

Looking at the four delicacies arranged on the tray, she took a bite of the steamed meat with celestial lychee and couldn’t hide the expression of bliss that spread across her face.

She said, “I love this gift very much. What’s the other one?”

Li Xiaofei smiled and said, “You’ll know once you’ve finished eating.”

Si Kongxue let out a light snort but said nothing more. She picked up the chopsticks and began eating seriously.

After several bites, she finally looked at Li Xiaofei and asked, “Won’t you eat too?”

He sat down across from her with a gentle smile, saying, “Watching you eat is enough for me.”

Si Kongxue glanced at him, then resumed eating heartily. Though she had grown vegetables in this valley and Li Anyi could hunt wild game, her cooking skills were quite average. Moreover, it was difficult to make anything as flavorful as this when lacking in seasoning.

When the meal was finished, Li Xiaofei took out a napkin and gently wiped her mouth.

“And the second gift?” Si Kongxue extended her snow-white hand, her face full of anticipation.

Li Xiaofei smiled faintly. A soft glow flickered. An instant later, several gift boxes appeared in front of them. The moment Si Kongxue saw the packaging, her eyes lit up with joy.

She recognized them at once. They were luxury clothing gift sets. Li Xiaofei’s second gift to her was high-end fashion. When she had been the daughter of one of Chongque City’s top commercial families, her parents had pampered her like a golden canary. Her few hobbies back then had been fine cuisine and beautiful clothing.

When she had first shared a night of passion with Li Xiaofei, her clothes had been torn to shreds. The next day, Li Xiaofei had bought her a whole collection of luxury outfits.

Si Kongxue had always loved wearing those beautiful and expensive clothes. Even if she never wore them out in public, simply admiring herself in front of a mirror in those outfits had brought her the greatest joy.

She had always known that such a hobby was shallow and a little pathetic, but she liked it nonetheless. It had been one of the few things in her life that she could choose for herself. After so many years of wandering and surviving in perilous environments, that old hobby had faded into a distant memory. It was something she no longer thought she would ever indulge in again. There really hadn’t been a reason to dwell on it or try to relive it.

Yet now, when Li Xiaofei brought out those lovely and extravagant but essentially 'worthless' items again, something inside Si Kongxue was deeply stirred. Perhaps he was the only one in this entire world who still remembered her little preferences.

He was the only one willing to indulge her trivial interests. The only one who remembered her and thought about her. Who was willing to be childish and superficial alongside her.

Maybe that was why, even after all these years and despite all the dangers she had faced in these realms, she had never stopped thinking of him, never stopped trusting him, and had never held even the slightest trace of resentment.

“I’ll try them on for you, all right?” said Si Kongxue excitedly, lifting the clothing bags eagerly.

Li Xiaofei nodded.