Qiao Manli, known for her materialistic tendencies and bold demeanor, spoke without any regard for the opinions of others, including Yan Yun.
The current apocalyptic circumstances had forced her to prioritize survival over everything else.
Before the world ended, she might have used her beauty to attract a wealthy suitor. She was likely to be drawn to anyone who was attractive and affluent.
However, after witnessing the horrors of the apocalypse for seven days, including the gruesome deaths of many classmates, her priorities had shifted. She was no longer concerned with trivial matters; her sole focus was on survival.
She had always harbored feelings of envy towards Yan Yun. She believed that her looks and physique were on par with Yan Yun's, if not superior. Yet, she couldn't understand why the wealthy and handsome men always gravitated towards Yan Yun and not her. ( Character )
This envy intensified when she saw Yan Yun constantly in Lu Yu's company.
When Qiao Manli voiced her feelings, her roommates, although surprised, didn't comment. They had all experienced the harsh realities of the apocalypse and understood the importance of survival. Lu Yu, with his good looks, wealth, and strength, was an ideal partner for survival.
Yan Yun, however, was not willing to share Lu Yu. Before Lu Yu could respond, she quickly retorted,
"Qiao Manli, do you realize what you're saying?"
Yan Yun was visibly upset and even addressed Qiao Manli by her full name. The idea of Lu Yu having another girlfriend was unacceptable to her.
Qiao Manli calmly responded, "Of course I know! I know he's your boyfriend now." She further added,
"But I didn't ask him to leave you, so why are you panicking?"
Yan Yun was left speechless. Before she could gather her thoughts, Qiao Manli continued,
"Yan Yun!
Have you not grasped the current situation yet?"
Yan Yun was taken aback by Qiao Manli's words.
Before she could fully process the situation, Qiao Manli's voice, filled with bewilderment, echoed once more.
"Yan Yun! Are you still oblivious to the reality of our circumstances?" she questioned.
Caught off guard by Qiao Manli's abrupt interjection, Yan Yun could only respond with a confused,
"What do you mean?"
Qiao Manli, shaking her head at Yan Yun's apparent naivety, retorted, "Your lack of understanding is evident. It's clear that Young Master Lu's protection has shielded you from the harsh realities of our world. I was about to…"
Having regained her strength from a hearty meal, Qiao Manli was ready to lament the world's unfairness once again.
However, she abruptly realized that such sentiments seemed out of place in their current predicament.
Forced to hold her tongue, she swallowed the words she had intended to voice.
Unfazed by Yan Yun's lack of comprehension, Qiao Manli, with her delicate and pale right hand, gestured towards the gloomy sky outside, ready to make her point.
"Look outside!
The world is so dangerous now. As a woman with little power, if I want to survive,
I can only find a strong person to rely on, do you understand?"
Yan Yun, although understanding Qiao Manli's point, was still reluctant to let go of Lu Yu. She asked,
"But… don't you already have a boyfriend?"
Initially taken aback, Qiao Manli soon recovered and responded with a dismissive smile.
"Are you referring to Chu Feng?"
she asked, her voice laced with skepticism.
"Do you honestly believe that I would still rely on him?"
Her words echoed a sense of disbelief, questioning the very idea of placing her trust in Chu Feng again.
Qiao Manli scoffed at the mention of her boyfriend, Chu Feng. She expressed her disappointment in him for not coming to her rescue despite being closer to her.
Moreover, the young man who initially captured her heart was none other than the affluent and attractive Lu Yu.
In the present, Lu Yu's strength surpasses that of Chu Feng, not just in physical prowess but also in character and influence.
So, what is there to wait for?
With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Qiao Manli found herself reaching out to Lu Yu once more, her grip on his arm conveying a sense of vulnerability.
She pleaded, "Young Master Lu, please, I implore you to take me with you.
I assure you, from this moment forward, I will heed your every word…"
She vowed to be obedient in the future. Her soft, pleading voice was difficult for any man to ignore.
Her actions, however, left everyone, including Lu Yu, perplexed. Lu Yu had initially intended for Qiao Manli to sever ties with Chu Feng, but he hadn't anticipated her misinterpretation of his intentions.
Following her declaration, Qiao Manli reassured Lu Yu, stating, "You can rest assured, Young Master Lu,
I'm still a virgin!"
This proclamation left everyone, Lu Yu included, taken aback.
Qiao Manli then proposed, "What's the matter?
Young Master Lu!
You don't believe me?
If you're skeptical, we can go to the next bedroom to verify…"
Qiao Manli's bold and carefree nature has raised doubts in Lu Yu's mind regarding the authenticity of her words, particularly in relation to her claim about her past.
Lu Yu questions whether a woman with such a free-spirited personality would have remained chaste during her junior years.
He seems incredulous about the idea and voices his skepticism. Furthermore, the notion of the heroine being portrayed as a young, inexperienced girl in one episode is understandable, as it is relatable and acceptable to the young readers.
However, Lu Yu finds it somewhat illogical that the portrayal of an ex-girlfriend as an innocent young woman is a bit perplexing.
Despite this, he is not entirely traditional in his thinking. He is open to the idea of being with a woman of good character who has not cohabited with a man and has had no more than two previous relationships.
However, his acceptance is confined to the past. He believes that with his current status and influence, he has the right to choose his partner first. ( Alpha Mindset 😤)
It is implied that he might accept a woman if she is exceedingly beautiful, but he would not trust or give her a second chance, as demonstrated by his opinions concerning Yan Yun and Qiao Manli's different attributes and virtues.
