When Ji Zhaoxi first arrived at the building, she attracted a lot of attention. However, her excessive delicateness made many people abandon the idea of getting close to her. After all, no one wanted to carry a burden in a resource-scarce apocalypse.
Mingfei was an offensive-type ability user. He was very confident in himself, so in the end, he was the only one left following by Ji Zhaoxi's side.
Ji Zhaoxi would often make many unreasonable demands of Mingfei, and there were very few times he could actually fulfill them.
"I like flowers. Real, fresh flowers, not fake ones."
Inside the building, Ji Zhaoxi looked earnestly at Mingfei. Mingfei looked extremely troubled, but he still nodded.
When the others heard Ji Zhaoxi's words, they all silently rolled their eyes.
At that time, Pei Yufeng was not very familiar with Ji Zhaoxi, and he knew that she found him annoying.
Whenever she heard others speaking, she would chime in, but the moment she heard him speak, she would lower her head and touch her dress, pretending not to hear.
She touched her dress so much she practically wore a floral pattern into it.
Listening to Ji Zhaoxi's words back then, Pei Yufeng only had one thought in his mind.
Moths and butterflies were relatives, and both liked flowers. Calling her a fluttering moth wouldn't be wrong at all.
When several of them, all ability users, went to the mutated forest to hunt zombies, Mingfei kept his head down, looking for seeds, but found nothing.
"Mingfei, are you really planning to give flowers to Ji Zhaoxi? Where would you even find flowers in this apocalypse?"
"Exactly, aren't you going a bit too far for her?"
Hearing this, Mingfei didn't take it to heart at all. "If Zhaoxi let you guys get close, you'd be shamelessly crawling to her too."
The others' mouths twitched, and they said no more.
Pei Yufeng listened quietly from the side, thinking about Ji Zhaoxi's arrogant and spoiled demeanor. If anyone actually got together with her, they would definitely be driven crazy by her fussing; her tears alone would be enough to fill a pot.
Later on, Mingfei actually managed to find two seeds, though no one knew what kind of seeds he held in his hand.
He was thrilled, constantly boasting that he could definitely grow flowers from them.
Pei Yufeng only found it laughable. With a brain like Mingfei's, it was impossible for him to grow any flowers.
Some powerful mutated zombies would devour the mutated fruits in the forest, and the seeds would be hidden within their rotting corpses. Before they left, Pei Yufeng had secretly extracted some seeds without anyone noticing.
"Pei Yufeng, what are you looking at?"
"Nothing."
After returning, Mingfei confidently promised Ji Zhaoxi that he would definitely grow flowers. As a result, the two seeds he planted that day died on the very same day.
Ji Zhaoxi immediately burst into tears, while Mingfei stood by, completely at a loss as he tried to coax her.
Standing upstairs and watching this scene, Pei Yufeng was in an excellent mood.
How could that idiot possibly grow flowers for her?
Pei Yufeng suddenly felt a bit curious. If one day he placed flowers right in front of her eyes, what kind of expression would she make?
Would she continue to ignore him, or would she act coquettishly towards him like she did with the others?
He had a very strong premonition that the person who would let her see flowers for the first time in the apocalypse would only be him.
The morning sun was not too harsh, fine dust floated in the air, and the sound of the changing of the guard drifted over from the distant watchtower.
Pei Yufeng opened his eyes, his face full of contentment. Ji Zhaoxi was not awake yet. She was resting her head on his arm, her whole body curled up in his embrace, her breathing long and steady.
Pei Yufeng looked down at her, his heart softening completely. He couldn't help but tighten his arm, rubbing his nose against hers and pulling her even closer.
A night had passed, and the flowers on the table had withered. Although they had lost their moisture, their veins were displayed even more clearly.
Pei Yufeng rested his chin gently on top of Ji Zhaoxi's head. He quietly looked at the withered bouquet on the table, and a thought suddenly sprouted in his mind.
Perhaps, he should become a flower farmer.
The base was becoming more and more developed. Above the base, there was a soilless cultivation area. Yan Jiasui frequently discussed things with agricultural experts. Although the base did not have many vegetables right now, they at least had lettuce and potatoes.
The base also had dedicated breeders and researchers, and even teachers. Yan Jiasui placed great importance on helping ordinary people find professions that suited them.
The base also had a patrol convoy. The captain was Zhang Jili, and the vice-captain was his pet zombie.
"Captain, going on patrol again?" People on the road looked at Zhang Jili on his motorcycle and smiled.
Zhang Jili nodded seriously. There was no joking around during working hours!
The zombie beside him kept craning its neck, searching for suspicious creatures.
Zhang Jili looked at the desiccated zombie beside him, which was frowning deeply. He wanted to remind it not to frown so often, or it would get forehead wrinkles.
But then he remembered that it didn't even have skin, so he just let it be.
However, Zhang Jili still thought of Shen Jiaxue from time to time. On the day Ji Zhaoxi gave the blood-sucking vine to Yan Jiasui, Yan Jiasui was very happy and proposed that she wanted to meet Shen Jiaxue.
