"Hey, you into this kind of stuff?" A disdainful gaze shot towards him.
Jiang Chen felt a chill as he noticed Sun Jiao's unfriendly look, causing him to shiver involuntarily.
"You're overthinking it. She's just the computer talent I recruited," Jiang Chen explained with a wry smile. Do I really look like a lolicon?
Sun Jiao gave Jiang Chen a skeptical look, then sized up the little girl who had kept her head down the entire time. Suddenly, she leaned close to Jiang Chen's ear.
"Is she safe?"
"She shouldn't have any ties with the Grey Gu Mercenaries," Jiang Chen shook his head.
"I don't like the word 'should.' This is for your safety." Sun Jiao sighed and walked over to Yao Jiayu.
Gently lifting the girl's chin with her index finger, Sun Jiao peered into her eyes.
"Do you know Zhou Guoping?" The abrupt question caught the girl off guard.
However, the clear eyes showed only confusion, without much disturbance.
"No, I don't know him."
"Good. I need to search you, hope you don't mind." Sun Jiao nodded, her lips curling into a mischievous smile.
"Mmm..." Yao Jiayu agreed softly, complying.
To Jiang Chen's surprise, Sun Jiao unzipped the girl's jumpsuit right there.
Yao Jiayu's face turned beet red, but she didn't resist Sun Jiao's actions, only covering her vital parts with trembling hands. Her thin lips quivered slightly; she was scared of this lady in front of her. She couldn't see the kindness in the eyes of this man from hers.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Jiang Chen, his face flushed, instinctively covered his eyes.
"Searching her to ensure she's safe... I say, why are you still blushing like a virgin? Hasn't your sister taught you enough?" Sun Jiao mocked, rolling her eyes at Jiang Chen.
Damn, taught?
"Want to give it a try?" Jiang Chen glared at her fiercely.
Yao Jiayu, with her face still red, kept her head low, her body trembling slightly.
It wasn't because of the temperature; the luxurious room was equipped with high-tech air conditioning.
It was because of the shame.
Even though she considered herself quite composed, being stripped and searched in front of a man was still too much for her.
"OK, no communication devices or weapons." Sun Jiao stood up, clapping her hands, and casually pinched Yao Jiayu's chest, eliciting a stifled yelp, "I say, are you really a girl? You're so flat."
Whether intentional or not, Sun Jiao proudly pushed out her own chest.
Yao Jiayu didn't say anything, just lowered her head further, not daring to pick up her clothes from the ground.
"I say, what's wrong with you?" Jiang Chen gave up on stopping Sun Jiao's mischief, sighed, then coughed, slightly embarrassed, and said to Yao Jiayu, "You... um, put your clothes back on."
"Yes." The girl hurriedly picked up her clothes, hesitated for a moment, then bit her lip and stepped into them.
Jiang Chen felt like he had inadvertently seen something he shouldn't have, covering his nose.
"Why so shy? She's your slave, your property. Even if you do something to her, she won't resist, you know," Sun Jiao teased Jiang Chen.
"Oh? You wouldn't be jealous, would you?" Jiang Chen glared at Sun Jiao menacingly, feeling the need to punish this mischievous girl.
"I'll squeeze you dry..."
Sun Jiao whispered this into Jiang Chen's ear, making his blood rush once more.
Ahem, well, let's put the punishment aside for now...
Glaring fiercely at the little minx again, Jiang Chen took a deep breath.
"Alright, let's stop the jokes here... Anyway, this is Sun Jiao, and my name is Jiang Chen. From now on, you're one of us," Jiang Chen said in the friendliest tone he could muster to the embarrassed girl.
"Yes, Master."
"You don't need to call me Master, just Jiang Chen will do... That electronic collar seems unsafe. Since I trust you, let me remove it for you." Although being called "Master" by a pretty girl was quite gratifying, Jiang Chen still felt awkward about it.
Even though Sun Jiao looked at him like he was an idiot, Jiang Chen chose to ignore it.
"No!"
To Jiang Chen's surprise, Yao Jiayu didn't thank him for his kindness but instead recoiled and looked at him with a pleading expression.
"Why?" Jiang Chen asked, dumbfounded.
"...I, I don't dislike having such a, such a kind Master. Yao Yao... is already very happy, I hope you won't abandon me."
