Passion

Mu Xiao finished washing up before long, feeling refreshed from head to toe. All he lacked was a full stomach. When he stepped out of the room, he saw that tableware had already been arranged on the round table in the center, while An Rongru was still busy sorting through a large pile of food.

"You should go wash up too. I'll handle dinner," Mu Xiao said. He wore only a tank top and shorts, revealing his tall, lean, powerful build and the robust masculine aura he exuded.

"Mm, I'll go now." An Rongru's lovely face flushed red. She picked up the clothes she had prepared from the bed, lowered her head slightly, and walked past Mu Xiao.

With the two sharing the same room, she still could not fully control her Life Detection ability at will. She could clearly sense the vigorous, powerful vitality radiating from Mu Xiao, a masculine charm that could soften a woman's body and heart. For a mature beauty like her, who had gone without intimacy for years, it was especially tempting, like a moth flying into a flame.

Sometimes, men held an even greater allure for women.

However, Mu Xiao had no such frivolous thoughts. He went straight into the kitchen and found the ingredients An Rongru had washed clean. Most of them were food left behind in the security room, but the refrigerator had already failed and become useless. If some of it was not eaten in time, it would spoil sooner or later, so they might as well clear it all out at once.

New Humans were good at absorbing nutrients, and their bodies consumed varying amounts of energy. Naturally, their appetites were several times greater than before.

Ordinary food in this early stage of the era simply could not satisfy a New Human's appetite, nor did it contain enough nutrition to strengthen the body. Only by hunting Mutant Beasts and consuming their flesh, which was rich in powerful genes, could New Humans meet their nutritional needs. Long-term consumption of Mutant Beast meat could also strengthen their vitality and nourish their bodies.

Mu Xiao had killed a Mutant Cat inside the Lawyer Building and cut out more than thirty pieces of high-quality edible meat. That was the main course for his hearty dinner tonight.

"Mutant Beast meat in this era isn't cheap, and fresh meat like this is delicious. It really is something worth reminiscing about..." Mu Xiao took out a fresh red, resilient chunk of meat from a plate. The kitchen knife in his hand flashed like lightning, slicing it into translucent pieces as thin as cicada wings.

Before long, more than thirty thick pieces of meat had been piled into a small mountain of slices.

Mu Xiao then cut up the other meats and vegetables An Rongru had gathered, placing them on separate plates. He filled half a large pot with water, found an energy stove for heating, cleared out the electronic virus inside it, and carried everything he had prepared to the dining table.

"On a long night like this, hot pot is perfect for passing the time." Mu Xiao was quite satisfied with the abundance of ingredients, as well as how quickly and easily dinner had been settled.

Mu Xiao turned on the energy stove and mixed the dipping sauce. Once the water boiled, he could begin eating.

While waiting, Mu Xiao repaired several electric lamps so the room would not seem so dark and gloomy. This security hall had no windows. If it had, the Guard Mutant Human could have easily broken through the room's defenses through them earlier. Therefore, Mu Xiao was not worried about the light leaking outside and attracting unnecessary trouble.

Steam rose from the pot. Mu Xiao dropped in a few slices of meat, swished them through the boiling water, and began eating by himself without waiting for An Rongru.

Women certainly did not wash up as briskly as men. Besides, with the possibility of something intimate happening tonight, An Rongru could not deny that she had feelings for Mu Xiao, yet she did not want to enter into a real relationship with him too quickly. She also knew that men found it difficult to suppress their desires, especially a young man in the prime of his vitality. An Rongru likewise understood what her age-long body needed. Her heart grew increasingly embarrassed, and she had no choice but to make preparations. If something did happen, she did not want to leave herself with an unpleasant night.

If something truly happened today, it would be an important and unforgettable day for An Rongru.

The rich aroma of boiling meat filled the entire room.

Mu Xiao had no idea how bashful An Rongru's thoughts were. He only knew to gorge himself on the ingredients spread across the table, constantly swallowing slices of Mutant Cat meat. His mouth was filled with tender, springy meat, without the slightest trace of bloodiness or gamey odor. Once swallowed, the meat turned into tiny streams of warm heat in his stomach, nourishing his internal organs, muscles, and bones.

His vitality warmed and surged, as though he had drunk a powerful tonic wine. His blood circulation and blood cell division accelerated continuously, and his entire body blazed with vigorous energy and vitality. He could feel his physical vitality gradually strengthening, though there were no signs of his constitution advancing to the next level. Still, his blood was becoming rich with life energy.

"A newly evolved New Human absolutely can't eat too much mutant meat, or they'll overnourish themselves and suffer for it. But my bloodline carries the Devour trait. I can replenish myself without limit, so I'm not afraid of my vitality becoming too intense and making my blood explode..." Mu Xiao ate until sweat covered his head, soaking through his tank top. He felt that he would need to rinse himself off again later.

Mu Xiao did not eat mutant meat continuously. From time to time, he ate ordinary meat and vegetables as well, so that when his body was at its peak, it could squeeze out the greatest nutritional value from the other foods.

Half an hour later, An Rongru finally emerged from the bathroom. Her red lips were moist, her face delicate and radiant, her eyelashes long, her nose straight and refined, and her large watery eyes seemed capable of dripping with moisture. She exuded the charm of a mature, alluring woman.

An Rongru wore a white athletic jacket. Her figure was too full for her to find clothes that fit properly, and she did not want to wear form-fitting clothes or another man's shirt. Some female security guards' clothes and underwear did not suit her size either, so she could only find a female guard's athletic jacket and wear it as a shirt.

"It smells wonderful."

