12

 When Chen Shuan said these words, his expression was the same as usual, but if you looked closely, you would find that the man was not calm.

His voice was not steady, like a naive boy experiencing love for the first time.

All eyes were on the person in front of him, afraid of seeing a trace of disgust or aversion on the other person's face.

Fortunately, Song Yu just looked a little slow, but did not feel disgust. The corners of

his eyes were gradually reddened.

It was as if he was the one who made a mistake.

Chen Shuan's heart softened slowly, and he did not make things difficult for him, nor did he insist on getting a result at this moment: "Did I scare you?"

After a while, Song Yu seemed to react and slowly shook his head.

He was not scared... After all, he had seen several perverts, and Chen Shuan was within the normal range.

009 wanted to remind him that although Chen Shuan was a little better, he was not much better.

Most people wouldn't secretly take someone's handkerchief, smell someone's toothbrush, or calmly lie after being caught secretly washing someone's underwear.

Perhaps Chen Shuan was even more terrifying.

But 009 could only swallow these words.

"Go upstairs." Chen Shuan put the notebook back on the table and stuffed the handkerchief back into his shirt pocket.

It seemed he had no intention of returning it.

Song Yu opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn't say anything and obediently followed behind.

After that, Chen Shuan acted as if nothing had happened and continued to live with Song Yu as usual. If there was one change, it was that he spent more time in the basement.

To reassure the other party in developing the vaccine, Song Yu tried to stay in his room to ensure his safety and not cause trouble.

He turned the turbulent environment of the apocalypse into a secluded life.

He even received dodder flowers and comic books that Chen Shuan had somehow gotten his hands on every few days.

The petals of the dodder flowers were slender and bloomed in small clusters, looking soft and vibrant. After hearing from 009 that the dodder didn't bloom much, Song Yu worried that the little vine would pull him bare if it continued like this. So he said to the thin vine sticking out from the window crack, "Don't send it to me anymore, save your nutrients for growing."

The vine trembled twice and then wrapped around his arm.

Could it even understand him…?

He could communicate with it when it was in human form, but now it looked like an ordinary plant. Song Yu tried using gestures. He pointed to the flower and waved his hand, signaling it to stop sending it.

The next morning, Song Yu woke up to find a yellow dodder flower on the table.

Hmm… a different color.

It didn't understand at all.

Song Yu didn't insist. Expecting a plant to understand human behavior was unreasonable.

He sprinkled clean water on the petals, put it in a bottle, and a faint floral fragrance filled the room, lingering on him.

Song Yu was in a good mood. He opened his comic book, like a classmate in middle school pushing it a little towards the vine when they forgot their textbook.

Days passed leisurely, and finally, on a sunny day, the progress bar reached 75%.

009: [Host, the protagonists' new base has been completed.]

Finally, progress!

That afternoon, Shen Songchen and the others arrived at the lab in several cars to pick up the two.

Chen Shuan's experiment had progressed, and upon seeing them arrive, he took the organized data and the unfinished vaccine to the car. Song Yu, having little luggage, packed the remaining food.

The group set off for the new base.

The new base, named Base 07, was far from the main base. It was an old apartment building that hadn't yet been damaged by pollutants, and currently had complete facilities. With Shen Songchen's cheat-like ability of having a storage space, the base wasn't lacking in resources.

During this time, the group, along with about ten people who had followed them from the original base, first made a name for themselves by fighting against the pollutants. Then, some wandering survivors began to join, including several superhumans. The base began to grow, and the main base was currently embroiled in internal power struggles and couldn't spare the manpower to attack them.

Base 07 was thus successfully established.

Song Yu was in the car talking to 009 about the plot.

He was considered a relatively important cannon fodder in this post-apocalyptic world, but he didn't live to see the day humanity defeated the source of pollution.

If Chen Shuan completed the vaccine before he left the world, the hidden plot line would be complete, earning him extra points.

Song Yu wasn't that greedy; he just wanted to complete the plot he was supposed to.

He had 25% progress left, with three key plot points: breaking up with Shen Songchen, recklessly bringing pollutants to the base and being ostracized by everyone, and accidentally falling to his death.

The details of the last plot point were still unknown; it would only appear after completing the first two.

Song Yu's upcoming task was to break up with Shen Songchen.

The deadline was three days.

009: [Your character is that of a playboy scumbag; you don't need a legitimate reason, just a simple "I'm tired of playing around."]

