"Is something wrong?"
"I will do my utmost to ensure Yueyue's safety. Please believe me." After hesitating for a long time, Qin Chuan finally spoke these words.
Xu An's face showed no extra expression. She merely said indifferently, "Oh, I see."
With that, she was about to step past Qin Chuan to leave. However, as she passed, Qin Chuan grabbed her wrist.
"Xu An!" his voice carried a hint of suppressed emotion.
Xu An turned back, looking at Qin Chuan with a puzzled expression. "Is there something else?"
"You don't have to treat me this way, and I don't want you to."
Xu An forcefully pulled her wrist free from Qin Chuan's grasp. "I know you have no choice. Can you let me go now?"
Qin Chuan, suppressing his anger, released Xu An's wrist.
"Qin Chuan, I understand your difficulties and your position. I'm not asking you to do anything for me. In fact, I haven't contacted you at all since this incident. You really don't need to be like this."
Qin Chuan knew that Xu An's every word was true. Zhou Zhe had said that Xu An knew what she was doing.
Since the incident, Xu An hadn't even called him.
But for some reason, Qin Chuan felt an inexplicable unease, as if something was slipping away.
Seeing that Qin Chuan was just standing there without speaking, Xu An's impatience grew.
"What exactly do you want to say? I'm very tired now, and I want to go home and rest."
But in the end, Qin Chuan said nothing. He merely lowered his head, leaving a whispered "I'm sorry" that scattered in the wind, and then turned to leave.
The wind was biting. The plants on both sides of the street had long since shed their leaves, their branches stark against the cold. Every breath Xu An took produced white mist that enveloped her.
Xu An's vision of Qin Chuan gradually blurred, like a receding friend. She didn't feel any strong emotions.
Perhaps she and Qin Chuan had never been on the same path from the very beginning.
Upon returning home, Xu An saw Xu Yan had prepared a table full of dishes.
"Is there any good news today? Why are you cooking so much delicious food?"
Xu Yan flicked Xu An's forehead. "Can't I cook something good just because there's no good news? Haimai is coming over later."
Xu An nodded.
Ever since her relationship with Zhou Haimai had improved, Xu Yan's attitude towards Zhou Haimai was even better than towards her own daughter.
Sometimes, even Xu An would secretly be jealous of Zhou Haimai.
"By the way, have you noticed that the weather seems to be getting colder and colder recently?"
Before Xu An could reply, a knock sounded at the door.
Xu An opened the door to see Zhou Haimai, bundled up like a bear.
"Why are you dressed like that?"
"It's cold! Don't you feel it?"
Xu An shook her head. "I'm fine."
"Perhaps it's because you've been staying indoors?"
"I just came back from outside, only ten minutes before you."
"Strange," Zhou Haimai said as she took off her layers. "Then why aren't you cold? But it seems your physical fitness has always been a bit better than mine."
As Xu An was pondering this, Ze Yuan's voice reached her ears.
"It's not that your physical fitness is better, but because after your powers awakened, the energy around you unconsciously envelops your entire body, protecting you from the cold."
Xu An thought, so that's how it is. She had already had this thought, and it turned out to be true.
Looking at Zhou Haimai, Xu An asked, "Didn't you say before that Zhou Haimai could also awaken powers?"
Ze Yuan flew and perched on her shoulder, looking like a seasoned official. "Are you sure you want to use crystal cores to awaken Zhou Haimai's powers? Those things are rare. You might kill a hundred zombies and not find even one. It's better to save them for your own upgrades."
Xu An understood powers only vaguely. "They can be upgraded?"
"Of course. Powers change with your own changes. The more crystal cores you absorb, the higher your level, and the stronger your energy."
Ze Yuan had persuaded her so much, thinking Xu An had finally been moved and wouldn't think about sharing crystal cores with Zhou Haimai.
However, Xu An still asked Ze Yuan to hand over the crystal cores. "Sharing happiness makes for greater happiness."
Actually, Xu An wanted one more person to awaken powers so that those around her would become stronger. If any problems arose in the future, it would be easier to solve them.
Xu An then asked, "Is Laoshu an esper?"
Ze Yuan was speechless at Xu An's behavior of being a dispenser of wealth.
"Don't tell me you want to help Laoshu awaken powers too?"
But Xu An looked at Ze Yuan as if it were the most natural thing in the world, a look clearly conveying "Of course."
Ze Yuan was utterly speechless. The few crystal cores in his hand were top-tier, incomparable to those dug out from zombie heads.
It could be said that the mutated crystal cores outside were formed through incredibly rare coincidences before being consumed by humans to evolve powers.
This chain of events was precise; even one link missing would fail.
But the crystal cores in Ze Yuan's hand were clearly refined. Such crystal cores had purer and cleaner energy. Even if absorbed directly, they would not burden the human body.
Ze Yuan stated decisively, "No, don't even think about it. She doesn't have the slightest fluctuation of power."
Xu An's eyes were suspicious; she clearly didn't believe him.
However, Ze Yuan was not lying about this. He could vaguely guess Xu An's intentions.
It was one thing not to know before, but now that he knew, Ze Yuan could actually sense the thoughts Xu An was constructing in her mind.
She wanted to build a mercenary army.
This way, not only would they have a stable source of income and not deplete their savings, but they could also establish their own influence on the lighthouse.
Xu An had overheard the bragging at the auction before. The top-ranked forces on the military list were the foundation for confronting any other faction.
"You're not lying to me?" Xu An demanded.
Ze Yuan shook his little head like a rattle drum.
"If I lied to you, I'd never be able to eat again in my life," Ze Yuan said with extreme seriousness, as if uttering the most vicious curse in the world.
This expression amused Xu An immensely.
But Xu An thought about it. Laoshu was a teacher before, and she had no physical training. If it weren't for protecting those children, she wouldn't have pushed herself that far.
Moreover, she had lived a life of perpetual hunger on the lighthouse for the past few years, so her physical fitness would definitely not keep up.
It was understandable that she couldn't awaken powers now.
However, just as this thought formed in Xu An's mind, Ze Yuan interrupted.
"No."
Xu An was bewildered. "What's wrong?"