The Absolute Favorite in the Apocalyptic Rebirth

Early autumn brought pleasant weather. After a scorching summer, the cool breeze was a welcome change. Although the temperature was still a bit high, it was bearable.

The ringing of her phone startled Lou Ling. She took it out and saw it was her roommate, Lin Baobao. She let out a sigh of relief.

“Lingling, where are you? I’m at the fountain in the central square, come out and play~~” Lin Baobao’s voice was cheerful. “Senior Xi is here too~~”

Lou Ling smiled bitterly. Although she had a good impression of Xi Mufeng, she hadn't reached the point of wanting to date him. However, Lin Baobao believed that as a new-age woman, if you liked someone, you should bravely pursue them. Don't let other women take advantage; strike first and gain the upper hand!

The central square was huge. When Lou Ling arrived at the giant fountain on the west side, she saw a group of young men and women in casual clothes gathered there. They were all schoolmates, their young and confident faces reflecting the vitality of their age.

Lin Baobao stood beside Xi Mufeng and waved at her. Xi Mufeng looked at her with a smile, his youthful yet handsome face and sunny disposition perfectly embodying the term "school heartthrob."

Lin Baobao was a cute girl with a baby face. She wore a sleeveless white dress that reached her knees, looking like a lovely doll, extremely pure.

Lin Baobao rushed over and gave Lou Ling a warm hug. Then, seeing what Lou Ling was wearing, she said with disapproval, “Why are you dressed like a bear? It’s only early autumn, and the weather is still hot. You should wear a skirt to show off our beautiful legs. What kind of woman doesn’t wear a skirt?” She then turned to Xi Mufeng and asked cutely with her head tilted, “Senior Xi, don’t you think so? Lingling looks very pretty in a skirt.”

Xi Mufeng, who was always generous and cheerful with women, nodded in agreement with a good temper.

Lou Ling felt a little embarrassed. Since discovering that Lou Dian had evolved from a chuunibyou to a pervert, she had resolutely refused to wear skirts at home. Her wardrobe was full of various types of sportswear, and her high heels were abandoned in a corner, replaced by various brands of sneakers and canvas shoes.

Lou Ling had delicate features. Although her features were ordinary, when combined, they were strangely attractive. With her long hair, she was also a delicate beauty. If she pretended to be gentle, she would be a typical gentle and soft Jiangnan girl. Lou Ling’s biological father was from the Jiangnan area, with delicate features, and Lou Ling resembled her father, full of the charm of a Jiangnan girl. However, her personality was like that of a tomboy. Plus, now that she had a man at home who was eyeing her with predatory intent, she simply didn't bother to dress up.

“Then let’s go shopping for clothes today and choose some skirts for Lingling. Senior Xi, what do you think?” Lin Baobao suggested.

Xi Mufeng glanced at Lou Ling and said with a smile, “I don’t understand you girls’ things. I’ll just be your flower protector.”

Hearing this, Lin Baobao was about to laugh when a girl next to her said sourly, “Senior Xi, that’s not very nice. We’re girls too, but we’ve never heard you say you’d be our flower protector.”

Xi Mufeng laughed it off, and soon someone else changed the subject. The group started strolling around the city center.

Lin Baobao linked her arm with Lou Ling’s and whispered in her ear, “Is your Dianxia working overtime today? Why didn’t you ask him to come along? If you ask, Dianxia will definitely come.”

Dianxia was Lin Baobao’s nickname for Lou Dian — or rather, many people’s nickname for him. Lin Baobao was practically Lou Dian’s die-hard fan. If it weren’t for the fact that Lou Dian was already a working member of society and didn’t have as much free time as students to have fun, Lin Baobao would have tried every means to stalk him and pursue him passionately every day. Of course, Lin Baobao had also vowed that after graduation, she would definitely become Lou Dian’s secretary, using her proximity to him to her advantage, forging a path through all obstacles, and finally winning the heart of the handsome man.

Lou Ling didn’t know what to say and could only vaguely say that he was working overtime today, successfully changing the subject.

With a group of young men and women together, they couldn’t really spend all their time shopping for clothes. Initially, someone suggested going to a club, but that was rejected. Finally, they decided to go to the People's Park in the city center. The park was free to enter, but there were many amusement facilities inside, which were perfect for young people to play and especially suitable for young people to get to know each other and develop feelings while having fun. Lou Ling noticed the boys walking behind them winking and teasing Xi Mufeng, their gazes flickering ambiguously and suggestively towards the girls in front of them.

Well, needless to say, when it came to gossip, the boys were not far behind.

