My Dating Sim Just Got an Update - Chapter 25

Without the bus and the van obstructing their line of sight, the open space became much clearer. The mutant beasts that had been trying to launch sneak attacks lost their cover, and under the lethal sweeps of Mu Ning’s vine whip, they were cleared out in no time.

However, as strong as Mu Ning was, the prolonged drain on her energy was evident. By the time they retreated back into the house, her face was visibly pale. Seeing this, Chen Gu and the others felt their resentment deepen toward Ren Chenxi, who they felt had been “slacking off” the entire time.

To them, Ren Chenxi was the definition of dead weight. After returning to the house, she had simply stood by the window throwing pebbles at the zombies and mutant beasts. These small stones didn’t deal any damage; if anything, they seemed to do nothing but uselessly provoke the creatures.

In reality, Ren Chenxi was doing this to “tag” targets. By hitting them even with a pebble, the system would recognize them as her kills once they died, allowing her to claim the extra loot drops. But to the uninformed observers, it looked like she was purely taking advantage of the leader’s protection to act out and cause trouble.

Chen Gu and his teammates were reaching their breaking point. Does this woman have no common sense? they wondered. If you’re injured, stay quiet in the house; if you want to help, do something useful like your teammates. What was the point of playing with rocks?

While the team was fuming, their leader seemed strangely pleased by this childish behavior. Mu Ning even went as far as deliberately luring a few zombies closer just so the woman could have an easier time hitting them with her pebbles!

Unable to vent at their leader, the team took out their frustrations on the monsters instead. Once the clearing was temporarily secured and they were back inside, the sight of Mu Ning’s haggard face finally made someone snap. “It’s one thing to be useless,” a voice said with dripping sarcasm, “but it would be a godsend if certain people stopped making our jobs harder by being a distraction.”

“Zhang Tongqi!” Mu Ning barked, shooting a warning glare at the girl.

Zhang Tongqi was the same sharp-tongued girl who had clashed with Tang Ying earlier. She was already bitter that their precious medicine had been used on Ren Chenxi. Watching the woman “play with rocks” while they fought for their lives had been the final straw. Seeing Mu Ning defend her again, Zhang Tongqi shouted back, “Boss! Why are you protecting her so much? You used Xiao Jia’s medicine on her, and look at her! She’s not even grateful—she was just out there making a mess of things!”

“Uh… Sister Xi wasn’t making a mess,” Jian Dan chimed in, trying to smooth things over. “She was just… practicing her aim.”

Ren Chenxi, meanwhile, was processing what Zhang Tongqi had said. That “Wooden Goddess” had used her own teammate’s medicine on her? Was that really necessary? Just because she was Ren Muhui’s “sister”? It felt hollow. Why treat his sister so well now when Ren Muhui himself was effectively gone from this world? What was the point?

Noticing the flicker of complex emotions in Ren Chenxi’s eyes, Mu Ning’s voice turned heavy as she warned Zhang Tongqi again. “I said I would go to the neighboring city tomorrow to find more medicine. Stop obsessing over it.”

Before Mu Ning could finish, Ren Chenxi spoke up. “What kind of medicine?”

“Don’t worry about her. I’ll find more,” Mu Ning said quickly, turning to reassure her. “Just focus on healing. If we run out… I’ll find plenty more tomorrow.”

“Hah! Boss, do you think medicine grows like wild mushrooms now? You think you can just find it anywhere?” Zhang Tongqi retorted.

“You—”

Ren Chenxi didn’t give Mu Ning a chance to scold the girl. She cut her off by tossing a medicine box onto the table.

“What kind of medicine are you looking for? I have plenty,” Ren Chenxi said. “Besides this box of anti-inflammatories, I have a powder that stops bleeding.” As she spoke, she pulled out a large bag of herbal powder. Instantly, the pungent, earthy scent of traditional Chinese medicine filled the room.

Back when she was traveling, Ren Chenxi had prepared extensively. Whenever she encountered reputable traditional practitioners, she had stocked up. This particular bag of hemostatic powder was bought from an old doctor; it was a custom blend that not only stopped bleeding and reduced inflammation but also accelerated healing. She had discovered it after a nasty fall during her travels, and a kind local had pointed her toward the doctor’s shop.

