The protagonist who hates losers is so sweet to me. - Chapter 51

As soon as these words were spoken, the last bit of noise in the crowd dissipated.

The large task board area was eerily silent, making it feel as though Yu Qing’s words were a heavy hammer striking everyone’s hearts.

“They spoke ill of me and even tried to steal my task board…” he said indignantly.

Having someone backing him and having no support were completely different situations. Previously, he might have quietly left or given the task board to the tall man, intending to avoid trouble.

But things were different now; Song Xinqi was on his side, and no one could bully him without reason!

The surrounding silence was deafening as everyone wondered how Song Xinqi would react. The rumors must have had some basis for spreading so widely.

Even though there might be exaggerations, the general direction wouldn’t change, and many here were old members of the X Safety Zone who had never seen the two together.

However, after hearing Yu Qing’s accusations, some people felt uneasy. They regretted being impulsive; even if he was at fault, there was no need to intervene on behalf of a stranger.

Yu Qing recounted the events in detail, growing more aggrieved as he spoke, tears welling up in his eyes.

The transparent tears streamed down his face and were wiped away by a hand halfway.

“What’s there to cry about?” Song Xinqi’s voice was soft and did little to reassure those who had been nervously waiting for his reaction. His gaze, however, was filled with intense hostility: “I’ll take care of them.”

Yu Qing pouted and nodded, moving to stand behind him.

Song Xinqi’s sharp gaze swept across the crowd, making those who were caught in his line of sight involuntarily retreat, feeling a chill.

A scream erupted from the crowd; the tall man who had tried to steal Yu Qing’s task board was writhing on the ground, clutching his head and howling in agony. The surrounding crowd scattered in panic, fearing for their own safety.

Song Xinqi ruffled Yu Qing’s hair from behind: “Just focus on what you need to do. I’ll handle this.”

Yu Qing put away the task board and nodded obediently, getting on Yu Xiaoxue’s back: “Then I’ll go now.”

Song Xinqi slightly raised his chin, silently urging him to leave. He watched until his figure disappeared from sight, and the last trace of calm in his eyes vanished completely.

The people who had been used by the tall man were now filled with regret. The real culprit was clearly the tall man, and they had only acted on impulse.

It seemed the rumors about Yu Qing and the boss being on bad terms were indeed unreliable.

Many began to consider retreating, but before they could move, a chilling voice interrupted: “No one is allowed to leave.”

Yu Qing arrived at the task point, where the cargo ship was already docked.

Wooden logs were stacked in several triangular pyramids on the beach, with a few men in heavy winter attire transporting the wood into the safety zone in various ways.

He handed his task board to the person in charge of the task and shrank a pile of bundled wood into a manageable size, placing part on Yu Xiaoxue’s back and carrying the rest himself to the designated location.

The route did not pass by the task board area. Yu Qing was still thinking about it and opened communication with Song Xinqi. As soon as the connection was established, noisy sounds came through.

Song Xinqi quickly noticed his actions: “What are you eavesdropping for?”

After delivering the wood, Yu Qing took a drink of water: “Is it not resolved yet?”

He had made several trips, but Song Xinqi was still dealing with things.

No matter how much he asked, Song Xinqi refused to tell him what was happening and eventually cut off the connection. Yu Qing, who was not initially curious, found his curiosity piqued.

In the following days, Yu Qing did not see the tall man again. He was no longer subjected to malicious gossip, and the entire safety zone treated him with a mixture of respect and fear, making him even more noticeable than before.

What exactly had Song Xinqi done? It seemed exaggerated.

One afternoon in the kitchen of the cafeteria, all the chefs with experience in cooking stood in a row, facing the ruler of the safety zone with serious expressions as if they were attending a national conference.

The fire ability user adjusted the heat according to the chefs’ requirements, sweat appearing on his hands due to nervousness.

Someone whispered: “The fire is too high.”

The fire ability user quickly reduced the heat.

“Boss, it’s time to add water for the stew,” the chef to Song Xinqi’s left handed over a bowl of steaming water.

Song Xinqi took the bowl, expressionless, and poured all of it into the pot. After covering it with a lid, everyone sighed in relief.

The chef on his right said with a smile: “Now we just need to add half a spoon of salt when the juice is almost gone, and then cook it over high heat to reduce and stir-fry.”

A few days ago, Song Xinqi had suddenly visited the kitchen, asking how to make braised pork tastier.

Although it was puzzling, since it was his question, the chefs discussed it, consulted with the plant ability user, and finally prepared all the ingredients for today.

In the apocalypse, all condiments were scarce, and they had done their best.

In the evening, Yu Qing did not get his dinner but received a notice from Wei Zheng: “The boss wants you to come to the kitchen.”

Although curious, he did not ask further, placing Yu Xiaobai on the bed: “I’ll be out for a bit. Stay here and behave well.”

It wasn’t mealtime yet, so the kitchen was nearly empty.

Entering, he quickly found the familiar tall figure and hurriedly sat across from him, glancing at the stew pot on the table: “Why are we eating in the cafeteria today?”

Nearby, a group of people were peeking through the doorframe.

“Why does it feel so tense?”

“I feel it too. The boss just opened the lid!”

Everyone fell silent, holding their breath as they watched Yu Qing’s reaction.

“This is… braised pork?” Yu Qing was surprised, recalling a recent casual mention, and was thrilled to actually get to eat it.

He felt a wave of emotion, gazing at Song Xinqi with sparkling eyes.

Song Xinqi turned his head slightly, pushing the pot towards him: “What are you waiting for? Eat.”

