Cheng Mingxu, fully aware of their intentions, put on what he considered a gentlemanly smile and said, "They're just joking. How could they seriously want to inspect your team?"
And with a slight chuckle, he added, "Rest assured, my reputation as Cheng Er Shao isn't earned for nothing. I wouldn't engage in any shady dealings over a mere bet."
Park Su, hearing this, didn't press further on the remarks made by Lin Fei and Lin Xiang. His main concern had simply been the intrusion of others into his team's business. He didn't mind much and, with a nonchalant expression, asked, "So, does this mean Cheng Er Shao has agreed to the bet?"
Cheng Mingxu smiled, "Given the favorable terms for us, there's no reason to refuse. But it seems your friend doesn't quite agree with your wager. Are you sure he can accept it?"
Cheng Mingxu had to admit that part of his agreement to the bet was due to Park Su's request, but another part was his attempt to create some discord between Park Su and Xu Nuo. He could tell that Xu Nuo wasn't fond of the bet, and he saw this as an opportunity to provoke some division.
Of course, the most important reason was that if he refused the wager, he doubted he would leave the room so easily. After all, Xu Nuo had already exerted pressure on him earlier, and the murderous intent had been clear.
Park Su, unfazed by Cheng Mingxu's attempts at sowing discord, deliberately leaned in towards Xu Nuo in a familiar manner, flashing him a bright smile as he asked, "Darling, what do you think of my proposal?"
Xu Nuo understood Park Su's intentions well. While he felt slightly uncomfortable, the smile on Park Su's face made his discomfort seem insignificant. He nodded, saying, "Since you've made up your mind, then of course, I agree."
He could see through the attempts at sowing division, but since Park Su didn't care, he didn't feel the need to be petty about it. After all, the bond between him and Park Su was something others couldn't understand.
Park Su, upon receiving the confirmation, turned his gaze back to Cheng Mingxu's face. In his heart, he gave him an inward thumbs-up, thinking, Of course, we have great chemistry.
Cheng Mingxu hadn't expected Xu Nuo to agree so readily to a wager that held no benefit for their side. But upon further reflection, he realized that if the cute person in front of him were him, and he were making such a sweet request, he would likely have agreed to the wager just as Xu Nuo had.
After all, it was just a small town like Jiangcheng, and the supplies gathered over a few days shouldn't amount to much. The resources they had to distribute wouldn't be significant, and perhaps a little gesture of goodwill in exchange for a charming smile was worth it. What harm could there be in that?
Furthermore, in his eyes, this wager was entirely in his favor, and there was no reason to decline. So, with a nod, he said, "In that case, I accept the wager. How many days should we set?"
Park Su hesitated for a moment. "Considering the terrain of Jiangcheng, even if we leave the city directly, it will take a full day with the current road conditions. We won't be taking shortcuts, and factoring in the time needed to collect the supplies, it will take at least three days. So, let's set the bet for three days. We'll meet in the evening of the third day at Gujia Dai on the outskirts of Jiangcheng. How does that sound? By the way, do you know where Gujia Dai is?"
Cheng Mingxu immediately responded, "Don't worry. I've checked the map before and know where Gujia Dai is. We'll meet there three days from now. Starting tomorrow as Day One, is that okay?"
Park Su nodded, smiling, "Then it's settled. We'll see the results. I believe Cheng Er Shao wouldn't be so dishonorable as to use the supplies from our earlier skirmish as a basis for this wager. So, I won't insist on checking. I'm sure Cheng Er Shao trusts us, right?"
Cheng Mingxu replied, "Rest assured. For the sake of maintaining my image in front of you, I wouldn't do something like that. Of course, I trust you, so no need for checks!"
Once the terms were agreed upon, Cheng Mingxu and his right-hand men had no intention of staying any longer. The subtle hint that it was time for them to leave had been made clear, and staying any longer would have been inappropriate.
Moreover, Xu Nuo's expression was like a ticking time bomb, ready to cause trouble at any moment. After considering everything, they decided to take their leave.
Before they left, however, Cheng Mingxu couldn't help but ask Park Su for his name. After a brief hesitation, Park Su eventually told him.
To Park Su, even if he had given a false name, with Cheng Mingxu's strength, he would easily be able to uncover his real name once back at S Base. In fact, giving him a false name might make him remember it more distinctly.
More importantly, Park Su didn't feel the need to be afraid of Cheng Mingxu. It was just a name, nothing that couldn't be shared. But when Cheng Mingxu didn't ask for Xu Nuo's name and simply walked away, Park Su couldn't help but feel a little amused.
Xu Nuo, however, wasn't as calm. Once they left, he pulled Park Su over with a sour expression and, in a tone laced with jealousy, said, "Alright, tell me. What's the deal with Cheng Mingxu and you? It seems like there's more to it than meets the eye!"
