To Repay You by Working Like a Beast of Burden

"No, I don't want that! I don't want your food! I don't want to stay home alone! I just want to go with you! Please... Wang Tao!"

Ding Yuqin grabbed Wang Tao's hand tightly in agitation, tears welling up in her eyes.

It was the first time Wang Tao had seen Ding Yuqin so distraught. He fell silent for a moment.

"No. It's too dangerous outside."

"I'm not afraid of danger! As long as you take me with you, I'm not afraid of anything!"

Ding Yuqin hurriedly said.

Wang Tao was silent again before saying, "Forgive me for being blunt, Sister-in-law, but you're too frail. If you come out with me, you'll only become a burden."

Ding Yuqin's face grew increasingly pale at those words.

Then she bit her lower lip, as if she had made up her mind. Frightened yet deliberately seductive, she said, "As long as you take me with you, Sister-in-law will do anything you want... Please!"

Wang Tao still said nothing. But he frowned, as if deep in thought.

Seeing that her words seemed to have worked, hope rose in Ding Yuqin's heart again.

If they could live, no one wanted to die.

But Wang Tao's next words seemed to sentence her to death.

"Sorry, but I still think you should stay in your home, Sister-in-law. All right, let's not talk about this anymore. Eat."

Wang Tao pulled his hand free from Ding Yuqin's grasp.

Not talk about it? How could they not talk about it? She, Ding Yuqin, was not even thirty yet. She still had so many wonderful years ahead of her. She didn't want to die! Ding Yuqin's face was filled with despair.

Looking at the lavish spread of food on the table, she could not eat at all...

Although Wang Tao had a large appetite, he ate quickly.

Before Ding Yuqin had even come back to her senses, he had finished eating. Then he stood up, preparing to sort out his gear.

Then came a thud.

Ding Yuqin suddenly dropped to her knees before Wang Tao, tightly hugging his thigh as tears streamed down her face.

"Wang Tao, I won't hold you back! Really, I swear! If there's danger you can't handle, you can just leave me behind! I only hope that, when you have the ability to spare it, you can protect me a little... For the sake of us being neighbors, for Brother Zhao's sake, please! Please..."

Looking down at Ding Yuqin kneeling before him, Wang Tao had to admit that it gave him a faintly perverse sense of satisfaction.

But Wang Tao did not intend to keep frightening her, because Ding Yuqin's Health Bar was nearly empty. In just that short while, her Health Bar had dropped by twenty or thirty points... If he scared her any further, she might really die.

So Wang Tao crouched down, intending to pat Ding Yuqin on the shoulder. But she might have misunderstood him. She grabbed his hand and pressed it against her face, choking out, "Wang Tao, as long as you don't abandon Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law will work like a beast of burden for you from now on to repay you..."

Feeling the softness beneath his hand, Wang Tao gently wiped Ding Yuqin's tears away.

Seeing the terror and even despair in her eyes, Wang Tao looked puzzled.

"Sister-in-law, when did I ever say I was abandoning you?"

"Y-you said you were going out. You said I was a burden. You wouldn't take me with you. Isn't that abandoning me... Sob..."

"I said I was leaving the residential complex to find diesel and power the Diesel Generator at home. For something this dangerous, if I took you with me, wouldn't you be a burden?"

"...?"

"Of course, if you truly insist on going out with me, I'll respect your decision. Get ready. We'll leave now."

After saying that, Wang Tao got up and began putting on his gear, leaving Ding Yuqin standing there in a daze.

It seemed like only a moment had passed, yet it also seemed like a long time. Ding Yuqin finally hurried to her feet and trotted over behind Wang Tao, speaking with excitement and disbelief. "Wang Tao, y-you mean it? You're only going out to look for supplies, and you'll come back, right? You won't leave me behind..."

Wang Tao turned around, his expression somewhat displeased.

"Sister-in-law, are you doubting my words? You don't believe me?"

"No, no, that's not it! I wasn't doubting you! I believe you! Of course I believe you! I was just... just too excited..."

Ding Yuqin hurriedly clasped her hands together and bowed to Wang Tao.

"All right, Sister-in-law, hurry up and eat. We'll be leaving soon."

"Ah, leaving? Going where?"

"To find diesel, of course. Didn't you want to come with me, Sister-in-law? Hurry up. The sooner we go, the sooner we'll be back."

"..."

To be honest, she still could not quite tell whether Wang Tao meant what he said, whether he might truly leave and never return.

If she followed Wang Tao, then even if he really left, she would at least not be stuck here alone.

But Wang Tao did not seem to be lying to her. Especially since he had always treated her well before, he probably would not lie. Yet if she really went out with Wang Tao to search for supplies, it would be far too dangerous. It was much safer to wait at home, and she really would become Wang Tao's burden...

After thinking for several seconds, Ding Yuqin pinched the corner of her skirt and lowered her head, speaking somewhat embarrassedly.

"I... I... I'll wait for you at home instead..."

"Sister-in-law, are you going out with me or waiting for me at home?"

"I'll wait for you to come back!"

This time, Ding Yuqin did not hesitate and immediately answered.

"All right. Then wait at home properly. Don't run around."

"Mm-hmm! I'll help you put on your gear!"

Ding Yuqin wiped her eyes. Not caring that her makeup was smeared from crying, she hurried over to help Wang Tao.

After finishing his preparations, Wang Tao brought over several packs of instant noodles and handed them to Ding Yuqin.

"I think I should be back by tonight at the latest, but I can't make any absolute promises. Take this food first. If I really get delayed, at least you won't go hungry."

"Thank you!"

Ding Yuqin quickly accepted them.

"All right, let's go."

Wang Tao and Ding Yuqin left together. After watching Ding Yuqin return to her own home, Wang Tao continued downstairs.

"Wang Tao, you have to come back safely!"

Behind him, Ding Yuqin opened her door a crack and called out softly with concern.

It was unclear whether she was worried about Wang Tao getting hurt or worried that he would leave and never return.

"Mm."

Wang Tao waved his hand.

When he reached the ground floor, he did not go out immediately. Instead, he first went to Apartment 201 and opened its window slightly. There were no security bars here. If someone blocked the building entrance from the inside when he returned, he could climb in through here.

He probably would not need it, but it was better to be prepared.

When he came back out, Balding Uncle apparently heard the commotion and came out as well. Seeing Wang Tao fully armed, he looked immediately surprised.

"Young man, are you... going out?"

"Mm. We're running low on supplies at home, so I need to go look for some."

Although he still had quite a lot of supplies at home, he also consumed a lot, so it was not wrong to say they were running low.

"There are two of you in your household, so naturally you use up more!"

Balding Uncle had previously seen Wang Tao and Ding Yuqin moving around together, so he thought Ding Yuqin was Wang Tao's girlfriend.

Even in the same building, there were plenty of people who did not know one another, so it was not strange.