I am not little potato (Chapter 89)
What's... going on?
That intense stare, even though Ye Sheng lowered her head, she could still feel it.
Glaring straight at her alone.
? (°?°)?
Ah, ah, ah, get away from her!
Ye Sheng sat in the right rear seat of the open-top four-wheeled vehicle. Due to the absence of a car window, the door wasn't high, allowing the silver-haired, wolf-tailed Esper to easily lean on it.
With her back to the sun, she cast a shadow over Ye Sheng's head, as if binding her with a rope.
It made breathing feel difficult.
The other three people in the car didn't dare to breathe loudly, even Brother Liu took a deep breath, unable to control himself, he quickly looked up.
Immediately, his eyes widened in shock, causing him to instinctively grip his brother's arm tightly. The force made Brother Liu's brother's arm ache, but he didn't dare show it.
He could only endure it.
Afraid that if he disturbed the Esper, he might be torn apart.
How could his brother be so fragile?
Isn't it just that the Esper came over on her own? He had just told him not to be afraid!
But, what exactly does this Esper want? She came over but didn’t speak, just stood there?
Is she playing around?
Or...
Is she planning something else?
Being grabbed by his brother made Brother Liu's brother feel like bugs were crawling inside him, itching unbearably. He didn't know what his brother saw, making him very curious!
Brother Liu's brother couldn't hold back anymore, so he quickly touched the Mo Lin.
The two of them looked at each other with their heads down, immediately understanding what the other wanted to express.
Then, both of them raised their heads to sneak a peek, and the next second, their eyes widened like Brother Liu's.
Isn't the Esper disdainful of ordinary people?
The leaders of this convoy, although from a branch of a prestigious family, had considerable influence in the outer city. People like them, who were just tagging along, didn't dare provoke them.
Even these people couldn't get much attention from the Esper and had to ingratiate themselves, yet now, this Esper was staring directly at Ye Sheng.
Not only was she looking closely, but her mouth was also curved in a high smile.
Her eyes were like those of a hungry wolf.
It was as if... yes, as if she were a bandit leader wanting to kidnap someone, making those watching feel terrified. They couldn't imagine what Ye Sheng herself felt.
How did Ye Sheng feel?
Thanks for asking. As someone in the car, she wants to escape!
Before joining this convoy journey, Ye Sheng thought she was just a small fry tagging along, trying to coast by and win by default.
Just quietly mining and getting rich!
After all, even if she's quite cute, in the wasteland, looks don't matter.
People prefer and pay attention to brawny individuals like the Liu brothers!
They have a better chance of survival.
But this unknown Esper suddenly did this, making her the center of attention!
Even though Ye Sheng didn't look around, she could feel the intense stares from all directions, making her mood terrible. She looked up at the Esper with a puzzled, gloomy expression.
This should be their first meeting.
Does she have to be so familiar?
At the moment Ye Sheng looked over, Ling Lan felt her heart beat even faster, making her breath quicken.
For some reason, she wanted to get closer to this girl.
The brain, which had been experiencing abnormalities as her abilities increased, found temporary peace at this moment, making her want to get closer. If she could hug this little girl, maybe she would feel more comfortable.
However, reason warned her that she had to be patient.
Otherwise, she would scare away the fragile little bird.
So, suppressing her thoughts, Ling Lan smiled friendly at Ye Sheng, blinked her blue eyes, and proactively said, "Hello, my name is Ling Lan. Can we be friends?"
Ling Lan's appearance leaned towards a beautiful androgynous look, with a touch of delicacy. Her silver hair and blue eyes made her look like a character straight out of a manga, not to mention her sharp aura that couldn't be underestimated.
Now, speaking patiently to Ye Sheng at a close distance, her deep blue eyes didn't blink as they looked at her.
The pressure was overwhelming.
"......"
Faced with the Esper's proactive friendliness, Ye Sheng didn't feel grateful at all.
Instead, she was full of suspicion.
Normal people don't make friends like this!
Ling Lan seemed weird.
But she had no reason to... wait, Ling Lan is an Esper, and not long ago, she had taken a psychic soothing potion. Even her little one couldn't resist sticking close to her.
Not to mention other Espers!
Now encountering a second Esper, it's natural that they can't resist the allure of her psychic soothing.
(? _? )
She won't become a magnet for Espers in the future, will she!
Please, no!!!
Realizing the truth belatedly, Ye Sheng, now facing Ling Lan's sudden friendliness, replied with a headache, "My name is Ye Sheng."
