Chapter 97 Melt the Outer Human Skin in the Sun

Chapter 97: The Outer Layer of Human Skin Melted Off

In the end, unable to dissuade Hua Diao from acting alone, Xie Tingsheng left her several newly upgraded, high-powered guns from the armory before dragging Zhu Bin—who was coveting Hua Diao’s high luck stat and trying to persuade her to join their squad—out the door.

In the stairwell, Zhu Bin slumped with a pout, looking at Xie Tingsheng. "Brother Sheng, why didn’t you convince Little Sister-in-law to join our squad? With her high luck and our strength, we could work together for mutual benefit. It’s a perfect win-win!"

Xie Tingsheng frowned, tugging at his collar, which smelled faintly of food, and gave him a sidelong glance. His voice carried a hint of pride. "She can handle herself. Bringing you along would just drag her down."

Zhu Bin choked, opening his mouth to argue but finding no rebuttal.

From the praises of the students at Qingcheng University to Hua Diao’s solo dungeon run the day before, claiming she lacked skill would be pure nonsense.

With anyone else, he could’ve argued that bringing them into the Peanut Squad would strengthen their forces, and with Brother Sheng’s methods, they’d surely find a way to recruit them. But Hua Diao was clearly an exception.

Zhu Bin suspected that in Brother Sheng’s eyes, the entire Peanut Squad of dozens paled in comparison to Hua Diao alone. Hadn’t he noticed the squad’s name? "Peanut Squad"—"Peanut," with "Hua" from Hua Diao and "Sheng" from Xie Tingsheng.

After grumbling for a while and failing to come up with a better argument, Zhu Bin reluctantly shut his mouth.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Xie?"

A sweet, cloyingly saccharine voice rang out.

Xie Tingsheng and Zhu Bin, who had just reached the lobby of Building A, looked toward the source of the voice.

A young woman stood at the entrance, dressed in a sheer white lace top and a pink miniskirt, as if she had been waiting for a while. The moment she saw Xie Tingsheng, her heavily made-up face lit up with a coquettish, shy smile as she hurried toward him.

Her bouncy, shiny curls swayed with each step, clearly well-maintained.

Before she could get close, Xie Tingsheng’s cold, handsome face twisted in displeasure, and without hesitation, he pulled Zhu Bin in front as a shield.

Zhu Bin, who had been ready to enjoy the drama, froze in shock. He quickly raised his hands and backed away, his expression screaming, "Stay back!"

Chu Xiangxiang’s flirty smile froze at the sudden obstacle. Glancing past this unexpected roadblock, she saw the coldly handsome man behind him, his sharp brows furrowed as he looked at her like she was trash.

Her face twisted in fury.

What was this? Disgust?

The thought filled her with bitter resentment. She had woken up early, gritted her teeth, and traded a full day’s worth of food with her mother just to wear the Elf Flower Robe. She’d even stolen her brother and sister-in-law’s water to wash herself thoroughly, dressing up beautifully to wait here—all for a perfect encounter with Xie Tingsheng, to win him over. Even being his side piece would’ve been worth it.

This man was too handsome, his aura too commanding. There was no way he was just some toy boy Hua Diao had picked up, like her mother claimed. Even if she had to chase after him, it wouldn’t be a loss.

Once under his protection, she could eventually replace that little bitch Hua Diao. Sure, she wasn’t as stunning, but that spoiled brat had a terrible temper—most men couldn’t stand it. With enough sweetness and charm, she could easily work her way into his affections and take Hua Diao’s place as his favorite. But now, her opening gambit had backfired.

And that damned obstacle—what was with that horrified look? Mocking her?

Chu Xiangxiang, used to being fawned over pre-apocalypse, couldn’t bear the humiliation. Biting her red lips, she gave a wounded expression, about to say something, when the man in front suddenly pointed at her face in shock.

"Uh, miss… your face… it’s coming off."

"What?" Before she could react, she noticed the surrounding onlookers staring at her in horror, as if she were some monster.

Her mouth opened, but no words came out—instead, a layer of yellow skin sloughed off from her lips.

Then, her entire body began to melt like a wax figure, her outer skin loosening and sliding off.

Soon, her face was unrecognizable, her features shifting and distorting as the melting skin warped them, turning her into a horrifically deformed monster.

"Tsk—" Zhu Bin sucked in a sharp breath at the bizarre, horrifying sight.

What the hell? Was this some kind of skinwalker?

Had the heat melted her human skin?

"Look! There’s a tiny black demon floating above her head!"

"It’s a succubus—a juvenile one! I’ve seen records of them in the Special Operations Bureau’s files. These demons aren’t strong in combat—they feed on love and flock to beautiful people. Most importantly, they despise fake affection and curse those who embody it, ruining their looks. This woman must’ve triggered its wrath..."

Instantly, the crowd’s gazes toward Chu Xiangxiang shifted.

Well, well. That's what she gets.

She’d been all sweet and flirty, trying to throw herself at the handsome guy—turns out it was completely fake!

Whispers broke out, but no one lifted a finger to help. Instead, they watched the man who’d nearly been deceived with keen interest.

Xie Tingsheng remained indifferent, his expression cold. He didn’t even spare Chu Xiangxiang a glance.

At that moment, Chu Chengling—who had chased downstairs after learning his sister had recklessly used up two days’ worth of water for both households—burst in. His once-handsome face was now haggard, his face drawn with exhaustion, his stubble unshaven.

Behind him, Jiang Yao looked no better. Gone was her youthful beauty—now she was thin, dark, and shadowed with misery, her expression sour and her aura oppressive.

Zhu Bin’s face showed clear surprise.

He recognized these two. Because of Hua Diao, and because Chu Chengling was indeed talented—having started a successful company before even graduating—their father often held him up as an exemplary figure, inviting him to banquets. Most of Qingcheng’s rich kids knew him, as well as Jiang Yao, his childhood sweetheart.

To think that just days into the apocalypse, they’d already hit rock bottom.

Then again, without Brother Sheng’s foresight and guidance, he might’ve ended up just as miserable.

Someone in the lobby who knew Chu Chengling called out, "Chu Chengling! That melting human wax figure over there is your sister! She got cursed by a succubus for being fake about her feelings!"

A furious Chu Chengling: "???"

Jiang Yao, numb from her sister-in-law’s antics: "???"