Chapter 129: Reading Time with Liu Mei

The evening had settled comfortably over our house as I lay on the bed in Liu Mei’s and Ivy’s shared room, absorbed in a book I’d borrowed from Liu Mei’s personal collection. The soft glow of several candles placed strategically around the room provided adequate reading light, casting dancing shadows on the walls and creating an atmosphere of cozy intimacy that felt remarkably normal despite our post-apocalyptic circumstances.

Liu Mei sat beside me, her back resting against the bed’s headboard as she read her own book—something thick and philosophical that looked far more challenging than the adventure novel I’d selected. Her dark hair fell like a curtain around her face, and occasionally I could hear the soft rustle of pages turning as she progressed through whatever complex text had captured her attention.

Across the room, Ivy occupied the single armchair they’d managed to salvage, her posture perfectly upright as she read with her characteristic impassive expression. Even in relaxation, she maintained the clinical detachment that had become her trademark, though I’d noticed subtle changes in her demeanor since our conversation at the pharmacy earlier that day.

The absence of electricity throughout most of Jackson Township meant that candlelight had become our primary illumination after sunset, creating an almost medieval atmosphere that somehow felt appropriate for our survival situation. We’d grown accustomed to the limitations, and there was something peaceful about the warm, flickering light that harsh electric bulbs had never provided.

I paused in my reading to consider a particular character’s behavior that seemed inconsistent with their previously established personality. "Liu Mei," I said, looking up from my book, "the protagonist in this story is acting strangely in Chapter seven. Yesterday he was cautious and methodical, but now he’s making impulsive decisions that go against everything we’ve learned about his character. Is this supposed to represent some kind of psychological breakdown, or is it just inconsistent writing?"

Liu Mei glanced at me with an expression of exasperation. "I’m not surprised that someone as emotionally restrained as you can’t understand basic character development," she replied with characteristic sarcasm. "The protagonist isn’t having a breakdown—he’s responding to external pressures that are forcing him to act against his natural inclinations. It’s called internal conflict, and it’s a fundamental element of storytelling."

"You could have just answered that gently without insulting my intelligence," I complained, though I had to admit her explanation made sense when I considered the story’s broader context.

Liu Mei simply shrugged, returning her attention to her own book without offering any apology for her sharp tongue. "If you’re going to ask questions about literature, you should be prepared for honest literary analysis."

I resumed reading, making mental notes about the character dynamics Liu Mei had explained. The story was actually more sophisticated than I’d initially realized, with layers of meaning that became apparent once you understood the psychological pressures driving each character’s decisions.

The comfortable silence continued for perhaps twenty more minutes before Liu Mei closed her book and looked at me with obvious intention. "It’s time for you to leave," she announced matter-of-factly.

"Why?" I asked, genuinely confused by the sudden dismissal. "Rachel, Daisy, and Elena are still preparing dinner. We won’t be eating for at least another hour."

"Don’t you have any shame about spending so much time in a girls’ room like this?" Liu Mei asked, her tone holding disapproval that seemed disproportionate to what I considered a perfectly innocent social situation.

"Why should I feel ashamed?" I replied with genuine puzzlement. "You and Ivy are my friends. We’re reading books together—it’s not like we’re doing anything inappropriate."

Liu Mei glared at me with the kind of exasperated expression that suggested I was missing something obvious. "I’m a girl, and you’re a boy. There are certain social conventions about these kinds of situations, especially when we’re sharing sleeping quarters."

I smiled at her concern, thinking about my relationships with Rachel and Sydney that remained largely hidden from the rest of our group. The irony of Liu Mei worrying about impropriety when I was already intimately involved with multiple women in our household was almost amusing.

"You don’t have anything to worry about," I said with perhaps more confidence than I should have displayed. "I’m here to read with fellow readers and enjoy some intellectual conversation. Why are you getting so upset about something so innocent?"

I paused, struck by a sudden thought that I probably should have kept to myself. "Are you maybe having your period? That might explain why you’re being more irritable than usual."

The silence that followed my question was so complete that I could hear the candle flames flickering in the still air. Liu Mei’s expression went through several rapid changes—surprise, indignation, and then something approaching murderous intent.

A chill ran down my spine as I realized I’d just made a serious tactical error.

Before I could apologize or clarify my thoughtless comment, Liu Mei grabbed one of the pillows from behind her and launched it at my head with considerable force. The soft impact was more surprising than painful, but it was clearly just the beginning of her retaliation.

"I was joking!" I protested, but Liu Mei was already reaching for additional ammunition.

Instead of accepting my apology, she ignored my explanation entirely and began attacking me with her bare feet, kicking at my arms and torso. I protected myself with the pillow she’d thrown, laughing a little despite the assault while trying to avoid dropping my book.

