Chapter 25: Zhang Wei, Stop Pestering Me

Suddenly being confessed to, Han Xiao felt a bit overwhelmed; her heart was fluttering like a herd of deer running wild.

The key was that Han Xiao knew exactly who Zhang Tao was—a bona fide rich kid. Moreover, in this apocalypse, the fact that Zhang Tao was able to pin Zhang Wei down and beat him up meant something, didn't it?

Should she agree? Should she?

In fact, even if Zhang Tao was just playing around out of lust, or perhaps just to spite Zhang Wei, she wouldn't be losing anything, would she? At the very least, until he grew tired of her, she would be able to survive this apocalypse quite comfortably, right?

And surely Zhang Tao wouldn't mind her bringing her younger brother along? As long as she could extract enough benefits from him for her brother before he got bored, wouldn't that be enough?

Just as Han Xiao was about to agree, Zhang Wei spoke up with ironclad conviction: "Zhang Tao, stop dreaming. She already told me that she only likes me."

If Zhang Wei remembered correctly, this was what Han Xiao had said yesterday; he had merely deliberately added the word "only."

"No, don't talk nonsense!" Before Zhang Tao could respond, Han Xiao pointed at Zhang Wei and shouted, her voice cracking slightly. What was this? Trying to ruin her golden opportunity?

Zhang Wei slowly climbed up from the ground. "Han Xiao, didn't you yesterday..."

"I didn't say anything yesterday!" Han Xiao interrupted before he could finish. If he kept going, what if this wealthy bachelor Zhang Tao misunderstood?

She then looked at Zhang Tao with a nervous expression.

"It doesn't matter. Even if she did say that, so what? I still like her," Zhang Tao said with a bright smile, making his stance clear.

It was a truly magnanimous attitude. Han Xiao was touched and felt quite delighted by the stance Zhang Tao had taken. However, she still explained, "I really never said that. He’s just a casual friend of my brother's. We just know each other; his feelings are purely one-sided. There’s nothing between us."

"Oh? I see. So the toad really wanted to eat swan meat. Well then, young lady, will you be my girlfriend?" Zhang Tao felt a thrill of secret pleasure. Why did it feel so satisfying to just bluntly insult Zhang Wei like that?

Zhang Wei gave Zhang Tao a meaningful look. *Who told you to improvise like that?*

"Yes, I agree," Han Xiao said, putting on a coy, girlish act.

"Hahaha, good!" Zhang Tao laughed heartily. He waited for Zhang Wei to slap Han Xiao down; that was the script Zhang Wei had arranged.

But before Zhang Wei could say anything, Han Xiao spoke again: "Oh right, I have something for you." With that, she hurried into the house.

Zhang Tao looked at Zhang Wei, puzzled. The script his "big brother" designed didn't mention this part. Zhang Wei gave a subtle, slow shake of his head. Han Xu stood to the side, frowning in thought; he felt something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Soon, Han Xiao returned, holding a source crystal that radiated a magnificent, dazzling red light. "Zhang Tao, this is for you."

Zhang Tao was taken aback. Should he take it? Zhang Wei was surprised; he hadn't expected Han Xiao to possess a high-level source crystal.

"Just take it. I don't have a mecha, so it's useless to me," Han Xiao said, fully embracing her role and acting coquettish. A green tea is a green tea; her flirtatiousness felt completely natural, as if they had known each other for a long time.

"Alright then. Don't worry, I'll protect you well from now on." Zhang Tao didn't refuse and placed the crystal into his mecha's storage space. Although he knew the crystal wasn't meant for him, keeping it safe for Zhang Wei was fine.

"Yes, I risked a lot to find this yesterday. It must be useful to you, right?" Han Xiao stared at Zhang Tao with anticipation.

Zhang Tao nodded firmly. "Of course. By the way, this place is no longer livable. Why don't you come back with me?"

Han Xiao smiled, then asked with feigned hesitation, "Can I bring my brother?"

"Of course you can." Zhang Tao’s answer was definitive.

This response made Han Xiao very happy. In her view, both Zhang Wei and Zhang Tao were just passersby; only her brother was her true security for the future.

"No! Han Xiao, how could you do this? Han Xu, are you not going to say a word?" Zhang Wei stepped forward, glaring at the two of them.

Han Xiao remained silent this time, looking at Han Xu. Han Xu knew it was his turn to take a stand. Even though he sensed something was wrong, he still said, "Zhang Wei, we only know each other. I haven't done anything to wrong you, and my sister has nothing to do with you. Stop pestering us."

"Heh, that’s not the attitude you two had yesterday," Zhang Wei sneered. Sure enough, a dog can't change its habit of eating excrement; these two had always treated him like a fool, a backup plan. "Han Xiao, is this what you call liking me? Is this how you like someone? You’re such a bitch."

Han Xiao was furious at these words, but she didn't show it. Instead, she looked at Zhang Tao with a soft, aggrieved expression.

"Taotao, this person is so annoying. I don't want to see him anymore."

Look at that—in just a few sentences, she was already calling him "Taotao." It wasn't just Zhang Wei who found it disgusting; Zhang Tao felt like retching himself. Initially, Zhang Tao had thought Zhang Wei’s scheme against a young girl was a bit harsh. Now, he realized it was actually quite generous. Zhang Tao wasn't some naive kid; he had spent years among women and understood their motives all too well. This woman was saying this just to make him punish Zhang Wei. She was using him as a weapon.

"You don't want to see him? How about I just slaughter him?" Zhang Tao brandished his scythe, offering a tempting proposal.

Han Xiao blushed as she looked at Zhang Tao. "I'll do whatever you say." Well, she might as well have told him to hurry up and do it.

"Zhang Wei, did you hear that? She wants me to kill you!" After saying this, Zhang Tao dashed toward Zhang Wei. They weren't far apart, and he reached Zhang Wei in a few strides.

"Big Brother, this is the source crystal she gave me. It looks like high-quality gear," Zhang Tao said, his tone suddenly becoming submissive as he handed the crystal to Zhang Wei.

This sudden turn of events stunned Han Xiao and Han Xu. Their expressions were identical: shock, disbelief, their eyes wide as saucers.

"Is that so? Let me see." Zhang Wei took the crystal and chose to activate it. "Hmm? It's a long-range weapon." Zhang Wei was surprised; this was his first time obtaining one.

[Excellent-grade Freezing Gun]
[Combat Power +100]
[Optimized for concentrated output; can unleash maximum damage in a short time.]

"An Excellent-grade Freezing Gun," Zhang Wei murmured.

"What? An Excellent-grade Freezing Gun? Are you serious?" Lin Qianying, who had been hiding in the shadows, rushed out.