Peng Xin noticed her furrowed brow and put on a warm, gentle smile, acting like a sweet older sister figure.
“What’s wrong, Nan Yao? Is something the matter?”
“No, I’m fine.” Nan Yao smoothly brushed off Peng Xin’s hand as she tried to wrap her arm around her.
“Nan Yao, they’re about to start introductions and outdoor games soon,” Peng Xin reminded her, looking baffled as Nan Yao turned to head outside.
“I’ll pass. I have things to take care of.”
The farther Nan Yao got from the main house, the louder the zombie growls became. Yet by the time she arrived at her destination, the sounds had vanished into dead silence.
Strange.
She surveyed the small iron door in front of her, retrieved a shovel nearby to keep in her grip, and pulled the door open to reveal a pitch-black underground passage.
Host, I feel a ton of zombies hidden in there. Be careful not to get ambushed.
“Got it.”
Spotted by chance, Chu Jie narrowed his eyes, resting his chin on his hand with a thoughtful look as he watched the unassuming little door…
Nan Yao kept a hand on the wall as she pressed deeper into the passage until she spotted a small door ahead, a sliver of green light spilling through the cracked opening.
She nudged the door open with the blade of her shovel, bringing a cluster of deep-green liquid specimen containers into view. Inside, vague human outlines were faintly visible.
What kind of experiment is this?
Nan Yao’s brow creased. She stepped up to the container nearest her, straining to discern the shape inside through the murky green fluid…
It’s a zombie!
What is going on here?!
Could this be a breeding lab for zombies?
Countless questions raced through Nan Yao’s mind.
“Heh—” She snapped her head forward. The area ahead was cordoned off with a thick black curtain, completely blocking her view.
“Gurgle… Save… save me…”
A faint plea for help wafted out from behind the curtain. Nan Yao tightened her grip on the shovel, took a few steps forward, and ripped the black cloth aside with a quick sweep.
Swish! Inside was a full-blown zombie dungeon!
Iron bars as thick as a wrist extended from the ceiling to the floor, holding a swarm of zombies trapped inside. They were scrambling over one another, violently tearing into a woman whose body was already half-eaten.
“Looks like I put my bet on the right person.”
A deep, raspy male voice echoed from behind her. Instinctively, Nan Yao whipped around and swung the shovel with full force!
She was hyper-sensitive to any unfamiliar danger, but this man had appeared out of nowhere like a phantom completely silent, without a trace of presence. If he wasn’t a corpse, he wasn’t human!
Lu Jingwang stood his ground with absolute composure, unmoving.
Yet the moment Nan Yao recognized the man, she forced herself a step back, desperately fighting her swing’s momentum to wrench the shovel mid-air. It crashed into the iron bars with a heavy thwack, severing the arm of a unlucky zombie nearby.
Her chest heaved as she took a few deep breaths, casting a cold eye over the breathtakingly handsome man before her. His face possessed striking, noble features, yet his phoenix eyes sloped upward at the corners, giving him a aura that swung between righteous and dangerous.
At first glance, Nan Yao knew he was the mysterious man who had caught her attention earlier.
“Hello, Miss Nan Yao. I’m Lu Jingwang. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Impeccably polite, Lu Jingwang bowed slightly and extended a hand toward her. His pale lips curved into a faint smile, his sharp phoenix eyes doing their best to convey sincerity.
“By that, you mean you bet your gold on me?” Nan Yao glanced at his outstretched hand, making no move to take it.
“Precisely, Miss Nan Yao. You are my sole investment.” Lu Jingwang casually drew back his hand. “I trust my judgment. You aren’t far from victory.”
Her eyes narrowed as she asked point-blank, “Is this your lab? Did you cause the zombie outbreak? And that woman in the cage—she was still alive when I got here.”
“First, yes, this is my lab. Second, I’m merely researching the unknown virus causing zombie mutations. And lastly, that woman was infected. Even if she wasn’t eaten, she couldn’t return to normal. I locked her up for everyone’s safety to cut down on the risk.”
Nan Yao kept her eyes locked on Lu Jingwang’s composed expression, far from taking his words at face value.
