Chapter 42 - Guan Jiayu
After Guan Jiayu had abandoned Qi Yaoyao unhesitatingly and departed with Qi Jingchen’s food, her life was still pretty good at first.
She knew that she had to pay a price to live well, and she thought that ability users were probably very strong, so that night, she crawled into the bed of the ability user who had saved her.
That ability user hadn’t been anyone powerful before the apocalypse. Now that a young, beautiful girl worshipped and adored him, it was natural for him to be filled with delight. On the journey to B City secure base, he was extremely considerate to Guan Jiayu, never letting Guan Jiayu suffer a single bit.
Their team had lost a few people before they arrived at B City secure base, but Guan Jiayu didn’t lose a single hair on her head. After they arrived at B City secure base, her days passed pretty well because of that ability user.
However, while she knew that she had to fawn over an ability user to live well, the others naturally knew it too. Not long after they reached the base, someone had taken a fancy to the ability user Guan Jiayu was following.
Even though Guan Jiayu had some tricks, she was still a fourteen year old in the end. Her lack of experience caused her to expose an unfavourable side in front of the ability user after that person did a few small tricks. She was also someone who liked to reap without sowing, only wanting things without contributing, so her days instantly worsened.
Nonetheless, that ability user liked a girl like Guan Jiayu, who was young and pure. He didn’t abandon her either, so she still didn’t need to go out and work. However, not long after, this ability user unexpectedly died outside the base.
In the entire B City secure base, there was still a substantial number of ability users, and the secure base didn’t forcibly demand every ability user to work for the base. Therefore, many ability users would team up and go out to search for supplies, and the ability user Guan Jiayu followed did the same.
At first, his luck was pretty good and he had earned a lot of workpoints, but the danger he encountered this time had taken his life…
His companions had chased Guan Jiayu out of his house and robbed her of the food and supplies she had hoarded. Thereafter, Guan Jiayu had no one’s protection anymore, having no choice but to live in the bunkhouse allocated to her by the secure base— There were more and more people in the secure base, and the overwhelming majority of the regular people had to crowd into a room with others.
Guan Jiayu could still endure this, but going to work yet only earning a few workpoints was impossible.
She basically couldn’t stand a life where she had to work until her face was filthy with grime and yet only be able to nibble on dry buns.
In the end, Guan Jiayu just stopped working. Instead, she started to look for ability users or influential people to sell herself to… Nowadays, the secure base had strict management. Murderers, rapists, and so on would be heavily punished, but this sort of mutually consenting matter wasn’t controlled, and couldn’t be controlled either.
Guan Jiayu was young, and even though she didn’t have a graceful bearing, she could still charm people. These days, her life was also pretty okay. At the very least, she could still eat meals that could be considered as good, and had hoarded a lot of food.
Originally, she had wanted to accumulate workpoints like this, then hopefully find a sincere ability user to settle down with, but then she had seen Qi Yaoyao.
Qi Yaoyao had thought of her as a best friend, but the one she had envied the most was Qi Yaoyao. Clearly Qi Yaoyao’s family situation was the same as hers and Qi Yaoyao wasn’t better than her in any aspect either, yet Qi Yaoyao could live like a princess while she had to quarrel just to get a bit of money at home.
Upon returning to the small apartment she had spent workpoints to rent, Guan Jiayu clenched her teeth and walked out with workpoints in her hand.
While Qi Yaoyao was buying flowers, Nie Yi was buying fish.
It wasn’t like the secure base didn’t have fish. In reality, the secure base had already taken over several freshwater fish farms nearby and would send some fishes over every day, but… Qi Jingchen’s tastes were too selective.
Nie Yi finally gritted his teeth and directly brought Qi Jingchen to the place where the secure base sold fish.
“Let me down,” Qi Jingchen said.
Nie Yi let him down. “There’s water on the floor and it doesn’t smell good, be careful.”
“Nie shao really knows how to pamper someone,” someone nearby said immediately, then saw Nie Yi actually use his water ability to wash the place where Qi Jingchen wanted to walk on…
On the contrary, Qi Jingchen didn’t care about this at all. During the apocalypse, he had been through worse environments, so how could he care about this… However, the fishy smell really was awful…
Frowning slightly, Qi Jingchen looked at the fishes around him, then reached out and put his hand into a water tank.
“The fish in here.” After trying a few times, Qi Jingchen finally chose a spot.
“The crucian carp here was just sent over by a nearby fish farm, it’s definitely fresh!” The person responsible for selling fish here immediately spoke.
Qi Jingchen didn’t know if the fish was fresh, but he knew that it was very clean.
His ability hadn’t awakened and he still felt lethargic all over, but his sensitivity towards his surroundings had strengthened a lot. This was something he had never been aware of in his last life.
Of course, he had been living a life worse than death at that time, and naturally wouldn’t go about sensing the energy around him.
A palm-sized crucian carp needed fifty workpoints. The price could be said to be extravagant, but Nie Yi bought four in one breath and put them in a water bucket for Jiang Huai to carry home.