But upon hearing that Shen Jiaxue had left, a look of disappointment appeared on her face.
At that time, he couldn't help but speak up. "Sister Jiasui, Shen Jiaxue seemed embarrassed to see you. She was probably afraid that you would blame her."
Yan Jiasui remained silent for a long time before sighing. "How could I possibly blame her?"
Zhang Jili was very interested in the story between the two of them, but Yan Jiasui said no more.
The base gradually expanded outwards, growing larger and larger, until it eventually turned into a large village. The people living in the central prison also moved out one by one, getting their own houses in the village, and the prison became a symbol of absolute power in the truest sense.
At first, the people in the base had some reservations about moving out, but no one was happier about it than Pei Yufeng.
While the others were still undecided, Pei Yufeng had already taken a few ability users to build a house. Zhang Jili and his zombie were also dragged over to do manual labor.
Pei Yufeng even stated with a serious face, "I am setting an example for the others."
Thus, Pei Yufeng began a life of leaving early and returning late.
In the morning, he would get up before dawn, hold a still-sleeping Ji Zhaoxi to give her a kiss, and head out carrying his tools.
As soon as it got dark in the evening, he would hurry home with his tools over his shoulder.
On the day the greenhouse was finished, Pei Yufeng was extremely smug.
"From now on, whether you want to be a little deer, a rabbit, a butterfly, or a moth, it's all up to you."
"Pei Yufeng!"
Afterwards, Pei Yufeng's chin hurt for a week.
It was headbutted by a certain someone.
Lately, Ji Zhaoxi had been particularly tired. A while ago, she had it very easy, arriving and leaving right on time every day, and heading home after collecting her points.
But recently, there was a surge of ability users leveling up. Zhang Jili, in particular, cried and begged her to help him level up, claiming he was afraid others would covet his crystal core.
Was it possible that he should actually be afraid of her instead?
Deep inside the greenhouse, there was a large vine hammock suspended above the sea of flowers. The hammock was lined with soft, mutated silk cushions. No one other than Ji Zhaoxi was allowed on it, though there were only two people in this household anyway.
As soon as Pei Yufeng returned, he saw this scene. He lightened his footsteps, walked over, kissed her on the cheek, and carried her into the bedroom.
Pei Yufeng didn't like guarding the prison; he preferred going out on missions because he could find different kinds of seeds.
Because his research on flowers was so thorough, the people from the agricultural department would occasionally come to consult him. Whenever that happened, he would start pretending to be mute.
Pei Yufeng finished his shower, got into bed, and pulled Ji Zhaoxi into his arms.
He remembered how he used to want to destroy the world, but after getting together with Ji Zhaoxi, all he wanted was to stay by her side every day and plant flowers.
He had really mellowed out and become more human now.
Sensing his familiar scent, Ji Zhaoxi groggily snuggled closer to him.
"Did I wake you?" Pei Yufeng asked in a low voice, his body still carrying a trace of dampness from the shower.
Ji Zhaoxi did not even have the strength to push him away. Half-resisting and half-yielding, she wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his kiss.
Pei Yufeng held her close, slipping his other hand under the covers. Ji Zhaoxi buried her face in his chest, her cheeks flushed bright red, her eyes brimming with physiological tears.
"Breathe," Pei Yufeng coaxed, softly reminding her.
The veins in his arms bulged slightly from his restraint.
Seeing that she was about to run out of breath, Pei Yufeng let out a muffled chuckle and kissed her, slowly guiding her to breathe, sealing her broken whimpers between their lips.
As he shifted his movements, her breathing grew more ragged. Her ears were burning red, and the sensory stimulation made her body tense, her toes curling tightly beneath the blankets.
Pei Yufeng freed his other hand to gently stroke her feverish back, over and over again.
As the tide of passion receded, a heavy exhaustion washed over her. The grip she had on his arm loosened, and her breathing evened out.
Pei Yufeng tenderly kissed her forehead. He carefully withdrew his hand from beneath the covers, humming a song as he picked her up and carried her to the bathroom.
Outside, streetlamps made from discarded lightbulbs cast a dim, yellow glow, and the wind was chilly.
Zhang Jili sat in his car wrapped in a heavy coat, shivering as he watched his pet catch up with its relative.
As an owner, one had to constantly pay attention to their pet's mental health.
The two zombies hugged each other tightly, wailing loudly as clumps of mud fell from their bodies.
After crying for a long time, his pet finally followed him into the car to head home.
On the way home, Zhang Jili sniffled. "I told you not to get mud on Pei Yufeng's flowers. Look, you got beaten up again today, didn't you?"
Looking at the aggrieved zombie beside him, Zhang Jili patted its head. Seeing the mud on his hand, he quickly shook it off.
"I told you not to touch them. Those are his precious treasures."
The sun gradually peeked over the horizon, and the distant greenhouse reflected a dazzling light. By the roadside, an old man holding a broom had already opened his door. The car tires crunched over fallen branches on the ground, making a crisp sound. The man and the zombie sitting in the car flinched slightly before settling back into calmness.
