Chapter Ten: Sugar, I'll Share Half with You

“Is mere survival all that’s left in the apocalypse?” Xu Nuo looked at Gu Xingze’s stunned expression and smiled at him—a beautiful, confident smile, rare in these desperate times. Gu Xingze found himself staring, almost mesmerized. This girl, Xu Nuo, possessed a unique temperament; she seemed out of place in this world’s ruins, yet she was more willing than anyone to adapt to its hardships.

Was it just innocence? Perhaps not. She was truly a person full of contradictions.

To be honest, he didn’t want to get entangled with her for too long. They were entirely different kinds of people. She was like a radiant little sun, brimming with vitality and energy, while he…

“Hey, don’t keep such a stern face all the time.”

His thoughts were interrupted by her clear, bright voice. Gu Xingze looked up, about to say something, but suddenly her face was very close. Instinctively, he held his breath, and his lips were touched by something soft and sweet—a piece of candy.

“Here, I’ll share half with you,” Xu Nuo said, the other half still between her teeth. “Is it sweet?”

Gu Xingze savored the taste. It was very sweet—almost overwhelmingly so, but his body responded with delight to the sugar. The coldness on his face melted a little, revealing a clean, gentle air. Xu Nuo felt an itch in her hands, tempted to pinch his handsome face. “Stick with me, and you’ll never lack for good food or drink.”

[007: Wrong, wrong! That’s not your line, Host. Remember your character—you’re supposed to be a delicate girl who needs protection. Lines like that don’t suit you! Quick, use the ‘Pear Blossom in the Rain’ skill to salvage your image!]

Clearing her throat, Xu Nuo softened her tone as if nothing had happened. “Brother Gu, from now on, whenever we have candy, we’ll split it evenly.”

“Alright.” Gu Xingze nodded.

Xu Nuo was a little incredulous. Was he really responding so seriously? His expression was earnest, too. In the past, she was always the one talking while he stayed silent, the picture of a cool, distant man. Now, one casual remark from her and he was suddenly so sincere.

“What is it?” Gu Xingze was amused by the look on her face.

“Oh, nothing,” Xu Nuo muttered under her breath, “It’s just… you’re so handsome, I couldn’t help staring.”

Gu Xingze had excellent hearing; he caught every word.

The grain and vegetables in the fields were still waiting to be harvested, and until then, food was scarce.

When Xu Nuo laid a pile of roots—some familiar, some strange—on the table, her younger companions were bewildered.

“Miss Xu, are you sure these are edible?” They were already traumatized by the destructive power of those grass stalks.

“They should be.” Xu Nuo had spent half a day collecting these stems, planting some around the camp for defense and bringing the rest back to see if they could be made into food.

But cooking was hardly her forte. Faced with these gnarly, menacing roots, the most she could think to do was steam them like sweet potatoes, or boil them.

The group exchanged uncertain glances, completely at a loss.

“Leave it to me,” Gu Xingze finally said, taking the roots straight to the kitchen.

The villa had electricity, so they used an induction stove now, but when she was bored Xu Nuo liked to hang around the kitchen anyway, making Gu Xingze cook over a traditional earthen stove while she added firewood.

If not for 007’s strong objections, she would have helped Gu Xingze chop vegetables, but 007 insisted her knife skills were too savage and the image she projected wasn’t suitable for winning over her target.

Was that really true?

Sighing, Xu Nuo tossed a few more logs on the fire. Life had been peaceful these days, and Gu Xingze’s affection points toward her had been steadily rising, but for Xu Nuo it was starting to get dull. Even the live stream had quieted, no longer filled with acrimonious bickering.

“This won’t do,” Xu Nuo mumbled to herself.

[007: I think it’s going great! At this rate, you’ll max out Gu Xingze’s affection points in no time, and you’ll complete your mission.]

Xu Nuo mused, “Aren’t there a few more conquest targets?”

[Yes, but as long as you reach 100% affection with one target, the mission is considered complete.] 007 was very satisfied with the current progress. [You’ll definitely make it through your first world smoothly.]

After all, it was the host’s first time playing; caution was best.

Xu Nuo asked, “Who are the other targets?”

007 was very straightforward—so long as the host behaved, it was a very obedient system. [There are two others, both currently in this city, but you haven’t triggered their storylines yet.]

“It’s ready.”

A cool, pleasant voice interrupted Xu Nuo’s conversation with the system. In front of her was a bowl of vermicelli, fragrant and steaming, instantly making her stomach rumble with hunger.

“Mmm, it smells so good.” The noodles were springy and smooth, with a special fragrance, not sticky at all—delicious, especially paired with Gu Xingze’s skillful cooking.

Xu Nuo buried herself in the food, not stopping until there wasn’t a single strand left. “Brother Gu, what kind of vermicelli is this?”

She’d received quite a few gifts in recent days. Even though the chat was often filled with arguments, it hadn’t stopped viewers from sending her presents—some drawn in by the sweet romance, sending her food and clothes.

But she definitely didn’t remember receiving this kind of vermicelli.

Gu Xingze explained, “It’s made from the starch of those roots.”

No one had expected that these fierce, destructive roots could be transformed into such a delicious dish.