Just as they opened the door of their home, Qi Yaoyao rushed over. “Ge! I bought you a pot of flowers!”
The yellow yueji was extremely beautiful and attractive; unexpectedly, Qi Jingchen suddenly recalled a time in his childhood.
When she was young, Qi Yaoyao had a very good relationship with him. Their family had grown some very common yueji, and after it blossomed, Qi Yaoyao had picked a stalk and gave it to him. And when he had helped to braid Qi Yaoyao’s hair back then, he had also picked one and inserted it into Qi Yaoyao’s braid.
“Thank you. I like it very much,” Qi Jingchen said. His expression was still unenthusiastic, but Qi Yaoyao had already revealed a large smile.
Nie Yi’s face was cold as he directly carried Qi Jingchen back to the room, not allowing Qi Yaoyao to see him.
Unresigned, Qi Yaoyao stamped her feet, but she had no way of going against Nie Yi. She could only continue to fantasize about becoming very, very powerful one day, then defeating Nie Yi and protecting her brother.
Out of the four fishes, Nie Yi contributed one for the others to eat. In the end, Jiang Huai took action and fried the fish with oil, then added a lot of tofu to stew a pot of carp tofu soup.
Nie Yi stood at the side and watched this from beginning to end, then returned to the room. After he confirmed with Qi Jingchen that the tofu was fine, he followed and stewed him a pot.
Qi Jingchen slowly ate it up, while the photo of him buying fish with Nie Yi appeared before Yu Shuo.
Yu Shuo looked at Nie Yi’s appearance in the photo and suddenly said, “So this means that Nie Yi really does like that Qi Jingchen?”
“Nie Yi obviously loves Qi Jingchen with all his heart and soul,” the person asserted immediately.
“Interesting,” Yu Shuo suddenly laughed.
That night, Nie Yi went to buy a good number of potted yuejis then displayed them on the bay window in their room. As for that one pot Qi Yaoyao bought, it was placed together with the vegetables in the living room.
Qi Jingchen stared at these yuejis for a good while, then finally retrieved his gaze. When they left the next day, he still carried the lettuce from before.
This lettuce didn’t grow fast and was still small now, but the dark green made people feel happy when looking at it.
When they arrived at Base Two, Yu Xuguang would come over whenever he had free time. “Qi Jingchen, Nie Yi takes you wherever he goes; he really treats you well.”
“En,” Qi Jingchen replied mildly. “Of course he has totreat me well.”
Yu Xuguang had originally wanted to put in a few good words for Nie Yi, but seeing Qi Jingchen’s ‘as it should be’ appearance, he didn’t know what he should say…
At the same time, Qi Yaoyao, who had gone to the food market to buy food, bumped into an acquaintance.
A secure base would have a food market, and they could buy many things there. Naturally, an average person wouldn’t have the workpoints to buy it.
Qi Yaoyao went, and according to Gan Jun’s instructions, bought some firm tofu, vermicelli noodles, and a braised duck. Then she hurried back, but didn’t expect to suddenly hear a familiar voice crying for help midway.
Qi Yaoyao made a turn and spotted Guan Jiayu being pushed to the floor by a man.
Guan Jiayu was wearing tattered clothes and looked to be in an awful state. She was struggling with all her strength, but the man on top of her grabbed her tightly with no intention of allowing her to resist…
If it was before, Qi Yaoyao probably would’ve screamed at this, but the current her had already been in a pile of zombies.
Back when she had seen Nie Yi kill Yan Zhe, she had been scared out of her wits and even had endless nightmares for several nights. But now, she had even seen a situation like cannibalism!
“Don’t! Save me!” Guan Jiayu’s shrill screaming was extremely resounding and immediately attracted a few soldiers patrolling near the market. Probably seeing that the situation was turning sour, the man bullying Guan Jiayu stood up and ran, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Guan Jiayu crawled to her feet but still continued to weep endlessly.
The first time Qi Yaoyao had met Guan Jiayu, she had also seen her crying then. Later, when Guan Jiayu was bullied, she would also help out, but…
“Yaoyao! Yaoyao, it’s really you… Yaoyao…” At this time, Guan Jiayu caught sight of Qi Yaoyao and suddenly ran over to her, then sobbed loudly.
“Yaoyao!” Guan Jiayu wailed, “Yaoyao, I know I let you down before, save me ba…”
Qi Yaoyao looked at this appearance of Guan Jiayu and suddenly recalled Guan Jiayu’s appearance when she had robbed things. She froze, then turned and ran.
Guan Jiayu was dumbfounded, unable to come back to her senses. The situation… shouldn’t be like this!
Clenching her jaw, Guan Jiayu gave chase on the spot. She had found Qi Yaoyao with great difficulty and was unwilling to give up. Moreover, if she followed Qi Yaoyao, she might be able to meet Nie Yi.
Guan Jiayu had the mind to chase after Qi Yaoyao, but Qi Yaoyao had already become a changed person.
Nie Yi had Gan Shuo train her vigorously. Even though her strength had no way of becoming too powerful because of her body’s condition, her stamina had ultimately gotten a lot better.
