89: Chapter 89 Apocalyptic Paradise

The next morning, the climate control system slowly adjusted the color temperature, simulating the light of seven in the morning, while the light screen by the window cast down a pale golden "sunlight."

But Ye Nanxing had been awake for a long time.

She had never fallen into a deep sleep—in a place like this, sleeping meant turning one's back to danger.

When she got up to wash, her gaze inadvertently fell upon the mirror.

The mirror was as clear as quicksilver, and the indoor lighting hit her, illuminating her silhouette in vivid detail.

She froze for a moment.

It was her face, no mistake.

But not entirely.

Compared to her past life, where she was pale and dull-eyed from the extreme cold, she was different now—her eyes were bright, her skin was as pale as cold jade, and her features were more defined without being overly sharp, carrying a tension restrained to the extreme.

It wasn't the flashy beauty of heavy makeup, nor the conventional "delicate fragility," but a silent aura that could "command a room without any decoration."

It was like a blade hidden in its sheath—unexposed, yet making others afraid to draw near.

Ye Nanxing moved her fingertips, lightly touching her jaw; her skin was as delicate as porcelain moistened by mist, without a trace of roughness.

"...Much better looking than in my past life," she murmured.

Yet she couldn't say exactly what had changed.

The contours were the same, the eyes were the same, but her entire temperament seemed to have been re-watered, reshaped inch by inch.

She thought about it; perhaps it was the time since her rebirth—

Drinking spiritual spring water every day, eating plenty of space plants, combined with high mental focus and muscles that were taut but not overloaded, her body had long since surpassed the state of an ordinary person.

"To look like this without having time to dress up, it's truly rare."

If her past self had become this beautiful, she would have laughed in her sleep, but now...

Ye Nanxing smiled helplessly, tugging at the corners of her mouth, looking at herself seriously for the first time.

And only for a few seconds.

She did not belong to the world inside the mirror.

She belonged to the frozen wasteland and the life-or-death survival battlefield.

At 7:23, a light knock sounded outside the door right on time.

"Good morning, Miss Ye."

Outside, Ning Zhou stood straight, with a polite smile in his eyes, holding a simple breakfast tea tray.

"Your access request has been approved. This morning, I can take you to tour some of the logistics facilities."

He paused, then added, "Of course, only the public areas."

Ye Nanxing didn't speak, only gave a slight nod.

Five minutes later, she changed into a simple cold-weather jacket provided by Zero Point.

The overall lines were clean and sharp, the waist was tailored perfectly, yet it had no unnecessary decorations, looking as if it had been custom-made for her.

Inside the jacket, she had long since sewn in a fragment of a spatial oscillation sensor and several nano-level thermal interference patches, which could evade short-term vital sign detection.

This object was one of the core components of the spatial stabilization system, possessing the ability to sense, disturb, and micro-manipulate spatial structures.

It could create slight shifts in spatial coordinates within a very small range, used to evade cameras, infrared scans, red-dot targeting, and orbital laser systems, allowing for "bug-like" movement within "ultra-precise monitoring environments."

Through it, she could also "hear" the spatial vibration feedback within metal, which could determine the thickness, cavities, and connecting passages of doors, walls, and floors—similar to using "spatial echoes" to detect structural changes and identify hidden passages or secret locks.

Most importantly, when activated, it could "set coordinate anchors" in space; once an anchor point was set at a passage entrance, even if the wall was replaced, she could precisely find it again.

This was a small item that Zhou Cheng had scavenged at an auction, and it was incredibly useful at a time like this.

Ye Nanxing had actually been reflecting on her decision to build a base since her rebirth; she wondered if she should have made the team so large. Sometimes she thought that with her spatial cheat, if she just stayed hidden in one place alone, she could probably live quite well.

But if she were just eating hot pot and watching the world end, such a life—

What would be the difference between that and a clean, pretty stone?

She could be a living survivor, but if there was no one to talk to, no one to respond, and no one to share the taste of a bowl of soup with, she would ultimately just be a lonely NPC.

And she... had been an orphan since she was young.

Her relatives had long since cut contact, and from the moment her parents passed away, she knew that "blood relations" had nothing to do with her anymore.

She had no home. There was no one waiting for her at home either.

She could have avoided risking her life for anyone, avoided taking responsibility for anyone, and avoided bearing hope and duty.

Yet she did it anyway.

Just like what Zhou Cheng said that day when he carefully placed that fragment of the spatial oscillation sensor into her hand: "If you dare to charge to the front, then the rest of us aren't afraid to follow you."

She lowered her head, looking at the device in her cuff that was as thin as a plastic sheet yet could tear open space.

The thing was cold, yet it felt like something was pulsing inside it.

She suddenly smiled. Not because she had figured out the meaning. But rather—she suddenly felt that the meaning didn't need to be figured out at all.

People don't necessarily have to act for some noble goal.

Perhaps what she was doing now was just a game. A game that started with her, that she acknowledged, and that she was willing to be responsible for until the end.

Respecting her own decisions was enough. That was more real than a hundred meanings.

Looking up again, Ye Nanxing's gaze was as steady as the snowfield at the foot of the mountain. It held no light, nor was it bright, but—it would not retreat.

Ye Nanxing casually bundled her long hair, wrapped it a few times, and tied it into a low ponytail. She wore no makeup at all.

Yet at that moment, her reflection in the mirror was as beautiful as a sudden burst of static electricity. It wasn't stunning. It was a composed, restrained presence that one could not ignore.

Ning Zhou glanced at her, his gaze subconsciously pausing, then he immediately lowered his head, said nothing more, and only made a "please" gesture.

Ye Nanxing walked out the door, her expression calm. But she knew in her heart—no matter how the world changed, no matter how cold the wind and snow became, she would never again be swayed by things like beauty, gentleness, or abundance.

"Miss Ye, before the tour officially begins, we usually take our distinguished guests to experience the environmental regulation zone first," Ning Zhou said with a smile. "Many people fall in love with this place at the very first stop."

He pushed open a carved glass door, and a moist, warm breeze rushed toward her. Ye Nanxing frowned slightly.

Behind the door was an entire green hot spring garden with constant temperature and humidity. The dome was made of transparent curved material, and the sunlight simulation system cast the morning light inside, making even the dust particles drift down as gently as halos.

A trace of water vapor floated in the air, and the plant walls were covered with vines and anthuriums in excellent condition. Even before the Apocalypse, ordinary people would never have been able to see a place like this.

The floor was made of non-slip solid wood, with a winding hot spring stream flowing slowly through the room, and there were automatically rising steam curtains near the pool to ensure a "private experience while soaking."

There were already a few people by the pool—a woman draped in a translucent gauze robe was reclining lazily on a rattan chair, drinking pomegranate wine, with freshly toasted mini-toast and sliced steak in front of her.

Not far away, an electronic piano was automatically playing light music that had been popular before the extreme cold, its tone as fluid as water. Beside it was—a real masseur, wearing gloves, massaging the shoulders and neck of a distinguished guest.

There was even a holographic "landscape selector," allowing people to choose the natural scene they wanted projected: a beach under the moonlight, a mountain stream, a starry tent...

"You can relax here for about half an hour. If you would like to experience the spa or sound therapy, I can help you book a slot," Ning Zhou said in a gentle tone, with a hint of salesmanship.