The man behind the wheel was named Gao Rui. As Ruyi had suspected, Gao Rui and his group were military personnel dispatched to City C for a mission. However, they had failed to find their target and were now headed toward Yun'an Base when they encountered her along the way.
Ruyi, keenly aware of boundaries, refrained from prying further into their affairs. But her sharp ears couldn't help picking up bits of their low conversation during a break. It seemed their mission involved a young man of considerable importance.
Sitting in a roadside rest area near a gas station, Ruyi wore ill-fitting clothes begrudgingly lent by a woman from the convoy. She leaned back in her chair, lost in thought.
When Gao Rui approached, he was greeted by the sight of a strikingly beautiful woman with delicate features and a calm demeanor, her face unmarred by the grim sight of unprocessed zombie corpses scattered nearby. Unlike the other survivors they had rescued, she displayed no signs of fear or panic, even after repeated zombie attacks.
From her flawless skin and well-maintained hair, Gao Rui surmised she had lived a comfortable life before the apocalypse. Typically, women of such privileged backgrounds struggled to survive in the harshness of this new world. They either succumbed to despair or adapted ruthlessly. But Ruyi was different.
Even when he had found her in dire straits, surrounded by zombies, she had remained composed. Her reaction to their arrival had been equally unusual—neither clinging to them for safety nor exploiting their abilities to her advantage.
And what intrigued Gao Rui most was her apparent disdain for him, despite his overt interest.
She had admitted to possessing minor speed and strength abilities and had even helped dispatch a few zombies along the way. Yet these abilities were insufficient for true self-reliance in this world. It baffled him that she seemed indifferent to his protection.
Smiling, Gao Rui sauntered over and offered her a packet of snacks from their recent scavenging haul.
Ruyi glanced at him, her sharp eyes taking in the chiseled features that had earned him more than a few admiring glances from the women in their convoy. She felt none of their awe, though. If anything, the more she looked at his face, the more irritating she found it.
"Sorry, I don't eat snacks," she said curtly, her tone laced with thinly veiled annoyance.
Gao Rui wasn't offended. Instead, he turned and tossed the snacks to another man, who eagerly ran off to impress one of the women in their group. Then he turned back to Ruyi with an almost playful smile.
"Miss Ji, have I done something to offend you?" His tone was light, but his eyes gleamed with curiosity. "If this is about our first encounter, I sincerely apologize. Any man in my position, seeing a beauty like you in such… circumstances, might have reacted the same way."
Ruyi looked him over, her gaze sharp and appraising. Finally, she smiled, though the expression didn't reach her eyes. "Fine. Apology accepted. After all, it's my fault for being so beautiful—it's only natural you couldn't help yourself. But since your face is so insufferably annoying, I can't help but dislike you. Surely, you can't hold that against me."
For a moment, Gao Rui was stunned. He had never been turned down so bluntly, let alone insulted to his face. But instead of anger, he burst into laughter, his amusement genuine.
Ruyi internally rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, What a weirdo.
As she turned away from him, her thoughts wandered to more pressing concerns. She was fairly certain that she and Wen Xinyu were traveling along different routes. The state of the gas stations and rest stops along the way suggested her path had yet to overlap with theirs.
But when they finally reached Yun'an Base, what then? If Tong Yinyin was there, how should she confront her? Asking outright whether she had also traveled from another world would be ridiculous. Their animosity back in the real world complicated matters further.
Ruyi groaned softly, raking her fingers through her hair. If only Tong Yinyin were smarter and more cooperative. A rational ally would make navigating this mess so much easier.
But what if she doesn't want to go back?
The thought gave Ruyi pause. As nonsensical as it seemed, Tong Yinyin's peculiar personality made it a distinct possibility.
Ruyi frowned, considering her options. She needed to learn how Tong Yinyin's story concluded in the novel. Perhaps cutting off all her escape routes would force her to align with Ruyi's goals.
Still, the idea of relying on someone so unreliable grated on her nerves.
And what if she isn't from another world at all? What if it's all just coincidence?
Her frustration boiled over. She scratched her head furiously, muttering curses under her breath.
When she finally looked up, she realized Gao Rui had left. For once, his absence felt like a blessing.
Her sharp hearing caught the hushed voices of two women discussing a trip to the restroom, their tone conspiratorial. Recognizing an opportunity for safety in numbers, Ruyi moved closer, hoping they might invite her along.
But they ignored her completely, walking off without so much as a glance in her direction.
Annoyed but undeterred, Ruyi followed at a distance. Why do I even bother? I've already gone out of my way to overturn the novel's annoying characterization, yet I'm still being treated like some femme fatale.
Stopping briefly at a restroom mirror, she scowled at her reflection. The face staring back at her was the same as in the real world, but there was something sharper, more striking about it here. It was a beauty that veered into dangerous territory, alienating other women and attracting the wrong kind of attention.
After ensuring the coast was clear, Ruyi locked the restroom door and slipped into her spatial dimension.
Once inside, her complaints spilled forth in a flood of grievances. Her humiliation at being ogled, the lecherous behavior of Gao Rui, and the general annoyance of unwanted attention—all of it tumbled out as she vented to the Sovereign.
Annoyed by her relentless tirade, the Sovereign finally interrupted with an icy declaration.
"I will enable the solar generator to function normally. In addition, I will grant your storage space independent from my consciousness. Consider it compensation, provided you refrain from actions that threaten my existence."
The unexpected concession left Ruyi momentarily stunned. But she quickly recovered, biting back the urge to confirm its validity. She knew better than to challenge the Sovereign's pride—it would only invite harsher trials.
Satisfied for now, she exited the dimension and returned to the rest area.
As she stepped inside, her eyes landed on a familiar figure across the room. A soft, lilting voice reached her ears.
Ruyi's heart skipped a beat. She blinked, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
What is this? Destiny at work?