Wu Yijun, Shangguan Bing Xue, and probably everyone inside the hall believed that Lili was in love with Bai Zemin or, at the very least, incredibly attracted to him.
Those who knew the story were really curious since the way Bai Zemin and Lili had met in the past had not been dramatic in any way but strangely they became closer than anyone else in a matter of hours.
On the other hand, Bai Zemin believed that Lilith's words came from the fact that she needed his help. Not at this moment, as he was still weak; but in the future. As for love... Honestly, Bai Zemin never thought about it.
In his eyes, Lilith was his benefactor in every sense of the word. She was a noble and exalted existence. He was sure that even among the Higher Existences not many women could compare to her; Lilith herself had confirmed it once in the past and Bai Zemin did not feel that she was lying.
So how could a being like her, who had never fallen in love and had never allowed a man to touch her, fall in love with someone who was not only infinitely weaker to myriads of men who were also infinitely more handsome than him? Bai Zemin was proud, but he was not a blindly arrogant person.
What did he have to offer her to believe that she loved him? The answer was so simple that it didn't even take much thought.
From Bai Zemin's point of view, every time Lilith joked with him and playfully teased him, it was nothing more than fun to lighten the heavy mood that hung in the chaotic world.
Everyone could judge or assume different things for themselves. As for how everything really was, only Lilith herself knew.
After a slight silence where Lilith was receiving different kinds of looks, a small sigh was heard that attracted everyone's attention again.
Everyone's eyes focused on the beautiful Wu Yijun, who seemed to have made up her mind what to do next.
Her eyes met the two black eyes of the young man sitting in the chair at the head of the large mahogany wooden table and thousands of thoughts were going through her mind at the same time. But perhaps, the most dominant thought was the one that somehow helped her to make a decision.
Somehow, Wu Yijun felt that entering the heart of Bai Zemin would probably be more difficult than reaching level 50 and evolving to Second Order. The amount of effort needed to achieve such a thing was so great that she could not even imagine it.
All her advances so far were practically fruitless and except for slight smiles on his part, she received nothing in return. In fact, now that she was observing more carefully she realized that while Bai Zemin and Lili might seem incredibly close and often joked between them, a kind of invisible barrier seemed to separate them.
Wu Yijun felt that this invisible barrier had been erected by Bai Zemin himself. Although there was currently a slight friendly smile on his face, his eyes that were as dark as the starless, moonless sky did not reflect the slightest emotion. His gaze was as cold as Shangguan Bing Xue's, but at the same time it was different.
While Shangguan Bing Xue's cold gaze represented rejection and made everyone unconsciously turn away from her; Bai Zemin's cold gaze seemed to represent wariness, distrust, and even overcaution.
What happened to him in the past? Why didn't he let anyone into his heart? Why when she or any other woman showed any kind of interest in him, he didn't take it seriously and just smiled as if he thought it was a joke? What kind of experiences did he have?
Dozens and dozens of similar questions popped into Wu Yijun's mind one after another. The more she thought about it, for some reason the more her heart ached and the more curious she became.
If only I had known him earlier. She thought to herself.
But... If I had met him before the world changed, would I have seen him the same way? She realized that if the world were not as it was today, she may not have appreciated Bai Zemin in the same way she did today.
But if one thought about it carefully, such a thing was quite normal. After all, people surrounded themselves with those close to them for common purposes: doctors with doctors, thieves with thieves, businessmen with businessmen, rich with rich, poor with poor, and etc.
A person who came from an average family, whose qualifications were average, and whose appearance was average, could never join into the circle of a person who came from a high-class family, whose qualifications were excellent, and whose appearance was incredibly beautiful.
This was reality, not a fairy tale or a fantasy where such things often happened.
But, things are different now. I just have to try harder. Show him that he is not as alone as he thinks he is. Wu Yijun lifted her spirits and finally, the dark cloud hovering over her head broke up completely.
The present her could help him in many ways. She was an incredibly intelligent woman, her mind was filled with ideas, and although she was not the most powerful, her strength was unquestionable. Besides... I am beautiful. Wu Yijun thought and smiled with new confidence.
She firmly believed that even a heart made of stone would eventually give way in the end!
"Mm?"
Perhaps sensing the change in her attitude and seeing her smile brimming with confidence, Bai Zemin blinked a couple of times as if wondering what was going on.
"I will join you." She declared without further ado, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
"Yijun, you..." Chen He was the most astonished of all.
The Chen family Chen He belonged to had its roots firmly planted in the field of military. His father was a Regimental Commander of Colonel rank who controlled over two thousand soldiers with military training. But the most powerful power in his family, his grandfather, was a Military Division General with about twenty thousand men under his command!
