Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Young Master Hasn't Smiled in a Long Time

Xu Nuo was led by a servant to the bathroom. Inside, there was a tap for running water, bathing supplies, and a set of clean clothes. In the apocalypse, such amenities spoke volumes about the owner's extravagance—clean water was a rare resource, not to mention those chemical products of modern civilization like body wash and shampoo.

Xu Nuo wasn’t surprised that they could provide these supplies. The “house” they were in—more accurately, a mobile mini-base—was a product of cutting-edge technology in the post-apocalyptic world, remaining unscathed even after the fierce bombardment during the day.

She enjoyed a comfortable shower and changed into the simple clothes provided; her own outfit, charred to a crisp, was no longer wearable.

“What a pity,” Xu Nuo sighed.

If only you’d listened and left earlier, you wouldn’t have to feel regret, 007 grumbled silently.

The old butler hadn’t assigned Xu Nuo any tasks, only restricted her movements—she couldn’t wander around freely, let alone leave the base. Xu Nuo obediently stayed in her room, enjoying a good sleep to ease the fatigue of her busy day.

Breakfast was brought by a servant: in the post-apocalyptic world, a very simple meal—a bowl of indistinguishable rice and flour porridge and a small plate of dried vegetables. It was already considered a decent meal.

But Xu Nuo was used to delicately prepared dishes and had developed a discerning palate; now, she found herself missing Gu Xingze’s cooking. She wondered how he was doing now.

“I really miss Brother Gu,” Xu Nuo muttered weakly, clutching her spoon, unable to bring herself to take a single bite.

007: Are you missing Gu Xingze’s cooking?

Xu Nuo: Ah, of course.

When the servant came to collect the dishes and saw that Xu Nuo’s breakfast was untouched, she asked, “Aren’t you going to eat?”

Xu Nuo lay half-dead on the bed. “I have no appetite, thank you.” Life without delicious meals was like a fish out of water.

“Are you really not going to eat?”

“No.”

“Then I’ll take it away.” With Xu Nuo’s confirmation, the servant cheerfully packed up the food—if she didn’t want it, then the servant certainly did.

Click—the door closed, and the servant hurried away, afraid Xu Nuo might change her mind.

“Hm? Didn’t you deliver her breakfast?” The old butler suddenly appeared around the corner.

“Mr. Butler!” The servant jumped in surprise. “She—she said she had no appetite and wouldn’t eat.”

“I see.” The old butler nodded.

After making sure everyone was gone, Xu Nuo poured out a heap of snacks from her backpack—spicy strips, chips, candies, dried meat… Everything one could wish for. Before, Brother Gu never allowed her to eat too many snacks, and he kept a strict eye on her. Plus, his cooking was so delicious that she never had room for anything else, so she’d saved up quite a stash.

“Time to dig in. No one’s here to stop me now—I’m going to eat my fill.”

007: Weren’t you just saying you missed Brother Gu?

Xu Nuo was savoring her snacks when footsteps sounded outside the door.

Knock, knock. The person outside was polite.

She quickly stuffed the snacks and wrappers back into her bag and wiped her mouth. “Come in.”

The old butler entered, immediately struck by a strong aroma of spice. “I heard you didn’t eat breakfast…”

“I have no appetite,” Xu Nuo replied listlessly. “My younger brother hasn’t come back yet. I can’t eat anything—I don’t even know when he’ll be found.”

“Ah, is that so? But you still need to eat breakfast.” Even as he spoke, the old butler’s attention was distracted by the lingering smell in the room. He sniffed discreetly—he wasn’t imagining it.

But the room was small and sparsely furnished, with nowhere to hide anything. Xu Nuo had already been searched and wasn’t carrying any personal belongings.

So where was that smell coming from? She couldn’t have snuck into the kitchen, and the old butler knew their kitchen’s menu very well—they’d never made anything with such a pungent, spicy aroma.

Could it be a scent drifting in from outside the base?

How odd.

“Since you’re a guest, we’ve prepared a sumptuous lunch for you today, Miss Xu—please join us at the table,” said the old butler, still puzzled as he left.

Xu Nuo’s demeanor changed in an instant. She locked the door, poured out her snacks again, and resumed eating.

007: Host, that NPC is already suspicious. This room is small and windowless—the smell lingers.

“It’s fine,” Xu Nuo replied. “Trust me, I know what I’m doing. Nothing will go wrong.”

Hearing her confidence, 007 couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

At noon, a servant led Xu Nuo to the dining room, where a long table stood at the center.

Sheng Ming was already seated at the head of the table. Xu Nuo chose the seat farthest from him, and during the whole time, he didn’t spare her a single glance.

Today’s lunch was a proper, elegant Western meal. Sheng Ming’s table manners were impeccable, every movement exuding an unattainable air of nobility.

Xu Nuo put her knife and fork aside and called out loudly, “Old Sir Butler, I’d like a pair of chopsticks!”

Her shout made Sheng Ming look up, his cold gaze sweeping over her before turning away a few seconds later.

There sat the girl in a plain white dress, her long, elegant hair casually tied back, exposing a small, fair, and endearing ear. Her features were gentle and unthreatening—youthful and lovely, her eyes bright and lively.

So this was the uncouth woman from yesterday. Who would have thought she was so pretty, like a princess out of a fairy tale…

Xu Nuo kept chattering, “How am I supposed to eat without chopsticks? And why is this meat served in such huge pieces, not even cut up? It’s so inconvenient to eat—honestly, I don’t understand how you can serve food like this.”

That is, as long as this woman didn’t speak or move, Sheng Ming thought, taking a deep breath and choosing to ignore her.

The old butler looked embarrassed and at a loss for words, while the servants nearby couldn’t help but snicker.

“Very well, take the steak back to the kitchen and have it cut into strips, and bring Miss Xu a pair of chopsticks.”

The servants exchanged amused glances as they carried out the order, whispering among themselves, “Why are Master Sheng and the butler treating someone like her as a guest? Didn’t you see what she just did? I almost died laughing.”

“Don’t you know? She’s got an amazing little brother—an ability user. That’s just luck you can’t envy.”

“No wonder they treat her so well.”

The steak soon returned, sliced and accompanied by chopsticks.

But the new guest was still not satisfied. “Why is this meat so raw? How am I supposed to eat it if it’s not cooked through? And I’ve been waiting so long—why isn’t the rice ready yet?”

With a frown and a hint of grievance between her brows, Xu Nuo played the part of an ignorant, self-centered woman to perfection.

A snicker escaped from someone in the room.

Who was it? The butler’s brows knit together. Even if Miss Xu lacked manners, the servants had no right to laugh at a guest.

“How amusing,” Sheng Ming’s cold face, for once, revealed a rare smile.

So it was their young master. The old butler felt a strange pang of emotion—their master hadn’t smiled in a long time. Today, he’d smiled because of a woman.