“What, you think I suddenly became charitable?”

Bai Youwei raised her chin slightly, arrogantly curling her lips:

“Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not that idle. I just don’t want there to be trouble when two burdens make you torn about what to do. Now you don’t need to worry—Teacher Cheng has Tan Xiao to look after him, plus clay on his person. You can wholeheartedly, single-mindedly escort me to Yangzhou!”

Finishing, she looked Shen Mo up and down again, asking sarcastically: “Or do you think you’re not as valuable as a piece of rotten clay?”

Shen Mo looked at her proud and arrogant manner, somewhat at a loss for words. After a moment of silence, he seriously asked her:

“You’re deliberately saying things to provoke me—is it because of last night, or because of this morning?”

Last night he’d hurt her self-esteem.

This morning he’d disturbed her sleep.

Bai Youwei’s expression immediately turned three degrees colder, becoming gloomy.

Shen Mo said: “Before doing anything in the future, think first whether it’s worth it.”

His tone was calm yet sincere. He truly didn’t want to see her act on impulse again.

“You’re not me—how do you know it’s not worth it?” Bai Youwei smiled coldly, her hands pinching the pleats of the long dress on her legs, her voice very soft. “…But yes, in your eyes, I’m already like this. The best way to live is to obediently eat, obediently sleep, not cause anyone trouble. After all… I’m already like this—what right do I have to demand anything else? Right?”

Shen Mo frowned: “That’s not what I meant.”

“That’s exactly what you meant.” She disdainfully curled her lips. “You people are all the same, repeating the same few phrases over and over, telling me not to be stubborn, not to be willful, not to ruin my own body… But you don’t know that for me, one breath of pride is more important than life! I’d rather ruin my body than be mocked, trampled on, or humiliated!”

You people…

Shen Mo’s heart felt like something lightly knocked against it.

He remembered a family dinner when Dad invited Auntie Wang, subtly indicating his remarriage plans and hoping to have Bai Youwei come live with them. His dad had always hoped to have a well-behaved, adorable daughter.

But Auntie Wang immediately refused, explaining that Bai Youwei’s physical condition was special—rather willful and not accustomed to living with too many people.

Father Shen didn’t agree, feeling that letting the child continue living alone would make her personality even more isolated.

But after all, they were outsiders, and he was still dating Auntie Wang, so it wasn’t appropriate to interfere too much. In the end, this matter went nowhere.

Until now, with the apocalypse…

Shen Mo was silent.

Bai Youwei looked at him, her tone cool: “As for last night’s matter, consider me blind. There are plenty of men in this world—don’t be so narcissistic as to think I can’t do without you…”

At this moment, Tan Xiao happened to pass by the door carrying a pile of things—

Shen Mo saw Bai Youwei’s eyes flicker and felt a chill in his heart.

“Tan Xiao!”

“Tan Xiao!”

The woman’s and man’s shouts rang out almost simultaneously.

Tan Xiao froze, staring blankly at this pair of “siblings.” “…What?”

Shen Mo stepped forward two paces, blocking Bai Youwei behind him, saying blandly: “Load two more buckets of water in the car. It’ll be convenient to use water on the road.”

“Oh… alright. There are drinking water barrels in the dormitory room where we rested.”

Tan Xiao didn’t think much of it and turned to get the buckets.

Shen Mo breathed a sigh of relief. Turning around again, he saw Bai Youwei sitting in the wheelchair, a pair of bright, clear black eyes looking at him with a half-smile, her lips curled in amusement.

“Don’t tell me you thought I was going to pick him?” Her smile was meaningful. “Jumping out so anxiously… are you jealous? Or did you regret refusing me last night?”

Shen Mo: “…”