Can I Not Wear This?

Lin Wanqiu happened to be walking over from the Volvo. Seeing Song Shiya standing beside the RV with a large bag of belongings in her arms, she hurried over.

"Oh, Shiya, why are you standing here all by yourself..."

"My car's gone. Where else am I supposed to be?" Song Shiya pouted, looking rather like a wronged wife.

Lin Wanqiu knew what had happened without even having to think. She pointed at the Volvo behind her. "Then... how about staying in my car for now?"

"An Ning's sleeping in the back seat, but the passenger seat's empty, and there's plenty of room. The three of us can squeeze in just fine."

Song Shiya thought it over. She didn't seem to have anywhere better to go right now, so she didn't refuse.

"All right. I'll move out once I find another vehicle. I won't trouble you any longer than necessary."

"There's no need to say that."

Lin Wanqiu waved it off and warmly helped her carry her things into the Volvo.

Song Shiya was a Sequence Awakened, after all. Lin Wanqiu was more than happy to have her in her car.

Once Song Shiya had settled into the passenger seat and fallen asleep, Lin Wanqiu quietly closed the car door and walked over to the RV. Her hand hovered in midair for a long while before she finally knocked.

When the door opened, the aroma of instant noodles wafted out.

Shen Ye pulled the door open, a kettle still in his hand.

"Need something?"

Lin Wanqiu's gaze drifted past his shoulder to the stove inside.

There were two cups of Kang Shuaifu braised beef noodles, along with another that had just been opened but not yet prepared.

The tempting aroma rising from the red, oily broth made her nose twitch.

She certainly wasn't short on food. There were still plenty of compressed biscuits and dry rations in her trunk.

But she couldn't remember how long it had been since she last ate anything hot.

"I... came to keep my promise." She looked away, her voice barely louder than a mosquito's buzz.

Even so, the pungent aroma of the noodles kept making her mouth water.

"I'd have forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it," Shen Ye teased.

Lin Wanqiu said nothing more. She could only pretend nothing was wrong as she looked around the RV's interior.

This was her first time inside. She had imagined it would be luxurious, but she hadn't expected it to be so spacious or so fully equipped. It even had a bathroom.

Shen Ye glanced at her, set down the kettle, and pulled a black plastic bag from a corner of the storage area, casually tossing it onto the sofa.

"Take a shower first."

"Then pick something from that bag and put it on. Let's take care of what you promised me before anything else."

Lin Wanqiu froze when she opened the bag.

Black lace, red cutouts, translucent gauze... women's intimate apparel in every style had been stuffed together in a jumble, with a few pieces mixed in that she didn't even dare examine closely.

A faint blush instantly spread across her face. Her ears burned, and her heartbeat quickened despite herself.

This was far too direct.

"Can I not wear this? It's a little too..."

Before she could finish, she met Shen Ye's icy gaze.

Clearly, there was no room for negotiation.

If she refused, Shen Ye would throw her and her belongings out of the Volvo without a moment's hesitation.

This man was absolutely capable of doing something like that.

After hesitating a while longer, she seemed to make up her mind. She picked up the bag and rummaged through it again. Only after searching for quite some time did she pull out a relatively modest black lace set and hurry into the bathroom.

By the time Lin Wanqiu finished showering and came out, Shen Ye had eaten two cups of noodles and was leaning back on the sofa, waiting for her.

Warm moisture rose from her wet, short hair.

Black lace wrapped her fair skin, while the contours of her waist showed faintly beneath the gauzy fabric.

Her slender, pale legs were almost dazzling in the sunlight streaming inside.

She stood in the narrow aisle, holding a bath towel against her chest with one hand, unsure where to put the other. She looked awkward and embarrassed.

Shen Ye said nothing. He merely raised his eyes to look at her.

There was no predator's greed in his gaze. It was more like an appraisal.

A calm inspection, from head to toe.

As though he were admiring a work of art.

His scrutiny made Lin Wanqiu uncomfortable all over, but in the end, she didn't hide. She even loosened the towel covering her chest of her own accord, revealing some of her ample cleavage.

