Hope Remained

"Oh. You're the richest widow on the Federation Rich List, aren't you?" Memories automatically surfaced in Mu Xiao's mind, informing him that An Rongru was a social celebrity.

After her husband fell ill and passed away, she inherited all his assets and instantly became a famous figure on the Federation Rich List, a rising star in high society's business circles. She often donated supplies to the slums and even founded a charity organization. Gradually, she gained considerable popularity among ordinary people.

But Mu Xiao knew even more clearly that she owned many high-end villa districts and various side businesses in the City of Magic, because Jian An Real Estate was one of the industry giants. Mu Xiao also knew that the apartment building where he lived happened to be one of this beautiful woman's properties.

Simply put, she was Mu Xiao's landlady. She just never concerned herself with the trivial matters of the building, much less collected rent personally.

But there was no denying that the rent Mu Xiao had paid in the past had ultimately ended up in her hands.

But times had changed, and so had people, Mu Xiao silently said to himself.

An Rongru did not like being called "the richest widow." People in her old circle had been polite on the surface, but deep down, hadn't they all thought the same thing? They believed she had simply been born lucky and caught a good opportunity, which was why she possessed such enormous wealth.

Some envied her, some resented her. That was perfectly normal, so she had always kept her distance from the hypocrites in high society and turned toward charity work, hoping people would know her for more than just her wealth. Moreover, she knew that many men approached her with ulterior motives. It was not only her immense fortune they wanted, but her body as well.

An Rongru had met far too many outstanding men. She was also at an age when desire ran strong. In the lonely emptiness of midnight, bold thoughts sometimes arose in her heart. But once she calmed down, her traditional and conservative values always stopped her. Unless she remarried—but she did not want her daughter to be unhappy. Besides, she could never tell whether those gentle, attentive men were secretly harboring the same vile thought of gaining both her wealth and her body.

She knew that both her body and her fortune were like a sweet, tempting cake that everyone wanted to pounce on and take a bite from, so she had built her psychological defenses very high.

Yet An Rongru had never met a man like Mu Xiao. His casual tone and calm expression made it seem as though her status and position were nothing remarkable in his eyes. Only when he looked at her body did his gaze carry the normal interest of a man, without the greed of someone who wanted to devour her whole.

He was far too calm.

A sense of foreboding spread through An Rongru's heart.

"I am the wealthy woman you mentioned. May I ask what happened outside?" An Rongru looked deeply exhausted, her cheeks slightly gaunt. Her fragile appearance stirred protective sympathy, yet she still forced herself to stay alert and asked the question that concerned her most. She did not even mind that Mu Xiao had not revealed his name.

However, after climbing out from beneath the bed, although An Rongru revealed a certain fragility, she was not overly terrified. She still carried the composure of someone accustomed to grand occasions, along with deeply hidden vigilance and wariness.

As though he had seen through An Rongru's thoughts, Mu Xiao said, "There's a balcony outside the room. Go take a look, and you'll naturally understand what happened. Leave this place as soon as possible while it's still light out."

"Alright... Wait!" Seeing that Mu Xiao had said only a few words before turning to leave, An Rongru hurriedly stopped him. "I don't know what happened outside, but the situation must be terrible. Otherwise, you wouldn't be armed. I know this request may be abrupt, but could you escort me for part of the way?"

As she spoke, she bowed slightly.

From Mu Xiao's armed outfit, An Rongru could clearly tell that he possessed a certain level of combat ability. At the same time, she had often heard fighter jets passing overhead during the past two days, but later they had become fewer and fewer, until the entire world seemed to have fallen still. With such an eerie situation, she vaguely sensed that something extremely serious had happened outside.

"You're quite clever... but I refuse."

Mu Xiao had long expected to be saddled with such troublesome matters, which was why he had planned to leave. He had only called her out so she could recognize the cruelty of this world and find her own way out, rather than staying in the Lawyer Building and attracting Zombies or Mutant Humans inside, causing trouble when he returned to live here.

As for what she chose to do, Mu Xiao had no intention of caring whether she lived or died.

Hearing Mu Xiao's utterly uncompromising refusal, An Rongru panicked. Her lips were already dry, and her pale, haggard face became even more anxious. Without thinking, she said, "I can pay you a large sum of credits, or you can name a reasonable amount. I will seriously consider it."

A teasing smile curled at the corner of Mu Xiao's lips, and the look he gave An Rongru was equally teasing.

Only after making An Rongru feel extremely uncomfortable did Mu Xiao speak. "I suggest you go out to the balcony and take a look first. Then consider what price you can offer, or what bargaining chips you have that are worth giving..."

As he spoke, he turned and headed for the door. "I don't have the leisure to play bodyguard. Look after yourself—but remember to leave the place I've occupied."

Seeing that Mu Xiao had absolutely no intention of staying, An Rongru knew money could not move him. Gritting her teeth, she walked toward the balcony to see just how terrible it was outside...

The roads were stained in mottled black and red. The air reeked of blood. The streets were deathly silent, with not a single normal living person in sight. Only groups of three or five walking corpses wandered around. The main roads were filled with the wreckage of exploded cars. The surrounding buildings seemed shrouded in a bleak aura of death, no longer as bright and glamorous as before. In the distance, black smoke rose into the sky. There was not a trace of prosperity left—only chaos and devastation as far as the eye could see, as if despair had become the theme of the entire world...

"Th-this... this..." All color drained from An Rongru's face. An enormous, unknown terror pressed down on her until she could barely breathe. Added to the fact that she had not eaten, a wave of weakness rose from both body and mind, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.

But when she thought of how she could not survive alone, and how she did not know whether her daughter at home was alive or dead, some unknown strength surged through every cell in her body and rushed into her mind. It was as though she heard something unlock inside her head. In an instant, she could clearly sense the movements around her, as well as the man outside who was leaving.

