Chapter 48: Mu Qingyan's hands were bound

"Damn it! Is this because of Tang Tang? Qin Feng, that bastard, we're with you all the way!"

"Brother Zi, you've always looked out for us. Now that you're in trouble, how could we just stand by and watch?"

"Just tell us what to do! We'll give you our lives!"

Hearing his brothers' words, Wang Zi felt his eyes grow hot. He forced a few words through his clenched teeth: "Killing people takes brains."

"Those fools like Wu Changle last time—charging in head-on was just throwing their lives away."

He pointed out the window to the dark void between the two buildings.

"We're coming from the sky."

One of the roommates froze in confusion. "The sky? Brother Zi, we don't have wings."

"Using ropes," Wang Zi's voice was as cold as ice. "There are climbing ropes and compound bows in the sports equipment room. We'll shoot a guide line across and rig a zipline."

Another roommate's eyes lit up. "I get it! Using pulleys! Sliding across like special forces!"

"Exactly," Wang Zi said with a fierce glint in his eyes. "We also need protection. Tie everything hard you can find—hard plastics, old books, thick cotton coats—onto yourselves to make improvised armor. As for weapons, bring all the iron pipes and baseball bats from the dorm."

"In the dead of night, when they're fast asleep, we'll drop from the sky and launch a surprise attack!"

Wang Zi's plan made his three roommates' breathing quicken.

It was a crazy plan, but it was feasible!

"Alright! Let's do it!"

"Damn it, once we take out Qin Feng, his room will be ours!"

"Let's do this!"

Wang Zi looked at the brightly lit window across the way, a sinister smile spreading across the corners of his mouth.

Qin Feng.

Did you really think having a gun meant you could rest easy?

Tonight, I'll show you what true justice from above looks like!

...

Deep into the night,
11:00 PM.

In this apocalyptic world, Lin Yuwei and Tang Tang were unusually excited instead.

While other girls were going to bed hungry, the two of them had food and drinks, watching television and enjoying the air conditioning.

Neither of them felt the slightest bit sleepy; they stared eagerly at Qin Feng like two cats waiting to be fed.

"Qin Feng, we're hungry," Lin Yuwei said, tugging at the corner of his shirt and gently swaying it, her voice soft and sweet.

"I want a midnight snack."

Qin Feng found it somewhat amusing, looking at these two campus belles who had no concept of the world's suffering.

"Aren't you girls afraid of getting fat? Midnight snacks are the mortal enemy of a good figure."

Under the temptation of delicious food and the emotional constraint of the system's "obedience" clause, Tang Tang's usual aloofness melted away a bit.

She nodded gently, "If Yuwei wants to eat, I'll keep her company."

Seeing their expectant gazes, a stir went through Qin Feng's heart.

In the apocalypse, what could possibly give a man more a sense of achievement than feeding them?

...

Qin Feng didn't say much. With a thought, the system space opened.

[Shandong Cuisine Category: Scallion-braised sea cucumbers, sweet and sour carp, braised pork elbow, four-joy meatballs, braised prawns in oil, Spanish mackerel dumplings, and the entire series of dishes unlocked. Points consumed: 10,000 points.]

The next second, a miracle occurred.

The air instantly filled with an rich, inseparable aroma of meat and savory sauce. The previously empty dining table was instantly covered with steaming, exquisite delicacies.

A glossy, richly sauced braised pork elbow.

A beautifully shaped carp drizzled with sweet and sour golden juice.

Scallion-braised sea cucumbers dotted with emerald green scallion pieces.

Golden and plump four-joy meatballs, braised prawns in oil, and a plate of plump, white Spanish mackerel dumplings.

Lin Yuwei and Tang Tang's eyes widened instantly, their breathing stopping for a moment.

"Oh my god!"

The two girls practically pounced on the dining table, picked up their chopsticks, and dug in with gusto.

Watching the two of them eat with such satisfaction, a smile played at the corners of Qin Feng's mouth. He turned and walked toward the bathroom to check on Mu Qingyan's condition.

