The reason it was scrambled eggs with tomatoes was simple: Jiang Chen's cooking skills were average at best, and the only dish he could cook well was this one—something he made almost every day.
Now that he had money, maybe it was time to hire a housekeeper?
But then, he shook his head. His secret was far too shocking for ordinary people. Hiring a housekeeper would be too inconvenient.
Maybe he should just get a girlfriend instead.
As he thought of the gold bars casually discarded in the living room, a smug smile crept across Jiang Chen's face.
Sun Jiao, with her head full of questions, clumsily chopped the tomatoes. The tantalizing aroma of the red juices filled the air. She couldn't even count how many times she had swallowed her saliva.
Since Jiang Chen said he'd explain everything at the dinner table, she wasn't in a hurry to get answers. As she sliced the tomatoes, she unconsciously stole a glance at Jiang Chen, who was whisking the eggs. His faint, almost imperceptible smile, one that seemed to convey "happiness," for some reason made her heart flutter.
"Be careful... you're going to chop through the cutting board at this rate."
"Ah, oh," Sun Jiao hurriedly looked away as Jiang Chen's voice startled her. Realizing she was acting out of character, she felt a surge of frustration and embarrassment. However... underneath that frustration, there was a subtle sense of happiness.
Happiness? That word felt so distant...
It almost felt like a memory from her time in the shelter.
Sun Jiao vaguely remembered when she was little, before the shelter's gates were unlocked. Looking back, that place now seemed like heaven.
No crime, no class differences, everything regulated by the central computer system. Everyone had equal access to resources and did their part. People were kind to each other because there were no conflicts of interest. Everyone was happy. Although they occasionally missed the distant blue sky, no one doubted their happiness.
Yes, compared to the harsh wasteland, Shelter 071 truly was paradise.
Back then, her parents were still alive, and she had a younger sister, just a year younger than her. When the shelter opened its gates, they witnessed the first ray of sunlight shining through the cold steel door together.
Then, they got separated.
Later, she learned that many mercenary groups specialized in raiding newly opened shelters, where defenses were weak. They took advantage of the survivors' lingering conscience to plunder supplies and capture people... In the chaos, she lost her family.
It was after that she abandoned whatever shred of goodness remained in her heart and became a "proper" survivor of the wasteland.
But for some reason, at that moment, her cold heart began to thaw a little.
Home...?
In a daze, Sun Jiao had a fleeting thought. When she realized what she was thinking, her face inexplicably heated up.
These past two days might be the most emotionally charged days she'd had in years... Sun Jiao shook her head with a bitter smile, placing the tomatoes she had chopped into a bowl as Jiang Chen had asked.
To suppress the stirring emotions inside, all she had to do was take a deep breath. However, the warmth that had touched her heart was something she couldn't bury.
Perhaps, without realizing it, the man standing beside her, cracking the eggs, had already started to occupy a special place in her heart.
Watching Sun Jiao devour the food, Jiang Chen couldn't help but smile. It was the first time he had seen someone eat scrambled eggs with tomatoes in such a creative way.
"I know you have a lot of questions, like why I have so much food." Jiang Chen put down his chopsticks and looked at Sun Jiao quietly.
"…I don't know how to describe this feeling," Sun Jiao gradually stopped eating and put her chopsticks down. Her eyes were filled with confusion as she looked at Jiang Chen. "You give me the feeling... that you're someone who just walked out of a fairy tale."
"Fairy tale?" Jiang Chen blinked, startled.
"Some books from before the war... In the shelter, we called them fairy tales," Sun Jiao sighed, laughing self-deprecatingly. "Everyone lived happily, with families, friends, and even lovers... But it all seems like a fairy tale, right? After all, the first time I saw sunlight was when I was seven."
Jiang Chen was silent. He just walked over to the fridge, took out a few cans of beer, and smiled at Sun Jiao as if to offer her some comfort.
"In our place, when we're tired, we have a drink."
Sun Jiao grabbed the beer and tilted her head back to gulp it down, making a satisfied sound as it went down.
"Ugh... This doesn't taste as good as cola."
"But it lets you vent. All in all, it's a good thing," Jiang Chen said, drinking a can of beer himself.
How long had it been since he last drank? Probably since he graduated. Alone in a strange city, in a strange company, bearing the weight of work and life... Until he was fired.
He had dreamed so many times in the ivory tower, only for reality to crush those dreams mercilessly.
To be honest, when he got the dismissal notice, it hurt.
