WMSR — QT Chapter 132

 

WMSR – QT Chapter 132

By

siofra

Chapter 132: The Senior of the Apocalypse

In that fraction of a second, an unprecedented sense of existential peril engulfed Qi Yuanyuan's heart. She even felt that Xiao Yi's dark warning—don't act foolish—was laced with dangerous double meaning. Her brain went completely blank, leaving her frozen like a marble statue as she stared at Xiao Yi, too terrified to move a single muscle or utter another word.

Seeing that his psychological deterrence had successfully silenced Qi Yuanyuan and suppressed her sudden outburst, Xiao Yi turned back to face Bai Yichen, smoothing his expression: "She was a bit overly emotional just now, so please don't take her words to heart. In reality, she has missed you deeply across all these years; otherwise, I wouldn't have brought her here to find you. Qi Yuanyuan was my very first dependent follower—she has stayed at my side ever since I rescued her on campus at the start of the outbreak, and she has been searching for ways to locate you all this time. I know you two were an enviable couple back at university. How about it? Why don't you become my dependent follower as well? That way, the two of you can be together every single day."

If Qi Yuanyuan's outburst earlier had left Xiao Yi in disbelief, then Xiao Yi's current pitch left Qi Yuanyuan staring at him as if he were an actual ghost. When on earth had she ever missed Ling Mengchen? Did she ever speak such words? She clearly recalled articulating her complete apathy toward her missing boyfriend to Xiao Yi years ago. What in the world was going through his head? Had he lost his mind? Why was he persistently spinning such outrageous fabrications?

Yet, the terrifying weight of Xiao Yi's warning stare remained freshly burned into her memory. Despite her mind overflowing with bewildering questions, Qi Yuanyuan did not dare to utter a single peep.

Having delivered what he calculated to be an irresistible proposal, Xiao Yi fixed his gaze on Bai Yichen in eager anticipation. Yet thirty seconds ticked past, and the youth before him maintained a calm composure laced only with mild astonishment and slight hesitation. This unnervingly serene reaction strayed far from his projections, and for Xiao Yi, it was nowhere near enough. He knit his brows slightly, resolving to sweeten the deal.

Clearing his throat, Xiao Yi pressed forward: "Ling Mengchen, if both you and Qi Yuanyuan become my dependent followers, you can continue your romantic relationship without any interference from me. You could even build a family and have children together. I guarantee that although the world outside is in absolute ruins, you will be able to enjoy a peaceful life within my safe zone—just like before the apocalypse."

Xiao Yi had forced every single syllable of that speech past his teeth. Deep down, he knew these promises were nothing more than empty checks—he would never tolerate such a scenario in reality—yet uttering those words with his own lips filled him with unbearable agony.

Still, to entice Ling Mengchen, he had no alternative. He understood all too well what held the absolute ultimate appeal in this apocalyptic wasteland: a sweet, normal life reminiscent of the pre-apocalyptic world. No matter how much Lin Jiawen could offer Ling Mengchen, he could never produce a second Qi Yuanyuan. Furthermore, even if Lin Jiawen uttered identical promises, Ling Mengchen would likely harbor skepticism. But Xiao Yi was different—because Ling Mengchen had zero inkling of how intensely Xiao Yi had been infatuated with him in secret.

If Xiao Yi's initial pitch had merely struck Qi Yuanyuan as bizarre, his follow-up statement was a brazen, shameless attempt to use her as literal bait. If she still failed to realize at this point that Xiao Yi's true target was not her, but rather her unpowered ex-boyfriend, her intellect would truly be beyond saving.

Yet, regardless of Xiao Yi's hidden motives, the reality remained that he was treating her as a mere commodity to seduce another man. This was precisely the terrifying scenario she had dreaded before coming here—in fact, the reality was even more degrading than her worst fear of being offered up to appease elite ability wielders. Xiao Yi was dangling her to entice an unpowered civilian—the very same ex-boyfriend she thoroughly looked down upon! Worse still, she had just flaunted her high status in front of that exact same ex-boyfriend earlier this afternoon, boasting about her position as Xiao Yi's woman and her immense influence. Yet merely half a day later, she was being wielded right before Ling Mengchen's eyes as a pathetic lure. In an instant, a wave of intense, suffocating humiliation washed over Qi Yuanyuan, making her tremble from head to toe.

While Qi Yuanyuan shook in acute shame, another person in the room was suffering an equally agonizing turmoil. Despicable! Lin Jiawen could think of no other word to describe Xiao Yi. He had never imagined that the ruler of the Lingxiao Survivor Base could be so shameless as to deploy such a underhanded scheme to entice his cherished person away.

Yet, despite his boiling rage at Xiao Yi's shamelessness, Lin Jiawen was far more terrified that his Mengchen might actually fall for the temptation. Thus, his anxiety at this moment eclipsed even Qi Yuanyuan's humiliation.

Compared to the three individuals in the foyer—one trembling in shame, one consumed by anxious dread, and one waiting in desperate hope—Bai Yichen remained the calmest person in the room. In truth, he was thoroughly bewildered. What kind of bizarre play was this?

Naturally, he didn't believe a single word coming out of Xiao Yi's mouth. Because Qi Yuanyuan still held lingering feelings for him, he had come to recruit him so the star-crossed lovers could be reunited? If that were true, was the Qi Yuanyuan he met this afternoon—who had flexed her status, rushed to sever all ties with him, and claimed to be Xiao Yi's woman—merely an optical hallucination?

Bai Yichen was simply puzzled as to why Xiao Yi was doing this. Judging by his persistent actions, Xiao Yi seemed obsessively eager to recruit him as a dependent follower. What was he actually after? Was there something unique about his person that Xiao Yi coveted? Unable to deduce the underlying scheme in the short term, Bai Yichen chose to stop overthinking it. Besides, he harbored zero desire to switch wielder allegiances; compared to the unfamiliar Xiao Yi, Lin Jiawen—who had lived alongside him for five years—was infinitely more trustworthy. Thus, Bai Yichen politely declined Xiao Yi's offer, clarifying that he and Qi Yuanyuan no longer possessed any romantic feelings for each other. He expressed that he was perfectly content staying as Lin Jiawen's dependent follower and had no intention of changing allegiances.

Hearing Bai Yichen's explicit refusal, the bright hope swelling in Xiao Yi's chest shattered instantly. It felt as though a bucket of icy water had been dumped over his head, leaving him standing frozen in place like an empty shell. Observing Xiao Yi's dazed posture, Lin Jiawen quietly dialed his internal combat readiness to maximum alert.

Fortunately, after a prolonged pause, Xiao Yi finally managed to pull his consciousness back to reality. Glancing at Lin Jiawen's guarded stance, although an overwhelming urge to forcefully abduct his beloved raged within his chest, he ultimately remembered that this safe zone was a kingdom he had forged with his own hands, governed by laws he personally established.

In the end, he could only take a deep, stabilizing breath and look up at Bai Yichen:

"My promise remains valid indefinitely. No matter when you happen to change your mind, you can always come to me and become my dependent follower."

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