The Art of Playing Innocent - Chapter 70

Chapter 70

Pei Ruoling was walking on the road with a pot of porridge she had made in the morning. Along the way, many familiar faces greeted her respectfully.

This was the sixth year of the apocalypse. Pei Ruoling had taken over the planting and management base of City S, and City S had become the largest grain-supplying city in the country.

The city was exceptionally lively. People from other cities who came to purchase goods were constantly coming and going. The streets were bustling with traffic. The representatives of all the cities were at the central square, selecting the best sources of goods.

Pei Ruoling was currently on her way to the market to deliver porridge to the three of them.

The young girl at Lu Yu and Zuo Xun’s stall saw Pei Ruoling walking toward them from a distance. She had something on her back. She was very perceptive and ran over to greet Pei Ruoling.

After Pei Ruoling gave her the things, she walked toward Song Youyang’s stall.

A voice of bargaining came from a small stall. “Beautiful, we’ve bought so many goods from you. Can you give us some free vegetables?”

“Oh, you don’t have much money, but you have a big ego. Sister Song, look at us. Our city brought a lot of living supplies. How about we discuss the price first?”

“Hey, hey, why are you cutting in line?”

People surrounded Song Youyang and talked nonstop, but Song Youyang’s voice was never heard.

Pei Ruoling finally managed to squeeze through the crowd. She saw Song Youyang sitting there with a grumpy face from a distance, ignoring the people around her.

Today, Pei Ruoling’s porridge took a little longer to cook, so she missed Song Youyang’s mealtime. Since she couldn’t eat the porridge, she was unwilling to say a word to the people around her.

Pei Ruoling waved at her. Song Youyang’s eyes lit up. She walked forward quickly, forcing the crowd to make way for her.

Because Pei Ruoling didn’t show her face, most of the people here had never seen her and were all curious about her.

Song Youyang’s vegetables were as famous as those of Lu Yu and Zuo Xun’s in the market. Although the quantity was a little small, since others couldn’t get to their stalls, they came to hers instead. After a while, a few fixed buyers were formed.

However, Song Youyang was very difficult to deal with. She was unresponsive to both soft and hard tactics. Almost no one had been able to bargain with her. She had a sour face all day long, and no one had ever seen her be kind to anyone.

Now, she was smiling and greeting the person in front of her, which made these old customers extremely curious. Who was this person who could be treated so kindly by Song Youyang?

Pei Ruoling and her bumped into each other. Just as she was about to push her away, she heard Song Youyang’s soft voice in her ear. “You’re finally here. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

There was a hint of grievance in her cold voice. Pei Ruoling heard it clearly.

She changed the angle of the hand that was about to push Song Youyang away. She patted her waist and said, “Xiao Yang, I made you an egg. Hurry and eat.”

Only then did Song Youyang let go of her. The two of them held hands and went to the stall. Everyone watched as they took the porridge out of their backpacks and then put it down.

Song Youyang was finally in a better mood. She said to the people who had been lining up for a long time, “Everyone, please wait. I’m going to eat.”

The porridge with diced meat and dried bamboo shoots was very fragrant. As soon as it was opened, a large amount of hot steam came out.

The people围d around the stall unconsciously took a step forward. It had been a long time since they had eaten meat. The treatment in City S was the best. At the very least, they could eat meat once every two months.

People from other cities didn’t have this kind of treatment. Being able to eat some meat once every three months was already considered a luxury. Now, they could only stare blankly as Song Youyang ate the porridge. Some people’s tears unconsciously flowed from the corners of their mouths.

They looked at Pei Ruoling, who had brought the porridge, with envious eyes, guessing in their hearts. No wonder she was so kind to the person in front of her.

If they could also come up with something like this, they would definitely be favored by the great boss, Song.

Many people thought this, and then they saw Song Youyang, after finishing the porridge, hug Pei Ruoling, kiss her, and call her “wife.”

Everyone: “???” “!!! I apologize for my offense.”

Pei Ruoling blushed a little, unaccustomed to the attention. Although Song Youyang had been cold all these years, she would occasionally act like this.

But there was only one reason for this!

Pei Ruoling pretended to be a little shy and turned away. Then she took out a small mirror from her pocket and secretly tilted it. Song Youyang’s face was reflected in the mirror.

She looked at herself. Her eyes had a hint of glee, as if she was happy that her little plan had succeeded.

Pei Ruoling instantly understood her mischievousness and continued to pretend to be shy while secretly looking at Song Youyang’s face in the mirror.

