A Glimpse of Tang Fei Doomed My Life!

The Old Man and Little Fatty went to sleep.

Tang Fei also wanted to sleep, but Phoenix wouldn't allow it.

Tang Fei securely closed the courtyard gate and placed a few minor restrictions at the entrance before returning to the veranda. He plopped down onto the Old Man's old rattan chair.

Despite its worn-out appearance, the chair was surprisingly comfortable, feeling like a soft, large bed.

Tang Fei let out a comfortable groan, then squinted at Phoenix, who was sitting on a small wooden stool beside him, her small face tense and her body ramrod straight. He asked, "Aren't you tired?"

"I am," Phoenix replied.

Of course, she was tired.

She had accompanied Tang Fei on a hunt all day, exerting considerable effort to win. After returning home, they encountered assassins, and she had taken the initiative to escape into Hate Mountain.

This was the busiest and most arduous day of her life; she had never experienced anything like it before.

"Then why are you holding yourself so stiffly?" Tang Fei said. "Relax. Let your body and nerves unwind, just like me. That's the best way to rest."

Phoenix considered his words and found them quite reasonable. She then said to Tang Fei, "Then you get up."

"Why should I get up?" Tang Fei asked.

"There's only one lounge chair. If you get up, I can lie on it."

"Impossible." Tang Fei lacked the noble quality of yielding to ladies. He shifted his body to the side, patted the newly vacated space, and said, "I'll give you half at most."

Phoenix glanced at the half of the "bed" that was available. She was tempted and hesitated for a moment before deciding against lying down.

The upbringing and etiquette she had received since childhood prevented her from doing such a thing. Lying next to a young man she didn't know too well before marriage—if those court etiquette masters saw this, they would likely faint from anger on the spot.

Tang Fei didn't force the issue. If she didn't accept, that was her problem; he wasn't the one who would be uncomfortable.

On the contrary, Tang Fei felt even better with Phoenix not joining him.

After all, sleeping alone was much more spacious and comfortable than squeezing in with someone else.

He felt a slight pang of disappointment, though.

Did she dislike my smell? I didn't even mind her lemon scent.

Phoenix looked at Tang Fei and softly said, "I'm sorry. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have encountered this situation."

"Talking about it is useless," Tang Fei said. "How about adding a ton of supplies instead?"

"..."

"We people in the Wasteland live pretty realistically. A hundred 'I'm sorrys' are worth less than a ton of supplies. A thousand 'thank yous' are worth less than a radiation gun. For us, words are the cheapest commodity. If you gave me those, I could sit here and thank you all night."

"..."

Phoenix felt a tightness in her chest.

She couldn't even keep her back straight anymore; the strain in her front was becoming unbearable.

Seeing Phoenix's silence, Tang Fei asked, "What? Are you angry?"

"No, I know you're speaking the truth. In such a harsh survival environment, 'I'm sorry' and 'thank you' truly have no substantial meaning," Phoenix explained earnestly, looking at Tang Fei. "I just... I just felt that while the supplies and weapons should be given to you, I also needed to tell you 'I'm sorry' and 'thank you.' There are many ways to express gratitude, and these are the only two I can think of right now."

"I've read in many wuxia novels that when the heroine is saved by the male protagonist, she exclaims, 'Your kindness is too great, I can never repay it, I wish to pledge myself to you.' Have you considered that?"

"That sort of thing depends on looks," Phoenix said.

If the male protagonist was handsome, it was "Your kindness is too great, I can never repay it, I wish to pledge myself to you." If the male protagonist wasn't good-looking, it was "Your kindness is too great, I can never repay it, I will be your ox or horse in the next life."

That was essentially writing a blank check for the next life, making it so you never wanted to see them again in this one.

Tang Fei leaned his face closer and said, "Then take a look at my face."

"I think you're shameless," Phoenix said with a smile.

"..."

Phoenix giggled, sounding like a happy little hen.

It was strange, really. She wasn't someone who made friends easily. Due to her special status, she had very few friends throughout her life.

However, after arriving in Old Earth, she felt a great sense of trust towards this stranger. Their interactions also made her feel very relaxed and happy.

Tang Fei was cunning, devious, ruthless, and petty, lacking all the fine qualities possessed by the gentlemen of New Star.

Yet, he was so genuine, so genuine that she found him endearing.

Phoenix used to detest men who lied, but when she discovered Tang Fei was full of tall tales...

She actually found herself thinking, This guy's storytelling ability is quite good.

In his presence, she could completely relax, without needing to maintain composure or pretend. She could say what she wanted, do what she wanted.

"You were supposed to go home," Tang Fei said. "It's a shame you have to stay longer."

He thought of the escaping Star Disc and felt a pain so intense he could barely breathe. If only he could have kept that instead of Phoenix, wouldn't that have been much better?

Women only increase my sword-drawing frequency.

Ever since this woman appeared, he'd been getting into fights quite often.