At least in this post-apocalyptic world, someone could drink with him... and she was a beautiful woman. Maybe the end of the world wasn't so bad after all.
The two of them drank can after can, temporarily releasing the fatigue stored in their hearts, thanks to the numbing effect of the alcohol.
"Ugh... I can't... Why won't the EP open?"
"That's not an EP, that's my shoe, you fool." Jiang Chen growled, snatching the empty bowl from Sun Jiao's hands and stomping on it with his foot.
"Dare to steal from me... you're asking for it," Sun Jiao giggled drunkenly, tilting her head to look at Jiang Chen.
That eerie look in her eyes woke Jiang Chen up from his drunken stupor, but only for a moment. As the saying goes, alcohol gives people courage. Jiang Chen tossed the can behind him, staggered to his feet.
"Damn it, you little... where did I go wrong... Heh, wait until I have money, I'll tie you up and…" Jiang Chen mumbled, before slipping on the bowl under his foot and falling to the ground.
Alcohol had stripped away his civilized mask. At that moment, Jiang Chen didn't want to think about anything else; he just wanted to vent his pent-up anger and frustration.
That woman. Jiang Chen gritted his teeth, and once again that cold, frosty face appeared in his mind.
Crash.
The can hit the ground.
"You... who are you insulting?" Sun Jiao crawled under the table, climbing onto Jiang Chen, laughing drunkenly, her lips exhaling hot, intoxicating breath.
But this person was Sun Jiao.
Her terrifying 44-point strength was enough to overpower Jiang Chen.
"Get off, I want to be on top." Jiang Chen muttered, pushing against Sun Jiao, but she remained still. He turned over onto the floor, not caring.
"Heh? Ugh…" Sun Jiao almost fell off him but caught herself, and with a smile full of anger, she grabbed Jiang Chen's collar and effortlessly flipped him over with her superhuman strength.
"I'm going to be on top," Sun Jiao said, her eyes glazed with drunkenness as she gazed at Jiang Chen's wild expression. Before he could react, she suddenly kissed him fiercely.
"Ugh! Damn it, you bit my teeth…" Jiang Chen muttered, before giving up on resisting. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer.
Her large, soft chest pressed against his, causing him to struggle for breath. He tried to push her away, but the sensation of her body changing under his touch only heightened his desire.
"Ah..." The warm breath from her lips sent shivers down Jiang Chen's spine, and his last bit of rationality was torn away.
They were both drunk.
It must be said, alcohol was a powerful catalyst for emotions.
Sun Jiao sucked hungrily at his lower lip, her 36D breasts rubbing against his chest. Sweat dotted her pale neck, and a silver trail of saliva connected their lips. Her delicate tongue forced its way past his teeth, and they tangled together, intoxicated by the moment.
Slowly, the cumbersome and obstructive clothes were cast aside in a flurry of passionate moments. The warm sensation of skin against skin made Jiang Chen emit a low, satisfied growl. Perhaps it was instinctive, but he wanted to push the captivating woman beneath him to the floor. However, the pressure on his shoulder from Miss Sun Jiao, stronger than his own strength, prevented him from doing so.
Her eyes narrowed, dangerously gleaming with intensity. Sun Jiao aggressively yanked the belt from Jiang Chen's waist. Straddling him, the corner of her lips still glistened with traces of Jiang Chen's saliva. Her seductive tongue swiped across her dry, fiery lips as she hurriedly unfastened the buttons of her denim skirt...
"Mm..." A slight twinge of pain and the intense feeling of invasion made Sun Jiao frown slightly, letting out a soft, uncomfortable groan.
The comfort in her lower body made Jiang Chen lose control of the flames burning inside him. Simultaneously, the pressure on his shoulder seemed to ease for some inexplicable reason.
Alcohol, in its mysterious way, allowed the sober mind to abandon its rational restraint. In its place, the raw pursuit of pleasure took over, disregarding consequences and embracing the bliss of the moment.
With a deep, primal growl, Jiang Chen managed to break free from the previous resistance and, unexpectedly, overpowered Sun Jiao. He pushed her onto the ground, his hands gripping her long, supple legs, maintaining the awkward position. Then...
(What follows is left to the imagination... for those with creative minds.)
Looking back on that wild night, Jiang Chen's memory was hazy. He could vaguely recall the battleground stretching from beneath the dining table, to the refrigerator, from the kitchen to the living room, and along the hallway to the bedroom.
The marks of their struggle were everywhere: the couch, the staircase railing, the windowsill, the carpet...
