My Dating Sim Just Got an Update - Chapter 48

Faced with such an unreasonable request, Mu Ning simply looked at Ren Chenxi with a calm expression. She watched as the girl kept her head down, her slender fingers twisting together so tightly they looked like they might tie themselves into knots. Only then did Mu Ning let out a soft sigh.

Why was it that even the way this person made a timid request was so similar to Ren Muhui? The Ren Chenxi before her eyes seemed to overlap with the memory of Ren Muhui, back when he had nervously invited her to the small grove to celebrate her birthday. Faced with the same face, the same expression, and even the same nervous tics, how could she possibly refuse? She already regretted rejecting Ren Muhui back then, so…

“Alright. I’ll step forward and help you ask for half the deposit first.”

??? Ren Chenxi had prepared herself for rejection, knowing her request was somewhat absurd. She hadn’t expected Mu Ning to agree so readily. Suddenly, she found Mu Ning much more agreeable to look at. Honestly, putting aside her cold and unapproachable attitude from when Ren Chenxi used to pursue her, interacting with her now as a regular acquaintance… she wasn’t such a terrible person after all!

“Eh, Boss…” Chen Gu didn’t think there was anything wrong with Ren Chenxi’s request—she was new to the Nanhai Base, after all, so it was natural for her to be wary of the leader. He was just mourning the loss. Such a great generator! Was it really going to be sold to the base just like that?

“Enough. We already have a generator. The base is still under construction and being refined; they need a cost-effective way to generate power more than we do.” As if guessing what Chen Gu wanted to say, Mu Ning cut him off flatly. She then turned back to Ren Chenxi. “Are you in a hurry to sell it immediately? If you are…”

“No hurry, no hurry at all!” With Mu Ning handling it, Ren Chenxi felt that the 50,000-crystal profit was as good as in her pocket. Since she was already asking such a big favor, how could she be pushy? She hadn’t forgotten that Mu Ning had stayed awake almost the entire night until dawn. “Everyone missed out on rest last night. It’s better if we all get some sleep first, right?”

The moment Ren Chenxi mentioned it, the group now full and satisfied—felt a wave of drowsiness hit them. Though Chen Gu was still a bit reluctant to let the generator go, his Boss had spoken. Knowing the crystal nucleus generator was out of reach for them, he let out a bored yawn, waved a hand to his brothers, and led them back to the old building to rest. As they walked, he couldn’t help but mutter to his friends, “Seriously, did the Boss ever care this much about the base before? If she really cared, why did she refuse so bluntly when Qi Sheng came to ask her to provide more water every month?”

After the boys left for the old building, Wu Tong, Zhang Tongqi, and the others had to head back to the second floor. The girls were equally exhausted, but even if they wanted to rest, they had to finish moving first. Hearing the girls’ weary sighs, Ren Chenxi felt a twinge of regret. She shouldn’t have been so petty as to insist on a big feast just to take advantage of Mu Ning. They could have eaten a feast anytime! Besides, they still had teammates in quarantine who hadn’t come out yet.

Thinking of the junior students still in isolation and Huo Keyu, Ren Chenxi felt a flash of shame. Honestly, how could she only think of her own enjoyment? She had even told herself she’d pick up Huo Keyu tomorrow! Yet here she was, having finished a feast before even getting the rooms ready…

“Sister Xi, let’s go. Let’s help Xiao Tong and Xiao Qi move first~”

Jian Dan walked over and gave Ren Chenxi a gentle pull. In the short time spent washing dishes and tidying up, the girls had already begun to bond quite well.

Snapped out of her thoughts by Jian Dan, Ren Chenxi nodded to Zhang Tongqi, Wu Tong, and the others, who were looking at her expectantly. She would help them move now, then tidy up the rooms, including one for Huo Keyu. She made a mental note to treat Huo Keyu and the others to a proper feast once they were out tomorrow. After all, the food in her backpack was more than enough to put on a respectable spread, even in the apocalypse.

The girls lived on the second floor, which saved Ren Chenxi the trouble of climbing another flight of stairs. Furthermore, while girls’ belongings were often numerous, they didn’t actually have that much stuff left in the apocalypse. Each girl simply gathered her clothes and personal items into a pile, wrapped them in a large bedsheet, and Ren Chenxi could fit the whole bundle into a single inventory slot. Once they reached the new building, they could quickly retrieve their things.

As for the larger items, no matter how big they were, they only took up one slot each in Ren Chenxi’s backpack. She flipped to the back pages of her inventory, dedicating them entirely to the girls’ move. This, of course, included all of Mu Ning’s belongings.

