Wen Shangsheng's hand was held, and he broke free with a tug, looking down at the hand Zhou Tingna had touched.
He wiped it on his clothes disdainfully, then took off his sunglasses and looked up at Zhou Tingna.
Zhou Tingna, meanwhile, was feeling smug about her physical contact with Wen Shangsheng.
Seeing Wen Shangsheng look at her, she flashed him a smile, revealing her yellow teeth, and deliberately puffed out her chest.
Other men, seeing Zhou Tingna's flirtatious display, would likely have pulled her into their arms by now.
But Zhou Tingna was facing Wen Shangsheng. One might call him a straight man, yet he knew the kind of woman he liked.
Then again, if he wasn't a straight man, why was he seemingly ignoring Zhou Tingna's advances?
Wen Shangsheng, having removed his sunglasses, looked expressionlessly at Zhou Tingna, who was putting on a show in front of him, and spoke directly, his words piercing: "I know what you're planning."
Zhou Tingna's smile faltered and became a little stiff as Wen Shangsheng spoke.
As if he hadn't seen Zhou Tingna's discomfort, Wen Shangsheng put his sunglasses back on, leaned back in his chair, and looked at her with a lazy, untamed gaze: "Find someone else for your little scheme. You might have a sliver of a chance. But if you set your sights on me, you're just asking for humiliation."
Firstly, he himself was a man of integrity.
Therefore, when looking for a partner, he would also demand integrity from her.
He wouldn't comment on Zhou Tingna's past experiences. After all, in the apocalypse, trapped in the mire, she had little choice.
But they had already rescued them from their suffering. If she didn't respect herself, she couldn't expect others to.
Among those taken in by Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law, there were ordinary people who hadn't awakened their abilities. Yet, they hadn't thought of living by seducing men and clinging to them. They were independent and clear-minded, relying on their own hands to survive in this doomsday.
Zhou Tingna's face turned a mixture of red and white as Wen Shangsheng spoke so plainly, her expressions shifting dramatically.
She knew Wen Shangsheng looked down on her, thought she was dirty, thought she was promiscuous.
But she had no choice. If she could have chosen, who would want to be promiscuous?
Wen Shangsheng, looking at Zhou Tingna's rapidly changing facial expressions through his sunglasses, spoke at the opportune moment: "In the apocalypse, people are often unable to control their circumstances; that can be understood. But if you are capable of taking responsibility for yourself and still continue your previous ways, then don't blame others for not respecting you. The most valuable thing a person has is self-respect and self-love."
"Our base doesn't consist solely of ability users; there are ordinary people like you who haven't awakened their abilities. But they have never thought of pleasing men with their beauty. They would rather use their own labor to earn the capital to survive in the apocalypse than compromise their dignity for men."
Having finished speaking, Wen Shangsheng stood up. "What happened in the past isn't important; what matters is the present and the future."
Wen Shangsheng turned and walked away, not sparing Zhou Tingna another glance.
He had offered his kindness. If she insisted on being stubborn, that was her prerogative.
Wen Shangsheng left, but Zhou Tingna remained standing in the same spot.
People were still moving about in the yard, carrying supplies. No one paid her any attention.
Zhou Tingna slowly turned her head, watching Wen Shangsheng's retreating figure. Her eyes were already moist.
She had thought others looked down on her, looked down on them.
But in reality, others hadn't looked down on them; they had looked down on themselves first.
Yes, in the apocalypse, it was survival of the fittest. They had simply chosen another way to live out of desperation.
Before, they couldn't resist, couldn't choose.
But now?