As I fended off Liu Mei’s continued attacks, I glanced toward Ivy, expecting to see some reaction to the chaos that had erupted in her normally quiet reading space. Instead, I found her watching us with the same deadpan expression she used for everything, as if observing a mildly interesting scientific experiment rather than a pillow fight.

"Was I right?" I asked Ivy jokingly, hoping she might provide some perspective on Liu Mei’s extreme reaction to what had been intended as a harmless question.

Ivy looked at Liu Mei, who immediately tried to communicate through frantic gestures that she shouldn’t respond to my question. But Ivy, with her characteristic disregard for social subtleties, spoke anyway.

"That might be the case," she said, "or she could simply be sexually frustrated in a house where every other woman around her is having sexual relations with you."

Both Liu Mei and I froze completely, the pillow fight coming to an abrupt halt as the implications of Ivy’s casual observation hit both of us.

Liu Mei turned to stare at me with wide eyes, her expression shifting from anger to something approaching shock. I could practically see her mind working through the revelation, trying to piece together exactly which women in our household Ivy was referring to.

Meanwhile, I found myself staring at Liu Mei with growing alarm, completely ignoring the bombshell Ivy had just dropped about my private relationships. "Are you actually sexually frustrated?" I asked with genuine concern.

Liu Mei’s face turned crimson red, but this time the flush was clearly from embarrassment and anger rather than simple irritation. The combination of Ivy’s revelation and my direct question about her personal needs had apparently pushed her beyond her limit for dealing with awkward social situations.

I felt another chill run down my spine as I recognized the warning signs of an escalating situation that was about to get much worse.

"I’m leaving," I announced quickly, scrambling off the bed and heading for the door with as much dignity as I could manage.

I made it through the doorway and managed to close the door behind me just in time to hear a loud thud as Liu Mei clearly threw her book at the spot where I’d been standing moments earlier.

"You depraved Abraham Lincoln!" Came her muffled shout from inside the room, followed by what sounded like additional objects being thrown around in frustration.

I leaned against the hallway wall, trying to process what had just happened and the various revelations that had emerged from what should have been a simple evening of reading together. Ivy’s casual comment about multiple women in our household having sexual relations with me was going to create complications I wasn’t prepared to handle, especially if Liu Mei started sharing that information with others.

Wait, I will just tell her it was a joke or something hoping she would accept it...

The sound of footsteps on the living room indicated that dinner preparations were probably nearing completion, which meant I’d need to face the rest of our household and pretend that nothing significant had just occurred.

By the time I made it downstairs to the dining area, Rachel, Daisy, and Elena had finished preparing what looked like an impressive meal featuring fresh vegetables from our garden. The tomatoes, peppers, and herbs we’d been cultivating for months had been transformed into a colorful salad that looked almost restaurant-quality, accompanied by preserved meats and fresh bread that Daisy had somehow managed to bake using our improvised kitchen facilities.

"Perfect timing," Rachel said with a warm smile as I entered the room. "We were just about to call everyone for dinner."

The fresh vegetables represented months of careful cultivation and patient waiting, and their appearance on our dinner table felt like a small victory honestly.

As the others began gathering around the table, I decided to address a practical matter that had been on my mind. "I’m planning to visit the Municipal Office tomorrow morning to check on Mark’s progress with the defensive installations. Does anyone want to come along?"

Sydney, who had just settled into her chair with characteristic energy, immediately perked up with interest. "Are you finally going to give Jasmine an answer to her confession? If yes, I am coming." She said with the kind of directness that made everyone else at the table freeze in surprise.

The question hit the dinner conversation like a bomb, creating an immediate atmosphere of tension and curiosity that I definitely hadn’t been prepared to handle.

Sydney!!!

"Everyone at the Municipal Office is aware of her feelings," Sydney continued with a casual shrug, apparently oblivious to the shock her question had caused. "She’s been talking about it with her friends, and it’s become something of a topic of conversation among the community."

I could feel the weight of multiple gazes focusing on me as Rachel, Elena, and Cindy all turned their attention toward my response. Even Daisy, who typically avoided discussing romantic complications, was watching with obvious curiosity mixed with embarrassment.

"I... I appreciate Jasmine’s feelings," I said awkwardly, "but I honestly don’t know what to tell her. The situation is complicated, and I don’t want to hurt her feelings or create problems within the Municipal Office community."

Rachel’s expression was carefully neutral, but I could see something in her eyes that suggested she was processing the implications of another woman expressing romantic interest in me. Elena looked similarly thoughtful, while Cindy seemed more concerned than jealous.

"What exactly did she confess?" Daisy asked innocently.

"She told Ryan she has feelings for him and wants to explore a romantic relationship," Sydney replied before her smile shifted into something more mischievous as she looked directly at Rachel. "She also mentioned that she won’t lose to Rachel or Elena."

