For those who had struggled in the apocalyptic world for a long time, if food was the foundation of survival, then sugar was a luxury they could only dream of tasting.
This group had just finished a slaughter, and their bodies still carried the stench of zombies. Due to a lack of water, their throats felt like they were on fire, and their eyes were bloodshot. As the clear, sweet scent wafted from the car, everyone instantly turned into hyenas on the savanna scenting blood, becoming instantly alert.
In an instant, scorching gazes were all shot toward Tang Nai.
Tang Nai didn't notice the strange behavior of the group. She pinched the red dress, which had a slit that nearly reached her hip, and cautiously reached downward. This car had been modified; its chassis was very high, allowing it to easily crush zombies, but it was not very friendly to someone wearing a high-slit dress. She frowned, her high heels dangling off her toes, unable to reach the ground for a long time.
The sun beat down, and sweat began to bead on the tip of her nose from anxiety, her brow furrowed. Because of her tense, curled toes, the bright red upper of her shoe hung precariously against her milky-white skin. The heel trembled as it dangled downward, revealing a pink ankle and faint blue veins.
She looked like a lychee that could be broken open with a slight suck to reveal the sweet juice within.
The surroundings suddenly fell silent. The short-haired girl, Wang Ya, felt an inexplicable heat in her throat and didn't dare look further, muttering under her breath, "She’s… she's just putting on an act. So pretentious."
Gu Qing turned the ring on her hand but said nothing.
"What are you all doing standing at the door? Get inside now!"
A shout like a clap of thunder snapped everyone out of their daze. They looked back to see Jin Xiao standing at the entrance, his gaze dark as he watched them.
Hong Zhengyuan had been standing there with a mocking expression, but for some reason, his smile faded. When he heard Jin Xiao's command, his reaction was actually half a beat slow.
"Yes, Captain!" He coughed and shouted bluntly, "Wearing that much perfume and taking forever to get out of the car—do you really think you're still some young miss?"
Perfume?
In an instant, the sweet scent seemed to change in nature. Everyone remembered that Tang Nai was the Captain's troublesome ex-girlfriend. With expressions of disdain and complexity, they walked into the building.
Tang Nai was just about to jump down when she was startled by the two men's loud voices, causing her to fall. Just as Hong Zhengyuan was about to reach out, the man wearing glasses beside him caught her. His hands were slender; he didn't use much force, yet his fingertips sank slightly into Tang Nai's soft flesh.
Tang Nai subconsciously said, "Thank you."
【…】 The System immediately emphasized: 【Host, watch your character persona! A villainous female supporting character does not say 'thank you' to others!】
Tang Nai explained, "Mr. Xi, I believe a villainous woman can lack morals, but she cannot lack manners."
【…】
The man set her down steadily with a smile. "It's all right, Miss Meng. It's not safe outside. Please go in."
The voice was familiar, and he wore glasses. This should be the "Chi Jing" from the phone call.
Tang Nai nodded and wobbled inside on her high heels.
Watching her retreating back, Hong Zhengyuan felt a lump in his chest and spoke irritably, "I don't know when she sprayed that perfume. She nearly choked the Boss and me out in the car. By the way, she's wearing your jacket; it probably caught that scent. I'll get it back for you in a bit."
"No need." Chi Jing used a lens cloth to wipe his plain glasses, glancing at his fingertips, which still felt as if they were sinking into that softness.
In this apocalyptic world where everyone was in danger, probably only someone raised in luxury could maintain such soft flesh.
After wiping his hands, he smiled and tossed the cloth into a pile of trash. "It's already dirty. Just throw it away."
After calling everyone into the building, Jin Xiao's gaze swept over Tang Nai.
Remembering her role as a spoiled deadweight, Tang Nai quickly followed behind him. When they reached the door, Jin Xiao suddenly frowned and said to her, "Don't wear such strong perfume next time. The scent will attract zombies."
Tang Nai was startled, then she nodded. "I'll find a chance to wash it off." Perhaps because she had sweated, using some water to wash should keep it at bay for a few days.
Jin Xiao's frown deepened. "You think there's water here for you to waste?"
Tang Nai opened her mouth, speechless.
Jin Xiao walked inside with a grim expression.
System: 【Well done, Host. That dialogue just now perfectly portrayed the pretentious, extravagant, and spoiled persona. I knew I picked the right person!】
"…" Tang Nai could only reply, "Thank you for the praise, Mr. Xi. I will work harder."
