Chapter 53 A Post-Apocalyptic Girl's Date 2
Simply postponing Mazao's departure day after day won't truly keep her by my side.
There must have been a clear deadline in her mind. The initial "three days" was like a food expiration date, leaving a buffer zone between it and the actual shelf life. But once that buffer zone disappeared, the room for sweet talk also disappeared.
That morning, after she woke up and ate breakfast, she and I watched TV in the living room. The TV was broadcasting local news, reporting on the "mysterious explosion at an unfinished building" near Saltwater University, which I had personally caused not long ago. Experts were conclusively classifying the incident as a gas explosion. Regardless of Luoshan's current attitude towards the question of "whether it's necessary to continue concealing the strange occurrences," it seems that at least the official forces prefer to continue the covert operation.
After the program went into commercial break, Asaha told me she was leaving. Her expression wasn't one of discussion; it was more like she was announcing something obligatingly.
Of course, I couldn't just let this go.
Moreover, during this time, I also figured out how to get her to stay voluntarily.
This was the first time I had put so much effort into seducing a girl, and I was quite unfamiliar with many things. But as the saying goes, practice makes perfect, and after these days of practice, I've slowly figured things out.
My initial idea was to lure her with delicious food, or to make her get a stomachache so she would have to stay at my house, or to make an excuse that the package wouldn't arrive until tomorrow. These tricks were all minor and could only serve to delay her a little.
The reason she was willing to stay at my house before was because she genuinely felt she needed to recuperate and hide there. Now, she no longer faints easily, doesn't trip and fall while walking, and her complexion has improved significantly. It wouldn't be surprising if she could even use spatial teleportation. In her eyes, I'm no longer so necessary.
As the saying goes, "A thousand books of false teachings can be contained in a single sentence of true knowledge." What I really need to do now is very simple: make her feel that I am indispensable.
Once I found the right approach, I felt my inspiration and wisdom surge forth. One bad idea after another surfaced, and I organized them into a detailed plan. Did I actually have a talent for seducing girls? I never expected that after slipping up in some areas, my mind would become even clearer. I repeatedly considered the plan that was gradually taking shape in my mind, growing increasingly confident.
Ma Zao had already stood up from the sofa.
Now she's not wearing my gray T-shirt and trousers anymore, but clothes and shoes I bought for her online.
Although I used to secretly laugh at Chang'an's poor taste in clothing, I myself didn't understand the intricacies of dressing, had only a superficial understanding of color matching, and was even less adept at women's clothing. However, I did have a simple trick: when unsure what color to wear, choosing black was always a safe bet.
She was currently wearing a black printed hoodie and a short skirt, her shapely legs encased in black cotton tights, and black ankle boots. On her left wrist was the red GPS bracelet I had given her, an exception to her otherwise dark outfit. From my own aesthetic perspective, I wouldn't say she made any fashion faux pas, and she herself hadn't expressed any dissatisfaction.
Seeing the beautiful young girl wearing clothes she had personally chosen, I couldn't help but feel an unprecedented sense of novelty and began to think about ways to further optimize the situation.
Seeing that Mazao was walking towards the entrance and had pulled down her hood to cover her face, I said, "Let's go out together."
"Together?"
She stopped in her tracks. She had clearly developed a resistance to my sweet talk these past few days; when I spoke, she turned back and looked at me with a very wary gaze.
“You must still have many unfamiliar places in the outside world. I can introduce them to you.” I also got up from the sofa. “Let’s have a meal together, wander around, and then part ways amicably. That would be a perfect ending. It would also be a good farewell for me.”
"If other people see you with me, a wanted criminal..." she still had concerns.
"It's okay, you can just wear this."
I took out the mask I had prepared beforehand. It was a black cotton mask with a cat's white whiskers pattern.
She questioned, "Wouldn't it be even more suspicious to walk around outside wearing something that conceals one's true appearance?"
"Don't worry, wearing a mask when going out has become very normal in recent years," I said.
After thinking it over, she nodded in agreement, took the cat whisker mask, put it on, and then went out with me.
Once downstairs, the morning sun bathed her completely. She looked up at the sky, seemingly marveling at the long-lost spaciousness.
