Apocalyptic Wasteland Simulator

Chapter 37: Heart-to-Heart! A Nighttime Conversation with Xia Qingxue
At dusk, the afterglow of the sunset painted the sky a brilliant orange-red.

Chen Pingchuan sat in the speeding taxi with a vacant stare, a lingering fear still gripping him. He had been so close to rekindling things with his landlady.

Although a small part of him was a little expectant, he was a respectable, well-educated young man. How could he commit such a shameless act? He understood all the reasoning, but the pristine white image in his mind refused to fade.

Chen Pingchuan hurriedly shook his head to break the train of thought. As he looked at the communicator in his hand, a look of relief washed over his face. Thank goodness I messaged Xia Qingxue before I left, and she just so happened to reply. Perhaps this is fate’s best arrangement.

...

On the rooftop of the orphanage, a young man and woman sat silently on the ledge, staring blankly at the moonless, starry sky.

”I called you at noon. Why didn’t you answer?”

”Did you? I must not have heard it. I think I was asleep.”

A flash of panic crossed Xia Qingxue’s face, but she quickly hid it and deflected the blame to Chen Pingchuan. ”Well, it’s your fault! If you hadn’t worn me out so much last night, do you think I would have missed it? It’s all your fault! Hmph!”

She then gave Chen Pingchuan’s arm a light pinch to show her anger, but the gesture was so gentle it felt more like a massage.

Looking at the blushing Xia Qingxue, Chen Pingchuan felt an inexplicable wave of guilt wash over him. She’s as innocent and pure as an angel, while I’m utterly filthy.

This wasn’t Chen Pingchuan putting himself down; it was an accurate self-assessment. He knew exactly what kind of person he was. Take what just happened, for instance. If he had genuinely been resistant, he never would have ended up in Huang Yujia’s room in the first place.

He looked at the girl beside him. If I’m not mistaken, she spent all day running around for me, and yet I turned around and almost ended up in bed with another woman. At that moment, Chen Pingchuan really wanted to slap himself across the face.

He hesitated for a moment, then decided to confess everything.

”Qingxue, I have something to tell you.”

”I have something to tell you, too,” Xia Qingxue said with a giggle, turning away from the starry sky to look at Chen Pingchuan. Her face was brimming with a happy smile.

Looking at her lovely face, Chen Pingchuan hesitated again. ”Er... you go first.”

”No, I don’t want to. You go first,” Xia Qingxue pouted, her tone coquettish.

”Fine, I’ll go first. I have something to confess.”

Perhaps she sensed the gravity in his expression. Unsure of what he was thinking, Xia Qingxue suddenly felt flustered. A girl experiencing her first love is often this way—sentimental and plagued by insecurity. She looked apprehensive, as if awaiting an ultimatum.

”Go on,” she said.

Looking at the girl before him, Chen Pingchuan gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and let it all out in a rush. ”Just now... something happened. My landlady and I...”

Chen Pingchuan spoke rapidly, briefly explaining their history. Then, looking as anxious as a student who had just misbehaved, he nervously watched Xia Qingxue’s reaction.

”Did you sleep with her?”

”Of course not! With that little time? Who do you take me for?” Chen Pingchuan feigned outrage to hide his guilt, though he could tell Xia Qingxue wasn’t planning to press the issue.

PFFT!

Xia Qingxue covered her mouth to stifle a giggle and teased, ”That’s true. You’re so vigorous, that little bit of time really isn’t enough. Why don’t you go back and finish?”

Chen Pingchuan was baffled by her strange line of thinking. ”Wait, you’re not angry?” he asked, perplexed.

”Why would I be angry?”

”I was getting intimate with another woman. Normally, you should be angry about that.”

”I’m not.”

”Is it because you don’t like me?”

”I do like you!”

”Then why don’t you mind me getting close to other women?”

”Why would I mind?”

Xia Qingxue’s expression was strange, as if she couldn’t understand why Chen Pingchuan was even asking.

Feeling like his brain was short-circuiting, Chen Pingchuan was going crazy. Why doesn’t she mind?!

He was about to press her further, but Xia Qingxue began to speak of her own accord.

”Where I come from, love is a very precious and luxurious thing.”

”If two people can be together because they love each other, what difference does one more person make?”

Hearing this, Chen Pingchuan froze on the spot. His expression grew rigid. ”But what if I said I mind?” he asked, his voice wavering with uncertainty.

Xia Qingxue chuckled softly at his words, her pearly teeth showing as she gazed at him with clear eyes. ”Then I’ll just ignore all other men.”

”But you just said...”

”I said I don’t mind *you* being with other women. I never said *I* would be with any other men.”

”That’s not fair to you.”

Chen Pingchuan’s expression turned serious. The education he’d received in his past life had taught him that everyone was equal, regardless of rank or status. Everyone deserved to be treated with respect and fairness.

”Hee hee, but I think it’s fine,” she said.

Chen Pingchuan was taken aback, not understanding her reasoning.

”Oh, it’s because I don’t like men,” Xia Qingxue said, putting on a cute, dopey expression as she clumsily tried to explain herself. ”To be precise, I don’t like any man other than you. I’m not sure why, but whenever I’m with you, I just feel so relaxed and happy.”

Perhaps feeling she’d been too forward with her confession, Xia Qingxue’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. Though masked by the darkness, Chen Pingchuan could still see it clearly.

”Anyway... I like you!”

He looked at the girl before him, her face a mixture of shyness and unease. She was like a small flower swaying gently in the breeze—charming and endearingly vulnerable. It was only now that he truly accepted her. Yes, she would be his girlfriend.

Having sorted out his feelings, Chen Pingchuan’s composure returned. The earlier solemn mood vanished, and he playfully joked, ”You’re not... into girls, are you?”

To his surprise, Xia Qingxue took his joke seriously. She seemed to genuinely ponder the question before nodding slightly. ”Well, there might be a tiny possibility, but I’m not really sure.”

”I...”

”Hahaha, I’m just kidding!” Seeing Chen Pingchuan’s dumbfounded expression, Xia Qingxue broke into a radiant smile.

The rest of their time together was harmonious. Chen Pingchuan recounted stories from his childhood and explained some of the survival rules of the orphanage. Xia Qingxue didn’t say a word, simply resting her chin on her hand and staring at him, completely engrossed in his tale.

That night, Chen Pingchuan didn’t stay over at Xia Qingxue’s place. He planned to rest and gather his strength, hoping to simulate a viable path forward the next day—one that would allow Xia Qingxue to stay by his side.

Downstairs, Chen Pingchuan waited until the light in Xia Qingxue’s apartment flickered on before he finally turned and left.

From her apartment several stories up, Xia Qingxue stared blankly at Chen Pingchuan’s retreating figure, her eyes filled with a sense of loss. How could she possibly not mind? It was just a facade of generosity. Love has always been selfish; who would ever be willing to share it? But she knew she couldn’t stay with him forever. That’s why she hoped someone else could take her place, to always be there to protect him.