Chapter 20:The Slip-Up

Zhang Yi didn't mock Su Xiaomu. He stood up from the chair, walked into the small kitchen, and tossed Su Xiaomu a piece of bread.

Su Xiaomu caught it. "Ugh! Ugh!... Why's it sour?" He spat out the bite he'd taken, complaining indignantly.

"Young Master Su!" Zhang Yi, who hadn't spoken until now, lowered his head, looking at those wide, round eyes with cold derision. "Do you really still think you're Young Master Su?!"

Su Xiaomu wanted to smash that arrogant face. In fact, his hand swung out...

Zhang Yi blocked his arm. "Su Xiaomu! Don't push your luck!" His face was murderous, eyes blazing.

Su Xiaomu yanked his hand back, rubbing it lightly before retorting sarcastically, "I'm pushing my luck?! Who exactly is pushing their luck here?! You want to use me, but you dump me in a room with someone bitten by a zombie?! No food! And now you're here yapping!" He threw the bread onto the table, untouched. "Zhang Yi! You're right. Before the apocalypse, I was Young Master Su. Now, after the apocalypse, I am still Young Master Su!"

"What a brilliant scheme you've cooked up?! Trapping me here, making use of the 'waste'!" Su Xiaomu's face flushed crimson as he pointed an accusing finger. "I never asked for special treatment! And the food we gathered in the mall—I contributed my share!" It was ridiculous; they wanted to erase his contribution yet still expected him to cooperate.

Zhang Yi didn't get angry. Instead, he laughed. The murderous aura vanished instantly. His phoenix eyes regained their usual teasing glint. "You're not Su Xiaomu..."

He hadn't interacted with the wastrel heir before the apocalypse, but he could imagine the type. The youth before him, his behavior and demeanor, didn't resemble a young master at all. More like someone scraping by at the bottom of society. Even the occasional imposing aura he projected was surprising, but Zhang Yi felt his analysis was correct.

Su Xiaomu rolled his eyes dramatically. "Captain Zhang says I'm not Su Xiaomu? Then who do you say I am?" He was Su Xiaomu, just from the 21st century.

"..." Zhang Yi pressed his lips tight. The youth hadn't shown a flicker of panic when he made the accusation.

"What? Captain Zhang can't say, can you?" Su Xiaomu asked with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Since it's just baseless speculation, save your suspicions until you have proof!" Having said that, Su Xiaomu felt his stomach growl even louder.

He picked up the bread from the table and tossed it back at Zhang Yi. "Eat it yourself if you want!" With that, he walked straight into the bathroom, locked the door, and instantly flashed into his space.

The youth directly grabbed some stored food from the cabin and ate. It wasn't that he was being fussy, but clearly, the man was deliberately testing him?! If he'd eaten that sour bread, it would have deepened his suspicion.

"If you don't come out now, I'm breaking the door down!" Su Xiaomu had barely finished an apple when the cold voice rang out from outside.

Su Xiaomu choked, "Cough! Cough! Cough!..." He pounded his chest, forcing the bite down. "This ghost won't leave me alone..." he cursed, tossed the apple core aside, and shifted back instantly.

"Su Xiaomu!" Zhang Yi kicked the flimsy bathroom door open with a BANG!, his face icy as he stared at the youth hastily pulling up his pants.

Su Xiaomu held his pants with both hands, his white underwear blatantly exposed. "Well, well... So Captain Zhang has these kinds of tastes..." he said with exaggerated lewdness.

He deliberately fumbled slowly with his pants, even thrusting his hips forward slightly. "What? Still looking?!" Damn! Wasn't this guy supposed to be shy?! Last time he'd teased him, he'd acted like a blushing virgin. What was this now?!

Zhang Yi's expression was utterly calm. He deliberately let his gaze sweep downward, then stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I see now," he said with an air of sudden understanding, making Su Xiaomu feel a chill inside.

Good grief, this guy is acting so weird! Su Xiaomu was still holding his pants! A normal person wouldn't just stare like that! Was he really...? Thinking of those three letters, Su Xiaomu immediately yanked his pants up and tried to zip his fly...

Yes, Su Xiaomu did just that. But some things don't go as planned. The zipper snagged. The more frantic Su Xiaomu became, the less the zipper budged.

A thousand 'f*ck me's galloped through Su Xiaomu's mind, but his hands remained outwardly calm as he kept tugging...

