Chapter 8: Why Are You Reacting So Quickly Now?

Night deepened. Su Yi and Lorie sat before an iron pot, each holding a small bowl, slurping down the golden-soup beef-flavored instant noodles.

Because of the earlier delay, the noodles had become a bit soggy, and the temperature was no longer as appetizing as it had been at the start. However, the greatest benefit of returning from the Wasteland was that one became unpicky; as long as it was edible, anything could be shoveled into the mouth.

After all, in that place called the Wasteland, even the most exquisite delicacies were tainted with a thick scent of machine oil. It was like finding sand in your porridge or dirt clumps in your vegetables—impossible to wash away or shake off, and utterly ruinous to the appetite.

"Do you know how to use chopsticks?"

Su Yi picked up the disposable bamboo chopsticks he had purloined from the school cafeteria and gestured with them. People in the Wasteland preferred knives and forks; she might not be accustomed to this new utensil.

"Is it like this?"

Lorie observed for a moment, then raised her hand, perfectly replicating his posture.

"Excellent. You're a quick learner. Keep eating like that when we're out. Go ahead and eat."

Su Yi served a small bowl for the silver-haired girl. It was just instant noodles, after all; he wasn't so poor that he couldn't afford to feed two people.

His reinforced body was the perfect physique for a beast of burden. Moving bricks, unloading trucks, carrying sandbags—any backbreaking labor was a piece of cake to him. If he worked overtime on weekends, the foreman would never complain about how much he earned, as long as he didn't drop dead. Scrounging up rations was easy; otherwise, how could he possibly afford rent on a monthly allowance of four hundred?

Lorie, still wrapped in her bathrobe, heard Su Yi give her permission to eat. She imitated his posture, leaning forward slightly and spreading her legs wide in a bold stance, picking up a small amount with her chopsticks and putting it into her mouth.

"Oh, delicious."

Lorie’s eyes brightened. Compared to just drinking liquids, the satiety provided by filling her stomach with solid food was much stronger, and the warmth spread through her body for the first time.

Moreover, this was the first time she had tasted salt—a seasoning essential to the human body that had been saving dinner tables since ancient times. No matter what the food was, as long as a little salt was sprinkled on it to make it savory, it instantly became delicious. Such as savory tofu pudding, savory porridge, savory soy milk...

"If you like it, eat more. There's plenty left."

"Mm..."

After the "education" in the bathroom, Lorie had finally caught on. Or perhaps it was simply that the taste of the instant noodles was too good; her small mouth chewed incessantly, and in the blink of an eye, the small bowl was empty, looking as if it had just been washed.

"Officer, what is this thing called?"

"Instant noodles. A great invention of Blue Star. Let me get you another bowl." Su Yi’s mouth curled slightly, looking rather proud.

Sure enough, people from the Wasteland couldn't resist the temptation of instant noodles. Back when he first transmigrated, he had been eating instant noodles; the moment he landed, the aroma wafting out had left the local Wastelanders completely bewildered.

After eating two more bites, Su Yi paused. He scrutinized Lorie, stroking his chin in thought.

The girl, now thoroughly cleaned, looked increasingly dazzling, like a character stepping out of an anime. If he wanted her to stay and keep him company, there were many problems to solve.

First, the girl’s appearance. She was too beautiful; blue eyes and silver hair were extremely rare even in the Wasteland and easily attracted attention. But that wasn't the biggest issue; it could be explained away as her being a mixed-race person who dyed her hair.

However, the silver-white exoskeleton on her cheeks and collarbone that couldn't be removed looked very strange. He couldn't just tell everyone she was doing 2D cosplay.

The identity issue was also troublesome. He had only been missing for a few months, and the school, the police, and his family had been driven to madness searching for him. If a mysterious person suddenly appeared by his side, it would be even harder to explain.

In the Great Xia, with its robust household registration system, Lorie had no ID as an outsider and would likely be deported as an illegal immigrant. If only they were in the United States; over there, the government would pay to feed and house illegal immigrants.

*Thump, thump, thump—*

As he pondered, a heavy, forceful knocking sounded at the door.

