Ning Yi didn't have a very good reputation.
On the first day Su Man woke up in the mercenary group, she could vaguely sense this.
Although there were people like Holly in the group, most of the others were not stingy or miserly, yet no one had a good attitude towards Ning Yi.
Su Man didn't know why, but it felt like a secret.
Ning Yi also didn't like to talk and had an extremely low presence—she was less noticeable than a fly.
If it hadn't been for Ning Yi suddenly closing the car door, Su Man would have almost forgotten that such a person existed.
Now that Ning Yi had suddenly come to her door, Su Man was a bit surprised.
"I'm sorry."
Ning Yi lowered her head, her voice trembling. "I was too scared at the time, and now I really regret it. I shouldn't have done that. Everyone in the group says I'm cold-blooded, and I feel that I'm so cold-blooded for leaving you behind like that. Fortunately, you're okay; otherwise, I wouldn't know how to atone for my actions."
"You just wanted to protect yourself," Su Man said.
Rationally speaking, Ning Yi's actions weren't wrong; she just wanted to save herself. No one would want to be involved with zombies.
But understanding didn't equate to forgiveness. The suffocating feeling of being chased by zombies still lingered in Su Man's mind, not having dissipated to this day.
Su Man couldn't pretend nothing had happened and graciously shake hands with Ning Yi.
She wasn't that magnanimous.
Su Man still remembered Ning Yi's indifferent face, looking at her as she was chased by the zombies, with no sign of regret in her cold eyes.
"Can't I come in and talk to you? I really want to atone," Ning Yi said, her expression sincere, completely different from the cold face Su Man remembered.
"She's tired."
The man covered Su Man with a blanket, his equally cold eyes looking back at the woman at the door.
When similar kinds faced each other, there was never much need for words.
With just a glance, Ning Yi felt the warning in the man's words.
Ning Yi couldn't help but smile bitterly, struggling to contain her emotions. "I understand. I'm sorry for disturbing you."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ning Yi turned to leave, as if she had never been there.
She had come suddenly and left just as abruptly.
However, Su Man didn't really dwell on the matter. She didn't care whether Ning Yi had come specifically to apologize or for some other reason—she wasn't particularly invested.
After all, she and Ning Yi weren't close.
"Are you hungry?" the man asked.
Before Su Man could respond, a maid entered with food, the steaming aroma filling the room.
It was a bowl of freshly cooked millet porridge, with small pieces of yam and pumpkin added for Su Man's nourishment.
The unique scent of the porridge wafted into Su Man's nose, stirring her hunger, which she hadn't even realized she felt.
The millet porridge was arranged neatly, accompanied by an equally delicate white porcelain spoon. The man picked up the spoon and stirred the porridge gently, saying, "You just woke up, so you shouldn't eat too much."
He lightly blew on the food in the spoon, waiting for the steam to dissipate before bringing it to Su Man's mouth.
"I can do it myself," Su Man said softly.
She had hands and feet; she wasn't weak enough to need someone to feed her.
But the man disagreed, his voice deep and carrying a cold tone when speaking to others, yet now it was soft and gentle. "You just woke up and are still weak, and you have a baby in your belly. What if you accidentally spill the bowl and both of you get burned?"
"It's not a big deal," he said, pausing for a moment before gently coaxing, "We already have a baby; feeding you is nothing."
They had done more intimate things together.
"Besides, now that you're pregnant, isn't it only natural for me to take care of you?"
The man had a point.
When the spoon was once again brought to Su Man's lips, she opened her mouth. The sweet flavor of the millet porridge, along with the finely chopped yam and pumpkin, warmed her stomach.
She ate slowly, and the man didn't rush her, seeming familiar with her leisurely eating pace. He patiently stirred the porridge, and before she knew it, more than half of the food was gone.
Considering Su Man's condition, the portion the man had the kitchen prepare wasn't large.
Perhaps due to feeling warm and satisfied from the food, Su Man sensed a wave of drowsiness wash over her, making her eyelids heavy.
At that moment, the man covered her with a thicker blanket, his low voice seeming to have a magical quality that deepened her sleepiness. "Sleep well."
The thick, warm blanket enveloped her, far warmer than the thin ones in the mercenary group, and the room was cozy, even the pillow was soft silk.
It felt particularly comfortable.
And especially warm.
Su Man's eyelids closed before she even realized it, and just before falling into a deep sleep, she could vaguely see the man sitting beside her, not having left.
Noticing her gaze, the man gently stroked her hair, softly caressing her strands. "Good girl, sleep."
His voice was soothing, like a pleasant lullaby, effortlessly luring Su Man into a dream.
As she fell asleep, Su Man couldn't help but think that he didn't mind taking care of her.
On the contrary, he was very willing.
When Su Man finally closed her eyes and confirmed she was fully asleep, the dark guard appeared in the room, respectfully kneeling on one knee. "Young Master."
A strange voice broke into Su Man's ears, waking her from her dreams. Before she could even open her eyes, Zhong Jin's voice followed closely behind, lingering in her ears, "…Is he dead?"
His tone was cold, clearly different from the gentle voice he used with her.
Moonlight streamed in, illuminating the man's figure. Zhong Jin was still sitting there, but his once gentle expression was now icy.
The dark guard replied, "Soon. Wei Luo can't withstand the attacks from two alien beasts."
The corners of the man's lips curled into a pleased smile.
"One more thing," the dark guard paused, "that woman named Ning Yi won't leave. She's still in the hallway and insists on seeing you."
The man's expression turned even colder, his eyes showing no interest. He let out a cold laugh, which felt dangerous. "Do I need to teach you how to handle such matters?"
The dark guard trembled, immediately switching from kneeling on one knee to both knees, respectfully saying, "Yes, but I just wanted to mention that she said her matter is related to Miss Su. She seems to have seen something."
Ning Yi?