Although Ye Sheng didn't want to interact with Ling Lan, from what she heard from Brother Liu and others, Espers had high status in the base. Especially with the convoy about to embark on a long journey, she couldn't afford to offend an Esper.
Otherwise, she wouldn't even have the chance to hitch a ride and might face retaliation.
But agreeing to be friends? She didn't want to get close to this scheming Esper!
She much preferred her own beautiful little pitiful!
However, Ling Lan was already very happy just to get Ye Sheng's name. She didn't mind anything else and instead excitedly said, "Ye Sheng, can I sit with you?"
As an elite talent cultivated by the Ling family, Ling Lan had never traveled in such a simple vehicle.
But at this moment, she was willing.
She just wanted to be closer to Ye Sheng.
However, Ye Sheng smiled at her and firmly refused, "No, sorry, Miss Ling Lan, I don't want to be separated from my companions, and others are also waiting for you."
Upon hearing this, Brother Liu and the others were dumbfounded, all turning to look at Ye Sheng with expressions that said, "You actually refused an Esper?"
Ye Sheng's expression remained calm as she quietly looked at Ling Lan.
Ling Lan frowned slightly at the rejection, her hand gripping the car door tightening. With her usual temperament, anyone who dared to refuse her would face her retaliation, no matter who they were!
But looking at Ye Sheng's face, the rising violence in her heart suddenly disappeared.
In a gentle tone even she didn't expect, she said, "It's okay, we'll have another chance later. Ye Sheng, don't call me 'Miss,' just use my name."
Realizing that Ye Sheng was like a little hedgehog raising its spines to keep her away, Ling Lan didn't stay any longer. She smiled at Ye Sheng before walking toward the car in front.
After Ling Lan had walked away, the four people in the car looked at each other in silence.
The next moment, Mo Lin, still shocked, gave Ye Sheng a thumbs-up and said, "Sis, my only sis, you're amazing! Not only did you make an Esper fall for you at first sight, but you also refused her! Aren't you afraid the Esper will kill you?"
Mo Lin's words broke the silence, prompting Liu's brother to chime in.
"Yeah, Ye Sheng, when you refused the Esper just now, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I almost peed my pants. These Espers aren't known for their good temper, they kill without hesitation, and yet she smiled at you!!!"
Even Brother Liu nodded in agreement.
This left Ye Sheng speechless.
She wouldn't have dared to refuse Ling Lan if she wasn't confident she wouldn't be killed.
The psychic soothing potion that made her a sort of catnip for Espers could significantly increase their affection for her, making them unwilling to harm her.
And that was just the effect of the mild psychic soothing potion...
If it were a higher-grade potion, wouldn't she become a femme fatale?
Attracting countless Espers to compete for her?
The thought made Ye Sheng shiver. Luckily, she had only drawn one dose of the potion... If it weren't for the lack of enough points, she would have definitely drawn more to better soothe her little one's damaged psychic power.
(? _? )
Thankfully, she was poor!
"I don't even know her, of course, I refused."
Ye Sheng wouldn't reveal the truth about her becoming "catnip" due to the mental soothing potion.
She could only put on a depressed look as if she knew nothing, eliciting sympathetic looks from Mo Lin and the others.
Anyone who wasn’t blind could see that the Esper had ill intentions toward Ye Sheng, likely causing a lot of trouble along the way.
However, when the convoy set off, thanks to the Esper's attention, Ye Sheng's vehicle was directly arranged in the front, very close to the leaders of the convoy.
Compared to their original position at the end of the convoy, the current front position was incredibly advantageous.
After all, the further back the vehicle, the more likely it was to be attacked.
The vehicles at the front of the convoy were protected by mercenaries and Espers, so there was no need to worry about sudden attacks by polluted creatures.
Enjoying the special treatment, the Liu brothers kept their mouths shut, while Mo Lin, sitting in the back seat with Ye Sheng, whispered to her, "Sister Ye Sheng, you have to be careful. That Esper has really set her sights on you."
If Ye Sheng hadn't firmly refused, the Esper would have likely taken her into her own vehicle by now.
In the wasteland world, people didn't have fixed preferences and pursued what they liked.
Therefore, it wasn’t surprising that a woman had taken an interest in Ye Sheng.
However, the fact that it was a psychic Esper made the situation much more complicated.
Especially since Mo Lin could see that Ye Sheng's rejection of the Esper was sincere, unlike others who wanted to grovel before Espers... But this made things worse.
Psychic Espers weren’t easy to deal with. Rejecting them once or twice was fine.
But if rejected too many times, who knew what they might do next.
Mo Lin thought about this and felt a headache coming on. He regretted bringing Ye Sheng along.