Hmm…

Song Yu thought it would be a bit difficult.

Shen Songchen was now one of the top leaders in the new base; if he was unhappy, there was a high possibility he would kick him out.

Just as Song Yu was pondering how to bring it up, he felt himself being hugged around the waist. His gaze then drifted upwards, and two seconds later, Shen Songchen had pulled him onto his lap.

The man's large hand measured his waist.

"You've lost weight."

Shen Songchen leaned down, burying his face in the boy's neck. The familiar scent made him tremble involuntarily, wishing he could merge with the other.

Song Yu's neck tickled a little, and he turned his head slightly, somewhat surprised: "But I haven't missed a single meal every day."

Shen Songchen pondered for a moment: "That's probably because you've been missing me."

"..."

Song Yu's eyes widened, and he pursed his lips.

He probably didn't know how to refute the man's shameless words.

Jiang Ran, sitting in the front passenger seat, couldn't help but say: "I feel like Song Yu is doing quite well, all fair and rosy, maybe Chen—"

After receiving a disapproving look from Shen Songchen, Jiang Ran shut his mouth.

Several hours later, the group arrived at the base.

Although the base was small, the environment wasn't as bad as he had imagined, and the rooms were fairly clean. The original base had about forty followers, plus those who joined later. The canteen and infirmary were already set up, looking quite professional. The number

of people was gradually increasing.

With Pei Feng and Chen Shu'an included, they had all the necessary personnel, and it was believed that it would soon become the largest base.

Qin Fei and Pei Feng were currently bandaging the rescued survivors. After finishing, they stood up and accidentally caught sight of Song Yu, immediately heading towards the boy.

Shen Songchen quickly blocked their way.

Pei Feng's hair was even shorter, and a small scar on his face made him look more masculine. He glanced disdainfully at Shen Songchen: "What's wrong with a hug? We haven't seen each other for so many days."

Qin Fei had the same thought, but he restrained himself slightly, only glancing at Song Yu a few more times.

Shen Songchen picked up Song Yu's backpack and took his hand, leading him to the second floor.

The layout was similar to before; the second floor was the resting area.

Song Yu looked around: "Which room do I stay in?"

Shen Songchen: "You'll stay with me."

Song Yu: "..."

He subconsciously tried to pull his hand away, but Shen Songchen noticed and gripped it even tighter.

"Don't you want to stay with me?"

Song Yu didn't dare to bring up breaking up yet, and just shook his head.

Shen Songchen smiled and led Song Yu into the room.

Song Yu's luggage left at the original base had all been brought back, including the potted plant Qin Fei had given him.

The plant was completely wilted and showed signs of decay, but Song Yu didn't throw it away and kept it near the balcony.

There had probably been too much going on lately; Shen Songchen had settled him in and then gone out on a mission, not returning until late at night. He lay down beside him on the bed without disturbing him, and went out again before dawn the next day.

Song Yu was bored being alone in the room and wanted to go out and do something.

Just then, he ran into the guy who had assigned him missions at the base.

The guy's eyes lit up when he saw him: "I heard you were back yesterday, and I was wondering if I'd see you!"

Seeing a familiar face, Song Yu asked what he could do now.

They were short-handed right now, so the guy led him downstairs and asked him to help cut gauze and tape into strips.

Song Yu took the items, sat in a corner, and quietly got to work.

Seeing Song Yu's drooping, curled eyelashes and beautiful profile, the delivery guy blushed and his heart pounded. He couldn't help but say, "Looks like I misunderstood you before."

Song Yu asked in confusion, "What?"

The delivery guy scratched his head, looking guilty. "Before, there were always rumors at the base that you didn't like to work, and... cough... you fell in love with every guy you met."

The other person was actually being very subtle; the rumors were that he was promiscuous and liked to flirt with men.

However, Song Yu's current work ethic fit the later character setting of having to work on his own without any backing, so it wasn't entirely out of character.

"You and Brother Chen are getting married soon, right?"

Song Yu's eyes widened. "!"

Seeing his expression, the delivery guy assumed he was shy and didn't continue the topic.

How did it turn into getting married...? Song Yu felt it necessary to salvage his playboy persona: "I'm not marrying Shen Songchen."

The other man was taken aback: "Huh?"

Song Yu raised his face, mimicking a scumbag line he'd found on 009: "I can't give up an entire forest for one tree."

