Chapter 42: Poor Excavation‑Princess, Toyed With in Bai Fu's Palm
When Excavation‑Princess locked the camera onto Bai Fu and Anya, who were standing under the orange-yellow light, the previously somewhat quiet livestream room was instantly flooded by a barrage of dense live‑stream comments, as if a typhoon had just swept through.
【Damn, Fu‑fu? Seriously? Am I hallucinating?】
【Wuwu, thank goodness, Fu‑fu really doesn’t look hurt at all】
【Ah!!! My dream of being the first to find Fu‑fu has been shattered!】
【Hahahahaha】
【It’s been so hard, really, so hard. Now it’s time for my favorite phrase: “Among thousands and thousands I searched for her, then suddenly I turned around—and there she was, in the dim light!”】
【What can I say?】
It all happened too suddenly—no one had anticipated it.
At this moment, Excavation‑Princess’s thoughts were not much different from the scrolling live‑stream comments.
What else could she say?
An immense surprise exploded in her heart.
She clutched her chest with one hand, unable to utter a word.
She was afraid—afraid this was just an illusion, that if she moved, everything before her would vanish like a mirage.
Seeing her react this way, the players in the livestream room grew anxious.
After finally running into Bai Fu and confirming she was fine, how could anyone hesitate at this moment?
【Digging, what are you standing there for? Go!】
【I wish I could take Excavation‑Princess’s place】
【Wait, Fu‑fu is coming over!】
Yes, Bai Fu initiated the approach.
Before Excavation‑Princess could even reach Lynn, Bai Fu had already noticed her.
She had intentionally delayed her appearance to meet Excavation‑Princess, just to make this reunion seem more hard-won and dramatic.
Just like in an animated show——
After a long and touching journey, in the finale, accompanied by a beautiful BGM, two people with deep bonds suddenly reunited in the crowd, and then, the story ends with a flourish!
Of course, there was no way it would really end with a flourish here.
For Bai Fu, this reunion was just the beginning.
Just now, she had taken a moment to glance at the livestream room.
The steady stream of live‑stream comments confirmed that half of her plan had succeeded.
The other half depended on how she approached Excavation‑Princess next.
As for that, Bai Fu was full of confidence.
On her way here, she had rehearsed dozens of times in her mind.
First step: The moment her gaze met Excavation‑Princess’s, her body would tremble slightly. Her expression wouldn’t change much, but her eyes would ripple like a lake disturbed by falling pebbles.
Second step: While Excavation‑Princess was momentarily stunned, she would let go of Anya’s hand and slowly walk toward Excavation‑Princess.
Third step: Finally standing before Excavation‑Princess, she would raise her right hand, seemingly about to do something, but in the end, it would just hang awkwardly in midair.
“You are……” Bai Fu paused. “You look a bit like an old acquaintance of mine. She should’ve died in the insect tide at the Abandoned Cooling Plant a few days ago, but……”
With this complete combo, a stunned, internally hopeful, yet fearful of disappointment young girl image was vividly presented before all the players in the livestream room.
This scene immediately triggered a wave of wails.
【Seeing our Fu‑baby like this, my mommy heart is breaking】
【No boy-moms please】
【It’s my first time seeing Fu‑fu look so fragile. So cute】
【Fu‑baby, my Fu‑baby】
Staring at Bai Fu who had walked up to her, Excavation‑Princess snapped out of it just in time.
“Fu‑fu, it’s me! Excavation‑Princess!” she cried, raising both hands excitedly to her chest.
Before Bai Fu could respond, Anya suddenly peeked out from behind her, eyes full of suspicion. “You… you’re really not dead? That’s a lie, right? So many people said you died. The Boss even erected a monument for you.”
Excavation‑Princess quickly extended her right hand. “Really, I’m not dead. If you don’t believe me, pinch it and see.”
Anya pecked at her hand like a chick pecking rice, then turned to Bai Fu and said, “Still warm.”
“All right now.”
Bai Fu affectionately rubbed Anya’s head.
With that brief interruption, she dropped her stunned expression and turned to face Excavation‑Princess.
“Even though you two kept saying you wouldn’t die, and the Sacred Prophecy also said you were Undying Ones, I waited at the Abandoned Cooling Plant for two days and still didn’t see you come back, so I thought you were really dead. I thought what you said before was just to keep me from worrying.”
As she explained, Excavation‑Princess kept nodding.
Understood, I totally get it. How could an NPC know the game had gone into server maintenance for an update?
“Welcome back!”
Bai Fu extended her right hand, her face blooming with a warm smile like spring sunshine.
Seeing the hand so close, Excavation‑Princess froze in place.
She suddenly felt a stirring in her heart.
This was exactly the kind of unusual NPC she had sensed at a glance—this respect, this closeness, this game was simply amazing!
At this moment, Excavation‑Princess was utterly captivated by Bai Fu.
She reached out her right hand as well, lightly clasping that porcelain-like hand.
“Sorry to have worried you.”