"I never said I would abandon you," Jiang Chen laughed bitterly.
"Unarmed doesn't mean unguarded. Hehe, this little one is quite clever," Sun Jiao whispered in Jiang Chen's ear.
Hearing Sun Jiao's whisper, Jiang Chen understood.
He laughed bitterly again, realizing he was still too naive, still thinking with the mindset of the present world, not this cruel post-apocalyptic one.
Betrayal is an ugly word, but in this world, it's not uncommon.
Betraying comrades for profit, selling out family for survival... these are all too common in this wasteland.
If he removed the electronic collar, no matter how he felt, he would start to be wary of Yao Jiayu. After all, she wasn't like Sun Jiao, who had been with him from the start; she was a "newcomer." Suspicion breeds doubt, and once he began to doubt someone, everything they did would be scrutinized.
Since he had no extra energy to spare, and no combat ability to speak of, even if the collar was removed, dealing with him would be as simple as a bullet. Yao Jiayu, despite her young age, was smart. She knew that keeping the collar on would make Jiang Chen feel at ease.
That was enough.
As long as she was obedient and well-behaved, she wouldn't be abandoned.
Yao Yao clenched her small fist in determination.
She had no extra ambitions; she just wanted to survive... Of course, if she could be a bit happier, that would be even better.
After vaguely understanding Yao Jiayu's intentions, Jiang Chen smiled and didn't insist.
In fact, she was overthinking it; even without the collar, Jiang Chen wouldn't change his opinion of her.
Why?
Because Jiang Chen, in his own way, was still thinking with the mindset of someone from the old world, while Sun Jiao and Yao Yao viewed him with the mindset of this apocalyptic world.
In Jiang Chen's eyes, she was just a kid who hadn't grown up. Even if she was a computer genius, he didn't believe she posed any threat to him.
Yao Jiayu was trying to gauge Jiang Chen's intentions with the mindset of a wasteland survivor, and Sun Jiao, while vaguely guessing Jiang Chen's background, couldn't escape her ingrained thinking. They might have noticed his almost naive kindness and unusual values, but they couldn't guess his true thoughts.
Fearless.
Why?
If you could escape from danger at any time to a peaceful world, would you still fear the cruelties of this world?
Probably not.
Though this mindset might dull his vigilance, changing one's perspective isn't something that happens overnight. After all, he had only been here a week, and what he had seen was just the surface of this post-apocalyptic world.
Sun Jiao led Yao Jiayu into the bathroom. Although Jiang Chen felt a bit disappointed at missing out on a chance for a bath with Sun Jiao, he thought it might be better to leave some time for the two women to talk.
After all, if there was any resentment between Sun Jiao and Yao Yao, it wouldn't be good, especially after Sun Jiao had just teased her. This was why Sun Jiao volunteered to help her with the bath.
Although Yao Yao kept looking at him with big, watery eyes before going in...
By the bathtub.
"Yao Yao."
"Yes!" Yao Jiayu sat up straight like a startled rabbit.
"No need to be so nervous." Sun Jiao smiled, embracing Yao Jiayu, gently wiping her back. "Is it okay if I call you Yao Yao from now on?"
"It's, it's okay." Yao Jiayu replied timidly.
"Don't be so scared. I'm very good to my own people." Sun Jiao gently touched the bruise on Yao Jiayu's face. "Does it still hurt?"
"A little."
"I'll put some medicine on it after the bath. Speaking of which... your skin is really smooth after cleaning up." Sun Jiao said with a hint of envy, lightly pinching Yao Yao's shoulder. Yao Jiayu just shrank back like a rabbit caught by a tiger, letting Sun Jiao pinch and tease her.
"It's, it's because of the third-generation sleep pod. It has functions to improve physical conditions..." Yao Jiayu whispered.
"Sleep pod, huh... that's quite the luxury. So, you're older than me?" Sun Jiao said with a mischievous grin.
"No, no. I entered the sleep pod when I was 12, spent about 20 years in it... but due to the inhibitors, my body only aged about two years. Plus the two years I lived in the Sixth District, so my physical age is 16, but mentally, I'm 14..."
"Wow, I don't understand all that... 12 plus 20 equals 30, right?" Sun Jiao's old habit of teasing what she found cute kicked in.