In a sense, she understood men better than those young girls did.

Sure enough, her gesture stirred a heat in Shen Ye. The half cup of noodles in his hand suddenly lost its appeal. He pushed it to the edge of the table and patted the sofa beside him.

Lin Wanqiu obediently walked over.

She didn't dare look at Shen Ye.

Yet that very air of hesitant surrender stood in stark contrast to the distinctive poise of a highly educated woman that she carried.

Shen Ye had never encountered such a contrast in his previous life.

Men had little resistance to novelty, and Shen Ye was no exception.

Once she sat down, Shen Ye slipped an arm around her slender waist as naturally as could be.

Lin Wanqiu went limp in his arms as though an electric current had passed through her.

For the first time, she realized that a man's chest could be so warm and offer such a powerful sense of security.

The RV rocked gently.

At some point, the curtains had been drawn. The noon sunlight squeezed through the gaps in the fabric, casting long, narrow streaks of light inside.

The RV wasn't particularly soundproof. Occasionally, they could hear people talking outside.

Apart from that, the only sound inside was her restrained breathing.

Shen Ye's movements weren't exactly gentle, but at least he was practiced. He was nothing like someone who had still been a university student before the apocalypse.

Lin Wanqiu surrendered all control from the very beginning. She simply closed her eyes and bit her lip, occasionally letting a few soft, broken sounds escape from deep in her throat.

More than an hour passed.

She had to plead several times along the way before he finally let her off.

Afterward, Shen Ye leaned back on the sofa and lit a cigarette. Smoke drifted slowly upward through the shafts of light as he closed his eyes and let out a long breath.

Ever since the apocalypse began, the crises he faced had never stopped. Through Lin Wanqiu, he had finally found release from the stifling pressure he had endured for so long.

Now this was living.

When Lin Wanqiu came out of the bathroom again, she had changed back into her slightly worn business attire.

Her hair wasn't completely dry yet, and a faint flush still lingered on her cheeks.

Her gaze landed on the unfinished half cup of noodles on the coffee table.

The noodles had grown somewhat swollen from soaking, but the aroma rising from the broth kept teasing her nose.

She couldn't help swallowing.

Shen Ye glanced at her.

"If you don't mind, finish them."

Lin Wanqiu said nothing. She crouched in front of the coffee table, picked up the half cup of noodles, and began eating.

The noodles were cold now, but she ate quickly, as though she had been hungry for a long time.

When she reached the bottom, her chopsticks struck a whole ham sausage.

She paused and looked up at Shen Ye, a trace of gratitude seeming to show in her eyes.

Shen Ye stubbed out his cigarette and turned his gaze away rather than look at her. "Hurry up and finish. Once you're done, get out."

Lin Wanqiu lowered her head and drank the last mouthful of broth before setting down her chopsticks.

She stood and nodded to Shen Ye. "I'll be going, then."

The moment her foot touched the ground, she spotted someone.

He Yunping was leaning against the RV's outer wall, his face wearing its usual ingratiating smile.

As Lin Wanqiu stepped out, her hair was still wet, and a red mark lingered on her snowy, swanlike neck.

He Yunping naturally knew what had just happened inside. He simply pretended otherwise, his expression unchanged.

"Hello, Sister Lin."

At the sound of his voice, Lin Wanqiu froze as though she had been paralyzed.

Only one thought remained in her mind: This RV should be fairly soundproof, right?

Without even greeting him, she lowered her head and hurried back to the Volvo. As though fleeing for her life, she opened the door and climbed inside.

Shen Ye leaned against the doorway. Only after Lin Wanqiu was some distance away did he lift his chin toward He Yunping.

"Come on in."

He Yunping climbed aboard with practiced ease.

The moment he stepped inside, he caught a faint musky smell mingled with the air freshener.

He scratched his head and acted as though nothing had happened. "Captain Shen."

"Need something?"

"Didn't the convoy say fair trade was allowed? So I'd like to make a deal with you too."

That "too" was cleverly chosen, as though hinting at something.