"Who is it?" Su Yi and Lorie both tensed, springing up from their seats into a combat stance. Instant noodle broth splashed onto the floor, and both of them had small daggers appear in their hands.

Immediately after, a voice filled with resentment came from outside the door.

"Su! Yi!"

"It’s snowing heavily! Auntie Xu asked me to come see if you were dead. Why aren't you replying to messages?!"

Hearing this voice, Su Yi shivered instinctively and whispered to Lorie, "Find somewhere to hide, quickly."

"Officer, I can fight alongside you," the silver-haired girl said, her expression grave as she gripped her dagger.

Su Yi shook his head repeatedly, his eyes turning sharp: "The person outside is a formidable fighter. Hiding is the best strategy for now. You must not let her see you. That is an order."

"Yes!"

Lorie nodded, reached out to open the living room window, and leaped out.

Su Yi closed the window, walked to the apartment door, and twisted the handle.

"Why didn't you answer when Auntie Xu called you?"

Hearing the accusatory tone of the girl in front of him, he squinted and looked her up and down.

Blue and white school uniform, a light yellow knit cardigan, a high ponytail, and misty, wispy bangs tousled by the cold wind. She looked young and slightly immature, holding a fuzzy brown bear handbag.

The girl pouted her cherry-red lips, her cheeks frozen red, looking at him with eyes full of resentment.

The girl in front of him was named Mu Xiaowei. She was his former neighbor, as well as his classmate from kindergarten, elementary school, junior high, and high school...

"She called me?"

"She was calling until she went crazy!"

Su Yi reached into his pocket and pulled out his Oppo A5. The center of the screen was shattered. He pressed the power button twice, but there was no response.

Only then did he realize his little "brick" had heroically sacrificed itself at some point.

"Damn, I only bought it a week ago." Su Yi curled his lip, feeling his heart bleed. It must have been damaged when he subdued Lorie outside the convenience store. What a pity.

"Forget it, I'll reply for you."

Seeing the sorry state of Su Yi’s phone, the girl in the school uniform sighed helplessly. She took out her own phone, tapped the screen a few times, and a text message was sent.

Without waiting for an invitation, she wiped the snow off her little boots on the "Welcome" mat at the door and stepped inside.

Su Yi had no choice but to step aside, clearing the way.

"Don't you ever go missing for months without a word again; you were really going to worry your uncle and aunt to death."

Su Yi turned his head away dismissively: "Let them worry. They each have new children after their divorce anyway; I barely see them once a year."

"Besides, Auntie Xu is your stepmother now. By seniority, you should be calling me 'brother'."

"Humph! You?" Mu Xiaowei walked into the house carrying her "little brown bear," but as soon as she entered, her nose was filled with the thick scent of golden-soup beef.

The unfinished instant noodles on the dining table caught her eye. The girl looked at him with dissatisfaction:

"Why are you eating instant noodles every single day?"

"It's delicious. I love it~"

"So perfunctory." Mu Xiaowei scanned the living room. When her gaze swept over the dining table, she suddenly threw a punch at Su Yi’s chest.

But before it could make contact, Su Yi caught it with one hand, clamping her wrist.

"What are you doing?"

Su Yi’s brow twitched as he resisted the urge to perform the wrist-lock, knee-strike, and shoulder-throw combo that had become muscle memory. He asked in a deep voice.

"Nothing! I just wanted to ask why there are two bowls and two pairs of chopsticks on the table. Did someone come to your room?"

"Old Man Zhang, the building’s doorman, came over to sit for a while."

Su Yi lied without a blush or a racing heart.

"And came over to eat instant noodles with you?"

Mu Xiaowei’s eyes narrowed into semicircles, full of suspicion.

"What else? Lonely old men really like having someone to chat with."

"I suppose..." Mu Xiaowei tilted her head and pulled her hand back.

However, the girl still felt something was off. She pretended to walk forward two steps, then suddenly threw another punch, trying to hit Su Yi on the shoulder, but he caught it again perfectly.

"How are your reflexes so fast now?"