The guy was dumbfounded. He wanted to say something more, but his gaze accidentally fell behind Song Yu, and he was so frightened that his face changed: "You, you're kidding, right? Haha, you and Brother Shen are so close!"

Song Yu didn't see the look the other man gave him and still wanted to maintain his playboy persona: "No, and I've taken a liking to someone else."

As soon as he finished speaking, a low and cold voice came from behind him: "Who have you taken a liking to?"

Song Yu was so frightened that his body stiffened, and he turned around.

There were several men standing behind him.

Shen Songchen, standing on the far right, had a face so gloomy it was almost dripping with water, his gaze fixed on him: "Song Yu, let's go back to the room and talk."

Shen Songchen hadn't called him by his full name in a long time.

It sounded like he was going to settle scores with him.

Song Yu trembled uncontrollably with guilt, his calves straining to stand, but his shoulders were pressed down.

Pei Feng had just finished fighting; the veins on the back of his hands were still visible. Song Yu's thin shoulder felt soft to the touch, making him want to press harder.

"Wait a minute," Pei Feng said, completely ignoring Shen Songchen's murderous glare. "You tell me first, who have you taken a fancy to?"

Song Yu froze, nervously biting his lower lip, trembling for a long time before he could speak.

Fortunately, Shen Songchen forcefully pulled his hand and led him back to the room.

*

As soon as they entered the room, Shen Songchen locked the door.

Hearing the lock, Song Yu couldn't help but shudder. He stood in the corner, his legs weak, and the next second, the man's figure loomed over him.

"Who have you taken a fancy to?"

"Qin Fei? Pei Feng? Or that doctor?"

Shen Songchen's voice sounded deep, perhaps sensing the suppressed anger in his tone.

Although Song Yu was afraid, thinking of the mission, he decided to take him down in one fell swoop.

"I...I've got my eye on them all!"

After feigning bravado, Song Yu didn't dare look at Shen Songchen.

The man chuckled coldly, "Song Yu, you're quite something."

He reached out and grabbed the boy's chin, forcing him to look up at him, trying to find a sliver of hope on that handsome face.

However, when he realized the other was determined to break up with him, he finally couldn't hold back and exploded.

He forcefully sealed the other's lips with his.

...

Song Yu was kissed with his chin held down for an unknown amount of time. The man seemed to be doing it on purpose, making it hard for him to breathe, and he couldn't stop drooling. Even when he was finally released, his mouth was still open.

"You get like this after just one kiss." Jealousy twisted Shen Songchen's expression. He stared intently at the handsome face in front of him, which was now a mess of kisses. "Three people, can you handle it?"

"After you're kissed by this person, before you can even catch your breath, you'll be kissed by another person. You'll be stuck in your room every day, unable to even get out of bed."

Vicious words followed one after another.

“Otherwise—” Shen Songchen sneered, “would you add me too?”

Song Yu had just recovered when he heard these strange and shameful words. He looked away and licked his lips, which were still uncomfortable from being rubbed.

He forced a smile and said, “I’m happy!”

The consequence of this was, of course, even more excessive treatment.

*

Song Yu was kissed until he was completely dazed, but he still stubbornly refused to let go, determined to break up with Shen Songchen.

He was very glad that Shen Songchen hadn’t gone so far as to lock him up and punish him at will.

To sever ties with him, Song Yu specifically asked Qin Fei to help him rearrange an empty room. Qin Fei and Pei Feng practically stood guard in the corridor, unable to suppress their smiles when they heard that Song Yu and Shen Songchen had successfully broken up.

The two men not only cleaned a room but also went to Shen Songchen’s place to pack up and move Song Yu’s belongings over.

After a whole night of work, Song Yu lay in bed and finally heard the “mission complete” notification.

At the same time, the progress bar had risen to 85%.

The next task was in a week.

Song Yu was so overwhelmed by the kisses that he almost fell asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

In the middle of the night, unable to sleep, he got up to wash.

The bathroom and washroom were connected, both being private stalls. Song Yu placed the basin and clean clothes, then turned on the shower.

One of the bathroom lights flickered, and feeling uneasy about what he had done that day, he quickly rinsed off and put on his clothes to go back to his room.

Just as he finished dressing, he heard footsteps.

The footsteps grew closer, finally stopping at the sink next to the bathroom.

