An Evening at the Villa
At 7:55 PM, Yuto Saito entered the living room on the first floor of the villa. Yun Yun and the others were already there, chatting on the sofa.
"Xiao Tutu, where did you go just now?" Ni Shuang asked.
"I went to the top floor of the villa to enjoy the sea breeze," Yuto replied.
Yun Yun smiled slightly. "You moved the Floating Island to the seaside?"
"Yes," Yuto nodded. "It's not ideal to keep it in the school. The next upgrade will expand its area to ten million square meters, which will be much more convenient at sea."
"The Floating Island should be able to upgrade to Level 5 tomorrow," Natto said confidently.
Juzi agreed. "I think so too."
"Why don't I see Hu Tuan'er and Mifen?" Yun Yun asked.
"They also went to the hot springs," Ruoruo replied. "I guess they lost track of time chatting with Yuqi and the others."
As soon as she spoke, Yuqi and the other three girls entered the room.
"Speak of the devil, and here you all are!" Ruoruo said playfully.
Chen Xinyu was wearing a set of white, antique-style plain clothes. These were part of the crew's wardrobe, which actors could wear directly back to the hotel after filming.
"Wow, Xinyu looks so beautiful in ancient clothes!" Juzi cheered, admiring Chen Xinyu's outfit.
"Thank you," Chen Xinyu said with a happy smile.
Mina smiled brightly. "You look a little like Yin Susu!"
"Thank you," Chen Xinyu smiled sweetly at Mina. "Have you seen my movies, beautiful?"
"Of course, I've seen them," Mina replied. "The martial arts TV series remade in the past few years, yours were the most outstanding."
Nako nodded in agreement.
Ni Shuang gestured. "Please, have a seat and chat."
"Okay, thank you," Chen Xinyu said, pleased that the girls seemed so easy to get along with. Immediately afterward, Ni Shuang and the others introduced themselves, and Chen Xinyu made sure to remember everyone's name.
Just then, Yun Yun walked out of the kitchen, smiling. "Xiaotu, is there a new guest here?"
"Mmm," Yuto Saito affirmed.
"Dinner's ready," Yun Yun announced. "Everyone, come help with the dishes."
"Okay!" Ruoruo said cheerfully.
Chen Xinyu looked at Yun Yun, impressed. This blue-haired beauty had both a striking face and an excellent figure—truly pleasing to the eye. Everyone got up to help serve the dishes. During this time, Yun Yun and Juzi both greeted Chen Xinyu, who responded with polite sincerity.
The group gathered around the table and enjoyed a sumptuous dinner. Looking at the delicious spread, Chen Xinyu swallowed hard.
Seeing this, Yuqi teased, "Xinyu, you're salivating!"
"Yuqi, stop laughing at me," Chen Xinyu said with a smile. "I haven't eaten rice in two or three days."
"Come, have some soup first and eat slowly," Yun Yun said softly.
"Thank you, Sister Yunyun," Chen Xinyu said gratefully, already clearly sensing that Yunyun was the hostess.
Yuto Saito gestured. "Let's eat! Everyone, help yourselves. Don't be shy."
Chen Xinyu drank the sparerib soup, her delicate face filled with pure satisfaction. Seeing her expression, Yuto Saito almost wanted to laugh; such an expression could easily be misunderstood.
"This pork ribs soup is so delicious, and the ribs are fantastic!" Chen Xinyu said emotionally.
Yuqi smiled. "I told you, Sister Yun's cooking is amazing! You can try this shrimp too." Yuqi then took the initiative to put some braised prawns on Chen Xinyu's plate.
Yun Yun also served food to Chen Xinyu. "Eat slowly; there's plenty."
"Thank you," Chen Xinyu said sweetly, feeling everyone's care. Eating the delicious food, Chen Xinyu felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction. Tears inexplicably welled up in her eyes. In the past few days, she had truly walked through the gates of hell and now genuinely appreciated the preciousness of food.
Chen Xinyu Joins the Team
After a pleasant dinner, Yuto Saito said to Yuqi, "Yuqi, take Chen Xinyu to the hot spring, and while you're there, tell her about the Floating Island."
"Okay," Yuqi nodded.
Chen Xinyu's beautiful eyes widened. "There's a hot spring here?"
"Yes, it's at the back of the villa. I'll take you there," Yuqi said cheerfully.
So, Yuqi led Chen Xinyu to the hot spring pool. Ruoruo volunteered to clear the table, and the rest of the group gathered in the villa's living room.
Yuto Saito asked the girls, "What do you all think about Chen Xinyu?"
"I think she's good," Ni Shuang replied. "She's very discerning, cheerful and lively, and highly adaptable."
