Doomsday Caravan: I became a god by relying on the favorability of beautiful women!

Su Qingyuan took about ten steps.

Then she suddenly turned her head and looked at him with an expression Jiang Che had never seen before.

That look had a threatening tone, as if to say, "If you don't put your hand down, I'll tie you up with spirit silk."

He quickly withdrew his hand and hung it at his side, like a primary school student who had done something wrong.

Su Qingyuan turned her face back.

But she slowed down, so slow that Jiang Che almost overtook her.

Her right hand hung at her side, her fingers curled unnaturally.

The two walked silently through the entire rest area.

Behind him, Liu Hu and Wang Man kept their eyes fixed on Jiang Che.

Jiang Che sensed it.

He understood that things with human faces, hands, and bodies would become another kind of monster in the face of food.

They have no bone spurs, no core, but they have fists, knives, and cunning.

They won't pounce on you from behind like a shadow demon—they'll wait, wait until it gets dark, wait until you're alone, wait until you're no longer shrouded in the shadow of that superhuman.

Jiang Che took a deep breath.

The sound of shovels clashing against rubble came from the landslide site ahead of the highway.

The advance team is clearing the road.

The sunlight finally pierced through the morning mist, shining on the ruins and turning everything white.

He glanced at Su Qingyuan's back beside him.

Her right hand was still hanging at her side, her fingers still slightly curled.

Jiang Che switched the steel bar to his left hand, and subtly brushed his trouser leg with the index and middle fingers of his right hand.

The heat from Su Qingyuan's body temperature, which was two centimeters away, still lingered on it.

The rest period has been extended to two hours.

The landslide hadn't been cleared yet, and after cursing, Zhao Lie disappeared without a trace.

The group spread out further; some were sleeping, some were rummaging through the rubble, and some were squatting in the shadows by the roadside, lost in thought.

Jiang Che was not sleepy, but Liu Hu and Wang Man's gazes remained fixed on him.

They didn't come any closer, but they didn't go any further either.

Like two crocodiles stranded on the shore, eyes half-closed, motionless, waiting for you to walk to the water's edge.

Jiang Che leaned against the slope, closed his eyes, and opened the system panel.

Current favorability rating: 32

There are still 18 points needed to reach the 50 points required for [Basic Constitution Enhancement].

At the current rate, it will take until at least tomorrow.

Liu Hu and Wang Man might not live to see tomorrow.

Just then, the system panel suddenly flashed.

A golden light effect he had never seen before surged from the edge of the interface, like someone dropping a drop of gold ink into water, which quickly spread out.

"Host's accumulated favorability points have exceeded 30 points (historical total). New player protection period triggered. Unlocking limited-time benefits..."

Limited-time offer: New player special deals are now available in the shop.

"The most suitable direction for the host's superpower awakening has been detected: physical enhancement."

"D-level ability [Extreme Physical Fitness] - Original price 400 favorability points, limited time 90% off: 40 favorability points."

"Note: This ability is permanently awakened and does not require repeated redemption. After awakening, it will comprehensively enhance strength, speed, endurance, and pain resistance, reaching the standard of a D-level ability user."

40 points.

He has 32 points now. He's 8 points short.

Jiang Che clenched his fists.

It's just 11 points short.

He opened his eyes and looked in Su Qingyuan's direction.

She didn't sleep.

He leaned against the broken wall, holding a water bottle in his hand, but didn't drink.

Her gaze was fixed on the distance, and it was unclear what she was thinking.

But Jiang Che noticed that her fingers, which were holding the kettle, were gently and unconsciously stroking the body of the kettle, as if she were touching something.

He walked over and, instead of sitting down next to her, sat down right next to her.

Thighs were almost touching thighs, with only a thin layer of fabric in between.

He could feel the warmth emanating from her body.

"What are you doing?" She didn't look at him, her voice very low.

"Sit down," Jiang Che said.

"You never used to sit this close."

"My legs used to hurt, so I couldn't sit far. It's a little better now."

Su Qingyuan turned her head and glanced at him.

That glance held suspicion and wariness, but not hostility.

Her gaze slid from his face to his legs, then back to his face, before quickly looking away.

The two sat silently side by side.

The distance between the shoulders is about ten centimeters.

Jiang Che could smell her scent—sweat and ointment.

There is also a more private scent, one that belongs to her very body.

Warm, slightly salty, like an old cotton quilt that has just been sun-dried.

Jiang Che's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Are you still hungry?" he asked.

The voice was a little lower than usual.

Su Qingyuan did not answer.

Jiang Che took out the last piece of compressed food from the inner bag and broke it in half.

When he handed her half, his fingers "accidentally" touched her fingertips.

Su Qingyuan's fingers curled up as if burned.

But Jiang Che did not back down.

He held up that half-grain, his fingertips hovering only two centimeters away from her.

"Just tell me if you want it or not," he said.

Su Qingyuan bit her lower lip and reached out to take it.

This time, her fingers didn't dodge—or rather, she was trying to pretend they didn't.

But Jiang Che noticed that when she received the grain, her index and middle fingers held the grain, while her ring and little fingers accidentally brushed against the base of his palm.

It was as light as a feather brushing past.

Su Qingyuan probably sensed it too.

After she took the grain, she shifted to the side by less than a centimeter, as if she were dodging something.

But there was a broken wall behind her, and she had nowhere to hide.

She stuffed half a piece of grain into her mouth and chewed it more slowly than usual.

His cheeks were bulging, and there was a little bit of crumb at the corner of his mouth.

Jiang Che stared at the crumb for two seconds, feeling an urge to reach out and wipe it away for her.

He didn't make a move.

But his gaze was too direct; Su Qingyuan couldn't possibly not sense it.

She was chewing when she suddenly stopped, then abruptly turned her head, presenting her back to him.

"Don't watch me eat," she said in a muffled voice.

Why?

"You're not allowed to look."

Jiang Che couldn't see her face, but he noticed that the back of her neck was red.

The redness spread from the edge of her collar all the way to her hairline, as if someone had poured a jug of red wine on her neck.

He chewed up the remaining half of the grain.

The two of them ate their food back to back without saying a word.

But something was fermenting in the air—sticky, humid, like the stuffiness before a summer downpour.

"Su Qingyuan," Jiang Che spoke first.

"Um."

"Turn around and speak."

"I won't forward it."

"Your neck is so red, is it an allergic reaction?"

Su Qingyuan suddenly turned around.

Her eyes were wet, and there were still bits of grain stuck to her lips.

She glared at Jiang Che for about two seconds, then suddenly realized something and quickly wiped her mouth with her sleeve.

"You—you did it on purpose," she said.

"What did I do on purpose?"

"They deliberately made me turn around."

Jiang Che did not deny it.

He looked at her, a small, smug smile playing on his lips.

Su Qingyuan took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress something.

Her chest rose and fell twice—the movement was small, but Jiang Che's gaze followed it uncontrollably for half a second.

Just half a second.

Su Qingyuan caught it.

Her face flushed red instantly.

Her lips opened and closed again, like a fish being pulled ashore.

"Su Qingyuan's favorability towards the host increases by 3 x 2. Current favorability value: 38."