After waking up, Chu Chaoyan was informed that her body would need a long time to recover. During the ten-plus days underground, she had suffered severe qi depletion. Already malnourished and dehydrated, she had then fallen into water and been frozen for an entire day in the dead of winter. It was a miracle she had survived. Now, to regain her health, she required prolonged recuperation.
As for Shen Feng's injuries, his most serious was a fracture, which had already healed after he took the evolution base. Therefore, Shen Feng could run and jump, but Chu Chaoyan could not. She could only lie obediently on the hospital bed. Fortunately, Chu Chaoyan received special care, residing in a private room with dedicated staff and even a television to watch.
When Chu Chaoyan was bored, she started watching dramas. Unfortunately, television stations were no longer broadcasting dramas, so the television had to be connected to an old-fashioned VCR. She chose to play her favorite romantic urban dramas. She happened to see a scene where the female protagonist was knitting a scarf for the male protagonist, so she quickly asked the nurse attending her to teach her how to knit.
Chu Chaoyan thought to herself, "When my scarf is wrapped around Shen Feng's neck, he will surely feel very warm, won't he?"
When Shen Feng entered the ward, he saw Chu Chaoyan knitting a scarf. He quickly pulled over a stool, sat beside her, and asked, "Are you knitting a scarf? Is it for me?"
Seeing Shen Feng appear, Chu Chaoyan's face flushed slightly. It was the first time she had so openly admitted her feelings, and she felt a little shy. She then replied, "I have to recuperate in the hospital for at least a month. With so much time and nothing to do, I can't just sit idle. It's better to knit a scarf while watching dramas."
Shen Feng nodded, looking at the pale Chu Chaoyan, and smiled, "That's good. You can do something you enjoy. Rest well during this time. I don't think there will be large-scale battles erupting anytime soon, so just stay in the hospital with peace of mind."
Speaking of this, Chu Chaoyan felt regretful and said, "It's a pity I can't record my experiences anymore. I wanted to document my observations in the apocalypse and write a book when peace returned to the world. It seems recording is no longer possible."
Chu Chaoyan's written records were all in her backpack. Fortunately, Shen Feng had not discarded her backpack when she fell into the water and still had it with him, thus preserving her recorded observations. Chu Chaoyan's grandfather was a historian, and she herself studied literature. Having been influenced since childhood, she had developed the idea of writing a book at a young age. Since art originates from life, over time, Chu Chaoyan conceived the idea of writing a book to record her experiences in the apocalypse.
Hearing Chu Chaoyan say this, Shen Feng quickly replied, "What's so difficult about that? I can tell you what I've seen and heard. If you want photos, I can take them and bring them to you."
Shen Feng was also very supportive of Chu Chaoyan's idea. Whether the novel was good or not was secondary; the primary goal was to preserve direct historical materials from the apocalypse. Recording them was always beneficial.
Upon hearing this, Chu Chaoyan did not seem pleased. Instead, she sighed and said, "I fear this kind of life won't last long. When we return to Yuzhou, Chang Jianyi will surely make a move against me. You have no idea how formidable her methods are. I'm very worried about what will happen after we return."
At this point, Shen Feng also felt a headache. The apocalypse had descended, and order had long since collapsed. Ability users were one in ten thousand. In many remote areas, any ability user could wield great power, not necessarily having a harem, but at least having multiple wives and concubines. No one managed this, and as long as you had the ability, you could marry as many people as you wished. However, Shen Feng had never dared to do such a thing. On one hand, his conscience wouldn't allow it, and on the other, there was Chang Jianyi, who was always watching Shen Feng.
Shen Feng remembered what had happened to him in Luzhou. At that time, a secretary, a woman, had come to him. The weather was hot, so she was wearing a short skirt and black stockings. Shen Feng, being young and vigorous, couldn't help but glance at her a couple of times. Chang Jianyi discovered this, and the next day, Shen Feng's secretary was replaced by a male secretary.
Shen Feng knew that his senior classmate was strictly guarding him, not allowing him to even glance at other women. Now, he had developed feelings for Chu Chaoyan, and he expected that returning to Yuzhou would cause trouble.
"Let's take it one step at a time!" Shen Feng sighed helplessly.