Inside the building, everyone organized the supplies in an orderly fashion. Tang Nai watched as Hong Zhengyuan produced a ball of fire from his fingertips to light a campfire.
【According to the original plot settings, Jin Xiao awakened a lightning superpower, and Hong Zhengyuan awakened a fire superpower. Chi Jing is the only sniper and has awakened a wood-element superpower.】
According to the System, in the original text, Chi Jing held an even higher level of animosity toward Meng Siyao than Hong Zhengyuan did. So much so that later on, he repeatedly reminded Jin Xiao to abandon the female supporting character to avoid dragging down the entire team.
"What about the female protagonist?"
Tang Nai peeked at the other side. Everyone was currently gathered around the campfire eating. Calling it food was a stretch; it was just compressed biscuits. These biscuits were the team's rations. These rations would have been just enough to last until they reached the official base in the far north, but with four ordinary people added, things became tight.
With water being scarce, they couldn't make porridge. Everyone was only allotted one piece of dry rations and half a cup of water.
【The female protagonist, Gu Qing, has no special ability, but she has a golden finger: she has a storage ring. A large amount of food is stored inside the ring, and she wears that ring on her hand without any concealment.】
Gu Qing took the food passed to her by Wang Ya, broke off half, and gave it to her. She was wearing a white T-shirt, her black hair tied in a ponytail, her long lashes lowered as she quietly ate the dry compressed biscuits.
The man and woman with Gu Qing were her colleagues. They, and everyone else, had no idea that this quiet girl was actually a cold-blooded killer. Unlike the cold assassins Tang Nai had imagined, Gu Qing had almost no presence.
【Gu Qing grew up in the underworld. After leaving the organization, she lived as an ordinary person. Because of her childhood experiences, she seems gentle, but in reality, she never easily trusts anyone. She was also forced to kill people at the beginning of the apocalypse. Even though she accidentally obtained a golden finger, she has never given any food from the space to anyone to avoid exposure. Of course, she hasn't touched it herself once either.】
Gu Qing ate the compressed biscuits expressionlessly. Compared to her two companions, whose faces were contorted with the effort of eating, it was as if she were eating delicacies.
Tang Nai reflexively took a bite. She paused, and then instantly drank all her water. She hadn't expected the water to be hotter than she imagined. She covered her mouth and slowly lowered her head. After a long moment, her puffed-out cheeks slowly moved.
【Stop eating.】 The System gave her a mission: 【This is a plot point from the original text. Throw your biscuit away in front of everyone right now. It just so happens that Gu Qing will give her half-eaten biscuit to someone else at this moment. This segment is meant to contrast your pretentious wastefulness with her kindness and generosity.】
Tang Nai paused for a moment and replied in her mind, "But… one shouldn't waste food."
【This is a mission!】
"Oh…"
Everyone sat in a circle. Jin Xiao sat to Tang Nai's right. To her left was Chi Jing, followed by Hong Zhengyuan and the others. Everyone was silent while eating until Tang Nai suddenly spoke up.
"I'm not eating anymore." She lowered her head and threw the biscuit away. "I don't want to eat this."
The biscuit bounced three times off Jin Xiao's body and rolled to Gu Qing's feet.
Everyone fell silent instantly, frowning as they looked over.
Hong Zhengyuan sneered, exchanging a look with Chi Jing that said "I knew it." He had known all along that Meng Siyao couldn't go a single day without stirring up trouble. Also ordinary people, Gu Qing and the other two could eat the food—especially Gu Qing, who not only didn't complain but also kindly shared her food with others. How could the difference between people be so infuriating?
His canine teeth flashed as he was about to mock her, but Jin Xiao raised a hand to stop him. He looked at Tang Nai, his gaze heavy, and the air around them seemed to stagnate. The campfire seemed to spark with lightning, letting out a sharp crack.
Chi Jing frowned. Those who knew Jin Xiao knew he was truly angry. After all, in the apocalypse, anything could be tolerated, but food and water were the bottom line. Jin Xiao exhausted himself worrying about everyone's food and couldn't stand anyone wasting it.
Wang Ya was a little scared, but she couldn't help making faces at Gu Qing and the remaining male, Zhou Ping: See, she's acting out again. Finally, she's going to get what's coming to her.
Gu Qing said nothing, turning the ring on her index finger.
Jin Xiao picked up the biscuit. "Why aren't you eating?"
Tang Nai lowered her head and remained silent.
