Surviving the Apocalypse with the Young Miss - Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Precautions

“It was my mistake for not paying attention, haha.” Zeus didn’t get angry; he gave himself an out and sat down next to Song Ge. He recommended a dish again: “Xiao Ge, try this sweet and sour fish. After being on the road for so long, you surely haven’t had much hot food. This is authentic Kecheng flavor.”

Song Ge: “I’m not from Kecheng.”

Zeus was startled. “Oh?” He looked at Tong Xiangyu.

Tong Xiangyu explained, “We came from Kecheng, but Song Ge isn’t a local.”

“So that’s how it is.” Zeus laughed. “It seems I didn’t consider things thoroughly enough. I should have had Nana ask about your tastes in advance.”

Song Ge didn’t bother speaking further. On the way here, she had memorized the few Kecheng dishes the woman had repeatedly emphasized to Tong Xiangyu. Now, she intentionally avoided those dishes, picking up others to eat. After tasting one, she would place a portion into Tong Xiangyu’s bowl.

Tong Xiangyu knew Song Ge’s gesture of serving her food must have a deeper meaning, so she didn’t take any food herself and only ate what was in her bowl.

Zeus’s expression beside them wasn’t great. He glanced sideways at Nana.

Nana understood immediately. She went and brought two bottles of drinks. Bypassing Song Ge, she walked warmly and enthusiastically to Tong Xiangyu’s side: “I forgot the drinks. Xiaoyu, do you prefer orange juice or milk? Of course, if you want beer or red wine, we have those too.”

Tong Xiangyu first thanked Sister Nana, then turned to look at Song Ge.

Song Ge said nothing. She simply took a bottle of AD Calcium Milk and a straw from her pants pocket and placed them by Tong Xiangyu’s hand.

Tong Xiangyu was a bit dazed; she had no idea when Song Ge had hidden the milk.

After giving the milk, Song Ge looked up at the woman: “Hot water, please.”

Zeus said in a deep voice, “Hurry up and pour some hot water!”

“Okay, right away.” Nana snapped out of it and very quickly brought hot water.

Song Ge took the cup and placed it next to her bowl. The people nearby watched Song Ge, waiting with bated breath for her to drink the water, but she simply didn’t pick it up.

Zeus said, “Why aren’t you drinking? it’s going to get cold.”

Song Ge: “I like to let it cool before I drink.”

Both Zeus and Nana were left speechless. By now, Zeus felt a spark of anger, yet his face remained kind and patient. “Xiao Ge, do you have some misunderstanding about me?”

Tong Xiangyu inserted the straw into the milk. Hearing this, she took the initiative to explain: “Uncle, don’t misunderstand. Song Ge just talks like that. She easily offends people, so I usually don’t let her speak.”

Song Ge didn’t refute it, clearly going along with the lie.

“So that’s it,” Zeus laughed. He noticed Song Ge frequently picking at a dish of taro with pickled greens and said, “Nana, have the kitchen bring out a fresh plate of taro. This one has gone cold.”

“Understood.”

Nana played the role of a waitress. Soon, she brought out a steaming plate of pickled greens and taro to replace the original one. However, from the moment that dish hit the table, Song Ge never reached for it again.

Zeus’s expression turned ugly.

Tong Xiangyu, sitting nearby, spoke up at the right time with a look of feigned innocence: “Uncle, Sister Nana, you should eat too. Why are you just watching us?”

“I just had some alcohol; I’m not very hungry.” Despite saying this, Zeus told Nana and A-Yu to sit down and eat with them.

Later, a few elderly people came to sit at the head table. Zeus was very gentle with them, but they were even more respectful and stiff toward Zeus.

This was the head table; food wouldn’t be passed through here to others. However, Song Ge noticed that many people were still “passing by” the side of the table on purpose, their gazes lingering on them.

It was normal for people in the base to be curious about outsiders, but Song Ge was certain these people were not guests dining at the banquet. Even if she didn’t have a photographic memory, the stature and attire of these men made them stand out significantly among the crowd of elderly, weak, and disabled.

They were likely the managers of this base. What were they doing here? And why was Zeus being so secretive? Song Ge remained guarded but didn’t look around too much.

Toward the end of the meal, two staples were brought out: a meat porridge and steamed buns. Since she hadn’t eaten rice, Tong Xiangyu really wanted a bun to fill her stomach, but Song Ge didn’t serve her one. She didn’t dare take one herself; if it was poisoned, all their efforts would be for nothing.

“Come, porridge and buns. They’re hot and delicious.” This time, Zeus stood up and took the large ladle himself, serving a bowl to each of the three girls.

Song Ge inconspicuously observed his movements, not missing a single detail. Zeus was perfectly open about it; after serving them, he served himself a bowl, grabbed a bun, and began to eat, frequently picking at the dishes on the table. It seemed his appetite had only just arrived.

Yue Yao didn’t know how to handle this scene. She had been copying whatever Tong Xiangyu did; whatever Song Ge served Tong Xiangyu, she would carefully take a piece for herself to avoid being rude. Seeing the host serve steaming meat porridge, she hesitated, looking at Song Ge and then Tong Xiangyu. Unable to resist her hunger, she picked up the bowl and drank.

