The sight of the large and small figures together was harmonious, but unfortunately, Xu Nuo was wearing a dark expression, clearly in a bad mood. How could he feel good? He never acted so casually with Park Su, yet this little brat had taken advantage of the situation.
However, he couldn't exactly compete for attention with a child, so he could only sulk, staring at them with a frown.
Lü Xia, noticing Xu Nuo's mood, quickly ushered her son away and told him not to cling to Park Su. "Go off and play by yourself. We need to talk for a bit." When she saw Chen Jingxuan settle into a corner to read, she sat down with Park Su and Xu Nuo to chat.
Naturally, Xu Nuo was the first to bring up the changes in his and Park Su's relationship with Lü Xia. Park Su hadn't even had a chance to react yet. He didn't expect Xu Nuo to speak so directly, and he wondered whether Lü Xia would be able to accept it. Embarrassed, he gave Xu Nuo a light slap on the shoulder and whispered, "Aren't you being a little too straightforward?"
Xu Nuo dismissed his concern. "What's so direct about it? I didn't say anything wrong. I'd rather everyone knows you're mine. Or are you saying you don't want to be with me?"
Park Su was speechless, letting out a helpless sigh. Meanwhile, Lü Xia wasn't at all surprised by the news. She smiled and said, "I suspected as much from the beginning. When I saw you two together, I thought you made a great pair. Then, after we got to the S Base, I saw a lot of men with other men, and I thought the same about you two."
Lü Xia paused for a moment, her expression turning a bit more thoughtful. "When I saw Xu Nuo for the first time after you fell unconscious, the way he looked so anxious... You didn't see it, but it was really something. Honestly, even as an outsider, I was moved. If any man did that for me, I'd be with him in an instant."
She gave a knowing smile and continued, "At that point, I thought, if Xu Nuo had any feelings for you, there was no way you'd be able to escape his grasp."
She looked at Park Su with a gentle smile. "And it turns out, he really does have feelings for you. As for you, Park Su, I think you've always liked him too. Since that's the case, why feel embarrassed? In this world, where tomorrow is uncertain, especially in the apocalypse, why care so much about what outsiders think?"
Park Su felt a bit embarrassed hearing Lü Xia speak so kindly of Xu Nuo, but he also felt deeply moved. It seemed that during his time unconscious, Xu Nuo had indeed done a lot for him.
And, he couldn't deny that Lü Xia was right. Though he didn't care much about the opinions of outsiders, especially since he had been living with men throughout the six years of the apocalypse, hearing her words made him feel a sense of warmth and recognition for his own feelings.
However, she feared that by being with Xu Nuo, others might gossip behind their backs. Now that she thought about it, perhaps she had been overthinking. In the apocalypse, danger was ever-present. Though Xu Nuo was incredibly powerful, he was still struggling to survive in such a harsh world.
Everyone was already finding it hard to get by—who had the time or energy to discuss others' personal lives?
Park Su smiled, reassuring her, "I understand, you don't need to worry too much. And don't keep eyeing my Xu Nuo. Aren't you still waiting for Jingxuan's father?"
Lü Xia fell silent for a moment, her gaze dropping as she murmured, "I don't even know if he's still alive in this world."
Seeing Lü Xia's downcast expression, Park Su realized he had said the wrong thing. He quickly tried to console her, "Don't worry. If he could marry someone as capable as you, he must have some skills of his own. And with such a well-behaved son like Jingxuan, there's no way he'd leave you behind. I'm sure he'll survive, just like you."
Lü Xia knew he was trying to comfort her, and she didn't want to bring down the mood for everyone. She smiled and said, "I hope so. But let's stop talking about this. Let's talk about something happier. Tell me how you two confirmed your relationship."
Lü Xia shifted the topic back to Park Su and Xu Nuo, and Park Su, caught in the moment, couldn't joke around. He simply explained how they had confessed their feelings to each other.
He then mentioned the invitation for them to join a meal, along with the time, which Lü Xia quickly accepted. She noted that it was only five days away, and since she hadn't taken on any new tasks lately, she assured them she'd be there on time.
Once those matters were settled, Park Su spent a little more time playing with Chen Jingxuan before Xu Nuo spoke up, "I remember you said you've been living in this apartment since the beginning, right?"
Lü Xia, who had been watching her son play happily with Park Su, was momentarily caught off guard by the question. She didn't quite understand why Xu Nuo was asking, but she answered politely, "Yes, what's on your mind?"
"We don't plan on staying in the S Base for long, so we're preparing to go out soon to gather supplies. Once we're ready, we'll head to B Base."
Xu Nuo continued, "As the saying goes, don't let the fat water flow to outsiders. I want to recruit some capable ability users and form a team to go out. You could look around the apartment and see if there are any trustworthy ability users who urgently need resources. If you think they're a good fit, we can bring them along."
Park Su also had a list of people he'd heard about, individuals who needed help and had good character.
