Yu Yao took all the materials Chang Shuo had gathered about him and returned home. He set the things down, and just then, the furniture he'd bought for Yun Ying the day before arrived for delivery. Yu Yao installed it at home and placed it in Yun Ying's room.
He could live however he wanted on his own, but now that there was a girl in the house, he couldn't just make do anymore.
Yu Yao sat back down and flipped through the materials.
The household register only listed him alone, but Yu Yao had a gut feeling he did have a sister—not something He Fangchen had made up, nor something he'd imagined himself.
He read through those materials back and forth several times but couldn't find any trace of another person. Yu Yao raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, then glanced at his wristwatch.
Time to pick up Yun Ying.
Because the car had been taken in for maintenance, he had to walk. The distance from home to the training ground wasn't far—that training ground was also converted from a pre-apocalypse sports stadium, specially designated for Ability Users to train.
The moment Yu Yao arrived, he spotted an eyesore of a person.
Running into Xu Jingchuan here was something even Yun Ying hadn't expected.
The practice dummy ammunition had run out. Lu Yao and Lin Xizhi had gone off—one to register, one to fetch more ammunition—leaving Yun Ying alone to practice here.
After two days of live drills, Yun Ying's aim had improved just a tiny bit, but every time she gripped the gun, the recoil still left her palm numb. She shook out her aching hand and rubbed it with the other.
"Your grip on the gun isn't quite right." Someone suddenly appeared beside her, their voice clear and clean, sounding very young.
Yun Ying turned her head to look—it was that young boy she'd met yesterday.
Xu Jingchuan flashed her a grin, waving the gun in his hand. "My sister makes me practice shooting too. I can teach you."
"Your palm needs to press tightly against the grip so the force distributes evenly. Your wrist can't collapse, and your other hand should form a support—don't use just one hand. With a single hand, you'll have a hard time handling the recoil."
Yun Ying wasn't stupid, of course she knew what this boy was thinking. She truly found it amusing how the more powerful these people were, the more idle they became—having the nerve to fuss over romance and feelings even during the apocalypse.
She nodded without saying much, then shifted herself to the side and practiced with both hands on the gun.
A few people stood under a canopy in the distance. Xu Qingheng crossed her arms, frowning as she watched her foolish little brother fanning his tail feathers like a peacock.
"That kid Xu seems to have taken a liking to some girl. You might be getting a sister-in-law." The man beside her, idly spinning spider silk with one hand, laughed.
Xu Qingheng turned her head and shot him a glare. "Chen San, no one's going to think you're mute if you keep your mouth shut."
Chen San shrugged, tilting his chin toward the two young kids in the distance.
"What a cute girl. Taking her in wouldn't hurt either—our team's not short on food. Little Xu's young, and hanging around with us all day doesn't give him much in common to talk about."
Xu Qingheng narrowed her eyes, looking Yun Ying up and down as she kept inching away, and her own foolish brother happily crowding in. Xu Jingchuan was usually pretty sharp, but right now his brain seemed to have short-circuited—he hadn't even noticed the girl was dodging him as fast as she could.
"She probably has a boyfriend," Xu Qingheng said decisively. "An ordinary person with no supernatural ability, terrible aim, no means of self-defense—yet she can live in the inner city, dressed clean and neat. She must have a very powerful Ability User as a partner. The girl Xu Jingchuan mentioned yesterday should be her."
A girl with a boyfriend—Xu Jingchuan's "first love" was destined to end in vain.
Chen San chuckled. "So what if she has a boyfriend? The apocalypse has already shattered the old order. Worst case, we just take her with us when we leave."
Shameless.
Xu Qingheng shot him a glare. "That girl is a person, not an object. You can't just snatch her away like that."
Chen San knew she was upset and kept his mouth shut.
Xu Jingchuan seemed to genuinely like Yun Ying. The young man whose mind was usually only on games was now fawning over her eagerly, preening like a peacock, which made Yun Ying feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Yun Ying listened as he introduced himself and his background.
His name was Xu Jingchuan. Before the apocalypse, he had been a junior at Huacheng University, majoring in automation technology. He had just turned twenty-three.
He was a Mutant Ability User, though he didn't specify what his ability was. But he also had an older sister and several companions, all with extremely powerful abilities. This made Yun Ying's heart tighten, and she couldn't help but feel wary of this group.
She looked at them with suspicion. A team full of powerful Ability Users should be fairly well-known at Dingcheng Base, but today Lu Yao and Lin Xizhi had told her about so many teams, and neither had mentioned Xu Jingchuan's.
…She was looking at him.
