Chapter 141: Don’t Trust Strangers
Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Don’t Trust Strangers
As the two were talking, another complex of buildings came into Xu Qingsui’s view.
Inside a grand, traditional-style courtyard, several smaller buildings stood tall amidst rows of old houses.
It looked far more impressive than the courtyard they had passed just moments before.
There was even a guard post at the main gate, with guards who looked more official than the ones at the safe zone’s entrance.
"The lab is just ahead. It’s fully equipped with dorms, a cafeteria, and a training field—everything you could need for daily life."
Xu Qingsui glanced at Shen Yan. ’He didn’t even need to say anything,’ she thought. ’I’d already figured it out.’
Still, his description surprised her. ’This must be a safe zone within a safe zone, right?’
She couldn’t help but size up Shen Yan. ’What kind of background does this benefactor have to be able to fund the construction and supply of an entire safe zone?’
She imagined that if it weren’t for his unique physical condition limiting his ability to fight, the 27th District’s Survival Team would probably be under his control too. But...
Xu Qingsui pondered for a moment. ’Even now, the Survival Team is likely under his control, but he isn’t the one in charge on the surface.’
When they reached the courtyard gate, a Sentinel on duty immediately came out to make a routine inquiry.
When the car window rolled down and the Sentinel saw Shen Yan, he immediately snapped to a standard military salute.
He then opened the main gate, allowing Shen Yan to drive the camper van into the courtyard.
"It’s getting late. I’ll take you to the dorm first to get you settled in. Tomorrow, I’ll show you around."
Xu Qingsui nodded. She was on Shen Yan’s turf now, and her target was right in front of her. There was no need to rush things.
Her camper van had provided shelter from the elements, but it was no substitute for a proper place to rest.
Now that she had a place to stay, she was looking forward to a good wash and a solid night’s sleep.
Shen Yan drove right up to one of the smaller buildings. "This is the dormitory. The lab’s researchers and some outside personnel live here."
"Whether a room is occupied or not, it gets cleaned daily. They’re all fully furnished, too. What floor do you prefer? What kind of room? You can take your pick of any of the empty ones."
Xu Qingsui clicked her tongue in amazement. Shen Yan’s resources were truly formidable; the lab dorms were even higher-grade than those in Zone 9.
But she wasn’t picky and couldn’t be bothered to choose. All she needed was a clean and tidy place.
"The first floor is fine. Any sun-facing room will do."
Shen Yan smiled at Xu Qingsui’s casual reply and immediately led her down the hallway.
"In that case, I have the perfect room for you. You can stay here from now on." In just a few steps, they were standing before a door.
As he spoke, Shen Yan reached to open the door for Xu Qingsui. But just then, the sound of frantic footsteps echoed from behind them.
Xu Qingsui instinctively looked back and saw the sound was coming from the stairwell around the corner.
A moment later, a figure darted out of the stairwell, making a beeline for Shen Yan.
"Shen Yan, what took you so long to get back? Did something happen? Did you have to fight? Quick, let me guide you, suppress those restless genes."
The person who’d just arrived grabbed Shen Yan’s arm and began to look him up and down, her expression etched with worry.
As the girl was examining him, Xu Qingsui finally got a good look at her.
She was a cute, delicate-looking young woman dressed in a Japanese-style schoolgirl uniform that radiated youthful energy, giving her the air of a sweet girl-next-door.
Her attention was focused entirely on Shen Yan; she clearly hadn’t noticed Xu Qingsui’s presence.
With that, she prepared to start guiding Shen Yan.
But before Shen Yan could stop her, the girl’s own brow furrowed in confusion.
"You’re... fine? In fact, your internal energy is much calmer than usual. What happened today?"
Perhaps because the opportunity to help Shen Yan had vanished, a flicker of disappointment crossed the girl’s face as she spoke.
Shen Yan subtly shook his arm free from her grasp and gestured toward Xu Qingsui.
"It’s all thanks to Guide Xu. I happened to meet her out in the wilds. She guided me when I was about to go into a frenzy. It worked so well that I didn’t even need to take my medication."
Only then did the girl seem to notice Xu Qingsui. As she processed Shen Yan’s words, her expression turned to one of utter disbelief.
"You’re the one who calmed Shen Yan?" For some reason, as the girl spoke, Xu Qingsui detected a hint of displeasure in her tone.
’It feels like I stole something from her and now she hates me for it.’
The intense feeling made Xu Qingsui a little uncomfortable.
Unsure how to respond, she just said, "Yes. Don’t mention it. I was just helping someone in need."
The girl sized Xu Qingsui up one more time before turning back to Shen Yan without another word. "Even though it’s suppressed for now, I should check you over, just to be safe. Your condition is unique. You can’t just let any stranger calm you down in the future. You were lucky nothing went wrong this time, but what if it had?"
"You know I’m always waiting for you. If you’re really in trouble, you could at least send someone back to let me know."
Xu Qingsui’s brow furrowed. She had merely felt awkward at first, but the girl’s last words sparked a strong sense of unease in her.
’Did I do something wrong by helping?’ she thought. ’Is she actually criticizing me for it?’
If Shen Yan hadn’t been the bonding partner the system assigned to her, if this had just been a random encounter, she might not have even bothered to help him!
The girl’s words left a sour taste in her mouth, like being blamed after doing a good deed.
A hint of annoyance on her face, Xu Qingsui decided to head into her room and ignore them.
"Liang Xiaoxiao, watch your tone. If I hadn’t run into Guide Xu today, I might not have made it back at all. You will not be disrespectful to her."
For the first time, Shen Yan’s expression hardened as he rebuked Liang Xiaoxiao in a low voice.
Xu Qingsui wasn’t an idiot. She had already sensed that Liang Xiaoxiao’s feelings for Shen Yan were anything but ordinary, and now she understood the source of the hostility in her words.
This was the kind of messy situation that only got worse the more you got involved. She didn’t want the headache, so she decided to just go to her room.
Liang Xiaoxiao looked utterly astonished to be reprimanded by Shen Yan; it was clearly the first time he had ever treated her this way.
As she stood there dumbfounded, staring at Shen Yan, she caught sight of Xu Qingsui opening the door to her room out of the corner of her eye.
Her heart clenched. She whirled around, grabbed the door, and planted herself in the doorway.
"What do you think you’re doing? Who said you could go in this room? Even if you saved Shen Yan today, that doesn’t give you the right to do as you please here!"
Xu Qingsui’s eyes widened. She had been trying to avoid a fight, but now, it seemed, she wasn’t even being allowed to walk away.
That was the last straw. Xu Qingsui’s temper flared. She pointed at Shen Yan and declared, "This is my room now. If you have a problem, take it up with him!"