107: Chapter 107 Opening Your Heart

"I'm going to catch up on some sleep. Don't bother me if there's nothing important."

Luo Ning got up and stretched in a completely ungraceful manner, tossing this sentence out casually while pretending to be relaxed. She turned around and walked straight toward the automatic door of the control room with a seemingly light and carefree gait.

However, as she reached the door, her thin shoulders trembled slightly at that moment.

In these five months of living on the run, she had forced herself to live like a crossbow pulled to its limit, ready to snap at any second. Even in her safest dreams, she didn't dare to loosen up even a little bit.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch the cold sensor of the automatic door, a breeze suddenly swept past behind her.

The next second, a warm, broad chest pressed tightly against her back without any warning. A pair of sturdy, powerful arms wrapped around her waist from behind, possessively yet with a hint of caution, pulling her into an embrace.

Luo Ning's body stiffened instantly, as if she had been hit by a paralysis spell.

"You..."

Subconsciously, she wanted to struggle, to put up defenses like a hedgehog, to tease with the cynical, sharp-tongued tone she usually used to cover up her panic.

But all the words were stuck in her throat.

"Don't move."

Zhou An's voice came from above her head.

The voice was low, even carrying a trace of imperceptible hoarseness and a slight tremor: "Just for a moment... let me hold you for a while."

It was this simple "Don't move" that completely shattered the last line of psychological defense Luo Ning had been struggling to maintain for five months.

In these one hundred and fifty-plus dark days and nights, she had dreamed of this warm embrace countless times while on the verge of death.

Yet she had woken up from those dreams countless times, opening her eyes only to face those alien races who wanted to tear her apart alive.

Luo Ning's lively eyes, which had always been forced to remain cold and shrewd, were instantly covered by a thick mist of tears.

She stopped struggling and slowly let go of all the defenses and strength in her body. Like someone who had lost their bones, she went limp and leaned back into Zhou An's embrace.

Tears burst forth without warning, sliding silently down her dusty, delicate cheeks and hitting Zhou An's arm, scaldingly hot.

"Zhou An... you big jerk."

Luo Ning's voice was completely choked with sobs. She grabbed the sleeves of Zhou An's clothes wrapped around her waist tightly, her nails turning pale from the extreme force, as if she were afraid that if she let go, the person behind her would turn into a mirage and vanish again.

Then her tone softened.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry! It was my fault that you were harmed! If it weren't to save me, you wouldn't have disappeared."

"I thought you were dead... Every night when I closed my eyes, I could clearly see you covered in tentacles."

"At that time, I thought every day, why wasn't I the one who died? Why did you have to pay with your life for a monster like me?!"

The more she spoke, the more agitated she became, her initial choking turning into uncontrollable, shrill sobs.

Zhou An didn't speak, just buried his head deep into the crook of Luo Ning's neck, wishing he could crush this girl and embed her into his own flesh and soul.

"Luo Ning, look at me."

Zhou An tilted his head slightly, his scorching breath hitting her sensitive ear: "That was my choice, it was never your fault. I don't regret my choice, even if I had to choose a hundred more times, it would still be the same."

He turned Luo Ning's body around, forcing her to look directly into his eyes: "If you weren't here, this broken world would be nothing more than a meaningless trash game to me."

Luo Ning turned around, looking up at him with teary eyes.

"I fought my way back from hell, not for some kind of conquest."

Zhou An slowly reached out and gently wiped away every tear from the corners of her eyes.

"I came back only because I knew you were waiting for me. I promised to bring you home."

Luo Ning stared at him blankly, her heart thundering in her chest like a war drum. All the self-reproach, fear, and grievances vanished instantly in the face of these words.

She suddenly stood on her tiptoes, her hands hooking around Zhou An's neck like vines, and kissed him hard on the face she had been longing for day and night!

Zhou An was slightly stunned at first, then a raging fire ignited in the depths of his eyes. He didn't hesitate to take the initiative, his large hands roaming over the back of her head, and he lowered his head to deepen the kiss fiercely.

After a long while, their lips parted.

Luo Ning leaned against Zhou An's chest, breathing rapidly. Her small, usually pale face was flushed, and her eyes finally shed that cold defensiveness, regaining a hint of their usual brightness and liveliness, though crystal-clear tear tracks still hung at the corners of her eyes.

She lowered her head somewhat shyly, burying her face in his arms, and still stubbornly muttered threats: "From now on... if you ever dare to disappear without saying a word like this again, I'll take your broken fortress apart piece by piece and leave you to drink the northwest wind when you come back!"

Zhou An pulled her tightly into his arms again, his chin resting gently on the top of her head, his gaze passing over her shoulder and looking out the window.

"It won't happen again. From now on, no one will ever be able to take you away from me."

The morning sunlight passed through the special one-way perspective porthole of the Cloud Top Fortress and sprinkled gently onto the large, comfortable bed in the master bedroom.

Zhou An slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing that came into view was a mass of slightly messy yet silky-textured short hair. In his arms, Luo Ning was sleeping peacefully, her breathing even and long.

