The NO.1 Food Stall in the Wasteland

During the meal, Fu Cheng was unusually silent. He didn’t have much of an appetite, either, putting down his chopsticks after just a few bites.

Shen Lu stole several glances at him, planning to ask him what was wrong later.

“Boss Shen.” Xue Can called out to Shen Lu, who was on her way to the second floor. “Can I discuss something with you?”

“What is it?” Shen Lu asked.

“It’s about my friend, Jiang Gong. You met him at the hospital last time.”

“Oh, right, I remember. What about him?”

“He was discharged from the hospital a couple of days ago and got Sang Yue an ID card. But as you know, Sang Yue can only live in the Lower City District.”

A bad feeling crept over Shen Lu. “You’re not thinking of dumping her on me, are you?”

Xue Can looked extremely awkward. “He asked around and thinks your place is the most suitable for Sang Yue.”

And most importantly, Sang Yue was also willing to come.

Sang Yue felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to Shen Lu. Perhaps it was because Shen Lu was so considerate?

Xue Can couldn’t be bothered with such trivial matters, but he couldn’t stand Jiang Gong’s incessant nagging.

He didn’t have many close friends. If Jiang Gong had asked him for any other favor, he might have been able to turn him down without a second thought.

But Jiang Gong just wanted to find a place for his lifesaver to settle down, which was, in truth, a very small matter.

“This is a restaurant, not a hotel.”

“Sang Yue can work. Aren’t you short-staffed recently anyway?”

Shen Lu couldn’t quite describe how she felt. ‘It’s true I’ve thought about riding the protagonist’s coattails, but I’m not this desperate…’

But on second thought, getting on familiar terms with her couldn’t hurt.

“How long does she plan to stay here?”

There were some things Shen Lu was very clear about. ‘Sang Yue isn’t the type to be willing to work for others. I remember in the original plot, she started her own business. She’s only willing now because she’s a newcomer and needs to get the lay of the land before planning her next move. In other words, Sang Yue is looking for a place where she can live and gather market intelligence. My place is admittedly a pretty good option for that.’

Xue Can seemed to be texting Jiang Gong, only answering after a moment.

“She’ll stay until next spring for now. Jiang Gong will pay a thank-you fee each month. Sorry for the trouble, Boss Shen.”

‘There’s a thank-you fee?’

Shen Lu’s initial reluctance immediately vanished.

‘Isn’t this just like getting paid for her to work here?’

‘I’m all for it!’

“Your friend is so generous. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely take good care of Sang Yue.”

With the matter settled, Xue Can brought her over that very night.

Shen Lu told Cai Su about it, and they cleaned up the second room in the dormitory for Sang Yue.

Sang Yue was very satisfied with this.

She really liked Shen Lu’s shop. The decor looked warm and inviting, and it was very clean. Even though she was staying in a dorm, it felt very safe and reassuring.

“Boss Shen, I’ll be in your care from now on.”

Shen Lu glanced at her fair, delicate fingers. ‘What could I possibly teach you? You don’t know how to cook Chinese food. At most, you can make some drinks or bake some cakes. Don’t think I don’t know—I’ve read the book. Sang Yue’s cooking skills are nothing special, but she knows how to bake. And as it happens, the Eldest Prince loves sweet drinks and little cakes, which is how he got to know Sang Yue in the first place.’

Still, she had to offer some pleasantries.

“You’re too kind, Miss Sang.”

Not everyone was at the shop that evening, so Shen Lu could only introduce her to Cai Su and her son, Wu Jun, and Huo Qian for the time being. As for the three members of the Liu Family, Shen Lu didn’t feel it was necessary to make a special introduction; she could just do it in passing whenever they happened to meet.

And then there was Fu Cheng. For some reason, Shen Lu didn’t want the two of them to meet tonight.

They were living in the same building, so they were bound to run into each other sooner or later. Shen Lu shamefully decided to bury her head in the sand.

‘If I can delay it for a night, I will.’

‘What if he falls for Sang Yue at first sight?’

The thought of the normally cold and distant Fu Cheng being exceptionally gentle toward Sang Yue was unbearable to Shen Lu.

After settling Sang Yue in, Shen Lu went up to the second floor with an uneasy heart. Fu Cheng was in his room, staring blankly into the darkness. The lights were off.

Shen Lu walked to the door of the secondary bedroom and flicked on the light with a CLICK.

“Fu Cheng, what are you thinking about?”

Fu Cheng slowly turned his head. There wasn’t a single glimmer of light in his ink-black pupils.

“Just remembering some things from the past.”

Fu Cheng had thought he was calm enough now, but seeing Major Ge had brought all the grievance and anger of being abandoned rushing back.

‘Logically, I shouldn’t be feeling this way. As a soldier, I’m supposed to dedicate everything to the military, including my life. That’s the creed they drilled into me at the military academy. But today, after Major Ge confirmed who I was, he did exactly as I expected and didn’t offer an invitation. Absolutely cold. Absolutely rational. Absolutely elite. The military wouldn’t want a defective product like me, even if I was once their golden boy.’

Fu Cheng understood the logic, but he still couldn’t accept it.

He had initially entered the Dragon and Tiger Cup just to aid his own recovery. But as he competed, he suddenly discovered that even as a cripple, he was still a cut above the rest.

A small sliver of hope had sprouted in Fu Cheng’s heart. ‘If I take first place in the Dragon and Tiger Cup, will the military invite me back?’

‘My rational mind tells me that once they know it’s me, they’ll turn and walk away. But another voice in my heart urges me: If you don’t try, how will you know for sure?’

‘Just as I thought. The military is still the military. It will never make a decision that defies pure logic.’

“They’ll pay the price for their arrogance.” Shen Lu patted his shoulder. “Don’t overthink it. I’ve always believed you can get better.”

Fu Cheng’s heart trembled. He lifted his chin slightly, and as the light fell into his eyes, it was as if he was illuminated from within.

“The best-case scenario is still only recovering half of my former strength.”

In other words, at best, he’d be a Third-level Superpower User.

“That’s still amazing! Once your body recovers a bit more, I’ll find some good materials and get the best prosthetics made for you.”

‘Actually, the Mysterious Mall has prosthetics, but they’re incredibly expensive. A leg costs 100,000 reputation value, and an arm is even more, at 150,000. I have no idea why this stuff is so expensive, but things from the system are always top-quality. You truly get what you pay for. I want to get them for Fu Cheng, but I have no idea when I’ll be able to scrape together 250,000 reputation value. Right now, my reputation value isn’t increasing by more than 20 a day, though I occasionally get a day with over 40. 250,000 reputation value… That’s so, so much.’

Fu Cheng was suddenly pulled out of his spiral of negativity.

‘Why should I care about the actions of those who gave up on and abandoned me? The only person I should care about is Shen Lu, isn’t it?’

“Little Deer, why are you so good to me?”

In a moment of carelessness, Fu Cheng voiced the question buried deep in his heart.

Realizing what he’d done, he quickly added, “It’s okay if you don’t want to answer.”

The question truly stumped Shen Lu. She nodded blankly. “Okay, then I won’t.”

‘Why am I so good to him?’

‘How should I know? I’d never even thought about it until Fu Cheng asked!’