After playing until 4:30 p.m., they finally came out of the park’s cinema. Hearing the others suggest going to karaoke after dinner, Lou Ling quickly made an excuse to leave — she was tone-deaf and always got booed off the stage when she sang karaoke, so she had zero interest in it. Lin Baobao, however, loved it. Seeing that Lou Ling was really not interested, she let her leave with a regretful look on her face.

The Lou family’s house was located in the Rose Garden on the west side of the city. The buildings in this community were mainly European-style three-story villas, beautiful and magnificent. Those who could afford to buy houses here were either rich or powerful. When Lou Ling first moved here with her mother, she was like a country bumpkin entering the city, staring at everything in amazement, which earned her ridicule from Lou Dian, who was suffering from chuunibyou at the time.

Hmm… Although Lou Dian was going through his chuunibyou phase at the time, Lou Ling still felt that he was easier to deal with back then. A chuunibyou couldn't win against her in an argument or a fight; he could only outsmart her by playing dirty. Unlike now, the guy was a completely blackened male god, staring at her intensely every day with a look that seemed to want to strip her bare and devour her. It was terrifying.

With mixed feelings, she returned home and found that Lou Dian seemed to be out. She couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. She hurried to wash her face and changed into another set of baggy clothes that didn't show her figure. She comforted herself by thinking that she could leave in another year. By then, she would have definitely fulfilled her duty to the deceased Father Lou.

As Lou Ling poured herself a glass of purified water from the water dispenser in the living room, she heard the sound of a key turning in the door. Looking up, she saw Lou Dian walk in, each hand carrying two bags of rice and two bags of flour, with a shopping bag full of various vegetables hanging from his arm.

“Xiaoling, you’re back.” Lou Dian walked in effortlessly and changed his shoes at the entrance, a gentle smile on his face and a very soft voice that gave people a feeling of cleanliness.

Generally speaking, men’s voices were more attractive when they were low and slightly husky. However, Lou Dian’s voice was a soft, clear sound, neither high nor low, a bit like a baritone. Hearing his voice made people feel clean and comfortable, further making them think that he must be a person with a pure heart, untouched by the dust of the world.

Of course, Lou Ling could attest from her ten years of experience fighting wits and courage with him that it was just an illusion!

Lou Ling hurried over to help, but Lou Dian only handed her the shopping bag, not letting her carry the rice and flour. The things in the shopping bag dazzled her, and the bag felt heavy in her hand, causing her to quickly grab it with both hands. Following behind him, Lou Ling looked at his slender figure and couldn't imagine how he had such strength. She had a hunch that he was showing off — although there was no trace of it on his face.

Following him into the kitchen, Lou Ling discovered that there was a mountain of food piled up inside, all rice, noodles, instant noodles, and the like. The cupboards were also filled with various canned goods and seasonings. She blinked in astonishment and asked, “Brother, why did you buy so much food? There are only two of us. Wouldn’t it be a waste if we can’t finish it and it expires?” Although they lived a comfortable life without worry, Lou Ling was still the frugal girl who used to live with her mother in a simple old apartment.

Lou Dian glanced at her and said casually, “To eat, of course. What do you want to eat tonight?” He rolled up his sleeves and took out a fresh-keeping box containing ribs that had already been washed clean.

“Anything is fine.”

“Okay then, honey-glazed ribs, Kung Pao chicken, braised beef, sweet and drunken chicken, garlic-sauteed vegetables.” As he spoke, he looked back at her, his smile clean and gentle, like a big boy.

Lou Ling was not bewitched by the male god's smile. Instead, she felt a chill down her spine and looked at him cautiously, nodding in agreement.

Dinner was sumptuous. Sitting at the dining table, Lou Ling gnawed on the honey-glazed ribs, so delicious that she almost wanted to chew and swallow the bones. She secretly glanced at Lou Dian, who was still as gentle and elegant as a nobleman, and wondered when he had learned to cook like this?

When she was at home before, it was always Aunt Lin who cooked their meals. But a month ago, Aunt Lin had done something wrong and was fired by Lou Dian. At that time, she thought that since she lived outside most of the time, it had nothing to do with her if Lou Dian wanted to fire Aunt Lin. However, when she came home on weekends, without Aunt Lin, they had to cook for themselves. Lou Ling had no problem cooking some home-cooked dishes. To her surprise, Lou Dian actually cooked himself, and the food he made was delicious and high-class.

The first time he cooked, Lou Ling had asked him when he learned. He simply replied that he had learned when he was studying abroad in university. Because of the terrifying look in his eyes at that time, Lou Ling didn't dare to ask further.

To her, the current Lou Dian was a stranger, as if his whole being was a mystery.

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