Chapter One Hundred

Nian Yu stood up with her hands on her hips and declared, “If he dares, if he really dares, then I’ll... I’ll... I’ll...” But as she struggled to finish the sentence, nothing came out after her string of "I’ll"s.

Xiao Jie laughed and teased, “And what exactly will you do?”

Nian Yu pouted and said, “Hmph, I’ll just ignore him. I’ll walk away on my own.”

With a smile, Xiao Jie remarked, “I’ve noticed that ever since you met Xin Xin, you seem to have grown even fonder of throwing little tantrums, haven’t you?”

Nian Yu sat down again, a trace of melancholy in her expression. She said, “It’s not that I’ve become more petulant. It’s just that I realize now how little I’ve given to him, and yet in his heart, I hold such a significant place.”

Xiao Jie asked in confusion, “Then shouldn’t you strive to be an even more virtuous wife? Why act up like this?”

Nian Yu smiled faintly and replied, “But, haven’t you noticed? I can hardly help him with anything. It’s only by behaving like this that I can keep his attention on me.”

Xiao Jie grinned and said, “Haha, so that’s what’s been bothering you? There’s no need to overthink it. You know your own place in his heart. What you need now isn’t to throw fits, but to work hard at learning how to protect yourself and win people over.”

Without waiting for Nian Yu to respond, Xiao Jie continued, “You must realize that he’s no longer the same as when we first met him. He still has that roguish charm, but now there’s a commanding presence about him, a kind of dominance that looks down upon the world. He’s also become much more mature.”

“I don’t know if he was always like this before we met, or if he changed gradually. But his feelings for us haven’t changed. Besides, in times like these, not every woman is as fortunate as you or me to have a man like Zhou Yu.”

“Without someone to rely on, how could they survive? If they were to meet Zhou Yu, wouldn’t they try to win him over?”

Nian Yu said, “So what should we do? In the beginning, when you first came into the picture, I was really unhappy. But I didn’t say much, because after all, I was the one who broke up with him. The way he is now, I feel guilty towards both him and you, so I accepted it.”

“Later, when I learned about Xin Xin, since she had known Zhou Yu first and was willing to give her life for him, I simply couldn’t compare. There was nothing I could do. Still, I couldn’t help feeling upset.”

Xiao Jie said, “I know. At first, both of us considered stepping aside for the other, but he never wanted to lose either of us. And since we’ve always been close friends, we were able to accept it, even if grudgingly.”

“What happened with Xin Xin moved me too. In fact, it was us who encouraged him to accept her. He’s deeply sentimental, whether before the apocalypse or now, and such men are rare. A capable man like him will inevitably attract people.”

“That’s not something we can stop, but we can at least fend off women with ulterior motives.”

Nian Yu sighed and said, “Yes, that’s all we can do. I don’t want to leave him again. I really don’t.”

Xiao Jie said, “There are two things we need to do now. First, we have to deal with the problems in our own hearts, so we can stay united and better stand against women with ill intentions. Second, we need to work on improving our combat skills, so we can protect ourselves and help him.”

Nian Yu said, “It’s not easy.”

Xiao Jie replied, “Actually, it’s quite easy. But right now, it just isn’t the best time.”

Nian Yu asked in confusion, “How should we do it? And why isn’t now a good time?”