Perhaps because she had finally let go of all the burdens she had been carrying for the past five months last night, her sleeping face looked exceptionally serene.

The quilt slid down slightly, revealing a smooth, delicate shoulder like mutton-fat jade, and the graceful curves were vaguely visible beneath her long neck.

She was like a work of art carefully carved by God, exuding a breathtaking beauty even in the quiet morning light.

Zhou An's mouth curled up slightly, the sense of reality of having regained what was lost made him feel unprecedentedly satisfied.

He propped himself up and planted a gentle kiss on Luo Ning's smooth forehead.

Seemingly sensing the movement beside her, Luo Ning's long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and a sweet murmur escaped her lips as she subconsciously snuggled deeper into Zhou An's arms.

"Be good, sleep a little longer."

Zhou An whispered in her ear, his voice so gentle it could almost drip water.

It wasn't until Luo Ning fell back into a deep sleep that Zhou An got out of bed carefully, dressed neatly, and walked out of the room.

On the dining table in the rest area, a steaming breakfast was already laid out.

With Zhang Ming's superb skills, simple meals were cooked into a wonderful aroma that made one's appetite soar.

"Boss, morning."

Zhang Ming was just walking out with a plate of freshly baked dry biscuits. Seeing Zhou An, a simple, honest smile that "all men understand" appeared on his face.

"Morning, Boss."

Shen Xingyue was still as cold and detached as ever, though there was a hint of recognition for Zhou An in her eyes.

Li Muzi was biting on a piece of dried meat, teasing vaguely: "Boss, hasn't Ningning gotten up yet? It seems she was really exhausted last night."

Everyone smiled knowingly, and this long-lost warm atmosphere made Zhou An feel exceptionally relaxed.

"Luo Ning is too tired, let her sleep a little longer."

Zhou An sat down and took the hot drink handed over by Shen Xingyue.

"When she gets up, we'll hold a meeting to discuss our next plans."

Everyone nodded in agreement, having long been accustomed to the decision-making model with Zhou An at the core.

After breakfast, Li Muzi grabbed Zhou An, looking impatient.

"Boss, let me show you something good first!" Li Muzi's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"This is the foundation of our survival out there these past few months!"

Zhou An followed Muzi to her room.

He was surprised to find that his original spatial cultivation chamber was actually here.

"The spatial cultivation chamber was previously mounted on the first floor. When the accident happened, I took it away, which helped us escape that disaster. It's also because of the supplies produced here that they were able to survive for so long."

Li Muzi said as she operated the control panel rapidly.

"Click—"

The door opened slowly, and a thick, almost tangible fragrance of plants and spiritual energy rushed toward them.

When Zhou An stepped into this independent space of five thousand square meters, he was stunned.

This was no longer the simple greenhouse with only a few experimental crops from before, but a vibrant "paradise."

"Boss, look, these two thousand square meters are planted with blood crystal spirit wheat."

Li Muzi pointed to a rolling dark red wheat wave in front and introduced it.

"This is Old Zhang's favorite. Eighty percent of our current yield is epic grade, and the remaining twenty percent is already stable legendary grade!"

"That thousand square meters over there is wind spirit berry. Half epic, half legendary."

Zhou An nodded and looked at the few square meters in the very center of the space.

Spiritual light soared into the sky there...

Star Spirit Marrow Rice, Radiance Dew Fruit, Moon Soul Bone-Sculpting Flower.

The legendary-grade unique items that only had one plant each back then, after five months of careful cultivation and catalysis by Luo Ning, had now been divided and propagated to three plants each.

"In addition to these old employees, there are also these 'new treasures' we transplanted back after entering the second stage these past few months."

Li Muzi brought Zhou An to three special medicinal fields, her expression becoming serious and proud:

"The first is the legendary-grade Thunder Tribulation Yang Flame Grass. It is harvested once every half month, with a yield of about one hundred plants per harvest. This is a divine medicine for making top-tier fire-attribute potions and strengthening resistance."

"The second is the legendary-grade Frost-Condensing Lotus. It blooms once every seven days, and thirty flowers can be picked each time. Xingyue says this thing can neutralize many toxins."

"The third is the legendary-grade Soul-Returning Vine. This is the medicinal material with the most tenacious vitality. Ten days is a collection cycle, and fifty sections of vine can be produced at one time. It is one of the main materials for making legendary-grade healing injections."

Li Muzi introduced them one after another, as for the remaining high-yield ordinary vegetables and fruits and basic medicinal materials, she just mentioned them casually.

"However, because there is no nutrient replenishment, the quality of the output will decrease. Every time we produce something, we take it to trade for supplies, and we usually only keep the very precious ones ourselves."

Zhou An nodded. He walked among the lush fields, looking at these crops that represented hope and foundation, feeling deeply moved in his heart.

He knew that in these five months, in order to maintain the operation of this space and to cultivate these legendary-grade medicinal materials under resource-scarce conditions, how much effort Luo Ning and Muzi had put in.