Park Su sighed, "It's just a karmic tie. He was indirectly the one who caused my death in my past life. But back then, his strength was far beyond mine. I wasn't his match, so I couldn't take revenge."
"This life, he hasn't done anything to me, so it feels strange to take revenge on him now. Besides, with his identity and status, I don't want to provoke him too easily."
After all, it is easy to offend him, and I fear my friends would suffer his revenge. To me, he merely appears kind, but I am certain he is a smiling tiger, biding his time to strike when the opportunity arises. However, I never truly understood this man in my past life, and so I prefer not to comment further."
Xu Nuo raised an eyebrow. "So, you proposed that wager solely to protect your subordinates?"
Park Su smiled without a hint of awkwardness. "Yes, they were quite helpful to me in my previous life."
Yet, Xu Nuo did not appreciate this reasoning. Instead, he let out a cold laugh and said, "Tell me, have you any sense at all? They did you a favor in your past life, and now you think you owe them something? They harmed you in the past, and yet, because they haven't wronged you this time, you're willing to let them off? What kind of logic is that?
Just because they haven't acted against you yet, do you truly believe they won't? It seems to me they are more obsessed with you now than before. Who knows what madness they might undertake next?"
Park Su was taken aback by Xu Nuo's words, then met his gaze seriously. "So, would you, like Sun Muyang in my past life, abandon me for a mere trifle of fame or fortune? Would you even kill me?"
Hearing the words 'abandon' and 'kill,' Xu Nuo felt a pang in his heart, the discomfort mingled with a sense of sympathy. He knew these were wounds deep within Park Su's soul. Gently, he raised his hand and tapped Park Su on the head. "Stop overthinking these things. For someone like Cheng Mingxu, do you really think I would abandon or kill you over such trivial gains? You're thinking too much. There are very few things in this world that could stir my emotions the way you do.
Meeting you, I've found something more precious than anything else. What possible gain could outweigh your value to make me cast you aside?"
Park Su let out a soft sigh of relief upon hearing his firm reply. Whether his words were true or not, they were a comfort to him. He turned away to tidy up the dishes, seemingly unconcerned.
However, when they practiced together that evening, Park Su found himself distracted, unable to focus as he once did. From time to time, he would gaze absently at Xu Nuo as he drew his symbols.
Though he didn't speak of it, the appearance of Cheng Mingxu had left a shadow on his heart. If it hadn't been for Cheng Mingxu in his previous life, Sun Muyang would never have used such cruel methods to hurt him.
Perhaps, without Cheng Mingxu, he would have never awakened his powers, and he might have continued to live in a false semblance of happiness, his soul bound to another. Yet now, when he looked at Xu Nuo, he couldn't help but feel that perhaps the betrayal had been worth it, for the person he saw before him made his heart race with just a glance. As the saying goes, a blessing in disguise.
When he was torn apart by zombies in his past life, he never imagined that his soul would be sent back to a time before the apocalypse, where he would meet Xu Nuo, save him, and ultimately have Xu Nuo confess his love, becoming his partner. It seemed almost too good to be true.
While he was lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice that Xu Nuo had already noticed his gaze. Putting down his brush, Xu Nuo suddenly pulled Park Su into his arms, catching him off guard.
Startled, Park Su blurted, "Wha—What are you doing?"
Xu Nuo found Park Su's flustered expression even more endearing. He held him close and gently kissed his lips, his eyes brimming with affection. "What else could I do?" he murmured. "Of course, I would kiss my lover.
He's been staring at me like that with such passion; if I didn't act, wouldn't I be wasting the title of a man?"
Park Su muttered a curse under his breath, but didn't push Xu Nuo away. In truth, he hadn't even realized that, since Cheng Mingxu's appearance, the fragile part of his heart seemed to have been uncovered in that very moment, laid bare.
He was desperately seeking the safety that Xu Nuo's embrace offered, the reassurance that his lover was still by his side—and that this lover was different, that he would not abandon him for petty gain.
Xu Nuo and Park Su had been together for some time, and he could clearly sense the unease radiating from Park Su. He could easily guess the cause, and his dislike for Cheng Mingxu grew even stronger.
Though many of the wrongs were caused by Sun Muyang, Cheng Mingxu was the one who had set everything in motion. Simply put, without him, there would never have been the incident where Xu Nuo was nearly killed.
Even though he was the second son of S Base, Xu Nuo had no intention of letting Cheng Mingxu off so easily. After all, Park Su had said he had already avenged Sun Muyang, but he had not yet had the chance to avenge the wrongs Cheng Mingxu had done to him in his past life.
However, as Park Su had pointed out, if they only gave Cheng Mingxu a lesson, perhaps it would be the members of their convoy who would bear the brunt of his fury. The idea of that made Xu Nuo pause.