Chapter 178: Apologies, and Gu Da’s “Confession”

(from *Restarting the Farm in the Apocalypse*)

After using up her last green crystal core, Bian Changxi grimaced in pain. It was lunchtime anyway, so she rubbed her neck and headed out, making her way to the makeshift canteen set up in the corner of a greenhouse. As she rummaged through the farm for something to eat, she mulled over where she could get more crystal cores.

She was out of green cores, but she still had plenty of other types—some she’d saved up before, and just from the last trip to the Hongri wholesale center, she’d taken down so many tin-plated dogs that she’d pocketed a good haul of third- and fourth-tier cores.

If only the bank was open now—otherwise, she’d just go trade with Qiu Feng.

Suddenly, a boxed meal was placed in front of her. She looked up along a slender arm and saw Gu Xu’s bright, energetic face.

Once she took the meal, Gu Xu sat down beside her. His bodyguard immediately dragged over a folding table and set it up in front of them before quickly retreating. All around them, people were lining up for food, the place bustling and noisy, but within several meters of them, it was strangely quiet.

As he peeled the plastic wrap off his meal, Gu Xu said, “You’ve worked hard. After you finish eating, you should head back and rest.” Seeing Bian Changxi’s puzzled look, he explained, “I didn’t think things through earlier. I wanted to get all the basic injuries treated today, but the situation here is far worse than I expected.”

He glanced over at the engineering team in the distance, already busy measuring the land and taking soil samples.

Softly, he continued, “There aren’t even enough buildings here for people to live in. I’m planning a complete rebuild. For the next month or two, this place will be under intense construction. A lot of plans will have to be put on hold, so there’s no rush for the wounded either. We’ll set up a medical unit so they can recover properly, and just leave a few medical staff to look after them.”

Bian Changxi noticed the faint crease between his brows and thought, *He’s genuinely frustrated by the situation here. Otherwise, with his usual habit of planning everything out, he wouldn’t be changing plans on the fly like this.*

She thought for a moment. “The weather’s getting colder. Construction might be tough, and since you don’t plan to stay here long, is it really necessary to build everything so well?” From his tone, it sounded like he was planning something big.

Gu Xu shook his head. “We’ll be leaving, but the people here still have to live. Building things properly won’t hurt. As for the weather…” He recalled the meteorological department’s latest forecast, and his expression darkened. “We’ll just have to hurry the work.”

Bian Changxi pursed her lips. She couldn’t exactly say, *Once you leave, this place will probably be overrun by zombies anyway.* Instead, she asked, “Do you want me to bring out the steel I have?”

She’d managed to swipe most of the steel from the wholesale center earlier, and the quantity was considerable.

“No need for now. I’ll ask you when we need it.” Gu Xu seemed to remember something and smiled. “It feels like I’m always taking advantage of you—supplies, produce, everything. So, here’s a little something to make up for it.”

He handed her a black magnetic card, embossed with the words “VIP Identity Card” and a string of raised numbers, just like the old supermarket membership cards. Bian Changxi’s eyes lit up—this was a high-level status symbol. These cards came in black and red; the black ones were usually reserved for people with major contributions to the base or extremely high status. They weren’t just about perks and privileges—they were a symbol of absolute identity.

The red cards were a tier lower, with fewer privileges. Someone like Qiu Feng probably only had a red one.

“This is for me?” she asked, delighted.

Gu Xu hadn’t thought much of it, but seeing her rare, animated expression, he couldn’t help but smile too. “It’s yours. If you don’t want to draw attention, you can keep using your old card. When you need it, use this one.”

For example, if she didn’t want to go through the space scanner when entering the base, she could just show this black card.

Bian Changxi was clearly thinking the same thing. The space scanner was a real headache for her. A space that couldn’t be scanned would only arouse suspicion and curiosity. As a dual-ability user, she already attracted enough attention—if people found out about her unscannable space, she’d really be in the spotlight.

Sure, when Gu Xu escorted her, or when Qiu Feng came to fetch her, she could skip the checks. But there would be times she’d have to come and go alone. She wasn’t afraid, but being forced to reveal her little secret was always uncomfortable.

Having received such a benefit, she naturally warmed up a bit. She put the black card away and teased, “You must’ve gone to a lot of trouble for this, huh?”

“Not really,” Gu Xu replied, clearly not wanting to dwell on it. He changed the subject. “About that batch of weapons you’re storing for me—I’ll need to take some out tonight. The base’s public auction house is opening, and I plan to put the weakest ones up for auction. The rest, I’ll use to assemble a team in the next few days to prepare for monster-hunting expeditions.”

At the mention of going out to hunt monsters, Bian Changxi’s eyes lit up, but then she remembered the pile of patients in the hospital and felt a bit deflated.

Gu Xu saw her reaction and couldn’t help but chuckle. He’d already thought it through. “We’re definitely short on wood-type ability users, so if possible, I’ll have to trouble you to help out. Would you be willing?”

