Chapter 22: Are You Going to Kill Me to Keep Me Quiet?

Tang Xiaoman nearly screamed—she looked like she’d seen a ghost.

With a *whoosh*, Fubao darted into the storage room, circling her excitedly, tail wagging furiously.

She swallowed the cry in her throat and forced herself to steady down. Only then did she recognize the man standing in front of her.

Zhou Yichen.

“You… when did you get here? No—when did you get into my storage room? Wait, that’s not right—how do you even have a key to my storage room?!” she demanded, her voice sharp with suspicion.

Zhou Yichen looked at her, his expression unreadable.

“I heard Fubao barking and came to check. It sounded like it was locked inside, so I opened the door.”

He held up his “tool”—just an ordinary piece of wire.

Tang Xiaoman stared, dumbfounded. He could pick locks too? Had he run a locksmith business before becoming a special forces soldier?

She wanted to ask what exactly he had seen.

But the words wouldn’t come.

Had the secret of her space just been exposed like this?

A surge of murderous intent rose uncontrollably in her chest.

Perhaps it showed too clearly in her eyes, because Zhou Yichen instinctively stepped back.

“The others are outside watching,” he said in warning, lips pressing into a thin line as his gaze sharpened with caution.

Tang Xiaoman forced herself to calm down and glanced around.

Sure enough—several heads were poking out from different corners.

She nearly exploded.

These people weren’t sleeping—they were hiding here eavesdropping?

Did they have nothing better to do?!

Tomorrow, she was doubling their training intensity. Let’s see if they still had the energy to snoop around then.

Seething, Tang Xiaoman suddenly grabbed Zhou Yichen and dragged him into the storage room.

*Bang!*

The door slammed shut behind them.

*Click.* Locked.

Fubao: “…”

A pitiful whine escaped as the dog scratched at the door—again and again.

Outside, chaos erupted.

The bodyguards who had been lurking in the shadows all emerged—men and women alike—immediately launching into animated speculation.

“The boss just dragged Captain Zhou into the little black room!”

“Oh my god, is Captain Zhou about to be… you know… forced?”

“No way, Captain Zhou’s skills are top-tier!”

“Or maybe… he doesn’t *want* to resist?”

One of the female bodyguards covered her face. “Miss Tang came down in her pajamas with her hair loose—she just got out of the shower. She’s definitely going all in!”

Another frowned. “Then why not bring him to her room? Why the storage room?”

The group fell silent for a beat.

Then No. 09 dropped a bomb: “Maybe… it’s more exciting this way.”

The remark sent ripples through the crowd. Just as they were about to dive into an even more “detailed” discussion—

No. 01 stepped out.

“No loitering. Disperse immediately. Get back to what you’re supposed to be doing.”

His tone was cold, his gaze even colder.

With Zhou Yichen absent, No. 01 was in charge—and his authority carried weight.

Seeing his grim expression, the group exchanged looks, as if they suddenly understood something.

They tactfully said nothing (mostly because they didn’t want to get punched), making faces, sticking out tongues, throwing gestures—then scattered.

Only Fubao stubbornly remained at the door.

No. 01 glanced at the tightly shut storage room and let out a contemptuous snort.

So Captain Zhou had given in after all.

Hmph. That upright, righteous captain—turns out he was no different.

Not every man could remain unyielding in the face of temptation and pressure the way he could.

He no longer envied Zhou Yichen’s position.

After all, he wouldn’t trade his body for it.

*

Inside the storage room, Tang Xiaoman had Zhou Yichen pinned hard against the door.

“Talk. Why were you following me?” Her gaze was sharp with killing intent, her teeth grinding faintly in a chilling sound.

Zhou Yichen swept a calm glance across the now-empty room, his voice steady.

“I saw you go downstairs and followed to have you check the noise reduction on the diesel generator.”

Diesel generator?

That jogged her memory—along with the fact that every task she’d assigned him, he had completed flawlessly. Including modifying the nail gun.

Her grip on his throat loosened slightly, though she didn’t let go completely.

“What did you see?”

“I heard Fubao barking inside and knocked. You didn’t respond. It kept barking, so I was worried something was wrong and picked the lock.”

Tang Xiaoman’s pupils contracted, sharp as blades.

“So… what did you see?”

Zhou Yichen met her gaze without flinching.

“You have an ability.”

Tang Xiaoman: “…”

His bluntness caught her completely off guard.

“There were that many supplies in here—over a ton of diesel, two hundred gas canisters. No one could remove everything without a trace in an instant. When I opened the door, only Fubao was inside. You were gone.”

He paused, his voice dropping lower.

“Do you have another space?”

It was the only explanation that made sense.

Tang Xiaoman’s expression darkened.

“This is my secret. I don’t want anyone else to know.”

“I didn’t tell anyone.” He held her gaze, then asked quietly, “Are you going to kill me to keep me quiet?”

Tang Xiaoman: “…”

She had never fought him directly, but she had seen him in action.

He was fast. Skilled. Deadly.

If it came down to it, she wasn’t certain she could win.

After a moment’s thought, she said coldly, “Unless you swear you’ll never reveal my secret, I have ways to make sure you stay silent forever.”

“I swear,” Zhou Yichen said without hesitation. “I will never tell anyone—unless you decide to kill me to keep me quiet.”

Then he turned the tables.

“If you do try to kill me, I’ll make sure the whole world knows your secret before I die.”

Hah. So he wasn’t someone who would take a loss quietly.

But she believed him—he had both the capability and the resolve.

Slowly, she released her grip on his throat. She patted his shoulder lightly, forcing a smile.

“As long as you don’t betray me, I won’t treat you badly. I’ll keep using you well.” She lowered her voice. “To be honest, the apocalypse is coming soon…”

Zhou Yichen: “…”

Mysterious—and now a little unhinged, too.

Tang Xiaoman launched into a persuasive pitch, ending with a bold promise:

“Stick with me, and I guarantee you’ll have meat to eat, alcohol to drink, and girls to chase even after the world ends!”

Zhou Yichen finally snapped. “Could you… let go of me first?”

Only then did Tang Xiaoman realize she was still half-pressed against him.

In her tension, she’d completely forgotten.

Her movements earlier had tugged open several buttons of her pajama collar, revealing more than intended.

In the sweltering summer heat, separated by only thin fabric, she could clearly feel his body warmth—his breath.

And she had been holding him like this the entire time, threatening him while talking so seriously—

Her mind went blank.

She hastily stepped back, fumbling to fasten her buttons.

Zhou Yichen turned his face away—but his ears had turned a deep shade of red.

Once she straightened herself, Tang Xiaoman fixed him with a sharp look.

“Keep your mouth shut. Not a word about tonight.”

“I swear I won’t tell anyone,” he said firmly. “Unless you decide to kill me to keep me quiet.”

Tang Xiaoman trusted that he was a man with principles.

“I’m not going to kill you. The apocalypse is coming—we need capable people. Someone as useful as you? Why would I kill you?”

Zhou Yichen: “…”

There she went again.