Lu Shiyan continued to stare coldly at Xiao Han, his gaze unwavering: “This is my place; it’s not for you to decide.” His eyes swept chillingly over Xiao Han and his several ready-to-act thugs.
Finally, his gaze fixed back on Xiao Han’s face.
He tugged at the corner of his mouth, the curve cold and a little wicked: “You want to stay?”
“You can.”
“Pay the ‘rent’.”
The smile on Xiao Han’s face froze for a moment, anger flashed, then was quickly replaced by nonchalance: “Easy enough.”
“We brought some ‘local specialties,’ Lu Shao will definitely find them useful.”
…
The commotion downstairs was considerable.
Xiao Han’s group didn’t treat themselves as outsiders at all, rummaging through everything on the first floor.
Footsteps, the dull thud of things hitting the floor, and deliberately raised voices mingled together.
“This south-facing room is mine!”
“Hey, then the biggest one is mine!”
Amidst the clamor, several guest rooms with the best lighting instantly changed hands.
The first floor of the villa almost became their territory.
Lu Shiyan stood at the staircase entrance, his face unperturbed.
Su Wan was beside him, also silent.
The noise downstairs was like waves, crashing repeatedly against the quiet second floor.
Lu Shiyan didn't comment a single word on the behavior downstairs, only turned sideways, gesturing to Su Wan.
“Upstairs.”
He stepped onto the stairs first.
Su Wan followed him.
The two returned to the second floor, and the heavy security door closed behind them, isolating the noise from the first floor.
He found Lu Shiyan and offered to use the supplies he brought as “rent.”
Xiao Han’s batch of goods was indeed good—military compressed biscuits, various canned meats, large barrels of purified water, and even several well-maintained guns and plenty of ammunition.
Lu Shiyan didn’t stand on ceremony, picking and choosing, directly taking the largest portion.
Food and water were the top priority, hard currency in the apocalypse.
Xiao Han watched as his belongings instantly shrank by more than half, his face visibly twitching a few times, heartbroken.
But to temporarily stay in this villa and catch his breath, he still swallowed his displeasure and accepted his fate.
During the transaction, Xiao Han’s gaze always unconsciously, or rather deliberately, glanced at Su Wan, who was standing not far behind Lu Shiyan, with undisguised scrutiny and a hint of ill intent in his eyes.
“Lu Shao, this Miss Su… is she yours now?”
Xiao Han picked up a pack of cigarettes, casually tossing it to Lu Shiyan, and asked with an ambiguous tone.
Su Wan’s heart tightened abruptly, and she instinctively held her breath, her nails almost digging into her palms.
Lu Shiyan steadily caught the cigarettes, didn’t even look at them, casually threw them on the nearby table, picked up a seemingly substantial can of beef, and replied without raising his head: “None of your business.”
His tone was as cold as ice, yet it carried an undeniable, almost instinctive sense of possession.
This ambiguous attitude, neither admitting nor denying, only intensified the curiosity and speculation in Xiao Han’s eyes.
Xiao Han smiled meaningfully, no longer pressing the matter.
As night fell, the villa became eerily quiet.
Xiao Han’s people occupied the first floor, with occasional hushed laughter and movement.
Lu Shiyan, on the other hand, stayed in the master bedroom on the second floor, the door tightly shut, unaware of what he was doing.
Su Wan exercised alone in her room; the life-and-death moment today made her realize even more that relying on others was not as good as relying on herself.
She turned over, lying on her back, gazing at the ceiling.
Sweat soaked through her thin clothes, clinging to her body, outlining her curves.
Her strength gradually returned, and she went to the bathroom to shower.
The warm water washed over her tired body, carrying away the sticky sweat and tense soreness.
She turned off the water, casually wiped herself, and changed into clean pajamas. Lying on the bed, her body sank heavily into the mattress, and she fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, as dawn was just breaking.
Su Wan was awakened by a violent wave of nausea.
Her stomach churned, and sour liquid rose to her throat.
She threw off the covers and stumbled into the bathroom.
She knelt by the cold toilet, retching desperately.
Nothing came out but sour liquid and uncontrollable tears.
This feeling… was too real.
It wasn’t an act.
Her mind buzzed, a complete blank.
No way… did she really get caught?
Su Wan leaned on the sink, her face in the mirror as white as paper.
Her heart was completely in a mess.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door.
Unhurried, it was Lu Shiyan.
The footsteps paused ever so slightly at her door for a moment.
Su Wan’s heart skipped a beat, almost leaping out of her throat.
Did he hear it?
She fumbled to press the flush button, the loud gushing water covering everything.
She opened the bathroom door.
As she looked up, her gaze met the man’s deep eyes not far outside the door.
Lu Shiyan was standing there, his gaze sharp, as if to penetrate her disguise and reach her core.
His gaze lingered on her still pale face for a moment, then subtly swept over her chest, which was slightly rising and falling due to her rapid breathing.
“Unwell?”
He spoke, his voice low and steady, without any particular emotion.
Su Wan’s guilt almost overflowed, and she instinctively avoided his gaze.
“No… nothing.”
She lowered her head, her voice a little weak.
“Maybe I was scared last night, my stomach feels a bit uncomfortable, I feel like throwing up.”
As she spoke, her hand unconsciously lightly stroked her lower abdomen, attempting to attribute this genuine physiological reaction to that colossal lie.
Lu Shiyan didn’t press further, but his scrutinizing gaze made her feel like she was walking on eggshells.
Breakfast time, in the villa’s first-floor dining room.
Besides Lu Shiyan, Xiao Han was also at the long dining table.
This guy was unceremoniously enjoying breakfast, acting completely at home.
Su Wan had no appetite, barely managing to drink some water.
When the servant placed a cup of warm milk in front of her, the familiar milky smell mixed with the scent of food, once again triggering the discomfort in her stomach.
“Ugh…”
She covered her mouth, another uncontrollable retch.
This time the commotion was significant; the other two men at the table stopped their movements.
Lu Shiyan frowned and looked at her.
Xiao Han, however, his eyes lit up, as if he had discovered something interesting, a grin spreading across his face, clearly enjoying the drama.
“Oh, Miss Su, is this…”
Xiao Han deliberately drew out his words, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Su Wan and Lu Shiyan, his tone clearly teasing.
“Morning sickness?”
He tutted twice, his voice not too loud nor too soft, just enough for everyone at the table to hear clearly.
“Not bad, Lu Shao, quite efficient. That ‘seed’ is full of vitality.”
Su Wan’s cheeks instantly flushed red, both angry and embarrassed.
Lu Shiyan, who had been silent beside her, suddenly spoke. His icy gaze turned to Xiao Han.
“Eat in silence.”
He paused, then added another sentence.
“Mind your own business.”
The smile on Xiao Han’s face stiffened for a moment; he seemed somewhat surprised that Lu Shiyan would speak up. He raised an eyebrow, not continuing the provocation, but the glint in his eyes grew sharper.
Lu Shiyan himself also frowned slightly, a strange irritation rising in his heart.
Su Wan managed to control the feeling of nausea and cautiously glanced at Lu Shiyan.
“Do you have a doctor in your team?” Lu Shiyan suddenly asked.
This question struck Su Wan like lightning; the water glass in her hand almost slipped. A doctor? Why was he asking this? Was he trying to verify her claim of pregnancy? Cold sweat instantly drenched her back.
