Chapter 12 Request_1

"Yes, I'm planning on going out to find some food in a couple of days. I need to get in shape these next few days."

Li Ming dared not look at the woman's body for long, replied briefly, and returned to his room, gun in hand, thinking to himself that they still had food.

Zhang Yuan brushed past him outside his room.

Now that it was time for his workout, Li Ming returned home as usual and began stretching his muscles, drinking water, and resting.

By the time he went into the kitchen to cook with green peppers and eggs, Zhang Yuan had already cooked a plate of shredded potatoes.

"You're cooking too?"

As she finished cooking the last two potatoes, Zhang Yuan's face was filled with worry. Seeing Li Ming enter the kitchen with green pepper and eggs, she couldn't help but speak up.

"Yes, it's time for lunch, I've just rinsed the rice."

Li Ming responded with a smile as he began washing the green peppers. Sighing, Zhang Yuan said from behind him: "These are the last two potatoes in the house, I don't know when help will arrive."

"It should be soon."

With a smile, Li Ming responded. Zhang Yuan glanced at the fried shredded potato and pursed her lips, "I'll go eat first then. If I don't have anything to eat tomorrow, I'll have to come ask for your help."

"Ah, we'll see about that tomorrow."

Puzzled, Li Ming responded with a dry laugh. Confused, Zhang Yuan quietly ate her potatoes and left.

Li Ming didn't say anything, but the woman's scent was stirring something within him. He washed his green peppers faster, pushing back his stray thoughts and began cooking.

After lunch, he would need to resume his training.

......

......

......

"Whew~"

At noon, Li Ming laid down on his bed, his heart pounding. His agitation was hard to suppress.

Zhang Yuan's image kept flashing in his mind....

Rolling over, Li Ming forced himself to rest.

He had a strange feeling. An opportunity, perhaps, was imminent.

"I'm such a beast."

Li Ming cursed himself.

After toying with these thoughts for a while, he finally sighed.

"Never mind, let it be.

As a healthy man if he plotted in his heart about such things, that would be too twisted.."

He shouldn't need to change his values, scheming for such trivial matters over a married woman.

As for Zhang Yuan...

Let fate decide...

After various thoughts tumbled through his mind, Li Ming finally drifted into sleep.

In the blistering heat, after a half-hour nap, Li Ming woke up feeling refreshed.

The desires that churned within him before sleep had all vanished. He breathed a sigh of relief and, just like in the morning, picked up his long sword and lance to begin his training in the sitting room.

Block, hold, thrust!

Each move was executed with heart and strength.

He trained until four in the afternoon.

Blocking (Beginner level 0%)

Holding (Beginner level 0%)

Li Ming practiced the blocking and holding moves in succession, according to the information that emerged in his mind, of course, he was more agile this time.

With satisfaction, Li Ming continued his training without a pause.

He continued until ten o'clock at night.

Thrusting (Proficiency in the Heart 0%)

Thrusting has advanced once again!

"So, the key to thrusting a spear is in the hips."

Li Ming had a moment of realization. He held the spear, trying to understand the feeling of using his hips, but his fatigue overwhelmed him. Without the energy to experiment further, he decided to rest. After drinking salt water to replenish his fluids, he began to stretch his muscles while preparing dinner.

"As I grow stronger, my training progress speeds up significantly."

[Spear Technique - Blocking (Introductory Level 45%) Handling (Introductory Level 45%) Thrusting (Proficient Level 0%)]

While eating, Li Ming glanced at his progress chart. Satisfied with his improvement, he quickly finished his meal. As usual, he prepared powdered milk and went to take a bath in the washroom.

After he finished bathing, he subconsciously looked towards Zhang Yuan's house and smelled the aroma of cooked rice. It dawned on him that they must have reheated their leftover food in their bedroom.

Li Ming shook his head, suppressing the thoughts that suddenly sprang into his mind before returning to his room to sleep.

"They will run out of food by tomorrow, won't they?"

A sense of desire rose in Li Ming's heart, but he quickly suppressed it, sinking into slumber.

......….

The eighth day since the apocalypse began.

The sun rose as usual. Li Ming woke up early, ate two eggs, and had leftover rice and dishes for breakfast. Afterward, he continued his spear practice in the living room.

In the face of the apocalypse, martial arts are the cornerstone of survival!

During his training, his spear techniques kept improving. He finished training in the late morning with a sigh of relief.

Blocking (Proficient Level 0%)

Handling (Proficient Level 0%)

Thrusting (Proficient Level 45%)

The way he blocked and handled the spear had advanced, and his thrusting skills had improved significantly!

After drinking some salt water, Li Ming began to stretch.

"Phew~"

...

After spending eight days without leaving their bedroom, Peng Zhi's and Zhang Yuan's sleep schedule had been completely disrupted. They didn't fall asleep until five in the morning and didn't wake up until eleven the next day.

After freshening up, the couple had to face a problem.

"We only have this half-apportionment of rice left. We've run out of vegetables, and we have nothing left to eat at home. What should we do?"

Zhang Yuan put the last bit of rice in a small bowl and placed it on the table, asking her husband for suggestions.

Peng Zhi rubbed his stomach. His erratic sleep schedule had left him drained, yet he still felt hungry. After pondering for a while, his eyes lit up with an idea "Let's ask Li Ming for help. He still has food!"

"After so many days, how much food could he have left? Would he really lend us any?"

Zhang Yuan pursed her lips, unsure of their chances.

"Don't ask for food directly. He exercises every day and he has to cook for himself. There's bound to be leftovers. Tell him you'll cook for him, and after each meal, he'll give you the leftovers."

Peng Zhi's eyes sparkled at his own idea: "Tell him we're out of food. When you cook for him, make a little extra, enough for us to eat. It's the apocalypse; we should help each other out. Besides, when the rescue team arrives, we'll repay him double what we ate."

Peng Zhi seemed confident about his plan. Zhang Yuan, looking at their barren kitchen, hesitated: "Can we really do that? We eat…"

"Oh just go for it. You're going to help him save his time from cooking and won't be interrupting his training. If necessary, you could go over there and give him massages to relax his muscles after his training. We are not asking him to lend us food without returning the favor."

Before she could finish her sentence, Peng Zhi cut her off and started to push her: "Quickly, go see him before he starts eating, or we'll lose our chance."

Seeing her husband so eager, Zhang Yuan finally relented and headed for Li Ming's house, where nothing but the faint scent of his sweat remained. Upon reaching Li Ming's door, she saw him sitting on a chair drinking water.

Zhang Yuan sighed in relief, then with her lips slightly pursed, she entered the room.

At home, Peng Zhi watched his wife enter Li Ming's house. He closed the door and lay on the bed to rest, with the eager hope that his wife would soon return with something to eat.

......….

In his bedroom, Li Ming, just finished with his exercises, was about to freshen up, clean up his sweat, and prepare lunch when he heard soft footsteps. Turning his head, he saw Zhang Yuan wearing shorts and sandals, entering his room.

"Li Ming, can I discuss something with you?"

Li Ming paused in his drinking, his eyes on the woman before him. He seemed to sense a unique perfume from her. Swallowing the water in his mouth, he asked quietly, "What is it?"

"I'm a little tired, so I won't stand."

Li Ming gestured to a stool, and said with a smile.

Eight consecutive days of poor diet and sleep deprivation had left Zhang Yuan drained. She had no intention of standing, so she sat down upon hearing Li Ming's invitation. She then bit her lip, repeating the plan that her husband had suggested to her.