In Lu Yu's heart, Yan Yun holds a high score of 96, while Qiao Manli is not far behind with a score of 94.
Yan Yun's innocent beauty and gentle demeanor make her more appealing to men. However, Qiao Manli's recent claim of being a virgin has raised eyebrows.
"Qiao Manli, are you…are you making fun of me?"
Yan Yun, on the verge of tears, clung to Lu Yu's arm. When it comes to dealing with men, she is clearly no match for Qiao Manli.
Hearing Qiao Manli's blunt words, she felt a mix of fear and hesitation. She was scared that Lu Yu might leave her for Qiao Manli.
"Bullying?
How could I?"
Qiao Manli started to say, but was cut off by Lu Yu.
"Enough, Qiao Manli.
Keep it down!"
Lu Yu's voice was noticeably cold.
Despite Qiao Manli's beauty and her audacious request, Lu Yu was not willing to entertain her at the moment.
Especially since Yan Yun, his woman, was present. He found it unacceptable for Yan Yun to be bullied in front of him.
Seeing Lu Yu's stern expression, Qiao Manli quickly fell silent, fearing she might upset him further. Lu Yu didn't say much more.
He collected most of the remaining food, leaving a small portion for the others, and then prepared to leave.
"Everyone, please take a moment to rest. Yan Yun and I will venture off to the side to investigate…"
"Master Lu…please don't depart…"
"Master Lu, how should we proceed in your absence?"
"Indeed! Master Lu, please don't abandon us…"
"If you insist on leaving, at least allow us to accompany you…"
A palpable fear was evident among the girls.
They were terrified of facing starvation and death again, experiences they had hoped to never encounter in their lives.
Observing their anxious expressions, Lu Yu addressed them directly.
"Yan Yun and I will be residing in the adjacent room. If you need anything, feel free to knock on our door.
However, remember to knock gently to avoid attracting any monsters!"
"Really?
Is that all?"
Upon hearing Lu Yu's instructions, they felt somewhat embarrassed.
Lu Yu paid no heed to their reactions and exited the room with Yan Yun and Xiao Jin.
After positioning Xiao Jin at the corridor entrance, he located a relatively tidy room where he and Yan Yun could stay.
As Lu Yu departed, the girls trailed behind him, seemingly fearful that he might leave with Yan Yun.
Upon witnessing that Lu Yu and Yan Yun had indeed relocated to a nearby room, they felt a sense of relief.
It was only after half an hour had passed that they heard Yan Yun's accelerated breathing emanating from the bedroom…
"Ah, it appears that Master Lu has no intention of leaving after all!"
"Wow, Manli, you were so bold earlier!
"Indeed, indeed!
It's evident that Yan Yun is quite charming when interacting with Master Lu, isn't it?
You've truly noticed!"
"Impossible, the world beyond our walls is horrifying!"
Qiao Manli, regaining her calm, stated
"To survive, one must utilize every resource at their disposal!
Isn't a woman's most potent weapon her own allure?"
Xiao Ya concurred with a nod "Absolutely, but even with this understanding, it seems Master Lu doesn't regard me in that light."
Xu Fei, with a grin, responded "Haha, at least you're aware of your standing!"
"But on another note, Master Lu's physical endurance is truly impressive. Yan Yun, with her delicate and soft appearance…
Can she withstand it?"
"That's precisely why Man Li proactively offered to alleviate some of her burden!"
"Enough, enough, enough, you wild women, you're nothing short of scandalous!"
"Hahaha!!"
The women were satiated and content.
With Lu Yu as their support, They find themselves in high spirits now.
The girls chatted amongst themselves, feeling quite content now that they had Lu Yu's protection. They joked and laughed, but the sound of flapping wings outside the window quickly silenced them.
That night, the outside world was still a dangerous place. Yan Yun was feeling down, her mind filled with thoughts of Qiao Manli.
She wanted to ask Lu Yu about his feelings, but she didn't know how to bring it up. She could only hold onto Lu Yu tighter than usual, fearing he might be taken away by someone else.
Lu Yu, however, was unfazed. After a round of activities, he entered a state of calm. He held Yan Yun, soft as jade, in his arms and looked out the window.
The darkness of the night was terrifying, and the poor visibility meant greater danger. Not even an ordinary Awakened, let alone Lu Yu himself, would dare to venture out at night.
The next morning, Lu Yu noticed that many more monsters had gathered on the road he had cleared before, attracted by the smell of blood.
Among these monsters were lizardmen, a sickle mantis, a poisonous zombie, two giant zombies, and a ground dragon resting in the distance.
A giant zombie possessed great strength. If an ordinary human had a strength score of 50, then this zombie's strength attribute should be at least 100. Lu Yu had witnessed this creature deform a car with a single punch.
Its power was simply outrageous. However, its ultimate strength came at the cost of extremely slow movement speed. Its agility was estimated to be only 7 or 8 points, meaning it couldn't even outrun an ordinary person.
Upon waking up in the morning and seeing the giant zombie downstairs, Lu Yu frowned. Whether dealing with Chu Feng or clearing out monsters, he needed to maximize efficiency and safety.
He could sign two monsters as pets, but after Xiaoxi's death, he hadn't found a suitable one. At present, there were only two types of monsters at the bronze level - giant zombies and dragons. Giant zombies were not suitable, so he was left with terrestrial dragons (Drakes).
A/n :- Greetings, readers! As the author, I'm excited to announce the release of over 50+ chapters. If you find the story engaging and enjoyable, I would greatly appreciate it if you could leave a review for this novel. Thank you!
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