How can we waste water like that? Let's bathe together!

"Y-you're being too hasty." Gu Xiaoqian's face flushed red; of course, she knew exactly whose hand this was. In the past, she would have already lashed out and called him a scoundrel.

But now, Gu Xiaoqian understood that any show of displeasure would have her thrown out of the car immediately. And on either side of the road, countless zombies lurked. Besides, with the skills Xue Feng had demonstrated, he could easily have his way with her before tossing her out. He could take what he wanted, and then discard her.

The thought of this made Gu Xiaoqian see Xue Feng in a saintly light. In this apocalyptic world, he still kept his promises and didn’t force himself on her. If it had been those men from the waterworks, they would have acted long ago.

"Since you’ve boarded the car, you have to pay the fare. Or do you think you can hitch a free ride?" Xue Feng chuckled, intensifying his movements.

Fare? Was there such a thing as this kind of fare? She’d heard stories of female passengers paying with their bodies instead of money when they took taxis. Never would she have imagined she’d become such a person herself. But she was willing.

Once Gu Xiaoqian had thought it through, she parted her legs slightly, allowing his fingers to explore further. Emboldened, her own hand reached toward Xue Feng. When she saw he didn’t refuse, her actions grew bolder, though she was clumsy—this was her first time, after all. It didn’t solve Xue Feng’s problem; instead, it only stoked his fire.

"You little minx, trying to tease me, are you?" Xue Feng grinned wolfishly and lunged at her.

"Ah!" Gu Xiaoqian let out a soft cry. She had anticipated this moment ever since she got into the car, but she never imagined it would happen right here, inside the vehicle!

The front passenger seat had been fully reclined, turning it into a makeshift bed. On this bed, Gu Xiaoqian experienced a woman’s pleasure—and Xue Feng’s animalistic side. Her long legs, almost involuntarily, hooked over Xue Feng’s shoulders.

Over an hour later, when Xue Feng finally withdrew, Gu Xiaoqian felt as though her body had fallen to pieces. She was aching, yet exhilarated. At some point, a crowd of zombies had gathered around the armored car. Had they been drawn by the sounds she’d made?

The thought made Gu Xiaoqian’s cheeks burn even brighter. Her body had seemed to float among the clouds—she hadn’t noticed anything around her. Would Xue Feng be angry about this? She glanced at him cautiously, only to see that he wasn’t bothered at all. He floored the accelerator, crushing every zombie in their path.

Only then did Gu Xiaoqian breathe a sigh of relief, and soon the vehicle arrived at the Riverside Villa District. Stepping out of the armored car, she stared in shock at the fortress-like villa before her. This was Xue Feng’s home? The outer walls, three meters high and reinforced, could easily keep out zombies. Any survivors hoping to break in would have to scale those walls first—but even Gu Xiaoqian could sense that forcing an entry into this fortress would have dire consequences.

The thought that she had doubted the existence of such a sanctuary made her want to slap herself. She had nearly lost the chance to survive in a safe haven like this.

What surprised Gu Xiaoqian even more was that as the armored car approached, the gate swung open and five women came out to greet them. Each one was a stunning beauty, each with her own distinct allure—some with voluptuous figures, others radiating maturity. Gu Xiaoqian even noticed a bespectacled woman dressed in a uniform. From the way she walked, it was clear she was different from ordinary women. Yes! Gu Xiaoqian suddenly recalled a university classmate who had joined the boxing club and walked just like that. Could this woman be skilled in combat?

A sense of dread crept over her. The others likely had their own strengths as well. And with so many beauties, how could she possibly hold her own, even if she abandoned all shame? She resolved then and there to find a way to make herself useful.

Meanwhile, the other women’s gazes swept over Gu Xiaoqian, taking in her torn clothing, the miniskirt, and the lingering traces between her legs. It was clear to everyone that Gu Xiaoqian was now Xue Feng’s woman. Their feelings were mixed. The one who felt the most unwilling was Nie Xiayue. She had steeled herself, hinted again and again, and only after much effort had finally won Xue Feng’s favor and become his woman. Why did this newcomer receive his affection so effortlessly? Biting her lip in frustration, Nie Xiaoyue resolved that next time, she would take the initiative herself.

There was no room for shyness in this apocalypse.

Xue Feng asked You Haoyun to show Gu Xiaoqian around the villa and introduce her to everyone, and to give her a change of clothes before coming to see him. Before long, Gu Xiaoqian returned in a cream-colored long dress.

"Master!" she said, kneeling before Xue Feng in the living room, hands pressed to her abdomen, her head bowed to the floor in reverence as though worshiping a god.

Xue Feng burst out laughing at the sight. In just a few minutes, she had changed how she addressed him and was now kneeling before him.

"Get up. There’s no need to kneel to me from now on," he said. "As long as you’re useful, you can stay here. I don’t keep anyone who wastes food."

Relief flooded Gu Xiaoqian’s face as she rose swiftly. "Master, you want to install a water purifier, right? These are usually for large factories and require some technical know-how," she said earnestly.

Xue Feng nodded. He had realized at a glance that the purifier wasn’t meant for household use. Ordinary ones wouldn’t suffice—not when all their daily water needed purifying. "Can you handle it?" he asked.

"Of course! I’ll just need an assistant," Gu Xiaoqian replied softly. She knew how to install it, though she’d never done the manual labor herself. It wasn’t the kind of work a supervisor did, but now, to prove her worth, she was willing to do it herself—as long as she had a helper.

"You, go with her," Xue Feng said, gesturing to Zhao Weisuo.

"Yes, Master!" Zhao Weisuo replied without complaint. She’d been doing odd jobs around the house for days.

After nearly two hours of hard work, they finished installing the water purification system before nightfall. When pure water flowed from the pipes, the women were overjoyed. Although the villa had never lacked drinking water, it had never been in such abundance—only bottled water had remained uncontaminated until now. But now, with the purifier, even polluted water could be made safe.

Still, Xue Feng had Nie Xiaoyue test the purified water before anyone used it. Only after confirming it was safe did he relax. It seemed the mysterious red particles in the water could indeed be filtered out.

"Although we needn’t worry about water anymore, to avoid wasting resources, I suggest we all bathe together from now on!"