Chapter 61: Don’t Think You’ve Won Just Like That
“I’m already up, so I might as well wash them.”
Lu Zheng shrugged, took the bowls and chopsticks to the sink, and started washing them.
Yi Ning glanced at him but didn’t say much.
Who would refuse someone willing to help with chores?
She jotted down her inspiration in a notebook, then stuffed her Evil Notes into her pocket.
Upholding the fine tradition of “make the most of what’s useful,” Yi Ning didn’t plan on being polite with Lu Zheng anymore and cheerfully began bossing him around.
“Remember to wash the pot in that rice cooker next to you.”
“Don’t forget to put your leftovers in the fridge.”
Once Lu Zheng had taken care of everything, Yi Ning resumed her fine tradition of “kicking down the donkey after it’s done grinding.”
“Do you have anything else you want to do next?”
Leaning back in her chair, arms crossed, Yi Ning squinted at Lu Zheng. The implication in her words was obvious.
The base let you in, you got a free meal—now scram.
A hint of impatience flickered in Yi Ning’s eyes as she looked at Lu Zheng.
That projection-covered area was the core segment of her evil plan for the afternoon.
If she didn’t hurry up and get Lu Zheng to leave, then when it came time to strike evil this afternoon, her plans and traps would hit a snag.
As someone who had been Yi Ning’s nemesis for a long time, Lu Zheng naturally picked up on the hidden meaning in her words.
But he wasn’t in a hurry to leave.
There were still some things he was concerned about and hadn’t figured out.
For instance—who had used a special ability near Yi Ning’s base?
Lu Zheng stood beside the fridge, stretched lazily, and pretended to be casual as he glanced sideways at Yi Ning slumped in her chair.
It probably couldn’t have been Yi Ning who sent out that signal.
Lu Zheng mulled over it and shook his head slightly.
According to the file provided by the Hero Association, Yi Ning didn’t possess any special abilities capable of triggering that signal.
Moreover, he had already informed her in advance that the Hero Association was about to begin monitoring all special ability usage throughout D-City.
She had no reason or possibility to send out that signal.
Lu Zheng withdrew his gaze and continued thinking.
Who could have triggered that signal?
He walked over to the table opposite Yi Ning, pulled a chair out from under it, spun it around, and sat on it backwards, arms resting on the backrest, sitting face-to-face with Yi Ning.
Based on Yi Ning’s previous words and actions, Lu Zheng had formed a few guesses about the person who triggered the signal.
For example, that person from the Freedom Alliance whom Yi Ning had said could no longer act recklessly in D-City.
But why would that person use an ability near Yi Ning’s base?
To show off their power?
Lu Zheng didn’t believe that Yi Ning would cooperate with someone who carried out evil activities in D-City without her permission.
That kind of behavior was a serious provocation among villains. Given Yi Ning’s personality, if she really caught someone doing that, they’d be lucky to get away with just a layer of skin missing.
Coupled with the sinister expression Yi Ning had shown when she mentioned that person, Lu Zheng figured the Freedom Alliance guy had probably been caught by Yi Ning right at the door of her base, beaten to a pulp, and was now being held prisoner inside.
“Speaking of which, we’ve known each other so long, but I’ve basically only seen a few rooms in your base. If you’re not busy, why not give me a tour?”
Lu Zheng smiled at Yi Ning and made a shameless request.
As a professional hero, Lu Zheng still had the most basic professional integrity.
He felt it was necessary to take a stroll through Yi Ning’s base to see if he could find that Freedom Alliance guy and bring him back for legal judgment.
Although personally, he would rather that guy “enjoy” some time with Yi Ning first.
Perhaps she had guessed Lu Zheng’s true intentions.
Yi Ning’s attitude toward his proposal could no longer be described simply as “resistant.”
She leaned her head back slightly, twisted her lips in disdain, and opened her pink lips to deliver one word: “Scram!”
Even after saying that, Yi Ning didn’t feel satisfied.
“Got a free meal and now you want to freeload more?”
She raised a middle finger at Lu Zheng, then, as if recalling something, put her arm down, pulled a remote from her pocket, and pressed a button.
The smooth wall suddenly opened, and a roughly two-meter mechanical hand extended out and raised a middle finger at Lu Zheng.
“This is the consequence for freeloaders!”
Lu Zheng: “……”
Freeloader? He at least did some chores, okay?
Even if it was just washing dishes and putting leftovers in the fridge.
But considering he was an adult man, and Yi Ning was just a kid now—
Lu Zheng decided to forgive Yi Ning’s childish behavior.
“Fine.”
Lu Zheng pretended to stand up from the chair reluctantly.
“If you won’t give me a tour, I’ll just wander around on my own.”
He pointed toward the kitchen door and made a show of heading that way, planning to take a solo tour of Yi Ning’s base.
He deliberately walked slowly to the door, placed his hand on the handle, and began turning it bit by bit, calmly watching Yi Ning who was seated nearby.
“(Expletive)!”
Seeing Lu Zheng’s theatrical act, Yi Ning couldn’t help but curse under her breath.
Did he think she didn’t know what he was trying to pull?
That guy had obviously figured out she didn’t want him going near the projection-covered area and was deliberately camping there.
But just letting Lu Zheng do as he pleased left Yi Ning unwilling to concede, so she tried a flanking tactic.
“The Freedom Alliance guy is still wandering outside. Are you really okay being this relaxed right now?”
“Didn’t you say we didn’t need to worry about the Freedom Alliance guy for now?”
Lu Zheng countered.
“Guh…”
Yi Ning started to regret it.
She was beginning to think she should use the ejection device to launch Lu Zheng back to his Hero Association.
“Well… even so…”
She started a desperate struggle.
“I could’ve just lied to stop you from coming in!”
“No way. You were way too confident at the time. That couldn’t have been a spur-of-the-moment lie.”
Lu Zheng looked into Yi Ning’s eyes, his gaze filled with infinite trust.
Exactly because they were arch-nemeses, they sometimes surprisingly trusted each other in certain areas.
“You really got me there.”
Lu Zheng’s steady gaze made Yi Ning a little guilty. She sighed helplessly and had no choice but to admit defeat.
“Don’t think you’ve won just like that!”
Yi Ning puffed up her cheeks in frustration, shoved both hands into her pockets, and stomped her foot angrily, loudly shouting her declaration of defeat.
She stepped back two paces, and a few fingers in her coat pocket brushed against a cold object.
It was her remote control.