The protagonist who hates losers is so sweet to me. - Chapter 48

The three of them turned around to see Song Xinqi approaching with a stern expression, exuding an intimidating aura. It was clear he wasn’t in a friendly mood.

He cast a sharp glance at the two and then turned his focus to Yu Qing, his eyes dark and unreadable. Yu Qing felt an inexplicable sense of guilt.

He now faced a dilemma: he had reconciled with Song Xinqi, but Song Xinqi seemed to have an ongoing dislike for Peng Shu and Chu Yuan, who were his good friends. What should he do?

It was a real headache.

Trying to maintain a peaceful atmosphere, he approached him and affectionately stood close to him, asking, “Have you finished dealing with everything?”

It was an obvious attempt to appease.

Song Xinqi snorted coldly through his nose, not answering his question but not avoiding his affectionate approach either. He was angry, but not entirely enraged.

Those who had witnessed his outbursts knew that even his trusted aides dared not get too close to him. It was surprising that he allowed Yu Qing such close contact. Chu Yuan’s eyes showed a hint of surprise.

It seemed that Yu Qing’s claim of their reconciliation was indeed true, which was quite surprising.

Song Xinqi looked down at Yu Qing, who had a look of innocence, and said, “What are you all doing here?”

Yu Qing explained in a low voice, “They came to see me. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“Don’t see them again,” he warned.

“Why?” Yu Qing was puzzled. “We’re just friends. They mean no harm.”

“If I say no, then it’s no,” Song Xinqi declared firmly, like an unreasonable dictator.

His words were charged with hostility directed at the two. Peng Shu’s face grew grim, while Chu Yuan looked at them with an unreadable expression.

Yu Qing looked at Song Xinqi’s gloomy face and thought for a moment. “Do you think that if I’m good with them, I won’t be good with you?”

As soon as the words were out, Song Xinqi’s cold aura seemed to pause, his expression one of complex emotions.

Yu Qing gave him a light punch on the arm. “Of course, it’s different. I’m best with you.”

Even among good friends, there were levels of closeness. Song Xinqi was more possessive. If he wanted to get along well with him, he needed to balance the attention given to his friends.

Moreover, to him, Song Xinqi was unique. He was the first person he saw in this world. They had spent the most time together, so their relationship was the closest.

“Still, it’s not allowed.”

He was completely baffled. “Why? Can’t I have other friends if I’m close to you?”

Song Xinqi raised his eyes to silence Peng Shu, then turned his attention back to Yu Qing. “You really don’t understand, do you? He likes you.”

Peng Shu was stunned, but Yu Qing said, “I know. We’re good friends. I like Peng Shu too.”

Song Xinqi’s face fell as he realized Yu Qing’s understanding of “like” was different from what he meant.

In the past, he would have directly rejected any form of communication, driving the two away with a hard attitude. But now, he had to patiently explain with a stern tone, “His feelings for you are romantic.”

“Romantic?” Yu Qing was completely confused. This was beyond his usual understanding.

Chu Yuan raised an eyebrow, a faint smile on his lips.

Peng Shu’s face turned darker. He had intended to prepare a confession but was taken aback by the sudden revelation without any buildup.

Seeing Yu Qing in a daze, he decided to be straightforward. “Yu Qing, I like you. Since our parting in the cave, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I admire your optimistic and unique nature. I want to be in a relationship with you.”

Yu Qing’s eyes widened, feeling helpless. He instinctively looked to Song Xinqi for help. “What should I do?”

“You’re asking me?” Song Xinqi’s anger turned into a mocking smile as he glared at Peng Shu with barely concealed hostility. “I already told you to stay away from people with ulterior motives.”

Yu Qing’s fingers fidgeted together, speaking softly, “I’ve always considered him a friend.”

“Deal with it yourself,” Song Xinqi said unmoved.

Yu Qing took a few steps forward, unsure of how to respond. He didn’t want to lose Peng Shu as a friend and had never considered such a situation before.

However, since he had made his feelings clear, he had to express his stance. “You’ve helped me a lot. I appreciate your companionship, but this is too sudden. I don’t have any romantic feelings for you and can’t easily agree to this.”

“I understand it’s sudden. I originally intended to take it slow,” Peng Shu said, scratching his head in frustration. “But that’s okay. I can give you time to adjust.”

Song Xinqi’s aura became even more dangerous behind Yu Qing.

To Yu Qing, romantic relationships were important. He had no romantic feelings for Peng Shu and couldn’t give him false hope.

“Sorry, I really don’t have those feelings for you.”

Song Xinqi’s dark eyes moved from Peng Shu’s disappointed face to Yu Qing’s back, thinking that the little fool seemed to understand.

Peng Shu asked, “What about our friendship? Can we still be friends?”

Yu Qing looked to Song Xinqi.

“No,” Song Xinqi said.

Yu Qing had no choice but to reluctantly say, “I think we should not be friends either.”

Seeing their interaction, Peng Shu’s heart sank. “You have your own thoughts. I won’t let Song Xinqi influence you. As long as it’s your own decision, I will respect it.”

Yu Qing didn’t know why he always sought Song Xinqi’s opinion. He was used to him helping him make tough decisions.

Reflecting on it, Peng Shu was an important companion, but now that their relationship was clear, even if they remained friends, it wouldn’t be the same as before.