After washing up and stepping into the room, An Rongru's heart was still racing, and she remained uneasy and awkward. Yet the waves of meat fragrance filling the room made her realize how hungry she was. She had been so lost in wild thoughts that she had forgotten her body's hunger. She could not help giving a helpless smile. Even at over thirty, she was acting as shy as a young girl. She could only set aside some of her embarrassment, sit across from Mu Xiao, and silently begin dinner.

When she ate a slice of mutant meat, she found the texture exceptionally good. Her body also warmed, and a comfortable heat spread through her. She then ate several more slices in succession. Her blood seemed to heat to boiling, her entire body grew hot, and she felt as though she had endless energy.

"What kind of meat is this? It seems really good for the body." An Rongru lightly pursed her rosy lips and blew the steam off a slice of meat. Her face blossomed with radiant beauty and seductive charm. She had been hungry for a long time over the past few days. Now that her malnourished skin had been nourished, her cheeks became even fuller, redder, and more tender, carrying the rich beauty of a mature woman.

"Mutant Beast meat has very high nutritional value. Eating it over a long period is very beneficial for the body." Mu Xiao looked up at her alluring face. Because his energy and vitality were too abundant, a stir arose in his heart, but he quickly calmed it and shifted his attention. "You only recently evolved into a New Human. If you feel your body temperature getting too high, it means your body is starting to lose the ability to digest this high-energy meat. You must stop eating it then, or its benefits will turn into harm."

"Mm, I understand." An Rongru, drenched in fragrant sweat, gave Mu Xiao a dazzling smile. Her charm was indescribable, seductive enough to take one's breath away.

"Whew!"

Mu Xiao exhaled deeply, releasing the heat in his chest. He did not know whether An Rongru had stirred his desire or whether his overflowing vitality had made him feel too stifled, causing that restless heat.

By the end of the hot pot meal, both of them had surging vitality. The temperature in the room gradually rose, and the atmosphere became hazy and intimate.

Mu Xiao had originally been able to control his desire well. But when he saw An Rongru's cheeks flushed red like fire, her lips moist and crimson, fine beads of sweat covering her elegant nose, and her beautiful eyes soft as water and brimming with affectionate allure, he gradually stopped trying to suppress the desire in his heart.

"Want a drink?" Mu Xiao did not want her to feel too much psychological pressure later, so he wanted to use alcohol as a catalyst and also test her willingness. After all, intimacy was meant to be enjoyment and indulgence. If one party was unwilling, Mu Xiao did not want to act like a beast and simply vent his physical desire.

"I..." An Rongru's ample chest rose and fell slightly. The allure in her eyes rippled like spring water, while her full, gentle face was as red as sunset clouds. Her crimson lips pressed together, seemingly carrying a passion that could ignite desire.

Of course, she understood that Mu Xiao was testing her feelings. Her body was likewise burning with restless heat, and she wanted badly to release the mature desires she had suppressed for so long. Yet there were still things she could not let go of, especially when her daughter's fate remained unknown. If she indulged her emotions at a time like this, she would feel as though she had betrayed her daughter.

"Can you give me some time?" An Rongru lowered her head, not daring to look at Mu Xiao's expression. She was afraid of seeing his face turn cold.

An Rongru understood that what she had done was tantamount to refusing intimacy with Mu Xiao. It was an untimely, ungrateful act.

Because An Rongru understood all too clearly that in this world without order, human nature was often more terrifying than monsters. If the first person she had encountered had not been Mu Xiao but some other man, she might have been forced and lost her innocence on the spot. Not to mention receiving help from someone like Mu Xiao, who had helped her become a New Human, saved her several times despite her being a burden, given her the ability to survive, and even respected her wishes now.

Most importantly, Mu Xiao was shrouded in mystery and possessed great strength. As a woman, An Rongru desperately needed the sense of security he gave her. If rejecting him caused her to lose a man capable of protecting her, then the days ahead might not hold hope, but despair. If she encountered men with ill intentions, she might become a female slave worse off than dead, reduced to a tool for their lust...

The more An Rongru thought about it, the more flustered and terrified she became.

Besides, she had already promised Mu Xiao that she would become his woman, yet she was now refusing him. There was faintly a sense that she was going back on her word. Therefore, even if Mu Xiao abandoned her now, it would only be natural.

"I just want to find my daughter and know whether she's alive or dead. I don't want to disgrace myself too much..." An Rongru raised her head and looked at Mu Xiao, tears glimmering in her beautiful eyes.

At that moment, her full, gentle face looked elegant and chaste, making it hard for anyone to crush the love in her heart as a mother.

"Mm, all right." Mu Xiao had not been reborn as some sex-crazed man who had to satisfy his lower-body urges. Besides, she had her own hardships. If he still forced her to do something she did not want, it would be little different from forcing a decent woman into prostitution.

Mu Xiao did not consider himself a good person, but he did not want to become a terrible one.

He...

An Rongru had not expected Mu Xiao to truly understand her. Her unease immediately turned into tender sweetness, and her heart filled with gratitude.

"Thank you." An Rongru spoke softly, the words carrying much gratitude and affection.

"Don't refuse me next time. I'm a man too, and holding it in is very hard," Mu Xiao said bluntly.

Hearing such explicit words, An Rongru's face instantly burned red. Still, she lowered her head and gave a soft, sweet "Mm."

After the two had eaten their fill, every bit of food on the table had gone into their stomachs. Naturally, Mu Xiao had eaten the most.

There was still some packaged food left in the room that would not spoil easily. Mu Xiao had An Rongru put it away as well, since they could not waste food casually.

Mu Xiao returned to the bathroom for another cold shower. His vitality was too strong, and with a mature, seductive beauty before him, he naturally needed to calm himself down properly. While soaking in the cold water, Mu Xiao suddenly remembered that An Rongru's New Human ability had yet to reveal itself. He felt it necessary to determine what kind of ability she had awakened as a New Human.