Chapter Nineteen: A Rare and Unparalleled Scenery

If she had to comment, she could only say that Lin Qisheng's “green tea” tactics were still rather unrefined—anyone could see through them at a glance. At this moment, he resembled nothing more than a big child unable to hide his emotions.

“Brother Gu, why are you so quiet?” Lin Qisheng asked.

Gu Xingze simply replied, “Heh.”

Lin Qisheng felt a sting of mockery.

Xu Nuo tried to smooth things over. “Ahem, let’s eat, everyone.”

The little episode quickly passed, but Lin Qisheng seemed to have set himself against Gu Xingze; no matter what Gu Xingze did, Lin could find something to argue about.

“Brother Gu, this dish is pretty good, but the meat is too soft—doesn’t have the right texture. Miss Xu prefers her meat chewy.”

“I think it’s just right,” Xu Nuo said.

Gu Xingze replied gently, “As long as you like it.”

Lin Qisheng bit down hard on a piece of meat, swallowing his frustration along with it.

[Oh, is this a reverse harem game? This Lin Qisheng is amusing, like some supporting character trying to win favor before the emperor and his favored consort.]

007 replied seriously: [No, this is a romance game. The emotional plot is treated with great care.]

[Let’s make a bet: will Consort Lin manage to dethrone the favored Consort Gu and win Xu the Emperor’s exclusive affection?]

[Clearly Lin Qisheng has more tricks up his sleeve. Old faces grow dull; new ones are always more enticing. My money’s on Lin Qisheng.]

007 slumped in defeat. [Sigh…]

Xu Nuo noticed and asked, “Isn’t this emotional drama? Why do you always look so gloomy?”

007: […It just feels off.] It was nothing like expected—no blushing, heart-pounding moments, no ambiguous tension, only inexplicable jealousy flying everywhere, turning the whole scene into a palace intrigue.

And her host hadn’t even made a move on the new target, yet the new target was already clinging to her. Wasn’t this the classic masochist trope?

As they spoke, Lin Qisheng’s affection meter for Xu Nuo rose again.

007 was already numb.

Lin Qisheng greeted her with a bright smile and took the initiative, “Miss Xu, let me accompany you today. I know there’s a large supermarket on the east side.”

It’s hard to refuse someone so friendly. Xu Nuo agreed, “Alright.”

She turned to Gu Xingze. “Brother Gu, do you want to come with us?”

“No, you two go ahead,” Gu Xingze replied, head lowered, fiddling with something in his hands.

“Hmm?” Xu Nuo sensed something was off.

“Let’s go, Miss Xu. Brother Gu has things to do—he won’t be going out today,” Lin Qisheng said, putting his arm around her shoulder and leading her, still hesitating, out the door.

007 was a little moved. Was this a date already? Just the two of them, a world of their own.

They strolled out, but the world outside remained a wasteland—ruined and scorched. A few scattered zombies staggered toward them, only to be incinerated by a casual flick of Lin Qisheng’s power.

The air was thick with nauseating gases, not exactly the ideal place for a leisurely walk.

Lin Qisheng realized he’d invited her out without a suitable destination, but it didn’t matter. Without Gu Xingze present, he reverted to his original, brash and confident self—the peacock in full display. Yet Xu Nuo also detected a hint of provocation beneath it all.

Indeed, Lin Qisheng was a powerful ability user, able to roam this zombie-infested city at will. He could easily protect an ordinary, defenseless person.

Protecting this delicate-looking girl was child’s play for him. But was she really just a fragile, ordinary girl? The memory of her wielding a Gatling gun and mowing down zombies was still vivid in his mind.

Once again, zombies surrounded them. Xu Nuo sighed, glancing at Lin Qisheng, who was roasting zombies at a distance, and called out in her most in-character voice, “Help me!”

[Why doesn’t the streamer deal with the zombies herself?]

[Probably afraid of breaking character—her system is really strict.]

[What’s her character, anyway?]

One viewer ventured, [A delicate, helpless girl who needs protection?]

Apart from her appearance, that didn’t fit at all.

[She’s broken character several times.]

[Stop pretending, Xu the Emperor, show Consort Lin your skills.]

007 couldn’t take it anymore: [Do you all think I’m dead? Don’t encourage my host!]

Faced with Xu Nuo’s cry for help, Lin Qisheng pretended not to hear. Xu Nuo had no choice but to handle the zombies herself. She didn’t use guns this time; instead, she donned the Dawn Suit, grabbed a steel pipe, and charged in.

The suit’s protection was impenetrable to zombies, so she could fight without worrying for her life—she only needed to focus on dealing damage.

Having been under the protection of Gu Xingze and Lin Qisheng, Xu Nuo relished the battle, and her livestream audience was equally delighted.

[Awesome, she’s on a rampage. Only our Emperor Xu can do this.]