Everyone who saw this: “???” “!!!”

Song Youyang’s job was very simple. She only needed to connect the vegetables from the base with the people from outside.

When she had nothing to do, she would go out for an encirclement mission. It was supposed to be a very easy job, but the stall was made to look very busy every day, which made her a little tired.

The soil in City S was the most productive in the country. The variety of vegetables and fruits was very rich. If the people from outside got these foods too easily, they would inevitably become arrogant. Pei Ruoling came up with an idea to have the people in charge of the connections lure the customers from other cities, to dampen their spirits, and to make it not so easy for them to get food. This would also facilitate market management.

However, this was also because food was always a necessity for people. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be as harmonious as it was now.

And Song Youyang, Lu Yu, and Zuo Xun were the fairest in the market. Coupled with their abilities, they gradually gained some fame among the people who came from other cities.

Song Youyang stretched her muscles, handed the stall over to the people who came to clean it, and met with Lu Yu and Zuo Xun.

Her dark brown hair was exceptionally gentle under the setting sun. She smiled and greeted the two of them.

She put her arms around the two of them, one on each side, and lowered her voice. “Are you all ready?”

Zuo Xun gave a thumbs-up and let Lu Yu answer. “Yes, don’t worry. After dinner, at midnight.”

Song Youyang said to the two of them with a smile, “Okay, I’ll add an egg for you today.”

After that, she rushed home. Zuo Xun gasped in astonishment and touched her goosebump-covered hands. “We’ve known each other for so many years. Why do I still think her smile is so creepy?”

Lu Yu shook her head. “I don’t know. I only care about how many eggs she’s talking about.”

She walked and found that the person next to her hadn’t caught up. She turned around and saw Zuo Xun standing still, crying with a long face. “Wuwu, it’s so hard to eat one of her eggs. The last time I ate one was the last time. When can we raise button quails again, wuwuwu, I’m so hungry.”

Lu Yu: “I shouldn’t expect you to not be obsessed with food.”

During dinner, Pei Ruoling felt that everyone had their own thoughts, and only Song Youyang was eating the food with a serious expression.

Chu Ruyan had become the second-in-command of City S after the encirclement mission outside the city. Because she was busy with work, she rarely came back for dinner. Pei Ruoling still set out six bowls and chopsticks as usual.

However, just before they were about to start eating, they heard a knock on the door.

Chu Ruyan stood at the door with large and small bags. She was wearing a festive red dress. She smiled warmly and said to everyone, “Happy New Year’s Eve.”

Zuo Xun and Lu Yu consciously took the New Year’s goods she brought, which were two large pieces of cured meat and various fruits.

Pei Ruoling quickly welcomed her in and said, “Have you eaten? Geng Shou finally let you go today. Are you staying with us?”

Chu Ruyan took off her hat, brushed off the snow on it, and secretly winked at Song Youyang. Then she hugged Pei Ruoling. “Yes, Ruoling. It’s been a long time since I ate your cooking. I miss everyone so much.”

“The number of mutated species outside the city seems to be gradually decreasing, so I was able to get a day off to come back and see everyone.”

Pei Ruoling smiled. The group sat down and ate dinner happily.

She had some wine. After everyone had left, she looked at Song Youyang. “Xiao Yang, everyone left so early today.”

Song Youyang held her slightly cold hand, pulled her into her arms, and said softly, “It’s going to snow tonight. Will you come with me to see it?”

Pei Ruoling was a little tipsy and said vaguely, “Okay.”

The moonlight outside was very bright. Pei Ruoling held her hand and walked up the slope. She looked around and didn’t see anyone else.

The person behind her suddenly covered her eyes. A pair of warm hands gave Pei Ruoling a sense of security.

She was a little in a daze. She reached out and touched Song Youyang’s hand. Before she could speak, she heard a thunderous sound in her ear.

The embrace of the person behind her was very warm. She put down her hand. Pei Ruoling saw a firework explode in front of her. Dreamy light purple fireworks slowly fell from the sky.

Then, one after another, fireworks exploded. They were colorful and lit up half the sky. After reaching the top, they fell down, landing in her heart.

The corner of Pei Ruoling’s mouth curved up. The person behind her walked to her side, lowered her head, and kissed the corner of her lips. “I love you.”

Zuo Xun had lost count of how many times she had slept at Lu Yu’s house. Her house was decorated in a minimalist style, completely different from the cozy home next door.