Xu Jingchuan's heart pounded. His hand gripping the gun tightened and loosened, his Adam's apple bobbed. He was mentally berating himself for dressing too casually today—a gray casual hoodie and jeans, clean and neat but not handsome enough. If he'd known he would run into her, he would have dressed up properly before leaving.
Yun Ying was sizing him up, and Xu Jingchuan let out a soft breath.
He probably wasn't ugly. Before the apocalypse, he'd been something of a campus heartthrob—people would ask for his contact info just walking down the street. But that Ability User she'd met yesterday wasn't ugly either. In fact, he was extremely handsome, with a masculine, rugged charm that couldn't be compared to a young kid like him.
But Yun Ying looked soft and gentle, and she wasn't that old either. Girls this young probably wouldn't like overly mature men. Maybe she was with that Ability User just to protect herself?
If it wasn't true love, then that relationship could be pried apart. He was strong too—he could completely protect her.
Xu Jingchuan stammered, "I—I could treat you to a meal?"
"No, you can't." Before Yun Ying could answer, an arm reached out from the side, wrapping around her shoulder and pulling her into an embrace.
Yu Yao pressed one hand against the back of Yun Ying's head, tucking the girl into his chest, hiding her attention-grabbing face.
Xu Jingchuan narrowed his eyes. "Are you two boyfriend and girlfriend?"
Yun Ying was about to speak. "We're not—"
"Yes." Yu Yao's fingers threaded through Yun Ying's long hair, gently tousling it. "So you're trying to be a homewrecker and steal her away?"
Yun Ying lifted her head from Yu Yao's embrace, thinking he was no better.
Even if her relationship with Song Huai was fake, they were still publicly known as lovers. This guy knew that and still took her away.
Lenient with himself, strict with others—such hypocrisy.
Xu Jingchuan's gaze turned cold, and he let out a scoff. "It's the apocalypse now. Survival comes first. If you can't protect your girlfriend, then maybe—"
"Then that's none of your concern." Yu Yao grabbed Yun Ying's wrist and swept his gaze over Xu Jingchuan. "A fifth-tier Mutant Ability User?"
His tone was so flippant, as if a fifth-tier Ability User meant nothing in his eyes. Xu Jingchuan frowned and was about to finish his sentence when someone pressed a hand on his shoulder.
Xu Qingheng walked over, smiling. "My little brother doesn't know his manners. My apologies, sir."
Yu Yao didn't even look at her. He picked up the bag by Yun Ying's feet, stuffed the training gear into it, and pulled Yun Ying away.
They had just stepped out of the training hall's main entrance when Xu Jingchuan said, "Sis, who exactly is this guy?"
Xu Qingheng smacked him on the back of the head. "We followed them the whole way and you still can't recognize them?"
Xu Jingchuan blinked, his well-defined brows furrowing as he muttered, "They only got off twice along the way, and I didn't even see him. So they're the people the boss is looking for."
He paused, then something occurred to him and he said, "But that's not right—then this girl is the one they kidnapped from Jiangcheng Base, so he himself isn't legitimate either!"
Xu Qingheng was exasperated beyond words. That's what he cared about??
She rolled her eyes at him and walked toward Chen San. "That Ability User seems to have recognized us."
Yu Yao hadn't driven, so Yun Ying walked back with him.
On the way back, Yu Yao gripped her wrist tightly, looking none too friendly.
Yun Ying pursed her lips and said nothing. She didn't want to explain herself to this bandit Yu Yao. Even before the apocalypse, Yu Yao had been jealous, restricting her interactions with men. After the apocalypse, he was still the same. Yun Ying was long tired of talking about it.
Back at the residential compound, He Fangchen and Cheng Zainan had just returned as well. They greeted the two of them.
"Captain, you went to pick up your sister?"
Cheng Zainan handed Yun Ying something wrapped in brown paper. "Here, there's a share for everyone."
Yun Ying looked down and saw it was a starch sausage. She quickly said, "I don't need one, you guys eat it."
He Fangchen waved his hand. "Don't be polite with us. What did we say back then? If we have a bite to eat, you have a bite to eat. Don't worry, just stick with us."
Yu Yao pulled her into the compound. "Take it. It's nothing valuable."
Yun Ying muttered, "That's exactly what makes it valuable."
Before the apocalypse, two starch sausages cost five yuan. After the apocalypse, they sold for an astronomical price.
She took a bite of the starch sausage and smiled at Cheng Zainan and He Fangchen. "Thank you."
Yu Yao didn't eat these things, so Cheng Zainan hadn't bought him one at all. He'd only bought five, leaving two for Lu Yao and Lin Xizhi.
The group entered the elevator, and Yu Yao said directly, "That team following us on the road has entered Dingcheng Base."
Yun Ying looked up.