[Honestly, those so-called apocalypse survival games can’t compare to this level of intensity.]

[It’s all about Emperor Xu +1.]

007 was already hoarse: [This is a romance game…] But no one cared.

That immaculate silver figure radiated dazzling brilliance amid the chaos, the slender girl valiant and spirited, like a fine spear sweeping away all filth in her path.

Lin Qisheng couldn’t help but stare, a smile growing at his lips. Impressive—no wonder she was the one who caught his eye.

“Are you alright?” Xu Nuo emerged from the zombies, as clean and spotless as ever.

“I’m fine, Miss Xu. You’re really strong.”

“Just average,” Xu Nuo replied modestly.

“That wasn’t an ability you used, was it?” Lin Qisheng asked, genuinely curious. Xu Nuo was a puzzle wrapped in contradictions, yet she never seemed to bother hiding any of it.

“No, I really don’t have any powers,” Xu Nuo said.

Is that so? Lin Qisheng didn’t believe it.

What power did Xu Nuo truly possess? He’d guessed it was a spatial ability, but her display didn’t quite fit.

“It’s getting late,” Xu Nuo said, glancing at her watch. “Time for lunch.” She looked ready to head back.

“We haven’t reached our destination yet. Weren’t we going to look for spices?” Lin Qisheng protested.

“Let’s eat first.”

Was a special lunch more important than rare spices? Lin Qisheng was baffled.

“Brother Gu must have prepared a feast. It’d be a waste not to go back,” Xu Nuo explained.

So it was for Gu Xingze. Just to make him feel better, she was willing to head all the way back for lunch. Apparently, she cared even more for Gu Xingze than she let on… Lin Qisheng seethed with envy.

Why did Xu Nuo only care about Gu Xingze’s feelings? Hadn’t he done enough to be noticed?

007 reminded Xu Nuo, who was focused on food: [Host, the target seems upset.]

“Really?” Xu Nuo shrugged. “Should I go comfort him?”

Just then, [Lin Qisheng, affection +10] chimed.

007 was bewildered. Why would his affection rise when he’s upset? Was he really a masochist? This character setting seemed off.

“Thank you for coming with me today,” Xu Nuo tried to placate him. “I gained a lot today—later I’ll share some supplies with you.” She’d received quite a few rewards from her audience.

“N-no need to thank me.” Even someone as thick-skinned as Lin Qisheng faltered under her earnest gaze. His idea of “helping” was to lure zombies to test her abilities.

Such a powerful person would never be his.

Lin Qisheng wondered, why did Xu Nuo’s eyes always follow Gu Xingze? Was Gu really the only one worthy of her attention?

Why couldn’t she spare a thought for him?

“I don’t want to go back yet,” Lin Qisheng said, turning away.

His displeasure was plain on his face. Xu Nuo was exasperated—why was he so difficult? Hadn’t she just comforted him?

“Why not?” she asked.

“Because… Brother Gu doesn’t seem to like me being around you,” he mumbled, sounding aggrieved. “It’s alright, you should go keep him company.”

Xu Nuo was speechless. Why did he suddenly start performing “tea art”? Did this really match his proud and arrogant persona?

“Come on, let’s go back,” Xu Nuo said, grabbing him by the collar and dragging him along without room for argument.

Lin Qisheng gave a bashful, half-hearted protest. “Miss Xu, isn’t this a bit inappropriate…”

Back at the villa, Gu Xingze had already prepared lunch—a particularly sumptuous spread, including dishes he hadn’t made before.

“Mmm, delicious.” Xu Nuo was amazed by the flavors, but a question arose: the ingredients weren’t rare for them, so why hadn’t Gu Xingze made these dishes before?

Gu Xingze was as taciturn as ever, but Xu Nuo keenly sensed something was off.

Night fell, and rain began to pour.

It was the first time since Xu Nuo had arrived in this post-apocalyptic world that she’d seen rain.

Outside, the sky was black, the wind howled, and an ominous feeling settled in.

With her years of gaming experience, Xu Nuo sensed an important plot point was coming.

“Xiao Qizi, give me a spoiler—are we in for a dramatic event soon?”

[How did you know?] 007 quickly backtracked. [No, I can’t tell you. You have to discover the story yourself—I can’t spoil it.]

So there really was something coming.

The wind wailed like a banshee, each gust battering at the heart, punctuated by thunder and torrential rain. The ruins blurred under the downpour, their jagged outlines softened in the white haze. Amidst it all, a figure appeared and disappeared.

“Gu Xingze?” Xu Nuo frowned. Why would he go out in this weather?

“This is a special day,” Lin Qisheng’s voice came suddenly from behind. “It’s been ages since we’ve had such a proper rain. Miss Xu, would you like to watch the rain with me? It’s a rare beauty in the apocalypse.”