Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Li Xingye Has a Cocky Side

This was the first time Chi Wan had seen this slightly roguish side of Li Xingye. When she combined it with his voice and his sometimes gentle, sometimes aggrieved tones...

Whoa, that was practically cheating!

’So, does how good a voice sounds ultimately depend on the face? I’m being led astray by his good looks!’

Chi Wan screamed internally, ’Chi Wan, oh, Chi Wan, don’t you know you look like a total stalker right now?! AAAHHH!’

However, just as she was trying to calm down, about to remind Li Xingye that she could see him to prove her own integrity, something unexpected happened!

By the time Chi Wan saw Liang Yushuang and the others, it was already too late.

But before she could even cry out a warning to Li Xingye about the ambush, the attackers were already bound up in an instant, nice and neat, just like Liu Dali and his group had been.

Chi Wan couldn’t help but sigh in relief, then she inwardly laughed at herself for making such a fuss. ’With Li Xingye’s abilities, he probably discovered them long ago.’ 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

She silently watched Li Xingye, who had the entire situation effortlessly under control, her gaze so focused she didn’t even notice it herself.

She had to admit, Li Xingye’s utterly calm demeanor in the face of crisis was... strangely captivating...

But seeing this scene also made Chi Wan belatedly realize that the world Li Xingye lived in was indeed a post-apocalyptic one, filled with all kinds of dangers.

Yet he had never told her about this grim side of the apocalypse. He always spoke in a lighthearted tone, telling her he’d found orchids somewhere today, or some gold blocks somewhere else tomorrow.

Or it would be about Sister Duan tinkering with some new Crystal Core device, or him worrying about her being bullied.

He never mentioned a single word about the dangers he himself faced. ’Of course, it might also be because even if he told me, there’s nothing I could do to help.’

A sudden heaviness settled in Chi Wan’s heart.

Especially after hearing what Liang Yushuang said about the experiments in the Imperial City—scenes of cruelty she, living in the modern world, could never imagine.

She looked expectantly at Li Xingye, who was listening to Liang Yushuang in silence, as if hoping he would say something.

’Say what, though?’ Chi Wan didn’t know herself.

Then, she heard Li Xingye calmly point out the flaws in Liang Yushuang’s words, and then unexpectedly invite these people who had just ambushed him to join their base.

This Li Xingye was more complex and more brilliant than the version Chi Wan had once imagined based on his voice alone.

Until—

With a snap of Li Xingye’s fingers, an overwhelming tide of flowers brazenly took over Chi Wan’s entire field of vision.

She watched Li Xingye amidst the sea of flowers, the slight curve of his lips revealing a confidence that was expressed to its fullest without any need for impassioned words.

And there was that sharp, youthful spirit, hidden beneath his steady exterior, that was just beginning to break through, as if it could slice through the very sky.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP—

The sound of her heartbeat exploded in her ears like fireworks, shattering her rationality with overwhelming force.

She subconsciously clutched her chest, as if trying to steady her flustered self.

’Help me!’ Chi Wan screamed in her heart, half in despair and half in exhilaration. ’I think... I’ve fallen for someone I’m destined to never have!’

They could be closer than anyone in the world, yet they were also separated by the deepest chasm in the universe.

If it weren’t for this, with Chi Wan’s straightforward personality, she probably would have confessed her feelings to Li Xingye the very moment she realized them.

But from everything she had seen, she understood better than anyone that for Li Xingye right now, the most important things were relocating the base, saving more people, and finding a way to end the apocalypse.

A love with no future would probably just be a burden to Li Xingye.

As Chi Wan’s rationality returned, her heart, which had been on the verge of spiraling out of control, finally began to calm down.

Fortunately, Chi Wan was never one to wallow in sentimentality.

She quickly composed herself and even felt a little grateful. Even if they were a whole dimension apart, at least she could see and help the person she liked at any time.

Looking again at Li Xingye’s face, which had returned to its usual calm expression, Chi Wan still felt a little flutter in her heart.

She remembered what Li Xingye had said before, that the people at the base were a little afraid of him. ’Perhaps they worry that those delicate flowers could turn into deadly weapons at any moment.’

’But why should they?’

Chi Wan wanted Li Xingye to know that his power shouldn’t just be feared; on the contrary, it brought a sense of security to many people.

Therefore, she had no desire to suppress the impulse in her heart and shouted out loud, "Brother Xingye, you were so incredibly cool just now! AAAHHH!!"

Li Xingye was first startled by Chi Wan’s voice, and he suddenly understood why she had been so frightened when he had spoken earlier.

The next moment, when he heard what Chi Wan was saying, he was suddenly overcome with embarrassment. ’Has Wanwan been watching me this whole time? Then, what did she see...’

Li Xingye wished he could erase his inexplicable "performance" just now from Chi Wan’s mind entirely.

He had only acted that way because Chi Wan had told him earlier that they didn’t need to keep such careful score, which made him feel her closeness. In a moment of emotional excitement, he did something he never would have done before.

’Of all times, why did she have to see that?!’

Fortunately, not only did Chi Wan not laugh at his childish behavior, she even... even praised him for being cool...

Li Xingye gave a light cough. Not daring to directly face Chi Wan in her space, he could only pretend that everything was normal and continue on his way, the tips of his ears burning, as he asked, "You... you’ve been here the whole time?"

Chi Wan nodded frantically. "Yeah, I was afraid of disturbing you. You have no idea, I was scared to death when I saw Liang Yushuang and her group attack you! Good thing I’m so level-headed and knew you were super strong, so I held back from screaming. Otherwise, if I had yelled and caused you to get distracted and hurt, I would’ve died from guilt."

Hearing this, Li Xingye finally couldn’t help but smile. "Don’t worry, that wouldn’t happen. Even if you were talking in my ear the whole time, I wouldn’t get hurt by them."

He paused, then added inexplicably, "I’m pretty amazing, you know."

At that, Chi Wan couldn’t hold back her laughter. How had she never noticed this cocky side of Li Xingye before?

’Oh, wait, that’s not right. A long time ago, he told me in all seriousness that he was very strong and that the zombies couldn’t beat him.’

’But his tone back then wasn’t like this. Now, he’s just like a proud... hmm, peacock.’

Out of respect for Li Xingye’s glorious image, Chi Wan silently deleted the word "rooster" from her mind.

Hearing Chi Wan’s laughter, Li Xingye also realized he had just been acting rather foolish.

It seemed that in front of Chi Wan, he was always doing things he had never done before.

For example... a few months ago, he would have never in a million years believed that he would one day be feigning aggrievement to a girl, and by smearing the reputation of Qiangzi and the others, no less.

Let alone doing inexplicable things and saying completely unnecessary words like he did today.

With both of them lost in their own thoughts, the air suddenly grew quiet.