After finishing dinner, the newly arrived police cadet, Zhang Jingyu, picked out a vacant room on the first floor to settle in.
Liu Yang returned to his own quarters.
After taking a hot shower, he lay back on his bed and picked up his dark, sleek katana, admiring it endlessly.
With his physical baseline vastly enhanced, his close-quarters combat capabilities had skyrocketed. He had been lacking a solid melee weapon; who would have thought that a passing thought yesterday would yield such a masterwork today?
His luck was truly top-tier.
Reaching into Dark Space, he pulled out a clean towel and meticulously wiped down the high-grade weapon.
The pitch-black steel gleamed with a dense, lethal weight, radiating faint ripples of frigid light.
Its straight, uncompromising silhouette oozed sharpness and resilience.
It felt as though it could pierce through anything in its path.
Even after cleaving through hundreds of zombies and over a dozen survivors today, the edge remained pristine-sharp enough to sever a hair floating on the breeze.
Liu Yang stared at it, his eyes filled with fondness.
A master once said: treat your weapon like your lover.
Because a weapon will likely stand by you far longer than any lover-and while a lover drains your energy, a weapon saves your life.
Just as Liu Yang was happily polishing the blade, a knock sounded at the door.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Hearing the sound, Liu Yang calmly stowed the katana away.
He had admired his blade enough; it was time to unsheathe his real weapon.
Who could be knocking at this hour?
Hopefully the lovely police cadet, Zhang Jingyu.
Licking his lips in anticipation, Liu Yang called out, "Come in!"
The door opened.
Sure enough, it was Zhang Jingyu.
She had just showered, her long, silky black hair still slightly damp, falling effortlessly over her smooth, alabaster shoulders.
Her legs were long, pale, and slender, complementing an hourglass figure that drew the eye instantly.
Noticing Liu Yang's smirk, Zhang Jingyu's face flushed bright red. She stammered nervously, "Um... I... I came to thank you for saving me today."
"I know, I know. Come on, get up on the bed. Let's have a good talk-about the future, about our dreams, about branching out and spreading our roots..." Liu Yang grinned mischievously.
He had originally expected Su Xiao, Tang Mengting, He Yushi, or Zhao Lina.
He hadn't expected Zhang Jingyu to come around on her very first day without him even dropping a hint.
Excellent!
Very teachable!
"Branching out... and spreading roots?" Zhang Jingyu asked, bewildered. The moment the euphemism clicked, her delicate face burned even hotter. "I... I thought... we were just ordinary friends. I only came to give a verbal thanks... Jumping straight into spreading roots, isn't that... a bit too fast?"
"Forget 'friends.' Your brother entrusted you to me. How could I bear to keep you as just a friend? At the very least, you should be my girlfriend!"
"Of course, if you want to give me a 'verbal' thanks first, I don't mind. We can move on to spreading roots right after!"
Liu Yang reached out and pulled Zhang Jingyu straight into his arms.
"Mmm~♡" Zhang Jingyu let out a soft, bashful whimper.
Feeling her radiant warmth and the gentle tremble of her soft body, Liu Yang felt his own blood run hot.
What was so good about being just friends?
As the saying goes: a friend lends a hand, but a girlfriend lends a hand and a whole lot more!
If they were going to be anything, it had to be official!
Seeing how tense Zhang Jingyu was, Liu Yang smiled and caressed her delicate cheek, easing her nerves.
"I... I've never had a boyfriend before... so I might be a bit... nervous. I might not be very good at it..." Zhang Jingyu admitted shyly.
At this point, her body had gone completely soft, her face flushed with heat. Stripped of all strength, she lay like liquid in his arms, entirely at his mercy.
"Don't worry, I'll teach you. Teaching is my specialty," Liu Yang smirked confidently.
He pulled Zhang Jingyu down onto the bed with him.
Watching this goddess-someone ordinary men could only dream about-exerting herself to please him gave him an unprecedented rush of gratification.
Unable to hold back any longer, Liu Yang claimed her then and there.
