306: Chapter 306 This little fish is a bit depressed.

The night shrouded this bustling base, which seemed completely out of place in the Apocalypse.

Compared to the purgatory outside, where zombies roared and freezing winds howled.

Inside Lin Yuan's base, the lights were blazing.

One could even faintly hear the low, reassuring rumble of the generators.

Warmth was the most luxurious specialty here.

However, this lively atmosphere seemed to have nothing to do with Lan Xin.

At the back of the base, in the huge, temperature-controlled pool specifically modified for her, Lan Xin was floating on the surface all alone.

Her shimmering, deep blue fish tail gently slapped the water.

Stirring up ripples that glowed with a faint light.

"Woo—woo—"

A low, melodious song spilled from her lips.

This was the Merfolk Clan's "Elegy of the Deep Sea," without lyrics, only a sorrowful melody that reached straight to the soul.

The song penetrated the thick reinforced concrete walls.

Drifting through the night sky with a heartbreaking ethereal quality.

She had been on land for a week now.

In this week, she had seen too many incredible things.

That man named Lin Yuan was like a guy who possessed everything.

He could casually conjure up fragrant food and soft, comfortable clothing.

And even strange boxes that could emit light and sound.

But Lan Xin still felt a loneliness that went deep into her bones.

She did not belong here.

She looked through the specially made, thickened glass skylight.

Toward the most magnificent villa in the distance.

At this moment, a "great show" that was a nightly ritual was playing out in the villa's hall.

Lan Xin had excellent hearing and could even catch the conversation over there.

"This piece of braised pork was picked for me by Lin Yuan! Whoever dares to snatch it, I'll fight them!"

This was Shiyun's voice, carrying the spirit of a little tiger protecting its food.

"Tch, you've already eaten three pieces. Be careful you don't turn into a pig, or Brother Lin Yuan won't want you anymore."

A crisp and melodious voice retorted.

It was Ye Qingxue's sister, the eccentric and clever second young lady, Ye Qingyue.

"What do you know! A little chubby is the best! You skinny bone, get lost!"

"Alright, alright, stop arguing."

A cold yet gentle voice came out to smooth things over.

It must be Ye Qingxue, "The soup is getting cold. Lin Yuan, try this soup, I've been stewing it for three hours."

Lan Xin lay on the edge of the pool, a flash of envy crossing her sea-blue eyes, only to be quickly covered by confusion.

This noisy atmosphere was too unfamiliar to her.

In the Merfolk Clan, the hierarchy was strict, and all clansmen bore the heavy responsibility of reviving the royal family.

Even during meals, it was solemn; how could there ever be a time of arguing until red in the face over a piece of meat?

"Humans... are really a strange species." Lan Xin muttered to herself.

Just then, she saw the back door of the villa pushed open.

A figure snuck out stealthily, holding a pitch-black iron bucket in her hand.

That was Ji Wushuang.

This once incredibly arrogant female war god.

Was now covered in dirt and grime, her once smooth long hair a tangled mess, with two streaks of black soot on her face, looking exactly like a refugee who had just returned from digging coal.

Ji Wushuang grumbled as she walked, her voice drifting into Lan Xin's ears with the wind.

"Lin Yuan, you stingy miser! Capitalist! Vampire! You actually made me stoke the boiler! And you said something like 'mastering the heat is mastering life'... I don't believe a word of it! That boiler is a fully automatic, intelligent temperature-controlled model; it doesn't need anyone to watch the fire at all! You just want to mess with me!"

Ji Wushuang kicked a small stone on the roadside in frustration.

As a result, she used too much force and grimaced in pain, hopping around on one leg while clutching her foot.

"Ouch... even the stones are bullying me! Just you wait, I will definitely... definitely..."

Ji Wushuang thought about harsh words for a long time, then finally sighed dejectedly:

"I will definitely eat two more bowls of rice to make up for the lost meat!"

"Pfft."

Lan Xin couldn't help it and laughed out loud.

This light laugh was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

Ji Wushuang was instantly alert and whipped her head around, her gaze sharp as a knife:

"Who?! Who is spying on this lady?!"

Lan Xin was so scared that she quickly dived into the water, exposing only her eyes and half her head.

Staring cautiously at Ji Wushuang.

Ji Wushuang saw Lan Xin in the pool by the moonlight, and her previously tense nerves relaxed.

She curled her lips: "So it's that salted fish... ahem, no, Mermaid Princess."

She seemed to feel that she had lost face as a human powerhouse in front of an alien race.

She hurriedly wiped the soot off her face, trying to regain some image, and put on an inscrutable look:

"Ahem, that, I am practicing an ancient Eastern secret technique—smoky makeup, yes, that's it. You don't understand, this is a very profound cultivation method."

After speaking, to cover up her embarrassment, Ji Wushuang picked up the iron bucket and fled in a panic.

She ran faster than a rabbit, almost tripping over her own shoelaces in the process.

Lan Xin watched her disheveled back, the smile in her eyes gradually fading, replaced by a deeper sense of loneliness.

Even that woman who was punished to do hard labor.