"Not, not that old..." Yao Yao mumbled a denial.
"So, you're at the age where you can be eaten, right?"
"Eaten?!" Yao Yao's face turned pale; she had heard of perverts in the wasteland who liked to eat children's flesh.
"What are you thinking? I mean eaten in this way," Sun Jiao's hand playfully slid over Yao Yao's small chest.
Yao Yao's face flushed, and she lowered her head.
"I, I will be very obedient... If Master wants to, wants to eat me, I won't resist..."
"No one's going to eat you," Sun Jiao interrupted, laughing.
"Huh?" Yao Yao was stunned.
"Sister eats cleanly," Sun Jiao said proudly, sticking out her chest. Teasing this little loli was amusing for her.
Feeling the soft and full impact from behind, Yao Yao couldn't help but give a bitter smile of irritation.
No one's competing with you... she thought to herself, not realizing that she felt a slight sense of loss.
"Time for a rinse, hey!"
"Ah!"
The bathroom was filled with laughter...
It seemed quite joyful, and it was good that they could get along.
Jiang Chen, hearing the commotion from the bathroom, couldn't help but smile. He opened a can, heated it in the microwave, and soon a simple yet sumptuous meal was ready.
The rice in the cooker was done as well, and Jiang Chen served it onto the table.
Looking at his handiwork, Jiang Chen couldn't resist stroking his chin with pride.
Who dares say I'm not a good man? Hmm? ... Even if it's all canned food, ahem.
"Wow, such a feast today." Sun Jiao, still wrapped in a towel, stepped out of the bathroom and, showing no concern for modesty, sat down opposite Jiang Chen.
"Put some clothes on before you eat."
Ignoring Jiang Chen's comment, Sun Jiao provocatively pushed out her barely contained chest and crossed her long legs. It was as if she was saying - I won't listen, what are you going to do about it?
This girl... though Jiang Chen felt his mouth go dry, with Yao Yao present, he couldn't act on his desires, so he took a swig of cold beer.
Satisfied with Jiang Chen's reaction, Sun Jiao drank her cola with gusto.
Hmph, this guy still likes big breasts after all... If Jiang Chen knew what Sun Jiao was smug about, he'd probably spit out his beer.
"Yao Yao, why aren't you joining us?"
Ignoring Sun Jiao's voracious eating, Jiang Chen turned to Yao Yao, who stood motionless by the side.
Staring blankly at the spread on the table, Yao Yao swallowed several times. She was in a daze.
Braised pork, curry chicken, spicy pickled cabbage...
This must be a dream, Yao Yao naively bit her hand.
Ouch, it hurts...
"Yum, yum, this is so good..."
"Chew your food before you talk... Hmm? Yao Yao, if you don't eat soon, she'll eat it all," Jiang Chen said with a smile, waving at Yao Yao to join them.
"I, I can have some too?" Yao Yao swallowed hard, her round eyes wide with disbelief.
"Of course, meals are meant to be shared... Take your time, no one's going to steal your food," Jiang Chen chuckled at Sun Jiao's ravenous eating.
"Medi-gel..." Sun Jiao mumbled with her mouth full.
This girl, she looks so mature but sometimes acts like a child. Jiang Chen watched her eat with amusement and started eating himself.
Yao Yao carefully sat at the table, holding her chopsticks but not moving.
"Not hungry?"
"It's not that..." Yao Yao lowered her head, tears welling up in her eyes for some reason. "You're so good to me, even though I'm just a slave."
A slave? Jiang Chen didn't think of her that way. He preferred to think of himself as a "boss" rather than a "slave owner." Forced submission was less satisfying than genuine respect.
"Hey, don't cry at the dinner table, it's bad for your digestion. Try this, haha, this is the braised pork I made," Jiang Chen said proudly, even though it was canned.
"Mm!" But the tears fell even faster, leaving Jiang Chen at a loss.
This sumptuous meal reminded Yao Yao of her once-happy home.
For a moment, she even felt like she was back in time.
As if this was all happening before the war.
The man in front of her was her brother, and the woman was her sister.
The rare warmth enveloped the table, blurring her vision.
Interestingly, at that very moment, Jiang Chen felt a similar illusion.
An illusion called home...