Farm Game in Another World.

Back in class, Xiao Zhi clapped his hands together, drawing Lin Yue and Shen Ming's attention.

"Alright, that sums up our class for today," he announced, his tone cheerful though a little forced.

Internally, he let out a deep sigh of relief. Thank goodness that's over. I'll definitely need to research how to teach properly next time. This can't go on taking them out like this.

As he began tidying up the small classroom, a figure appeared at the door. Xiao Zhi looked up to see a female teacher entering. She had a curious expression on her face, her brows slightly furrowed as she approached.

"Teacher Zhi," she said, her voice gentle but tinged with concern, "are you feeling alright? You seem… different than before."

Xiao Zhi's heart skipped a beat, panic bubbling up inside him. Oh no, did I expose myself somehow? But then again, I didn't really try hard to copy the original Xiao Zhi either.

Quickly composing himself, he cleared his throat and gave a soft cough. "Ahem, I've just been… reflecting on things lately," he said, his voice steady despite his internal turmoil. "It's nothing to worry about."

The female teacher tilted her head slightly, studying him for a moment before nodding. "I see. Well, take care of yourself, alright? You know you can always reach out if you need help."

"Of course," Xiao Zhi replied with a polite smile. "Thank you for your concern."

As she left, Xiao Zhi relaxed slightly, though his mind raced. I'll really need to be more careful. I can't have people questioning me too much. Maybe I should spend more time studying the old Xiao Zhi's habits.

With that thought, he turned back to his students, who were gathering their belongings.

It struck him as odd that Teacher Liu had paid him a visit. She was usually the silent type, someone who kept to herself and only spoke when necessary. While she'd had a few conversations with the old Xiao Zhi, she wasn't the kind of person to proactively approach and ask how he was doing.

Weird stuff, Xiao Zhi thought, shaking his head slightly.

"Teacher, see you tomorrow," Lin Yue's soft voice broke through his thoughts.

He looked up to see her timid smile before she quickly turned to leave, Shen Ming trailing after her with a small wave. The two students dashed off, their cheerful energy leaving the classroom feeling quieter than before.

Just as Xiao Zhi began to gather his belongings, a familiar chime echoed in his mind.

[System Notification: Congratulations! You have leveled up. You are now a Level 1 Farmer!

New Features unlocked: Shop, sub-space. ]

He froze mid-step, his eyes widening slightly. The shop?

A surge of excitement coursed through him as he quickly pulled up the system interface, eager to see what new opportunities this development would bring.

The first thing Xiao Zhi saw on the shop page made his jaw drop.

[Heavenly Iron Pan – 100,000 GC]

Description: Even junk cooked with this pan will taste heavenly.

He blinked, wondering if he'd read that correctly. A hundred thousand for a pan?

His eyes shifted to the next item.

[Adaptive Cultivation Manual – 50,000 GC]

Description: Tailored to the user, this manual provides a cultivation technique of any grade below Divine.

Xiao Zhi's mouth twitched. Below Divine, huh? Fifty thousand just to get something that's "almost or maybe good"? He couldn't help but feel the system was trolling him.

Then, his gaze landed on something more modest:

[Spirit Apple Seed – 100 GC per seed]

Now this was within his reach. However, compared to the items above, it seemed almost anticlimactic. He let out a dry laugh as he closed the shop interface and opened his inventory.

[Inventory:]

GC: 6,326

Spirit Apple Seeds: 0

Spirit Tomatoes: 0

Looking at the numbers, Xiao Zhi sighed heavily, feeling like a complete peasant. "I'm out here busting my back for a few thousand, and the system's already dangling stuff in the hundreds of thousands like it's pocket change," he muttered.

He flopped down on the edge of the desk, rubbing his temples. "At least I'm glad I got a shortcut with the manual.. it's just a few days of insane work I guess."

Since Xiao Zhi had some free time before visiting his aunt, he decided to explore the newly unlocked sub-space as well.

It was essentially a virtual farm within the system, where crops could be planted and grown. The concept was simple, but there was a catch—expanding the available land required spending GC.

"Hell, why not just call this a 'farm game in another world!'" he muttered, shaking his head with a wry smile.

The initial setup offered two free plots of land. Each plot could accommodate either one Spirit Apple seed or fifty Spirit Tomato seeds.

After some deliberation, Xiao Zhi decided to test both options.

[-150 GC spend , you received 1 spirit apple seed and 50 spirit tomatoes seeds.]

He planted one Spirit Apple seed on the first plot and filled the second with Spirit Tomato seeds.

As soon as he confirmed the planting, the process began. It really was like a literal farming game—the crops started growing instantly, all on their own, with the system accelerating their development.

The growth speed was astonishing, even to Xiao Zhi, who was already getting used to the system's peculiarities.

True to its nature, the Spirit Tomatoes ripened in exactly thirty minutes. However, the Spirit Apple still needed more time to reach maturity.

Xiao Zhi leaned back, watching the progress bar in the system interface, and couldn't help but feel amused.

"At least farming is straightforward here," he mused, a small grin tugging at his lips. "If only real life had been this easy."

__________

The classroom was quiet when Xie Ninger arrived. She paused at the doorway, her eyes falling on Xiao Zhi, who sat at a desk, staring blankly ahead.

He looked lost in thought, his chin resting on his hand, completely unaware of her presence.

Something about him felt different. He wasn't the same Xiao Zhi she remembered—the one who carried himself with quiet confidence, almost bordering on arrogance.

In the past, he would always light up when she appeared, his eyes following her every move as though she were the center of his world.

If she spoke to him, he would stumble over his words in his eagerness to please, his admiration almost palpable.

But today, at the stall, he hadn't even spared her more than a polite glance. And now, here in the quiet classroom, he didn't even notice her arrival.

There was a stillness about him, a sense of detachment that caught her off guard. It was as if she was no longer a part of his world, a realization that left her unsettled.

For a moment, she just watched him, uncertain if she should interrupt. Finally, she stepped inside, her footsteps light but purposeful.

"Xiao Zhi," she said softly, her voice breaking the silence.

He blinked, looking up at her with a faintly startled expression. "Ninger?"

She nodded, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. "Can we talk?"