Chapter 60: Prelude to a Love Affair

As the saying goes, “no friendship without a fight.” After that scuffle, Mo Yu and Ye Zuonan unexpectedly became good friends. Sometimes, the bonds between girls are strangely unpredictable: before noticing your strengths, they can remain adversaries for ages, yet once they discover something they like about you or realize you share a quirk, their attitude can transform overnight. So after their altercation, Ye Zuonan treated Mo Yu with an almost reckless sincerity, so much so that Mo Yu occasionally wondered if Ye Zuonan’s affections lay with women—though she’d laugh it off.

It had been nearly ten days since Mo Yu arrived at the survivor base. After their fight, Ye Zuonan had taken Mo Yu and Qing Xuan to meet her “family.” That was when Mo Yu learned that the man in black was actually Ye Zuonan’s elder brother, Ye Youbei. It made sense; upon closer observation, Mo Yu noticed their lips and brows were strikingly similar. The others were their “colleagues”—cold but not unfriendly. Ye Zuonan never explained what kind of colleagues they were, only persistently urging Mo Yu to travel with them, promising they’d eventually return to the capital. This suggestion tempted Mo Yu; after all, she knew that traveling with Jin Te and his group would be far more dangerous, especially as greed had already soured relations between the parties. Mo Yu simply said she’d consider it, leaving the final decision for later.

Days slipped by, and the group had been at the survivor base for over two weeks. Ye Zuonan had brought a large bag of food, so the three sharing a tent—Mo Yu, Ye Zuonan, and Li Jun—never went hungry or thirsty. Li Jun, still growing, ate a bit more, but Mo Yu and Ye Zuonan weren’t big eaters. Sometimes, Ye Zuonan would pull out treats that Li Jun had never seen before, teasing him into conversation. Being just seven, Li Jun’s resolve was no match for his childlike nature, and soon he was calling Ye Zuonan “Sister Zuonan” with affectionate ease.

Ye Zuonan held up a packet of imported chocolate. “Little Junjun, call me sister, and I’ll give you candy~”

Li Jun’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the sweets. “Sister Zuonan~”

Ye Zuonan grinned. “Good boy~ Here you go,” she said, tearing open the packet and handing him a piece.

Li Jun took the candy with both hands, his large, moist eyes fixed on Ye Zuonan.

Ye Zuonan’s heart softened under his gaze, and she handed over the entire bag.

Li Jun smiled at her, friendly and grateful, and scampered over to Mo Yu, brimming with admiration. “Sister Mo, have some candy!”

Mo Yu: outwardly, (⊙v⊙) “Hmm,” inwardly: “So touched, isn’t this wonderful!”

Ye Zuonan: outwardly, ╮(╯▽╰)╭ “Clearly not my own!” inwardly: /(tot)/~~ (Words failed her... My chocolate!)

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Day by day, life at the base flowed on. It wasn’t a place where survivors could simply freeload; everyone contributed in whatever way they could. Even Mo Yu and Ye Zuonan’s group were assigned tasks upon arrival—thanks to their skill, they were made guardians of the base, something like police officers, expected to intervene in fights and disturbances. Ye Youbei’s group, meanwhile, was unceremoniously sent outside the gates to forage for food.

Mo Yu stared in dismay at the oversized, earthy-yellow vest—practically a skirt—and the large “patrol” character emblazoned on her white top. This wasn’t a TV drama; what were they thinking with these uniforms? Why not hand out official hats while they were at it?

Ye Zuonan was delighted. “Mo Yu! There are hats too! And swords! So cool!”

Mo Yu: “.....” (#‵′)凸

And so, Mo Yu and Ye Zuonan, two outwardly gentle yet inwardly tough young women, were thrown into the North District’s patrol squad without mercy by the base’s management. The men in the patrol squad were left speechless—and a little thrilled. Especially...

“Hey! We meet again!” The man appeared before Mo Yu, beaming with a happiness that made him look like a contented child.

