As dusk approached, the night lamp flickered dimly.
Xu Qian's eyes darkened slightly. A tall, slender figure stood downstairs outside her apartment, leaning against a black sports car.
The night seemed to meld with him, and she wondered how long he had been waiting.
She hadn't looked in the mirror all day; she had neither the time nor the inclination. She was naturally a person of little emotional fluctuation, and having weathered the apocalypse, it was already a miracle she hadn't gone mad. Having to feign affection for such an unpredictable man was incredibly tiresome.
Xu Qian glanced at him before lowering her gaze and walking past.
"Xu Qian, the meal was delicious."
Tang Zhiyuan's clear, sharp eyes tightened as he quickly stepped forward and grabbed Xu Qian's wrist.
[Ding, host, the target is the sole reason you came to the apocalypse.]
Xu Qian gritted her teeth, rubbing her eyes fiercely and making them red with determined effort.
"It was delicious, and then what?"
Tang Zhiyuan looked down at her flushed eyes. He lowered his head, his nose high, his bangs falling naturally, half-obscuring his dark eyes.
"I'm sorry."
"And then what?"
"...I misunderstood you."
The hand on her wrist suddenly tightened.
Xu Qian indeed had no reason to approach him. Her family was poor, but she worked part-time after class to support herself. He had misunderstood.
"Mhm! I forgive you." Xu Qian's lips curved upwards, and she sighed inwardly, realizing that the target was God!
[Ding, Tang Zhiyuan's favorability +5, total favorability 31.]
Tang Zhiyuan's lips curved upwards slightly, then he quickly suppressed it. "Ahem, ahem. Shall we have dinner together?"
"Okay."
The following few days were simple. In the mornings, she went to the gym, then returned home to cook and eat with Tang Zhiyuan at F University.
If he didn't have classes in the afternoon, they would go out together. If he did, Xu Qian would go to the gym, and then they would have dinner afterward.
His favorability increased very slowly. Three days passed, and it only reached 40. No matter what she did, be it hugs or various surprises, her favorability couldn't be raised further.
Even as calm as Xu Qian was, she was starting to worry. Time was running out; she had to raise his favorability as high as possible before he left.
She had to find a way.
On Saturday, Tang Zhiyuan arrived early in his sports car to pick her up. As Xu Qian got into the car, he handed her an Apple phone.
"Hm?"
"Do you know how anxious I was when I couldn't contact you?"
His tone was still cool and distant, but with a hint of warmth compared to before.
Xu Qian pursed her lips into a smile, took the phone, and opened it. It was a pink, large-screen Apple phone.
There was no signal or electricity in the apocalypse, so she had long been unaccustomed to using a phone.
"Thank you, Mr. Tang."
Xu Qian habitually called him Mr. Tang and was accustomed to smiling at him, as if she couldn't change. In Tang Zhiyuan's eyes, he probably saw it as a term of endearment, while Xu Qian saw him, outside of the mission, as just Mr. Tang.
A faint smile laced Tang Zhiyuan's deep, dark eyes. "Where do you want to go today?"
"It's the weekend these two days, so you don't have classes, right?"
The book said that going on an outing was the best way to improve their relationship; being alone together had a better effect.
"Mhm."
"Then let's go play in Z City." Xu Qian's eyes curved into a smile.
Tang Zhiyuan nodded in agreement and raised his hand to make a call.
"Yes, I'm going to Z City for two days, no need to follow."
The bodyguard was startled. "Sir, but the president's side..."
"I said, no need to follow."
"Beep, beep, beep..."
The bodyguard turned and immediately called Tang Zhi Shen. "President, the second young master..."
A light laugh came from the other end of the phone. "I know. Send me that girl's information."
"Yes."
Xu Qian felt no emotional ripple, but the book said that as his soon-to-be girlfriend, she had to maintain a proper sense of curiosity.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Mhm! I'll go home and pack my clothes first."
The roads were wide, and the sunlight was just right.
The scenery along the way was beautiful. It took five hours to drive from F City to Z City. Z City was a coastal city, and 80% of the hotels were by the sea.
Tang Zhiyuan, from a wealthy family, lavishly chose the best and most luxurious seaside resort in Z City.
"Two rooms."
Xu Qian rested her chin on her hand. "Just one room would be fine, right?" The book said that staying together could increase favorability.
His handsome face, both abstinent and noble, stared at her with downcast eyes.
The man's gaze was open and honest, free of any ulterior motives.
"I'll sleep alone; I'm scared."
Xu Qian's smile was faint, and she playfully raised her eyebrows.
After spending these few days together, Tang Zhiyuan pondered that Xu Qian didn't seem like someone who would be afraid.
"Let's book a double suite."
"..."
As soon as the room door opened, a vast living room faced the sea. The beach was white, and the water was sky blue. A salty breeze swept across the sea, carrying its scent.
Her small mouth parted slightly. In her previous life, she had entered the apocalypse at eighteen. Moreover, at that time, she had neither the money nor the time to travel. She had only seen such scenes online.
"Wow... it's so beautiful! Let's go swimming!"
Xu Qian's eyes curved, extremely excited. She grabbed her suitcase and ran into the bathroom. When choosing her swimsuit, she deliberately picked a bikini that covered her chest, because she didn't have any...
But she was sufficiently fair-skinned.
Tang Zhiyuan, already dressed in swim trunks, waited in the living room.
"Let's go."
Xu Qian tied her hair into a small bun. Her short black swimsuit revealed her navel, and the matching black tie-up bikini bottoms. The black color made her skin appear even fairer.
Tang Zhiyuan's deep, dark eyes stared at her for a long time before he wrapped Xu Qian entirely in a bath towel and held her tightly.
"What's wrong?"
"You know very well what."
Xu Qian blinked her eyes, looked up, and gently kissed his cheek.
"It's time to show off your girlfriend's beauty."
Xu Qian's lips curved into a cold, alluring smile. She put a little force into her wrist, easily pushing Tang Zhiyuan away, and turned to sprint towards the sea.
"Xu Qian!"
Good heavens, he felt like he was taking his daughter out. Indeed, the eight-year age gap...