Chu Chaoyan looked closely at Shen Feng and pouted, "Aren't you too timid? You are now the Lord of Yuzhou City, with five thousand soldiers under your command, and you are a fifth-order ability user. You stand at the pinnacle of both power and strength, yet you are afraid of a woman! Chang Jianyi isn't a tigress, what are you afraid of?"
Shen Feng spread his hands helplessly and said, "I'm not afraid of anything else, except that my senior classmate will scold me! Don't you also fear her settling scores with you after we return?"
"Sigh," Chu Chaoyan sighed and finally said helplessly, "If that's the case, our relationship still can't be public. When we return to Yuzhou and Luzhou, don't expose it. Since we can't openly declare it, let's proceed in secret."
Chu Chaoyan had clearly thought this through. She obviously knew how formidable Chang Jianyi was, especially since Chang Jianyi, as the administrator who had stayed behind at the base, managed all the affairs of the base. Therefore, she had an extremely vast network of influence. Besides Shen Feng, Chang Jianyi's word carried the most weight.
Initially, Chu Chaoyan had hoped to rely on Shen Feng to counter Chang Jianyi, or at least not be bullied. But now, it seemed Shen Feng was completely unwilling to defy Chang Jianyi, making him unreliable. Thus, the best course of action was to remain hidden.
Upon hearing Chu Chaoyan's words, Shen Feng was both surprised and delighted, his feelings quite complex. He didn't know what to say at that moment.
Shen Feng was surprised that he and Chu Chaoyan would have to develop their relationship in secret from now on. Wouldn't this be unfair to Chu Chaoyan? She had faced life and death with him, and he dared not even publicize their relationship. This was not fair and, frankly, not manly. On the other hand, Shen Feng thought about it carefully and found the situation rather exciting. As the saying goes, the unobtainable is the best. It was precisely these clandestine affairs that were more thrilling.
Seeing Shen Feng's fluctuating expression, Chu Chaoyan couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh my, I think philosophy is quite right. Humans are contradictory beings. Some people don't dare to confront their wives, yet they want to win over beauties. As the saying goes, they want a small dowry and a beautiful bride. I understand this now!"
Shen Feng's face turned red from Chu Chaoyan's teasing. He thought his skin was thick enough, but after being teased like this, he didn't know what to say. It had to be said that Chu Chaoyan, as a literature major, was quite adept at sarcasm.
"Uh... some things are beyond my control. Let's discuss this after we return to Yuzhou. We can't make a big fuss about it, as that would only anger my senior classmate," Shen Feng said awkwardly.
"Are you that afraid of her? Tell me, what makes her so formidable? You look like you've seen a tigress!" Chu Chaoyan frowned.
In Chu Chaoyan's eyes, Shen Feng was excessively timid. After all, Shen Feng commanded powerful military forces and could deter any troublemaker in Yuzhou. Even Chang Jianyi would have to retreat. But now, it seemed Shen Feng didn't even have the intention to confront Chang Jianyi.
Shen Feng quickly took Chu Chaoyan's delicate hand and said earnestly, "Chaoyan, I haven't told you much about myself before, so you don't know what my senior classmate and I have been through. Now I need to tell you, it's not that I don't dare to confront my senior classmate, but that I absolutely cannot!"
"On the day the zombies broke out, it was raining heavily. My senior classmate and I were out shopping when everyone around us turned into zombies and chased us madly. In the end, my senior classmate and I hid in a courier center, while I fell into a state of evolution. During the days I was unconscious, it was my senior classmate who painstakingly took care of me, while also guarding against ill-intentioned individuals. When I was thirsty, she fed me water; when I was hungry, she fed me food. For nearly five days, it was all my senior classmate's meticulous care. To me, that was a life-saving debt!" Shen Feng earnestly explained what had happened. In fact, he hadn't told many people about this matter, so everyone assumed Shen Feng and Chang Jianyi had been a couple for a long time. Only Shen Feng and Chang Jianyi knew that their coming together was purely a matter of fate.
Shen Feng looked into Chu Chaoyan's eyes at that moment and said with great sincerity, "Give me some more time, and I will find a way to handle our relationship. I cannot be a man who repays kindness with ingratitude. I will take responsibility for you, but I must also take responsibility for my senior classmate. I owe her a lot!"
Chu Chaoyan opened her mouth, but in the end, she only managed to say, "So that's how it is."
