Ava had
never lived in luxury.
But this?
This was
downright offensive.
She stood at the entrance of her
new living quarters
, eyes scanning the
ridiculously spacious layout
—not a cramped concrete cell, not a filthy shared space, but an
actual damn apartment.
Two bedrooms.
Two.
A
separate
furnished living area. A
small but functional kitchen.
Even a
private bathroom
—which, after weeks of sharing a single disgusting stall with fifty other people, felt like a borderline religious experience.
Lucas Bai leaned against the doorframe, watching her reaction
with amusement.
"Well?" he drawled. "Not bad, right?"
Ava turned, squinting at him. "You bribing me into loyalty?"
Lucas smirked. "I don't bribe. I invest."
Ava snorted.
Same thing.
She stepped inside, running her fingers over the
smooth, dust-free surfaces
, feeling
the solid weight of security
in the reinforced walls.
Compared to Level Three, this wasn't just
an upgrade.
It was
a whole different world.
And that meant one thing.
She owed him
now.
Ava turned, crossing her arms. "Alright, Bai. What's the catch?"
Lucas's golden eyes gleamed. "You work for me, remember?"
"Yeah, but this is a little excessive for a glorified scrap collector."
Lucas laughed. "You're not just collecting scrap, Zhang. You're
building the future.
"
Ava
tilted her head.
"Dramatic much?"
"Always."
Ava sighed,
already regretting this.
But the truth was—
this was a good deal.
She had a
safe space. A real bed. A shower.
And most importantly?
She had
room to work.
Her Blueprint System
hummed in the back of her mind
, eager, restless, like it
knew this was where it was supposed to be.
Fine.
She'd play along.
For now.
Ava tossed her bag onto the couch, stretching her arms over her head.
"Guess I live here now."
Lucas grinned. "Welcome to Level Two, Zhang."
She rolled her eyes.
This was going to be a nightmare.
But at least she wouldn't be
sleeping on the floor anymore.
Ava barely had time to
drop onto the couch
before Lucas clapped his hands together, his
golden eyes sharp with authority
.
"Alright, Zhang. Ground rules."
Ava groaned, already regretting this arrangement. "You mean I have to follow rules? I was hoping for total anarchy."
Lucas didn't even crack a smirk. "Rule one—
bedrooms are off-limits.
"
Ava raised a brow. "To who?"
Lucas's expression didn't change. "To both of us. You don't go into mine, I don't go into yours."
Ava squinted at him. "You hiding something, Bai?"
Lucas smiled, but it wasn't
his usual lazy smirk
. It was the kind that
didn't reach his eyes
.
"Everyone hides something."
Ava shrugged. "Fair enough."
Lucas didn't miss a beat. "Rule two—
you don't talk about anything that happens in this apartment.
"
Ava
tilted her head
. "Talk to who?"
Lucas leaned against the counter, his
expression unreadable
. "Anyone. I don't care if it's your old school friends, your scavenger buddies, or some idiot trying to get information out of you—whatever happens here, stays here."
Ava exhaled through her nose.
That was a heavy one.
"Wow," she said. "So no gossiping at the bunker lunch table? Brutal."
Lucas didn't blink. "I'm serious, Zhang."
Ava met his gaze.
He was serious.
Alright, then.
Noted.
She stretched her arms over her head. "Alright. Next?"
"Rule three—
if you take food, replace it.
"
Ava
blinked.
"We have food?"
Lucas gave her a
flat look.
"I do."
Ah.
There it was.
Lucas Bai didn't just
own the trade market.
He controlled
resources.
Ava sighed dramatically. "Fine. I won't steal your fancy bunker snacks without permission. Next?"
"Rule four—
if you bring trouble to this apartment, you deal with it.
"
Ava smirked. "Define trouble."
Lucas didn't smile back. "Anything that makes me regret letting you live here."
Ava's smirk
faded slightly
.
Alright.
That one wasn't a joke.
She nodded once. "Got it."
Lucas studied her for a moment, then straightened. "That's it."
Ava pushed herself off the couch, stretching. "Cool. I need a shower."
Lucas stepped aside,
watching her as she passed.
"Try not to break anything."
Ava shot him a
mock salute
. "Not making any promises, boss."
Lucas exhaled, shaking his head as Ava walked into the shower.
Ava had forgotten what
clean
felt like.
Not bunker clean, where you wiped off grime with a damp rag and called it a day. Not scavenger clean, where a lucky rainstorm did the job.
Real
clean.
Soap and water
clean.
And apparently?
Lucas Bai's
private shower
had both.
The only catch?
40 seconds.
The Clock is Ticking
Ava
stepped under the spray
, bracing for
either freezing cold or boiling heat.
Instead?
It was
perfect.
Her muscles
loosened instantly
, the water
slicing through layers of dust, dried sweat, and bunker grime.
For exactly
two seconds
, she enjoyed it.
Then?
Her
Blueprint System helpfully reminded her
:
[Water Ration: 40 Seconds Remaining]
Ava
swore and moved fast.
Soap—
actual soap
—foamed under her hands, cutting through
days of filth in seconds.
She scrubbed
hard
, rinsed even
harder
, and ignored the fact that
this was the best thing that had happened to her in weeks.
The timer
counted down mercilessly
.
[10 Seconds Remaining]
Ava did a
final rinse, shaking water from her hair, exhaling as the stream shut off.
For a moment, she just
stood there, dripping, skin warm, feeling almost... human.
Then reality
kicked back in.
She had
exactly one set of bunker-worn clothes.
Which were
soaking wet.
And Lucas Bai's
closet
?
It was
right there
folded neatly, smelling irritatingly expensive
hoodie.
Ava didn't think.
She
grabbed it, yanked it on, and pulled the hood up for good measure.
The fabric was
warm, oversized, and so damn comfortable
she immediately hated herself.
"Great," she muttered, rolling up the sleeves. "Now I'm drowning in Bai-brand smugness."
Then she stepped out—
And walked
directly into Lucas.
Lucas
leaned against the wall
, arms crossed,
golden eyes flicking up and down.
Ava
braced herself.
And then, the
inevitable smirk.
"Well," he drawled, "if you wanted to steal my clothes, you could've just asked."
Ava scowled. "Shut up, Bai."
Lucas,
clearly enjoying himself,
tilted his head. "You're awfully attached to that hoodie."
Ava
gripped the hem tighter.
"It's warm."
Lucas chuckled. "You
do
realize that wearing my clothes makes a statement, right?"
Ava
arched a brow.
"Yeah. It says
I was cold
."
Lucas grinned. "And
mine
says you belong to me."
Ava exhaled
sharply through her nose.
"I belong to
no one.
"
Lucas shrugged, still
too damn smug.
"Keep telling yourself that."
Ava turned on her heel, marching away before she did something
violent.
Lucas called after her, voice
dripping with amusement
.
"Make sure to take good care of that hoodie. It looks
real good
on you."
Ava didn't answer.
She just kept walking,
gritting her teeth.
Because damn it—
It
was
a really good hoodie.