【Fu‑fu’s smile, aaaaah, so warm, my heart is melting】
【They held hands! Held hands! Digging, you deserve death】
【This hand can never be washed again】
【So satisfying, Fu‑fu’s immersion is at max. In the crap game I used to play, I adventured with an NPC for years, and when we reunited, she couldn’t even bother to say hi. What garbage】
【Digging, quick, share what Fu‑fu’s hand feels like】
Live‑stream comments flew past. Excavation‑Princess also noticed Anya glaring fiercely at the hand she was holding with Bai Fu.
Heh, holding it just for the sake of holding it!
Excavation‑Princess ignored the comments.
This—this was her exclusive moment!
Seeing her silly smile, Bai Fu chuckled secretly too.
That meant 3/4 of her plan for the day had succeeded.
Now, only the final step remained——
To establish Excavation‑Princess, who had chased her all the way from the Abandoned Cooling Plant to Lynn, as a model, and lure other players to worship her like Excavation‑Princess!
Before this, she had helped players defeat mobs, earn XP, and even used her own sacrifice to pull emotional strings. But today, on this exciting reunion day, it was time to use a new tactic to deliver emotional value to the players.
“The journey from the Abandoned Cooling Plant to here wasn’t easy, was it?” Bai Fu suddenly asked.
Excavation‑Princess waved her hand. “Not bad. I was on a ride anyway. Didn't run into any danger.”
As she spoke, her stomach suddenly growled.
“I…”
Excavation‑Princess’s expression stiffened awkwardly.
She’d just said she was fine, but her Hunger Level betrayed her.
Sometimes, games being too realistic wasn’t a good thing.
Thankfully, Bai Fu’s smile only grew warmer.
“I’ll take you to eat first.”
“No, really, you don’t have to.” Excavation‑Princess quickly declined.
Without giving her a choice, Bai Fu tugged her along. “Don’t be nervous. Anya and I came out just to have dinner.”
Faced with Bai Fu’s “assertiveness,” Excavation‑Princess had no choice but to follow.
She’d intended to show her best side and earn some favor points in front of Bai Fu. Unexpectedly, it turned into one embarrassing moment after another.
But awkwardness aside, Excavation‑Princess was feeling smug. Especially seeing the wailing and real-name envy in the live‑stream comments, she felt like she was floating with joy.
Thinking back to when she first made a post in the Community praising Bai Fu, a whole bunch of people mocked her in the replies. Only a few supported her, and most were just there for the laughs.
Looking back now—what a dramatic reversal!
One could only say: true wisdom is lonely!
Excavation‑Princess had already decided that once she parted with Bai Fu later tonight, she would make another post in the Community.
Not to torment those who had mocked her—no, the brilliance of a sage was not built on mocking fools.
She just wanted to show off a bit. She planned to thoroughly document her emotional journey from deciding to search for Bai Fu to reuniting with her. Oh, and she must describe the feeling of holding Bai Fu’s hand—such top-tier material deserved at least several hundred words.
With this thought in mind, Excavation‑Princess followed behind Bai Fu.
Soon, both she and the players watching the livestream realized that the amount of writing material accumulated during tonight’s outing would be more than she could ever finish.
19:03 — Arrived at the Red Sail Restaurant with Fu‑fu and Anya. Fu‑fu treated. Enjoyed delicious cuisine with distinct Wasteland characteristics.
19:52 — Left the restaurant with Fu‑fu and Anya. Strolled along a path lined with metal pipes. Unexpectedly learned Fu‑fu has a sweet tooth. She snacked while walking—surprisingly cute.
20:26 — Visited an amusement park called “Mechanical Power” with Fu‑fu and Anya. Viewed scrapped Power Armor. When the colored lights cascaded down from the poles, felt a hint of envy toward Fu‑fu and Anya’s close bond.
21:28 — Climbed to the top of Lynn’s tallest radio tower with Fu‑fu and Anya. The wind at the top was strong, but standing beside Fu‑fu, her whole body felt warm.
Standing at the viewing platform atop the tower, gazing over the slumbering Lynn under the night sky, Excavation‑Princess’s thoughts drifted afar.
During her outing with Bai Fu, Star‑Play Society was on the verge of exploding. From the Abandoned Cooling Plant subforum to the main board, player activity levels were off the charts.
【Something’s wrong, big news!】
【What big news?】
【Another fight?】
【Excavation‑Princess’s livestream, go watch for yourself】
Many players rushed over upon hearing this. When they arrived at Excavation‑Princess’s livestream, they were all stunned.
Damn, you could play it like this?
This strange atmosphere, this bizarre livestream content—someone who didn’t know better might think they were watching an anime!
【Ah, my eyes, my eyes! I’m going blind!】
【Kill Digging, steal Fu‑fu!】
【Why is it her standing next to Fu‑fu and not me!】
【Damn, showing off like this. So if you raise an NPC’s favorability enough, you get this kind of experience? Someone tell me how much Bai Fu’s favorability toward Excavation‑Princess is—I need a benchmark】
【Holy crap, you can actually play the game like this?】
【I feel like if you raise an NPC’s favorability high enough, you might really be able to get married!】
After venting in the livestream, these players returned to the Community to continue their madness.