Since her inventory space was practically limitless, she had bought everything from cold remedies to specialized powders without worrying about the bulk.

A wave of melancholy hit her as she remembered that old doctor. His skills were legendary, but they probably couldn’t cure the zombie virus ravaging the world. She wondered if he was even still alive.

While Ren Chenxi’s mood darkened, the atmosphere among Chen Gu and Zhang Tongqi’s group did a complete 180. Their hostility vanished, replaced by a friendliness that bordered on sycophantic.

“Oh my! Sister Xi, do you still have a lot of this medicine?”

“Oh, Chen Gu, look at you asking silly questions!” Zhang Tongqi chirped, her earlier disdain replaced by sheer expectation. “Did you forget? Sister Xi has a space ability! Her space must be packed with all sorts of medical supplies. She probably cleared out an entire pharmacy!”

Ren Chenxi wasn’t particularly bothered by the sudden shift in attitude. It was the apocalypse, after all. It was only natural for them to be angry when their friend’s life-saving medicine was given to a stranger. If she were in their shoes, she would have hated Mu Ning for it too.

Turning to find Mu Ning staring at her with bright, expectant eyes, Ren Chenxi suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. She looked away and bluntly shattered Zhang Tongqi’s fantasy. “I don’t have a whole pharmacy in there. But I have enough to cover your teammate’s needs.”

“You need some for yourself, too,” Mu Ning reminded her softly, pointing to the wound on Ren Chenxi’s shoulder. “It’s deep. It might have hit the bone. When we get back to the base, we need to find a proper doctor to look at it.”

“Don’t worry, I have enough for myself,” Ren Chenxi interrupted, her voice laced with impatience. Back when she was trying to “romance” this goddess in the game, no amount of kindness or attention got a response. Most of the time, she was met with a cold shoulder or a silent back. Now that the woman was being chatty and concerned. it felt irritating. Was this some kind of karmic retribution?

Mu Ning froze, stung by the blatant hostility. she stared at Ren Chenxi’s profile, her eyes darkening with an unreadable emotion. When she had first found her, she had been so overwhelmed with joy that she had ignored the subtle resistance Ren Chenxi had shown. Now that the immediate danger had passed, she realized that while the person she had been searching for had returned… they had changed. It wasn’t just the gender or the name; even that lingering, devoted gaze was gone.

The old Ren Muhui used to look at her with a tenderness so deep it was almost suffocating. This Ren Chenxi only looked at her with avoidance and resistance.

Could I really be wrong? Is this really not him?

Mu Ning wanted to press her for answers, but seeing the bandage on the girl’s shoulder, she held her tongue and simply let out a heavy sigh.

Hearing that sigh, Ren Chenxi felt a pang of nervousness. Dammit, I let my mouth run and forgot about her ‘blackening’ level. If the Wooden Goddess got angry and lashed out with that whip, it would be game over. Plus, she was her only source of fresh water. If she offended her now, how could she ask for a drink later?

She had promised herself she would treat Mu Ning like a stranger, but the years of accumulated resentment from the game kept leaking out.

Frustrated with herself, Ren Chenxi tried to walk back her attitude. She pursed her lips and offered a stiff, awkward explanation. “Sorry. I… my shoulder really hurts, and I’m in a bad mood. I shouldn’t have been so blunt.”

The icy tension between the two made everyone else hold their breath. Mu Ning’s teammates knew better than anyone that nobody talked back to the Boss like that. Normally, they would have loved to see the Boss put this ungrateful woman in her place, but now? Now they needed that medicine from her space.

“Aha! Well, you’re injured! Totally understandable!”

“Yeah, exactly! Getting bitten by a mutant wolf would put anyone in a foul mood. The Boss is tired from the fight too. Let’s all just take this quiet moment to get some rest.”

As Chen Gu and Zhang Tongqi scrambled to play peacemakers, Tang Ying was busy whispering to Song Xin and Chang Ling. “Do you smell that? It’s the scent of a tragic, star-crossed romance! The ‘Stand-in Lover’ trope! ‘I love you so much, but you only see me as a shadow of him!’ Oh, it’s so heartbreaking!”

Song Xin and Chang Ling: “…?”

They didn’t understand a word she was saying, but they were deeply concerned.

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