Competing for Favor, Chapter 48: Not Necessarily Going to Lose

After Wu Xi sent his warning, Mo Xiao thought Chi Ming would at least have a few harsh words for him.

To his surprise, not only did Chi Ming refrain from blaming him, he even told him all about Xin Lan's preferences and habits. He simply didn't want someone unfamiliar with her likes and dislikes to upset her and make her life less comfortable.

Did he really not mind that the person at Xin Lan's side wasn't him?

Mo Xiao stared at the detailed instructions he'd sent for a long time. Rather than feeling pleased at having sent a romantic rival away, a rare trace of gravity appeared in his deep blue eyes.

Sure enough, Chi Ming was his greatest rival, without question.

Wu Xi was lovable when he acted cute and coquettish, but Chi Ming's natural bearing as the legitimate partner was what truly left others looking up to him, unable to surpass him.

Because Mo Xiao got jealous, was possessive, and would even resort to schemes to seize every chance to advance his position.

Chi Ming, on the other hand, would only do everything he could to cater to Xin Lan's preferences. He would do anything to make her happy, even offer her to someone else...

Mo Xiao acknowledged that he was far inferior to Chi Ming in that respect, but when it came to competing for favor, he didn't think he was bound to lose.

"Huh? Why are you cooking today? Where are Chi Ming and Wu Xi?"

When Xin Lan came home after finishing her soothing work, she was surprised to see Mo Xiao busy in the kitchen with an apron on. She instinctively glanced around the house, and when she didn't see the others, her gaze returned to the silver-haired man with his hair tied in a low ponytail.

"But I have to say, that ponytail is pretty interesting on you. You actually look like a living person."

She offered Mo Xiao the halfhearted compliment, then washed her hands and arranged her napkin, ready to eat.

Mo Xiao set the prepared dishes on the table with slightly unpracticed movements, his long silver lashes fluttering gently.

"Xin Lan, are you saying I usually look like a dead person?"

He was merely used to wearing uniforms and combat gear. Why didn't he look like a living person?

His earnest question nearly made Xin Lan choke.

"No, you look like a preprogrammed robot."

His smile was fake, and the way he spoke was overly formal. Looking at him was enough to kill any interest.

Xin Lan tasted a few bites of the food and was somewhat dissatisfied. "Your cooking isn't up to scratch. You can't hold a candle to Chi Ming, let alone Wu Xi. By the way, where are they?"

"They went on a mission."

Mo Xiao lowered his head and finished wiping the knife and fork in his hands. Only after making sure they were completely clean and spotless did he carefully cut her steak, pour sauce over it, and transfer the pieces to her plate one by one.

"K9 District is on the outskirts of the human safe zone, and it's never had a guide, so the contamination sources outside have kept expanding, and the contaminants can never be completely cleared away. Countless sentinels have also mutated because the Guide Pheromones stopped working. Right now, they're the only two whose Rampage Levels are below 60%, so I sent them to clear out the nearest small contamination source."

"Oh. About how long will it take them to get back?"

Xin Lan chewed her steak without much concern and was surprised to find that he'd cooked it very well. It was tender and juicy.

"With their abilities, they should be back in two or three days."

Mo Xiao took out a napkin and wiped the sauce she'd accidentally gotten on her fingers, taking the opportunity to get a few more close-up looks at her.

Only after confirming that she wasn't angry did he continue.

"However, it's been a year since that contamination source was last surveyed. No one can be sure how much it has expanded by now. If its range has grown, the surrounding contaminants will also be more numerous and more powerful, so I can't say for certain when they'll return."

"So what exactly is a contamination source?"

"It's a crystal fragment. Its composition and origin are unknown, but as long as the crystal fragment at the center of the contamination source is found and destroyed, the source will stop expanding, and the contamination it has caused to the surrounding environment will gradually disappear over time."

A crystal fragment?

The answer surprised Xin Lan.

She was even a little delighted!

She had seen plenty of "crystal fragments" in the apocalypse, and without exception, a large number of mutated creatures had surrounded each one.

Her psychic power had grown stronger and stronger as she repeatedly killed mutated creatures and absorbed the energy from crystal fragments.

