Chapter Thirty-Nine: This Woman Is Interesting

Xu Nuo was received as a guest at the Sheng family’s mobile base, and in just two days, she had managed to astonish everyone there, becoming the topic of conversation at every meal. Yet the most troubled person was not Xu Nuo herself, but Sheng Ming.

Despite placing Xu Nuo as far from himself as possible, her name and stories seemed to echo from every direction, impossible to escape. Life inside the small base was tedious, and with the outside bombardment still raging, no one could leave. In such confinement, Xu Nuo became the focal point of their entertainment, and everyone had something to say about her.

“That Miss Xu was complaining again—said Chef Gao didn’t put soy sauce in her noodles. You call her ‘Miss Xu’ and she really thinks she’s some heiress, picking faults everywhere. Annoying!”

“I brought her clean clothes, and she complained the fabric was too plasticky. Pretending to be a lady, but she couldn’t even recognize real silk. What a show-off.”

“She said this morning she was bored stuck indoors and wanted to take a walk outside.”

“Ha! Doesn’t she care about her life? Wants to go out now?”

“Someone better keep a close eye on her, or she’ll run out and drag us into trouble.”

...

Inside the study.

Sheng Ming’s mind was involuntarily haunted by that woman’s voice and figure. “Shut up!” he snapped, abruptly opening his eyes as he finally escaped from that dream.

“Young master, are you all right?” The butler approached with concern. “The desk is cold and hard. Let me help you back to bed for a rest.”

“No need.” Sheng Ming rubbed his brow. Damn, he didn’t know why he kept dreaming of Xu Nuo lately.

Pushing aside those chaotic thoughts, Sheng Ming focused on the matter at hand. “Back to our previous topic. We must locate the museum within half a month—”

“Heave-ho, heave-ho…”

Rustle, rustle…

Sheng Ming: “The exhibits are all high-quality fakes. Ignore them. The genuine antiques are kept in the warehouse.”

Rustle, rustle…

The old butler: “Young master, do you think we need to adjust our base’s supplies?”

Heave-ho, heave-ho…

“Tsk.” Sheng Ming, thoroughly irritated, finally tracked the source of the sounds.

Between the bookshelves, Xu Nuo, clad in the standard maid’s uniform, was energetically cleaning, broom and dustbin in hand, looking remarkably diligent.

The butler was startled. “Miss Xu, why are you here?”

“I’m helping with the cleaning,” Xu Nuo replied as if it were only natural. “I feel bad living here, eating for free, so I need to do something to make up for it. My grandma always said, people must earn their own way, not just wait to be fed like lazy rice worms.”

The butler awkwardly replied, “…Haha, Miss Xu is very kind and helpful, but there’s no need to clean here right now. We have staff for that, and you’re a guest. Please, just rest.”

“No, I can't just enjoy your hospitality without doing anything. I have to help somehow. Look at these dusty bookshelves! You go on, pretend I’m not here—I’ll be done soon.”

Sheng Ming: “Leave.”

His tone was icy, sharp as shards of frost.

Any sensible person would recognize that Sheng Ming was dangerous right now, and would run for their life.

But Xu Nuo was Xu Nuo. She remained calm, continuing to wipe the shelves as if nothing had happened. The old butler was impressed by Xu Nuo’s remarkable ability to be completely oblivious to others’ emotions—her emotional intelligence was worryingly low, a trait not many possessed. She was surviving on sheer luck.

Xu Nuo: “I won't disturb you. My movements are very light, see?”

A crackling ball of lightning formed in Sheng Ming’s hand.

“Miss Xu, please stop cleaning and leave. There's really no need to do this here!” The butler hurried to pull Xu Nuo away, hoping to prevent a tragedy.

“Wow,” Xu Nuo exclaimed, eyes wide with admiration at the electric sphere in Sheng Ming’s hand. “Young Master Sheng’s lightning powers are so cool!”

Unable to restrain the excited Xu Nuo, the old butler rushed to calm Sheng Ming. “Young master, please, stay calm! You must calm down!”

But Sheng Ming was nowhere near calm, electricity sparking in his palm, while the old butler watched in terror. Xu Nuo, meanwhile, stood there obliviously, pouring out exaggerated praise.

“Young Master Sheng, you’re amazing! So cool! Even cooler than my brother’s fireballs!”

The old butler’s eyes brimmed with tears. Lady, please have mercy and shut up!

After another chaotic scene, and barely managing to soothe the furious Young Master Sheng before he could hurl a lightning bolt at Xu Nuo, the old butler felt utterly drained, while the instigator skipped away with her broom and dustbin, carefree as ever.

Similar incidents occurred several times. Whenever Xu Nuo appeared near Young Master Sheng, disaster followed; it was impossible to keep the peace. Each time, it ended with Sheng Ming seething with rage, yet utterly helpless to deal with Xu Nuo.

