The wood crackled with a "crackling" sound under the rising flames.

According to Wei Yang's introduction, this stove room originally used liquefied gas, but shortly after the end of the world broke out, the gas tank was exhausted.

Having nowhere to replenish, Lin Junfu had no choice but to order people to use the leftover construction bricks from the factory to build a makeshift stove. Although this stove didn't look very nice, it was more than enough for boiling water and cooking meals.

Wei Yang diligently fanned with a paper board, and seeing this, Tang Xiaoquan naturally couldn't just stand there stupidly. He quickly showcased his gentleman's manners, took over the paper board, and crouched down to fan like an imitation.

"Cough, cough, cough!" Starting a fire on the stove was far more complicated than imagined. The stifling heat and the thick smoke choking his eyes and nose quickly tormented Tang Xiaoquan as he struggled with the rising flames.

However, concerned with the so-called male pride, he pretended to stay relaxed until the fire was blazing vividly, exchanging the stove's usage rights back to Wei Yang.

Seeing the black smudges left by the smoke on his face, Wei Yang couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh, then teasingly remarked, "Haha, your smoky makeup is quite unique!"

"Hehe~" Scratching his head, utterly embarrassed, Tang Xiaoquan truly didn't know what to say, so he could only use a sheepish grin to cover it up.

Unlike his clumsy attempts, Wei Yang seemed to be a master at using the stove. Whether adding firewood or frying in the hot pan, everything was a hundred times better than Tang Xiaoquan, at least she wasn't tormented by the thick smoke like he was.

First, she poured a little soybean oil and once the pan was hot, Wei Yang quickly took a sealed jar, scraping a small amount of fermented black beans into the pan.

After sauteing a bit, an enticing aroma immediately filled the air, making Tang Xiaoquan salivate just from the smell.

Watching the girl's back as she worked, Tang Xiaoquan felt an inexplicable sensation rising inside him.

For the first time, he felt that the apocalypse didn't seem so terrifying. At least in this moment, he felt an unprecedented warmth.

He had an urge to wrap his arms around the girl's waist from behind, and just at that moment...

"Wasn't your mission this morning... very dangerous?"

"Ah!" Slightly taken aback, lost in thought, Tang Xiaoquan obviously didn't grasp what the girl was talking about.

But this instinctive response was misinterpreted by Wei Yang as something else, so she immediately and tactfully smoothed it over by saying, "Oh, actually nothing, I was just asking casually."

Realizing his gaffe, Tang Xiaoquan quickly composed himself and pretended not to have heard clearly, repeating, "You were asking me if the morning mission was dangerous, right? Honestly, it was quite dangerous!"

"Mm!" Nodding calmly, Wei Yang poured the pre-soaked beef instant noodles into the pan, then stirred with her palm. The rolling hot oil and the noodle's tumbling constantly produced a "sizzle, sizzle" sound.

"Are you scared?" After what seemed like deep contemplation, Wei Yang's long-awaited question once again caught Tang Xiaoquan off guard.

However, for this question, Tang Xiaoquan also seemed to have been prepared long ago. He answered extremely decisively, with no hesitation at all, blurting out his answer:

"Scared!"

A simple word! But the profoundness within was immensely rich.

Wei Yang's body suddenly paused for a moment, and the spatula she was using to stir-fry stopped with the man's calm "scared" word.

But then she effortlessly smiled without showing it and faintly said, "Back when I was in school, our teacher once said that when people face death, the feelings are different; there is bewilderment, fear, indifference, and helplessness. Now it seems fear still dominates."

Tang Xiaoquan didn't quite understand the purpose of the girl's words, but being an avid reader of psychology books, he had a blind obsession with these slightly philosophical topics.

So without much thought, he expressed his opinion: "You can't fully say that; instead, it should have a prefix, the apocalypse! Besides, I believe there are certainly people in this world who dare to face death. Yet, as the saying goes, ignoramuses aren't afraid. Those who don't fear death and face it improperly are certainly ignorant. They're either fools who don't know anything or madmen who fear nothing. As for normal human beings, I personally think that when facing the threat of death, they will inevitably feel fear, and this is nothing to be ashamed of because only when you fear death can you overcome it, defeat it, and become stronger!"

"Mm, fear makes one strong!" Repeating Tang Xiaoquan's words quietly, Wei Yang swiftly shook the wok, sending the flying noodles in the pan spinning through the air, landing back steadily in the iron wok.

"Your perspective is quite refreshing." Speaking while Wei Yang had already placed the stir-fried noodles on a plate, the next second, she playfully took out a small bag as if performing a magic trick.

From the bag, she delicately pinched a few shriveled vegetable leaves and carefully sprinkled them evenly over the hot noodles.

The scorching heat almost instantly caused the dried vegetables to unfold and expand, gradually revealing their original form.

"Wow, you have quite a few tricks up your sleeve!" Watching the girl's various methods, Tang Xiaoquan admired her secretly, also sincerely appreciating her meticulousness and frugality.

"Sigh, I have no choice; everything must be utilized!" Whether fermented black beans or withered veggies, everything was saved bit by bit by Wei Yang.

These inconspicuous little things, if dealt with by boys with a careless attitude, probably would have been tossed in the garbage long ago as rubbish.

"Alright! Fermented black bean fried noodles, limited skills, please Mr. Tang try some!" Offering a hand gesture of invitation, the playful Wei Yang winked at Tang Xiaoquan, instantly making the latter's heart skip a beat.

Without any hesitation, Tang Xiaoquan immediately grabbed chopsticks and quickly shoveled several noodles into his mouth.

The scalding noodles immediately made Tang Xiaoquan's forehead swell once in his mouth, but he still forced himself to endure the pain of the burn and swallowed the noodles in two or three bites while showing an odd smile and repeatedly praising, "Not bad! Not bad! It's delicious!"

Under the moonlight, a man and a woman sat by the wall on the ground.

Tang Xiaoquan enjoyed the delicacy in his hand, while beside him, Wei Yang gazed up at the sky like a little bird leaning.

"The moon is so full tonight! I wonder how Dad is doing over there?"

With a hint of sadness, Wei Yang brushed aside the lock of hair floating by her ear, and a trace of tender nostalgia appeared on her pretty face.

"Rest assured! If Uncle sees your positive and optimistic attitude toward life now, he will surely smile in heaven!"

The gentle breeze passed, and crickets still chirped in the fields; tonight was destined to be a night full of memories.

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