Although her body would briefly develop a high fever each time she absorbed the energy, her psychic power would become richer and more powerful once it had been fully absorbed. Before she transmigrated to this world, she had already spent several years sending people everywhere to look for such crystal fragments.

She hadn't expected to find them without any effort. They were everywhere in this world!

She just didn't know whether the crystal fragments Mo Xiao mentioned were the same as the ones she had absorbed before. She had to see for herself.

"All right, got it. Share their location with me. I'm going to find them."

Xin Lan was quick to act. As soon as she made up her mind, she wiped her mouth and prepared to head straight out.

Mo Xiao's heart skipped a beat. He quickly untied his apron and called out to stop her.

"Xin Lan, contamination sources are dangerous. The closer you get to the center, the more contaminants there are, including all kinds of powerful contaminants with special abilities. They attack any creature that approaches the contamination source indiscriminately over a wide area. Even if we were all together, it would be difficult to guarantee we could keep you completely safe from harm under those circumstances."

Seeing that Xin Lan's expression had darkened, he paused, then immediately explained in a gentle voice.

"I know you're worried about them, and you don't think you need anyone to protect you, but that kind of place is really too dangerous. They wouldn't want you to put yourself in danger for their sake either."

"But if you're determined to go, I hope you'll let me come with you. Is that all right?"

He really had said it out of concern for her safety, but Xin Lan genuinely didn't like hearing it.

Still, since she wasn't yet sure whether she could absorb the crystals here, she clicked her tongue and agreed.

"Then we'll take your hovercar. Hurry up."

"Okay."

Mo Xiao knew he had upset her again. Walking beside her, he couldn't stop himself from sighing inwardly.

So she liked Chi Ming and Wu Xi that much?

Even knowing how dangerous it was near a contamination source, she was still in such a hurry to get there.

Was she afraid they'd get hurt? Or was she afraid their Rampage Levels would rise, causing them to mutate and never return? Or was she only worried about Chi Ming?

After all, Wu Xi's Rampage Level was already almost at zero, while Chi Ming's was just below 60%. It could easily rise if he wasn't careful...

After they set off, the hovercar was silent for a while.

Mo Xiao tried to speak to her several times, but whenever he turned to look, Xin Lan was staring out the window with her brows tightly furrowed.

She really did seem to be in a hurry.

Was she that worried about them?

She didn't even care about her own safety...

Mo Xiao gave a bitter smile, suddenly feeling that sending them away had been especially stupid.

Perhaps if he hadn't sent them away, Xin Lan wouldn't have realized so soon how much she liked them.

She wasn't even willing to wait a single day. She'd even left to find them without finishing her meal...

Xin Lan had no idea that her silence had already led Mo Xiao to imagine an entire romantic drama about someone realizing their love too late.

All she could think about was getting there quickly to confirm what form the crystal took. She absolutely couldn't let those two big idiots, Chi Ming and Wu Xi, destroy her precious crystal fragment before she arrived.

Otherwise, she might not be able to resist killing them both on the spot.

"How much longer?"

Half an hour after they set off, Xin Lan finally spoke her first words.

Although she was urging him to hurry, Mo Xiao finally had a chance to talk to her.

"A little over two hours. We're already going at full speed."

It really was top speed. Xin Lan couldn't even make out the scenery through the window; everything below became a fleeting blur because they were moving away so quickly.

But she was still worried that her crystal fragment wouldn't last until she arrived.

"When did they leave, then? Have they already reached the center of the contamination source?"

"The center of a contamination source isn't that easy to approach. There are a lot of contaminants there. They should still be clearing the contaminants on the outskirts."

After a pause, Mo Xiao added,

"Don't worry. They're very strong. They'll be fine."

Xin Lan: ?

"They'd better not be fine."

If something happened to them, her precious crystal fragment would be fine.

Mo Xiao froze for a few seconds. Only after replaying her words several times and confirming he hadn't misheard did he slowly turn to look at her.

"Xin Lan, weren't you in such a hurry to get there because you were worried about them?"

Xin Lan turned back and looked at him as if he were an idiot, her expression strange.

"Who said I was worried about them?"

Mo Xiao: ?