C128 They Were Talking about Love in front of Each Other and Before They Went to Bed They Barged int

Qin Mengli was left speechless by Tang Bing's remarks. It took her a while to find her voice again. "Tang Bing, you're a man. Why be so petty? We've all been through so much, and everyone changes! You've changed so much, I hardly recognize you. Why can't you allow me even a small change? Yes, I did say there was no chance for us! And I know that incident hurt you. I'm sorry, it wasn't what I wanted! The way things turned out wasn't entirely my fault; you share some of the blame too. Tell me, in all the years since college when you pursued me, did I ever lash out at you? If I hadn't been at my wit's end, would I have resorted to such drastic measures to push you away? And I never imagined you'd be foolish enough to spend half a year's salary on a purse for me..."

Tang Bing cut her off, "Let's not dredge up the past. It's over, and I've moved on. There's no need to reopen old wounds."

"I'm not trying to hurt you," Qin Mengli sighed, "I've already apologized for the past. I just want to say that in the five days you were gone, I did a lot of thinking. I recognized my past mistakes, but I know regret won't change anything. We have to look forward, right? Tang Bing, let's put the past behind us. Let's start over, just as classmates..."

"We've always been classmates, what's changed?" Tang Bing said, his tone detached. "If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have gone to your company to rescue someone, nor would I have stuck by you."

Qin Mengli faltered, "That's not what I meant..."

"Then what do you mean?" Tang Bing asked sharply. "Oh! Have you suddenly realized you're in love with me in such a short time? Is that it?"

"I..." Qin Mengli's words failed her.

"You claim Sun Meng had ulterior motives and was just using me. But at least she had the courage to speak her mind for what she wanted!" Tang Bing shook his head as he looked at Qin Mengli. "And you? You're no different from her in your intentions, are you? I'm not naive—I can tell when someone is being sincere. I'm well aware that I'm not the handsome type, more of an average Joe. I'm not tall, far from the tall, rich, and handsome ideal you probably have in mind. I understand that after what you and Sun Meng went through, you might be looking for someone to lean on out of fear. Honestly, that's normal! And for me, it's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, as a man, I won't be the one losing out in the end, will I?"

Qin Mengli hadn't expected him to have such clarity about his feelings, and an awkward flush crept over her face.

"I get where you're coming from," Tang Bing sighed. "If I were in your shoes, desperate to survive, I might compromise myself too. But let's be honest, every time I see you, I'm reminded of how you wanted to kill me for him! The woman I've loved for four years suddenly belongs to another man, and she's even willing to kill for him! Have you ever considered how that makes me feel? Oh, and you think you can just forget about it? Is it really that easy?"

"Let me set one thing straight!" Qin Mengli, feeling humiliated and irritated by Tang Bing's frankness, struggled to maintain her composure. "I never became Zhang Tao's woman! We had just started out, barely holding hands, and you killed him before anything else could happen!"

Tang Bing was taken aback for a moment, then replied icily, "So, you still resent me for killing your boyfriend?"

"Tang Bing, I wish you could approach our situation with a level head!"

"Don't you find it ironic that such words come from someone who tried to kill me?"

"Must you dwell on this?" Qin Mengli bit her lip, her voice tinged with frustration. "I'm sorry! How many times do you want me to apologize? I lost my head in the heat of the moment, but I couldn't go through with it. Despite our past grievances and the years we've known each other, those experiences weren't meaningless! Yes, I'll admit my motives might not be so different from Sun Meng's. With zombies everywhere, what's a woman to do? Staying by your side is the only safety I have. I have to look out for myself! I may not have feelings for you, but surely your feelings for me haven't vanished so easily? Otherwise, you wouldn't have pursued me for four years! At least there's that between us, what does Sun Meng have?"

"Qin Mengli!" Tang Bing felt no joy, only a weight on his heart. "You're anything but calm right now! You're not the Qin Mengli I used to know. As you've said, we've both changed. Sure, people change. Maybe there's no absolute impossibility between us. But given your current state and emotions, I'll be honest—if I had to choose between you and Sun Meng, I would definitely choose her."

Upon hearing those words, Qin Mengli was overwhelmed with a sense of injustice. She stared at Tang Bing for a long moment before abruptly turning and dashing down the stairs, quickly disappearing from sight. The sound of her footsteps suggested she was heading to her room on the second floor.