Although she complained, she was actually at ease in her heart.

Because she knew that no matter how much she caused trouble, she was a part of this place.

And what about herself?

Lan Xin floated back to the surface, looking up at the cold crescent moon.

"Father, Mother... I miss home."

She began to hum softly again.

This time, the song had a little less ethereal quality and a little more real sorrow.

...

On the balcony of the villa's second floor, a scarlet cigarette butt flickered.

Lin Yuan leaned against the railing, holding a post-something... ahem, a post-meal cigarette.

He had just escaped from the "shura field" of those women.

It had to be said, the blessing of having many wives was not so easy to enjoy.

Just now, to quell the world war over "who washes the dishes," he had to sacrifice his looks and promise to take them to catch a Mutated Beast as a pet tomorrow, only then did he manage to coax those grandmothers.

"These days, being an Apocalypse lord is more tiring than being a kindergarten principal."

Lin Yuan blew out a smoke ring and shook his head helplessly.

Just then, that mournful singing came again.

Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly and stubbed out the cigarette.

"This little fish is a bit depressed."

He took a look at her loyalty level.

Lan Xin's loyalty was always in the blue and white range, belonging to the state of "although I'm following you for a meal, I might pack up and run away at any time."

This would not do.

Lan Xin was a goddess who met the system's conditions; he would have to rely on her to unlock more ocean-themed black technology later.

"Looks like I have to provide some psychological counseling."

Lin Yuan adjusted his collar and turned to go downstairs.

...

By the pool.

Lan Xin was singing the most sorrowful climax when she suddenly heard footsteps.

She stopped singing alertly, her body instinctively tensing up, ready to use her water Superpower at any moment.

"Don't be nervous, it's me."

Lin Yuan's voice came from the shadows, with a hint of laziness and casualness.

He walked to the edge of the pool, not minding the dirt.

He sat down directly on the pebbled ground, holding two bottles of... iced cola in his hand.

"Not bad, although I didn't understand a word, it feels like it would be unreasonable not to tip you a rocket." Lin Yuan teased with a smile.

Lan Xin was stunned for a moment, not understanding what "tip a rocket" meant, but she heard the kindness in Lin Yuan's tone.

She hesitated for a moment, swam to the shore, and rested her hands on the pool wall.

Half her body leaned out of the water.

Her wet long hair stuck to her jade-like skin.

Droplets of water slid down her delicate collarbone, shining with an alluring luster in the moonlight.

This scene was enough to make any man's blood boil.

But Lin Yuan looked straight ahead, just handing over one of the bottles of cola in his hand:

"Here, fat-happy water, a specialty on land. It cures all kinds of unhappiness; take a sip and forget your worries, take two sips and live forever—the second half is something I made up."

Lan Xin hesitantly took the cold black bottle and followed Lin Yuan's example to unscrew the cap.

"Hiss—"

The sound of bubbles rushing out startled her, and she almost threw the bottle away.

"Is... is this a hidden weapon?" Lan Xin asked in terror.

"Pfft—"

The mouthful of cola Lin Yuan had just taken almost sprayed out.

"Yes, this is a biochemical weapon, specifically designed to corrode the soul of a simple little fish like you."

Looking at Lin Yuan's teasing eyes, Lan Xin's face flushed slightly, knowing she had been tricked again.

She carefully leaned close to the bottle mouth and sniffed; a sweet, pungent smell.

She took a tentative sip.

The next second, countless tiny bubbles exploded in her mouth, that stimulating feeling rushing straight to her skull.

"Hic—"

Lan Xin let out a loud, involuntary burp.

She covered her mouth instantly, her whole face turning as red as a cooked shrimp.

As a royal of the Merfolk Clan.

She had received the strictest etiquette education since she was a child; such a loss of composure was simply a great humiliation!

"Hahahaha!"

Lin Yuan laughed unceremoniously.

"Not bad, not bad, that burp was of a high level, full of vigor; it seems your lung capacity is good, worthy of someone who sings bel canto."

Lan Xin was so ashamed and angry she wanted to die, wishing she could dive into the water and never come out again.

"Are... are you mocking me?"

She bit her lower lip, mist welling up in her eyes.

Lin Yuan restrained his smile, his eyes becoming gentle: "No, I am envying you."

"Envying me?" Lan Xin was puzzled.

"Envying that you can still be shy because of a burp."

Lin Yuan shook the cola bottle in his hand, watching the churning bubbles inside.

"In this damn Apocalypse, most people have lost their dignity as humans, fighting each other like dogs for half a moldy steamed bun. Being able to maintain this 'superfluous' sense of shame means you are still alive, truly alive."

Lan Xin was stunned.

She looked at the man in front of her.

At this moment, he had put away the usual domineering air of controlling everything.

His profile looked a bit lonely in the moonlight, yet exceptionally real.

"I don't understand..."

Lan Xin said softly, "You possess so much, why do you still feel... tired?"

"Because the more you possess, the more you carry."

Lin Yuan turned his head, looking into her eyes, "Just like you, isn't it?"

This sentence was like a key, instantly opening Lan Xin's locked heart.