Letting Miss Xu wander aimlessly wasn’t a solution, especially since she and the young master clashed terribly. Every encounter left Sheng Ming fuming. The old butler sighed, thinking it might be best to give Miss Xu something to do to pass the time.

“Butler?” Sheng Ming noticed the butler’s distraction.

“Yes, young master.” The old butler, lost in thought, blurted out, “If we give Miss Xu some tasks, perhaps she won’t bother you so much.”

“What could she possibly do?” Mentioning that woman always irritated Sheng Ming. “She’d be better off leaving altogether. Always using those outdated tricks to seduce me—does she really think I wouldn’t notice?”

“Ah?” The old butler was surprised. “Why would you think that?”

Sheng Ming: “Ha, isn’t she obviously trying to lure me? But her methods are so cheap—like a petty clown, jumping about in front of me, hurting my eyes!”

He was truly enraged. The old butler had never seen Sheng Ming so utterly irrational. Normally elegant and noble, Young Master Sheng had been pushed to his limits. In a way, Miss Xu was indeed remarkable, able to drive Sheng Ming to such extremes.

The butler spoke gently, “I think Miss Xu’s intentions may not be what you imagine.”

From his observations and decades of experience, the butler could confidently say Xu Nuo simply had a very low emotional intelligence, almost no cultural refinement, and little worldly experience. She was endearingly clueless, not malicious, but exasperating.

“Hmph!” Sheng Ming threw down the book in his hand and stormed off.

“Sigh…” The butler lamented. The young master was truly at his wit’s end, unwilling to negotiate. If that fire-powered young man returned, could Sheng Ming retain him, given his attitude toward Miss Xu?

For the long-term future of the Sheng family, the butler had to act as an old nanny, making plans for what lay ahead.

The relationship between Miss Xu and the young master couldn’t be allowed to deteriorate further—a solution was needed.

But what?

As the butler pondered helplessly, Xu Nuo appeared.

“Butler, why the worried face?”

Miss Xu was as carefree as ever, grinning mischievously.

“It’s hard to say.” The butler felt the hope of easing the tension between the young master and Miss Xu was slim—they were from completely different worlds.

“Tell me, maybe I can help!” Miss Xu loved nothing more than lending a hand.

The butler probed, “Miss Xu, what do you think of Young Master Sheng?”

“He’s very handsome, very cool, very impressive,” Xu Nuo tilted her head, thinking. “But I still think my brother is the best. Still, my mother says one must be modest, never boast, so in front of Young Master Sheng, I always praise him instead.”

The butler: “Uh, hahaha… Miss Xu, you’re truly amusing.”

Could anyone really say Miss Xu had any romantic interest in Young Master Sheng, or was trying to win him over?

The butler and Xu Nuo chatted for a while, and the conversation was pleasant enough, ending with talk of leaving the base.

Xu Nuo was clearly delighted. “Can I finally go out? I can go find my brother!”

“I’m just an old man, I can’t decide,” said the butler. “Even if the bombing outside stops, there may still be radiation—can your constitution handle it…”

Before he finished, Xu Nuo interrupted, “I can handle it! I want to go out—I haven’t seen my brother in days, please let me go look for him!”

...

Young Master Sheng had braved danger and traveled all this way for the sole purpose of finding ancient treasures in the city museum, using the most advanced portable base technology. It was a display of wealth and willfulness.

But he had the means to be willful.

Xu Nuo: “If I had such a base, I’d drive it everywhere and clear out every supermarket no one else dared enter!” After persistent pleading, the butler relented, making arrangements for her to join the expedition.

Nearby, a servant rolled his eyes, feeling exhausted from hearing such shallow talk every day.

“Miss Xu, please pay attention—this concerns your safety, it’s very important.” The butler noticed Xu Nuo’s fidgeting and reminded her.

Xu Nuo straightened up. “Okay.”

Today, the base doors opened. For Young Master Sheng and his team, it was the official start of their mission. For Xu Nuo, it was as exciting as a field trip.

Without the base’s protection, the outside world was rife with dangers. Everyone except the ability-users had to wear professional protective suits.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Xu Nuo, bundled up in her protective gear like a plump white goose, waved awkwardly yet excitedly at the butler. “Butler, I’m heading out! I’ll bring you a gift!”

The old butler couldn’t help smiling. “Good, hurry back.”

“Hmph,” Sheng Ming grumbled, displeased. “Move out.”

The base doors, sealed for days, swung open. Natural light flooded in, and those who had been indoors for so long could barely keep their eyes open.

Outside was a wasteland of scorched earth. The zombies that once roamed everywhere were gone, burned by artillery into charcoal, shattered beyond recognition. Boots crunched on the ground with every step.

The team moved in silence, encumbered by heavy protective suits, making conversation difficult.

Their destination was the city’s museum. The entire city had been bombed so thoroughly its landscape was unrecognizable; most skyscrapers were gone. Finding the museum under such conditions was no easy feat.

After walking all morning, they found little of value. Soon it was lunchtime.

Lunch was pre-prepared, with little flavor or appeal, and certainly nothing tailored to Xu Nuo’s tastes.

