"Worker's Home" was exactly what it sounded like.
As the largest and most central residential hub in Valley No. 4, it was also the place with the strongest sense of everyday life—probably the most "alive" corner of the entire valley.
They found a shop with a higher vantage point, sat down together, and started eating.
Bai Ling held his tray, gaze fixed on the Hub District under construction. Even from here, he could see busy engineering machines and workers moving back and forth.
He'd barely lifted his chopsticks when Angelina arrived, balancing a tray piled up like a mountain, and plopped herself down across from him.
"Mr. Bai Ling!" Her eyes sparkled. "The stewed meat here is so good! Even better than the Dijiang cafeteria!"
That was normal.
Food on the Dijiang wasn't guaranteed to taste amazing, but it was guaranteed to be safe. Meanwhile, most eateries in the Hub District catered to heavy laborers: heavy oil, heavy salt—guaranteed to fill you up, not guaranteed to be refined.
Bai Ling glanced at her tray: two servings of stewed meat, one serving of vegetables, and a huge bowl of soup.
"…Can you even finish that?"
"Of course!" Angelina was already digging in. "Courier work burns a ton of energy. If you don't eat more, how can you keep going?"
Jelperta sat down beside her. Her portion looked normal by comparison. She stared at Angelina's "little mountain," as if wanting to say something—then swallowed it.
Eldera took the last seat, carrying only a cup of hot milk and a small vegetable salad.
Noticing Bai Ling's glance, she explained softly, "I'm going to the ore-vein source zone this afternoon. If I eat too much, I'll get sleepy."
Bai Ling nodded and lowered his head to eat.
The table was quiet for a few seconds.
Angelina lifted her head, looked at Bai Ling, then at Eldera, then at Jelperta beside her—and suddenly smiled.
"Do you guys never talk while you're eating?"
Bai Ling didn't even look up. "Talk about what?"
"Anything." Angelina said as if it were obvious. "Like, Mr. Bai Ling… what are you going to do about that room of yours?"
His chopsticks paused for a beat, then resumed as if nothing happened. "What do you mean, 'do about it'?"
"That pink room." Angelina blinked. "With all that stuff. You planning to keep it forever?"
Bai Ling ate two more bites before answering calmly, "I'll keep it."
Angelina tilted her head. "You like pink?"
"No particular feeling."
"Then why keep it?"
For a moment, Bai Ling's mind held only Yvonne's expression when she left—those glittering eyes, and that hesitant request: Can I come again?
"Because…" he paused, "…it was a gift from a f—(friend)."
Angelina froze, then smiled.
Not teasing. Warm.
"I see."
She lowered her head and continued eating, not pressing further.
Jelperta stole a quick glance at Bai Ling, then immediately looked away.
Eldera sipped her hot milk, a faint smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
The rest of the meal stayed quiet—but plenty of people noticed their table.
After all… three beautiful girls drew attention anywhere.
They walked out of Worker's Home together.
Angelina stretched luxuriously, sunlight washing over her long hair with a warm glow.
"I'm so full—what's next?"
Jelperta checked her communicator band. "Supervisor Perica says there's a batch of supplies that needs to be delivered to the Reconstruction Command Post at Energy Supply Highland."
"Delivering supplies?" Angelina's eyes lit up. "I'll go, I'll go!"
Jelperta hesitated. "But…"
"But what?" Angelina grabbed her hand. "Two couriers delivering together doubles efficiency—wasn't that what we agreed on?"
Jelperta looked into those sparkling eyes. The words on the tip of her tongue disappeared back down.
"…Okay."
Angelina nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Bai Ling. "Mr. Bai Ling, want to come too?"
"…No, I'll pass." As an unemployed drifter, he really had nothing to do today—but still.
Eldera was supposed to go to the ore-vein source zone. Angelina and Jelperta were delivering supplies.
"I'll stay with you, Senior Bai Ling." Eldera spoke up.
Bai Ling looked at her with a trace of curiosity. "Aren't you going to the ore-vein source zone?"
"I can go another day." Eldera smiled softly. "If you're alone, I don't feel at ease."
Angelina watched the scene, the curve of her smile growing wider and wider.
"Oooh~"
Bai Ling took one look at her expression and instantly regretted not agreeing to go deliver supplies.
The place had started to take shape: rows of simple prefab cabins neatly lined up, piles of building materials stacked in the open center, workers moving back and forth in a frenzy of reconstruction.
Angelina looked around, curious—yet also a little sad.
"This environment… is really not great…"
"Yeah." Jelperta nodded. "Miss Talulah's strike split the entire Superdomain Test Site open. But if it wasn't for her… the erosion from the Superdomain rift would've been even more destructive."
Angelina stared at the massive scorched gash along the distant mountainside and went quiet.
"She's amazing…"
She drew her eyes back to the workers.
"These people… are they all survivors of that disaster?"
"Mhm." Jelperta said softly. "Some were nearby residents. Some were from work crews. Their homes were destroyed, so they came here to rebuild."
Angelina didn't speak—just watched.
A white-haired grandmother sat in the sun outside one cabin, sewing and mending an old piece of clothing. Young workers carried materials past her, sweat running down their faces, yet smiling anyway.
Angelina watched for a long time.
Then she turned to Jelperta.
"Do you come here a lot?"
"Sometimes." Jelperta said. "When there are supplies to deliver."
"And these people—do you know them?"
Jelperta thought for a moment. "Some of them. That grandma—her legs aren't good; sometimes she needs someone to bring medicine. Those workers—I've run into them on the road; we say hello."
