Su Ling admitted she was tempted by the crystal cores in Xu Lin's hand, as their quality was indeed high.
However, she didn't want to take advantage of his situation, nor did she need Xu Lin to join her team.
This was because her team members were already decided.
Moreover, if she wanted crystal cores, she could obtain them with her own hands.
"The items are important, keep them for yourself." Su Ling pursed her lips. After intense labor, she was a bit thirsty and her lips were dry. "Don't follow me."
"Have some water." Xu Lin fumbled in his bag with his other hand and offered Su Ling a bottle of water.
Since his other hand was still holding the crystal cores, he could only hand the water to Su Ling for her to unscrew the cap herself.
He held items in both hands, and these items were all for Su Ling.
Su Ling narrowed her eyes slightly, looking at Xu Lin. She couldn't quite figure him out. "Your team is very safe, your teammates are more reliable than I am. What's your reason for abandoning them and choosing me?"
Something unusual always had a reason. This Xu Lin was acting strangely.
Could it be that they had discovered her secret and deliberately sent Xu Lin...
As she thought this, Su Ling's gaze at Xu Lin grew colder, her eyes bloodshot and fierce, anything but friendly.
Xu Lin took in Su Ling's changes in demeanor and expression. He noticed her intense wariness and caution towards others.
Although he didn't understand why her vigilance was so high, he had decided to follow her.
"We are a team of five, and they each have their own partners, people they need to protect. As for me, I can stay or go." After a brief explanation, Xu Lin looked straight at Su Ling. "I was with them before, but now I want to be with you."
"I can collect crystal cores and supplies for you. Whatever you want, I will do my best to satisfy."
He couldn't make grand promises, only to try his best and let nature take its course.
Xu Lin's facial features were not bad; he was handsome in a rugged way that appealed to popular taste.
For any other girl, a good-looking, tall, long-legged guy saying this to her would probably have made her heart flutter.
But Su Ling was no ordinary girl. She was someone who had lived through the apocalypse, a world of only slaughter and calculation, and now she was back.
To her, the human heart was the most unpredictable thing. She didn't trust Xu Lin.
To be precise, apart from the people she had wronged in her past life, she trusted no one.
"I don't need it." Putting down her Tang knife, Su Ling pressed her tongue against her palate and said without politeness, "Don't have any ideas about me."
Su Ling ignored him and continued to collect crystal cores from the pile of zombies she hadn't had time to process yet.
The rejected Xu Lin, meanwhile, stood a short distance away, silently observing Su Ling's every move.
An unknown amount of time passed. By the time Su Ling finished collecting all the zombie crystal cores, her hands were weak from exhaustion, and her clothes were soaked with sweat.
Finding an open space, Su Ling sat down on the ground.
She was about to take out bread from her backpack to eat and replenish her energy when the aroma of cooked instant noodles wafted through the air.
This scent—
Su Ling followed the scent with her eyes and saw Xu Lin boiling instant noodles with an alcohol lamp.
The backpack he carried was placed beside him, and the pot on the alcohol lamp stand contained cooked instant noodles.
Xu Lin took out a bowl from his backpack, removed the lid, and scooped a full bowl of instant noodles into it, adding some broth.
Then, holding the bowl of noodles in one hand and the pot in the other, he walked towards Su Ling.
He placed the bowl of noodles and chopsticks in front of Su Ling, then picked up the pot and ate the remaining instant noodles.
After a few bites, he put down the pot and chopsticks, stood up, returned to his bag, picked up the bottle of water, and came back to Su Ling, placing the water and crystal cores next to the bowl of noodles.
"You don't need to agree to me right away. You can test me. If I fail the test, I will leave on my own. Would that be acceptable?"