The moment the bathroom door opened, an oppressive atmosphere hit him face-to-face.

Mu Qingyan was curled up on the cold floor tiles, her wrists bound with a leather belt, looking utterly disheveled.

She had just been crying; long eyelashes still clung with teardrops, and that usually proud and gorgeous face was now etched with exhaustion and stubbornness.

She had fallen asleep, or perhaps she was merely resting her eyes.

Qin Feng's footsteps woke her.

Mu Qingyan opened her eyes. Her beautiful eyes, swollen from crying until they resembled peaches, stared at him with vigilance.

Qin Feng's gaze fell on the untouched meal tray by Mu Qingyan's feet.

The leftovers inside remained exactly as they had been when delivered.

This woman truly was a martyr of chastity, with a very stubborn spine.

"Not eating?" Qin Feng's voice was very calm.

Mu Qingyan closed her eyes, turned her head away, and answered with silence.

"Heh."

Qin Feng let out a cold laugh.

He bent down and picked up the plate from the floor.

Mu Qingyan's delicate body trembled slightly; she thought Qin Feng was going to persuade her.

Instead, Qin Feng walked straight over to the toilet bowl.

*Swoosh—*

Without a moment's hesitation, he dumped all the food from the plate into the toilet.

He pressed the flush button.

The vortex washed everything away, and with it, the last shred of Mu Qingyan's crumbling resolve.

She stared blankly at the empty toilet bowl, feeling a violent spasm in her stomach.

Hungry.

So hungry.

Ever since the zombie crisis broke out a few days ago, she had been surviving entirely on instant coffee, maintaining the strength and dignity of a cheer captain in front of everyone.

Just moments ago, she had been this close—just this close—to dropping all her pride and crawling like a dog to lick the food off the plate.

Yet now, even those meager leftovers were gone.

Qin Feng looked down at her from above, his gaze seemingly able to pierce straight through her heart.

"Senior, what's wrong? Want to eat now?" His voice carried a trace of mockery.

"No!" Mu Qingyan bit her lips, forcing the two words out from between her teeth, her voice hoarse.

"Good. Eat or don't eat, suit yourself."

Qin Feng turned and left, closing the bathroom door behind him.

Outside the door, Lin Yuwei looked up and asked curiously, "How was it? Is Qingyan willing to eat?"

Tang Tang also paused with her chopsticks and added, "I bet she won't. A person like her is far too proud."

Qin Feng didn't answer. He picked up a clean plate and scooped the most intact, best-looking portions from every single dish on the table.

Three plump, scallion-braised sea cucumbers.

Half of an intact sweet and sour carp.

A large, tender piece of braised pork elbow.

Two round, flawless four-joy meatballs.

Four vibrant red braised prawns in oil, and six plump Spanish mackerel dumplings.

A plate piled high, exhaling a mouth-watering aroma.

Amidst Tang Tang and Lin Yuwei's astonished gazes, Qin Feng carried the plate back into the bathroom once more.

Qin Feng placed the brand-new plate of delicacies, radiating a tantalizing aroma, along with a clean pair of chopsticks, gently in front of Mu Qingyan. She froze completely.

This time, it wasn't leftover scraps?

This time, it was... a proper meal?

The aroma of the food reached into her nasal passages like an invisible hand, violently stirring up her ravenous hunger.

Saliva began to secrete frantically inside Mu Qingyan's mouth.

Even more surprisingly, Qin Feng bent down, unbuckled the leather belt, and freed Mu Qingyan's right hand—her left hand remained bound to the water pipe.

"Senior, eat up."

Qin Feng's voice remained flat, carrying an unquestionable sense of command.

"Only after you eat will you have the strength to keep up your stubbornness, won't you?"

Mu Qingyan lowered her head, looking at her liberated right hand, and then down at the feast-like plate of food on the ground.

To eat, or not to eat?

To eat meant submission to Qin Feng.

Not to eat?