From Apocalypse Boss to Farmer: My Vegetables Make Me Stronger!-Chapter 116 - 107: Not Knowing What’s Good

South City Base.

Gu Xi had been pulling all-nighters for days, her brow furrowed with worry over her thesis.

Even the two tender leaves atop the little green sprout were drooping listlessly.

Anyone who saw it would have to call it a crime!

But the all-nighters had to continue.

Gu Xi knew perfectly well that while the first Crystal Core Fragment from the three wanted criminals had been an accident, the last two times, someone had been using their own Crystal Core Fragments as bait...

Gu Xi wasn’t sure what the other party wanted, but it was nothing more than an attempt to make her move.

But Gu Xi didn’t like being led by the nose.

Besides, in this kind of situation, the first one to lose their composure would be the one to lose.

That evening during dinner, Qin Shi stared at Gu Xi for a moment before tilting her head to ask her sister beside her, "Has Gu Xi lost weight recently?"

Gu Xi paused. ’Have I lost weight?’

’It must be because of this thesis tormenting me.’

Qi Xiang and Qin Yi nodded in unison. "She has."

Wei Heng thought about the light in Gu Xi’s room that was often on all night, and he grew incredibly anxious. But there was absolutely nothing he could do—when it came to writing a thesis, he was truly no help at all.

He glanced at the others beside him... Wei Heng sighed. ’Forget it. A room full of slackers.’

Just as Wei Heng was wondering if he should have Da Hong go into the forest again to pick some mushrooms for a chicken soup to help Gu Xi recuperate, the perpetually silent Shen Yue suddenly spoke up. "I asked someone to get me some wheat seeds from the north..."

Gu Xi had been looking so worried lately, and Shen Yue had heard that eating sweets could improve one’s mood. He figured that once they had the wheat seeds, they could get Wei Heng’s oven ready.

Then they could make a small cake or something for Gu Xi at night. Otherwise, with her eating sweet potato and rice porridge every day, her frail body wouldn’t be able to take it.

Of course, this definitely wasn’t because he was craving a taste of that legendary, high-class luxury item—dessert.

Seeing everyone had clearly gone off-topic and were now excitedly discussing what desserts to make, Gu Xi was speechless. "..." ’Alright, as long as you all are happy.’

A few days later, the wheat seeds were delivered to Gu Xi.

When Zhou Jing arrived, Gu Xi was sorting through the seeds. Her selection process was different from others; she didn’t look at the mutation coefficient, high or low, but only at the seeds’ vitality.

Sensing someone approach, Gu Xi turned and was surprised to see it was Zhou Jing.

’What is she doing here? After the scene Qi Xiang made back at South City Base, I thought she would avoid us for a long time.’

Zhou Jing stood in the distance without immediately approaching, her gaze fixed on Gu Xi.

Her expression was quite complicated.

Gu Xi: ’...?’

She waited a moment, but seeing that the other woman had no intention of coming over to talk, she stopped paying her any mind and turned her full attention back to the wheat seeds before her.

After devouring the X Energy within the seeds, Gu Xi began to sprout them.

Once the wheat seedlings took root, they shot up in an instant, bolstered by Gu Xi’s ability.

In just a few minutes, a sea of golden wheat billowed before her...

Zhou Jing pushed up the cold frames of her glasses, subconsciously reaching for the portable Abnormality Detector she always carried, but she quickly stopped herself.

In truth, with her experience, she knew without even testing that the mutation coefficient of this wheat had to be extremely low.

Through the waves of golden wheat, Zhou Jing looked up at the young woman in the distance. ’Some people’s talent is just impossible not to envy.’

Before coming, Zhou Jing thought she had mentally prepared herself enough to face anything calmly.

But now, looking at the sea of golden wheat before her, the envy and jealousy in her heart grew as wildly and instantly as the mutant plants covering the surrounding mountains.

They were both Wood Element users, yet some people could casually grow food with an extremely low mutation coefficient, becoming the center of everyone’s attention and shining brilliantly in the world!

And yet, that very person didn’t seem to care at all, content to hide away in this backwater, living a quiet and leisurely life in her own little corner.

But even so, countless investors still flocked to her one after another, all vying for her favor and a chance to cooperate with her...

While others gave their all, risked their lives, and in the end could only live like rats in a sewer!

Unable to even reveal their own abilities!

How unfair fate was!

How could anyone not be jealous?

Just then, the PUTT-PUTT-PUTT of a farming machine sounded from the side.

