Chapter 4: Self-Conquest

Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Self-Conquest

Mengde was nearly naked, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts.

Chen Jiayi instinctively shut her eyes.

"Wh-why... why aren’t you wearing any clothes?"

Chen Jiayi, the normally capable and commanding career woman, was now so flustered she was on the verge of tears, unable to speak for a long moment.

Mengde never would have expected Chen Jiayi to show up at this hour.

He had been in his room since yesterday, practicing with his Tang Blade and preparing for the next supply run.

He’d gotten so absorbed in his training that he’d lost all track of time and didn’t even know when he’d fallen asleep last night.

So when the knocking woke him, he was still groggy. But Chen Jiayi’s scream shocked him wide awake.

"Holy shit!"

"Hold on!"

He hastily threw on some clothes before opening the door again.

"Sorry about that. I was up late last night."

Mengde yawned.

"Jiayi, is something wrong?"

After taking a moment to compose herself, Chen Jiayi finally opened her eyes.

"Mengde, let’s team up and go search for supplies."

To Mengde’s surprise, Chen Jiayi wasn’t here to borrow food but to propose a supply run.

"Aren’t you scared?"

"Scared? What’s the use in being scared? I can’t just watch my sister starve to death."

Though her face was still a little flushed, Chen Jiayi’s expression was now firm and resolute.

"Or, you can just open the door for me. I’ll go out alone. Whatever supplies I find, I’ll split them with you fifty-fifty. How about that?"

Mengde didn’t answer, but a flicker of admiration for the woman before him appeared in his eyes.

She knew there were terrifying zombies outside, yet she still dared to go look for supplies.

He recalled the system’s description. ’As expected of a textbook sis-con!’

"You don’t have to do this. You know I still have plenty of food, right?"

"Yes, I know. But that’s all yours."

Chen Jiayi nodded rationally, not at all taking his food for granted as if it were her own.

Had it been one of those delicate princesses, she probably would have made some outrageous demand by now.

"I can give you some, and you don’t have to pay me back."

"Then what do you want?"

Chen Jiayi knew there was no such thing as a free lunch. She didn’t believe Mengde wanted nothing in return.

Sure enough, in the next second, she saw Mengde’s gaze sweep over her body.

Chen Jiayi was tall, standing at 1.68 meters—a true Goddess’s height.

Her figure was nearly perfect. Her full bust and slender waist formed an alluring curve, and the long legs revealed by her short hot pants were simply to die for.

Perhaps because he had just woken up, he felt particularly fired up today...

"You!"

That one word was all it took for Chen Jiayi to understand his meaning.

He actually wanted her. Chen Jiayi’s first reaction was a mix of shame and anger...

But before she could react, Mengde stepped forward, took her hand, and looked at her with a sincere expression.

"Jiayi, I’ve liked you for a long time."

"Will you be my woman?"

Faced with Mengde’s heartfelt confession, Chen Jiayi, who had just been filled with shame and anger, froze on the spot, forgetting to even struggle.

If Mengde had tried to use food to force her, she would have died before agreeing.

She remembered a time before the apocalypse when a client, under the pretext of discussing business, had cornered her by the restroom door. She ended up kicking him so hard he was left half-crippled.

She, Chen Jiayi, was definitely not the kind of woman who would sell her body for money.

But she never would have imagined that Mengde would actually confess his feelings to her.

Especially not in this collapsing, apocalyptic world!

"I have more food here I can give you to ensure you both survive. From now on, I’ll take care of you and your sister."

"I can also go out and find supplies."

"I have the ability to protect you both!"

Mengde’s voice was firm and powerful. Upon hearing that he would take care of her sister, Chen Jiayi’s heart was instantly moved.

She could disregard her own needs, but she couldn’t possibly disregard her sister’s.

But in her current physical condition, her chances of finding supplies on her own were practically zero.

Even if she got lucky this time and found something, what about after that? What was she supposed to do then?

Just wait for rescue?

To be honest, it had been almost a week, and Chen Jiayi had already given up hope of being rescued.

If rescuers were coming, they would have been here by now.

On top of that, because he had lent her food yesterday, Chen Jiayi already felt immensely grateful to Mengde. That act had essentially saved her and her sister’s lives.

But... what puzzled her was why Mengde had never shown the slightest hint of affection for her before the apocalypse.

She quickly figured it out.

’It must be because of the gap between us before the apocalypse. That’s why he never said anything.’

’Yes, that must be it!’

Having thought it through, the way Chen Jiayi looked at Mengde gradually changed.

He had hidden his love for so long, only bringing it up now, in the apocalypse, when he wanted to take care of her and her sister.

An inexplicable warmth washed over Chen Jiayi’s heart, and Mengde’s image suddenly grew much grander in her eyes...

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Goddess Chen Jiayi’s Affinity for you has increased by 5. Current Affinity: 40!]

Mengde had no idea that in such a short time, the woman in front of him was frantically spinning a story in her own head.

She had basically won herself over in an instant; otherwise, he would have had to at least steal a kiss or two.

Little did she know, the main reason he’d said all that was because he understood her stubborn personality.

With her looks, it wasn’t as if she had no suitors. If she had wanted an easier life, she could have easily married some rich heir.

But in all the time they’d been roommates, he had never seen her with a boyfriend.

He hadn’t even seen any men drop her off.

If Mengde had tried to use food to force her, she would have died before agreeing.

She’d kicked a client so hard she’d ruined the man’s future happiness. The incident was a big deal; even Mengde had heard about it.

Mengde still wanted to get the system’s reward through her. Since a frontal assault wouldn’t work, he had to take an indirect approach!

The best way, of course, was to target her weakness: her sister.

Sincerity is always a killer move!

For a textbook sis-con like Chen Jiayi, her sister would always be the person she cared about most.

Just then, Chen Jiayi’s eyes fell on the Tang Blade leaning against the wall from Mengde’s practice last night, as well as some workout equipment. Being sharp, she immediately put two and two together.

"You’re planning to go out?"

"Yeah. It’s better to rely on yourself than on others. Rather than wait for rescue, it’s better to take the initiative!"

Mengde’s tone was resolute. His words made Chen Jiayi’s breath catch, and she blurted out instinctively.

"I’ll go with you!"

Mengde didn’t doubt her professional capabilities, but exploring outside was different from office work. One wrong move could mean life or death.

"I’m not in the habit of letting my woman go into danger!"

"Like I said, I have the ability to take care of you both!"

Although she was rejected, Chen Jiayi felt overwhelmed by his concern.

For a woman who had raised her younger sister since they were little, this was a feeling she had never experienced before.

’He likes me, so he doesn’t want me to take any risks!’

Chen Jiayi’s eyes reddened in an instant...

"Mengde... thank you!"

"I’m willing to be your woman!"

At her two sentences, Mengde’s breathing grew ragged, as if some long-awaited lock was about to be broken...

........