Xie Sen finished speaking, turned his head and continued cutting meat, saying, "I think you're a nice person. I'd like to make friends and get to know you better. If we share common interests, we can hang out together!"
Maine smiled playfully. Nice person? If he hadn't recognized Xie Sen as a poor fellow student, he wouldn't have made a move.
"I don't have any friends, and I don't need any."
Xie Sen was stunned, stopped what he was doing, and turned to look at Maine. Maine, with his arms folded across his chest, leaned against the door frame, his posture relaxed, and even a smile on his lips, as if the words he just said weren't his.
Xie Sen blinked and said, in the tone of an elder admonishing a younger person, "People, keep your sights low. You're so handsome, you can't expect your friends to be on your level! What's the point of being alone? You still need friends."
Maine saw the serious expression on his fair face and chuckled softly, a hint of self-mockery. "That's not the reason," he nodded his chin towards the counter. "Hurry up, I need to sleep."
Xie Sen, thinking about the time, said quickly, "I can do it myself. You go get some rest."
Maine thought for a moment, nodded, and pointed to the button on the wall next to the door: "Close the door, turn on the soundproofing system." After Xie Sen responded, he turned and returned to his room.
Xie Sen rinsed his hands, walked to the door, studied it, and then closed it and turned on the soundproofing system as Maine had instructed.
He had just clapped his hands and woke the man, who was clearly a light sleeper.
Xie Sen resumed cutting the meat when it suddenly occurred to him that he hadn't asked the handsome guy's name yet! On second thought, this guy was so handsome, he must be a celebrity at school. If he asked such a question, the other party might find it strange.
Xie Sen quickly grilled the meat, and the kitchen was filled with the aroma of meat. He took a bite and gave himself a thumbs-up. It tasted better than the boxed lunch he bought.
He carried the plate of meat to the door and paused. He thought that eating outside would definitely disturb the owner of the house, so he simply ate slowly leaning against the counter.
As he was eating, he suddenly felt a warm sensation on his right shoulder, and he immediately shouted in his mind, "Adan, Adan!"
"Wow, why are you still awake at this time?" The boy's voice was extremely surprised.
Xie Sen recounted what happened in the afternoon: "I don't know what happened. I suddenly couldn't control my movements."
Adam was silent for a moment, and whispered: "Didn't I remind you? You have to rest for eight hours after waking up."
"You really know the reason. What happened?"
Adam said: "I am supported by two kinds of energy, my body energy and plant energy. The body energy constructs the system and is fixed. The plant energy provides daily consumption and upgrades. It comes from the plants activated by the owner."
"I was just thinking about keeping you alive at the time. I didn't expect to travel through time and space. During the crossing, I suffered a strong impact. The body energy was scattered, and only a small part of it is in your body."
"The lack of energy in your body has caused the compatibility rate between you and your body to be less than 100%. There will be a little problem every eight hours."
Xie Sen took a breath: "Is this still a minor problem? Will my soul suddenly leave my body?"
"No!" Adam said, and suddenly became weak again. "You won't have any problems if you pay attention to rest."
"Is there no solution?"
"Yes!" A'dan's voice rose. "Find my scattered energy, and I'll transfer some to you."
Xie Sen felt relieved upon hearing that he was saved. "How? Where?"
"...Once I have more energy, I'll be able to sense them," A'dan paused. "Probably... once you activate three plants."
Three plants? Xie Sen was struck by lightning. In over a year in the apocalypse, he had only activated two plants. The first required ten energy points, the second a hundred. Even the system needed to directly grow plant fruit.
He rubbed his face, trying to calm himself. It was the apocalypse, with few people and few avenues for energy. Later, when he tried to gain energy to feed people, he encountered betrayal, became wary of humans, and his good deeds plummeted. Eventually, the
human population dwindled, and he simply found a house in the countryside, closed in and farmed, living a life without energy. For a long time, he didn't gain energy.
This was a peaceful world. On Beast Planet, there were many people. Obtaining energy was surely easier than in the apocalypse!
After Xie Sen finished pepping himself up, he thought of something and, slightly concerned, said to A Dan, "I can't see the system panel."
"You'll see it when you activate the plants. Luckily, you have my energy in you, otherwise I'd be temporarily disabled, unable to even activate the plants."
Xie Sen secretly rejoiced, then heard A Dan say, "I'm going to sleep. If there's any problem in twelve hours, wake me up. Otherwise, I'll continue to accumulate energy. If I hadn't finished talking, I wouldn't wake up this time."
Xie Sen quickly praised him, "You woke up just in time! You're amazing! You're absolutely the best system in the world. Don't worry, I'll get you back to health as soon as possible!"
A Dan chuckled, "I believe in you. You're a good master, too."
Xie Sen couldn't help but laugh. This was just a commercial exchange of flattery.
After making sure A Dan was asleep, he finished his meat, cleaned the kitchen, and tiptoed back to his room. He brushed his teeth and went back to sleep.
The next morning, he woke early. He slowly opened his door, found the next door still closed, and walked quietly to the kitchen, closed it, and activated the soundproofing system.
As Maine opened the door, he was greeted by the aroma of meat. He walked into the living room and saw Xie Sen bending over to set down a plate. The boy was wearing a loose T-shirt, and as he bent, the fabric fell, faintly revealing his narrow waist.
Xie Sen put the plate down and turned to meet Maine's gaze. He silently marveled at his stunning beauty and smiled brightly. "Have you finished washing up? I made breakfast. Try it and see if it suits your taste."
Maine glanced at the coffee table. Plates of grilled meat and fried eggs lay on them, beautifully presented and looking delicious.
He turned and headed for the kitchen. Xie Sen quickly said, "Don't worry, I'll clean up afterward. I'll make sure it's exactly the same as before."
Maine said nothing. A moment later, he emerged from the kitchen with two glasses of water, steam still rising from their rims.
Xie Sen knew he'd misunderstood. He smiled and took one of the cups, thanking him again, "Thank you! I was just about to ask where I could get some!"
Maine lowered his head to eat his meat. Xie Sen blinked, secretly wondering if he had autism. Why didn't he say a word?
A soft "ding dong" notification chime rang out in his head, and Xie Sen froze. The sound was both familiar and unfamiliar to him. As it rang out, a few small words appeared before his eyes: Gratitude Energy 2, Total 2.
He stared in amazement at the expressionless man who silently ate his meat. Looking at the Gratitude Energy 8/10 above his head, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl further and further.
Such silence and aloofness? It turned out he was just too grateful to speak!