On the cleared land, people were sowing seeds suitable for the season.
Seeing Su Ye approach, everyone greeted him. He was now someone close to Miss Qiao, and it was always beneficial to be seen around her.
Chen Hong, upon seeing Su Ye, initially wanted to mock him. However, remembering his current status and the beating he received that night, he wisely kept quiet.
Some less discerning individuals, like a man who was rather decent-looking and had previously fantasized about Qiao Ci, stretched their necks hoping to catch her eye, thinking it would at least spare them from farming.
However, they were "intercepted" by this new pretty boy, and their resentment was palpable.
Especially when they saw his clean clothes and handsome face, while they were covered in dirt, their envy was even more suppressed.
He then acidly remarked to the person next to him, "See? Some people are just born lucky. In this apocalypse, we all have to start from scratch, yet he can ascend to heaven in one step.
But, as a man, no matter how bright his appearance, how much dignity remains beneath the surface after being trampled on?"
The person beside him, also full of envy, relying on the fact that the base leader rewarded and punished impartially and wouldn't punish people for mere verbal disputes, nodded in agreement, "Who's to say otherwise? He can enjoy the treatment of an ability user without having any abilities. Looking at all the men in the base, besides him, there's no one else."
"Indeed, living off someone else is the easiest."
The previous speaker continued, "He even came with Miss Qiao before, but now he's here alone. I guess he's feeling repressed in some aspects and has come to bother us low-level folks. Humph, he's so clueless, isn't he afraid of being played out and then beaten back to square one?"
"Ah, right, right, haha."
Although the two were whispering, their voices were not disguised at all; at least Su Ye could hear them clearly.
However, he paid no mind to what they said, as it didn't affect his good mood.
Tian Ruanruan, who arrived on time to deliver water, quickly distributed it. Seeing that no one was with Su Ye, she quietly followed him.
"Su Ye, Su Ye." Reaching a secluded spot, Tian Ruanruan softly called his name.
Su Ye knew her feelings for him and had no intention of engaging. He continued walking.
With no other recourse, Tian Ruanruan ran to catch up, stretching her arms to block his path, saying with some complaint, "I'm calling you, why aren't you stopping?"
"Something wrong?" Su Ye asked impatiently.
"Is Miss Qiao treating you well?" Tian Ruanruan was initially upset by his public rejection of her, but in recent days, she had heard that he must have endured many humiliations to cling to Miss Qiao, which made her feel a little sympathetic.
After all, without abilities, the only thing he could offer to please Miss Qiao was his face. He must be serving Qiao Ci like a slave, without any dignity as a man.
"Does it concern you?" Su Ye, not wanting to waste time on her, stepped past her to leave.
Then, Tian Ruanruan closed her eyes, as if making a desperate decision, and confessed loudly, "I like you!"
After finishing, she waited quietly. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes to find Su Ye had already walked far away. She quickly chased after him, talking as she went.
"I know it's not easy for you as a man to depend on Miss Qiao, and you must have suffered a lot of grievances. Miss Qiao is also pampered and accustomed to having her way. Serving and pleasing her must mean losing your dignity and self, and many things... you won't be able to enjoy them to the fullest. I truly pity you."
"I also know I can't compare to Miss Qiao, but I truly like you. If you're willing, you can come to me anytime. I can let you vent, I can do anything."
"Anything?" Su Ye stopped, his eyes filled with mockery.
Tian Ruanruan, thinking there was hope, quickly nodded, "Yes, I can do anything. And I won't reveal a single word to anyone."
"Then, will you die for me?" Su Ye's expression was cold and bloodthirsty, yet surprisingly devilishly charming.
"Why? I like you! How can you hurt me like this~" Tian Ruanruan's eyes widened, seemingly unable to accept that the man she liked would tell her to die.
"You like me? You think you're worthy? Either disappear from my sight or die. That would be enough to repay my tranquility with your disgusting affection." Su Ye kindly offered her clarification, but his words were incredibly cruel.
Even though it was the apocalypse, Tian Ruanruan, with her good looks, hadn't suffered much. She had even actively thrown herself at him, so how could Su Ye treat her like this?
"He's always been this cold-blooded and selfish."
At this moment, a female voice came. Tian Ruanruan looked in the direction of the voice and saw it was her new roommate, Feng Ying, though they rarely interacted.
Feeling emotionally vulnerable, Tian Ruanruan immediately ran over and hugged Feng Ying, sobbing, "Wuuu wuuu, Sister Yingying, what do you mean by that?"
Encountering two lunatics, Su Ye couldn't help but laugh. Were all the idiots gathering these days?
Feng Ying pointed at Su Ye, who stood calmly on the spot, and said through gritted teeth, "It's him, selfish and self-serving. He disguised himself so well, successfully diverting the attention of the bad guys onto me, causing me irreparable harm!"
During the time building the base, she had successfully gotten involved with an ability user. However, that person had a virgin complex. Upon learning she had been violated, he immediately cut ties with her.
The criminals who had assaulted her were all dead, and her rage had nowhere to go, so she could only hate Su Ye. If he hadn't disguised himself back then, with his looks, those bad guys would have definitely tortured him first, and she might have waited for Miss Qiao and the others to arrive, pure and untouched.
"It's the apocalypse now. Of course, delicate boys like me need to protect ourselves. Isn't it normal to disguise ourselves a bit?
Actually, I don't sympathize with your tragic experience at all. Knowing the dangers lurking in the apocalypse, especially how much mobs target women, you still went out all dressed up.
Oh, and I remember those people were just about to leave after taking things, but you suddenly lifted your face and attracted the leader's attention.
Now that something has happened, you're blaming others. As the saying goes, pitiful people must have hateful aspects, right?" Su Ye noticed Qiao Ci nearby and patiently explained the situation; he couldn't let her discover his true cold-blooded nature.
"You're talking nonsense, I didn't. I just didn't know how to protect myself! You suddenly joined our team, why didn't you warn me!?
It's all your fault, you selfish man. I'll just wait until Miss Qiao tires of you, and then how many men will covet your face! You'll be a thousand times worse off than me!!" Feng Ying cursed him hatefully.
"I won't be as foolish as you," Su Ye said dismissively.
Feng Ying, tears streaming down her face, slumped to the ground and murmured, "Why, why is fate so unfair to me? If you had attracted their attention back then, the harm wouldn't have fallen upon me, wuuu, I hate it so much."
"For it to fall on you is a disaster, but for it to fall on me isn't? Hypocritical dog?" Su Ye truly couldn't understand her train of thought.