Chapter 17: I Choose You

Su Xiao, He Yushi, and Tang Mengting ate the stir-fried noodles, their faces glowing with pure enjoyment. Having survived on vacuum-packed and preserved goods for so long, they had grown utterly weary of the chemical taste of preservatives.

In the peaceful days of the past, these young ladies of wealth wouldn't have even glanced at a bowl of common stir-fried noodles. They never would have touched such oily, salty, and unhealthy street food. But now, this humble bowl of noodles tasted better than any gourmet delicacy they had ever known.

The three young beauties couldn't stop praising it.

"It's delicious, absolutely delicious! I never imagined I’d be able to eat hot stir-fried noodles in the apocalypse. I’m so moved!"

"Even the best food I’ve had before doesn't compare to this. Thank you, Sister Dandan!"

"Wuwuwu, this tastes just like home cooking! I’m about to cry from happiness!"

Watching everyone enjoy her cooking, Chen Dandan felt a surge of genuine joy. It was wonderful that everyone liked it; it made her feel that she was still useful, that she wasn't entirely dispensable.

Once they finished, He Yushi and the others scrambled to wash the dishes and clean up. After all, if they didn't do something after being fed by Chen Dandan, they would feel quite embarrassed.

At the same time, everyone had their own private thoughts. Chen Dandan was the fourth woman to arrive at this villa, yet she had immediately proven her worth with a meal that even Liu Yang praised. In a way, she was currently the most useful woman here. The "veterans" who arrived earlier felt compared and found wanting, which stirred a sense of crisis within them.

*If this continues, won't we just become useless baggage? We need to find a way to contribute!*

Soon, the dishes were cleaned and the table tidied. Liu Yang sat there, satisfied, digesting his meal as he looked at the group. "Full and satisfied, time for a rest. Who’s coming upstairs with me tonight? Any volunteers?"

Liu Yang’s room was upstairs, while the rooms for the four women were on the ground floor. It wasn't hard to imagine what would happen if one went upstairs with him. When Liu Yang had first brought Chen Dandan back, he had already engaged in a fierce battle with her; was he already restless again?

*Volunteers? You’re so powerful, so full of energy—who could possibly withstand your intensity?*

The women blushed, none daring to speak. Liu Yang smirked at them. "Oh, no volunteers, then? Fine, I’ll just pick someone at random. Come on, He Yushi, it’s you tonight!"

He Yushi’s eyes widened. She pointed at herself, stuttering, "Me? Oh no!!!"

"No, what? Didn't I say I was going to challenge you for two hours?" Liu Yang said with a grin.

"My god! Have mercy on me, big brother!" He Yushi looked as if her soul had left her body.

Ignoring her protests, Liu Yang pulled her upstairs.

Soon, strange sounds drifted down from the floor above: "Yes, yes!!!"

Tang Mengting remarked, "How does she go from saying 'no' to 'yes' so quickly? What is she trying to express?"

Su Xiao replied, "Isn't that just saying 'no' with the mouth while the body says 'yes'?"

"That cold-as-ice campus beauty is really quite wild!" Tang Mengting scoffed. "She claimed she didn't want to go up, but now she's screaming loud enough for the whole building to hear!"

Su Xiao looked at Tang Mengting. "If you're jealous, you could have volunteered yourself. Liu Yang asked, but you didn't step up."

Tang Mengting’s face flushed red, and she retorted defensively, "What do I have to be jealous of? Don't spout nonsense! Who would want to go up there? Hmph!"

"Don't want to go? Then why is your face so red? Your breathing is becoming rapid, yet you say you don't want to... You have the nerve to call He Yushi hypocritical, but I think you’re even worse!" Su Xiao teased with a light chuckle.

"I... I am not! Who would want that kind of thing!" Tang Mengting continued to protest.

"Sure, sure. Just don't go back to your room and start doing things yourself!" Su Xiao teased further.

"I... I will not! You're so dirty! And you call yourself a big star! Hmph!" Tang Mengting retreated to her room, her face burning.

"I... I'm going to rest, too!" Chen Dandan, the ballet teacher, feared Su Xiao might turn her attention toward her next, so she quickly scurried back to her room.

Watching the two girls run off in embarrassment, Su Xiao wore an amused expression. *What a pair of shy girls!*

The next day, when Liu Yang woke up, the sun was already high; it was past 10:00 AM. He Yushi was still lying beside him, sound asleep. Watching her perfect figure and lovely face, Liu Yang couldn't resist pinching her flawless, slightly chubby cheek. "Hey, Yushi, wake up."

"Mmm...♡" He Yushi let out a soft moan with her eyes closed. She was exhausted from being worn out by Liu Yang the night before and clearly hadn't slept enough. She mumbled incoherently, "I'm not done sleeping, I don't want to get up. You nearly killed me last night, let me sleep a bit more."

"What's there to be tired about? Haven't you heard that there's no such thing as a broken plow, only an exhausted ox? I, the ox, am not tired, so why are you?" Liu Yang said with a laugh, pinching her cheek again.

"You call yourself an ox? Others are ordinary oxen, but you’re like a divine beast from India, unyielding and relentless!" He Yushi retorted grumpily. She hadn't expected Liu Yang to actually keep his promise; he really had kept her occupied for over two hours. It had nearly been the death of her!

"Hahaha! That’s hilarious." Even Liu Yang was amused by the campus beauty.

"What are you laughing at? Go find someone else tonight, don't come for me! I can't handle your intensity!" He Yushi said, looking utterly defeated.

"Fine, fine! Next time I'll be a bit more gentle! Let's get up and have breakfast."

After washing up and eating with the women, Liu Yang began preparing for his day’s simulations. His goal for today was to search the residential complex as thoroughly as possible, rescue any survivors, and clear out the zombies along the way. If possible, he wanted to clear the entire complex and turn it into a safe zone. Once the gates were locked, the zombies outside wouldn't be able to get in.

Then, everyone in the complex could move freely. This place would become his very first secure base.