Ruffian Spirit!

I had long heard that the Refugees of the wasteland were savage and cunning, willing to do anything to survive. But this boy in front of her...

Forget it. He was her lifesaver. No matter what, she owed him an enormous debt of gratitude.

"It looks like it's too late." Phoenix looked at Tang Fei and explained with an earnest expression, "More than half of my body has lost all sensation."

"Oh, that's the effect of Snake Skin Tree sap. It doesn't just reduce inflammation and kill bacteria—it also numbs the nerves and helps wounds heal."

Phoenix looked at Tang Fei's swollen purplish-red lips, nodded slightly, and said, "Thank you. I will repay you."

"Why say that? I didn't save you expecting anything in return." Tang Fei waved a hand magnanimously. "But if your family happens to have an extra hovercar, or some weapons and ammunition..."

Tang Fei wore a shy expression, as though the words that followed were too difficult for him to say.

"I understand." Phoenix nodded. "Once I return to New Star, I'll have someone send you a hovercar and three Pulse Rifles."

"Then thank you so much." Tang Fei warmly extended his right hand and shook Phoenix's small hand. With a broad grin, he said, "I was only mentioning it casually. It's fine even without those things."

"When I saved you, there was only one thought in my mind: this was a living person. I couldn't leave her in the wilderness to be eaten by wild beasts, or gnawed down to nothing but bone fragments by man-eating ants."

"It would be even worse if you fell into the hands of those Predators. You'd end up neither human nor ghost. I guarantee you'd rather never have escaped that great tomb."

"I'll add a ton of supplies," Phoenix said.

"Oh, you're far too kind." Tang Fei grinned from ear to ear. "How are you feeling now? Is anything uncomfortable? If something hurts, I can chew up some more Snake Skin Tree leaves for you."

"Everything else is fine. I just feel weak and powerless."

"It's fine, it's fine. You'll recover after resting for a while." Tang Fei comforted her. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? Your lips look a little dry. I'll find you some water."

"Alright, thank you," Phoenix said.

Since you could see that my lips were dry, why hadn't you given me any water until now? My throat was practically on fire, alright?

Naturally, she would not say anything that might disrupt the harmonious, friendly atmosphere.

She was too weak even to truss a chicken, without so much as the strength to stand. She had fallen into a Refugees' district in the wasteland and knew nothing about the young man before her—not his identity, background, or origins, and even less about what he had done before.

Or what he might do.

No matter what, she could not provoke him now. She also needed to appear as grateful and sincere as possible.

Still, she could not overdo the gratitude. She could not let him guess her true identity.

That would only create another troublesome matter.

Her immediate priority was to ensure her safety, quickly regain her strength, contact New Star, and have them send people to retrieve her at once.

As for the debts those people owed her, she would collect them bit by bit once she returned.

A blood debt had to be repaid in blood.

Very soon, Tang Fei returned carrying a large bowl of water.

Of course, this had absolutely nothing to do with the hovercar, the Pulse Rifles, or the ton of supplies.

Phoenix wanted to sit up and drink, only to discover that her body could not move at all.

Tang Fei noticed her predicament and said, "It's alright. Just lie there. I'll feed you."

As he spoke, he took a copper spoon from his pocket.

Clearly, he had prepared it beforehand.

Phoenix glanced at the surface of the spoon and forcibly swallowed the words asking him to wash and sterilize it. Blue Star had an old saying: when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Since she had landed in this wasteland, nothing mattered more than staying alive.

Tang Fei had no idea what she was thinking. To youths who lived in the wasteland, potable water was already a luxury. Sometimes, they would lie directly on the ground and stick their mouths into a river, or tilt their heads back to catch spring water flowing down from the mountain ravines.

Tools had never been the issue.

Whether there were tools at all had never been the issue.

Tang Fei scooped up water and fed Phoenix spoonful after spoonful. Her dry, peeling lips were nourished and gradually became moist and glossy.

Strangely, though, her face became redder and redder.

Is she embarrassed? Tang Fei thought.

Understandable. Looking at me from this close, what woman could possibly withstand it?

"Are you alright?" Tang Fei asked.

"I'm fine." Phoenix swallowed another large mouthful of water, cast Tang Fei a timid glance, and said, "Could you slow down? You're feeding me too quickly. I'm choking."

She wanted to avoid provoking these "Drifters" of the ruins as much as possible. Even when making such a simple and reasonable request, she was extremely cautious.

"..."

Tang Fei actually felt a surge of embarrassed anger. My heart raced just looking at your face, yet when you looked at mine... you were worried about something as trivial as choking?

"Your throat is too shallow."

Tang Fei decided to shift the blame onto Phoenix. After all, shifting responsibility was one of the essential survival skills in the ruins.

"You need more practice. The more you drink and the faster you swallow, the deeper and wider your throat will become."

"..."

Tang Fei spoke fiercely, but his movements became much gentler and slower. After feeding her the entire bowl of water, he looked at Phoenix and asked, "Do you want to eat something?"

Phoenix shook her head. "No. Not for now. I'm not hungry yet."

She did not want to make too many demands. Before they knew each other well enough and had established a foundation of basic trust, she would reduce the burden she placed on others and avoid leaving a negative impression as much as possible.