Cheng Zainan was chewing on a starch sausage. Hearing this, he raised an eyebrow. "They followed us in? What are they planning?"
Yu Yao said, "I don't know. Tomorrow I'll go look at their files. Though they've probably filled in fake information too. In any case, we stay on guard against them."
It wasn't unheard of for Ability Users to have their eyes on their squad. Their team had too many High-tier Ability Users and had carried out many dangerous missions, which proved they had no small amount of supplies, Credits, and high-grade crystal cores. Some people might want to steal their treasures; others might want to join their team.
Cheng Zainan and He Fangchen didn't take it to heart. They nodded.
Yu Yao turned his head and glanced at Yun Ying, who was gnawing on her starch sausage. His eyes narrowed slightly as he said with pointed meaning, "Did you hear that? Stay on guard against them. That brat, who knows what he's scheming."
Yun Ying rolled her eyes at him and muttered to herself, "I know. You think everyone's like you two, with the leisure to date even in the apocalypse."
He Fangchen and Cheng Zainan chuckled quietly. The elevator reached the thirteenth floor, and they said their goodbyes and got off.
Yu Yao dragged Yun Ying out on the sixteenth floor. They changed their shoes at the door and went in. He rolled up his sleeves and went to wash his hands.
Yun Ying sat at the dining table gnawing on a starch sausage. Yu Yao came out and saw this careless girl happily eating, completely indifferent to him stewing in jealousy.
He was so frustrated he had no outlet. He walked over and wrapped his arms around her from behind, kissed her on the cheek, caught that soft flesh between his teeth and gave it a gentle bite. Yun Ying was so startled she nearly dropped the starch sausage, and hurriedly grabbed a plate from the table to catch it.
She frowned and said, "What are you doing?!"
Yu Yao let out a muffled laugh, resting his chin on her shoulder and nuzzling against it. "I like you, baby."
Yun Ying gritted her teeth. Even with amnesia, he couldn't kick that pet name habit. Before the apocalypse, he loved calling her that—and usually right after, he'd be untying his tie and tormenting her.
Bad dog!
"I'm not eating anymore. I'm going to shower." Yun Ying slipped out from under his arm and swiftly ducked into the bathroom.
Yu Yao leaned against the table, thinking she'd eaten her fill. He picked up the half-eaten starch sausage and took a bite, his brow furrowing slightly. He didn't understand how the girl could love eating this stuff, but in the apocalypse, every bite of food was hard-won. Yu Yao finished it off for her.
After Yun Ying finished her shower and brushed her teeth and washed her face, she came out and stared blankly at the empty plate on the table, then glared angrily at Yu Yao, who was sitting in the living room flipping through documents.
This damn dog, he'd actually eaten her starch sausage! She'd wanted to save it for tomorrow!
She shot him a glare, and under Yu Yao's bewildered gaze, Yun Ying returned to the master bedroom.
Before long, she heard noise from the bathroom—Yu Yao was going to shower too. Yun Ying didn't know exactly how many Credits he had, but as the number one Ability User at Dingcheng Base, he should have enough Credits for water.
But even so, she didn't dare use too much water when she showered, keeping it very simple.
Yun Ying sat by the small table. On the simple little desk Yu Yao had bought her were some skincare products he'd scavenged, along with a bottle of body lotion. It was far too precious—she felt uneasy even using it.
When Yu Yao finished his shower and came out, towel-drying his hair with one hand, he was about to head back to his own room when he looked up and caught sight of Yun Ying sitting in the living room. She sat cross-legged, wearing a pale yellow fleece pajama set, staring straight at him.
She was practically a walking little cake—he wanted to take a bite just looking at her.
Yu Yao's throat rolled. He walked toward her, bare-chested.
Yun Ying spoke up: "Um, I have something to tell you—"
"Later."
Yu Yao wrapped one arm around her waist and gently lifted her up. He sat on the sofa, holding the stunned girl in his lap, and lowered his head to kiss her lips.
Yun Ying snapped to her senses, pressing both hands against his shoulders to push him away, parting her lips to say, "Yu Yao, you bas—"
"Bastard—I've cursed myself for you."
The bastard in question was utterly shameless, not caring in the least. When Yun Ying opened her mouth to curse him, he seized the moment, catching her soft tongue and sucking on it.
The instant he took her tongue between his lips, a shudder of pleasure short-circuited his brain for a moment. Then, despite having no experience whatsoever, he somehow knew exactly what to do—sucking, biting, kissing gently, capturing her soft tongue as it tried to retreat.
Her palms pressed against his shoulders, the hard muscle like stone digging into her—a symbol of strength, something Yun Ying simply couldn't push away.
