Cheng Mingxu was struck by the clarity of the voice from inside, and being someone whose preferences leaned towards men, he immediately became curious about the person behind Xu Nuo.
Hearing his wife speak, Xu Nuo couldn't help but frown, his displeasure towards the three at the door intensifying since his hard-won alone time with Park Su was being intruded upon. Still, with Park Su having spoken, he reluctantly stepped aside, saying coldly, "Come in."
Cheng Mingxu was surprised by the cold treatment. He had introduced his identity, albeit not his full name, expecting at least some flattery since they were from the same base, and he was the second son of one of Base S's rulers. Yet, instead of receiving any warmth, he felt an even colder reception from Xu Nuo, who seemed extremely unwilling to invite them in.
This made Cheng Mingxu wonder if he had interrupted something, though it seemed too early for that. Regardless, he had no choice but to step inside.
When Park Su saw the three people clearly after Xu Nuo moved, he was momentarily stunned. Although he wasn't very familiar with them in both his past and current life, having only met them a few times, the knowledge from his past life added weight to his impression of them.
Cheng Mingxu and his two right-hand men. Park Su hadn't expected to encounter them so soon in this life. In his past life, their meeting was much later, at least five years from now. He never thought he'd stay at Base S for five years this time around, nor did he anticipate encountering Cheng Mingxu. Moreover, he didn't believe his current abilities could oppose someone of Cheng Mingxu's stature at Base S. Since he couldn't get revenge without dragging others down, he thought it best to avoid them. However, Cheng Mingxu was the main culprit behind his death in his past life, and not being able to exact revenge left him with one of his biggest regrets.
Seeing them now, his mood couldn't be good.
Xu Nuo was surprised by the look on Park Su's face upon seeing these three, indicating he knew them. But the intense focus on them and the unreadable expression made Xu Nuo feel a bit uneasy. He moved forward, half-embracing Park Su in a protective, almost defiant gesture, asking, "Do you know them?"
The action brought Park Su back to the present. He didn't push Xu Nuo away but leaned closer, his tension easing as he focused on Xu Nuo. He smiled, "I don't really know them; they just look like someone I used to know. What brings you here so late?"
Park Su's expression towards the three was far from friendly. If they weren't Cheng Mingxu and his associates, he might have been more hospitable, inviting them to sit and chat, considering they were from the same base and shared this location by chance. However, knowing who they were, he couldn't muster any warmth.
Moreover, Park Su wasn't good at hiding his feelings, especially towards someone he had such negative associations with. Perhaps if he had met Cheng Mingxu after six years in the apocalypse of his past life, he might have been able to control his expressions better.
After all, at that time, although Cheng Mingxu was nominally the second son of Base S, he had already gained some real power, unlike now where he held no actual authority. More importantly, back then, Park Su didn't have someone like Xu Nuo to back him up. His interactions with Cheng Mingxu were marked by distance and envy, with words spoken more out of politeness and flattery, not with the current cold, almost confrontational demeanor.
Surviving in Base S was already difficult, especially with Sun Muyang as a burden. Offending such a noble wouldn't have brought any benefits.
Xu Nuo, standing closest to Park Su, immediately sensed his hostility towards the newcomers. Although Park Su claimed not to know them, his nature wouldn't show such disdain for strangers. Xu Nuo concluded that Park Su must have known them from his past life, and the experience wasn't pleasant. This gave Xu Nuo the perfect excuse to dismiss them, knowing Park Su would approve.
Thus, the couple stood there without inviting the three to sit.
Cheng Mingxu, upon entering, immediately turned his attention to the young man with the clear voice, and his eyes lit up. This boy was exactly his type, and upon seeing him, he thought he saw admiration in Park Su's expression. Cheng Mingxu was confident in his looks and believed, compared to the unfriendly Xu Nuo, he was more masculine and, with his status, would be more appealing to someone if they were gay.
He thought this was his chance to make a move on Park Su but was quickly thwarted when Xu Nuo embraced Park Su, clearly staking his claim. The jealous tone in Xu Nuo's question didn't bother Cheng Mingxu; he would feel the same if his partner showed interest in someone else. Instead, he was pleased because it suggested Park Su was gay, giving him an opportunity to make a move.
However, what Cheng Mingxu didn't anticipate was that once Park Su snapped out of his initial reaction, his focus was entirely on Xu Nuo. The look he gave Cheng Mingxu was one of cold rejection, even slight disgust, whereas with Xu Nuo, it was full of trust, warmth, and affection, as if Xu Nuo was the only one in his eyes.
Cheng Mingxu was puzzled by why someone like himself, with his background and looks, would receive such a look from Park Su upon their first meeting but was more envious of the unconditional love in Park Su's eyes for Xu Nuo.
Being gay since birth, Cheng Mingxu was well aware of how challenging it could be in this circle, even more so after the apocalypse. Casual encounters and fleeting relationships were common, but true, deep love was rare.
Cheng Mingxu had always hoped to find someone pure and devoted to be his partner, someone who would love him wholeheartedly, no matter what he became. Unfortunately, due to his status, both before and after the apocalypse, he mostly encountered people willing to offer their bodies but not their hearts. Over time, he had grown somewhat indifferent to these pursuits. However, Park Su's appearance, voice, and devoted demeanor were both enviable and stirring to him.
He couldn't help but wonder if Park Su would look at him with the same eyes if he were the one Park Su loved. Could Park Su be the one he's been looking for all along, just with the wrong person? Because this young man seemed almost tailored for him.
But what surprised him was Park Su's overt hostility, leaving him and his subordinates standing awkwardly, making him question if he had offended Park Su somewhere in the past.
While Cheng Mingxu was still pondering whether he might have met Park Su before the apocalypse, given they were both gay and lived in close proximity, his two subordinates were already quite displeased with the treatment they were receiving. Having followed Cheng Mingxu for a long time, they were used to respect and courtesy wherever they went, not this cold, dismissive attitude.
Lin Fei, with a frown, expressed his annoyance, "We just thought since we're all from Base S and met out here, we'd come over to greet you. But your cold words and not even offering us a seat is going too far. Not to mention our master's status as the second son of the Cheng family from Base S, even just looking at our abilities, we're third and second-tier, not that much lower than you. There's no need to look down on us like this."
Lin Xiang, standing beside him, was equally indignant, having never experienced such treatment. Although they had already sensed that both Xu Nuo and Park Su's abilities were beyond their own, there was no need for such disdain.
But even so, there's no need to look down on us like this. Now that my brother has spoken up, I won't back down either. "Our convoy is larger, with more people than yours. And from what I've seen, your team consists mostly of low-tier ability users. I don't know where you get the confidence to be so arrogant."