Who knew she would make a mental Esper fall in love at first sight!
"Maybe she just wants to be friends..."
"Sis, do you think I believe that? She almost swallowed you whole, her stare was so intense... I bet my head on it, she definitely has a thing for you!"
Wasteland people usually expressed their affection directly.
So, Ling Lan's deliberate closeness made it clear that she had a thing for Ye Sheng.
Ye Sheng couldn't deny it, and inwardly grumbled that Ling Lan wasn’t attracted to her but was influenced by the psychic soothing potion, like a cat clinging to a catnip ball.
The convoy journey would take a week, round trip, and Ling Lan would definitely seek contact during this time.
The thought gave Ye Sheng a headache.
Seeing Ye Sheng’s troubled expression, Mo Lin laughed and couldn’t help but ask, "Sis, doesn’t it stir your heart a bit that an Esper has fallen for you at first sight?"
Pausing, Mo Lin smacked his lips in envy and said, "Just clinging to an Esper's thigh could save you sixty years of struggle!"
Mo Lin couldn't help but touch his own face, regretting that no Esper had taken a liking to him!
If given such an opportunity, he would cling to an Esper’s thigh tightly.
He wouldn’t even mind scrubbing their pots and pans.
Ye Sheng rolled her eyes at Mo Lin's words and seriously said to him, "Mo Lin, everyone has their own aspirations. Even if I'm poor, I won’t sell myself. Relationships should be mutual and consensual."
Ye Sheng felt that it was already bad enough to have been turned into a girl and thrown into a wasteland world.
If she were forced into a relationship as well...
Life would have no meaning.
"But I think that Esper is really good-looking and young. In the base, many men and women would go crazy over someone like that!"
"That's considered good-looking? My family's..."
Hearing Mo Lin praise Ling Lan, Ye Sheng was unimpressed.
That’s because Mo Lin hadn’t seen her little cutie at home; ten Ling Lans together wouldn’t compare!
Seeing her little cutie’s unparalleled beauty every day had greatly refined Ye Sheng's sense of aesthetics.
That was an important reason why she wasn’t swayed by Ling Lan’s looks.
Her heart was calm.
However, Ye Sheng wondered if it was because she had seen too few psychic Espers or if all Espers were just this good-looking.
They all seemed to have a beauty filter compared to ordinary people.
"Anyway, Mo Lin, just know that I have no interest in her. Don’t talk nonsense... Don’t worry, I won’t let Ling Lan affect our cooperation."
"As long as you know what you’re doing, Sister Ye."
Mo Lin didn’t understand Ye Sheng’s preference for love over bread, which was completely unlike the people in the mitigation zone who struggled with hunger daily. It was more like the innocent young ladies in the core of the safe zone.
But it didn’t matter to him, as long as it didn’t interfere with this trip.
In fact, because the Esper favored Ye Sheng, it even benefited their group. For instance, they were now positioned at the front of the convoy, free from the worry of being attacked by polluted creatures.
That was a good thing.
Mo Lin only asked a few questions because of his transactional relationship with Ye Sheng. As for the Liu brothers driving up front, they were simply sharing a ride and were tactfully keeping their mouths shut.
It was a typical wasteland trait not to meddle in others’ affairs.
Fortunately, the journey went smoothly. When they encountered a few polluted creatures, the Blue Whale Mercenary Group dealt with them.
The convoy didn’t even stop, driving on for half a day and getting far from the base.
Four wheels were definitely faster than two legs!
By noon, the convoy still hadn’t stopped.
Everyone was drinking nutrient solutions to stave off hunger. On the first day, full of energy, they didn’t stop easily, trying to cover as much distance as possible.
Seeing this, Ye Sheng sighed in relief, thinking that continuous driving was good.
Otherwise, once they stopped, Ling Lan would likely come to bother her again!
Their vehicle had the Liu brothers as drivers, so there was no worry about fatigue from long hours of driving. Plus, the wasteland people’s bodies had evolved from post-apocalyptic radiation, and driving for days on end was no problem.
It was a dangerous night in the wilderness, so the caravan stopped and chose an open space to camp and rest.
Taking advantage of the fact that Ling Lan hadn’t come looking for her yet, Ye Sheng immediately told Mo Lin and the others that she was going for a walk around the area. She quickly made her escape, afraid of being caught by Ling Lan.
Although the caravan stopped in an open space, there was still a grassy area nearby.
Because of the large number of people in the caravan, the Blue Whale Mercenary Group had already checked the area in advance. There were no threatening contaminated creatures, so they could rest here without worry.