She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously stroking the water:

"I am the last royal of the Merfolk Clan. My clansmen... all died in that disaster. Only I escaped with the clan's sacred object. Before the elders died, they grabbed my hand and told me I must live on, I must revive the Merfolk Clan..."

Speaking of this, her voice began to tremble:

"But, I don't know what to do at all. I even have to learn how to walk on land, and even a strange bottle of water can make me make a fool of myself... Can a useless royal like me really carry the hope of the whole clan?"

Tears slid down her cheeks, dripping into the pool water and disappearing.

Lin Yuan listened quietly.

He did not interrupt her, nor was he in a hurry to pass a tissue or give a hug.

Until she had vented her emotions and the sobbing gradually subsided.

Lin Yuan spoke, his tone plain but powerful:

"Do you know? In our world, there is a saying. When the pressure is so great that you can't breathe, the best way is not to carry it hard, but to—'lie flat'."

"Lie... flat?"

Lan Xin blinked her big eyes, which were still hanging with teardrops; it was another new word she hadn't heard of.

"It means admitting you are a loser, and then lying flat with peace of mind."

Lin Yuan was talking nonsense with a straight face.

Lan Xin's eyes widened: "Is... is this something a royal should do?!"

"What's wrong with being a royal? A royal isn't a fish?"

Lin Yuan sneered.

"Look at Wushuang, a few days ago she was shouting about wanting to chop me, and now isn't she obediently going to stoke the boiler? This is called being able to bend and stretch. You have nothing now, just carrying the big pot of 'reviving the race,' it has no use other than pressing you into a dried salted fish."

Lin Yuan stood up, patted the dust off his pants, and looked down at her.

"In this base, you don't need to be a royal, and you don't need to revive any race. You only need to do one thing."

Lan Xin raised her head, her eyes filled with a glimmer of hope:

"Wha... what thing?"

Lin Yuan's lips curled into his signature wicked smile, and he reached out to point at the cola in her hand.

"Learn how to drink cola without burping."

Lan Xin was stunned.

"When you can find a little bit of insignificant happiness in this strange world, you have already won."

After Lin Yuan finished speaking, he turned and left, waving his hand with his back to her.

"Go to sleep early, don't sing anymore; although it sounds good, it's easy to attract monsters. Also, tell the kitchen what you want to eat tomorrow morning, don't be polite."

Lan Xin stared blankly at Lin Yuan's departing back, clutching the bottle of unfinished cola tightly in her hand.

The cold touch came through her palm, but inexplicably made her feel a trace of warmth.

Learn... how to drink cola without burping?

She lowered her head, watching the bubbles rising and bursting in the bottle.

"Pfft."

She laughed out loud again. This time, there was no bitterness, only relief.

"What a... strange and domineering man."

Lan Xin raised the bottle and took another big gulp.

"Hic—"

Still a loud burp.

But under the quiet night sky.

This sound didn't seem so harsh anymore, but instead carried a vivid vitality.

...

Lin Yuan returned to the villa.

As soon as he entered the door, he was pounced on by a soft body.

"Brother Lin Yuan! Did that fish sister cry?"

Ye Qingyue leaned close to Lin Yuan, holding his arm, and asked with her lively big eyes blinking.

"She didn't cry, she was just practicing a new vocal technique."

Lin Yuan casually bluffed, "By the way, has that boiler-stoker come back yet?"

"She's back! She's over there sneaking a midnight snack!"

Ye Qingyue pointed toward the kitchen and said with a giggle.

Lin Yuan looked over and saw Ji Wushuang squatting in front of the refrigerator.

With a chicken leg in one hand and milk in the other, she was eating ravenously.

The soot she had wiped on her face earlier had been washed into a smudged mess by sweat, looking both funny and cute.

Seeing Lin Yuan look over, Ji Wushuang's movements stiffened, and then she glared at him fiercely.

She took a fierce bite of the chicken leg as a show of defiance, as if she were biting Lin Yuan's flesh.

Lin Yuan laughed dumbly.

Although this Apocalypse was cruel.

But this group of women with different personalities added a lot of color to this gray world.

"Alright, everyone go to sleep early."

Lin Yuan yawned.

"We have big construction to do tomorrow."

Everyone: "..."

It seems there is no cure for the boss's chuunibyou that pops up from time to time.

However, as everyone looked at the pitch-black night outside the window.

There was no fear in their hearts.

Because they knew that as long as this man was here, this place was the safest place in the world.

The night was deep.

Lin Yuan lay on the soft big bed.

A top-tier beauty was lying randomly by his side.

Listening to the occasional roars of zombies outside the window, his heart was calm.

Tomorrow would be another day full of hope (and showing off).

Meanwhile, in the depths of the wilderness tens of kilometers away from the base.

The space fluctuated like the surface of the water.

A tiny crack was slowly tearing open in the air.

Purple-black lightning jumped around the crack, emitting a heart-palpitating aura.

A hand covered in scales and sharp claws suddenly reached out from the crack and grabbed the edge.

"Is this... the new world?"

A hoarse and greedy voice echoed in the darkness.

...