Stay

Chen Xu made some simple noodles, filled his stomach, then went back inside. He pulled up a stool and sat by the bed, watching the unconscious woman.

It was clear she hadn't been doing well lately. No makeup, her hair a bit dry from neglect, her skin noticeably tanned. She wore a simple white long-sleeved T-shirt and light-colored jeans.

Compared to her polished look back at the company, it was a completely different style.

But even without makeup, her looks hadn't fallen apart. She was absolutely naturally beautiful.

Maybe the wound on her forehead hurt—even in her coma, her brows were slightly furrowed, and her pale lips gave her a fragile, pitiable air.

Luo Xiyun fit his aesthetic perfectly. Delicate features, fair skin, a figure that wasn't overdone but just right—exactly his type.

What's more, she was his boss, from a well-off family, a proper Bai Fumei. The kind of woman he'd never had access to before.

No doubt about it, a woman like that was the perfect YY target.

But based on his experience over the past month, this woman before him, though virtual, was likely identical to the real Luo Xiyun—in looks, figure, personality, everything.

"Ah, not what I imagined."

Chen Xu let out this sigh for who knew how many times. He'd originally thought that in the dream world, he could do whatever he wanted.

Instead, he had to face a Luo Xiyun exactly like the real one.

Was he supposed to fall in love with her?

That wasn't something to look forward to at all.

From the rumors he'd overheard, this Director Luo was beautiful but not exactly easy to get along with.

Oh well, in this empty world, having a nice-looking woman around was good enough.

He comforted himself like that.

After who knows how long, Luo Xiyun's eyelashes fluttered. She opened her eyes, pupils unfocused, staring blankly at a Female Celebrity poster on the ceiling.

Where is this? "Sss—"

She tried to turn her head, but the pain on her forehead made her suck in a sharp breath. She finally remembered—she'd accidentally hit a car by the roadside, her head smacking into the steering wheel, and then she'd blacked out...

But how did I end up lying here? She instinctively reached up to touch the wound, only to feel a layer of gauze.

She froze, struck as if by lightning. Someone had bandaged her.

A few seconds later, she struggled to sit up, pushing off the blanket covering her. She saw the clean floor, clearly swept often, with barely any dust.

How long had it been since she'd seen a floor this clean?

She couldn't quite remember.

She lifted her head and took in her surroundings. It was a very ordinary room, a bit messy. On the table at the foot of the bed was a pile of worn clothes.

The room's owner was obviously a man.

Faintly, she heard a noise from outside the door and stood up.

For the past month, the whole world had been dead silent. The only sound was the occasional wind. Before, she'd loved quiet when sleeping—even a tiny noise would annoy her.

Now, she was terrified of silence. She had to listen to music to fall asleep.

She stood up, grabbed the door handle, and pulled it open. The sound became clearer—something like a diesel engine.

She noticed the light in the hallway was on.

So it's a generator.

Then she heard another sound. She followed it, through the corridor, down the stairs step by step, pushed open a door, and saw a figure cutting something at a counter. Tears streamed down her face.

Chen Xu had been in this silent world for a month, so he was unusually sensitive to sound. A faint noise behind him caught his attention. He spun around and saw Luo Xiyun standing at the door. The worry in his heart finally eased.

If she was awake, it meant her body was mostly fine.

He said, "You're awake. It'll be ready soon. Have a seat."

With that, he put the sliced pork belly into the pan, where it sizzled in the hot oil.

Luo Xiyun turned away, wiped her tears, walked into the kitchen, and sat down at the table, staring at Chen Xu's back, lost in thought.

The kitchen was big. Chen Xu didn't need all the equipment, so he'd remodeled it, keeping only one stove and using the freed-up space for storage.

The dining table was nearby. Before, he'd always been alone. Now, there was an extra chair and a set of chopsticks and a bowl.

Soon, the meat was done.

Chen Xu brought the dishes over—three dishes and a soup: scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried pork belly, beef with garlic sprouts, and a ginseng and black chicken soup.

"Eat up."

He sat across from her, said the word, picked up his bowl, and started eating.

Luo Xiyun silently took her chopsticks and bowl, picked up a piece of tomato, and put it in her mouth.

Neither of them spoke. They ate in silence.

Chen Xu hadn't talked to anyone in a month. He'd thought that when he met Luo Xiyun, he'd have endless things to say. But now that she was actually here, he didn't know what to say.

Luo Xiyun gave off a cold vibe, like she wasn't much for talking.

Just as Chen Xu thought the meal would end in silence, Luo Xiyun finally spoke. "You're Chen Xu from the Marketing Department, right?"

"Mm." Chen Xu wasn't surprised. She was the director of the Personnel Department and knew every employee in the company.

After a pause, Luo Xiyun asked again, "You've been staying here this whole month?"

"Mm."

Chen Xu acknowledged, then after a moment's thought, added, "The supplies here are pretty well-stocked. Even if only one person was left, they could survive."

Survive alone?

Luo Xiyun fell silent again.

"What about you? How did you get through this month?"

Chen Xu also voiced the question that had been nagging him. Over the past month, he'd made some noise every day, shining a high-power searchlight into the sky at night. Anyone who hadn't strayed too far from the city should have been able to see it. Yet she'd never shown up.

Luo Xiyun's hand holding the chopsticks paused.

Even as dense as Chen Xu was, he could tell something was off with her emotions. Just as he was thinking of changing the subject, she spoke. "I went to find my grandma. She lives in City C..."

City C was under this city's jurisdiction, a few dozen kilometers from the city center—not too far, but under the current circumstances, getting there alone wouldn't have been easy for her.

Chen Xu didn't know what to say. She definitely hadn't found her grandma. But he was well aware this was just a dream, not real. He couldn't truly empathize, so words of comfort were hard to come by.

"City C was the same as here—everyone was gone. At first, I..."

She paused there before continuing, "Later, while I was driving, I picked up a radio broadcast and followed the address here."

Chen Xu finally understood. So his radio broadcast had done the trick.

"Have you... met anyone else?" Luo Xiyun's tone carried a hint of hope as she asked.

Chen Xu shook his head. "You're the only person I've run into this whole month."

Luo Xiyun was clearly disappointed. She murmured, "What's wrong with this world? Why did everyone just vanish all of a sudden?"

"Don't overthink it for now. As long as we're alive, we'll find a way to get to the truth eventually."

That was all Chen Xu could offer in comfort. "Let's eat first. The food's getting cold."