87: Chapter 87 Starry Sky's Longing

After emerging from the "Shenguo Ship," the connecting bridges built by The Five Great Guilds were still bustling with noise, filled everywhere with the lingering restlessness and excitement of the post-celebration.

"Luo Ning, you go back to our fortress first and fill Muzi and Old Zhang in on the situation."

Zhou An stopped at a fork in the road.

"I just saw an interesting independent seller on the trading channel who seems to have a few special building blueprints. I'm going to go inspect the goods in person."

"Alright then, you big busybody, don't forget to come back early."

Luo Ning didn't suspect anything; she waved her hand casually and turned to merge into the crowd heading back.

Watching Luo Ning disappear completely into the sea of flickering neon lights, Zhou An turned around and calmly adjusted the brim of his hat.

He turned into a black market private room at the edge of the connecting bridge, privately operated by a senior executive of the [Four Seas Chamber of Commerce].

The room was dimly lit, and the air was filled with a faint scent of cheap incense. A scrawny merchant was rubbing his hands together, pacing back and forth nervously and excitedly.

"Sir, you've finally arrived."

Upon seeing Zhou An, the merchant's eyes lit up instantly, and he immediately bowed and scraped as he approached. He carefully cradled a heavy lead box engraved with complex sealing arrays from his chest, as if it contained his very life.

"The item you wanted—I had to pull out all the stops just to pry it from the hands of a survivor who was on the verge of running out of supplies. It's absolutely top-tier!"

Zhou An didn't waste words; he reached out and opened the lead box directly.

"Hum—"

As the lid opened, a soft, pure azure glimmer instantly spilled out.

It was an exquisitely crafted necklace.

The chain was forged from mithril, light as nothing. At the end of the necklace hung a teardrop-shaped sapphire, inside which a miniature nebula seemed to be slowly swirling.

[Star Dome's Affection]

Grade: Legendary Accessory

Trait: Star Energy Nourishment: Long-term close wear can slowly and permanently enhance the wearer's cellular activity and mental resilience, completely immunizing them against the vast majority of low-to-mid-level Abyss radiation, and significantly reducing daily SAN value loss.

Trait: Star Dome's Protection: When the wearer suffers a fatal blow, a barrier lasting 3 seconds is automatically triggered, capable of completely blocking a full-force strike from a Tier 5 powerhouse at maximum.

Zhou An looked at the necklace, a look of extreme satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

Although that girl Luo Ning is gifted, she always fights like a lunatic, disregarding everything and relying entirely on her armor to tank damage.

With this legendary accessory that can both nourish her body long-term and save her life at critical moments, she will effectively have an extra life if she encounters any emergencies in the future. Plus, this shade of deep blue will definitely look great against her fair skin.

"Five million units of Tier 4 materials, not a penny less."

Zhou An didn't even haggle; he directly transferred the huge amount of supplies to the other party through the system's trading channel.

"You're a generous boss! It's been a pleasure doing business with you!"

Looking at the instantly inflated balance in his account, the merchant trembled with excitement, bowing repeatedly.

Zhou An carefully tucked the necklace into his storage space, a smile unconsciously tugging at the corner of his lips.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the connecting bridge.

The young girl walked alone on the dappled metal walkway, hands behind her back, kicking at scattered debris by her feet absentmindedly.

"Just joined the guild and already became some Resource Department Minister, and even had a Vice President position reserved in advance..."

Luo Ning muttered to herself as she walked, her dainty nose slightly wrinkled, her tone laced with a hint of sourness she didn't even realize herself.

"Tsk, he used to be a wicked capitalist who only knew how to exploit me; now, great, he's turned into a busy politician. He'll definitely be pestered by all those trivial guild matters every day, and might even have to deal with those deep-thinking old foxes every day..."

Thinking of this, a wave of inexplicable irritability suddenly welled up in Luo Ning's heart; it felt as if their small circle, which originally belonged only to the few of them, had suddenly been forcibly intruded upon.

She walked to a relatively quiet viewing platform at the edge of the bridge, stopped, leaned against the railing, and stared blankly at the tranquil sea of clouds in the distance.

Then, she extended her fair wrist, and a faint light flashed in her palm. An ordinary item, one with no attribute bonuses and which even the system's appraisal panel couldn't detect, appeared quietly in her hand.

It was a mutton-fat jade bracelet with a warm texture and excellent clarity.

This wasn't some overpowered game item, but the only special item from Earth she had with her when she was dragged into this cruel apocalyptic world.

Luo Ning gently stroked the smooth surface of the bracelet with her fingertips. Her eyes softened completely at this moment, as if covered by a faint mist.

In her mind, her mother's face involuntarily appeared, along with the incredibly gentle advice she gave when putting this bracelet on her:

"Ningning, you are too smart, but also too strong-willed. You have grown thorns all over your body, like a little hedgehog. While this can protect you from harm, it will also prick those who want to get close to you and hug you..."

"If one day, you meet a boy who can make you lower all your defenses and willingly retract those thorns... If you find that not only do you not want to push him away, but you actually want to hide in his world..."

"Then wear this bracelet well, and be brave enough to face your own heart, okay?"

"Retract all my thorns..."

Luo Ning murmured softly.

The images in her mind began to surge uncontrollably.

She recalled the past six months or so, in that cold fortress, how he indulged her—even though he always had a sharp tongue and complained, he never hesitated to lavish all the best resources on her.

And last night by the bonfire party, when the crowd was packed, that large hand of his—though a bit stiff—firmly protecting her waist.

She slowly raised her hand and gently pressed it against the left side of her chest.

A strange, exceptionally joyful, and powerful palpitation was coming from there.

"It seems... I really don't want to push him away."

Luo Ning closed her eyes in relief, taking a deep breath of the cold yet fresh air at ten thousand meters. When she opened her eyes again, all the entanglement, bitterness, and confusion in her eyes had vanished.

Facing the night wind, she revealed an extremely bright and beautiful smile. It was a purity that only blooms when one truly faces their own heart.

"Forget about being a Vice President or a busy politician!"

Luo Ning proudly lifted her chin, revealing her little fangs.

"At worst, this young lady will just keep a close eye on him! If anyone dares to bother him with trivial guild matters, or if any shameless vixen dares to throw herself at him, I'll capture them all and use them as my experimental materials."

Luo Ning put the bracelet into her system space.

Afterwards, she put her hands behind her back again, her steps becoming incredibly light.