Chapter 128: Sun Xiaoshan’s Autumn Harvest (3)

Liu Mang did not know what to say; he merely cast his gaze back and forth between Sun Xiaoshan and Lu Cuifeng.

"Don't worry," Lu Cuifeng said, her voice surprisingly considerate. "I won't embarrass you in front of your subordinates. Come with me... I promise I won't leave any marks on your face."

*Good grief,* Sun Xiaoshan thought, his temper flaring. *If I don't give you a taste of your own medicine, you'll think this "post-apocalyptic rat" is a pushover.*

Liu Mang failed to hold Sun Xiaoshan back, watching helplessly as he followed Lu Cuifeng into the well-site warehouse.

Inside, the warehouse was conveniently empty, as all the equipment and supplies had been moved to the construction site. Lu Cuifeng thoughtfully shut the large warehouse doors.

Standing in the center of the room, Lu Cuifeng faced him. "I won't hurt your face, we’ll just spar. What weapon will you use?" The Special Committee’s standard gear consisted of plate armor, a five-foot steel pipe carried at the waist, and a large kukri machete strapped to the back.

Sun Xiaoshan knew he wasn't much of a fighter. If this were a man, he would have fought tooth and nail, but facing a girl—a young, delicate, and quite pretty girl at that—he couldn't bring himself to be such a brute. Besides, she was the daughter of the leader of Xiaoxinbao Village; he couldn't very well injure her. He decided to just take the beating. After all, he had chased her senior disciple all over the courtyard, bringing shame upon their sect. Since she was here to restore their honor, he couldn't act like a scoundrel.

He looked around, took off his weapons and plate armor, and piled them up. He then walked over to a table, snapped off one of its legs, and gave it a few practice swings. He figured that since Lu Cuifeng had promised not to mark his face, a quick spar would suffice. No one was watching, and surely she wouldn't go around bragging about it. Even if she did, it wouldn't matter—a man and a woman fighting in an empty room... that wouldn't exactly sound good for her reputation. He wondered how she would react if he said that after the fight. He had decided to play the rogue.

Lu Cuifeng frowned, shouting, "What is the meaning of this? You think you can dismiss me with a table leg?"

She set her blade aside, snapped off a table leg for herself, and swung it a few times to get a feel for it. Standing before Sun Xiaoshan, she was determined to show this arrogant man exactly who he was dealing with.

Sun Xiaoshan took a deep breath. *She smells good,* he thought. *Oh no, I'm losing my head.* He muttered to himself, "Pretty girl..." As he looked at her youthful face and slender frame, his gaze began to wander.

Sun Xiaoshan was a healthy man. From his youth through his career, he had been too busy to ever date, and after the apocalypse, life had been far too precarious. Being this close to a beautiful young woman made him feel as if his heart were being tickled by a dozen tiny mice.

Before he knew it, his youthful vigor began to manifest in an embarrassing way. Since the summer heat had caused him to shed his plate armor, his thin clothing made the situation far too obvious.

Lu Cuifeng was mortified. "You shameless wretch!" she cried, swinging the table leg at him.

Sun Xiaoshan dropped his weapon and asked sincerely, "Miss, if you’re angry, go ahead and hit me. I won't fight back." He hoped a softer approach might end the ordeal with fewer bruises.

Lu Cuifeng, who had grown up in a rough-and-tumble environment, had never encountered such a lazy, thick-skinned character. Ignoring the fact that he had discarded his weapon, she charged at him, raining blows down on his body, her anger causing her to forget all her martial arts techniques, like a common street brawler.

"Ouch! You’re really going for it!" Sun Xiaoshan cried out. He then blurted out something that added fuel to the fire: "Don't think that just because you're a woman, I won't fight back!" Realizing how that sounded, he quickly added, "I’m a good guy, really!"

Lu Cuifeng finally lost all composure. She swung the table leg like a mace, aiming straight for his head.

Seeing the weapon descending, Sun Xiaoshan realized she might actually finish what the zombies started and take out the Minister of the Industrial Department. Panicked—as he had no experience with the female psyche—he lunged forward and tackled her in a bear hug.

Lu Cuifeng had been a star athlete with plenty of combat experience, but her reputation was so fierce that boys were always too intimidated to approach her. She had never been held by a man before.

As Sun Xiaoshan embraced her, the scent of a mature man hit her, and her body went limp. She dropped the table leg, and they tumbled to the floor. She tried to use her grappling skills, but her strength failed her. Sun Xiaoshan, terrified of being beaten, held on tight as they rolled around in the dust. Even though it was dirty, Sun Xiaoshan found the experience rather pleasant.

Liu Mang, worried about his friend, led the guards toward the warehouse. The survivors from the construction site, ever curious, followed close behind. When they reached the door and heard nothing, they were puzzled. Liu Mang gestured, and two guards pushed the doors open. Everyone let out a collective gasp.

Sun Xiaoshan was rolling on the floor, holding Lu Cuifeng in his arms.

Liu Mang chuckled and shouted to the crowd, "It’s too dark in here, I can’t see a thing!" He then glared at them. "Back to work! Anyone caught slacking gets their wages and benefits docked!"

He paused, remembering it was the apocalypse, and added, "And I'll dock your steamed buns!"

The crowd laughed and dispersed back to the site. The guards shut the door with smirks on their faces, and Liu Mang strutted away.

Lu Cuifeng pushed at Sun Xiaoshan, hissing, "Let go!"

Sun Xiaoshan didn't budge. "Is it a draw? Don't go back on your word, and don't hit me." He muttered, "Don't hit the face; I need it to make a living."

Lu Cuifeng remained silent. Sun Xiaoshan tentatively released her, and seeing she didn't react, he stood up and reached out to help her. She ignored him, rose to her feet, and turned her back to him.

Feeling awkward, Sun Xiaoshan asked, "Are you alright?"

"Get out."

"I..."

"Get out!" she raised her voice.

"Fine, fine," Sun Xiaoshan said. Not knowing that he should have stayed to appease her, he obediently picked up his armor and weapon and left the warehouse.

The people at the construction site cast sly glances at him, their expressions full of mischief. Liu Mang gave him a thumbs-up. "Brother Sun, you’ve got talent."

The guards suppressed their laughter, glancing around, having heard Lu Cuifeng’s aggressive demands before they entered. Sun Xiaoshan offered an embarrassed smile.