The night was dim in the small villa.
Due to concerns about the mutated plant, Shen Yi had shut down the basement generator to reduce noise.
To cut down on energy consumption, the usual bright lighting would no longer be seen.
Now they only had a camping lantern hanging overhead.
Dinner was prepared by Cheng Jun - her first time cooking here.
When Shen Yi offered to help, she shooed him away.
Now as she brought the plates to the table, he quickly took them from her, teasing,
"I must try this secret recipe of yours that you've been hiding from me."
Cheng Jun blushed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear,
"Don't be silly. I can't cook Chinese food, I only made Western dishes at home. Just try it."
She hadn't let Shen Yi help because she was nervous - cooking was unfamiliar enough, and having him watch would only add to the pressure.
Dinner consisted of a steak and some pasta for each person, garnished with tomatoes and spinach.
Given their limited conditions and scarce ingredients, they had to make do with whatever could fill their stomachs.
The beef came from a cold storage facility Shen Yi had broken into earlier - they had stockpiled some meat.
Once the storage door was opened, the cold air kept escaping, and the meat would spoil if not eaten.
Under Cheng Jun's expectant gaze, Shen Yi cut off a small piece and chewed it.
It was a bit tough, and the piece Shen Yi cut had some burnt edges, probably due to the lack of proper pan and temperature control.
Shen Yi maintained a straight face as he swallowed and said:
"Not bad, there's room for improvement."
Cheng Jun didn't catch the underlying meaning and smiled, standing up,
"Really? This should be paired with red wine. I decanted some earlier - I'll go get it."
Shen Yi smiled watching her leave, quietly flipping the steak to hide the burnt side.
When he looked up, Cheng Jun was already returning with a large bowl.
"Couldn't find a decanter, so this will have to do."
"That's fine, it's all the same."
Cheng Jun busied herself getting wine glasses and pouring for both of them.
Shen Yi rarely drank and wasn't particular about such things - the wine didn't need decanting as far as he was concerned.
Though he didn't enjoy drinking, he had stockpiled some alcohol as it had other uses besides consumption.
"Cheers."
They clinked glasses.
Cheng Jun sniffed the wine before drinking.
Shen Yi was a simple man - honestly, he just found the taste smooth and drinkable.
As soon as she drank, Cheng Jun's face turned rosy.
She quickly cut a piece of meat to chase the wine.
The moment it entered her mouth, her face scrunched up like a dumpling,
"Ugh, it's bitter!"
After spitting out the meat, she suddenly realized and looked at Shen Yi, embarrassed:
"I'm sorry, I didn't control the heat well. Just throw it away - I'll make you some noodles instead."
Shen Yi waved his hand, showing no blame,
"It's fine, mine is good. Just cut away the burnt parts - throwing it all away would be too wasteful. No need for noodles, we have pasta here."
Cheng Jun hadn't expected to mess up her first time cooking, especially after planning it secretly for so long. At home, her cooking had always turned out well.
Shen Yi wasn't just being nice - he was used to eating whatever was edible, and as long as it was cooked through, it was fine by him.
After calming Cheng Jun down, they continued their earlier conversation over wine.
"Looking back, we're really lucky nothing happened during all that commotion we caused."
"Yes, though it's rooted in the city center, quite far from us."
The commotion referred to their previous search plan, driving around with loudspeakers - they'd been everywhere except near the city center.
"Shen Yi, do you think there are any other survivors besides us?"
With most of the wine gone, Cheng Jun twisted the stem of her wine glass, her voice low.
Previously they only had internal worries, but now external threats had appeared - she couldn't stay optimistic.
"There must be. Humanity isn't that easy to wipe out."
According to the system's introduction, it was nearly overrun but not completely - reinforcements could be hiding somewhere.
That was all Shen Yi could say.
Cheng Jun was noncommittal about this answer - what difference would finding others make?
She was an outsider, with no family or friends, waking up to only this ruined city.
She took another big drink as emotions welled up, slowly laying her head on the table, her eyes lost like a frightened deer, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Why?"
"Why me?"
"Why am I here?"
Cheng Jun had gritted her teeth through many hardships, but the doubts weighing on her heart remained unresolved.
In the third month after arriving in this apocalypse, she finally broke down crying.
Shen Yi put down his glass, walked to her side, and gently patted her shoulder, consoling her softly.
Cheng Jun suddenly raised her head and hugged his waist, tears in her eyes as she leaned against him,
"Shen Yi, I miss home..."