That night, after she finished eating next door, she lay down nervously.

“If there wasn’t enough space at Ruoling’s place, I would definitely not come and bother her,” she told herself.

After Lu Yu had showered, the two of them lay quietly on the bed.

Zuo Xun couldn’t fall asleep. It was very cold in winter. The blanket Lu Yu was using wasn’t very thick. Her hands and feet were almost freezing.

The fire pot in the room was just for show. Lighting it would only make the air more cloudy. The two of them weighed the options and just went to sleep.

Lu Yu was lying next to her, breathing evenly. Zuo Xun had her eyes open, occasionally looking at the pitch-black area next to her, thinking that the person next to her must be asleep.

She slowly moved closer to Lu Yu, and her fingertips felt her warmth.

The blanket made some noise as it moved, but the person next to her didn’t move. Zuo Xun let out a sigh of relief. She had a strange feeling in her heart, like a cold stone’s desire for warmth.

She boldly moved her body. She silently chanted in her heart, “I’m just going to warm myself up. Just for a second, just one second.”

As soon as Zuo Xun’s hand touched the slightly warm mattress, the person next to her turned over and pulled her into her arms.

Zuo Xun: “?”

She came to her senses and said awkwardly, “You’re not asleep yet?”

Lu Yu held her tighter, her voice low. “Xiao Xun, are you cold?”

Zuo Xun insisted stubbornly, “I’m not cold, I’m not cold. Let go of me first. This isn’t appropriate, is it?”

Lu Yu’s hand instantly loosened, but she didn’t turn over, because Zuo Xun’s hand had already unconsciously wrapped around her.

Zuo Xun: “…”

Lu Yu let out a low laugh and immediately pulled Zuo Xun back into her arms. Zuo Xun felt her hot arms hugging her, which was an indescribable feeling of comfort.

Lu Yu whispered, “Xiao Xun, I’m a little cold. I’m hugging you like this. Do you mind?”

Zuo Xun agreed in a daze. She had already forgotten what she had just said. Lu Yu was like a small furnace. Once she hugged her, she didn’t want to let go. “It’s okay… It’s very good…”

Lu Yu lowered her head. Her heart was beating a little faster. She asked, “Then, can I touch your hair?”

Zuo Xun felt a little strange. She was about to say no, but her neck was pinched by her. A tingling feeling came from where they touched. She never said no.

She even said, “Pinch it lower.”

Zuo Xun’s slightly cold breath hit Lu Yu’s collarbone. Lu Yu was in a daze for a moment. She held the back of Zuo Xun’s head and asked, “Xiao Xun, I want a kiss.”

This time, Zuo Xun didn’t react. “Hmm…”

The chocolate in her mouth hadn’t completely melted yet. The person in front of her seemed to have become a different person. Her eyes looking at her were full of strangeness, until the large piece of glass was stuck in her neck. Only then did Wang Xin realize that she was dead.

She even heard a soft laugh in her ear. Looking at Ruyan crying and holding her corpse, she felt that fate was playing a trick on her.

She wanted to hug her beloved person, but when she reached out, her hand only touched emptiness.

Wang Xin could no longer cry. She only felt very, very cold. She saw herself gradually floating upward. The Chu Ruyan and the others below her were getting farther and farther away from her.

She closed her eyes and let out a few whimpers. The words that came out of her mouth turned into incomprehensible whispers.

When she opened her eyes again, a strong sense of weightlessness pulled her back to reality.

She raised her hand and touched her face, muttering, “It’s warm…”

Wang Xin was in a daze for a while. She just lay on the bed. The door opened, and a familiar voice shouted at her, “Class Three, Wang Xin! Come out for a moment!”

Wang Xin suddenly sat up. She looked at the source of the voice. A curly-haired Chu Ruyan was blushing and standing straight at the door.

The people in the dormitory jeered, “Careful, she’s here for you! It’s that beautiful girl again. What are you waiting for? Go out!”

Wang Xin looked at the neatly folded army green quilts around her. She stood up tremblingly and walked out of the dormitory.

Chu Ruyan walked in front, leading her forward. She even greeted Uncle Li when she passed by.

The old man gave them a box of fruit and opened the door with a smile.

Chu Ruyan clenched her hand and took a deep breath. She looked at Wang Xin and said, “I like…”

Before she could finish, Wang Xin hugged her tightly. The summer sun shone on the two of them, bringing a hint of heat. Wang Xin took over her unfinished words. “I like you.”

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