So, with her hands behind her back, Ye Sheng strolled leisurely.
She looked up at the sunset as the twilight deepened. The orange-red light bathed the land, softening everything with a gentle glow.
A few strands of black hair were blown across her forehead by the breeze. Ye Sheng raised her hand to tuck them behind her ear.
As she admired the beautiful scenery, her mood, which had been troubled by becoming catnip for all psychic abilities users, relaxed a bit.
She joined the caravan this time for star iron ore.
As long as Ling Lan didn’t go too far, she didn’t mind being watched. After all, it wouldn’t hurt her.
But could Ling Lan stop looking at her with those love-struck eyes?
Especially with that expression that seemed to think she was very weak.
It was infuriating!
Thinking of this, Ye Sheng raised her left hand and flexed. Her recent training had given her some muscle, and she could now see her biceps slightly bulging.
Hmph!
o(?^`)o
See, she was quite strong!
However, after showing off her muscles for her own amusement, Ye Sheng then touched her stomach.
It was flat.
There were no six-pack abs.
And then she thought of the poor little one who lay in bed all day without moving. When she helped her wipe her body before, she clearly felt hard abs...
Sigh!
She wanted that too!
When she got back later, she’d secretly touch them again.
Just for the feel of it.
Hehe!
(*^▽^*)
“Hey, you up front, stop right there!”
Just as Ye Sheng couldn’t help but laugh secretly, an arrogant shout suddenly came from behind her.
Ye Sheng rolled her eyes in exasperation. Instead of stopping, she quickened her pace, trying to escape the sudden trouble.
However, seeing Ye Sheng trying to run, the other person immediately became furious and chased after her.
Taking advantage of her height and long legs, the pursuer overtook Ye Sheng and blocked her path. With a disdainful expression on her charming face, she looked Ye Sheng up and down with her purple eyes and said, “So you’re the one Ling Lan has her eye on?”
She paused deliberately and sneered, “Not impressive.”
Great!
First, there was an ability user Ling Lan couldn’t handle, and now a pursuer for Ling Lan had appeared!
Ye Sheng felt her ‘luck’ was extraordinarily bad.
“Miss, my relationship with Ling Lan is strictly that of fellow travelers, nothing more.”
“Hmph! You’re lying. How could you not be moved by such a beautiful esper like Ling Lan? I, Han Weiwei, am not easily fooled. Little Potato, you better stay away from her, or I’ll teach you a severe lesson.”
“……”
She could threaten all she wanted.
Calling her ‘Little Potato’ was really infuriating!
ヽ(`⌒?)ノ
“Miss Han Weiwei, I already have someone I like, and she’s very beautiful. No matter how good Ling Lan is, I will never change my heart.”
One look at Han Weiwei’s attire made it clear she was someone’s pampered darling.
Ye Sheng didn’t want to stir up trouble.
So she made up a random excuse, hoping Han Weiwei would pass it on to Ling Lan.
However, Han Weiwei squinted at Ye Sheng, clearly doubtful, and said, “Ling Lan isn’t beautiful enough? You Little Potato are such a liar.”
“!!!”
Ye Sheng was nearly driven to laughter by her anger.
Although she didn’t want to escalate the situation, she wasn’t going to just swallow her anger.
“You think Ling Lan is a treasure, but others don’t. The person I like is a hundred times better than Ling Lan! And don’t call me Little Potato!”
As Ye Sheng gritted her teeth and said this, a familiar face suddenly flashed through her mind.
It made her feel a bit uneasy.
But considering that among all the people she knew, only the face of the person she liked was the most beautiful, she used that as a stand-in to make her lie sound more convincing!
“Fine, I won’t call you that. Just make sure you’re telling the truth.”
Han Weiwei was startled by Ye Sheng’s sudden raised voice. After a moment of speechlessness, she huffed in annoyance, warned Ye Sheng one last time, and then turned to leave, her seaweed-like dark green curls swaying with her movements.
Ye Sheng lost interest in continuing her stroll and decided to follow Han Weiwei back to the camp.
But as soon as Ye Sheng approached the camp, she suddenly felt the ground beneath her feet shaking.
“Stop!”
A shout came from the camp.
The memory of being attacked by the Berserk earthworms immediately resurfaced, causing Ye Sheng’s body to tense up. She froze, afraid to move. Meanwhile, Han Weiwei, panicked, stomped her foot and ran towards the camp, crying out, “Ling Lan, wahhh, save me!”
At the same time, the ground stopped shaking, and from it emerged...
Several towering snakes that stood even taller than a person!!!