That confused, heartbroken look struck Shen Yi's heart hard, filling him with guilt, almost compelling him to tell her the truth.
This was essentially just a dream, a game, yet it had entangled an innocent soul like Cheng Jun.
Shen Yi knew it was a game, but Cheng Jun was an unwitting victim, not just a programmed NPC - the copied version of her was a living, breathing person.
With emotions, fears, joys, and sorrows - her embrace, body temperature, heartbeat, tears, everything was so real - how could he remain unmoved?
Stroking Cheng Jun's hair, Shen Yi spoke with unusual seriousness:
"Maybe this is just a dream?"
"Nightmares always end, and perhaps one day you'll open your eyes and be back home."
"Family, friends, warmth, peace - everything as it should be."
At this moment, he didn't care if this was a system projection - he was treating Cheng Jun as a person, not just a character to be conquered.
Perhaps Shen Yi's comfort worked, as Cheng Jun gradually stopped crying.
She looked up with red eyes, smoothing out the wrinkles in Shen Yi's clothes where her tears had left a large wet patch.
"Sorry, I'm better now."
Seeing her sit up straight, Shen Yi returned to his seat.
Cheng Jun refilled both their glasses and raised hers again.
Seeing her take another big drink, Shen Yi frowned and advised:
"You should drink less..."
He'd figured it out - Cheng Jun was the type who couldn't handle alcohol well but drank enthusiastically anyway.
Cheng Jun ignored him, taking another sip of wine before exhaling and comforting herself:
"You're right, maybe it is a dream."
"By the way, Shen Yi, I never asked where you're from."
Shen Yi put down his glass and casually replied,
"My hometown is a poor place called Linjiang County in Gusu Province, but I work in Jingyuan City."
Cheng Jun's eyes lit up unexpectedly,
"You're in Jingyuan City too? Me too! Which district?"
"Uh, Jianyuan District."
"What a coincidence! I live in Shangyang District, but I work in Jianyuan too, at Tiancheng Group - you know it?"
Cheng Jun hadn't expected they lived so close - it must be fate.
"Jianyuan... Tiancheng... Cheng Jun?"
Though spoken softly, the words thundered in Shen Yi's ears.
Wang Ru's words suddenly came back to him.
"The Administrative Department just got a new manager named Cheng Jun, a beauty with overseas education, daughter of a high-level executive."
It was her?!
Shen Yi finally understood why the name seemed familiar, as if he'd heard it before.
Then he mentally complained,
First Fu Nanzhi, now Cheng Jun.
Why does this damn system keep targeting the same people...
close your eyes and open them again, only to find yourself transmigrated into the role of a villainous male supporting character. Readers familiar with urban wish-fulfillment novels know that it is only through the relentless antics of the villainous male supporting character that the plot between the male and female leads can progress. As the villainous male supporting character, Long Aotian not only has to bully the female lead, harass the second female lead, and flirt with the third female lead, but he also has to go all out to antagonize the male lead. In the end, when his body is discovered, he is still clutching half a moldy fried dough stick in his hand. Fully aware of the plot, Long Aotian is determined to change his fate, starting with the female lead! In the beginning, the female lead lacks confidence: "Big brother, I hope I didn't scare you?" In the middle, the female lead treads carefully: "Brother Long, please don't hit me, okay?" Later on, the female lead becomes coquettishly clingy: "Aotian, it's time to pay the 'public grain' tonight." Long Aotian's legs go weak, and he feels like crying: "I taught you to be thick-skinned, not shameless!"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
ng to die together with you." Lin Xuan is dead, his body thrown into the river by his scumbag lover and her accomplice. She, the president of the Su Group, is decisive, ruthless, and ice-cold. For three days and three nights, she had his body fished out of the river, and without hesitation, she kissed the bloated corpse of Lin Xuan. She laid down beside him in a cold coffin, their fingers intertwined, a smile lingering on her lips as she closed her eyes. The noble and cold-hearted woman, only bending for one man—Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan, with his golden finger, is reborn and returns to the day of his wedding to the treacherous woman. Su Qiang comes to steal the bride. Lin Xuan's eyes light up, eager to pledge his loyalty on the spot, but instead, her kiss transfers a glass of drugged wine into his mouth, causing him to pass out... 【Male Protagonist with Single Female Lead】【Yandere Tycoon】【Action-Packed】【True vs. Fake Heir】
