Chapter 139 Chaos
Qiao Xi looked up at him, and although she didn't speak, Fu Jinxing could tell what she was implying.
"I won't kick him out, don't worry."
Despite his words, Josie could still sense the tension that was about to erupt between them.
Josie glanced at the two of them, and ultimately decided to leave first.
As she passed by Chen Han, she whispered quickly, "Then I'll go first. You and Brother Jinxing should talk things out."
"Um,"
Only after receiving Shen Han's assurance did Qiao Xi feel at ease to leave.
Until Josie's figure completely disappeared at the top of the stairs, the air on the balcony seemed to instantly drop to freezing point.
Shen Han spoke first: "You're not Xixi's blood brother. You've been targeting me these past few days, trying every possible way to get rid of me... Is it because you also like her?"
Fu Jinxing pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light that concealed the turbulent emotions in his eyes.
He stared at Shen Han in silence for a few seconds before slowly speaking, "She's the little girl I watched grow up..."
This sentence contains too many unspeakable emotions and bonds.
"Even if you watched her grow up, you have no right to make decisions for Xixi!"
Shen Han's tone was firm. He took a step forward and confronted Fu Jinxing without backing down. "At least, I will not force Xixi to follow me. What right do you have to force her? Now... with me here, she can be free to do as she pleases."
This statement is both a declaration and a provocation.
When Qiao Xi returned to his temporary room, the image of Fu Jinxing kissing him just now kept replaying in his mind.
Unconsciously, her fingertips gently touched her still slightly numb and swollen lips, where Fu Jinxing's burning heat and irresistible aura still lingered.
If she had received such a passionate confession and kiss from Fu Jinxing a few years ago, she probably would have been so happy that she couldn't sleep all night.
But the girl's mind had already been worn down by the years of the apocalypse.
Now, all that surged in her heart was confusion and heaviness.
Shen Han, Feng Ye, and Lu Yuyang... like an invisible net, tightly entangled her.
She was no longer the girl whose heart and eyes were filled with him.
How could she possibly be worthy of accepting Fu Jinxing's deep and belated love?
She couldn't even figure out what kind of feelings she had for these people.
Just as she was sorting out her chaotic thoughts, the door was gently pushed open.
Shen Han's tall figure entered from outside.
She subconsciously glanced at his expression, but couldn't glean much more from it than a lingering sense of oppressive tension.
"What did you talk about with him?" Josie asked tentatively.
Shen Han smiled casually, "It's nothing. It's just a warning to me to behave myself. Since I'm staying, I should just do my job honestly and not have any improper thoughts."
He deliberately downplayed Fu Jinxing's heavy words about "watching her grow up" and the tension between the two.
Josie was skeptical, but at that moment she couldn't make sense of it herself.
She needs some time, a space where she can think things through calmly.
“I want to go away for a few days.” Josie stood up and walked to Shen Han’s side. “Leave the stronghold, go out and train, hunt some zombies, and… get some fresh air. Are you coming?”
Shen Han nodded without hesitation, "Okay, wherever you go, I'll go."
This time, Josh deliberately refused Xie Jue's offer to follow.
Their team consists of low-level ability users, so Xie Jue has to stay behind.
While Fu Jinxing was engrossed in his experiment and had no time to spare, Qiao Xi quickly packed a backpack and quietly left the base with Shen Han, their figures disappearing swiftly into the shadows of the ruins.
Although the number of evolved zombies is much greater than at the beginning of the apocalypse, the surrounding area has also been completely hunted down by them.
They are extremely efficient, hunting and extracting crystal cores with clean and swift movements.
However, after several days of searching, the number of crystal cores harvested was too small, and Josie was not satisfied at all.
"This is too inefficient." Josie frowned as she looked at the few crystal cores in her backpack.
Shen Han nodded: "It seems that the evolved zombies in the nearby area have been hunted too frequently by us and other forces. We need to try our luck in more distant and dangerous places."
The two decided to venture into an area they had never been to before.
The map shows that it used to be an industrial town.
However, as they cautiously approached the edge of the town, the expected roars of zombies did not occur; instead, a strange, long-lost cacophony of human voices filled the air.
Filled with doubt, I quietly slipped into the town.
The sight before them left them both stunned!
Along the dilapidated streets, countless tents and makeshift stalls had sprung up.
People, dressed in all sorts of clothes, stained but still intact, strolled through the streets, talking and bargaining.
The stall was filled with all sorts of items: rusty weapon parts, worn-out clothes, metal parts whose purpose was unclear, and even some dried meat strips and wilted vegetables that were clearly grown artificially.
The air was filled with a complex odor of dust, sweat, cheap tobacco, and food.
If it weren't for the collapsed buildings in the distance and the lingering vigilance and exhaustion on people's faces, they would almost think that time had reversed and they had returned to some chaotic market before the apocalypse.
"The black market?" Shen Han said in a low voice, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.
He had heard of the existence of such places when he was adventuring in the post-apocalyptic world.
Josie understood instantly.
Since it was a black market, it was a mixed bag of people, so the two stopped trying to hide and went straight inside.
Josie stopped a woman in front of her. "Excuse me, ma'am, is this place always this lively?"
The older sister was a kind person and immediately replied, "This is a well-known 'ghost market' in the area. On the 1st, 5th, and 9th of each month, survivor teams, small groups, and even lone travelers from all directions gather here to exchange various supplies and trade information. Today is the 5th, which is the busiest time. There aren't usually this many people here."
"Then, sister, do you sell crystal cores here?" This was what Josie most wanted to know.
The older woman laughed, "You can buy anything here, and you can sell anything, it just depends on whether you can afford the price."
The older sister seemed to be busy with other things, and kept looking ahead, so Josie didn't stop her anymore.
Shen Han was not one for words, and followed closely beside her, blending into the crowd.
The two observed everyone and everything in the black market without making a sound.
They have no shortage of ordinary supplies, and the stronghold has wood-type ability users, so they can maintain basic food supplies.
But the hard currency these people are trading is none other than the crystal cores they desperately need!
The vendor weighed the crystal nuclei, which came in various colors and sizes.
Josie immediately had an idea: could she exchange scarce resources from the black market for enough crystal cores?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