Zhou Jing snapped back to her senses and realized Gu Xi had already stopped, planning to hand the scene over to Wei Heng. After all, when it came to operating a machine to harvest wheat, Wei Heng was much more of a professional than she was.

And professional matters should be left to the professionals.

Gu Xi clapped her hands clean, said a quick word to Wei Heng, and prepared to leave.

In the distance, Zhou Jing froze.

She had assumed that after she’d been standing on the sidelines for so long, the other woman would eventually feel compelled to come over and ask her something. She never expected Gu Xi to just glance at her once from beginning to end, and then act as if she didn’t exist.

Zhou Jing: "...!"

Jealousy fueled and magnified the anger of being ignored. Unable to stop herself, she strode forward and called out sharply, "Miss Gu, please wait."

Gu Xi sighed and turned. "Yes?"

’Actually, I am a little curious about why she came today. Surely it can’t be just to see how I plant wheat, right?’

"Miss Gu." Zhou Jing also realized her emotions were getting the better of her. She took a deep breath, walked quickly over to Gu Xi, and suppressed the anger in her heart, trying to calm herself down.

She stood next to Gu Xi, looking at the golden waves of wheat around them, and said with a touch of envy, "Your talent for planting is so outstanding. It’s truly enviable..."

Gu Xi was silent for a moment. "...Thank you?"

Zhou Jing felt as if she’d been choked, an uncomfortable feeling rising in her chest.

She took another deep breath in secret and said, "Miss Gu, are you really content to hole up in a small place like South City for the rest of your life, planting fields in obscurity?"

Gu Xi thought the words sounded tinged with a sharp anger, but she glanced at Zhou Jing and answered honestly, "...Actually, I think being able to farm peacefully is quite nice."

Zhou Jing sneered inwardly. ’That’s because you’ve never seen the prosperity of the Central Base, never seen the kind of life the elites in the top circles live!’

She turned her head to Gu Xi, her tone carrying a hint of temptation. "Your talent is so exceptional. I believe that if you were just given a chance, you could shine before the entire world, becoming the focus of everyone’s admiration and pursuit..."

’Become the focus of everyone’s admiration?’

Gu Xi thought, ’What’s so great about a life like that? It’s not as good as my current life of occasional farming and daily sunbathing.’

’Of course, it would be even better if I didn’t have to write this thesis.’

The thought of her unfinished thesis made Gu Xi fall silent.

Seeing this, Zhou Jing thought she was tempted. She smiled slightly and pressed on, "Miss Gu, there is an opportunity right in front of you now. As long as you’re willing to cooperate with us..."

Zhou Jing promised a mountain of benefits, then used a torrent of tempting words to paint a beautiful picture of the future that awaited Gu Xi if she cooperated with them.

To be honest, Gu Xi was almost tempted.

Unfortunately, a beast of prey, no matter how tame and docile it appears on the outside, can never become someone else’s canary in a cage.

Still, it was hard to refuse such a passionate offer. Since the other woman had said so much, Gu Xi couldn’t just give no response.

Gu Xi offered her sincere thanks and politely declined. "Zhou Jing, thank you for your and your boss’s kind offer, but I quite like my life as it is now and don’t plan on changing anything for the time being."

Hearing this, Zhou Jing was deeply disappointed. At the same time, an indescribable yet more subtle and unbearable anger rose in her heart, along with... humiliation.

She took another deep breath, suppressing her irritation. She looked at Gu Xi with an expression of faint heartache and immense regret, then sighed and said earnestly, "Miss Gu, I urge you to reconsider carefully!"

"I really can’t bear to see such a wonderful talent like yours go to waste... You must understand, at the Central Base, a talent like you could live a life everyone envies..."

"Miss Gu, if you ever change your mind, you can contact us anytime." Finally, Zhou Jing left a contact number and turned to leave.

Gu Xi looked down at the contact number written on the note and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Wei Heng finished harvesting the wheat, jumped nimbly off the farming machine, and walked over to Gu Xi, leaning in to take a look.

"Did Zhou Jing give you that? What were you two talking about just now? I feel like something was off."

"?" Gu Xi looked up, confused.

Wei Heng looked up at Zhou Jing’s retreating back and frowned slightly. "She looked so gloomy, and her expression was kind of scary. And was she silently cursing about something?"

Gu Xi thought for a moment, put the note into her storage space, and said, propping her chin on her hand, "She was probably cursing me for not knowing what’s good for me."

Wei Heng: "..."