My emotions are quite strange right now. Although we've spent several days together, this is the first time we've strolled together in the sunshine. I absolutely don't mean to suggest anything negative about Ma Zao here—I feel a bit like taking a cat or dog outside for the first time without a leash, afraid she'll suddenly run away and escape where I can't catch her.
She glanced back in the direction of my house, then looked at me with a relieved expression.
"What's wrong?" I was puzzled by her gaze.
"It's nothing..." Even so, after a couple of seconds she blurted out what was really on her mind, "Don't laugh at me. Although I'm small and not very plump, I think my face is pretty. At least that's what I think. So, how should I put it... I've always had a little doubt."
"What do you suspect?"
"Could you actually be a pervert who wants to imprison me? The reason you're so nice to me is because you're after my body..." she said. "Now it seems I really misunderstood you. I'm sorry."
"..." I didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Although I am not the kind of person she thinks I am, I have indeed considered imprisoning her, and it is now my final plan.
I changed the subject, partly as a probe: "More importantly, are you alright? You won't suddenly fall down, will you?"
"It's much better now. Although the damage to the soul can't be healed so easily, I can even run now."
"But I've noticed you've been spacing out a lot lately."
She suddenly gave an unexpected answer: "That's because I'm meditating."
"Meditation?" I was startled.
Isn't that the legendary state of meditation that I've only read about in books but never achieved, even after training my superpowers?
“Meditation helps the soul recover and also conceals one’s aura. This effect lasts for a while even after meditation ends. Moreover, it can be done in any situation and posture, making it most suitable for my current condition,” she explained. “My soul is currently injured, making it easy for me to leak excess energy. The guy who attacked me last time likely found me through this very clue…”
"The guy who ambushed you?" I heard the part I couldn't miss.
She then realized what was happening and immediately stopped, revealing no more information. Perhaps she was also afraid of dragging me into it. Right now, she was like a dark hero trying to bear everything alone.
Once she enters this mode, she won't reveal any further information, so I can only keep it in mind and try to find out more later.
We left the residential compound and went out onto the street. It was rush hour, and there were many commuters and students hurrying along. I bought two packets of sweet soy milk from a roadside food cart, intentionally showing her the details of the transaction.
She noticed me taking out my phone to scan the QR code. Perhaps she had seen similar scenes on TV before, but if she really was a time traveler to the apocalypse, this was probably the first time she had actually witnessed it. At that moment, she showed a curious look in her eyes, intrigued by the unfamiliar.
I handed her one of the bagged sweet soy milks, and we left the vicinity of the food cart together. Then I explained to her, "That was mobile payment. You need to scan the QR code with your mobile device to complete the transaction."
"Mobile payment, mobile devices... does that mean all you need is a mobile phone?" she asked probingly.
"That's not all. You also need to download relevant software and link it to your bank card, which must have money in it. Opening a bank card requires certain procedures, including providing your identification," I said.
"Identity documents..." she struggled to process this information. "Can wanted criminals also open bank accounts?"
"Of course not," I said. "Electronic mobile payment is now the mainstream in this society, and people are gradually moving away from cash payments, especially in big cities. It's hard to survive and move around in this society without it. Many elderly people who find it difficult to adapt to the times often encounter difficulties in this regard. You've seen it in the news, haven't you?"
As I spoke, I observed her reaction. She then lifted the bottom half of her mask, sucked on a packet of sweet soy milk, and a thoughtful look appeared on her face.
My current plan is to emphasize to her the problems she cannot overcome in a short time, yet needs to overcome, and that she can only overcome them with my help… I am now like a cunning interviewer, trying to soften her hardened heart.
But this is only the first step.
I need to further enhance my value and provide her with additional information that she currently needs. For example, it's not just the overt forces that are tracking her, but also the Luo Shan organization lurking in the shadows; and the body she's currently using originally belonged to a girl suffering from a soul disorder.
Soul Loss is something only demon hunters know about, and according to Asaho's testimony, she hasn't yet come into contact with the underwater world of this era, meaning she may not know about the existence of Soul Loss.
I was curious to see how she would react to the concept of amnesia, but I had to be extremely careful when providing the information. Since I was currently appearing as an ordinary person to her, I needed a clever excuse to reveal this sensitive information.
After rehearsing my lines, I started lying again.
(End of this chapter)
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