Overwhelmed by his strength, Zhang Jingyu bit her lower lip, tears welling in her eyes as her hands involuntarily clutched the bedsheets.
Before long, sweet, delicate groans echoed from the room.
Zhang Jingyu experienced sensations and pleasure she had never known in her entire life.
......
Outside the door.
When Zhang Jingyu had entered Liu Yang's room, Su Xiao, Tang Mengting, Chen Dan, and Zhao Yuting were all gathered in the corridor. Hearing the unmistakable sounds filtering through the door, the women began whispering among themselves again.
"She really went in!"
"And here I thought she was so innocent."
"Gosh! It's barely been a few minutes and she's already crying for mercy! Is she acting or what?"
"Listen to yourself! Which girl who enters Liu Yang's room doesn't end up like that? Don't you know how monstrous he is?"
"And did you hear what he said inside? Liu Yang asked her to be his girlfriend! Oh my god! There are so many of us here, but who has he ever publicly claimed? Only Zhang Jingyu made the cut! And Liu Yang was the one who brought it up!"
"Right? My god! He's treating Zhang Jingyu way too well!"
"We need to make sure we're on her good side from now on!"
"She's clearly his absolute favorite right now!"
......
Listening to the chatter, Tang Mengting's expression turned thoroughly bitter.
She was the one who desperately wanted to be recognized as Liu Yang's girlfriend. Time and again, she had tried to assert herself in that role, only to get humiliated every single time.
Liu Yang had never given her a sweet look.
Yet this Zhang Jingyu, on her very first day, had Liu Yang actively pursuing her as his girlfriend!
This was a level of favor none of the other women had ever received!
Before, Tang Mengting saw He Yushi, Zhao Lina, and Zhao Yuting as potential rivals. Now she realized her true threat was this newcomer!
And this rival possessed a position nearly impossible to shake!
A sense of crisis gnawed at every woman present, mixed with intense envy.
The long-legged teacher, Zhao Yuting, however, wasn't thinking about status or rivalries.
She didn't care who held higher standing or who monopolized Liu Yang's affection.
She only cared about when a dry, gasping fish like herself would finally get a taste of the deep ocean.
Her mind was consumed with wild fantasies.
Her body burned with intense heat, as if tens of thousands of ants were crawling over her skin, making her sit and stand in restless agony. She slumped heavily against the door.
Her body felt utterly limp, her breathing turning fast and shallow.
She fantasized that the person inside the room wasn't Zhang Jingyu, but herself.
"Mmm~♡" Lost in her thoughts, Zhao Yuting accidentally let out a soft moan.
Su Xiao turned to her, asking with concern, "Oh, Yuting, what's wrong? Why is your face so flushed? Are you feeling sick? Do you have a fever?"
"Ah... no, no, sorry! I just need to rest a bit!" Zhao Yuting stammered before hastily fleeing back to her room, slamming the door shut.
Inside her room, Zhao Yuting's breath hitched, her face burning hot.
She clutched her chest, muttering frantically, "What do I do? What do I do?! What is wrong with me? If this goes on... I'm going to... going to lose my mind! ♡"
......
Su Xiao and the rest watched Zhao Yuting's panicked retreat with bewildered expressions.
"What's up with Teacher Zhao? She seems totally out of it."
"She must be feeling miserable. Originally, she was the one getting the most favor. But then Zhao Lina arrived, and now Zhang Jingyu... All her spotlight was snatched in an instant. I'd be upset too."
"Exactly! If I were Teacher Zhao, I'd be grinding my teeth to dust right now!"
"Look at how heartbroken she was just now-shaking all over, breathing heavily, leaning weakly against the door. She was clearly fuming inside."
"Well, we haven't enjoyed Liu Yang's favor as much as she has, so we can't fully understand her frustration. But putting myself in her shoes, I'd be furious too!"
"Yeah! Should we go comfort her later?"
Hearing the girls' discussion, Su Xiao shook her head. "Let's give her time to work through it herself. Liu Yang is bound to bring back more beauties in the future. If her mindset is this fragile, she won't survive this long-term."
"True, true," the women agreed, nodding among themselves.