From Apocalypse Boss to Farmer: My Vegetables Make Me Stronger!

Qi Xiang didn’t take the two sweet potatoes. After giving the foolish boy a wry look, she pulled Gu Xi away and sat down beside Qin Yi in a huff.

Qin Yi scooted over, tilting her head with a smile as she tried to placate her. "What’s there to be angry about? It’s like they say, whoever has the milk is mother. It’s only normal for him to be a little more devoted to Gu Xi..."

Qi Xiang paused. Thinking it over, she realized it made sense. In this day and age, food was the most precious thing. Forget being a mother—someone who provided food deserved to be treated like a revered ancestor.

Qi Xiang turned to Gu Xi, her gaze growing complicated.

Gu Xi: "..."

Just then, Ye Nan walked over.

"Miss Gu, what are your plans from here?" Ye Nan sat across the campfire from Gu Xi and added a subtle reminder, "We’re about to enter City A’s territory."

Ye Nan had a vague idea of Gu Xi’s reasons for coming to City A. Setting aside the private arrangements her mother, Ye Xin, had made, the hints from the Qee Family alone... were more than enough.

Ye Nan felt a pang of regret.

’If I had known things would turn out like this, I never should have given in to my curiosity and looked into my own family background that day. Now I’m caught between my parents, completely torn over what to do about Gu Xi...’

Ye Nan pressed her lips together, feeling lost and adrift. ’How did I end up in this position?’

’I feel like I’m not even myself anymore.’

’And it all seems to have started the moment Gu Xi appeared...’

At this thought, Ye Nan couldn’t help but steal another glance at Gu Xi.

Ye Nan had been observing Gu Xi for some time now.

She found Gu Xi to be a very strange person.

On a normal day, she was reserved and calm, and while she didn’t talk much, she was actually quite approachable.

But at other times, she was hard to get close to, as if she’d suddenly become a different person. In those calm, clear eyes, one could only see cold indifference and immense strength.

The feeling was faintly alarming, leaving her with the sense that this version of Gu Xi was somehow frightening.

Without a doubt, Gu Xi was full of secrets, and these secrets created an inexplicable sense of detachment between her and the world.

This sense of detachment made her seem completely out of place in their world.

Ye Nan didn’t know if this was related to Gu Xi’s true identity.

After all, judging by the reactions of her mother and the Qee Family, Gu Xi’s identity had to be extraordinary.

"We’ll see," Gu Xi said, handing one of her sweet potatoes to Ye Nan. She thought for a moment before adding, "There’s a lot of plant life around here. The research team says many species are worth studying, so I’m planning to stay for a few more days."

’Of course, more importantly, I need to get my knife back.’

"Thank you." Ye Nan took the sweet potato but didn’t eat it. Instead, she instinctively tightened her grip on it. Lowering her head, she pressed her lips together and said in a low voice, "I don’t know if it’s just me, but I have a feeling..."

She looked up at the mountain forest, cloaked in the silence of the night. "...this patch of woods feels strange."

"Strange how?" Qin Yi asked, tilting her head. She faltered when she realized the other two beside her were silent.

"Is there really something wrong with the woods?" she asked, nudging Qi Xiang, though her eyes were fixed on Gu Xi. She didn’t seem nervous, just curious.

After all, with the strength of their convoy, they could pretty much do as they pleased anywhere.

Gu Xi remained silent, merely giving Ye Nan a surprised glance.

Gu Xi wasn’t the least bit surprised that Qi Xiang could sense the anomaly in the woods; her ability had always been unique.

’But Ye Nan... What is she trying to probe by suddenly bringing this up?’

The campfire crackled, its flames dancing in the darkness. The light flickered across the young woman’s face opposite, making her complexion seem even more pale.

Gu Xi’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. ’Judging from the residual power fluctuations, did she force herself to use her Space Ability again?’

Ye Nan grew nervous. Sensing Gu Xi’s gaze on her, she curled her fingertips slightly.

’She is the child of an old acquaintance, after all.’ Gu Xi averted her gaze, tossed a piece of firewood into the flames, and spoke slowly. "It is a little strange."

Ye Nan quietly breathed a sigh of relief, but the explanation she was waiting for never came.

Just then, Qin Shi came over with several bowls of sweet potato porridge.

The conversation was cut short. The young women sat by the fire, quietly eating their sweet potato porridge.

It seemed as if the night itself had grown more tranquil.

Not far away, Ye Junhan and Shen Yue were discussing the upcoming travel arrangements, but their attention remained fixed on the group by the fire.

’There’s something strange about this forest, but Ye Nan shouldn’t have been the one to notice it.’

’And Gu Xi’s attitude...’

"Looks like Miss Ye knows quite a lot," Shen Yue said, leaning lazily against a boulder. He looked at Ye Junhan and asked, "Given your relationship... she hasn’t revealed anything to you at all?"

Ye Junhan lowered his gaze, pulling his attention away from the campfire. He turned and began to patrol the perimeter.

Shen Yue watched his retreating back and nonchalantly dusted off his hands.

He walked over to the large pot, took a bowl of sweet potato porridge from Wei Heng, and headed back toward the fire.

"Wei Heng really plays favorites," Shen Yue said, craning his neck to peer into the bowls of Gu Xi and her friends, then looking down at his own. "How come my bowl is all sweet potato chunks?"

"You have the nerve to compare yourself with Gu Xi?" Qi Xiang shot him a look.

Shen Yue rubbed his nose, then slowly started on his porridge. "What are you looking at?" he asked Gu Xi.

"Nothing," Gu Xi said casually, pulling her gaze back. In the distance, Ye Junhan’s figure had already vanished into the darkness.

Gu Xi took a spoonful of her porridge, a slight frown on her face.

’He left without even eating dinner. Was he trying to avoid... me?’

’Looks like the shock Yabao gave him earlier was pretty significant.’

Gu Xi hesitated. This was a first for her. Yabao had always been a well-behaved vine; this was the first time it had ever actively flirted with a boy.

’So, should I pretend I don’t know anything? Or should I find a time to explain to him that Yabao... it was just being mischievous and had absolutely no intention of flirting with him?’

That night, Gu Xi lay in her tent, gazing up at the starry sky. Yabao coiled around her fingertip again and again, as if trying to wheedle her.

It was still upset about the incident with Ye Junhan.

In truth, Gu Xi suspected that Yabao’s special interest in Ye Junhan was likely due to the so-called G01 Project. She guessed that his ability might be connected to Yabao’s origins, which would explain its unusual attention and curiosity toward him.

It even showed faint signs of affection.

But... how should she put it? It was just a little awkward.

Gu Xi sighed. Just as she was about to close her eyes and rest, her brow suddenly furrowed.

...

Outside, Yang Liu stared at the monitor for a moment before noticing something wrong with the situation at the base of the cliff. She immediately reported it to Ye Junhan.

Ye Junhan opened his eyes and stepped out of the command vehicle, just in time to see Gu Xi push aside her tent flap and step out. He paused for a fraction of a second, then turned and strode toward her.

"Heading out?" Gu Xi’s eyebrow arched slightly. "Together?"

Ye Junhan looked down at her. After a long moment, he turned, walked to an SUV, opened the door, and slid into the driver’s seat.

Seeing no objection, Gu Xi walked right over and got into the passenger seat.

Under the cover of darkness, the vehicle slowly drove out of the encampment.

Gu Xi’s gaze drifted out the window. When she saw him driving straight for the cliff, her heart gave a heavy lurch...