Under their influence, even players who weren’t initially interested in this topic put down what they were doing and poured into Excavation‑Princess’s livestream.
Fortunately, the servers of Beyond the Stars were unbelievably stable.
Otherwise, the livestream room might’ve crashed from the overload.
That night, Bai Fu’s popularity exploded again—but this surge was different from before.
In past popularity spikes, her name circulated only within the game. But this time, thanks to many passerby players who normally didn’t follow her—or didn’t even play in the Community—joining in, and spreading Excavation‑Princess’s livestream content to external social media platforms, Bai Fu suddenly became a minor promotional symbol for Beyond the Stars.
《Shocking! A Streamer Turns Beyond the Stars into a Dating Sim!》
《Still looking for a caring virtual friend? Beyond the Stars—you deserve it!》
《Quick, look! This woman is called Xiaomei, and the one beside her is…》
One outrageous article headline after another began to pop up, and in a short time, they actually attracted quite a few new players to Beyond the Stars.
Even Bai Fu herself, the one behind the scenes as the Developer, hadn’t expected her plan to be so effective.
Her mood suddenly surged with excitement. If she could become the poster girl of Beyond the Stars, wouldn’t the Developer have to buff her across the board just to make sure she wouldn’t die?
Alright, alright, new hope had emerged!
22:06 — Bai Fu descended from the Radio Tower with Excavation‑Princess and Anya.
Seeing that it was getting late, she booked a room nearby for Excavation‑Princess so she could stay temporarily.
“I’ve paid five days of rent for you, so there’s no need to worry about lodging for now. If something urgent comes up, you can find me. I live at…”
Bai Fu gave Xia Shi’s address.
“Take these too.”
Bai Fu then pulled out 500 Credit Coins and stuffed them all into Excavation‑Princess’s hands.
Excavation‑Princess was stunned, and so were the players in the livestream room.
Bai Fu had already exceeded expectations by treating Excavation‑Princess to dinner, showing her around Lynn, and paying her rent. Now, she was even handing her 500 bucks on parting.
What kind of spirit was this?
“Wow, Boss, you’ve never even given me that much pocket money!” Anya jumped out.
Bai Fu immediately suppressed her: “Don’t speak nonsense.”
Anya cooperatively retracted her neck.
“I…”
Seeing this, Excavation‑Princess wanted to say something, but Bai Fu interrupted her.
“Take it. I received a bonus from the Intelligence Division Four of the Gene Primordials. Without you guys, I wouldn’t have gotten that bonus. Oh right, I also found a few Profession Knowledge Books in the Wildfire Gang’s Library. I remember you all really needed those. I don’t have any use for them, so I’ll bring them to you next time we meet.”
This time, even without anyone interrupting, Excavation‑Princess couldn’t say a word.
【She gives money, she gives Profession Knowledge Books—can you find a better NPC than Fu‑fu in this game?】
【Why are you still standing there? Join Fu Sect and start praising Fu‑fu with me!】
【Damn, now I absolutely have to max out Bai Fu’s favorability. Even if she doesn’t have a Hidden Quest, it’s still totally worth it】
Looking at the screen filled with envy, Excavation‑Princess felt like she was about to cry.
This was the first time she’d ever been moved not because of some tearjerking plot, but out of genuine emotion.
“Fu‑fu, you’ve been so good to me. In the world I originally came from, even my parents haven’t cared this much about me for a long time.”
Hmm?
Bai Fu froze for a moment.
Excavation‑Princess gave a bitter smile but didn’t elaborate.
With so many livestream viewers watching, she couldn’t bring herself to talk about how her parents divorced when she was young, or how she faced constant setbacks in school and work—it would just sound like she was trying to gain sympathy.
There was no need for that. Even without selling misery, she was doing fine now.
She was just a bit emotional. It had been so long since she felt cared for like this—and it was from a game NPC.
“Fu‑fu, can you tell me about yourself? I’m still weak right now and might not be able to help you fulfill your wish, but I’ll do my best. Even if I can only help a little, I’ll give it my all!”
Excavation‑Princess summoned her courage to say those words.
Once spoken, she held her breath.
The players in the livestream also quieted down.
Would Bai Fu reveal her true identity this time, and release a Hidden Quest?
Bai Fu stared intently at Excavation‑Princess.
According to her original plan, she was supposed to share the story she’d made up after some time had passed. But now that Excavation‑Princess had taken the initiative, and the livestream atmosphere was heating up, why wait?
“Can I come in and sit for a bit?”
Excavation‑Princess’s eyes lit up. It worked—haha, it worked!
She quickly invited Bai Fu and Anya inside.
After serving Bai Fu and Anya some boiled water, she nervously sat on the sofa in the guest room, along with thousands of players, all eagerly waiting for Bai Fu to finally lift that sheer silk veil from her face.