If she had been somewhat reluctant to help Mu Ning move earlier, she felt differently now. She had just eaten a lavish meal at Mu Ning’s expense and now owed her a favor for the negotiation.

Sigh! I already owe her for saving my life, and now there’s another favor on top of it… was it worth it for a mere 50,000 crystals?

Ren Chenxi glanced at Mu Ning, then her gaze fell on Tantan, who was curled up lazily in his cat bed. While the humans were eating lunch, Tantan having already finished his wolf meat—had gone back to the old building for a nap. Despite his aloof nature, he had taken his job as a bodyguard very seriously, staying awake all night to watch over the injured Sun Jia. After Ren Chenxi fed him lunch, she noticed him yawning and let him go rest.

The golden cat now lay nestled in his soft pink bed, looking utterly relaxed. The commotion of the girls returning to move their things naturally woke him up. Seeing Tantan squinting his eyes and tilting his head up at her, Ren Chenxi felt her heart melt. She walked over to the bed and leaned down. Tantan cooperated by stretching out his front paws; when Ren Chenxi picked him up, he clung to her shoulder and let out another series of “meow meow meow” sounds.

Hearing that soft, sweet meowing, Ren Chenxi suddenly felt that owing Mu Ning another favor was worth it for the 50,000 crystals. She needed crystals to boost her strength and survive this dangerous world, and she had Tantan, her friends, and herself to protect. She already owed Mu Ning a life, so adding one more favor didn’t seem like much of a difference.

“I’m taking Tantan with me. He’ll be staying with me from now on,” Ren Chenxi said, stroking Tantan’s head. She looked at Mu Ning as she spoke; though it was framed as a statement, it was more of an announcement.

“Okay,” Mu Ning nodded calmly. “I have some other beds for him, along with various toys and little outfits. You should take those as well.” Having raised Tantan for two years, Mu Ning wasn’t without feelings for him, but since it was Ren Chenxi taking him and they were neighbors in the same building, she didn’t feel much parting sorrow. Besides, the heartless little thing had never been particularly affectionate toward them anyway.

Hearing about the toys and clothes, Ren Chenxi looked back at the cat bed. She had to admit that Mu Ning had not only fed him well but had also provided high-quality gear. Judging by the craftsmanship and material of the bed Tantan was in, it must have been very expensive before the apocalypse. Since Mu Ning said she had many more like it…

“Did you rob a pet supply store?” Since she had started finding Mu Ning less irritating, Ren Chenxi’s words were no longer constantly laced with thorns. She could even crack a joke with a normal tone.

“No,” Mu Ning replied with a smile, momentarily surprised by the joke. “We just happened to pass by a pet store. There were only zombies inside, so the items were essentially ownerless. We just took everything.” It was a simple, ordinary joke, but for some reason, it made Mu Ning feel much happier. She liked talking to Ren Chenxi like this—no arguing, no resentment, just plain and simple conversation.

In the chaos and broken order of the apocalypse, large malls and supermarkets had become “zero-dollar shopping” paradises for survivors. It was perfectly normal for someone like Mu Ning to clear out an abandoned shop. Ren Chenxi herself had done the same; relying on her backpack, she had scavenged everything from the hotels and shops she passed in Y City, regardless of whether it seemed immediately useful.

However, Mu Ning didn’t have a massive backpack. While most survivors were busy fighting over essential supplies, Mu Ning had actually been willing to let useless pet supplies take up valuable storage space in their single van?

At that thought, Ren Chenxi crouched down and carefully placed the pink cat bed into her inventory. She looked up at Mu Ning and offered a very solemn thanks. “Thank you. You really did take wonderful care of Tantan these past two years!”

Mu Ning froze, staring into Ren Chenxi’s sincere eyes. For a fleeting second, she seemed to see Ren Muhui, using that same solemn tone and earnest expression to thank her: “Thank you for helping me catch that thief…”

Back then, she had only heard someone shouting behind her and seen a man running past. She had instinctively stuck her leg out and tripped him. Ren Muhui had caught up, pinned the struggling thief, and looked up to thank her.

At the time, she had simply turned and walked away without a word. In fact, she had secretly regretted it, thinking that if she had known he was the one chasing the thief, she never would have helped.

The scene of Ren Muhui looking up to thank her played back in her mind like a movie. This time, Mu Ning’s nose crinkled slightly, and she said in a raspy voice, “You’re welcome, Ren…”

You’re welcome, Ren Muhui.

She should have said those words to him long ago, along with countless other “thank yous.” Thank you for the gifts, thank you for the breakfasts, thank you for your gentleness, and thank you for… “liking” me.

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