Over an hour ter, Lin Tao sluggishly descended the stairs, looking somewhat drained. But who could bme him? Zhang Hong, that enchantress, had unleashed every trick she knew—and even those she didn’t—on him. If not for his considerable self-control, he might have gone for a third round. Just thinking about Zhang Hong’s unsatisfied, almost resentful expression made Lin Tao’s legs tremble involuntarily.

  As he entered the lobby, he saw two women sitting there, both staring at him with complicated expressions. Feeling a little guilty, he chuckled awkwardly and said, “Uh… You two should go get some rest. I’ll take care of things here.”

  “That vixen Zhang Hong is so inconsiderate! She knew you had night duty, yet she still went out of her way to seduce you. If she exhausts you, I’d like to see how she expins herself!” Cao Mei walked over, her face filled with discontent. Biting her lip, she added, “Lin Ye, you should go upstairs and rest. Bai Ru and I can manage for a little longer.”

  “She’s right, Lin Ye. Go upstairs and sleep. Once we find a car tomorrow, Cao Mei and I can sleep in shifts while on the road,” Bai Ru chimed in, gun in hand.

  “Uh… Haha… Wait, how do you two even know about that?” Lin Tao scratched his head in embarrassment.

  “This pce is dead silent, and that vixen was practically screaming the roof down. How could we not hear?” Cao Mei gritted her teeth, looking visibly jealous.

  Zhang Hong’s moans had been so loud that even she couldn’t suppress them. It was likely the whole building—and possibly even the zombies outside—had heard her. Feeling guilty, Lin Tao cleared his throat to mask his discomfort and said, “It’s no big deal. Back in the day, I used to go three days and nights without sleep. Now, hurry up and get to bed. Women who don’t get enough rest age faster, you know!”

  With that, he pushed the two women toward the stairs. Only when their figures disappeared from sight did Lin Tao let out a deep breath, shaking his head. “Guess the saying is true—what’s done in the dark will always come to light. Damn, this pce has awful soundproofing!”

  Switching on his fshlight, Lin Tao rummaged behind the bar and found a few vacuum-sealed packs of peanuts. Not bothering to check if they were expired, he simply ensured the packaging was intact before plopping down on a chair, tearing open the pack, and leisurely shelling the peanuts. Yet, his mind kept drifting back to Zhang Hong and their heated encounter. He had to admit, when a married woman let loose, even he found it hard to keep up. But as a man, he wasn’t going to be hypocritical—he had thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, it was downright addictive.

  Gradually, Zhang Hong’s alluring figure faded from his thoughts. Lin Tao continued eating, his eyes occasionally gncing out the window to monitor the surroundings. After about half an hour, everything remained eerily quiet. Apart from the occasional howling wind sweeping through the deserted streets, not even a single wandering zombie was in sight.

  The peanut shells piled up at his feet, and soon, his mouth felt dry. Just as he was about to get up and look for some water, he heard light footsteps approaching from the stairs. Bai Ru walked down, thoughtfully carrying two cups of tea. But more than that, she had changed her outfit—now wearing an oversized white T-shirt that barely covered her hips. Just like Zhang Hong earlier, she wasn’t wearing anything underneath except for a barely visible white thong. Her fair, slender legs were perfectly proportioned, and her delicate toes peeked through a pair of red flip-flops. The sight made Lin Tao’s vision blur for a moment.

  “Haha, talk about a lifesaver! These peanuts had my mouth dry as hell,” Lin Tao said, grinning as he accepted the tea. Trying his best to avoid looking at Bai Ru’s tempting legs, he asked curiously, “Why aren’t you asleep?”

  “Bad habit from filming. I’ve always had short sleep cycles. Besides, so much happened today—I need some time to process it all. I couldn’t sleep, so I found an alcohol stove, boiled some water, and made tea,” Bai Ru said as she quietly sat beside him.

  She didn’t speak again, and Lin Tao remained silent as well. The quiet companionship stretched between them until he finally took out a cigarette. At that moment, Bai Ru reached out and said, “Can I have one?”

  “You smoke?” Lin Tao asked in surprise, handing her a cigarette before pulling out another for himself.

  “What’s so strange about that? Even Cao Mei smokes,” Bai Ru said as she lit the cigarette with Lin Tao’s lighter. Taking a puff, she immediately coughed several times before waving her hand. “Ugh, it’s been too long—I’m out of practice.”

  “Well, if that’s the case, maybe it’s best you quit. Smoking isn’t exactly a healthy habit,” Lin Tao said, exhaling a puff of smoke with a smile.

  “Then why do you smoke?” Bai Ru asked, extinguishing her cigarette after just one puff.

  “Just a habit. If I don’t have something in my hands when I’m idle, I feel off,” Lin Tao shrugged.

  “I once asked a man the same question. His answer was that he loved the sight of smoke slowly rising in front of him. He said it made him feel like his soul was ascending,” Bai Ru mused.

  “Your boyfriend said that?” Lin Tao raised an eyebrow.

  “No, my father,” Bai Ru replied with a small smile.

  “Oh? Then your dad must be an artist or something. That sounds pretty poetic,” Lin Tao remarked.

  “Wrong guess. My dad was just an ordinary teacher. But he always said his biggest regret in life was not becoming a wandering poet, traveling the world,” Bai Ru said with a chuckle, shaking her head.

  “Oh? That’s actually pretty simir to one of my old dreams,” Lin Tao said with a grin.

  “What, you wanted to be an artist too? Doesn’t really suit your image,” Bai Ru teased.

  “Not an artist, no. But as a kid, I envied people who traveled all the time. I used to dream that even if I had no money, I’d still travel the world—begging if I had to. In a way, it’s not too different from your father’s dream of wandering the world,” Lin Tao chuckled.

  “Enough about my father. Let’s talk about you. We’ve known each other for days now, but we know almost nothing about you. I have a feeling you’ve got quite the story to tell,” Bai Ru said, turning to face him, her delicate features filled with curiosity.

  “Me? There’s nothing interesting about my past. You should talk about yourself instead. Celebrity gossip is what people actually love to hear,” Lin Tao deflected, his gaze inadvertently drifting back to Bai Ru’s long legs and the teasing glimpse of white fabric beneath her shirt. She was quite... well-proportioned.

  “Celebrity? Ha…” Bai Ru let out a bitter ugh before shaking her head. “I’ve never thought celebrities were any different from ordinary people. We just get more attention. Two tits, one mouth—same as everyone else.”

  Lin Tao blinked in surprise at her bluntness, momentarily speechless. That kind of nguage was hardly befitting the elegant image of a celebrity.

  “Surprised?” Bai Ru smirked and shifted, causing her oversized shirt to lift slightly, revealing more of the white fabric beneath. She winked at him and said, “Shocking, isn’t it? But in reality, celebrities just wear a mask of refinement. Behind closed doors, the filth and depravity in our industry are no less than anywhere else.”