"Good heavens, you're carrying sunscreen in your pocket instead of food?" Wang Zhi exclaimed, his mouth agape in disbelief.
Seeing that he had reminded her of something important, Su Ye playfully retorted, "My mom says boys also need to maintain their elegance at all times."
"Then how come I looked so disheveled when I met you?"
"In a chaotic world, one must conceal their sharpness and protect themselves."
Wang Zhi: "..."
Wang Zhi panted, swinging his hoe like a diligent, hardworking ox. In contrast, Su Ye, holding a hoe with her slender yet strong hands, performed every movement with an artistic flair, yet her progress in tilling the land was no slower than Wang Zhi's.
As a result, even after swinging her hoe until it was almost smoking, she hadn't seen the person she wanted to. Su Ye felt a slight flicker of annoyance.
Seeing that Su Ye's casual efforts were faster than his own, Wang Zhi felt immense admiration and worked with even more vigor.
"Let's take a break, everyone. Come and have some water."
Su Ye put down her hoe and joined the group. Those who hadn't noticed her before were now momentarily stunned by her beautiful features.
"Were you a celebrity before?" the young girl distributing water asked curiously.
Su Ye shook her head. "No."
The young girl's eyes sparkled. "If it weren't for the apocalypse, your looks would have made you a star in the entertainment industry!" She then enthusiastically handed him a bottle of water. "Don't be discouraged. Everything will get better."
Su Ye took the water and nodded in thanks.
A bare-chested man nearby wiped the sweat from his brow and casually asked, "How did you two get here? What's the situation outside? I heard zombies are evolving into mutated ones, becoming faster and more ferocious. Alas, how are ordinary people like us supposed to survive?"
Knowing Su Ye spoke little, Wang Zhi quickly replied, "When we were heading to our base, we were captured by a group of wicked people. Those individuals were incredibly brutal and tied us up as soon as we arrived. Then, a young girl who looked like a fairy came to rescue us. They called her something like 'Ci.' She's truly beautiful and kind-hearted..."
The bare-chested man interjected, "You must be talking about Qiao Ci, the daughter of our base leader. Let me tell you, Miss Qiao is not only beautiful but also possesses special abilities, and she often goes out to find supplies."
Wang Zhi suddenly realized and continued to narrate vividly, "When we saw the vehicles building our base driving past us, my heart sank. After all, the vehicles were full of supplies. Who would put themselves and their resources at risk for a few strangers? But Miss Qiao descended like a goddess, without a moment's hesitation, taking down one of them. Such a beautiful and powerful young girl, I wonder who will be fortunate enough to marry her?"
"Haha, in any case, we can forget about it. Those who like Miss Qiao could form a line that circles our base three times," the bare-chested man chuckled heartily.
Su Ye, who had been eavesdropping, suddenly drooped her ears.
"Right, how can I meet Miss Qiao? She saved us, and I haven't had a chance to thank her yet." Wang Zhi finally voiced Su Ye's unspoken question, and he subtly perked up his ears again.
The bare-chested man smiled. "Miss Qiao comes to patrol here whenever she's free, and you can also see her in the mess hall during meals."
Seeing that the sun was getting high, Su Ye felt a sense of anticipation for the upcoming meeting. Since Qiao Ci had left, whenever she stayed in that house, she couldn't stop thinking about her. After some time, the memories had faded considerably, until she saw the two pigs by the river. Actually, Su Ye didn't know why she had come here on impulse; it was at that moment that she really wanted to see her, really, really wanted to. Su Ye felt a little conflicted. What should she say when they met again? Should she apologize for her previous impolite behavior, or tell her she wanted to join the construction base to earn a living?
As the girl distributing water was leaving, she shyly walked up to Chu Ye, her face flushed, and stammered, "My name is Tian Ruannuan. Um, can we be friends?"
Hearing this, everyone started to tease.
Su Ye remembered the girl who could eat her dark cuisine without changing her expression and directly refused, "I don't like making friends with the opposite sex."
Tian Ruannuan's face turned red, and in anger, she blurted out, "Why are you so aloof? Annoying!" With that, she picked up the water kettle and ran off in a flurry.
Chen Hong, who had always liked Tian Ruannuan, saw the newcomer dare to embarrass his goddess and walked over to push Su Ye. "You brat, Ruannuan just wanted to be friends with you. Did you think she was proposing? How dare you refuse her?"
Su Ye patted the spot on her shoulder that had been touched, raising an eyebrow as if looking at an idiot. "Her expression, tone, and actions were basically a confession in disguise, weren't they?"
Wang Zhi, surprised that his neatly dressed little friend was so resolute, quickly stepped between them, acting as a peacemaker. "Forget it, forget it, let's not hurt each other's feelings."
"You guys quiet down. It wouldn't be good if Miss Qiao saw this. If you've rested enough, let's get back to work," others urged, fearing they might start fighting.
Wang Zhi pulled Su Ye to their area and earnestly advised, "We're newcomers here. You shouldn't be foolish and provoke someone you shouldn't."
Su Ye didn't feel she had done anything wrong and continued to hoe the ground silently. Wang Zhi was accustomed to her taciturn nature and continued, "However, your appearance is indeed too eye-catching. I suddenly feel that your previous disheveled look was the truly wise choice."
At this moment, Su Ye replied, "It's not for them to see."
"Then who is it for?" Wang Zhi was taken aback.
Before hearing Su Ye's reply, the surroundings erupted in commotion.
"Good day, Miss Qiao."
"Good day, Miss Qiao."
Su Ye's gaze involuntarily drifted into the distance, and indeed, she saw Qiao Ci walking towards them. Wang Zhi immediately straightened up, pulling the stunned Su Ye with him. When Qiao Ci approached, they respectfully bowed. "Good day, Miss Qiao."
Qiao Ci passed by them without stopping. Su Ye subconsciously spoke, "Qiao Ci."
Qiao Ci stopped and looked at her quizzically. "Yes?"
Her still indifferent attitude made even the usually composed Su Ye feel nervous. The many opening lines she had rehearsed in her mind suddenly turned into: "So, there really are live pigs bathing by the river."
Qiao Ci looked Su Ye up and down, her brows slightly furrowed. *Zai Zai has lost weight.*
Seeing Qiao Ci frown, Su Ye inwardly cursed herself for speaking such nonsense and tried to salvage her image. "Um, thank you for not disclosing the matter of the medicinal powder to others." Otherwise, her peaceful life would have been shattered long ago.
Qiao Ci showed no additional emotion. "Yes, is there anything else?"
"No," Su Ye replied dryly, her mind completely blank.
"Oh."
Little Spoon腹诽d in frustration: Host, didn't you come here today just to see him? Now that he's making a move, why are you acting like a blockhead? It's truly worrying about its own host. Although the plot hasn't started yet, the host being lazy every day is not acceptable. We need to find her a young boy to stimulate her career ambition... This Su Ye is quite suitable!
However, there was no follow-up. Qiao Ci didn't linger long and left.
Wang Zhi looked at the visibly dejected Su Ye and asked with curiosity, "Brother, did you and Miss Qiao know each other before?"