He'd just brushed his teeth; his mouth was all cool mint. The kiss grew rougher, wet and soft, tangling with her, sweeping across her neat teeth.
Yun Ying was having trouble breathing. She'd expended too much energy, her mind like mush, unable to react—until a hand pressed against her spine.
It wasn't through his pajamas—his hand pressed against the clasp of her bra on her thin shoulder blade, and with one hand he deftly unclasped it, pressing his palm against her bare back. Yun Ying sensed the intense danger and bit him hard.
"Hiss." Yu Yao loosened his grip, raised a hand to touch the spot, and sensing the coppery taste of blood between his lips and teeth, looked up at her with a smile. "Good teeth. You don't feel sorry for me at all."
Yun Ying struggled to get free as he held her by the waist, angrily cursing, "Take your hand out!"
Yu Yao didn't argue with her. He pulled out the hand that had somehow slipped inside.
It was strange—just like muscle memory. The moment his lips touched hers, he knew to slip his tongue in; the moment he pressed her waist, he knew to reach inside; and just now, he had even unclasped her bra without thinking.
Heaven knows, Yu Yao considered himself someone who wouldn't fool around. He'd never undone a girl's bra before, yet just now he'd been as smooth as a playboy, as if he'd done it a thousand times.
Yu Yao held her waist to keep her from getting off, and Yun Ying was furious. He'd already undone her bra—she clutched her front to keep it from falling apart and slapped him across the face.
"Pervert! Lecher!"
Yu Yao couldn't have washed himself clean even if he jumped in a river, and he didn't intend to try.
He reached in and fastened the clasp for her, moving so fast that by the time Yun Ying shoved him, it was already done.
He pinched the girl's flushed, angry cheeks, and softened his voice to explain, "Even though these words are useless, I really can't help myself—how are you this adorable?"
"Stop spouting nonsense!" Yun Ying yelled at him. She'd never met anyone more shameless than Yu Yao.
Yu Yao pressed down on her struggling waist. "Baby, what were you trying to say earlier?"
Yun Ying shouted, "Let go! I want to get down and talk!"
"Let me hold you a little longer."
Knowing that his pervert reputation was already set in stone, Yu Yao decided to just go all in. He rested his chin on her shoulder and hugged her tightly.
"I know what you want to say. Sorry, but I don't need a shooting partner. I didn't drag you back here to do odd jobs for the team, and I never planned on being a gentleman to the end. It's best if you're willing, and if you're not, I've got no other move—but for the sake of your future mental health, baby, you'd better accept me sooner rather than later."
Of course Yu Yao knew what Yun Ying wanted to say.
It was nothing more than trying to set ground rules with him. She could do odd jobs for the team—laundry, housework, anything—and she'd work hard at practicing killing zombies, but she didn't want to be his girlfriend.
Yun Ying had even written up a contract. Yu Yao glanced at the "agreement" on the table—it was like a labor contract. As Party B, Yun Ying would pay the team a certain number of credits each month, not eat their food for free, and help with the chores.
How adorable. She'd actually come up with that.
Yu Yao laughed. A flame sparked at his fingertip, burning the contract she'd spent half an hour writing into ashes.
Yun Ying's eyes went wide. "Yu Yao!"
Yu Yao turned his head and kissed her cheek. "You're so pretty and cute—how could I bear to make you work? Would being my girlfriend cost you a pound of flesh or something? Whatever you want, I'll give it to you."
Yun Ying tried to reason with him. "Feelings have to be mutual. You don't want a girlfriend who doesn't like you, do you?"
"How do you know I don't?" Yu Yao pressed his hand against Yun Ying's back, pulling her into his embrace, and stared into her eyes. "Who told you to be this beautiful—and just so happens to be exactly my type? I've always been someone who indulges himself and makes things hard for others. If you can ever knock me down, the sky's the limit and you can fly free."
But now, Yun Ying didn't have the ability to beat him down.
The walkie-talkie on the table buzzed and vibrated. Yu Yao glanced at it, then looked away and took her lips, which were trembling with anger, into his mouth, giving them a gentle suck. She turned her head away to dodge.
"I'm dying of discomfort. Don't make me wait too long. If one day I really hold it in until I can't bear it anymore, then I'll have to ask baobao to endure it for a while."
He loosened his grip, and Yun Ying shot down in a flash, kicked him right on the knee, and ran into her own room with reddened eyes, not forgetting to lock the door behind her.
Yu Yao connected the walkie-talkie, and a voice came from the other end: "Captain Yu, the city lord is back and wants to see you."
"Mm, I'll go over in a bit."
Yu Yao pressed the walkie-talkie off, leaned back into the sofa, and glanced downward.
Like this, how was he supposed to go out?