Seducing and Flirting with Boss O While Stockpiling in the Apocalypse (GL) - Chapter 16

Nan Shuwan didn’t dare open the door rashly. She peered through the peephole for a while, feeling that the person outside looked unfamiliar yet strangely recognizable, but she couldn’t place exactly who it was.

During the standoff, Nan Shuwan decided to stay silent. Suddenly, the girl outside knocked again and called out, “Sister Nan, are you home? I’m Qiao Bai, do you remember me?!”

Qiao Bai…?

Nan Shuwan thought hard and finally connected the name. Wasn’t that the little girl who chatted with her in the WeChat group? They had crossed paths once in the elevator, which explained why she didn’t clearly remember her face. But what was she doing here?

Filled with questions, Nan Shuwan finally opened the door. Perhaps because she opened it so suddenly, the other girl froze, her hand hovering in mid-air looking quite embarrassed.

However, the awkwardness lasted less than a minute. The next moment, Qiao Bai grinned, revealing white teeth, and her smile turned radiant. “Sister Nan, you are home! I thought you’d gone out again!”

“Haha… I just fell asleep on the sofa, so I didn’t hear the knocking. Sorry about that.” Nan Shuwan smiled warmly, looking very approachable.

“So that’s it,” Qiao Bai nodded, then raised the items in her hand to offer them to Nan Shuwan. “Sister Nan, didn’t we say last time we could drop by whenever? These are some local specialties sent from my girlfriend’s hometown. The two of us can’t finish all this, so I brought some for you!”

Local specialties… Nan Shuwan finally noticed that the bag was filled with dried food and snacks. It seemed this Qiao Bai was truly a straightforward person without any hidden motives; after only a few polite words in the group, she had actually come to visit.

Naturally, she couldn’t refuse the kindness. Nan Shuwan smiled and took the items. “Sister Qiao, this is too polite of you. Since you’re here, please come in and sit for a while.”

Qiao Bai nodded, then quickly shook her head. “Will that be too much trouble? I just came to drop off some things!”

Nan Shuwan: “What trouble? You brought me food; of course you have to sit for a bit before you go.”

“Well… okay then.” Qiao Bai no longer refused, looking very happy. She followed Nan Shuwan inside and, after changing into slippers, curiously scanned the surroundings. She felt the renovation style was a bit different from what she had imagined.

In her mind, someone as beautiful as Nan Shuwan should have a very exquisitely decorated home. But before her were just a few plain white walls without even a sticker; the furniture was minimalist, and the living room looked empty and somewhat cold.

“Sister Nan, have you not officially started renovating yet?” Qiao Bai asked curiously from the sofa.

Nan Shuwan was in the kitchen slicing fruit, answering languidly, “Yeah, I only moved in recently and haven’t had time to decorate. But I don’t plan on doing much; after all, I won’t be staying long.”

Hearing this, Qiao Bai immediately turned around, leaning over the back of the sofa toward the kitchen. “Ah? Why? Are you just renting temporarily?”

Qiao Bai’s curiosity was strong; she loved to get to the bottom of things. Nan Shuwan’s hand paused while cutting a peach; she didn’t really want to answer that question, so she changed the subject. “I haven’t really decided yet; it depends on the situation.”

Her tone was casual as she brought out the prepared fruit platter. “Come, Sister Qiao, have some fruit. I only have these at home, so please make do.”

Qiao Bai’s attention was instantly drawn to the fruit. Pink-and-white peaches and icy-cold pears were arranged on both sides, with blueberries piled in the middle and a spoonful of osmanthus honey drizzled on top. It looked delicious.

She took the fork Nan Shuwan handed her and poked a few peach slices. They were sweet, sour, and carried the fragrance of osmanthus. Qiao Bai, who had never tried this combination, looked impressed. “How is this ‘making do’? It’s really delicious! I’ll try this myself when I get back!”

Nan Shuwan brushed her hair straight and came out in a loose, long loungewear dress. “Sure, I bought them at the fruit market nearby. I’m glad you like them.”

The atmosphere between the two was very harmonious. Qiao Bai’s impression of Nan Shuwan improved even more, finding her not only beautiful but also gentle.

Standing with Sister Luo, one was like a snow lotus from the heavens and the other like a red rose under the moonlight. No matter how she looked at them, they seemed like a match made in heaven.

Luo Sheng’s name suddenly popped into Qiao Bai’s head. She belatedly realized Luo Sheng wasn’t home and asked through a mouthful of blueberries, “Sister Nan, where is Sister Luo? Did she go out?”

After moving all the items, Luo Sheng was drenched in sweat, which poured out uncontrollably like rain. She left the boxes in the living room and, unable to stand it, went to take a shower first.

