Volume 1 Chapter 21: Is the School Beauty in Heat?

"Sit down, no need to be so restrained." Lin Ye retracted his gaze and gestured toward the sofa across from his desk with a calm tone.

"N-no... that’s alright, Marshal. I’m covered in filth; I’d rather just stand." Mu Qing waved her hands hurriedly, her voice tight. She didn't dare soil that leather sofa, which looked incredibly expensive.

"As you wish." Lin Ye didn't press the matter further. He leaned forward slightly, resting his clasped hands on the desktop, and fixed his gaze on Mu Qing’s face with a scrutinizing look. "So, Miss Mu Qing? I brought you here simply out of curiosity."

He paused, his tone carrying a trace of amusement. "As a young woman, how did you manage to make it all the way to my villa district alone, in the dead of night, with zombies roaming the city? That kind of courage... is not ordinary."

He leaned back, a meaningful, probing smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "And... aren't you afraid that I, this so-called 'Marshal,' might not be a good person? That bringing you here might mean I want to... do something to you?"

Mu Qing shuddered violently, her face draining of color. Oh no! In her rush to escape and her curiosity, she had completely overlooked this most lethal danger! It was true—he was a "Marshal" in command of a powerful armed force. In this apocalyptic world where order had collapsed, was she not just a lamb to the slaughter, a defenseless woman with a bit of beauty? If he truly had ill intentions, she wouldn't even have a chance to resist!

A wave of overwhelming terror gripped her. She instinctively took half a step back, her eyes filled with vigilance and panic. Lin Ye took in her reaction, and his amused smile deepened. Fear was normal, but at least it proved she wasn't entirely brainless. He tapped the desktop, his voice returning to a neutral tone. "Tell me, how did you get here? I'm very interested."

Mu Qing took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Things were as they were; fear wouldn't help. She had to gamble—gamble that this young "Marshal" didn't have such sordid intentions, at least for now.

She began to recount her experience: being trapped on the eighteenth floor, the threats from Brother Biao, running out of food, hearing the gunfire and explosions from this direction in her desperation, and finally, her all-or-nothing plan to rappel to safety.

"...I used a climbing rope to descend from the eighteenth floor. It was very dark, I fell a few times, and my clothes were torn..." Her voice trembled with lingering fear, but she tried to keep her account clear. "When I reached the ground, near the entrance of an alley... I encountered two wandering zombies. They spotted me and lunged... I... I had no choice, I had to fight for my life... I used my ice axe to smash... to smash them to death... then I hid and dodged my way all the way here."

She pointed to the dark, dried blood on her ice axe as proof. Lin Ye listened quietly, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the desk.

When he heard about the "rappelling from the eighteenth floor," a flash of surprise crossed his eyes. When he heard she had smashed two zombies to death with an ice axe, that surprise turned into a touch of admiration. This woman... she looked delicate and weak, the type of school beauty who needed protection, yet he hadn't expected her to be so ruthless and capable of action deep down. To survive, she dared to climb down eighteen stories and fight zombies to the death? This resolve and courage truly exceeded his expectations.

"Mountaineering?" Lin Ye caught the key information. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp as he locked onto Mu Qing. "Are you skilled at mountaineering? Rock climbing? Rappelling?"

Mu Qing felt a bit nervous under his sudden, piercing stare, but she nodded honestly. "Yes... I joined the mountaineering club back in college. I have two and a half years of professional training and field experience. Rock climbing, rappelling, rope techniques—I’m quite proficient... My gear is top-tier, too..." She didn't understand why he was suddenly so interested in this.

A glint of light flashed in Lin Ye's eyes, and his fingers stopped tapping. He looked Mu Qing up and down; the stained climbing suit and the backpack on her back seemed to take on a different value in his eyes. A woman with professional mountaineering skills who had proven she had the guts, the initiative, and the ruthlessness to explode into action in a desperate situation... This seemed... to be more than just "pretty."

He suddenly asked a seemingly irrelevant question: "Are you... afraid of heights?"

"Huh?" Mu Qing was completely bewildered; the question came out of nowhere. She instinctively shook her head. "No... I'm not afraid of heights." How could a mountaineer be afraid of heights? She even enjoyed the feeling of conquering altitude.

"Oh, nothing. Just asking." Lin Ye nodded, appearing satisfied with the answer, though he still offered no explanation. He tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the desk, his gaze once again focused on the professional climbing gear she wore, as if evaluating the value of a tool.

Mu Qing felt incredibly uncomfortable under his gaze, as if she were being stripped bare and inspected. She summoned her courage and spoke tentatively, "So... Marshal, if... if there’s nothing else, I... I’ll head back now?" She just wanted to leave this place that made her heart race and feel so pressured.

Lin Ye seemed to be pulled back to his thoughts by her voice. "What is your name?"

"Mu Qing."

Lin Ye nodded. He stood up, walked around the large mahogany desk, and headed straight toward Mu Qing. As he drew closer, a scent washed over her—a mix of faint tobacco, leather, and an indescribable aura that belonged to a powerful controller.

Mu Qing’s heart rate spiked to its limit instantly! What... what was he doing? At such close range! She could see her own reflection in his deep eyes and feel the aggressive pressure radiating from him!

"Ma... Marshal... what... what are you doing..." Mu Qing’s voice was as thin as a mosquito’s hum. Two red clouds of heat uncontrollably rose on her cheeks, spreading all the way to her ears. She instinctively took half a step back, her back nearly pressing against the cold wall.

A man so young, handsome, and holding the power of life and death, standing this close... The impact was simply too great! Her mind began to uncontrollably play out various scenarios:

It's over, it's over! I really couldn't escape it after all? Is he going to force himself on me? No! Absolutely not! This is my first time! How can I... how can I do this in a place like this, under these circumstances... But... he really is so handsome... and so powerful... if... if it were him... it seems... it doesn't seem entirely unacceptable? After all, in this world... being able to rely on the strong...

All sorts of shameful and chaotic thoughts clashed in her mind, making her face turn so red it felt like it might bleed. Her eyes darted away, and her breathing became rapid. She even began to imagine his strong arms wrapped around her waist, his hot breath against her neck...

Lin Ye stopped in front of her, leaning down slightly to look at the woman before him who had suddenly turned red-faced, eyes unfocused, breathing heavily, and wearing a strange, silly smile. His brow furrowed into a deep crease. What was wrong with this woman? A moment ago, she was like a vigilant little deer; why did she suddenly look like... like she was in heat? What kind of chaotic nonsense was going through her head?

Lin Ye could not comprehend the internal storm Mu Qing was experiencing. He was purely interested in her professional skills, wanting a closer look at the state of her gear, and intending to delegate some tasks to her. As it turned out, her reaction... was simply inexplicable.