Suddenly, he felt a presence close. Then his hand brushed against slightly dry fingers. "What? Stunned?" Zhang Yi deftly fixed the zipper and let go. Seeing the youth still frozen, he couldn't resist a teasing remark.

Su Xiaomu's face flushed crimson. "W-who... You narcissist!" he stammered, then fled the bathroom. He'd only come out of his space to put on an act; he hadn't expected this...

"Wash your hands! Then we go eat!" Zhang Yi grabbed his collar and hauled him back inside, his tone unyielding.

Su Xiaomu, though seething internally, obediently washed his hands. When he came out, the delicious aroma hit him... He looked up at Zhang Yi... his expression twisted...

He knew it! This guy definitely had stashed good stuff! Look at that fragrant rice! Su Xiaomu felt like weeping inside. He pounced on the table, ignoring Zhang Yi, and began wolfing down the food.

Each grain of rice carried a hint of sweetness as it slid down his throat. Though only days had passed since his rebirth into this apocalypse, to Su Xiaomu's psyche, it felt like tens of thousands of years since he'd last eaten like this...

He was completely oblivious to his own appearance at that moment. His fair skin held a slight flush. Though thin, he looked considerably better than most.

If Su Xiaomu had merely been effeminate, Zhang Yi would have tossed him into the base without hesitation, knowing he wouldn't last long, or he'd fall prey to those with certain tastes... But this youth was different. His ferocity, in some ways, surpassed even a trained special forces soldier like himself.

Su Xiaomu's behavior wasn't that of a spoiled heir or the person rumored. The Su Xiaomu he knew was someone who repaid every slight tenfold, who would use any trick to survive the apocalypse.

Zhang Yi was also startled by his own train of thought. He was never one to meddle, and raised in his family's cutthroat environment, he never did anything without clear benefit.

Su Xiaomu was fierce, yes, but against swarms of zombies, without specialized training, he'd still be a liability. He could handle one or two, but crowds...

Su Xiaomu finished one bowl of rice and smacked his lips. Even after eating an apple in his space, it couldn't compare to proper rice! He'd grown up in G City, eating rice, but never realized how precious this white grain truly was until now.

Looking up, he met Zhang Yi's phoenix eyes fixed intently on him. He felt awkward. "What? So I ate!" He glanced at Zhang Yi's bowl, noticing it was untouched...

Seeing the man still motionless, Su Xiaomu couldn't gauge his thoughts. But then... a smile curved his eyes—a sure sign Su Xiaomu was about to do something mischievous...

"If you're full, I'll take yours..." Before the words finished leaving his mouth, he stood up, snatched Zhang Yi's bowl, and took a huge bite.

Zhang Yi stared at his suddenly empty hand, momentarily stunned. His reflexes and awareness were sharp; this was the first time anyone had snatched something right from under his nose...

"What's wrong?" Su Xiaomu knew he wasn't a good guy, but seeing the man's unusual reaction, he cautiously asked.

Zhang Yi snapped back to reality. Looking at Su Xiaomu tightly frowning, the annoyance in his expression could have crushed a fly.

"Eat!" he snapped coldly, then picked up the empty bowl and went to the kitchen for more rice.

Su Xiaomu shrugged, saying nothing. People of the future, he figured, were all a bit crazy. As a normal person, he shouldn't overthink it.

They returned to the room where the others were. The oppressive atmosphere from before was gone, but Su Xiaomu watched them calmly. "Something you need?" Hah! He knew it wouldn't be that simple. Such hospitality? Clearly, they wanted something.

Lan Yun spoke genially. "Young Master Su, we were wrong before. Please be magnanimous and overlook it." His ordinary face was wreathed in smiles.

Su Xiaomu curled his lip. "Sorry, but compared to you gentlemen, I'm a petty man!" His words effectively shut them down, leaving Lan Yun and the others visibly embarrassed.

"Young Master Su," Li Yansheng, the more calculating one, interjected smoothly, "We will provide you with food from now on. Provided you tell us how you knew that the blood of those bitten could indicate if they'd turn?"

Su Xiaomu had been about to refuse, but the phrasing struck him as odd. "Didn't the Apocalypse Theory mention it?" The moment the words left his mouth, he wished he could bite off his tongue.

"We've never heard of any 'Apocalypse Theory'?" Lan Yun narrowed his eyes, his voice icy.