I Have a Post Apocalyptic Online Friend C24.1

Hey, first of all, thanks for reading my lousy Machine Translation. To be honest, I’d really like it if you guys corrected the mistakes I made. But please speak nicely and politely. My heart is not strong enough to read your too-harsh comments. Have a nice day. 🙂

Chapter 24. Part 1

Zhou An’an continued driving, and as she drove, a sudden wave of resentment washed over her.

Had her unspoken thoughts already caused him trouble?

Or did he look down on her from the bottom of his heart and simply wanted to make it clear early on to prevent her from getting any ideas?

He was so capable, and she was so useless. But she hadn’t clung to him desperately. Why the need for such harsh words?

Fine. As he wished.

After five hours, Zhou An’an parked the car and returned to the bunk without a word to sleep.

Lu Yuan also remained silent. He climbed down from the upper bunk and moved to the driver’s seat to continue driving.

The two thousand kilometers ahead seemed daunting, but driving would only take two or three days.

They didn’t exchange another word. Each went about their business—sleeping when it was time to sleep, driving when it was time to drive. Whoever was hungry opened a bag of snacks, and whoever was thirsty drank a soda, as if the other person didn’t exist.

When it was time to switch shifts again, Zhou An’an removed her headphones, crawled out from under the blanket, and walked into the driver’s cab with a blank expression. Lu Yuan was still in the driver’s seat.

“Get out,” she said.

“Only four hundred kilometers left,” he replied. “No need to switch.”

Not wanting him to think she was taking advantage, Zhou An’an insisted on standing her ground.

Reluctantly, Lu Yuan stood up and made way for her. Noticing her uncharacteristically cold demeanor, he said, “You haven’t eaten properly these past few meals. What do you want to eat? I’ll make it.”

Normally, Zhou An’an would have jumped up in shock at the news of him offering to cook, asking if he’d gone crazy.

But at that moment, she recalled his cold words from that day. With a sigh in her heart, she shook her head without looking at him.

Lu Yuan watched the back of her silent head, then turned and went into the kitchen to start cooking.

In the Doomsday Base, ordinary people didn’t need to master cooking skills. With such limited ingredients—always the same few—there was little room for creativity. All that was required was learning to start a fire and cook the food thoroughly.

However, after so many meals made by Zhou An’an, Lu Yuan’s standards for food had risen considerably. Even when cooking himself, he didn’t want to skimp on his taste buds.

After spending a long time rummaging through the refrigerator, he pulled out a large block of frozen beef, intending to pan-fry a steak just like Zhou An’an had done that day.

Following her steps, he thawed the beef and cut it into two thick slabs, each about three centimeters thick. He seasoned them with salt and black pepper and let them marinate for ten minutes. Then, he heated some oil in a frying pan and placed the steaks inside to sear.

As the steaks sizzled and crackled in the pan, Lu Yuan took a deep breath. The air filled with the rich, milky aroma of beef, and a sense of accomplishment swelled in his chest.

The steaks were quickly pan-seared to a golden-brown on both sides. He deliberately chose the two largest plates to serve them, then turned to boil noodles, fry eggs, and slice carrots.

In just half an hour, Lu Yuan had successfully prepared two steak dinners, more elaborate than Zhou An’an’s previous attempt. The plates were adorned with a variety of side dishes, creating a visually appealing presentation worthy of a movie scene.

He found two glasses, filled them with orange juice, washed his hands, and walked to the driver’s seat to clear his throat.

“I accidentally made a bit too much,” he said, using the line he’d prepared while searing the steaks. “To avoid wasting food, why don’t we eat together?”

Zhou An’an didn’t even turn her head, her hands still gripping the steering wheel.

“I’m not hungry.”

“You should still eat it. Food is precious these days; it would be a shame to throw it away.”

Reluctantly, Zhou An’an parked the car, and they sat down at the dining table.

Staring at the clearly elaborate steak before her, she couldn’t figure out Lu Yuan’s intentions. If he truly despised her, why would he say that? And now, this attempt to appease her—was it a case of “beat her with a stick and then offer a sweet”? She wasn’t a three-year-old child.

“Don’t just stare,” Lu Yuan urged. “Eat up! Try my cooking.”

After a long moment, Zhou An’an picked up a piece of carrot and popped it into her mouth.

The carrots, stored for too long, had wilted slightly, becoming soft and mushy, but they were still sweet.

“Let’s eat those later,” Lu Yuan said. “Let’s have the meat first.”

He immediately offered to cut her steak.

To his surprise, the steak was too tough. After struggling for a long time, he only managed to make a small cut, like he was sawing wood.

“Did I overcook it?” Lu Yuan vaguely recalled movies mentioning steak doneness levels.

He switched to cutting his own steak, putting in a tremendous effort to slice off a piece. He shoved it into his mouth and chewed furiously, but couldn’t swallow it for a long time.

“It’s delicious, just a little tough,” he said awkwardly.

Zhou An’an replied, “You used the wrong cut of meat.”

“Huh? Isn’t this beef?”

“It’s beef shank—the meat from the leg. It’s only suitable for braising or curing, not for steaks. Steaks should be made from ribeye or sirloin, otherwise they’re impossible to chew.”

She glanced at the noodles on the plate. “You used the wrong kind of noodles too. These are dried strands meant for boiling; they don’t work well with this preparation.”

Lu Yuan never imagined that his carefully prepared meal would be flawed in every way. Dejected, he lost all appetite.

Zhou An’an, who had already been unable to eat much, stood up. “The wastewater and trash bins are full. I’ll take them out.”

As she walked toward the bathroom, Lu Yuan suddenly grabbed her arm.

Zhou An’an turned back in surprise, her gaze falling on his hand.

He quickly released it. “I’ll handle the disposal. Just keep an eye out for zombies.”

“No need,” she replied.

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