Everywhere, signs of their intense and passionate encounter.
Jiang Chen didn't understand why his strength seemed so overwhelming, especially since this was his first time. From the faint traces of red on his body, it was clear Sun Jiao was also a first-timer.
After a release of long-held tension and exhaustion, accompanied by a soft groan and a pleasant sigh, the villa returned to its usual quiet.
"…Sorry." Truthfully, Jiang Chen had no idea when he had sobered up, but it was clear Sun Jiao had also come back to her senses. Seeing that she made no move to stop, he chose not to halt either, continuing where they left off.
"Is this your idea of responsibility?" Sun Jiao seemed oddly not angry, more so relaxed and relieved, as though a burden had been lifted.
It was almost as if she had found a sense of security, though the man before her hardly seemed reliable on the surface.
"I'll take responsibility," Jiang Chen blushed, stiffly responding.
"Ha," Sun Jiao giggled softly, shifting into a more comfortable position in Jiang Chen's arms. With a playful smile, she traced circles on his chest, "Though you're a man, I have to admit, sometimes you're quite cute."
It wasn't dislike—it was probably attraction. If she truly disliked him, the moment she woke up, he would have been left with a severed head, not a playful smile. Sun Jiao's mind was simple, a true survivor of this post-apocalyptic world, giving in to her desires. This was the first time, though...
"Cough!" Jiang Chen nearly choked on her words. He was about to retort but found himself distracted by her alluring figure, staring blankly for a while. It was only when he noticed her teasing smirk that he awkwardly shifted his gaze away.
"Do you like my chest?" she asked, clearly amused. Jiang Chen could hardly believe how bold and shameless she was, though, recalling her lack of modesty, he resigned to her nature.
"Yes, it's beautiful," he swallowed hard, answering honestly.
"You've conquered me," Sun Jiao purred, now like a satisfied cat playing with the remains of a mouse. Her gaze was playful and teasing, yet seductive.
"Yes," Jiang Chen replied, swallowing again, trying to avoid getting caught in her gaze.
"Are all men this dull after they've had their way with a woman?" Sun Jiao tilted her head slightly, resting on her arm, her posture undeniably alluring. It was hard to imagine such a wild and dominant woman could also exude such feminine charm.
Perhaps it was this contrast—her untamed nature combined with her subtle allure—that made her irresistibly attractive.
"..." Jiang Chen felt as though she had him firmly in her grasp. A sense of helplessness washed over him.
Alright, from a strength standpoint, I'm definitely not her match... he thought, trying to console himself. After all, he came from a civilized world, while this place, though advanced in technology, was undeniably a barbaric world.
"Don't you have any sweet words to say, like 'I'll marry you' or 'I'll protect you for life'? Isn't that what all those old books say?" she teased.
"…I can't promise that, but I can say it's more practical for you to protect me," Jiang Chen sighed after a moment of silence. His tone was genuine, "But I can promise to support you for life, if you're willing to be mine."
"..." Sun Jiao looked at him with wide eyes, her gaze softening. She had been wandering alone in a world filled with monsters and zombies for so long.
Wandering, surviving, and then dying—whether by monsters or the hands of her own kind, death was the inevitable end for someone like her.
But now, someone was willing to be her support...
"Ha, I'm not that easy to take care of," she laughed softly, a playful edge in her voice. She was unsure about this future, especially with her long-cherished goal still ahead of her.
"I can take care of you."
"...I have many enemies," Sun Jiao said, a hint of worry flashing across her face.
"I'm not afraid."
"I... I still have things I need to do." Her voice quivered slightly as Jiang Chen's relentless pursuit made her feel cornered, almost defenseless.
"I'll help you."
"..." A brief silence passed between them, with only the sound of shallow breaths filling the air.
Jiang Chen felt his throat dry. He had developed an inexplicable affection for this woman. Though reason told him that creating attachments in this world was unwise—especially since his ultimate goal was to return with endless riches—he couldn't bring himself to care.
Damn reason.
He waited quietly for Sun Jiao's response.
"...What are you waiting for, then? My man," Sun Jiao suddenly smiled brightly, her seductive smile leaving Jiang Chen almost mesmerized.
Seeing that Jiang Chen hadn't moved, Sun Jiao smirked with annoyance, but then, as if giving up on expectations, she leaned in to whisper into his ear.
"Feed me," she said, her breath warm against his skin, causing his rationality to scatter.
With a delighted growl and a sweet sigh, their battle began anew...