Chapter 129: The Woman in Plain Clothes

"Boss!" Xue Qi ran up to Qing Li and Qin Yu, who had just stepped through the entrance, and greeted them with a respectful tone.

"Hmm?" Qing Li cast a sidelong glance at him and spoke indifferently.

"Boss! Feng Ke has recovered quite well, so..." Xue Qi scratched his head, looking a bit sheepish.

"Little Xue, so what?" Zhao Meng approached from behind and asked.

Xue Qi rolled his eyes at Zhao Meng before turning back to Qing Li. "So, I was wondering if I could train with Feng Ke?"

Qing Li gave him a calm look and replied with a curt "Hmm," before pulling Qin Yu along and walking away with effortless grace.

Left behind, a stunned Xue Qi stood with his mouth agape, disbelievingly muttering, "He actually agreed so easily this time? Didn't he always say I would only hold Feng Ke back? How strange."

Hearing this, Zhao Meng smiled like a cat that had just stolen a bit of cream. She glanced at the still-puzzled Xue Qi, choosing not to reveal the reason. After all, she was a busy woman! She still had to go stew some chicken soup for little Cheng-Cheng!

Qin Yu was led back to their room by Qing Li. As she looked at his strong, well-defined hand and his tall, sturdy back, she couldn't help but feel that this "Brother Li" was vastly different from the one in her memories. She then laughed at herself—hadn't she changed a lot too? Growing up and changing was only natural. The most important thing was that their love for each other remained unchanged.

With this thought, the smile on her face deepened, leading everyone they passed to secretly wonder why the boss and his lady were smiling so "lewdly." How was Qin Yu lewd? That was clearly a look of pure happiness! Unbelievable!

Once they reached the room, Qing Li had Qin Yu sit down. He sat opposite her and asked with a solemn expression, "Yu'er, how much do you really know about Nangong Yao?"

Qin Yu was taken aback. How much did she know about him? She knew he was powerful, likely one of those legendary practitioners. She knew he possessed abilities she lacked and seemed to know everything, always resolving problems before she even had to worry about them. But beyond that, what else did she know?

Qin Yu suddenly realized that there was nothing else. She shook her head helplessly and said, "I don't know."

Qing Li ruffled her hair, his touch filled with affection. "It's fine if you don't know. But Yu'er, you must remember: one should always maintain a sense of vigilance against others."

Qin Yu looked up, frowning. "Brother Li, what do you mean? Do you know something?"

Qing Li shook his head. "I know nothing. I just feel that this apocalypse came about inexplicably, and these so-called practitioners appeared just as strangely. Furthermore, in these chaotic times, it is always better to be cautious."

Qin Yu nodded. "I understand. I will be careful." Despite her words, she couldn't bring herself to feel any wariness toward Nangong Yao. She always felt he wouldn't harm her; if he had intended to, he could have done so long ago—why wait until now?

Seeing her response, Qing Li didn't pursue the topic further. He knew Nangong Yao wouldn't hurt her, but he couldn't be sure if the man would use her to threaten him. Even if he knew no actual harm would come to her, he simply couldn't bear the thought of her suffering even the slightest scratch.

"Yu'er, I'm afraid I'll have to leave the training of the others to you for a while. I need to go into seclusion for a few days to reach my peak state for whatever the future holds," Qing Li said, his voice filled with tenderness.

"Hmm, I'll be waiting for you," Qin Yu replied. That simple sentence contained all of her trust and love for him.

Qing Li's smile deepened, his usually cold and rigid features softening. "I love you, Yu'er." He stepped forward and pulled her into his embrace.

"I love you too!" Qin Yu whispered, basking in his scent and warmth.

The atmosphere in the room was so cozy that one would hate to interrupt it.

Outside the door, however—

"What are they saying? What are they saying? Let me hear!" Zhao Meng whispered, patting Xue Qi, who was leaning against the door.

Xue Qi waved her away, signaling that he was enjoying the show and refused to budge.

Suddenly, the door swung open. Qing Li stood there with a dark expression, looking at the group outside. "It seems you all have plenty of free time. Double the training! No one eats until it's finished!" With a loud "bang," he slammed the door shut.

The group was left with miserable faces, wailing silently in their hearts.

***

Outside the base, a woman who looked to be in her thirties, dressed in pristine white, stood with a travel bag slung over her shoulder, staring at the entrance. She wore light makeup, and her hair was pinned up, giving her a unique charm. In this apocalypse where everyone was covered in grime, she looked like a rare treasure.

Passersby looked at her with curiosity; she had been standing there for quite some time, motionless, just staring at the gate. Naturally, there was no shortage of lecherous men who cast lustful, filthy gazes her way.

Perhaps sensing she looked fragile and alone, a bold, pot-bellied man walked up to her, grinning. "Little girl, trying to get into the base? Come, let me take you in! I have quite a bit of influence around here!"

The woman glanced at him and asked, "Do you know a man named Xia Cheng?"

The lecherous man heard her soft, melodic voice and felt his bones go weak. As for what she actually asked, he couldn't care less—he only cared about her.

Thinking this, he reached out a greasy hand to grab her, but with a sharp "crack," his hand broke. It wasn't just dislocated; it was shattered. He broke into a cold sweat, his eyes widening in terror as he stared at the woman, as if he had seen something truly monstrous.

Before the woman could even speak, he scrambled away in a panic. He kept glancing back as he fled, seemingly terrified of confirming what he had just witnessed, before running even faster.

The woman glanced at the onlookers, a sarcastic smirk touching her lips. Seeing the fear in their eyes, a surge of pleasure welled up within her. Afraid? Heh, they would be even more terrified soon enough.

She shifted her bag and walked toward the gate with a rhythmic, measured pace, greeted by the curious and greedy stares of those inside. Humans were always such greedy creatures, she thought.

Ignoring them, she looked at the familiar yet strange gate, a nostalgic smile appearing on her lips. *Xia Cheng, I'm here. Did you miss me?*