"That sounds regretful?" Phoenix asked, staring into Tang Fei's eyes.

She wondered what Tang Fei was thinking, if he was really so eager to send her away.

Didn't he think it was good to have a friend like her sometimes?

"Of course," Tang Fei nodded and said, "Once you go back, the things you promised will be delivered. If you keep staying here, eating my food, drinking my water, and wearing my clothes, I'll have to fight other men for you. It's both difficult and dangerous. The old man was right, a beautiful woman is a disaster."

Phoenix chuckled again. Tang Fei asked curiously, "What are you laughing at now?"

"Are you calling me beautiful when you say 'a beautiful woman is a disaster'?"

"Did I mean to?"

"Of course," Phoenix nodded with certainty, "Only those who are good-looking are called 'beautiful women'."

"And what about those who aren't?"

"They're called confidantes."

"."

"But you don't have to worry, I'll be going back soon," Phoenix comforted Tang Fei. "If they don't come, my family might have a hard time finding this place. But since they've arrived, I don't think my family will be unable to find us, unless someone doesn't want them to."

"Mhm, go back. This place doesn't belong to you, and this isn't a place you should be," Tang Fei sighed softly.

Phoenix looked at Tang Fei and said, "Tang Fei, you're actually really amazing."

"I know, you don't need to emphasize it. It's like I don't believe in myself."

"."

Thump!

Pain!

"Alright, keep praising me," Tang Fei said. "I'll believe whatever you say, I'm not the type of person who doubts others."

Phoenix took a few deep breaths, soothing the stagnant energy in her heart, before continuing, "I've met many outstanding young people on New Star, but none of them are as good as you."

"Meeting Yang Guo once ruined a lifetime," Tang Fei said.

"Who is Yang Guo?"

"My nickname."

"Oh," Phoenix nodded. "If it weren't for you this time, I think I might have been killed by them. The assassins who came were very powerful, and they really wanted to keep me in Old Earth. I was thinking at the time, if the person I met wasn't you, how would I protect myself? How could I fight them?"

"If you keep talking like this, I'll have to increase the supplies," Tang Fei said.

"It's okay, I'll give you everything I can. I can give you anything that will help you," Phoenix said generously.

In the face of life and death, nothing else mattered. If he wanted supplies, she'd give him supplies. If he wanted weapons, she'd give him weapons.

If he wanted her... that wasn't realistic.

"Good brother," Tang Fei said happily, "It was worth becoming your brother."

"."

Phoenix looked down at herself. I have breasts, why is he calling me 'brother'?

"Tang Fei, how long have you been studying mechanical design?" Phoenix asked.

"Mechanical design?" Tang Fei was taken aback. "You mean making that little bird?"

"Yes."

"I've been doing it since I was a child, for many years, but I still haven't been able to make it fly."

"Have you ever thought... maybe you could help me fix the escape pod? Maybe help fix the communication equipment inside?"

"I tried, it didn't work," Tang Fei said.

"You tried?" Phoenix's eyes widened. "When did you try?"

"Just the other day, when you weren't here..." Tang Fei said sheepishly.

"Then my escape pod?" Phoenix had a bad feeling.

"It's still there," Tang Fei said. "It's just a bit scattered. Maybe it was bitten by rats. You don't know, the rats on Hate Mountain have mutated. They can even bite through metal shells and swallow them..."

He was the one who helped hide the escape pod, and he was the most familiar with the path to that area.

As a tech enthusiast, he naturally wanted to take apart and examine this advanced piece of equipment from New Star.

He just didn't expect he couldn't put it back together.

"That's not iron, it's titanium," Phoenix said.

It was one of the hardest metals in the world, and ordinary swords and sabers could barely leave a scratch on it.

He told me it was bitten by rats?

"Oh, rats aren't picky eaters," Tang Fei said.

"."

Once you reach a certain age, you can't sleep in anymore.

The Old Man woke up as usual and, upon stepping outside, saw Tang Fei and Phoenix sleeping in each other's arms.

The two of them were squeezed onto the same lounge chair, with Phoenix nestled contentedly in Tang Fei's embrace, her face beaming with sweetness.

"So soon?" the Old Man exclaimed in shock, thinking they would have spent some time developing their feelings for each other first.

"Times are changing, and people's hearts are no longer what they used to be."

The Old Man shook his head and sighed.

Just then, the sound of noisy footsteps suddenly erupted from outside.

Tang Fei and Phoenix were instantly startled awake. Phoenix, seeing herself cradled in Tang Fei's arms, experienced a momentary mental freeze. Before she could even register her own surprise, she saw Tang Fei looking at her with a panicked expression, saying, "Why are you sleeping in my arms? What did you do to me?"

"..."

The Old Man rushed to the doorway and peered outside for a moment, his face grave as he said, "Gray Robes. A lot of Gray Robes from the Flame Shrine have surrounded us."