My Spirit Farm Is A Love Magnet

Morning arrived with the faint glow of dawn spilling through the farmhouse's cracked wooden shutters. Liu Fei stirred awake, her back protesting from a night spent on the hard floor. She groaned, rolling onto her side to find the stranger already sitting up on the straw mattress, his golden eyes observing her with an amused expression.

"You're awake," she muttered, propping herself up on her elbows. "Again."

"Good morning to you too, foolish human," he replied, his voice still raspy but noticeably stronger than the night before. "Thank you for your… unconventional medical care."

"Unconventional or not, you're alive," Liu Fei shot back, standing up and brushing dust off her clothes. "So maybe save the sarcasm."

His lips curved into a faint smirk. "Noted."

The kitchen—if it could be called that—was a testament to Liu Fei's dwindling resources. The remains of Widow Lin's bread sat forlornly on the table, accompanied by a chipped bowl of millet porridge that could generously be described as watery. She split the meager offerings onto two plates, sliding one toward the stranger.

"It's not much," she admitted, "but it'll have to do."

The stranger raised an eyebrow but said nothing, accepting the plate with an elegant nod. He ate slowly, his movements controlled despite the evident hunger etched on his face. Liu Fei couldn't help but notice how out of place he looked here, like a prince disguised as a pauper.

"What's your name?" she asked abruptly, breaking the silence.

He paused mid-bite, his gaze lifting to meet hers. "Names carry power," he said cryptically. "For now, call me Yan Mo."

"Yan Mo," she repeated, rolling the name over in her mind. "Fine. I'm Liu Fei. And no, you don't get to make fun of it."

"I wouldn't dream of it," he replied, though the amused glint in his eyes suggested otherwise.

After breakfast, Liu Fei grabbed her rusty hoe and trudged out to the southern field, her body still sore from the previous day's labor. Yan Mo followed, his movements slow but deliberate. He leaned against the fence, watching her with a mixture of curiosity and bemusement as she swung the hoe at another stubborn patch of weeds.

"So," Liu Fei began, wiping sweat from her brow, "I have a question."

"Ask," Yan Mo said, folding his arms over his chest.

She hesitated, glancing at the system's translucent interface hovering just within her field of vision. The glowing screen displayed her current Spirit Point total and a list of available side missions. She wondered, not for the first time, how strange it was to have a constant invisible companion offering unsolicited advice.

"The system keeps telling me to do side missions for rewards," she began. "How exactly is that supposed to help me make money? I can't exactly pay off debts or buy tools with Spirit Points."

Yan Mo's brows knitted in confusion. "System? What are you talking about?"

Liu Fei froze, realizing too late that her words made no sense to him. "Uh… nothing," she said quickly, gripping her hoe tighter. "Just… thinking out loud."

"You're a peculiar one," Yan Mo said, though he didn't press further.

"Host," the system chimed in her mind, "Spirit Points are a versatile currency within the farmstead framework. Accumulated points can be exchanged for resources, tool upgrades, and access to higher-tier missions, which often include monetary rewards."

"So basically, I have to grind like it's some kind of game before I can actually earn anything?" she muttered under her breath.

"Correct," the system replied cheerfully.

Liu Fei sighed, leaning on her hoe. "Great. More work for less reward. Typical."

Yan Mo's gaze sharpened. "You talk to yourself quite a bit," he observed. "Is that a common trait among farmers?"

"It's a coping mechanism," Liu Fei snapped, resuming her hoeing with renewed vigor. "When you're stuck on a farm with no money and more weeds than crops, you'd talk to yourself too."

The system helpfully displayed a list of available side missions as Liu Fei worked:

Tame a Spirit Chicken: Reward: 5 Spirit Points.

Clear the Northern Plot: Reward: 10 Spirit Points.

Deliver Foraged Herbs to Widow Lin: Reward: 8 Spirit Points and 2 Spirit Coins.

Her eyes lingered on the third option. "Wait, Spirit Coins? Finally, something useful."

"Mission recommendation: Foraging for herbs will simultaneously increase Spirit Points and establish rapport with local villagers," the system said.

"I didn't ask for your opinion," Liu Fei muttered, though she couldn't deny the logic. "Fine, I'll take the herb delivery mission."

"Herbs?" Yan Mo's voice interrupted her thoughts. "You're venturing into the forest again?"

"It's not like I have a choice," Liu Fei said, gripping her hoe tightly. "Money doesn't grow on trees here, apparently."

Yan Mo's expression darkened slightly. "Then you'll need protection. The forest isn't safe for someone like you."

"Someone like me?" Liu Fei echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"Naive," he said simply, his gaze unwavering. "And unarmed."

"I've got a pitchfork," Liu Fei countered, though she couldn't help but feel the weight of his words.

Yan Mo sighed, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "At least promise you'll be cautious."

Liu Fei glanced at him, surprised by the genuine concern in his voice. "I'll be fine," she said, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "I've got a… guide."

"A guide?" Yan Mo's sharp gaze narrowed. "What sort of guide?"

"Never mind," Liu Fei said quickly, waving him off. "It's not important."

He didn't reply, but his expression remained wary as she turned back to the field.

By midday, the southern field was another step closer to being cleared, though Liu Fei's hands were blistered, and her energy reserves were running low. She sat under the shade of a tree, her gaze drifting toward Yan Mo, who still leaned against the fence, his eyes half-closed as if lost in thought.

"So," she called, "what's your story? Why did you crash onto my farm, of all places?"

His eyes opened slowly, the golden irises catching the sunlight. "It's a long story," he said after a pause. "And not one I'm inclined to share."

Liu Fei rolled her eyes. "Figures."

"Perhaps, in time," Yan Mo added, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "If you survive the forest, that is."

"Very encouraging," Liu Fei muttered, but she couldn't stop the small smile that crept onto her face.