Xu Nuo, unable to stomach it, hid in a corner to eat her stash of snacks.

“Hm?” As one of the few ability-users who didn’t need a suit, Sheng Ming’s senses were keen. He picked up a distinct scent in the air. Following it, he found a white lump squatting on the ground, surrounded by brightly colored wrappers.

Spicy sticks, potato chips, jelly?

“Uh?!” Xu Nuo looked up to see Sheng Ming’s face.

Sheng Ming’s expression was blank, but his eyes hinted at danger. He grabbed Xu Nuo by the back of the neck, lifting her as though examining a bizarre specimen.

“What—what do you want?” Xu Nuo wiped her mouth, but oily stains remained.

“Where did you get those?” Sheng Ming pointed at the snacks.

“I picked them up in the supermarket. You all didn’t want them, so I took them for myself. Do you want some?”

Reluctantly, Xu Nuo pulled out the smallest pack—a ten-cent spicy stick. “Here, take it.”

The greasy aroma was overwhelming. Sheng Ming’s fury exploded. “Who wants to eat this junk food?!”

He, the Sheng family’s young master, had only ever eaten carefully crafted meals. How could he possibly eat these cheap snacks?

“If you don’t want it,” Xu Nuo took back the snack, shaking it until it came loose, “I’ll eat it myself then.”

“No eating outside food,” Sheng Ming’s headache intensified.

Xu Nuo was agreeable. “Okay, okay, I know it’s junk food. I won’t eat it anymore.”

Sheng Ming: “Nor should you give it to anyone else. Food exposed to radiation is dangerous to health—”

Xu Nuo, impatient: “Alright, alright, I really get it. Young master, you’re as nagging as the butler.”

Their exchange drew the attention of others in the team. Some thought, Sheng Ming was usually so cold and taciturn, but around Xu Nuo he couldn’t stop talking.

Sheng Ming: “…” He endured. This woman was doing it on purpose, trying to catch his attention. If he responded, she’d succeed and he’d lose face. It was beneath him to take such a crude woman seriously.

Sheng Ming resolved to ignore Xu Nuo’s antics.

Left alone, Xu Nuo was happy, taking out her self-heating hotpot and eating it with relish.

Those around her, forced to eat cold, dry rations, watched as Xu Nuo feasted, the aroma drifting irresistibly to their noses—it was torture.

“Where did she find that food? I walked with her all morning and never noticed.”

“Maybe she hid some when we passed the supermarket. She’s crafty, always sneaking things away.”

“Do you want some?” Suddenly Xu Nuo’s voice startled the whispering group.

“Miss—Miss Xu, how…”

“I have plenty. You all look hungry, so here, take it.” Xu Nuo generously handed over a large bag of self-heating hotpot.

“Th-thank you!”

Faced with such kindness, no matter their complaints, they couldn’t be rude. They quickly accepted the rare food.

In peaceful times, self-heating hotpot was nothing special, but in this apocalypse, it was a rare delicacy.

Soon, the air was filled with its tempting aroma.

Sheng Ming: “Tsk.” No matter what he did, he couldn’t escape the smell. Compared to that, his bread became tasteless, hard to swallow.

A servant approached with the source of Sheng Ming’s irritation. “Young master, the others sent this hotpot for you.”

Sheng Ming: “Throw it out!” How could he, the Sheng family’s young master, eat such cheap, trashy food?

The servant jumped back, but couldn’t bear to throw away such a treasure. He carefully hid it.

Sheng Ming, stewing in anger, suddenly realized something odd. The hotpot Xu Nuo provided smelled as fresh as if it hadn’t aged at all. After so many years in the apocalypse, food should have spoiled, its flavor changed. Yet the aroma was perfect, and there was enough for dozens of people. Where had Xu Nuo hidden it all?

Too strange.

Sheng Ming’s gaze fell once more on Xu Nuo, laughing and chatting with her companions.

Such skillful acting. This woman was truly interesting.

Thanks to that meal, Xu Nuo grew closer to the team, at least on the surface. She also took the opportunity to gather some information.

It turned out their young master was deeply obsessed with art, hence his quest for treasures amid the ruins. He had a fiancée, but something had happened between them, and they hadn’t spoken much lately. Rumor had it the fiancée found a strong, capable man and now looked down on Sheng Ming.

People loved gossip. Xu Nuo listened to her teammates’ tales with keen interest, regardless of the truth—what mattered was how entertaining it was.

“Let’s move, time to get back to work.”

After a rest, the team pressed on. Compared to the morning’s silence, the afternoon was livelier.

Xu Nuo also felt a subtle gaze on her, and whenever she looked, she might catch a glimpse of Young Master Sheng.

Damn, she was nearly caught just now. That woman dared smile at him—she really didn’t know the meaning of danger! Sheng Ming quickly averted his gaze, pretending to look ahead, seething inwardly.

[Sheng Ming, Heart Rate +2]