Hong Zhengyuan gave a cold laugh and turned his head away. Chi Jing also adjusted his glasses, looking at the top of Tang Nai's head with interest.
Jin Xiao's brow pressed down, his voice dropping even lower. "You're still being picky? Meng Siyao, do you have any idea that in the world today, some people can't even get a meal?"
Tang Nai shook her head, murmuring something incoherently.
Hong Zhengyuan tossed the last bit of biscuit into his mouth. "Boss, if she doesn't want to eat, don't force her. She used to eat delicacies; having to eat this coarse stuff with us for the past week probably feels like it's cutting her mouth."
Jin Xiao's chest rose and fell. Seeing Tang Nai sitting with her head down in silence, he simply reached out and tilted her chin up. "Meng Siyao, are you—"
Before he could finish, the rest of his words were choked back into his throat, as if blocked by a stone.
Tang Nai's brow was slightly furrowed, her wide eyes filled with surprise. But her lips were slightly parted and incredibly swollen. The edges of her lips were blurred, and the inner part was deep red. A faint sweet fragrance exhaled from between them, trembling slightly with her breath.
Jin Xiao's fingertips were rough as they pressed against her hot, slightly swollen lips. The biscuit crumbs rolled across them like sand grinding against flower petals, as if trying to squeeze out the juice.
"Hiss…"
Tang Nai let out a pained sound. Her burned tongue was pressed between her teeth. Only then did Jin Xiao realize that the tip of her tongue was even redder than her lips, like a fallen red berry about to melt in her mouth.
His gaze darkened. He didn't even notice that everyone's breathing had seemingly stopped for a moment. In the vast, abandoned building, only the crackling of the fire could be heard.
"You… got burned? Why didn't you say so?"
Hong Zhengyuan gripped his cup tightly. The water in everyone's cups had been heated by his fire superpower and had already been blown cool. The temperature clearly wasn't that high, so how could she act like she had been melted by the heat? Was she really that delicate?
He was annoyed by her theatrics, yet his gaze simply could not pull away from her lips. He suddenly felt a dry thirst in his throat, only to realize upon looking down that the water in his cup was long gone. He was about to ask Chi Jing for some water, only to see Chi Jing suddenly drain his last sip and smile while spreading his hands.
"Fuck!"
It was unclear who that curse was directed at.
Tang Nai kept her persona in mind and insisted, "It's not hot. I just don't want to eat."
But perhaps because her tongue was burned, the words came out slurred. Her lips brushed against his fingertip, carrying a lingering heat from the friction.
Jin Xiao instantly retracted his hand and turned away. "Suit yourself."
As he turned, he saw that everyone's faces looked strange. His expression darkened instantly. "What are you all dazing for? Hurry up and eat, then get some rest!"
Everyone snapped out of it as if trying to stop their inner emptiness and parched throats, gulping down the biscuits and water. Having finished his food, Hong Zhengyuan's throat felt like it was on fire, leaving him to stare blankly at the bonfire.
Tang Nai couldn't eat anything. She asked the System, "Mr. Xi, is my mission complete?"
The System hesitated: 【It should be… you can rest.】
Tang Nai breathed a sigh of relief. Since she couldn't find her half-biscuit, she had no choice but to hide in a corner and cover her mouth.
Jin Xiao glanced at Tang Nai as she walked away, then said to Gu Qing's group of three, "Get some good rest. We continue our journey tomorrow. We'll get you to the base soon."
The three thanked him. Once everyone had separated, Wang Ya finally dared to let out a breath. She wiped away the sweat that had inexplicably appeared and leaned toward the other two. "I didn't even dare speak just now… She obviously wasted food, so why was she let off so easily?"
Zhou Ping said, "Maybe… maybe the water really was too hot. I… I saw that her mouth was swollen."
"It wasn't that hot…" As she said this, the image of Tang Nai obediently letting her mouth be inspected appeared in her mind. Wang Ya unconsciously started stuttering as well. "Getting a swollen mouth from one sip… she's still too delicate."
She looked back to see only Gu Qing appearing normal. Gu Qing held a piece of biscuit and took a bite. She chewed once, then paused, her gaze drifting toward Tang Nai's back.
"It's quite good, and very sweet."
"See, I told you she was just being delicate. Anyone can eat this biscuit, so why couldn't she… wait, Gu Qing, whose biscuit are you eating?"
Gu Qing smiled and drank the last of her water. "Get some rest."