Of course she was. She’d much rather go out and fight monsters to level up than deal with a bunch of patients. She agreed immediately, but that meant she’d have to work her schedule around this, and squeeze in hospital visits whenever she could.

She said, “If I’m busy during the day, I’ll just go to the hospital at night. With the black card, I can wander around at night without any trouble, right?”

Gu Xu was silent for a moment. “You should cut back on the hospital work, Changxi. Don’t push yourself too hard. Take some time to rest, and focus on improving your abilities. The hospital isn’t your main priority.”

“It’s all the same to me—treating ten people or twenty doesn’t make much difference. Besides, I plan to train a few wood-types well. Once they can handle things on their own, my job will be much easier.” As she spoke, she nodded toward An Jibo, who was waiting in line for food, looking exhausted. “He’s a good helper, real potential. Too bad he’s not one of ours. Actually, Liang Ziyin is pretty good too. I saw him at the hospital today. I heard he managed to stabilize a few critical patients over the past few days. It’s just a shame…”

When she mentioned An Jibo, Gu Xu noticed her expression was like a landlord squeezing a tenant—pleased and a bit vindictive. But when she brought up Liang Ziyin, her face turned a bit odd.

Thinking of something, Gu Xu’s own face darkened slightly. “Forget about Liang Ziyin. There are other wood-types just as talented. If you’re not happy with your current team, I’ll have someone switch them out for you.”

Bian Changxi had never liked Liang Ziyin, her old squad leader from her previous life. They’d always been rivals, and he’d looked at her with a mix of disdain and hostility. Now, she’d basically pushed him out of Gu Xu’s circle—of course he’d resent her. He had potential, but she wasn’t about to go out of her way to help him. But seeing Gu Xu’s reaction, she couldn’t help but smirk, trying hard not to laugh.

Gu Xu sighed, a bit helpless. “Is it that funny?”

“No, no. Captain Gu is just too charming—I’m happy for you!”

Gu Xu sighed again, as if explaining, “You weren’t here at the time, and Liang Ziyin’s abilities and quick thinking made him a good fit, so I kept him close. I know what he’s really thinking—I don’t like it, but I had to put up with it for the greater good.”

“All for the greater good. Young General Gu’s self-sacrifice is truly admirable,” Bian Changxi said solemnly, then quirked an eyebrow. “But he left as soon as I arrived. You didn’t deliberately push him out, did you?”

Unconsciously, the atmosphere between them had become as relaxed as it used to be. Bian Changxi didn’t even notice that she was starting to joke around.

Gu Xu looked at her smiling face, her dark hair, bright eyes, and healthy, glowing skin. She seemed so full of life. He gazed at her quietly for a moment, feeling a weight lift from his heart. Gathering his thoughts, he looked out at the bustling crowd in the canteen and spoke in a low, steady voice, “I rarely interact with girls, so I often don’t know how to handle things. Since we met, I’m sure I’ve done plenty of things to annoy you.”

He sounded a bit self-deprecating, but his expression was serious, as if making a formal confession. “Maybe I’ve acted or spoken out of line at times, making you feel uneasy or troubled. I apologize for that. And when rumors were going around, I didn’t pay much attention, forgetting that as a woman, your reputation matters. That was my fault too. But…”

Bian Changxi’s breath caught. Her hand, holding a pair of disposable chopsticks, froze in midair, the chopsticks half-open in a tense V-shape.

Gu Xu glanced at the chopsticks, leaned over, and gently took them from her hands, splitting them apart with a soft snap, releasing all the tension.

That sound seemed to echo in Bian Changxi’s heart. Her eyes widened, and she felt as if her heart was being squeezed.

All around them, the noise continued, but between the two of them, it was as if time had stopped.

Bian Changxi hadn’t expected him to say this—was he really going to lay everything out in the open?

She braced her elbows on the table, instinctively trying to get up.

But Gu Xu easily caught her wrist.

He didn’t use much force, but she couldn’t break free. Bian Changxi glared at his well-shaped fingers, a bit annoyed. They were both third-tier, so why did it feel like his strength was so much greater?

Her heart pounded faster.

She’d said those things before—been cold, tried to draw a clear line, even publicly claimed to have a boyfriend, embarrassing him in front of everyone. She’d thought he’d be angry, or at least pretend nothing had happened and go back to normal.

But what was he doing now? Wouldn’t laying everything out just make things more awkward? Nothing would change anyway, so what was the point?

Gu Xu looked at her pale face, not sure if she was angry or anxious. Her cheeks were turning red, her eyes shining, but she just stared at his hand, refusing to look up.

He sighed.

She was thin-skinned, guarded, always calm in a crisis, but when it came to this, she only knew how to run away.

If he were more considerate, he’d go along with her script and take things slow.

But he didn’t like to avoid things, nor did he want to back down.

Thanks to Xiaoyin1990 for the safety charm! Big hugs!

Ahhh, I’m so excited writing this part!! l3l4"