"Are you really not reconsidering?"
Wang Mang and the rest of his teammates stood to the side, looking at Xu An with pity.
"We have our own things to do and don't plan on teaming up."
Xu An refused without the slightest hesitation.
After all, they did not belong here and would return to the lighthouse sooner or later.
Wang Mang knew that these two were not ordinary people and had only wanted to try. Being rejected made him feel at ease.
He looked at Xu An, who had a distant expression, feeling that he could not see through this woman, or rather, he had never been able to see through her.
There was a strange combination of contradictions in Xu An.
It was as if the purest kindness in the world and the most cruel indifference were intertwined.
Seemingly contradictory, yet compatible.
"Xu An, thank you, and... I'm sorry."
Xu An looked at the burly man standing before her, nearly 1.9 meters tall with bulging muscles, who now looked like a child who had done wrong.
He apologized with his head bowed.
There was no ripple in her heart.
In her eyes, as still as a deep well, there was no trace of emotion, as if.
It was as it should be.
Not only Wang Mang but also Zhou Haimei noticed the change in Xu An.
After the great fire that morning, Xu An's entire demeanor had changed imperceptibly.
Zhou Haimei couldn't quite articulate it, but she could clearly feel Xu An's transformation.
It was a change from the inside out, as if she had been tempered by fire.
It made the person beside her more pure and more resolute.
Only Ze Yuan knew why this was happening – because his consciousness had been retrieved.
Xu An herself was breaking free from the constraints of the world's rules, becoming more essential.
Xu An herself did not notice the change, but the change in her state of mind was the most intuitive.
Her state of mind gradually became more open-minded, and she began to let go of her memories of her previous life.
Or rather, it seemed like she hadn't thought of her previous life in a long time.
That pitiful, humble, and disheveled Xu An.
They had met by chance and parted without saying goodbye. Xu An took Zhou Haimei into the car and left the small shop, which was gradually being engulfed by the fire.
Taking the remains with them.
Hoping for a moment of peace.
Wang Mang's teammates all bore the sadness of losing loved ones to varying degrees.
In this apocalyptic world, finding friends who watched over each other was as precious as family.
Everyone was very sad about their leader's death.
"Brother Mang, who was that woman? You personally invited her, and she was so rude?"
His tone held a hint of disdain. Their 'Hunter Squad' had quite a reputation among the survivors because they were righteous and had strong character.
Many people wanted to join their team.
If not for the sudden death of their leader, he believed Wang Mang would not have invited a woman he had never met.
But now, this woman was ungrateful and dared to refuse them.
"Xiao Hai, don't say that. We were saved this time thanks to her."
"We don't align with those whose paths differ. We can't slander others just because they disagree to join us."
The last sentence was Wang Mang's murmur, spoken in a voice only he could hear.
"Moreover, in this apocalyptic world, how could such a strong woman be ordinary?"
Only Xiao Hai did not hear this. They packed their belongings and headed in the opposite direction of Xu An.
They did not know if they would ever meet again.
There was silence along the way.
It was not until late at night that Zhou Haimei said to Xu An, who was still driving, "An'an, let's rest for a while. The fog is too thick at night now, and we can't discern the direction."
"Okay."
All the way here, Xu An and Zhou Haimei took turns driving, wanting to catch up to the South Sea quickly, so they had not rested and had been on the road.
By now, both of them had not eaten and were tired and hungry.
"Are you hungry?"
"I am. Do you have any food?"
Zhou Haimei had seen Xu An's backpack searched thoroughly by that woman that morning. How could she still have food?
Xu An smiled slyly, "Yes, since no one is around, let's eat something warm."
Zhou Haimei not only had no objections but even wanted to applaud.
All the way here, they had either eaten hard compressed biscuits or various easily stored dried foods.
The rare meat was also dried beef jerky.
She had long since found it tasteless, but after leaving the lighthouse, wherever they went, there were too many eyes watching. Even if they had something, they couldn't really eat it in public.
However, Xu An was curious. Although the provisions she carried were enough for her and Zhou Haimei to eat.
Zhou Haimei had never taken out her own food. She had thought that Zhou Haimei had brought less and had already eaten it.
But when she disappeared for those two days, without her, Zhou Haimei didn't look like she was starving.
Xu An did not think that Zhou Haimei was intentionally trying to freeload her supplies, as Zhou Haimei was not that kind of person.
"Mei Jie, didn't you bring any food down this time?"
Seeing Xu An's curious look, Zhou Haimei scratched her head awkwardly.
"Do you remember the portable nutrient solution we saw in the white building?"
Xu An nodded. They had teased at the time that although this thing was convenient and could fill their stomachs at critical moments.
Drinking nutrient solution made one feel lifeless.
Xu An remembered that only a few male contestants had bought nutrient solution at that time, but they had only bought a few bags experimentally.
After all, the thing looked unappealing, and the price was even more so.
"Don't tell me you bought nutrient solution?"
Zhou Haimei, for the first time, showed an expression of embarrassment, as if caught doing something wrong.
Xu An: ...
"Didn't you not buy it?"
"I secretly turned back, and the boss tricked me, saying that drinking one pack a day would make you not need to eat anything and would keep you full all day... So I bought some."
"How much did you buy?" Xu An asked helplessly.
"I thought we would be down here for three months... so I bought 60 packs..."
Xu An: ...
Mei Jie, your money is so easy to be cheated. You are the 'new century sucker' they talk about.
Since it was already bought, Xu An couldn't blame her, as those transaction coins were Zhou Haimei's private property.
Xu An was a little curious, "Then I haven't seen you drink it all this way?"
"Don't mention it,呜呜呜, An'an, I feel like I've been tricked. Now I know why that boss said that if you drink one pack, you won't need to eat anything else for the whole day."
"Why?"
"That thing tastes worse than shit!"