After Nan Shuwan left earlier, Luo Sheng had sat on the sofa in a daze. This was the second time she had heard the word “friend” from her, and her feelings were growing increasingly complicated.

She had called out to her in a moment of impulse, but after hesitating for a long time, she still hadn’t spoken the truth, only giving a vague warning that was likely too subtle to be understood.

Luo Sheng even wondered: if Nan Shuwan still hadn’t moved out ten days from now and came to beg for help, would she really just ignore her?

How annoying.

A few days ago, Luo Sheng wouldn’t have even considered this. Now, for some reason, she was worrying about Nan Shuwan’s safety. Had she really been fooled by a simple word like “friend”?

She started blaming herself. How could she be so soft-hearted? If it were anyone else pleading with her like that, would she save them just the same?

That was absolutely impossible and undoable.

Luo Sheng calmed down for a while and suddenly remembered the items in the garage. Dropping the headache-inducing thoughts, she hurried down the elevator.

When she reached her destination, another resident happened to be driving in. The headlights were very bright, casting a glaring light on Luo Sheng. She instinctively turned aside to hide in the shadows.

She waited for the other person to go up before she started moving.

With no one around in the quiet, dim garage, she could have simply moved the items into the space ring using her mind. That would have saved her a lot of effort.

But…

Luo Sheng looked up slightly and saw a surveillance camera diagonally above.

Forget it, I’ll carry them up myself.

Better safe than sorry. If a bunch of boxes were filmed vanishing into thin air, it would be too dangerous. Her secret must never be known.

Since the dolly had disappeared somewhere, Luo Sheng had to drag the boxes into the elevator one by one. It took at least three or four trips to get everything back home.

After her shower, Luo Sheng felt much more relaxed. Seeing the boxes in the living room, she decided she would move them into the space after her daily sign-in.

Today was the 20th day. After signing in, the space area would double, so there would be plenty of room for this equipment.

Luo Sheng sat on the sofa, closed her eyes, and focused her mind.

She counted silently: One, two, three.

A few seconds later, she slowly opened her eyes, but the sight before her made her heart skip a beat.

What’s going on? Why… why am I still in the living room?!

Luo Sheng instinctively looked around, finding herself still sitting firmly on the sofa, not having moved an inch.

Why is this happening?

She was confused but didn’t panic yet, assuming her mind was too cluttered with distracting thoughts to focus properly.

So this time, Luo Sheng emptied her mind, casting aside all chaotic thoughts. She closed her eyes again. This time her intent was clear—she would definitely enter the space…

But when she opened her eyes again, Luo Sheng’s face was full of shock. Her heart jumped in panic as if the sky were falling.

The familiar sofa and TV remained in her sight. She instantly plunged into terror, her vision blurring, as she sat swaying on the sofa, nearly falling off.

Why… why am I still in the living room?!

A bad premonition rose in her heart. Luo Sheng stood up frantically, grabbed the ring, and ran to the balcony, holding it under the sunlight.

Something must have gone wrong in the process… that must be it…

The emerald ring was beautiful, pure and clear with a delicate texture. Under the sun, it looked like a pool of lake water. Luo Sheng then noticed a trace of dried blood on it.

She immediately remembered Nan Shuwan’s sliced hand. It must have gotten on the ring in the parking garage. Luo Sheng immediately wiped it clean with a wet wipe, refusing to let even a speck of flaw remain on the ring.

Under the bright sunlight, Luo Sheng tried to drive the intent again, but the result remained the same. She was still standing on the balcony, unmoved.

A sense of defeat hit her, accompanied by deep dread.

Luo Sheng didn’t dare think of the worst-case scenario. Propping herself up on her knees, she gripped the ring tightly. Her breathing grew ragged. Despite the air-conditioned house, she began to sweat profusely.

I can’t give up so easily. I have to try more times, keep trying, in every corner, with every method… it must be my problem…

If she couldn’t sign in today, the 20-day streak would be broken.

Luo Sheng wasn’t sure what would happen if the streak broke. Perhaps the expansion she had waited for would be voided, and she’d have to start from day one.

Or… what if she could never enter the space again…?

At the thought, a chill ran down her spine. All the hard work, all the money spent on supplies—if she couldn’t get them out, wouldn’t it all be for nothing?

She couldn’t stay calm. She paced around with the ring, trying her intent in every corner of the house, even outside the door, downstairs, and in the parking garage.

But it was useless. Completely useless.

She eventually slumped on the sofa, her figure looking small and helpless.

Luo Sheng had grown up in a poor family. Her other mother had divorced and left when she was very young, leaving her mother to raise her alone in the countryside.

Her mother taught her that she must study hard, endure what must be endured, and that when facing setbacks, crying was useless—she had to find a way to solve it herself.

