Zhuo Xi slept poorly that night.
The events of that night at the Peak of the Gods replayed in her dreams, one scene after another. She hadn't remembered them so clearly before, but now, in her dreams, she felt them more profoundly.
It was the pounding of her heart, the disturbance of her soul's strings.
Seeing the pain and disbelief in that person's eyes, her own heart ached. She even wished she could go back in time and stop Rong Jin, to embrace the disappointed and dejected person, comfort him, and protect him.
Then, she was startled awake by a knock on the door.
Zhuo Xi took a few seconds to orient herself, then called out, "I know, I'll be out in a bit."
The knocking stopped, and footsteps receded.
Zhuo Xi got out of bed, found clothes that the original owner hadn't worn much from the wardrobe, changed, and left the bedroom.
Just then, Xiao Chongyan came out of the kitchen, carrying half a pot of water, his hands trembling slightly. As he passed Zhuo Xi, he deliberately or accidentally, leaned towards her.
Zhuo Xi quickly supported him and steadied the pot, looking up at his slightly disbelieving eyes, a hidden hatred lurking beneath. She smiled lightly, "Be careful, it would be bad if you got scalded."
Xiao Chongyan felt a chill.
He was the one who had been reborn, so why did this woman also feel so strange?
He gave her a meaningful glance, wordlessly poured the water into the instant noodles, covered them with two books, and sat down to zone out.
Zhuo Xi also sat down.
They spent three minutes in this quiet and awkward silence. The noodles were ready, and they tacitly began to eat breakfast.
They had had plain congee the night before, which wasn't filling. Now, everything tasted delicious, especially for Xiao Chongyan, whose stomach had been rumbling in the middle of the night.
During the years he was a zombie, he neither ate human flesh nor needed human food. It had been a long time since he had felt hunger. The familiar sensation of hunger upon rebirth gave him the concrete realization that he was still human.
He could not become the person he was in his past life again.
He finished a packet of instant noodles in a few bites, even drinking the soup clean. He put down his bowl and looked at the person opposite him. Zhuo Xi was eating leisurely.
Her elegant movements, though a bit affected, were also alluring.
Of course, it wasn't her, but the instant noodles in her bowl.
Noticing his gaze, Zhuo Xi looked up, "Not full?"
Xiao Chongyan did not answer.
Zhuo Xi was unwilling to go out of her way, and it might break character, "There's nothing I can do if you're not full. I only have enough for myself. Aren't there bread rolls in the bag? Have one to tide you over."
Xiao Chongyan's face grew even more awkward. He turned his head to the side and remained silent.
Zhuo Xi followed his gaze. On the coffee table, only an empty plastic bag remained, with two empty water bottles beside it.
The mineral water had been used to make instant noodles. What about the bread?
There were only the two of them in the house. Zhuo Xi added that no one else could have entered. If she didn't eat it, it could only be Xiao Chongyan.
Was he shy?
His awkwardness was rather cute.
She pushed the bowl of instant noodles towards him, "It's alright, we'll find more later."
"I don't want it."
He said without looking up.
Zhuo Xi was a little helpless, "Really don't want it? Actually, I had eaten before I came back yesterday. I'm not hungry now, and I don't like instant noodles. If you don't eat it, I'll pour it away."
Even though he didn't need human food after becoming a zombie, Xiao Chongyan had experienced the apocalypse.
He knew the preciousness of food to humans.
Especially after the apocalypse descended.
So he instinctively wanted to mock her, "So fussy. Be careful you won't be able to eat it when you want to later."
"If I want to eat it, there will be some, so you don't need to worry about it. I can even support you."
Her words were extremely confident, making Xiao Chongyan show a mocking expression again.
"Aren't you going to eat it? It'll get mushy soon."
He swallowed, and finally decided that pride was less important than his stomach. He reached for the bowl in front of her, "Fine, I just don't want to see you waste food."
This bad woman wanted to win him over with a bowl of used instant noodles. It was a fantasy.
He would never let her off!
Hmph!
[Mission Target's Darkening Value -1, Current Darkening Value 84.]
---
Half an hour later, the two appeared on the street together.
Seeing that the sun was too strong, Zhuo Xi even held an umbrella. She was wearing casual clothes that the original owner had bought just two days before the apocalypse, looking like she was out shopping.
Xiao Chongyan frowned repeatedly, even wanting to ditch her and leave alone.
However, no matter how fast or slow he walked, the woman behind him maintained the same distance, following him like a surveillance.
Finally, as they passed a flyover, Xiao Chongyan couldn't help himself. He turned around and shouted, "Can you walk any faster? You're so slow, are your feet bound?"