Living. Nothing was more important than living.

Of course, if there were a steaming bowl of Snow Bull Noodles, that would be true happiness.

Thinking of Snow Bull Noodles, Phoenix could not help swallowing.

"What's your name?" Phoenix did not want to think about Snow Bull Noodles, braised pork, spicy turkey feet, or dry-fried Sea of Sand ginseng, so she took the initiative to chat with Tang Fei.

"Tang Fei," Tang Fei said. "Tang as in the Tang Dynasty, Fei as in the Han Dynasty."

"Then it must be the fei from 'a noble gentleman, polished and refined, carved and honed,' right?" Phoenix picked up the thread.

Tang Fei gave her a meaningful look. "No. Fei as in Ruffian Spirit."

"..."

Phoenix was secretly startled. Had this guy actually seen through her?

Impossible, wasn't it? He was so young, and he lived in this wasteland where survival was uncertain from one day to the next. How could he possibly have such deep thoughts?

"Why would parents give their child such a strange name?" Phoenix remained calm on the surface, showing no hint of anything unusual as she asked in feigned curiosity.

"I heard that I was too good-looking when I was born. They worried I'd be bullied when I grew up, so they gave me this name. They hoped I'd have more Ruffian Spirit in my words and actions, so people would be afraid when they saw me and no one would dare bully me."

"As expected." Phoenix froze for a moment, then praised, "They were truly parents of great foresight."

"Yeah." Tang Fei nodded. "Unfortunately, they're both dead."

"Dead?" Thinking of the environment in which the boy had survived, Phoenix comforted him, "I'm very sorry."

"You did it?"

"Huh? Not me! I didn't even know them!" Phoenix hurriedly denied it.

What a joke. She did not dare take on such a serious accusation. Otherwise, this guy might slaughter her as though she were prey.

There were no laws to restrain people in the wasteland, much less things like kindness or moral virtue.

"Then what are you sorry about?" Tang Fei shrugged indifferently.

"I was only expressing my regret."

"Are all the people on New Star as hypocritical as you?" Tang Fei stared at Phoenix. "For someone you've never met, you're apologizing and expressing regret. Is that how you people usually talk?"

"..."

Phoenix's chest suddenly puffed up as she fumed.

It took great effort for her to suppress the anger in her heart. Patiently, she explained to Tang Fei, "Because you're my lifesaver, hearing that your parents are gone makes me very sad."

She looked at Tang Fei with a sincere expression and said, "I know that in an environment like this, without your parents by your side, your life must have been very difficult."

Tang Fei stared into Phoenix's eyes for a long while, then nodded. "It really wasn't easy. So don't lie to me anymore."

"How could I lie to you? You're my lifesaver, someone I'll be grateful to for the rest of my life."

"Just now, you wanted to bind me under that 'gentleman' signboard. Do you know? In the ruins, gentlemen can't survive." Tang Fei's smile was radiant, but his tone was incomparably serious.

"I understand." For some reason, Phoenix felt a chill run down her spine when she saw his smile. He was far more frightening when he smiled than when he did not. "I'm sorry. That was my mistake. I was only worried... worried that you might hurt me."

"If you were a gentleman, then by observing a gentleman's etiquette, my situation should be safer, right?"

"How could that be?" Tang Fei waved a hand. "What benefit would there be in hurting you? None, right? People in the wasteland may have some strange quirks, but I don't, and neither does my family."

"Besides, I believe in your character. You promised to give me a hovercar, Pulse Rifles, and a ton of supplies. You'll definitely keep your word, right?"

"Yes." Phoenix nodded firmly.

She understood what Tang Fei meant. There was no friendship between them, only a transaction.

Before a greater benefit tempted him, she was completely safe. There was no need to say inappropriate things or do thankless things as she had just done.

After all, no one liked being manipulated.

Mm, she needed to reassess this boy's intelligence.

And his level of danger.

(P.S. Thanks to Drifting Melbourne for the Silver Alliance, and to the beautiful operations officer who has also given Old Liu so much help and support.

Thanks to Brother Ashes for the Silver Alliance. Ashes fell into darkness; that name made me imagine a melancholy, stubbly, burly man who had suffered hundreds of heartbreaks. I never expected that, upon meeting him, I would find him somewhat refined and handsome. It dealt a huge blow to my standing in the world of looks.

Fortunately, I held steady.

Thanks to Quiet Handsome Man for becoming our Alliance Leader. There was a comment about him in the review section that I thought was especially good: Quiet is fake, handsome man is fake, but his love for Old Liu is real.

Thanks to emonofu for becoming our Alliance Leader. An old friend, always here, never absent.

Thanks to Ming Wei Meng Ying for becoming our Alliance Leader. I've watched this young lady grow up since she was little.

Thanks to little girl Listening Wind Falling Leaves for becoming our Alliance Leader. I talked to her like she was a brother for so long, then one day I saw she had a simp in her social feed, and only then did I learn she was also a girl.

Thanks to Sui Er Xiao for becoming our Alliance Leader. Also an old friend of many years. Other than being a little small, everything else is great.

Newcomer, new book. Thank you to both new and old friends for your unwavering support.)