In the end, Song Ge didn’t touch either of the two staples or the water. Tong Xiangyu did the same.

When dinner ended, Zeus seemed not at all angry. He chatted with them cheerfully, asking if they were leaving tomorrow.

Tong Xiangyu thought that since Song Ge didn’t like staying here, they would likely leave tomorrow. But Song Ge said: “You have food and drink here, it’s quite good. We want to stay for a couple more days.”

Zeus put his hands in his pockets. He was a bit suspicious of Song Ge’s sudden change in attitude, but he didn’t truly take three young girls seriously. He laughed and said: “Then you are more than welcome! I actually hope you’ll join us. It would add three beautiful ‘golden flowers’ to our harmonious family of survivors.”

Nana, standing by, chimed in at the right moment: “Then it’s best to register over at Xiao Wei’s side. That way we can provide subsidies and distribute daily consumables and medicine. Otherwise, we’re often out, and it would be bad if we overlooked our hospitality.”

Song Ge no longer resisted leaving her information as she had in the afternoon. She said, “Okay.” After responding, Song Ge turned to Tong Xiangyu and Yue Yao: “Let’s go back and rest.”

Nana immediately said, “I’ll see you back.”

“No need, we know the way,” Song Ge said. “Besides, you have so many people here to attend to.”

“Fair enough,” Zeus spoke up. “Feel free to wander around and look at everything when you have time. If you encounter difficulties or need anything, go to Building 1 to find Xiao Wei and have her contact Nana.”

Tong Xiangyu gave a sweet smile: “Thank you, Uncle. Sister Nana, we’ll head back first.”

Nana also smiled, “Okay, be careful on the way.”

They watched the three walk away. Nana immediately asked Zeus, “Leader, why didn’t you let me follow them?”

“If you keep following, they’ll get suspicious,” Zeus said. “That Song Ge is very guarded. She looks thin, but Qiangzi said she seems to have some skills.”

“What skills can an eighteen-year-old schoolgirl have?”

“Otherwise, how do you think they fought their way through the zombies in Kecheng and made it all the way to Taiyun in one piece?”

Nana was slightly taken aback, then felt ashamed. “The Leader is indeed more thorough in his thinking.”

Zeus gave her face an affectionate stroke, then turned to go back inside. “Spread the word that the ‘assignments’ for the next few days are suspended. Which Little Saintess’s turn is it tonight?”

A flash of jealousy and resentment crossed Nana’s eyes, but she answered in a low voice: “Liang Jing’er from Building 7.”

Zeus thought for a moment and said, “I don’t like her. I want a short-haired one.”

Nana hid her jealousy. “Yes, Leader.”

“Don’t be sad,” Zeus pinched her. “You come with her. The Lord will not forget to bless you.”

Only then did Nana smile again, coyly pushing him.

Once they were out of sight and Song Ge was certain no one was around, she asked Yue Yao: “Do you feel unwell anywhere?”

Yue Yao looked dazed and curious. “Unwell? No. Why do you ask?”

Song Ge: “Never mind.”

Tong Xiangyu thought to herself that Yaoyao had drunk the porridge and eaten the bun tonight, and had picked at the dishes randomly. If she didn’t feel unwell… Tong Xiangyu looked around, then whispered to Song Ge: “Song Ge, are we being paranoid? What exactly do you suspect about this place? You said there’s surveillance; where is it?”

“What surveillance?” Yue Yao was startled and leaned toward Song Ge.

Song Ge immediately frowned, signaling Yue Yao to be quiet and walk normally without looking like she was talking. Yue Yao quickly complied.

Song Ge then whispered: “When that woman came to knock tonight, she walked directly toward the bedroom where Yue Yao was staying. But I never said who was staying where or how the rooms were divided.”

Tong Xiangyu froze slightly.

Song Ge added: “And when that woman came this afternoon, she had a different perfume scent on her. She must have spent a long time with someone.”

Tong Xiangyu recalled and said: “She uses the same perfume.”

“The scent was completely different,” Song Ge was certain.

“Oh, you’re probably talking about the top notes and base notes?” Tong Xiangyu said. “When we first met them in Taiyun, Sister Nana’s perfume was the base note. But at dinner, it was the top note.”

“I don’t understand. Why is there a difference?”

“Because she had just sprayed it!”

Song Ge: “How many times a day do you girls spray perfume?”

“Usually once, but you have to re-spray after a shower…” Tong Xiangyu replied, thinking to herself, Aren’t you a girl too? Why ask like that…

Song Ge frowned as she remembered. The woman’s clothes were neat and she wasn’t sweating—why did she shower in the afternoon? Then she remembered the magenta-colored long mark.

“There was a light red mark behind her ear that looked like Gua Sha,” Song Ge remembered the skin coloration and said firmly: “It was new.”

Tong Xiangyu asked: “Gua Sha behind the ear?”

“No, it also looked a bit like a mosquito bite.”

As the two discussed it seriously, Yue Yao spoke up hesitantly: “Was it… a hickey?”

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