Danger, But Not Bad!

"Feminine?"

"I'm a woman, aren't I? If I'm not feminine, who is?"

"Isn't it natural and right for me to be this way? If I were to toughen up..."

"Forget it, I can't toughen up."

In front of Tang Fei, Phoenix felt completely insecure.

Phoenix was fuming inwardly, she hadn't expected Tang Fei to criticize her words and demeanor with such a reason.

What was even more embarrassing was that she had actually spoken to Tang Fei in that tone.

She had just subconsciously wanted to retort to Tang Fei's words, but the phrase "I do not" combined with a certain expression and demeanor on New Star felt a bit like a girl acting spoiled towards her boyfriend.

Many TV shows and movies depicted it this way, and she had even secretly used her brain-computer interface to experience it.

It was indeed embarrassing!

"Why did I speak to him in that tone?"

Phoenix asked herself, yearning for a definitive answer.

Did she like him? Impossible.

Was it ambiguous? Not really.

Gratitude? That was the closest to the truth.

In the cold, endless night, someone lighting a match for you is the warmth and light you've long desired.

For Phoenix, the actions of Tang Fei and Little Fatty held such meaning.

A thrilling adventure turned into betrayal by the person closest to her. She escaped with her life, protected by loyal followers, only for the escape pod, severely damaged, to crash-land in a dangerous human settlement.

Fortunately, she met Tang Fei, and it was the Tang Fei family she met.

She couldn't imagine what would have happened if Tang Fei hadn't taken her in. If it had been the Predators, the Flame Shrine, or other ill-intentioned individuals, she would surely be wishing for death right now.

She was filled with gratitude for all of this!

And she was also grateful that it was Tang Fei she had met!

Through their brief interactions, she felt that although Tang Fei was "dangerous," he wasn't a bad person.

He was dangerous for self-preservation, but his danger was only to protect his family.

There was no contradiction at all.

So, naturally, she began to accept Tang Fei and Little Fatty, seeing them as her anchor and support in this land.

"Mhm, that's it."

Having sorted out her emotional state, Phoenix finally felt at ease.

She glanced at Tang Fei and saw him walking briskly with his eyes fixed forward, his gaze seemingly focused on his nose and heart. However, the messy hair couldn't hide his flushed ears, revealing that his inner state was not as calm and casual as he appeared.

"Still a shy little boy!" Phoenix chuckled inwardly.

Little Fatty, shirtless, carried the rabbit. His exposed belly was even fairer than the rabbit. Strutting proudly, completely unaware of what had happened behind him.

Of course, he wouldn't have cared even if he knew.

A woman who couldn't smash rocks held no appeal for him.

"Brother Tang Fei..."

A thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl rushed out from a nearby stone courtyard, calling out sweetly to Tang Fei.

The girl was slender with clear eyes, dressed in plain, coarse gray cloth. Yet, the unique lightness and freshness of youth emanated from her unrestrainedly.

The only imperfection was a long scar on her face, running from her eyebrow to the corner of her mouth, making it look somewhat fierce and terrifying.

Tang Fei had once gathered medicinal herbs to try and help her remove the scar, but the young girl had refused.

This scar had ruined her, and it had also saved her.

"Ning Ning."

Tang Fei's face lit up with a smile, and he waved at the girl.

An Ning was Aunt Cheng's daughter. Her father, An Xin, had his leg bitten off by a wolf while hunting. Due to a lack of medicine, he died from his festering wound not long after being rescued. Living as a widow and orphan was extremely difficult, so Tang Fei would occasionally help them out, dropping off one or two hunted animals for them to make soup.

The old man often mocked Tang Fei for being a softie, but he never truly stopped him from doing these things. Sometimes, he would secretly carry a bag of cassava or other grains over himself.

Aunt Cheng also knew that the three men lived rough lives, so she would often come over to help them mend their clothes and clean the house.

Many people believed that Aunt Cheng and the old man were involved, and Tang Fei was among those "many people."

Of course, the old man himself vehemently denied it and warned Tang Fei not to ruin his reputation.

Reputation? Tsk tsk.

Tang Fei knew that the old man definitely had no reputation, but Aunt Cheng might be pregnant.

The little girl's father had passed away when she was seven or eight. For the past few years, she had relied mainly on Tang Fei and the others for care and support, so she was very close to Tang Fei and Little Fatty, and was always very happy to see them.

Looking at An Ning's smiling face, Tang Fei asked, "What are you doing at home?"

"I'm drawing." An Ning said proudly, raising the branch in her hand.

The children in the ruins had few ways to entertain themselves, and due to the extremely harsh living environment, they couldn't go out, so they could only stay within their small courtyards.