Ah, who could have imagined that he would one day find himself in such a conversation with Qin Mengli? Tang Bing gazed at the vacant staircase, his emotions a tangled mess.

Before dinner, he had managed to fit light bulbs in every room and hallway of the house, and even the walls near the farmland outside were now adorned with lights. Installing electrical appliances systematically turned out to be incredibly straightforward. Complicated steps and specialized electrician knowledge were rendered obsolete! Tang Bing simply ran the wires, set up switches and bulbs, connected outlets, and with a quick clamp of his electrician's pliers, the connections were perfectly made, as easy as playing a game.

By the time they finished dinner, darkness had enveloped the outdoors. Inside, however, the house was aglow with electric light, every nook and cranny as bright as day, casting a comforting sense of security throughout the space.

The addition of a dining table and chairs in the center of the hall meant that everyone could gather around for a meal under the warm light, evoking a nostalgic feeling of the pre-apocalyptic days.

The mood was light and cheerful among the group, with the exception of Tang Bing and Qin Mengli. After retreating to her room, Qin Mengli must have succumbed to her feelings and cried. Despite her makeup, the puffiness around her eyes betrayed her emotional state.

The rest of the team, unaware of the earlier incident, consciously chose to feign ignorance. Only Sun Meng appeared to be in a notably better mood. Now at odds with Qin Mengli, one's distress was the other's delight.

The presence of light brought life to their conversations as they dined, quickly lifting spirits. The introduction of the generator had truly invigorated the team, erasing the day's struggles and toils.

Post-dinner, Liang Hui was quick to grab her charging phone and dive into a single-player game, completely disregarding her mother's scolding. Zhao Dagang, eager to smooth things over and avoid further upset, promptly joined her to discuss the game, using the shared interest as a bridge to reconnect.

Lin Leyan and Sun Meng finished their meal, gathered the dishes, and headed to the kitchen to wash up.

Meanwhile, Qin Mengli, perhaps still troubled by her earlier exchange with Tang Bing, couldn't shake off her feelings of injustice and quietly made her way back upstairs.

The incident with Mengli left Tang Bing feeling somewhat irked. After the meal, he stepped out of the house and walked over to the nearby farmland.

The coffee he had planted that morning had grown significantly, especially the plant that had been fertilized—it stood out impressively.

The farmland was proving its worth, clearly destined to be a major food source in the future.

Standing at the edge of the farmland, Tang Bing pondered his next steps. His current supplies included plenty of rice, so there was no immediate need to plant more. Wheat wasn't urgent either, and he had a good stock of vegetables and fruits. After some thought, he decided to focus on planting crops that were both long-lasting and tasty.

He spent time scattering seeds around the house and meticulously applied fertilizer to each one. By the time he finished, it was quite late.

Despite the exhaustion, the sight of the lush vegetables and fruits growing in the yard lifted his spirits.

Back at the house, everyone had already retired to their rooms for the night.

Tang Bing went from door to door, checking if anyone still needed power. Once he confirmed that everyone was settling down for the night, he shut off the generator to conserve gasoline.

Using his flashlight to navigate, he made his way back to his room. Worn out from the day's labor, he was just about to undress for bed when he heard a knock at the door.

"Who's there?" he called out, puzzled. Opening the door, he shone his flashlight and saw Sun Meng clutching a pillow, looking up at him with a forlorn expression.

He took in her appearance: she was clad in fluffy pink pajamas, her hair casually tied back with a rubber band, her face wearing a pleading look. Without hesitation, she stepped into the room. "Bing, I can't sleep! Can we talk for a bit?"

"This late? There's nothing to talk about. You should head back to bed," Tang Bing responded, thinking to himself, 'Is this really necessary?' He was patient for now, but if Sun Meng continued to be so forward, even knowing her intentions, he might eventually lose his composure. After all, it's tough for a man to resist the allure of a woman, especially one as adorable as Sun Meng.

Not to mention, he's a bachelor with no strings attached. It's quite remarkable that he's managed to hold out this long on sheer willpower alone!

What he truly longed for was a mutual love, not this scenario where they came to him out of need, offering themselves without any real emotion, just seeking protection.

If Sun Meng genuinely fell for him, he'd probably embrace it without a second thought! It is the apocalypse, after all, with the constant threat of life and death. At the very least, shedding his "single dog" status wouldn't be too bad, right?

But the vibes he got from her and Qin Mengli were tough for him to come to terms with.