"Forget me, we are not suitable."
Qiao Ci's eyes dimmed slightly. What version of a tragic romance was this?
Where was her sweet love story?
She did not take the sachet of powder, her voice faint, "No need, thank you."
With that, she pushed the door open and left.
Little Spoon watched the dejected Qiao Ci with worry, cautiously asking, "Host, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Qiao Ci's expression was indifferent, making her seem unapproachable.
It was one thing for Su Ye to deliberately make unpalatable food these past few days, but she felt that if she didn't eat it, he wouldn't be happy, so she forced herself to finish it all. In just over ten days, she had gained seven or eight catties!
And now he was driving her away!
Qiao Ci decided not to indulge him and would focus on losing weight first!
After all, he wouldn't be in danger anytime soon.
Seeing her cold tone, Little Spoon didn't dare to press further.
It should mind its own business when it came to the boss, *beep beep~*
On her way back to the construction base, Qiao Ci encountered Yu Hao and his group.
They were locked in a desperate firefight with another group, with zombies occasionally jumping out from the sides.
Various abilities crisscrossed the air, a spectacular sight.
The surrounding zombies were drawn by the commotion, moving closer and closer to them.
Qiao Ci strode aggressively into the fray, her ice blades directly severing the heads of the zombies blocking her path, a brutal and bloody display.
"Qiao Ci!" Yu Hao's eyes lit up when he saw Qiao Ci. He fought off the person beside him with all his might and quickly approached her.
"There's a large horde of zombies approaching, we need to evacuate this area." Qiao Ci's expression was cold, showing no joy at their reunion.
Yu Hao had already anticipated this. Hearing her words, he shouted, "Zombies are coming, retreat quickly!"
He was the first to grab Qiao Ci's wrist and pull her towards where the vehicles were parked, but Qiao Ci broke free, her voice fierce, "Take care of yourself."
Yu Hao didn't have time to feel disappointed as he was busy fending off sneak attacks from outsiders.
The group fighting Yu Hao and his companions only eased their offensive when they saw large numbers of zombies approaching with bared teeth and claws.
A man with spiky hair whistled, and his group immediately stopped fighting and spread out.
Reaching the parking area, Qiao Ci got into the passenger seat. The others from the construction base quickly boarded the vehicles. Yu Hao started the car and drove away from the scene.
"What was the deal with that group just now?" Qiao Ci asked once they reached a safe area.
"They're from the Lone Wolf Base. They dared to rob our Construction Base. Damn, they're brave!" Wang Yang in the back seat said, baring his teeth. He was severely injured, and Li Jiang was bandaging his wound.
Qiao Ci smiled. They were from the male protagonist Xu Wei's base, how could they not be brave?
Xu Wei had always coveted the Construction Base's advantageous geographical location.
Yu Hao glanced at Qiao Ci a few times. Seeing that she was unharmed, he had the leisure to ask other questions, "Are you alone?"
Qiao Ci knew what he meant and nodded, "He doesn't trust others easily. Let's not disturb him for now."
How could she not see Su Ye's wariness and defensiveness? The only reason he agreed to let her stay was probably a temporary measure, and he would eventually find a way to make her leave.
In the original plot, Su Ye never joined any base. Later, An Ran, appreciating his pharmaceutical skills, wanted to recruit him, but he refused. After that, he never appeared again in the original plot.
Thinking about it, if they hadn't accidentally entered his territory that day, he could have dealt with those three villains perfectly.
Qiao Ci gave a self-deprecating smile.
There was no such thing as love that lasted forever. Once memories were lost, everything would reset.
It was truly ironic. She never expected to be shut out by someone.
She respected his every choice, including not needing her participation in his life anymore.
"Why do you seem a bit off? Did that person bully you?" Yu Hao, observant of Qiao Ci, noticed her low spirits and couldn't help but ask with concern.
Qiao Ci raised an eyebrow, "A weakling like him bullying me? Are you kidding?"
Seeing that Qiao Ci remained proud, Yu Hao finally felt at ease, his firm profile softening considerably, "Leader Qiao has been very worried about you these past few days. She'll be very happy to see you later."
Qiao Ci nodded nonchalantly.
*
After Qiao Ci left, Su Ye lingered at the door for a long time, like a wooden statue. Looking at the closed door, he reached out a hand that was eager to touch, then slowly lowered it.
Remembering her resolute departure, Su Ye touched his face and smiled sadly.
They had only spent a few days together. The young girl was infatuated with his handsome appearance; in a few days, she might fall for someone else.
Suppressing the unknown emotions in his heart, he changed into casual clothes, sprinkled powder on himself, and went downstairs.
By evening, he returned and took out some medical supplies from his spatial ability. His gaze unconsciously drifted to the room Qiao Ci had occupied, his eyes indifferent.
He walked into the kitchen, and after a while, he brought out food for two. He paused for a moment, looking at the two pairs of chopsticks on the table.
Eating the unpalatable food he had made himself, Su Ye frowned. Why could she eat such disgusting food without changing her expression? Was he that captivating to look at?
He quietly picked up the food and poured it into the trash can. He then prepared a normal meal for himself, but it tasted bland.
For some reason, he remembered her bewildered expression when he asked about her spatial ability.
Was her acting too good, or did she genuinely not have a spatial ability? If not, where did that pile of food in the storage room come from overnight?
Su Ye shook his head mockingly. How could she not have it? It didn't make sense. Perhaps her acting was just that good.
*
Upon returning to the construction base, Qiao Father examined her carefully for a long time. Only when he was sure she was unharmed did he say sternly, "You can't be so reckless anymore. To your father, my daughter is more important than anything else. Don't take matters into your own hands and put yourself in danger again, understand?"
The genuine concern in his father's eyes was palpable. Qiao Ci recalled the interactions between the original host and her father and stood there like a good child, "Got it, Dad."
Back in her room, Qiao Ci felt bored lying on the bed, so she chatted with Little Spoon, "How much longer until An Ran arrives at Ping'an Base?"
Little Spoon checked the timeline, "Two months. Lone Wolf Base has only been established for less than two months. They rely on raiding for basic necessities and are currently merging some smaller factions."
"Why is the key to the end of the apocalypse on Su Ye?" Qiao Ci asked again.
Part of the reason she stayed there was because Little Spoon had advised her to.
Little Spoon replied, "This is a hidden clue provided by the main system. Little Spoon doesn't know the specifics."
Qiao Ci lazily lifted her eyelids, "Heh."
This chuckle sent a shiver down Little Spoon's spine. It cautiously asked, "Host, did Little Spoon say something wrong..."
"No, I just felt like making a cold remark."
Little Spoon understood. The host must have been hurt by Su Ye, or she wouldn't be speaking so sarcastically. It pitied itself, having to endure the host's cold shoulder for no reason.
*Sob sob sob*, won't someone hug it? ˚‧º·(˚˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅)‧º·˚