However, as his family was strictly military and no member worked in the government, although it was difficult to accept what Bai Zemin said it was not impossible from Chen He's point of view. But his childhood friend was completely different!
She came from a 100% government family! If Wu Yijun wanted to support Bai Zemin then she would have to go against the very roots of her entire family!
"Are you sure?" Shangguan Bing Xue couldn't help but frown slightly and ask her friend if she knew what she was doing.
Wu Yijun looked at her and said in a firm voice, "I am sure. Besides, I can't leave you alone, can I?"
Shangguan Bing Xue looked at her deeply for a moment and after looking away she did not say anything about it again. She knew that although Wu Yijun was kind, when an idea got into her head she became stubborn as a mule and no one could make her back down.
Although Bai Zemin was also surprised, he was happy to receive a powerful ally. Therefore, he smiled warmly and welcomed her: "Then I will be relying on you from now on just like in the past. Don't worry, if your family is still standing, I will do my best to avoid clashing with them unless absolutely necessary."
The Wu family was a family simply too powerful. Bai Zemin, who was previously just a small college student working hard to barely make ends meet, could not compare to them in terms of influence. If he could gain their support, Bai Zemin's path would be countless times smoother.
Gathering survivors using the Wu family name, recruiting soldiers, obtaining logistical support, knowing the location of advanced military camps, even acquiring weapons of mass destruction; all would be within his grasp!
The value of Wu Yijun was so great that if one thought about it carefully one could only consider her a treasure!
"As for that, just leave it to me." Wu Yijun smiled slightly as a somewhat funny and slightly crazy idea flashed in her mind.
If this idea succeeded, Bai Zemin's path would be much easier and at the same time, she would have an excuse to be closer to him. That way, she could gradually get warmer to him without her family or him suffering the consequences of a dreadful battle.
Indeed, Wu Yijun knew that while Bai Zemin was powerful... But he did not have the power to really oppose her Wu family. If her grandfather was still alive and there was only one person alive inside the nuclear bomb base, a single call from her grandfather was enough to end his life. But this was the last thing she wanted.
Bai Zemin looked at Chen He and asked as if he already knew the answer, "You will also wait a bit and then, depending on certain things, you will join, won't you?"
"Oh?" Surprisingly, Chen He smiled and looked at him in amusement before saying, "Why do you think so?"
Bai Zemin looked at him with a smile that was not a smile and said slowly, "You and I know the reason."
Wu Yijun also looked at Chen He with an amused smile. Shangguan Bing Xue had already agreed that she could join in the future after seeing the situation of the two camps set up by the government and the military in the north and south of Rulin Subdistrict. With his crush making such a decision, Wu Yijun believed that Chen He would make a similar decision.
Chen He chuckled and shook his head. He looked at Bai Zemin calmly and said slowly, "Well, I will have to disappoint you this time, but you are wrong. I will join you and help you with all my might regardless of whether Bing Xue joins your conquests or not. I just have a single condition."
"Huh?" Wu Yijun was dumbfounded and looked at her childhood friend as if she was looking at an alien out of television.
This was the first time in approximately 17 or 18 years that Chen He had made a firm decision that might even go against Shangguan Bing Xue and could take him away from her! Wu Yijun was so shocked that her little pink mouth opened slightly and her two big dark eyes were glittering with utter disbelief!
She looked at Shangguan Bing Xue to see her reaction. Unfortunately, Shangguan Bing Xue seemed as indifferent as ever; even after hearing what Chen He said, it seemed like she didn't care or that it wasn't enough to move her emotions in the slightest.
"Oh?" Bai Zemin was also very surprised. Although he had only met and interacted with this young and talented archer for a month, Chen He was acting depending on the movements of the silver-haired woman sitting next to him.
Could it be that he finally grew some balls? Bai Zemin thought amused and asked, "Tell me what your condition is. As long as it is not something excessive, I will accept without preamble."
Chen He was currently a First Order existence. his power was unquestionable. Moreover, if his family had not yet collapsed and they maintained some military power, even if it was only 5% of their peak, it would be of great help to the growth of Bai Zemin's faction and conquer all of China.
But Chen He's next words shocked Bai Zemin to the marrow of his bones.
"When you become the King, when I have confidence in myself, I want to challenge you to a duel which you will not be able to refuse. If I defeat you in that duel, I want you to crown me as the new King of China!"
The atmosphere inside the hall became cold and the temperature seemed to drop several degrees. The place was so quiet that even a needle could be heard falling.
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Thanks a lot to all those who use their Golden Tickets to vote for BW <3