“Hello.” Mo Yu greeted him coolly. She recognized him—he was the odd man who’d followed her to her tent before. Wasn’t he supposed to guide newcomers? Why was he on patrol? Mo Yu kept a neutral expression, but the man grew anxious.

“My name is Qing Xuan.” He lowered his head, blushed, and rubbed his hands together, then looked up at Mo Yu with hopeful, longing eyes.

“Oh, I’m Mo Yu.” A brief flicker of confusion crossed Mo Yu’s mind, but she didn’t show it.

Seeing Mo Yu’s lack of response, Qing Xuan’s eyes brimmed with uncertainty and panic. He dipped his head, hiding the despair and sadness in his gaze, then looked up again, forcing a smile.

“Then, let me show you the ropes,” Qing Xuan said, quietly adding to himself, “Every day.”

“Alright.”

People say love is everywhere, but what is love? Merely the fleeting fate of our lives, where bonds form and dissolve. Though he once hesitated, it was he who first severed their ties, who made her forget him. He didn’t seek forgiveness, only the chance to quietly remain by her side until his life ended.

Mo Yu’s first patrol passed without incident, the task completed smoothly. She didn’t know that a man had always been at her back, silently guarding her.

Everyone else: “Hero, hero, please put the knife down!”

Mo Yu glanced back at the man who had again accompanied her to her tent’s entrance and, for once, spoke more than usual. “Um… did we know each other before?”

Qing Xuan’s smile slowly faded, bitterness and sorrow filling his heart. Right now, he resembled a child denied his favorite toy, a child denied love. He took off his hat, revealing golden hair loosely tied and draped over one shoulder. He gazed at Mo Yu in silence, his eyes full of dependence, longing, and unmistakable sadness. Only now did Mo Yu truly see his face. His features were gentle and docile, as soft as a cat, making one want to scoop him up and cuddle him fiercely, making one feel he was meant to be theirs, making one want to steal a kiss.

Qing Xuan stared, stunned, as Mo Yu’s delicate face appeared before him. Dazed, he felt her lips brush his. His cheeks blazed with heat, and he quickly hugged Mo Yu back, then turned and fled.

Mo Yu herself was shocked by her boldness, frozen in place for a long time before she regained her composure. She lifted her right hand, gently touching the lips she’d just pressed against someone else’s, feeling both bewildered and lost. What had she done?

The tent flap drew aside, two small heads peeking in. “Hey, you’re back to yourself! He’s gone!” Ye Zuonan’s voice was teasing, thick with gossip and curiosity. “You two have something going on, spill it now!” Mo Yu ignored her, walked straight to her “bed,” shed her “uniform,” and pulled the large bedsheet over herself. Seeing this, Ye Zuonan said nothing more; she wasn’t really the nosy type, but in the apocalypse, the greatest pleasure was keeping an open and cheerful heart—without it, one could easily lose their mind.

Ye Zuonan gently pulled Li Jun, who kept glancing back, out of the tent, leaving Mo Yu alone. Soon, the only sound in the tent was her own breathing. She yanked the sheet off her face, rolling across the carpet, her mood unusually turbulent.

Her cheeks burned as she pressed her hands to her face. Mo Yu didn’t know what was happening to her, but she was certain she felt something for that “odd man.” Enough to miss his dazed expression and trembling lips—she wondered what it would be like to taste them.

Winter had come—could spring be far behind?

Reality tells us: no, it couldn’t.

After another sleepless night, Mo Yu greeted a brand-new day, her mood surprisingly bright. After a night of reflection, she was resolute: today she would probe his feelings. If he had no objections or complications, she would accept becoming “bedmates.” After all, in the apocalypse, one should enjoy life while one can—no one knows when they’ll die. Last night, when she visited her dimension, she even found a book in her study that made things more convenient: “Yin-Yang Cultivation,” essentially dual cultivation.

Dual cultivation, as the name suggests, meant two people “cultivating” together. If not a man, should she choose Ye Zuonan? Her brother would kill someone for that...

In short, Mo Yu had set her sights. She was ready for the feast.

Mo Yu (dead serious): “Looking forward to it.”

Author’s note: Sorry… I’ll try to update more today…