Yu Qing picked up a piece with chopsticks. Knowing Yu Qing didn’t like too fatty meat, the braised pork was mostly lean, with a little fat as a garnish. It looked so appetizing.

As he put the meat into his mouth, Song Xinqi’s fingers tightened slightly.

“It’s delicious!” Yu Qing’s eyes shone with excitement. He picked up another piece and offered it to him: “Try it too.”

Song Xinqi, with a cool demeanor, took a bite of the meat and, facing Yu Qing’s sparkling eyes, begrudgingly replied: “It’s okay.”

“Super—delicious!” Yu Qing was thrilled. “This is the best braised pork I’ve ever had. Sob, Song Xinqi, you’re so good to me. I really love you.”

Song Xinqi’s movements paused, and he responded almost inaudibly with an “Mm.”

The chefs watching from a distance felt gratified: “It looks like it was done well.”

“Of course, who do you think guided us?”

No one would believe that Yu Qing got to eat braised pork in the apocalypse, made personally by Song Xinqi!

Of course, Song Xinqi would never admit it, but Yu Qing could guess. Overwhelmed with emotion, he ate two big bowls and only stopped when he was stuffed.

A chef pretending to clean up while actually gathering information heard Song Xinqi say: “What else do you want to eat?”

Yu Qing rested his chin on his hands, boldly guessing: “I want cake.”

Song Xinqi nodded and asked the chef who came over: “Can you make it?”

“…” The chef looked at him as if he were a love-struck monarch, “That’s really not possible.”

Not to mention the ingredients, even the baking method was currently an unsolved technical challenge.

“Pfft.” Yu Qing laughed and waved his hand: “I was just kidding. Eating these things once is enough. Survival is more important now. It’s fine to eat like usual.”

Even after leaving the cafeteria and walking far away, he remained immersed in boundless emotion, almost clinging to Song Xinqi.

He looked down at the shadow they cast, intertwined, and suddenly said: “Song Xinqi, I want to spend my life with you.”

Song Xinqi chuckled softly: “Because of a meal?”

“Of course not. That’s just one of the reasons.” he hugged his arm and added: “You are the best person the world has given me.”

“Better than anyone else?”

“Mm-hmm.” Yu Qing nodded. “You are the most important person to me. I really like you.”

Song Xinqi pinched his cheek: “Just so you know.”

“Can I go to the office with you?” Yu Qing looked up at him.

Song Xinqi raised an eyebrow: “Sure.”

“Then let’s go get Xiaoxue and Xiaobai!”

Soon, Yu Qing, along with his two little family members, entered Song Xinqi’s office.

The light here was excellent, with a view of the rolling sea outside the window and a dreamy purple-pink sky above.

Yu Qing took Xiaoxue and Xiaobai for a walk along the beach. When passing the window, one could see Song Xinqi’s straight back.

As dusk approached, he returned to the office.

The assistant was reporting external situations to Song Xinqi. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a head peek out from under the open window, making a strenuous leap to grab the window ledge, half of the body rising up, and then climbing inside using both hands and feet.

The assistant’s words faltered, and his expression gradually turned blank as Song Xinqi knocked on the desk to redirect his attention: “Continue.”

“Alright, so…” The assistant continued, glancing nervously at the window behind Song Xinqi, where a figure was climbing back in, carrying a fluffy, white ball of fur that looked like a fat mouse.

Yu Qing placed the white mouse on the window sill, then reached down to grab a snow-white feline with black spots.

The assistant felt a sudden chill in the air and noticed that Song Xinqi was staring at him.

“Do you want to keep your eyes?”

The assistant swallowed hard and dared not look further.

As the sky darkened, the lights came on in the room. Only about half of the new safety zone provided electricity, including here and Yu Qing’s place.

Song Xinqi was very busy every day, and Yu Qing had not seen him finish dealing with tasks.

Xiaoxue lay comfortably on the floor, while Xiaobai was energetically running around.

Seeing Yu Qing’s head nodding off in the chair, Song Xinqi said: “The second building along the coast is my house. If you’re tired, go sleep there.”

Yu Qing, drowsy, stood up. Soon after, Song Xinqi felt his pants leg being tugged down.

The small, baby-sized Yu Qing, with an even cuter face, his head resting on Xiaobai, and holding the sleepy Xiaoxue, climbed onto Song Xinqi’s lap and snuggled into his embrace: “No, I want to wait for you.”

After finishing all his tasks, Song Xinqi pinched the bridge of his nose, moved his chair back, and looked down at the sleeping Yu Qing, whose cheeks were flushed.

Little Yu Qing’s short arms were wrapped around his waist, his face pressed against his abdomen, and his mouth slightly open, with warm breath reaching Song Xinqi.

Xiaoxue was squeezed between them, and Xiaobai nestled in the fluffy fur of the snow leopard.

Gathering the two little ones into his arms, Song Xinqi carried the sleeping Yu Qing, wrapping his arms around his neck, turned off the lights, and left.

Early the next morning, Yu Qing woke up feeling hot, realizing he was lying in an unfamiliar bed, with the blanket feeling as if it was baking him.

He tried to pull the blanket off but found his arm tightly held from behind. The muscular arm around him was firm, making it hard for him to escape.

Soon, he began to sweat profusely, squirming a little: “Song Xinqi, it’s so hot, wake up.”

He called out twice, but the person behind him remained motionless.

Strange, Song Xinqi shouldn’t be so unguarded.

As he tried to turn around to see what was wrong with him, he stiffened halfway through and his ears turned a bright red.

He felt something hot and hard poking against his inner thigh.
——————–

Translator’s note:
Release of the last two chapters will be on Tuesday.