Angelina listened, and a small curve formed at her lips.
"That's what being a courier is."
Jelperta blinked. "What?"
"Not just delivering letters." Angelina looked at the busy camp. "It's connecting people to people… connecting hope to hope."
She turned and smiled at Jelperta.
"You're doing great."
Jelperta opened her mouth, but no words came. So she lowered her head and walked toward their destination.
The handover point was a warehouse deeper inside the camp.
Jelperta checked the list, handed over the supplies, and spoke with the person in charge—a young man of the same race, wearing a tired but relieved smile.
"Thanks for your hard work, Miss Jelperta. Sorry to always make you run this far."
"It's not trouble." Jelperta shook her head. "It's what I should do."
The man—Dunn—glanced at Angelina beside her, stunned. "And this is…?"
"My friend." Jelperta said. "She's here to help."
"Friend?" Dunn looked at them both and laughed. "You look so alike—sisters?"
Angelina nodded cheerfully. "Yes yes, we're sisters."
Jelperta's ears turned red again, but she didn't refute it.
After leaving the warehouse, they walked along the camp path.
Angelina looked around, then pointed. "What's that?"
Jelperta followed her finger. "A temporary medical station. It used to treat injured workers; now it's mostly routine checkups."
"Want to go take a look?"
Jelperta hesitated, then nodded.
Inside the station, it was quiet. Medical staff in white coats were organizing medicine. A few workers sat in the corner waiting for checkups.
Angelina stood at the doorway for a while, then said softly, "It feels like home."
Jelperta looked at her.
"Rhodes Island has a medical station too." Angelina said. "There's always a line—Infected, injured operators, ordinary patients. Some doctors are so busy they can't even eat."
She paused, voice growing lighter.
"When I delivered letters and passed by, I'd bring them food. They always said, 'No, no, you don't have to,' but they'd clean it up every time—even the ones who don't really need to eat like normal people would still take a bite."
Jelperta listened silently.
Angelina turned and smiled.
"So you get it, right? A courier's job isn't just delivering letters."
Jelperta fell quiet for a moment, then nodded gently.
"…Yeah."
In the distance, Bai Ling and Eldera stood at the edge of the camp, watching.
"She's teaching her," Eldera said softly.
Bai Ling nodded.
Angelina wasn't the type to preach grand principles. She taught in her own way—bit by bit—making Jelperta understand.
What a courier was… and who she herself was.
"Senior Bai Ling," Eldera said.
"Mm?"
"What do you think Jelperta will become in the future?"
Bai Ling thought.
"…She'll become 'Jelperta.'"
Eldera laughed softly.
The two little foxes had already started their return trip.
On the road, Angelina kept holding Jelperta's hand.
Jelperta didn't pull away.
After walking a while, Angelina asked, "Jelperta."
"Mm?"
"Do you have a letter you really want to deliver?"
Jelperta paused.
"I mean…" Angelina searched for the words. "Not a mission. One you want to deliver yourself."
Jelperta was silent for a long time—so long that Angelina thought she wouldn't answer.
Then, softly:
"Yes."
"To who?"
Jelperta didn't answer.
Angelina looked at her—and smiled.
"It's okay. If you don't want to say it, don't."
She squeezed Jelperta's hand tighter.
"When you want to deliver it… I'll go with you."
Jelperta lowered her head, saying nothing—but her hand gently squeezed back once.
That evening, outside Bai Ling's house in Valley No. 4, a small table was set out, covered in dishes.
Angelina insisted they hold a little banquet to "celebrate" Bai Ling's newly redecorated home.
Of course, Bai Ling paid voluntarily.
"Spoil your own Servants."
Just watching Angelina happily chew through a plate of steak made Bai Ling feel like his own food tasted better.
Jelperta sat beside her, eating in small bites, occasionally glancing at her with a smile.
Eldera still had hot milk and a small salad.
Bai Ling kept his head down eating, pretending not to notice the two gazes that drifted over from time to time.
"Oh, right." Angelina suddenly looked up. "Mr. Bai Ling, do you have anything tomorrow?"
Bai Ling thought. "Probably not."
"Perfect!" Angelina's eyes lit up. "Come deliver letters with us tomorrow!"
"…Why?"
"Because…" Angelina blinked. "I want you to see how two couriers work."
"Didn't you say it doubles efficiency? Why do you need me to see?"
"Of course you do!" Angelina said righteously. "You're my Summoner. You should understand how 'I' work."
Bai Ling looked at her I'm totally logical expression and realized he had no good reason to refuse.
"…Alright."
Angelina smiled in satisfaction.
As time passed, the dishes on the table dwindled.
Jelperta looked at Angelina, then at Bai Ling, then lowered her head and kept eating.
Eldera sipped her hot milk—looking like she was eating, but in truth her attention never left Bai Ling.
Yvonne lay sprawled over her desk with a pen in hand, drawing on paper. Her little feet—wrapped in pure white stockings—had already slipped out of her shoes.
Tata curled up by her feet as a footrest. Every time Yvonne's toes wiggled, Tata's screen-eyes blinked along.
"Tata."
"Ji?"
"Do you think… he really likes those things?"
A question mark appeared on Tata's screen.
Yvonne sighed and buried her face in her arms.
"Was I too forward…?"
Tata's screen flickered, then slowly displayed an expression:
(-v-)
Yvonne lifted her head. Seeing it, she relaxed immediately.
"…Whatever. I already gave them to him."
....
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