"You could help us check out the situation too. We'll be leaving in no more than 10 days for a hunting trip. I don't plan to take many people, at most ten members. Besides the people Park Su's already suggested, you could also pick a few people."
Lü Xia, already familiar with Park Su and Xu Nuo's capabilities, knew that with them leading the team, the mission would be well-managed. She had awakened her abilities but, as a woman, often found herself underestimated in teams. Though she had gained respect over time by proving herself, the allocation of resources was still biased, and she often got less than the men.
But with Xu Nuo and Park Su's integrity, she trusted them completely. Even if they asked her to work for nothing, she would agree without hesitation, for she owed them a great deal from the past.
She began considering the potential members she could recruit but needed to check how many spots were left after considering the ones Park Su had already recommended. Her gaze shifted toward Park Su.
Park Su hadn't expected that after just mentioning the idea casually at the door, Xu Nuo had already brought it up once inside. When he saw Lü Xia looking at him expectantly, he reluctantly listed the names of five people he remembered as being trustworthy, ones who had helped him in the past.
Lü Xia was surprised when one of the names was someone she knew—a person who lived in the neighboring building. His name was Shi Lei, a power-type ability user with excellent character who had helped her in the past.
As for the names of the other individuals, although she had never heard of them before, with their names and abilities in hand, it would not be difficult for her to gather some information. She nodded in agreement, assuring him that she would have the list of potential recruits ready for him on the day of their dinner.
Naturally, Xu Nuo trusted Lü Xia's efficiency, and with a nod, he led the way, taking the still-enthusiastic Pǔ Sù, who was once again being clung to by little Chén Jǐngxuān. No matter the child's age, Xu Nuo could not tolerate someone constantly diverting Pǔ Sù's attention and taking advantage of his kindness.
After bidding farewell to Lü Xia, they returned directly to their villa. Upon entering, Xu Nuo immediately pressed Pǔ Sù against the door and kissed him passionately.
The kiss was intense and lingering, leaving Pǔ Sù somewhat dazed. However, being kissed by his beloved, he quickly reciprocated, matching the fervor with his own.
Once Xu Nuo released him, Pǔ Sù, breathless and blushing, asked, "What was that all of a sudden?"
Xu Nuo, gazing at his alluring lover, buried his face in his neck and murmured, "I don't like you paying more attention to others than to me—even if he's just a child, it's unacceptable."
"Also, darling, you'd better prepare yourself, because you don't know just how irresistible you are. I've noticed that my self-control seems to weaken every time I'm with you. I don't want to hurt you."
Normally, being told by his lover that he was attractive would make Pǔ Sù happy, but the thought of his chastity possibly being at risk left him momentarily speechless. He couldn't quite bring himself to say that he was already prepared for whatever might come.
Fortunately, Xu Nuo didn't press him for a response and simply released him. Pǔ Sù, heart racing and desire stirring, quickly ascended the stairs, trying to regain composure.
In truth, Xu Nuo wasn't the only one who couldn't resist; Pǔ Sù, too, was being subtly seduced.
With Gè Qīng and Lù Shāng still absent, Xu Nuo followed Pǔ Sù upstairs. After a cold shower to calm himself and alleviate his pent-up frustration, he began to teach Pǔ Sù the intricacies of Daoist arts.
Their plans were set—soon, they would lead a team of lower-tier ability users on a hunting expedition, seeking to gather as many supplies as possible, not only for themselves but to repay Pǔ Sù for the kindness shown to him in a past life.
Thus, it was essential for Xu Nuo to push Pǔ Sù's ability and Daoist skills to greater heights. This would ensure that, during combat, he wouldn't be overly worried about Pǔ Sù's safety.
While he hoped for the entire team to return unscathed, he feared the possibility of being unable to protect someone. If that person were to be Pǔ Sù, it would break him. He had already realized that Pǔ Sù had become his Achilles' heel since the day he had fallen unconscious.
Therefore, in order to eliminate this weakness, Xu Nuo knew he had to make it stronger. Only then could Pǔ Sù be capable of protecting himself—or at the very least, hold on until Xu Nuo could come to his aid.
For the next few days, Pǔ Sù was thoroughly immersed in Daoist training under Xu Nuo's guidance, and the two of them spent most of their time secluded at home.
In addition to supervising his practice of Daoist arts, Xu Nuo dedicated as much time as possible to drawing talismans, preparing for any unforeseen circumstances.
Previously, when Pǔ Sù had been unconscious, Xu Nuo had stayed in his room to care for him. Knowing that Pǔ Sù had always been intrigued by Daoist arts, and reluctant to leave his side, Xu Nuo had taken the opportunity to test his theories in the very room where Pǔ Sù rested.
He crafted talisman papers by blending zombie crystal cores with pulp, and used powdered zombie crystal cores mixed with cinnabar—or, at times, molten cinnabar as a substitute—to draw the talismans.
However, after several experiments, he discovered that the talismans created with cinnabar infused with the blood of mutated beasts yielded far superior results, both in terms of their quality and effectiveness.