One second, Yinxing was acting spoiled toward the chestnut tree and pleading for chestnuts; the next, the branches of the chestnut tree trembled and rustled as chestnuts dropped down in waves. However, the moment they hit the ground, a massive roar erupted, making the earth feel like it was shaking.
“Whoa, what’s going on? I just asked you for a few chestnuts—did you really get this angry?”
As a result, a leaf drifted down and landed on top of her head, feeling helpless yet doting.
Yinxing giggled. “I knew you weren’t angry~”
Listening carefully, she realized the sound of the explosion came from very far away. Taking advantage of her position, she climbed higher up the tree and poked her head out to look. The direction where the firelight flared… seemed to be inside the safe zone.
Could her home have been bombed?
Hurriedly gathering the chestnuts wrapped in the salvaged curtain, she ran toward the boundary wall. All along the way, wild weeds and vines parted one after another to clear a small path for her.
Returning to the base of the boundary wall, she poked half her head out to take a look. Fortunately, her place with the single standing corner was still standing firm right there.
She first tossed the wrapped bundle inside, then climbed back in along the path she had come. The moment both her feet landed on the ground, a wave of dizziness washed over her vision.
This body was far too weak. Moving too hurriedly had made her top-heavy, and she couldn’t keep her balance…
“Careful.”
Her arm was supported, giving her a point of leverage that prevented her from making intimate contact with the ground.
After taking a moment to recover, her mind finally cleared up.
“Are you alright?”
A male voice sounded beside her ear. Yinxing turned her head to look, her eyelashes fluttering and her nose crinkling slightly as a look of confusion crossed her face.
“Who are you?”
Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow. A streak of darkness flashed past the depths of his eyes, yet his tone remained gentle as he pointed toward the boundary wall.
“Perhaps you should explain first—did you just climb back in from outside?”
Yinxing picked up the half-bag of chestnuts that had dropped onto the ground with a matter-of-fact look. “Mm-hmm, I was hungry.”
“Don’t you know that plants brought back from outside need to be tested first?”
She really didn’t know that.
Raising her head, her gaze fell upon the man in front of her. The outfit he wore underneath his khaki trench coat looked very similar to those worn by the soldiers in the safe zone. However, his looked nicer and more exquisite. If it weren’t for the distinct metallic texture it emitted, one would really think it was just clothing!
It formed a stark contrast with her ragged clothes. Could it be that she had been caught by a soldier from the safe zone?
“Um, I just arrived at the safe zone yesterday, so I’m not very clear on a lot of things. I… I was really too hungry, so…”
Yinxing carefully sized up the man before her. Seeing that he still maintained a faint, gentle smile, there probably wasn’t too big of a problem, right?
“Ling Xiao.”
He introduced his name, then pulled out a card-sized square device from his waist. “If you don’t mind, should I help you test them?”
“Can you? Then I’ll trouble you!”
Opening the cloth bundle, she leaned toward Ling Xiao. Seeing the large half-bag of burst-open chestnuts inside, a glint of surprise flashed through his eyes.
When his gaze fell once more upon Yinxing’s dry, emaciated body, it carried a few more degrees of guard and scrutiny.
“Were these picked from that chestnut tree in the forest?”
Yinxing’s eyes lit up for a moment, her tone carrying a bit of excitement. “Yes, yes, yes! That big old chestnut tree! There were no other trees around it, but these all fell off on their own—I didn’t pick them.”
His fingertips untangled the fabric. Lowering his eyes with a low laugh, it was as if he were sighing in awe, “Then this chestnut tree is quite easy to talk to.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Yinxing was answering his words very seriously. She genuinely felt that the chestnut tree had a particularly good temper and was extremely gentle—not a single dropped chestnut had hit her~
Beep-beep!
The testing device emitted a sound, and soon a number was displayed on it.
Contamination Level: 8%
What?
Eight percent?
If this number hadn’t appeared on his own device, Ling Xiao would have definitely doubted its authenticity.
Yinxing moved her head a bit closer to his hand. When she saw the number on the device clearly, she burst into a smile all at once.
Today, the bracken ferns with a contamination level of 13 could sell for so much money. Wouldn’t these chestnuts with a contamination level of only 8 be even more expensive!
“Wow, an 8! Looks like that chestnut tree really is wonderful!”
Ling Xiao seemed infected by her emotion. The corners of his eyes and brows curved slightly, and his handsome face, shrouded in moonlight, carried a touch of enchanting charm.
“You have very good luck.”
Having this testing device was all thanks to him. In Yinxing’s understanding of interpersonal relationships, she ought to express her gratitude.
Not to mention, Ling Xiao looked like a kind person!
“Thank you for helping with the test. I’ll give you two. These chestnuts should be very delicious once roasted; they look so sweet and soft.”
Yinxing looked at the sharp burs packed inside, contemplating where to grab them from, but Ling Xiao spoke up and stopped her movement.
“When you roast the chestnuts, can you roast a portion for me too?” He tapped his smartwatch. “I’ll pay credits.”
“Sure! Anyway, I still have plenty of chestnuts, so roasting them together works too. But chestnuts with a contamination level of 8 won’t be cheap in credits.”
That staff member today was bad and tried to cheat her with 15 credits, while Qian Lai was good and offered 30 credits. So these chestnuts had to be more expensive than 30 credits.
Charging him 40 credits shouldn’t be unreasonable, right!?
She held up four fingers.
“It will cost at least this much, four…”
Ling Xiao moved even faster, scanning her smartwatch directly. “Alright, I’ve transferred it to you.”
Yinxing’s mouth parted slightly as she looked at the four hundred credits that had just arrived in her account, unable to believe her eyes.
She couldn’t even speak smoothly.
“Th-this is too much! I meant 40, not 400! You gave far too much!”
He was also a bit surprised. Pondering for a moment, he said, “My apologies, I transferred it a bit too fast. How about I leave the credits stored with you as advance payment for future meals?”
This was a big client!
Yinxing’s impression of the man named Ling Xiao before her improved by a few more degrees. Her eyes curved into crescents as she nodded with a beam, “Alright, alright! My name is Yinxing. You’re welcome to come over for meals anytime; I’ll keep a detailed record for you!”
“Yinxing, a very nice name.”
He was very unfamiliar with this name and had no impression of this girl either, but he couldn’t drop his guard.
“However, before roasting the chestnuts, you need to do me a favor.” Yinxing lacked any awareness of being an owner, directing her guest around with complete peace of mind.
“What is it?”
“Can you help me look through the ruins to see if there’s a usable iron rack?” Yinxing pointed to the single standing corner over there. “My home doesn’t have anything. If I put the chestnuts directly into the campfire, they’ll burn. I’ll go back and start the fire; I’m really good at building fires.”
Ling Xiao’s ear tips twitched. The commotion not far away was by no means small, and judging by the trend, it seemed to be closing in on their direction.
He nodded. “Mm, I’ll go look. Wait for me.”
The moment he finished speaking, his figure flashed. In the blink of an eye, he had already appeared several hundred meters away, merging into the darkness until he was barely visible.
By the time Yinxing blinked again, the person had already disappeared without a trace. H-He was an order user!
So amazing!
And he was such a good person too. Could this be a type of human social relationship—a friend?