6 Guiding Xue Qingyu, Late Night Talks Among The Women

"Chicken soup's ready..."

The two girls prepared three dishes and one soup, a mix of meat and vegetables, a true feast by post-apocalyptic standards. The meal was delicious, and Noah found himself eating several large bowls, still wanting more.

Liu Xiaoyu, patting her full stomach, lay flat on a lounge chair, her face beaming with a contented smile.

Xue Qingyu, meanwhile, took out a small notebook to calculate their supplies and plan their daily consumption, occasionally brushing a lock of hair behind her ear with her hand.

"Qingyu, can you control your ability yet?" Noah asked, sipping some tea.

"Ah? What... what ability? I... I don't know," Xue Qingyu responded, her cheeks flushing. She always seemed shy and reserved around Noah.

Seeing Xue Qingyu still unaware of her own S-grade, awesome ability, Noah shook his head in resignation. He couldn't connect this timid girl with the formidable figure she was in his past life.

He then explained to Xue Qingyu, who listened intently. "I'll... I'll give it a try."

Xue Qingyu stood up, closed her eyes, and concentrated. Soon, wisps of electricity circled around her, and with a raise of her hand, a bolt of lightning shot out, turning a small tree sapling downstairs into charred remains.

"I did it, I succeeded," Xue Qingyu whispered excitedly, her nose beading with sweat from the thrill.

Noah smiled approvingly. "You have a great talent."

He then gathered electricity in his own palm, directing it to wrap around a watermelon knife nearby. With a flick of his hand, the knife flew swiftly and embedded itself into the wall.

"Start practicing in this direction for now."

Lightning abilities have many uses, including the manipulation of metal through electromagnetic forces.

This method is also one of the most efficient and effortless applications of lightning abilities, capable of delivering high levels of damage.

"Okay, I'll work hard," Xue Qingyu said earnestly.

Noah stood up and stretched. "Tonight, you two take turns keeping watch. If you spot any zombies, try to take them out quietly without attracting too much attention. At night, zombies lose their vision but their hearing significantly improves."

"Yis sir, mission accepted," Liu Xiaoyu bounced up and saluted in a spirited manner.

Noah couldn't help but smile, then turned and went back inside to his room, lying down on the bed to rest and carefully sort through his memories from his past life. He also pondered his future plans, especially how to interact with Xue Qingyu and Liu Xiaoyu. Xue Qingyu was one of the campus belles, known for her pure and charming appearance. Liu Xiaoyu was lively and adorable, with a small body but a lot of energy, and was just as attractive as Xue Qingyu.

To say Noah was completely unmoved would be a lie. If they were unattractive, he would have dismissed them long ago. However, his experience with Su Xiaoyan had left him with a form of PTSD, making it difficult to fully trust any woman.

"If only there were a 'Master of Slaves' ability," Noah muttered resignedly.

As for being just friends, Noah immediately dismissed the idea. In the apocalypse, there are no friends or genuine friendships. He didn't plan on seeking any kind of friendship in this lifetime. Is it sad? Yes, it is, but that's the reality of the apocalypse and his way of survival. He'd rather die alone than place his hopes in the elusive nature of humanity.

...

On the balcony, Liu Xiaoyu sat cross-legged on the railing, hands on her knees, her gaze fixed on the community entrance with a serious expression. With her petite frame, she looked like a little cat waiting for its prey.

"Qingyu, you go rest first. I'll keep watch here. When I can't hold out anymore, we'll switch."

Although Noah hadn't mentioned it, Liu Xiaoyu could somewhat tell that among the three of them, she was the weakest. She didn't want to be abandoned by Noah. To avoid this, she felt compelled to do more, contributing as much as she could.

"It's still early, and I can't sleep. I'll keep you company and chat. If you get tired, you can sleep first. I can keep watch just the same," she offered.

Xue Qingyu shook her head, manipulating a fruit knife with electromagnetic forces while chatting with Liu Xiaoyu. The two had been roommates before the apocalypse and got along well, so they found plenty to talk about.

"How long have you and Noah been together? I never noticed you got a boyfriend before."

"Ah?" Xue Qingyu stumbled upon hearing this, and the fruit knife flew out of control, whizzing past Liu Xiaoyu's head.

Startled, Liu Xiaoyu quickly ducked. "Wow, Qingyu, are you trying to kill me? Just because I know your secret doesn't mean you have to silence me."

Xue Qingyu's face turned red, and she frantically waved her hands. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it wasn't on purpose. Noah and I... we're not dating. We've... just met a few times."

Liu Xiaoyu was stunned, her face full of disbelief. "How is that possible? Then why would Noah go out of his way to save you?"

Xue Qingyu couldn't explain. "Really, we've only met a few times, and he's always had a girlfriend."

At this, Xue Qingyu's expression dimmed. "Nani!" Liu Xiaoyu raised her voice, then whispered, "Tell me, who's that bitch?"

"You've probably seen her, Su Xiaoyan from the Chinese Literature department. She's very pretty."

Liu Xiaoyu made a weird face. "Eh, isn't she like public transportation? How could Noah be interested in her? I'm way better. If I were just... taller by half... a whole... one and a half heads taller, just a tiny twenty centimeters, I'd be the campus belle too, hmm."

Both Su Xiaoyan and Xue Qingyu were tall and slender, standing over 1.7 meters.

Height has always been a sore spot for Liu Xiaoyu, standing at only 1.55 meters tall, a pain so acute it left her breathless. Fortunately, her attractiveness compensated for her lack of height, preserving her dignity.

"I heard they've been together for two years. It's just that Su Xiaoyan never talks about it, only seeking out Noah when she wants gifts."

Su Xiaoyan's reputation among the girls wasn't good. Rumors had it that she liked to play the field even in high school, and after entering university, she became even more flirtatious, having flings with several wealthy young men from the school.

Xue Qingyu couldn't understand why Noah would like Su Xiaoyan, especially since she had seen Su Xiaoyan entering a hotel hand in hand with another boy.

"Wow, Su Xiaoyan really is disgusting."

"Wait, that's not right, Qingyu. You said you and Noah aren't close, so how do you know so much about him?" Liu Xiaoyu spotted an inconsistency.

Xue Qingyu's face turned red, and she remained silent.

Liu Xiaoyu had an epiphany. "Don't tell me you have a crush on Noah. No wonder you ran straight into his arms at the studio. Tsk tsk, the campus belle really is generous."

"Stop talking nonsense," Xue Qingyu blushed even more at the accurate guess.

"Come on, tell me how you fell for him," Liu Xiaoyu teased.

Xue Qingyu bit her lip and whispered, "When I first arrived, he helped me with my luggage."

"That's it?"

"Once, I fell off my bike, and he helped me up."

"That's it?"

"Mm-hmm."

"And you say you're not being too generous."

"I'm not!"

The two girls joked around on the balcony as the sun set and night began to envelop the land. A bloated, obese figure staggered down the street, making 'gurgling' noises and drooling a stream of foul-smelling black fluid from the corners of its mouth.

And it was heading straight for the community where Noah and the two girls were staying.