“Ah, right.” Lu Jingwang spoke up again, flipping his palm over to reveal a small wooden box. “I believe you’ll be needing this.”
Host, those are energy cores!
Nan Yao’s gaze turned razor-sharp, instantly pointing the tip of her shovel at Lu Jingwang.
“Don’t be so reactive. I’m not a bad guy.”
“Bad guys never admit they’re bad.”
Host, just take them! My scan shows he doesn’t have any intent to kill. He genuinely wants to help you.
Do you know him?
No, but he doesn’t pose a threat to us.
‘Doesn’t pose a threat’ means there’s still a chance. I only deal in absolutes.
Uh, well…
“I simply noticed that Miss Nan Yao is an awakened ability user like me. As you know, ability users are rare in this world, and most die young. Finding one makes you a priority target for protection.”
Lu Jingwang offered a smooth explanation with a faint smile. “The moment you killed that zombie earlier, I felt a ripple in the magnetic field around you. Your ability was actively absorbing the energy cores formed inside the zombie’s head, so I figured you needed them.”
Host, I get it now! Your spatial base acts just like the spatial abilities in this world, so he thinks you’re one of his kind.
One of his kind? Don’t jump to conclusions.
Nan Yao paused to consider for a few seconds before lowering the shovel and taking the cores. “Thanks.”
“If you ever need more energy cores, feel free to drop by the lab anytime.”
“Nan Yao, where did you disappear to? I couldn’t find you all afternoon, so we couldn’t even play any games together.”
Peng Xin took her hand warmly, putting on an affectionate front.
“Oh right, hurry over to the Heartbeat Room. Since today’s the first day, we have to pick the person who gave us the best first impression. Everyone else has picked you’re the only one left.”
As Peng Xin finished speaking, she noticed Nan Yao’s brows pulled tight, her face practically screaming out two words: annoyed.
“Is there really no one here who made a good first impression on you?” Peng Xin blinked innocently. “Though, you were gone all afternoon. It would’ve been nice if you got to hang out with the guys more. Aside from Jiang Ying, who looks down on everyone, the other male guests are actually pretty great. Though…”
Peng Xin paused intentionally, trying to build suspense. But when she turned, she met Nan Yao’s completely expressionless face, instantly killing any desire to tease her.
How sickening.
Now she’s putting on this cold beauty act again. Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting!
She probably only got a spot on this dating show by selling her body to a sugar daddy to get some screentime. How else could a nobody like her land a place on a high-profile production like this?
Peng Xin curled her lips subtly, continuing her act as a supportive friend.
“Lu Jingwang was missing too. Did you two sneak off on a secret date behind our backs? A love story between the top movie star and a minor celebrity… wait, are you two actually sugar daddy and mistress in real life? I swear I saw you two eating alone at a hotel before,” Peng Xin said, deliberately stirring the pot.
“So that’s why you don’t care about the other guys, right?! Honestly, if I had a handsome, wealthy benefactor like him, I wouldn’t care about other men either. He must have fed you so many resources. No wonder you suddenly blew up after playing the female lead in that cheap… low-budget web drama.”
Nan Yao lost her patience. “Stop spreading rumors. If you want to play the mistress so badly, project that role onto yourself. Live out your own fantasies but leave me out of it. Lu Jingwang and I have nothing to do with each other.”
“What is that supposed to mean, Nan Yao?!”
Peng Xin’s face flushed bright red from embarrassment as her pride took a hit. Nan Yao’s words made her feel humiliated, as if she were desperately begging to be someone’s mistress, while the actual mistress stood on the moral high ground judging her.
A garbage person acting like a saint—and she’s actually enjoying it!
“I was just looking out for you! Even if you don’t appreciate the thought, why attack me so maliciously? Is it wrong for me to care?!”
Peng Xin’s shrill accusation gave Nan Yao a headache. “I’m just telling it like it is. Don’t twist my words to fit your narrative—”
“What do you mean?! What do you mean!” Peng Xin exploded, yelling at the top of her lungs. “So you’re saying I’m maliciously misinterpreting you?! You ungrateful bitch! I treated you so well and you just throw it back in my face!”