"Ling Yun... do you think this world is still normal?"
I didn't know how to convince her. I'd been considering this idea for a while, and it had one advantage: at least I knew her.
Ling Yun hesitated for a moment before answering.
"No."
"Exactly."
I nodded, gazed out at the yellow sand, stubbed out my cigarette, and flicked it out the window.
"At a time like this, don't you think a hero needs to step forward and save the world?"
Ling Yun fell silent again.
"You're not thinking of..."
"Yeah. From the beginning of the apocalypse until now, I haven't seen anyone do that. If nobody else is going to, then I will."
I turned to face Ling Yun, who was staring at me in shock, and smiled.
"Yuxuan... are you serious?"
Ling Yun gaped at me for a long moment. There was even a hint of she's crazy in her eyes, along with utter disbelief.
"Yeah. I've seen too many people die. Some were killed by me, some died because of me, and some died for other reasons."
As I spoke, I crossed the room and sat down on the sofa opposite Ling Yun.
"I think... I should step forward."
Ling Yun stayed silent for a long time. When she finally looked up again, her expression was grave.
"Give me one night to think it over."
"You don't doubt my motives?"
I'd expected Ling Yun to be suspicious of me and turn me down, but she hadn't questioned me at all.
"Heh... Fang Yuxuan, we've had our differences, but I think... I know you pretty well. If you'd say something like that, you must mean it."
Ling Yun smiled and took a sip from the teacup on the table.
"Besides, I don't want to keep living in fear