Therefore, everyone had to find their own ways to have fun. An Ning particularly loved to draw, and she was quite good at it.

It was just that without paper and pens, she could only use branches to draw on the ground.

"Ning Ning, you're amazing," Tang Fei praised.

He took a silver writing pen out of his pocket and said, "Here, this is for you."

Phoenix's eyes narrowed. This was something from the escape pod, and she didn't know when he had 'swiped' it.

Of course, Phoenix chose to ignore this trivial matter.

Tang Fei fumbled in his arms for a while longer, then found a few crumpled sheets of paper folded together. He said, "I'll give you these too. You can draw on them from now on. If you draw well, you can keep them forever."

"Thank you, Brother Tang Fei," An Ning was overjoyed. On the Old Earth, paper and pens were rare commodities; you couldn't buy them even with money, let alone when they didn't have any.

Clutching the gifts she had just received, she said, "Brother Tang Fei, I'll give you my drawing when I'm done."

"Okay, I'll be waiting," Tang Fei said, smiling happily.

Phoenix looked at Tang Fei's smiling face, which was different from his usual smile. It was bright, pure, and seemed to be genuinely happy.

The weather was nice today, with a rare warm sun appearing. The golden light shone on his delicate face, making his skin appear even thinner and fairer, and his eyes sparkled with a light like the sun.

Huh, he washed his face today!

Yes, Tang Fei had washed his face today.

The old man said they had a guest, so everyone should wash their faces to show respect.

For some unknown reason, he had Tang Fei wash first, with himself second, while Little Fatty still enjoyed a large basin of nutrient-rich 'thick soup' from the mineral resources.

"He's quite kind!" Phoenix thought to herself.

Soon, she banished that absurd thought from her mind.

Illusion, all of it is an illusion.

I absolutely cannot be deceived by his act; I've seen how he can turn on people.

An Ning's gaze fell on Phoenix. She had noticed Phoenix from the first moment because her appearance was too outstanding, and the clothes she wore were also different from those on their Old Earth – exquisite and beautiful, perfectly outlining her figure. It was hard to ignore her.

"Who is this sister?" An Ning asked curiously.

"Oh, her name is Phoenix," Tang Fei said with a smile. "A guest from New Star."

"Wow?" An Ning said enviously. "No wonder she's so beautiful. So she's a distinguished guest from New Star, Sister Phoenix. New Star must be very beautiful, right?"

"It's alright," Phoenix replied demurely.

She didn't know the relationship between this girl and Tang Fei, but her caution made her keep a certain distance from every stranger.

Moreover, she could feel the girl's scrutiny and examination from the moment she saw her.

Even though she's hiding it well, how can she escape my sharp eyes? What kind of social circles has she been through?

"I really hope I'll have a chance to go up and see," An Ning said, looking up at the sky with anticipation in her eyes.

"You will definitely have a chance," Phoenix nodded.

I secretly worry, she won't ask me for a 'ticket' like Tang Fei, will she?

As it turned out, not everyone was as shameless as Tang Fei. An Ning didn't ask Phoenix for help, nor did she chat with Phoenix again. Instead, she looked at Tang Fei and asked, "Brother Tang Fei, where did you go?"

"Hunting," Tang Fei replied, not wanting to mention the escape pod and the Flame Shrine, as that would only cause trouble for both parties.

He pointed to the rabbit on Little Fatty's shoulder and said, "We caught a Red-eyed Rabbit. Let's see if it's fat."

"It's fat," An Ning said with a smile.

"Little Fatty," Tang Fei called out. "Save two rabbit legs for An Ning."

"No, no, you don't have to," An Ning refused. "We still haven't finished the mutton you gave us last time. If we don't eat it soon, it'll go bad..."

"How can a little mutton be too much? Tell Auntie to stew more tonight. Don't wait until the meat goes bad to eat it. You're still growing, so you need to get enough nutrition..."

"Really, you don't need to," An Ning said as she refused, but her eyes involuntarily glanced at Phoenix's chest.

Indeed, she needs to get enough nutrition...

"Listen to me," Tang Fei said forcefully.

Little Fatty was very efficient. He carried the rabbit into the yard, found a cleaver in the kitchen, and with a swift stroke, two plump rabbit legs were detached.

Tang Fei waved his hand and said, "Alright, we're heading back. If you need anything, come find me at home."

"Okay, goodbye Brother Tang Fei," An Ning said with a smile.

After Tang Fei and his group had walked away, An Ning looked at Phoenix's graceful and elegant retreating figure, softly chewing on her name: "Phoenix..."