The sound of running water echoed in the empty washroom, easily conjuring up some terrifying images. Song Yu didn't make a sound, thinking he'd wait for the person to leave before coming out.

But then another person appeared and stood in front of the sink as well.

Song Yu waited a while, but neither of them seemed inclined to leave.

What was going on?

Song Yu's legs were aching from standing, and he was debating whether to just leave when a deep male voice suddenly rang out—

"Song Yu broke up with you?"

It was Chen Shu'an's voice.

The other person started working on the lab as soon as they arrived at the base and hasn't shown up for the past two days.

The other one is…

"What does this have to do with you?" Shen Songchen's voice sounded much colder than usual.

Chen Shuan was silent for a few seconds: "I just think it's good to split things up now. If Song Yu knew you were the one who did those things about Nightmare, he would definitely come after you."

Song Yu paused.

W-what?

Outside, Shen Songchen's expression was somewhat stiff.

"I heard Song Yu mention Nightmare back at the main base."

Every participant in the experiment needed to disclose their medical history, and that's how Chen Shuan learned about it, but he deliberately spoke vaguely, as if his relationship with Song Yu was so close that they could share such things.

“I discovered that your blood and that vine’s blood contain the same special substance. And you happen to be a plant-type ability user.” Chen Shuan wiped the water from his hands and said slowly, “I guess that plant developed its own consciousness because it fell in love with humans and separated from you.”

“As for why you did that to Song Yu—if it’s your hobby, I won’t say much, but you were with Song Yu just for that kind of thing?”

Shen Songchen’s face darkened, but he quickly recovered: “You think that because Xiao Yu broke up with me, you have a chance?”

Chen Shuan glanced at him: “Well, I think I have a better chance than you.”

Shen Songchen’s aura became lower.

Through the door, Song Yu received too much information. When he came to his senses, 009 reminded him that the two people outside were no longer there. Song Yu

opened the door and went out with a basin in his arms, feeling complicated.

As soon as he stepped out of the washroom and turned the corner, he bumped into Shen Songchen.

Thinking of what Chen Shuan had just said, Song Yu immediately took two steps back.

Shen Songchen's expression stiffened: "You heard everything?"

Song Yu lowered his eyes and remained silent.

Shen Songchen's voice was dry: "Chen Shuan knew you were in there, he said it on purpose."

"The bathroom is full of your scent, he couldn't possibly not have smelled it."

Song Yu's mind was in turmoil, he didn't hear a word he said, frowned, and said dryly, "You lied to me again."

Tried him to eat saliva, deliberately pulled him into a dream-like state and clung to him.

Did those lewd things.

So that's how he got revenge on him... The

more Song Yu thought about it, the angrier he became.

He thought everyone he met in this world was a good person, but then there was this pervert.

"I will never trust you again."

The boy's voice was very soft and low, but it made Shen Songchen feel like he was falling into hell. His blood turned cold, his breath caught in his throat, and he watched helplessly as Song Yu walked past him, but he still didn't dare to go forward.

*

After learning about this, Song Yu complained to 009 for several days.

He didn't know how to curse, but what he meant was that Shen Songchen was a bad person.

The fragments in 009's space cursed him much more filthy than that.

However, this incident did alleviate Song Yu's guilt about forcing the breakup. Soon, news of his breakup with Shen Songchen spread throughout the base.

He thought everyone would secretly curse him as a heartless man, but surprisingly, no one did.

Perhaps they were just saying it behind his back.

All the men around, except for Shen Songchen, suddenly became much more energetic.

Song Yu received gifts from these people for several days in a row, only belatedly realizing they were pursuing him.

It seemed the main couple's romance was going to stall again… However, this didn't seem to affect the progress bar; as the base expanded, the progress bar gradually rose to 90%.

With the base stabilizing, everyone was less busy. Qin Fei and Pei Feng not only sent gifts, but sometimes they would specifically come to him saying things like, "I'm in good health, why don't you consider it?"

Song Yu felt awkward and his scalp tingled; he would just give them a few perfunctory replies and send them away.

However, he rarely saw Shen Songchen; occasionally, they would bump into each other in the hallway, but the other would immediately return to his room.

Soon, a week had passed.

Song Yu's second-to-last mission in this world was issued.

[There's an abandoned factory next to the base containing a rare post-apocalyptic medicine, but also a massive amount of contaminant.]