The next moment, An Rongru did not think any further. As though every ounce of her potential had been unleashed, she rushed out and cried urgently, like someone grasping at a lifeline, "Sir! Sir, please wait!"

Mu Xiao turned back impatiently and saw her hurrying over in high heels. The pair of towering peaks on her chest trembled violently with every step, bouncing like rolling waves. Mu Xiao's impatient expression swiftly turned into one of pleasure and focus as he patiently admired the spectacular sight before him.

When An Rongru saw Mu Xiao's strange gaze roaming over her chest, her fear immediately lessened, replaced by a wave of embarrassment. Her jade-white wrists and delicate hands subtly covered those dangerous curves, as though calming her own racing heart, or perhaps blocking Mu Xiao's gaze. She hesitated before asking, "Can you take me with you?"

This time, An Rongru did not dare offer any bargaining chips. She understood that if no amount of credits could move him, then her alluring, mature body might be her only remaining chip. Thinking back on what he had said, it all seemed to imply that her body was her only asset. But she did not want to degrade herself by using her body as a bargaining chip, nor could she accept a strange man doing whatever he pleased with her. She also did not believe that her beauty was all she had.

Mu Xiao was not a lecher. In his youth, his background and status on the moon had made him a member of the privileged elite. He had seen plenty of luxurious and decadent lifestyles. Introduced through several children of family friends, he had dated many famous socialites and beauties, living wildly and recklessly for a time.

But his family had lost the struggle for power among the lunar factions, and he lost his greatest source of status. After experiencing countless instances of human indifference in society, his mentality was no longer arrogant, and he deeply buried that unruly pride.

He had truly lowered himself and become an ordinary person in the mundane world. Otherwise, he would not have loved Xia Qian more than himself back then. At that time, he had already lost his sharpness. It could also be said that he had been trying to numb himself against his once-glorious past.

But the world was always unpredictable. The New Human Plan had caused the world to undergo enormous changes, filling him with an endless thirst for power. Yet the death of his only family member, his younger sister, completely turned his heart to ashes. It seemed that power was his only support. Gradually, he underwent an extreme transformation. With the world losing order and humanity's dark side laid bare, even he became part of that darkness. He would stop at nothing for power, so he became a lone wanderer, forming no deep ties with anyone, and no one befriended him. He was almost a sinister New Human without any emotions.

However, now that Mu Xiao had been reborn, his soul had been cleansed. He clearly recognized the hidden dangers that his former extreme personality had left in his heart, which had caused his temperament to become twisted and extreme, making it difficult to turn back. Therefore, he would not make the same mistakes again, nor would he lose himself in desire.

As for why he had warned An Rongru, it was merely to give her advice: to make her understand that in the days to come, dignity would be the cheapest thing of all. Only the strong had the right to possess dignity. Sometimes, one had to lower oneself and offer up one's greatest bargaining chip—even one's life—in exchange for a chance to survive. Then one had to make good use of that chance, gain the strength for freedom, and keep living.

An Rongru had lost her greatest bargaining chip, her wealth. Just as she believed, her ripe, voluptuous body was her greatest remaining asset. But Mu Xiao did not think her alluring mature body could buy his protection. In his eyes, she was nothing but a massive burden. With his current strength, he could only protect himself for the time being. Adding an Old Human with no power to fight even a chicken would only slow his evolution.

But Mu Xiao quickly changed his mind.

Hmm?

Mu Xiao's gaze sharpened. The words of refusal stopped on his lips as he carefully examined An Rongru from head to toe, discovering that she seemed somewhat different from before.

Seeing him stare at her body without blinking, as though implying something, An Rongru's heart was immediately filled with both shame and anger. Yet forced into a desperate situation, she could not reveal even the slightest displeasure. She could only pretend not to notice, sincerely hoping to muddle through it. What was the harm in letting him look a few more times?

I hope he has principles and won't force himself on me... An Rongru realized how foolish she had been. If he had wanted to force himself on her, he would have acted back in the room. He would not have left so decisively. Clearly, he simply did not want to be burdened by her. At that thought, her heart sank as though falling into a bottomless abyss, and her whole body turned cold.

Actually, Mu Xiao had not intended to take her with him, but he had noticed something interesting. Thus, his previously hard tone softened slightly as he asked, "I can take you with me, but what can you give me?"

An Rongru had not expected the situation to take a turn. Her frozen heart came alive again and gradually warmed, but Mu Xiao's blunt question left her unsure how to respond. Her jade-like cheeks flushed like sunset clouds. Lowering her head with the shy manner of a young girl, she stammered and avoided the subject.

"I... I..."

A mature, beautiful woman displaying the shyness of a young girl possessed a special charm. Especially with her voluptuous, exquisite, breathtaking figure, it made her mature allure appear all the more soft and captivating.

"It seems you're struggling deeply inside, because you still don't understand what this world has become. That is why you cannot clearly recognize what true fear is, and why hope still remains deep in your heart..." Mu Xiao paused. His cold eyes were like ice as he said mercilessly, "Now come with me and experience fear for yourself. Otherwise, you won't be able to believe what I say next, nor will you be able to bear the despair of having that hope deep in your heart completely shattered."

After saying that, Mu Xiao turned and walked downstairs without looking back.

An Rongru stood there as though stunned. All the thoughts in her heart had been seen through, and she did not know how to respond.

When Mu Xiao was about to go downstairs, she finally noticed how quiet the surroundings were. The bloody smell in the corridor, which she had not paid attention to before, became clear. A sinister atmosphere filled the air, as though countless flesh-devouring monsters lurked in the darkness. She could not help shivering as she hurried after Mu Xiao's retreating figure, afraid that she would truly be left behind.