It wasn’t long before Guan Jiayu began panting as she ran, but Qi Yaoyao ran quicker and quicker, and soon disappeared out of sight!
However, the apartment Nie Yi was living in was in a very good location, situated in the centre section of the secure base. That is to say… it wasn’t far from the food market.
Although Guan Jiayu didn’t catch up to Qi Yaoyao, after running till she nearly died, she arrived outside the neighbourhood Nie Yi and the others lived in.
But this neighbourhood Nie Yi lived in was a place allocated to ability users or powerful people. There were guards outside, and they absolutely wouldn’t allow random people to enter.
“I’m Qi Yaoyao’s friend,” Guan Jiayu immediately said.
“If you’re her friend, why didn’t she bring you in?” The gatekeeper was an uncle in his fifties, and he questioned her in dissatisfaction.
This place often had people wanting to sneak in, trying to ingratiate themselves. Although he would occasionally sympathize with them, he absolutely would not allow them to enter because he couldn’t lose his job.
Guan Jiayu implored pitifully, but the gatekeeper uncle remained unmoved.
Having no choice, Guan Jiayu could only sit at the side and see if Nie Yi would return, and if he really lived here.
She waited here because she didn’t want to let go of an opportunity, but she didn’t think she would have actually waited until Nie Yi arrived!
Right as Nie Yi arrived at the entrance of the neighbourhood while carrying Qi Jingchen, he was obstructed by someone. “Big brother Qi!”
Even though Guan Jiayu was dressed rather dirtily, truthfully, she was rather beautiful. When she popped up, everyone had thought that this was another one of Nie Yi’s dogged admirers.
When Nie Yi’s pampering of Qi Jingchen was spread all over the secure base, the people who wanted to become closer to Nie Yi had multiplied. Furthermore, they were all beautiful young men and women… Many people looked down on Qi Jingchen, and yet envied him, wishing that they could live like him.
As a result… This person unexpectedly wasn’t looking for Nie Yi, but for Qi Jingchen!
Hearing ‘Big brother Qi’, Shao Zhenglan looked at Qi Jingchen inquisitively, but Nie Yi’s face darkened as he lowered his head to look at Qi Jingchen.
Qi Jingchen didn’t react at all.
Nie Yi immediately sighed in relief, then went in while holding Qi Jingchen. Qi Jingchen was now already in his twenties; he was really scared that Qi Jingchen might have a girl he liked…
“Big brother Qi, Yaoyao has a misunderstanding with me. Can you let me see her?” Guan Jiayu promptly yelled, but no one listened to her at all.
If she knew it was going to be like this, she should have talked to Nie Yi first! Seeing this situation, Guan Jiayu couldn’t help feeling regretful.
When Nie Yi brought Qi Jingchen home, Qi Yaoyao rushed over again.
Nie Yi reached out to halt her, his expression turning icy once more. “What do you want now?”
“I have something to say to my ge,” Qi Yaoyao said.
“Talk further away,” Nie Yi said.
Qi Yaoyao was helpless and could only say, “Ge, did you see Guan Jiayu just now? She’s returned.”
“Guan Jiayu?” Nie Yi suddenly asked, “The one who was together with you guys at the start, that Guan Jiayu?”
Qi Jingchen’s matter was something Nie Yi had questioned in detail when he was facing death’s door in his last life. That’s why it was natural for him to know how Qi Jingchen fell into such a tragic situation.
Previously, when he had met Qi Jingchen, he was too excited, and Qi Yaoyao was the only one by Qi Jingchen’s side, which made him forget about Guan Jiayu…
That person just now was Guan Jiayu?
A smile hung on Nie Yi’s lips, but it strangely made people feel chills down their spine… Qi Yaoyao shrunk her neck. “That’s precisely Guan Jiayu. She looks very miserable, but she’s not a good person.”
“I’ll go downstairs to take a look.” Nie Yi put Qi Jingchen down and suddenly spoke up, then turned to leave.
Guan Jiayu was still at the entrance, looking very dejected.
“Guan Jiayu?” Nie Yi walked over and called out.
“Nie Yi?” When Guan Jiayu saw Nie Yi, her eyes immediately shone.
“I hear that you’re Qi Yaoyao’s friend? How did you become so miserable?” Nie Yi looked at Guan Jiayu, deeply concerned.
Could it be that Nie Yi saw that she was pitiful and sympathized with her? Maybe he even felt that Qi Jingchen and Qi Yaoyao were too cold-blooded… Guan Jiayu’s face had excitement she couldn’t conceal, but she quickly lowered her head and cried while saying, “I really am Qi Yaoyao’s classmate, but Qi Yaoyao ignoring me now is also my fault…”
Guan Jiayu’s small intentions really were too easy to understand. Of course, for the sake of beauty, some men would probably turn a blind eye to it.
“So it’s like this… Are you not living well now? Where do you live?” Nie Yi asked.
Guan Jiayu hurriedly disclosed her address as some hope rose in her heart. Was it possible that Nie Yi had ignored her just now because Qi Jingchen was there?