Xiao Chongyan’s once arrogant movements suddenly became somewhat weak.
He feigned ignorance with great difficulty. "What are you asking?"
"Asking who I am?" Zhuo Yan said calmly. "Do I resemble that woman? Would he kiss you like this?"
Xiao Chongyan once again felt his own "heartbeat."
Clearly, he had never liked anyone, but he couldn't resist the inner feeling and the resonance of his soul. The sensation of his heart about to leap out, despite not having a heartbeat, was something he couldn't refuse.
Seeing his dazed and helpless appearance, Zhuo Yan pulled him down, pressing him onto her. She gently held him, patting his back. "Don't be afraid, and don't resist. I'm only here for you, for you alone. You don't need to deny your true inner thoughts."
Xiao Chongyan remained silent, his lips sealed.
The topic was too taboo, leaving him unsure how to respond.
He wanted to ask if she really wasn't like that, if what she said was true, but he already had the answer in his heart.
Asking anything would just be deceiving himself.
Zhuo Yan didn't pressure him either. She held him and lay there quietly, savoring this rare moment of leisure.
After all, they would soon embark on their journey, and such peaceful days would be hard to come by.
The topic was tacitly dropped by the two of them. As dusk approached, they emerged from the room together.
Xiao Chongyan had long known there were people outside. He wasn't surprised to see Song Qi and his group. He simply exchanged greetings and then went into the kitchen to cook.
He was starving.
Helping in the kitchen was Song Qi, who had just woken up.
He was the last to rest, and his rest time was the shortest. Zhou Shanshan was still asleep, but he couldn't rest easy.
As expected, the zombies outside were still guarding.
They couldn't leave.
They had to stay for another day. He, being wise, gave them food as payment for their lodging, primarily fearing that the owner would kick them out.
Fortunately, Zhuo Yan didn't mention it at all.
He rushed to help in the kitchen, also to curry favor.
"You're awake!" he said, his tone somewhat familiar. "Your girlfriend always believed you'd be fine. I didn't expect you to recover so quickly. Amazing."
Xiao Chongyan: "...Girlfriend?"
Seeing his strange expression, Song Qi asked uncertainly, "Uh... aren't you? She said so."
Xiao Chongyan felt a mix of excitement and strangeness.
Had they become a couple?
Even if it was just from someone else's words, it made him feel a surge of joy.
That's right, it was the apocalypse now. Let alone the fact that they weren't related by blood, even if they were, who cared now?
No one.
No one knew their identities, no one knew their original relationship.
If they told others they were a couple, then they were a couple.
It was that simple, why should he overthink it?
[Target's Blackening Value -10, Current Blackening Value 72.]
Zhuo Yan, sitting in the living room, suddenly heard the system's announcement and was somewhat surprised.
Earlier, in the room, Xiao Chongyan's blackening value had fluctuated for a while before finally settling at 72. She hadn't expected it to drop by 10 so suddenly.
She glanced towards the kitchen, thinking of Song Qi inside, and decided to thank him later.
Song Qi, unaware of the future reward he would receive, was looking at the person opposite him with a peculiar expression. He couldn't quite understand why he would react like that upon hearing the word "girlfriend."
Were they really not a couple?
"Of course," Xiao Chongyan replied decisively, then fabricated a reason: "It's just that she didn't really acknowledge it before. I didn't expect her to admit it now. I'm just a little surprised."
Song Qi suddenly understood: "So that's how it is."
It seemed they had been an unsupported couple before.
"The past is in the past. It's the apocalypse now, the legal system has collapsed, and no one will care about you. You can be together happily!"
Xiao Chongyan nodded in agreement, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "Yes."