[After hearing about this from others, you went to retrieve the medicine alone, hoping to improve your status in the team. However, you ended up bringing the contaminant to the base, incurring everyone's wrath.]

[Your mission is to retrieve the medicine.]

Song Yu: "?"

He blinked: [Is this really not my last mission? I have a feeling I'm going to die there.]

009: [This mission rewards 5000 points. I've prepared the medicine for you; you're ready to go at any time!]

Hearing about the high reward, Song Yu shamelessly accepted immediately.

He thought that at most he'd get bitten by monsters a few times, and he'd have 009's medicine. But he actually did, and standing before the massive contaminant, he was dumbfounded.

He wanted to turn back immediately.

The contaminant was a mutated pitcher plant, currently entangled in the entire warehouse.

009: [After testing, the mutated pitcher plant is a herbivorous pollutant; at most, it will intimidate and attack humans, but it won't swallow them whole.]

Song Yu's eyes widened.

Does that make it less scary?

009: [It's sleeping now, please be very quiet. Retrieving the medicine box completes the mission.]

Song Yu hesitated for a moment, then slowly headed towards the warehouse.

The reason for not going back was simple.

He'd already come all this way…

The mutated pitcher plant resembles a man-eating flower, lacking eyes and possessing only a gaping maw, capable of snoring even in its sleep.

However, this does allow one to determine whether it's asleep or awake.

Approaching the warehouse, Song Yu pursed his lips, slowed his steps, and was about to slowly enter when his arm was grabbed.

Song Yu trembled in fright and turned to look.

It was Chen Shu'an.

Perhaps because his actions were tantamount to suicide, the man's expression was grim, and he immediately tried to pull him back.

Afraid of waking the contaminants, Song Yu lowered his voice, "I'm not going back. There's medicine inside."

Chen Shu'an paused, his gaze probing, "How did you know?"

Song Yu stammered a lie, "...Little vine told me."

Regardless of the type of medicine, it was scarce at the moment. Chen Shu'an lowered his eyes, pondered for a moment, and asked, "You go back to the base, I'll go in."

"No, I'll go myself." Song Yu shook off his hand.

Sensing the boy's stubbornness, Chen Shu'an didn't try to persuade him further.

He recognized the contaminants inside; they were mutated pitcher plants, not capable of harming humans, which was why they could survive near the base, and Qin Fei and his men hadn't bothered with them.

But he hadn't expected to find medicine here.

Even so, Chen Shu'an was still worried about Song Yu going in alone: ​​"I'll go with you."

Without further ado, he took Song Yu's hand again.

The mission didn't specifically prohibit accompaniment, so Song Yu didn't refuse. He was sheltered in a corner by the man, and the two of them quietly entered the warehouse.

The snoring was loud and a bit noisy, so Song Yu slowly moved towards the medicine box.

Soon, Chen Shu'an patted his shoulder, indicating he had found the medicine box.

The medicine box was relatively close to Song Yu, so he had the man let go of his hand and slowly walked over, successfully obtaining the medicine box.

Upon touching the box, 009's voice sounded: [Mission complete, congratulations host!]

Song Yu breathed a sigh of relief, but the next second, the loud snoring stopped, and the sound of vines scraping the ground began.

Song Yu: "..."

The contaminants woke up!

Seeing Song Yu standing there blankly, Chen Shuan immediately went to shield him. He wanted to ask what was wrong, but seeing the boy's pale lips, he instantly understood—

Song Yu thought he had woken the pitcher plant.

The mutated pitcher plant was still harmless, not to mention that the boy had only rolled over.

But the boy's trembling eyelashes were like tiny brushes, making the man's throat dry.

Chen Shuan silently swallowed.

"It uses its sense of smell to locate things."

The sudden words made Song Yu pause: "...What?"

Chen Shuan looked down at him, unconsciously moving closer.

"You have a strong scent; you need to cover it up."

Normally, Song Yu would have been embarrassed to hear such words and simply ignored them, or thought the other person was a bad person.

But now, probably because he was too scared, he didn't have the energy to think about such things.

That's why he foolishly fell into the man's trap.

"How am I supposed to cover it up..."

Song Yu whispered, his voice barely audible, a faint sob escaping his lips. He felt his cheek burning, and as he turned slightly, his soft cheek brushed against Chen Shuan's straight nose. His face

flushed.

A hot breath washed over him, the man's voice hoarse.

"Cover it up with another scent."

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