Rebecca, who had been quietly eating until now, froze with her fork halfway to her mouth. She slowly lowered it back to her plate, her eyes widening as she processed what Sydney had just revealed. "L...Lose what exactly?!"

Thankfully, Rebecca didn’t seem to fully grasp the romantic implications of what Sydney had said, but she’d clearly heard enough to start connecting some potentially dangerous dots.

Daisy, meanwhile, looked back and forth between an increasingly awkward Rachel and a visibly embarrassed Elena, her innocent curiosity clearly struggling to understand the undercurrents of tension that had suddenly filled the dining room.

Sydney... I gave her a pointed stare, silently asking why she was being so recklessly provocative with information that could create serious complications for all of us. But she just winked at me with obvious satisfaction before taking a slow lick of her spoon, clearly enjoying the chaos she’d managed to create with just a few carefully chosen words.

"It’s nothing important, Rebecca," Rachel said sighing. "And I’ve told you before not to shout while we’re eating."

"B...But what about Jasmine’s feelings?" Rebecca asked, refusing to let the topic drop as she turned her attention directly toward me. "What are you going to tell her?"

Why was she curious about it now?

"Are you planning to confess to Ryan yourself, Becca?" Sydney asked with an exaggerated expression of surprise that was clearly designed to deflect attention from the more serious implications of her previous comments.

"Why would I ever confess to someone like him?!" Rebecca replied with indignation, pointing her finger at me accusingly as if I’d personally suggested such a ridiculous idea.

Sitting at the receiving end of her pointed finger, I honestly didn’t know how to respond to such a characteristically dramatic reaction. Rebecca’s ability to turn any conversation into a personal offense against her dignity was both impressive and exhausting.

"That’s very kind of you to say," I replied shortly, returning my attention to my dinner and hoping the conversation would move on to less volatile topics.

"Don’t mind her attitude," Rachel said to her sulking sister before turning to me with a smile. "As for tomorrow’s trip to the Municipal Office, I’d like to come along. Clara mentioned that we could exchange some of our garden vegetables for supplies they have in larger quantities. Their garden operation is more extensive than ours."

"I’ll also come," Sydney nodded with obvious enthusiasm. "I want to see how Ryan handles Jasmine’s confession. It should be quite entertaining."

"I have no intention of giving any definitive answer to her confession," I replied to Sydney, though her expression suggested she wasn’t particularly concerned about my preferences in the matter.

"I’ll come too," Cindy said, raising her hand somewhat hesitantly.

"I’ll also come," Elena said immediately after Cindy, raising her own hand with what appeared to be competitive urgency.

"Girls, we’re not going on a field trip," I said with mild exasperation. "This is supposed to be an exchanges of supplies and equipment check, not a social expedition."

"Aren’t you the one who asked if anyone wanted to come along!" Elena glared at me, her embarrassment at being called out clearly making her more defensive than usual.

"Alright, everyone calm down," Alisha intervened with a sigh, patting Elena’s back in a gesture of sisterly support before looking at me with understanding. "It’s fine. I’ll stay here with Daisy, Mei, Miss Ivy, and Rebecca. Someone should maintain security at the house anyway."

"Wait, if my sister is leaving, I want to come too—" Rebecca started to protest, but Rachel cut her off with gentle firmness.

"Rebecca, I’m not a little girl anymore. I can defend myself perfectly well," she replied.

"But that perverted Brad is always bothering you when you’re there!" Rebecca complained.

She really hated him, can’t blame her though.

"He won’t be a problem this time," I replied, perhaps more forcefully than I’d intended. "I’ve been too polite in previous encounters, but I won’t make that mistake again."

Rebecca glanced at me with surprise, apparently noting the change in my tone and the underlying determination behind my words.

I cleared my throat, feeling somewhat embarrassed by my own vehemence. "I mean, I’ve given him the benefit of the doubt before, but if he continues to make Rachel uncomfortable, I’ll be much more direct about discouraging his behavior."

The truth was that Rachel was now my official girlfriend, even if we were keeping that relationship relatively private from most of our household. The idea of Brad continuing to harass her with unwanted attention when she’d made her lack of interest abundantly clear was something I wouldn’t tolerate anymore.

"So manly, Ryan," Sydney grinned at me.

Rachel scratched her cheek with a slight flush of embarrassment, clearly pleased by my willingness to defend her.

Rebecca eyed this with suspicious stare but didn’t say anything.

Now I was feeling embarrassed too, having revealed more of my feelings about Rachel than I’d intended in such a public setting.

Anyway, I looked at Cindy with growing concern. Would she really be okay returning to the Municipal Office? She hadn’t visited there since Christopher had moved out to live independently, and I worried that being in that environment might bring back difficult emotions related to their complicated relationship history. The last thing I wanted was to put her in an uncomfortable situation where she’d have to deal with awkward questions or assumptions about her connection to Christopher.