Now Chu Chaoyan finally understood Shen Feng's thoughts. It turned out that Shen Feng's relationship with Chang Jianyi was so simple, merely a debt of gratitude for saving his life. However, it was precisely this kindness that was difficult to repay in a lifetime. Moreover, given Shen Feng's character, he would not let Chang Jianyi down. In this regard, Shen Feng and Chang Jianyi's relationship was as stable as a mountain.
However, Chu Chaoyan thought for a moment, then smiled and looked at Shen Feng, saying, "So, according to you, you are with Chang Jianyi simply because she saved you? If I had been there at the time, would you have married me out of gratitude for saving your life too? Is that it?"
Shen Feng was shocked by Chu Chaoyan's question. He hadn't expected her train of thought to be so peculiar. Shouldn't she be calmly considering the matter after learning the truth? Instead, she was concerned about this trivial side issue.
"It's different. My senior classmate and I went through hardships together. We were together from the first day of the apocalypse. We have reached a point where I am in you and you are in me, understand? This is love that grows over time, and this kind of feeling is definitely not simple repayment of a debt!" Shen Feng quickly explained, unable to let Chu Chaoyan continue to misunderstand.
Chu Chaoyan nodded and murmured to herself, "Besides the feeling of repaying a debt, there's also long-term companionship. In that case, my disadvantage isn't that great."
Hearing Chu Chaoyan's words, Shen Feng was at a loss for words. It seemed Chu Chaoyan was solely focused on palace intrigue. He could only change the subject, "So, you should still write your notes every day. I'll tell you my experiences daily. Writing novels is a great undertaking. I believe your works will surely be recorded in history and admired by future generations."
Chu Chaoyan pouted dismissively, "Writing novels is great? It's just seeking attention. Back in peaceful times, tens of millions of authors flooded the market, with only a thousand or so becoming famous. If it were a great undertaking, why would the competition be so fierce? Moreover, there are countless low-quality novels!"
Shen Feng had also been obsessed with online novels, especially urban power fantasies. Shen Feng had read many, but gradually lost interest due to aesthetic fatigue. The plots were always the same, and after reading a couple more, he could guess the subsequent events. What was the point?
However, Shen Feng had successfully sidetracked the conversation. By bringing up literature, Chu Chaoyan's forte, he managed to shift her attention to other matters.
Seizing the opportunity, Shen Feng pretended ignorance and asked, "Is that so? Are novelists looked down upon? I really didn't know that. Tell me more."
Chu Chaoyan didn't beat around the bush and directly pointed out the flaws, "Do I need to say? Of course, it's the lack of substance in the content. Take the Four Great Classical Novels for example; they can withstand scrutiny and have profound meanings. Now look at those who write online novels; they lack substance and depth. After reading an entire book, the plots are all the same. Types like showing off and slapping faces, leveling up and fighting monsters, playing the pig to eat the tiger. Despite the many categories of online novels, their plots are all similar. Why are there so many brainless power fantasies? Because you can read them without thinking, so there are bound to be many!"
Shen Feng showed a look of sudden realization and continued to instigate, "I see. Anything else? Tell me more, so I can broaden my horizons!"
By this time, Chu Chaoyan had completely forgotten the original topic of their conversation. She finally had a chance to showcase her strengths and began to speak volubly, her expression gradually becoming smug, "Also, the character development in those online novels is so cliché. Take urban novels, for example. The female protagonists are always varied and appear one after another, and the male protagonist accepts them all. The characters are divided into types like mature older sisters, lolis, classmates, superiors, married women, childhood sweethearts, and so on. Regardless of character development, as long as they appear, they're good! Books like these are incredibly satisfying when you first start reading them. Young people get their blood boiling, but that's just a formality. Each character type appears once, and they can easily churn out a large amount of manuscript fees."
Shen Feng nodded. That's right, everything Chu Chaoyan said was correct. It was just that, as the saying goes, a unique skill can conquer the world. Some people just like to read power fantasies, and there's nothing that can be done about it. As for himself, he had stopped reading them long ago because his palate had become more discerning.
Chu Chaoyan spoke eloquently, meticulously analyzing the shortcomings of online novels for Shen Feng. Shen Feng listened perfunctorily, thinking to himself, "Tonight should be managed."