So Luo Sheng carried those words with her, studied diligently to get into a good university, and came to the big city alone to struggle. She always thought about making more money to help her family. She felt that as long as she persisted, she could get through anything, even when she was exhausted writing proposals until 3 AM.

Faced with any emergency, Luo Sheng could always remain calm and composed.

But that didn’t mean she was truly that strong or indestructible. Habitually suppressing her emotions had created her cold personality. She rarely cried—almost never.

But at the end of the day, Luo Sheng was just an ordinary person. Her heart was made of flesh and blood.

The brush with death in her past life had made her weep in despair. And at this moment, right now, Luo Sheng felt a long-absent urge to cry.

Since her rebirth, she had placed almost all her hope on the space. She had no way back and no other choice. If this object failed, Luo Sheng would suffer an unprecedented blow and crisis.

If this is truly happening—giving hope only to take it back—why would God play such a joke on me?

The ring was damp with the sweat from her palm. The transparent moisture made the color look even richer. Luo Sheng tried to stay calm, pulled out a tissue, and wiped it clean again, just as she had wiped the blood earlier.

Blood…

As if capturing a key piece of information, Luo Sheng suddenly slapped her knee, her expression turning unreadable. Could it be because of the blood?

In the parking garage, Nan Shuwan’s blood had touched the ring. This was the first time the space had come into contact with human blood. Could it be related to that?

Though it sounded like a stretch, even with only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, Luo Sheng didn’t want to miss it. She couldn’t wait another moment; her heart was itching with the desperate need for an answer.

Luo Sheng put on her shoes and ran out. Without a hint of hesitation, she knocked on the door of 1502.

Nan Shuwan didn’t know how to answer Qiao Bai’s question for a moment. If she remembered correctly, that girl in the group chat already fully believed she and Luo Sheng were a couple.

She had only chatted in the group to tease Luo Sheng, but now she really ought to explain. Nan Shuwan gave a light chuckle and was about to speak when another knock sounded at the door.

Her eyelids twitched, finding it strange.

What is wrong with today? Why is yet another person knocking on my door?

With the conversation interrupted, Nan Shuwan gave Qiao Bai an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I’ll go see who it is first.”

“It’s okay, Sister Nan, go ahead!”

She nodded and walked to the door. Through the peephole, the visitor caught her quite by surprise. It was… Luo Sheng?

Although she hadn’t lived here long, this was the first time Luo Sheng had proactively come to find her. Nan Shuwan suppressed the odd feeling and immediately opened the door, seeing Luo Sheng’s panicked face.

The person who had been acting on impulse felt their surge of panic dissipate the moment they saw Nan Shuwan. For some reason, an inexplicable sense of security washed over her.

“What’s wrong?” Nan Shuwan saw her flustered look and felt the situation wasn’t simple.

Luo Sheng, now deflated, didn’t know how to answer the question. Realizing her own abruptness, she grew embarrassed.

Her mind raced for a reason, but perhaps because her thoughts were too cluttered, her brain short-circuited. Luo Sheng ended up blurting out an absurd excuse: “I… my water pipe burst. Can I come over to take a shower?”

The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted it.

Dammit, what kind of terrible excuse is that?!

Nan Shuwan was stunned, her expression turning confused. She stared at Luo Sheng for a while, finding the words familiar. Wasn’t this exactly the same excuse she had used to get close to her last time?

It was simply unbelievable.

This sudden change in Luo Sheng made Nan Shuwan wonder if she’d taken the wrong medicine. She looked at her searchingly and pointed at her. “Then… did you bring a change of clothes?”

It was a temporary excuse; how could she have thought it through? Luo Sheng gave an awkward smile and shook her head. “I forgot to grab them. I’ll go right now…”

At that moment, Qiao Bai, who was sitting in the living room, noticed Nan Shuwan hadn’t come back and poked her head toward the door, only to see Luo Sheng.

“Sister Luo, you’re back!” Qiao Bai called out enthusiastically from over the sofa. “Since you’re back, I won’t stay and bother you two. My girlfriend just messaged me to come back!”

Qiao Bai walked to the door in quick steps, passing between Luo Sheng and Nan Shuwan. Before leaving, she didn’t forget to thank her again. “Sister Nan, thanks for the hospitality today. Now you two can enjoy your ‘world for two,’ heehee!”

Hearing this, Luo Sheng let out a dazed “Ah,” and before she could react, Qiao Bai had entered the elevator.

Nan Shuwan didn’t bother to over-explain, only replying politely: “You’re very welcome. Come back and play again next time.”

Once Qiao Bai left, the two fell into silence again. Nan Shuwan and Luo Sheng looked at each other, the quiet feeling somewhat eerie.