After following Lin Mao for quite some time, Qian Yuxuan finally arrived at his shelter.
The moment she saw it, she froze in place.
Her eyes widened instinctively, and even her breathing unconsciously became lighter.
She pressed her dry lips together before slowly turning her head toward Lin Mao, who stood calmly beside her.
Her voice carried a faint tremble as she quietly asked,
“This… is your shelter?”
Lin Mao raised an eyebrow, amused by her shocked expression.
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
Qian Yuxuan hurriedly shook her head.
Her lips moved slightly, but no words came out.
She had seen countless shelters struggling to survive in the apocalypse, but she had never seen one this orderly… This is peaceful.
Lin Mao clearly noticed the shock in her eyes.
A faint smile appeared on his lips as he casually gestured toward the inside.
“Come on. I’ll show you around.”
The moment Qian Yuxuan stepped inside the shelter, her heart trembled once again.
The outside alone had already stunned her, but the interior completely exceeded all her expectations.
Neatly stacked supply crates.
Clearly divided living and functional areas.
Food, clean water, medicine…
Everything her own shelter lacked so desperately seemed abundant here, almost as if it could never run out.
Top-tier equipment.
Plentiful resources.
A safe and stable environment.
Compared to this place, Qian Yuxuan suddenly felt a bitter ache rise in her chest.
In her shelter, people worried every day about finding enough food and surviving the next crisis.
But here…
This place felt like a paradise hidden within the wasteland.
Lin Mao noticed every subtle change in her expression.
He suddenly stepped closer and leaned slightly toward her with a teasing smile.
“So? You’ve looked around enough.”
“What do you think of my shelter?”
Qian Yuxuan glanced at him and saw the smug expression on his face, as if his tail was about to rise into the sky.
Immediately, she wanted to roll her eyes and stubbornly say, “It’s average.”
But the words simply wouldn’t come out.
Even a blind person could tell this shelter was one of the best in the entire region—whether in terms of safety, supplies, or living conditions.
She pouted slightly before finally muttering in a low voice,
“…It’s pretty good.”
The moment he heard her honest answer, the smile on Lin Mao’s face brightened instantly.
Even his eyes carried traces of obvious satisfaction.
Straightening up, he casually asked,
“Now that you’ve seen my place, it’s your turn.”
“Tell me about your shelter.”
The sudden question caught Qian Yuxuan completely off guard.
Her brows immediately furrowed.
Lowering her head, she lightly kicked a small stone near her foot and remained silent for several seconds before finally speaking in a low voice.
“Our shelter… is running out of food.”
“We can barely survive anymore, so we had no choice but to use our remaining resources for trading.”
“As for everything else…”
She forced out an ugly smile filled with bitterness.
“There’s no point talking about it.”
Lin Mao quietly watched her expression but didn’t continue asking questions.
At that moment, footsteps suddenly sounded from outside.
Wan Yuyan and the others had just returned from their mission.
The moment they entered and saw Lin Mao, surprise flashed across their faces simultaneously.
Wen Rou was the first to jog over.
“Lin Mao? Weren’t you heading to the abandoned city? Why are you back so soon?”
Lin Mao rubbed the bridge of his nose helplessly.
“Something unexpected happened halfway through, so I had to come back first.”
Only then did the three women notice the unfamiliar girl standing beside him.
Wan Yuyan sized Qian Yuxuan up briefly.
Seeing her petite figure and youthful appearance, she subconsciously softened her tone.
Walking over, she crouched slightly and gently rubbed Qian Yuxuan’s head.
“Little sister, how did you end up here?”
The words “little sister” instantly made Lin Mao burst out laughing.
Crossing his arms, he looked at Qian Yuxuan with obvious amusement, clearly enjoying the show.
Qian Yuxuan’s expression darkened immediately.
Veins practically bulged on her forehead.
Again?!
Why did everyone keep treating her like a child?!
She fiercely glared at the laughing Lin Mao and gritted her teeth.
“I’m not a child! I just happen to look younger than my age!”
Wan Yuyan froze awkwardly, her hand still suspended in midair, unsure whether to pull it back or continue patting her head.
…
Meanwhile, Lin Mao completely lost control and laughed even harder.
Qian Yuxuan’s cheeks turned bright red with embarrassment and anger.
Without hesitation, she kicked him lightly and shouted furiously,
“What’s so funny?! Stop laughing already!”
Lin Mao barely managed to suppress his laughter after several more seconds.
Only then did he briefly explain Qian Yuxuan’s situation to the others.
After learning who she was, Wan Yuyan and the others exchanged complicated looks but chose not to ask too many questions.
After chatting briefly, they soon returned to their own tasks.
Before long, only Lin Mao and Qian Yuxuan remained in the open area.
Lin Mao looked toward the still-annoyed Qian Yuxuan.
“There’s something I want to discuss with you.”
But she was still angry about being laughed at and mistaken for a child.
Hearing him speak, she immediately let out a cold huff and arrogantly turned her head away, making it obvious she didn’t want to talk to him.
Looking at her puffed-up expression, Lin Mao helplessly shook his head.
Then he muttered quietly under his breath,
“With that kind of temper, and you still say you’re not a kid…”
After mumbling those words, he turned around and walked deeper into the shelter.
…
Meanwhile, Qian Yuxuan remained standing there, secretly waiting for him to come back and apologize.
“Hmph. He laughed so loudly earlier. This time, he absolutely has to apologize properly, or where am I supposed to put my dignity?”
She firmly made up her mind.
Unless Lin Mao apologized first, she would absolutely not speak to him.
But after waiting for quite a while, there was no movement beside her.
Even the sound of footsteps had disappeared.
Qian Yuxuan’s heart skipped a beat.
Frowning, she nearly turned around to look, but stubbornly forced herself to face forward again.
Several more seconds passed.
Still complete silence.
Finally unable to endure it any longer, she quickly turned around—
Only to discover empty space behind her.
Lin Mao was already gone.
“……”
Qian Yuxuan stomped her foot angrily, her cheeks puffed up like an angry kitten.
Without hesitation, she immediately rushed after him.
The moment she entered the room, she saw Lin Mao leisurely sitting on a chair while drinking water.
Qian Yuxuan hurried over and dropped heavily into the seat beside him.
“Hey!”
“You said you wanted to discuss something with me! What is it?!”
Lin Mao glanced at her calmly without saying a word.
Then, copying the exact same arrogant pose she had used earlier, he quietly turned his head away and stared at the cup in his hand as though it contained something fascinating.
His entire expression practically screamed:
“I can’t hear you. I can’t see you.”