And Song Xinqi would be unhappy.

“It’s better this way. Knowing how you feel, I can’t continue pretending as if nothing has changed. It would be unfair to you and I’d feel guilty.”

“Okay, I understand.” Peng Shu’s shoulders slumped as he left, looking dejected.

“Why are you still here? Do you want me to drive you away?” Song Xinqi’s mood lightened slightly, and he looked at him with a hint of disdain.

Peng Shu clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and walked away with large strides.

Noticing Yu Qing’s distressed mood, Song Xinqi reluctantly said, “Afterward, Wei Zheng will allocate a large amount of resources to him—crystal cores, food, and points. It’s a way to repay your kindness, but don’t let me see him around here again.”

Yu Qing felt a bit better. “Doesn’t that mean I owe you even more?”

Song Xinqi smirked. “You owe me less?”

Indeed, that comment was quite comforting. Owing Song Xinqi was definitely better than owing anyone else.

Song Xinqi’s gaze shifted to Chu Yuan, who smiled gently and said, “I only see Yu Qing as a younger brother.”

Yu Qing blinked cheerfully, but Song Xinqi seemed to see through Chu Yuan’s intentions. “That’s not allowed either.”

Yu Qing looked up, puzzled. “Why not?”

He didn’t understand, and neither did Chu Yuan. There was no chance for him; in this safe zone, no one could take anything away from Song Xinqi.

The best approach was to stay silent. Chu Yuan said, “My assistant misses Yu Xiaoxue, so I wanted to invite you to the research building. But it seems it’s not the right time, so I won’t disturb you further.”

He politely nodded to the two and left the courtyard.

With only the two of them left, Song Xinqi noticed Yu Qing’s dejected expression and raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong? Are you reluctant to part with them?”

Yu Qing said glumly, “Peng Shu was unavoidable. Avoiding him was the best solution. But even if Chu Yuan only sees me as a younger brother, why is that not allowed?”

Song Xinqi really wanted to pry open Yu Qing’s mind to see what was inside. “Do you believe everything people say?”

“Isn’t it true?”

“Of course not,” Song Xinqi said in exasperation. “Just look at their expressions. It’s obvious they have ulterior motives.”

Yu Qing couldn’t see it. He was just an inexperienced fool without much understanding of such things.

He continued to dwell on the loss of his friends. “But I want to make friends.”

“No one is stopping you from making friends, but you can’t be friends with people with deceitful intentions.”

“I’ll do my best.” he nodded and then glanced cautiously at him.

Song Xinqi frowned. “Speak up if you have something to say.”

Wondering if he was being overly self-conscious, Yu Qing’s face flushed, and he avoided eye contact with him. “What about you? You wouldn’t have any ulterior motives, would you?”

Song Xinqi was furious, thinking that he couldn’t be compared to having bad intentions.

But seeing Yu Qing’s flushed ears, he opened his mouth, then turned away with a harsh tone, “Think for yourself.”

Then he left without looking back.

Think for himself, how was he supposed to think?

He crouched down and drew circles on the ground, feeling that Song Xinqi had pushed away all his friends and then left without giving him a clear answer.

He buried his face in the fluffy fur of Yu Xiaoxue, whose tail covered his back.

Song Xinqi had never shown signs of having friends or romantic interests. He had no way to compare or reference. He had no experience or knowledge about this.

As he pondered, his thoughts took a turn. He thought about Peng Shu’s confession and then about himself.

He had never considered this before. Now, with this issue raised, he couldn’t help but think: What if Song Xinqi did have romantic feelings for him?

Just the thought made his face feel hot again, and he made a few indistinct noises in Yu Xiaoxue’s fur.

That was the cold-hearted Song Xinqi. Could it really be a possibility?

But if it were true… he felt he wouldn’t be able to reject him as easily as he had Peng Shu.

He was different.

He was the person Yu Qing was most closely connected to in this world.

“What should I do?”

The construction of the new safe zone was in full swing. Everyone was busy building new homes and naturally ignored the zombies outside.

By the time everyone realized, hundreds of zombies had gathered on the mainland, which could cause unnecessary problems in the future.

Song Xinqi issued a high-point team mission, leading several squads personally to clear the zombies.

High-level ability users responded enthusiastically. Yu Qing, now a Level 3 ability user, had never tested his abilities on zombies, so he naturally needed to participate.

A group of people stood at the edge of the artificial island, waiting for Song Xinqi to assign teams.

The first team of five had already boarded a boat and set off. Yu Qing arrived late and waited for a long time before finally seeing Song Xinqi arrive.

“You, you, and you, go to the eastern forest.”

As soon as the words were out, five or six people around Yu Qing detached and boarded the next boat.

Yu Qing was eager, but Song Xinqi didn’t even glance at him, directly ignoring him as he instructed another group, “You five, go west and clear the zombies along the coast as well.”

Gradually, everyone around him was assigned to a team, leaving him standing alone.

Seeing Song Xinqi about to walk away, Yu Qing took the initiative to approach. “Song Xinqi, you haven’t assigned me yet.”

The newly formed teams looked over with various expressions, and Song Xinqi sighed, beckoning him with a wave of his hand. “You come with me.”

“Okay.” Yu Qing followed closely behind him, acting as his little tail, following wherever he went.