From Apocalypse Boss to Farmer: My Vegetables Make Me Stronger!-Chapter 77 - 71: The Same, Part 2

After a long moment, he suddenly spoke. "Gu Xiaoxi, have you ever considered that if—and I’m just saying if—that glass of wine back then was really a conspiracy, then who do you think was the one hiding in the shadows, plotting against you?"

Gu Xi slowly shook her head.

That person was hidden too deeply. Even now, she still couldn’t be sure who it was.

Lu Chenyuan, however, had his own suspicion.

It wasn’t like he had done nothing for the past thirty years. He had managed to dig up a few things...

But that person... had grown up with Gu Xi, and had once been her most trusted friend. Without conclusive evidence, Gu Xi would never believe it.

He couldn’t sow discord between close friends.

And as luck would have it, none of the information he’d found was enough to incriminate that person.

Lu Chenyuan thought for a moment, but decided not to bring it up. Instead, he said, "I’ve looked into it. This experimental farm in South City is nominally a joint project between the South City base and the military, but the Central Base has also gotten involved..."

"Gu Xiaoxi." He turned to look at her. "There are a lot of people watching you right now."

"I know." Gu Xi nodded.

The people watching her now fell into one of two categories.

One was the very small number of people who truly knew her identity.

They were watching her in secret, coveting her ability—or even her Mutant Crystal Core.

These people wanted to obtain immense power from her, to unlock the secret of breaking through to the Divine Rank, and perhaps even achieve immortality.

The other group, however, probably had no idea who she was. They were only interested in the talent for cultivation that she had deliberately displayed.

Compared to the madly ambitious ones, these people merely wanted a steady supply of food with a lower mutation factor. They were hardly a threat.

If Gu Xi wanted to, she could easily work with these people.

She could even use their greed to turn them against the true fanatics.

After all, greed was a powerful motivator.

If the rewards she offered were great enough, even an army of ants could take down an elephant.

However, even though Gu Xi had laid the groundwork for this strategy from the beginning by deliberately showcasing her value, she wasn’t ready to act on it just yet.

"When are you heading back?" Gu Xi glanced at Lu Chenyuan, casually pulling a nearby rose toward her and sniffing it faintly.

"I have to leave by tomorrow morning at the latest." Lu Chenyuan’s gaze was fixed on the young woman smelling the rose. "My orders are to go to the Heng Mountain frontlines to inspect the performance of new weaponry..."

For years, he had lived a secluded life, deliberately keeping a low profile. But in truth, there were just as many eyes on him.

He had only managed to squeeze out a single day to detour and see Gu Xi by using Lu Shiliu as a cover. Of course, Shen Yue had lent a hand in that as well.

Gu Xi nodded after hearing his explanation. "When you get to the Heng Mountain frontlines, I need you to do something for me... As for the Southwest, I’ll go there myself..."

Lu Chenyuan frowned slightly. Just as he was about to speak, Gu Xi looked up at him and said seriously, "Lu Chenyuan. I have a compelling reason to go."

The special mark that had appeared in City A—one she suspected she herself had left—made Gu Xi believe she might have lost some of her memories.

That’s why she wanted to go to the Southwest herself. If she could find that secret laboratory, perhaps returning to a familiar place would jog her memory.

Of course, the trip was also intended to flush out her hidden enemies.

But most importantly—only by going herself could she convince the person in the shadows that she was truly panicking after seeing her own Crystal Core Fragment reappear.

The little green sprout seemed to sense her mood. It emerged silently and twirled obediently around her fingertip.

Gu Xi lowered her gaze and gently flicked the two tender leaves at its tip.

’Ever since I woke up this time, I’ve noticed that my precious sprout’s devouring ability has evolved again!’

Gu Xi knew she couldn’t let anyone find out, or she would never have another day of peace.

Therefore, she had to divert the attention of everyone in the know toward those Crystal Core Fragments.

’I have to make them believe that the only reason I have this power, the only reason my abilities recovered so quickly, is because I devoured my own Crystal Core Fragments!’

And as it happened, the incident at the South City Restaurant had given her the perfect opportunity.

The timing, the location, the people—everything was perfectly aligned. It would be foolish for Gu Xi not to take advantage of it.

Of course, Gu Xi understood what Lu Chenyuan was worried about.

’But when was going on a mission ever not dangerous?’

Lu Chenyuan watched her in silence.

After a long moment, he looked away, his gaze turning toward the sky.

Time ticked by.

Neither of them spoke.

The sky gradually darkened until the last trace of twilight in the west vanished below the horizon.

"Gu Xiaoxi." The moment darkness enveloped them, Lu Chenyuan turned to the young woman beside him. "Do you really have to go?"

Gu Xi gazed up at the night sky. "Lu Chenyuan, do you remember the night before I left for the last expedition? Back then..."

"I remember." Lu Chenyuan lowered his gaze, as taciturn as ever, but a flicker of nostalgia crossed his eyes.

’That night... it was his most treasured memory. How could he possibly forget?’

After a long moment, Lu Chenyuan looked at Gu Xi and said seriously, "But Gu Xiaoxi, this is different."

"On the last expedition, you were facing the Zombie Emperor. You had all of humanity, the support of the entire base, standing behind you."

But this time...

"It’s the same." Gu Xi suddenly turned to look at him, her expression serious.

"Lu Chenyuan, look over there." Gu Xi’s gaze passed over him, landing on a spot not far behind him.

At some point, a bonfire had been lit in the courtyard.

A few of the young women were gathered around it, whispering and studying something.

Qin Yi had even turned on her personal terminal. The enlarged Light Screen, set against the flickering fire, cast a warm glow.

Not far away, by the grill, Wei Heng was already cooking chicken wings. The faint aroma of sizzling fat mixed with the fresh scent of fruits and vegetables, whetting the appetite and soothing the soul.

Shen Yue stood lazily between the grill and the bonfire, one moment leaning toward the young women to offer a few suggestions, the next turning to stare at the chicken wings Wei Heng was grilling...

But he was quickly shooed away by both groups and pushed over to Lu Shiliu to keep Da Hong company.

The world below was full of boisterous life, and the night sky above was anything but lonely.

At some point, a bright, clear moon had appeared, half-hidden among the clouds. Its light spilled across the land like silver frost, yet it felt anything but cold.

It was all just like that year.

The bright moon hung high, the firelight was warm, and from not far away came the faint, joyful laughter of their friends.

It was as if... they had returned to that year, the night before the last expedition.

For a moment, Lu Chenyuan was in a daze.

Just then, under the moonlight, the young woman who loved pomegranates turned back to look at him.

"See, Lu Chenyuan? It’s the same."

’People say things change, but some things... some things never do.’

’Because all of you are still right here by my side.’