Ever since Gu Yicheng took her to the factory to kill zombies and she got injured, Ruan Ning noticed that his attitude toward her seemed to have improved quite a bit.
The most obvious sign was that, on the second day after she was hurt, the male lead actually came to see her on his own.
This was something Ruan Ning could never have imagined before.
So when she saw Gu Yicheng, dressed in casual clothes, standing at her door, she was stunned for a moment before breaking into a bright smile, pleasantly surprised. “Brother, why are you here?”
Not wanting anyone to notice that her wound had completely healed, Ruan Ning had rewrapped the bandages on her arm the previous day. On the surface, she still appeared to be recovering from her injury.
“I came to check on how your injury is healing,” Gu Yicheng’s face remained expressionless, but there was a subtle softness in the deep, dark eyes that now looked at her.
Was he really here to check on her?
Ruan Ning had thought that the words he said before leaving yesterday were just to brush her off, so she hadn’t taken them seriously.
“Dr. An’s skills are amazing! Thanks to him, look—I can even jump and twirl now!” As she spoke, Ruan Ning spun around playfully.
Seeing the girl’s radiant smile, Gu Yicheng couldn’t help but curve his lips slightly as well. His voice softened as he said, “Seeing that you’re much better today, Ning Ning, I feel a little less guilty.”
“Brother, it’s not your fault. I tripped and fell on my own,” Ruan Ning refuted.
At first, she had been scared and even resented the male lead for taking her to such a zombie-infested place. But Ruan Ning wasn’t unreasonable. After thinking it over, she realized that although Gu Yicheng’s method of taking her to kill zombies was a bit rough, it was ultimately beneficial for her. If she could really learn from him, and stash some extra bullets in her space, it should be enough to protect herself in the early days of the apocalypse.
Ruan Ning’s foot injury had healed quickly. Even without the crystal core’s help, she was already able to walk normally again.
However, because Gu Yicheng’s attitude had always been indifferent in their previous interactions, his sudden visit today left Ruan Ning feeling unexpectedly flattered.
She wondered if she was imagining things. Otherwise, why did it seem like there was a trace of tenderness in his gaze?
It wasn’t until Gu Yicheng mentioned that he needed to meet Captain Xue and would visit her again next time that Ruan Ning’s floating heart finally settled.
So, he only came to check on her in passing…
It seemed she had read too much into it.
She realized she shouldn’t let herself get carried away just because Gu Yicheng had carried her back yesterday.
Though she felt a little disappointed at first, this was the Gu Yicheng she had come to know—a man who didn’t get too emotionally involved.
Her momentary disappointment faded quickly, and she made peace with it.
After all, it was already something worth being happy about that he had come to see her at all.
At the very least, Gu Yicheng now thought of her, no longer treating her as an insignificant, invisible figure like before.
Ruan Ning was confident that one day, she would earn Gu Yicheng’s recognition as his sister. With such a powerful protector in the apocalypse, and if she could learn some survival skills from him, combined with her space ability, her life would surely be much better.
Gu Yicheng could sense the change in her mood when she heard that he was leaving. Her previously happy energy had dimmed, and a flicker of emotion passed through his eyes. He reached out and gently ruffled her hair. “I’ll come visit you again tomorrow.”
“Mm.” She responded softly.
“By the way, Brother, you left your jacket here yesterday,” Ruan Ning said, sneaking a glance at Gu Yicheng before continuing, “…but I accidentally got it dirty, and I just washed it. It’s not dry yet.”
For now, water pollution hadn’t become an issue, and there was still a water supply available in the safe zone.
“In that case, just give it to me next time,” Gu Yicheng responded nonchalantly, as if he had completely forgotten about the crystal cores in the jacket pocket.
Ruan Ning let out a quiet sigh of relief. It wasn’t until after she finished her experiment yesterday that she realized the crystal cores she used weren’t hers—they belonged to the male lead. If he found out they were missing, how could she explain it?
While Gu Yicheng might not care about a few crystal cores, Ruan Ning couldn’t just use someone else’s things without feeling guilty. Worse yet, if this affected how the male lead saw her, she’d be devastated.
But confessing the truth wasn’t an option either.
Could she really say she used those missing crystal cores to heal herself, despite being a regular person?
If she did, would she end up being sent to a research lab for some sort of human dissection?
With that fear in mind, Ruan Ning decided to keep the secret to herself, not daring to tell anyone.
**
That afternoon.
After disguising herself a little, Ruan Ning hurried out the door and headed to the market in the safe zone.
Her main goal this time was to see if she could find another vendor selling crystal cores. She didn’t need the coloured ones from mutated zombies, just enough plain cores to replace the ones she had used from Gu Yicheng’s jacket.
Ruan Ning wasn’t short on food for trading, but she was worried no one would be selling crystal cores. Those who didn’t understand their value wouldn’t bother stocking them, and those who did wouldn’t advertise it openly.
Unless she got lucky again, like last time, and found a hidden gem.
Ruan Ning moved from one stall to the next, but unfortunately, she couldn’t find what she was looking for.
With the realization that she might not be able to replace the cores before Gu Yicheng’s visit the next day, Ruan Ning frowned, anxiety creeping up on her.
“I’ve finally found you,” a woman’s voice said, stopping in front of Ruan Ning.
At first, Ruan Ning didn’t recognize her. But after a few more glances, she remembered—it was the woman from the market who had tried to buy the crystal core last time. Ruan Ning had left without selling it to her.
However, Gan Lan recognized Ruan Ning immediately. After all, her outfit was quite distinctive.
For the past three days, Gan Lan had been coming to the market, hoping to run into her again and convince her to sell the crystal core. A crystal core that matched her ability was extremely rare and invaluable, especially since mutated zombies were much stronger than ability users.
Normally, Gan Lan could afford to wait, but right now, she was desperate to increase her strength in order to save someone.
“Do you need something from me?” Ruan Ning asked, puzzled as to why another woman would be so fixated on her.
Gan Lan replied, “I’m still after that crystal core. Name your terms—whatever you ask, as long as it’s within my power, I’ll do it.”
Ruan Ning blinked, suddenly realizing that while she didn’t have any of those colourless crystal cores, this woman often hunted zombies and knew about the value of crystal cores. Perhaps she had some.
Leave a Reply