Song Wen said, "They still want to stay here, huh."
Dong Yan replied, "Of course, it’s great here. We have food and drink, and once the base is completed, there will be malls, entertainment and all that. Who would want to go back?"
Yang Mei sighed, "I feel that once our shopping base is finished, it will probably become the center of Yangshan."
"When that happens, even if people from other shelters go back, they will likely come here often to buy food and things."
Liang Yuan laughed and said, "That’s exactly the effect we want. Otherwise, can our shopping center survive just on our own consumption?"
Song Wen couldn’t help but say, "Then this place of ours is the prime location. Following the pattern before the big flood, will the housing prices here go up?"
Liang Yuan smiled and said, "All the residential areas in the valley and the surface area belong to us. By then, a lot of people will probably want to find a place to live or build houses outside Fire Bamboo Forest."
The three girls looked at each other. Dong Yan said, "We can really develop here, huh."
Yang Mei said, "It’s inevitable. Our valley not only has the mountain walls for defense but also a large number of superpower users stationed here, so it’s very safe."
"If the shopping complex opens, with many places to spend, it will definitely attract more people."
"This place getting lively is just a matter of time."
Liang Yuan laughed, "This is almost a sure thing, no need to worry. But rest assured, people from our shelter have already created cave dwellings around Fire Bamboo Forest, so we won’t be without places to live."
Everyone laughed and continued discussing what Yangshan might look like in the future as they ate.
Hope and anticipation sparkled in everyone’s eyes.
After dinner, Song Wen got up to wash the dishes but was stopped by Yang Mei.
"Wenwen, don’t do anything today. Yanyan and I will handle the cleaning. You and Little Brother take a break."
"Huh?" Song Wen was stunned, a bit confused.
Liang Yuan seemed to have guessed something and looked at Yang Mei with a hint of emotion in his eyes.
Yang Mei and he exchanged a glance and she smiled gently.
She pulled the bewildered Dong Yan to clean up the pots and dishes. After they finished, they tidied up the house. Then she pulled Dong Yan and said, "Yanyan, come with me to take out the trash."
"Huh? Oh, okay."
The two of them then said goodbye to Liang Yuan and Song Wen and left the house.
At this point, even if Song Wen was still baffled, she understood something. Her fair cheeks blushed.
She sneaked a glance at Liang Yuan and saw him smiling warmly at her, which made her lower her head in shyness, tightly hugging her legs and curling up on the sofa.
The TV’s LCD screen showed an entertainment program that Liang Yuan had downloaded a long time ago.
But neither of them paid attention to what was playing.
In the quiet living room, it was as if there was a flame burning. Both of them felt a little warm.
Liang Yuan got up, poured a cup of water, and walked over to Song Wen, handing it to her, "Have some water?"
Song Wen didn’t dare to look at him. She reached out to take the cup and lowered her head, "Thank you."
Liang Yuan laughed, sitting down beside her, "Why so formal all of a sudden, thanking me?"
"Huh? I... I don’t know..."
Song Wen was flustered and couldn’t think clearly.
Liang Yuan leaned in a bit, his palm gently resting on her long thigh.
Song Wen shivered instantly, instinctively tightening her legs.
Today she was wearing tight jeans, so Liang Yuan’s hand had a definite feel on her thigh.
Her cheeks turned red almost instantly, and with the steaming water in the cup, she looked like a steam engine.
Liang Yuan couldn’t help but laugh, finding her adorable in this state.
He didn’t take any further action, just kept his hand on her leg.
He sighed, "Time flies, it’s almost half a year now."
"Do you remember the first time we met at Meidu Garden? It was in June then."
"And now it’s already October."
"In the blink of an eye, winter is almost here."
Song Wen’s nervousness eased with his words, and she began reminiscing about life back in Meidu Garden.
She couldn’t help but say, "Yes, I remember when the great flood first struck, there was a riot in the building. Someone rushed upstairs and banged on my door. I was so terrified that I stayed up all night bracing against the door."
Liang Yuan gripped her soft hand tenderly, "At that time, everyone was panic-stricken. How did you manage as a young woman?"
Song Wen leaned closer to his shoulder, her voice soft, "I was a streamer and usually had a lot of snacks at home."
"I survived on those snacks for half a year. During this time, I didn’t dare to open the door, as there were people screaming outside every day."
"People kept trying to break into my apartment. I even burned my door handle to make it impossible for them to touch it."
"But I knew I couldn’t last. I tried calling my parents and my old pals, but no one answered."
"The last message from my parents was to stock up on food."
"At that time, I was almost out of supplies. When I was starving, I would use a drone to fetch some food, hoping for some luck."
"Until one day, you and Granny Li showed up at my doorstep."