Mina added, "Chen Xinyu is Yuqi's friend. If she isn't included in the team, should she be left to live alone on the Floating Island? Sister Zhou and the others don't plan to join the team, but at least they have each other for company. It wouldn't be appropriate for Chen Xinyu to live alone in the floating community if she doesn't join."
Yun Yun said succinctly, "You can let her join."
Juzi suggested, "It's fine to let her join the team, but she should perform a talent."
"Yes, yes!" Natto chimed in. "I want to see a talent show! I haven't seen one in ages."
Nako said, "She's an actress, so let her perform different emotions. For example, sweet and cute, classical temperament, or even a devilish type."
Ni Shuang smiled. "Nako's proposal isn't bad; I think it's feasible."
Yuto Saito concluded, "In half an hour, we'll have Chen Xinyu perform her talent. I'm going upstairs to take a bath first. Everyone else, take a rest. If you want to bathe, do so, and if you want to visit your parents, go to the community. Reassemble here in an hour."
The girls all agreed.
Meanwhile, Yuqi brought Chen Xinyu to the hot spring pool. Looking at the misty hot spring, Chen Xinyu said happily, "This place is like a fairyland; it's amazing!"
"It truly is wonderful," Yuqi said excitedly. "Now that the end of the world is here, we live in such a safe place, completely free of worry."
"Yuqi, can I become as strong as you?" Chen Xinyu asked.
"If you can join the team, you can become very strong!" Yuqi replied. "If you can't join the team, you'll still improve gradually with some medicinal herbs. Either way, you'll definitely get stronger."
"I hope I can join the team," Chen Xinyu said, looking forward.
Yuqi smiled. "Everyone seemed to have a good impression of you just now. You should have a good chance of joining the team. Come on, let's take a bath first."
The two women stepped into the hot spring. Soaking in the warm water, Chen Xinyu sighed with emotion. "This hot spring is so comfortable! I've been so worried these past two days; I can finally relax. By the way, Yuqi, tell me about the Floating Island." Immediately afterward, Yuqi recounted everything about the Floating Island's upgrade method, its protective shield, and more.
A New Team Member's Debut
At 8:00 PM, Yuto Saito came to the living room on the first floor.
Chen Xinyu, now wearing a set of white, antique-style plain clothes from her acting days, looked stunning.
"Wow, Xinyu is so beautiful in ancient clothes!" Juzi cheered.
"Thank you," Chen Xinyu said with a happy smile.
Mina smiled brightly. "You look a little like Yin Susu!"
Yuto Saito extended an invitation to Chen Xinyu:
[Captain Yuto Saito invites you to join the team.]
Without hesitation, Chen Xinyu clicked to agree. Instantly, she felt a surge of energy pouring into her body. Chen Xinyu clearly felt stronger; her strength, agility, physique, and mental faculties had all significantly improved. With 40 basic attribute points from joining the team, her combat power now totaled 480, reaching 5 stars! Everyone else in the team also received a 40-point attribute gain.
Chen Xinyu was stunned. "Captain," she exclaimed in surprise, "you invited me to join the team, but why did I suddenly gain 5-star combat power?"
Yuqi smiled. "That's the captain's strength! Don't be surprised; we've all experienced it."
"It's basic operation, don't be surprised," Natto added happily. "There will be more surprises in the future."
Chen Xinyu looked at Yuto Saito with watery, bright eyes, as if silently sending a blessing, and thanked him. "Thank you, Captain!"
Yuto Saito smiled. "From now on, you'll be the twelfth member of the team."
"Mmmm," Chen Xinyu said happily.
Yuto Saito gestured. "Please begin your performance and portray three different character states."
Chen Xinyu smiled at the group. "Okay, I'll start with a sweet and lovely one, like, 'the captain is my boyfriend.'" She walked over to Yuto Saito, squatted down, took his arms with both hands, and said coquettishly, "Brother Su, how are you, please?" She continued in a teasing, playful voice, "Please, please, will you? It doesn't matter, you're the best. I love you, what do people want?"
Chen Xinyu's adorable and flirtatious voice gave everyone present goosebumps. Yuto Saito's body subtly trembled—who could resist that?
"Xinyu is amazing!" Yuqi applauded.
The others also applauded.
"Cow batch!" Natto shouted, using slang for "awesome."
"As expected of an actor," Ruoruo said. "The role-playing is amazing!"
"Look at the captain smiling so happily," Mina teased.
"It seems the captain likes role-playing," Juzi added.
Hearing this, Mifen thought to herself, How about I cosplay as a nurse next time? Or an anime character?
Yuto Saito complimented her. "Yes, the character interpretation is perfect. Please move on to the next role."
Chen Xinyu stood back in the open space and adjusted her demeanor. "Wait a moment, I'm looking for a piece of music."
An ancient piece of music began to play, and Chen Xinyu started to dance in the open space. She frowned and smiled, radiating a captivating charm. Her graceful movements and soft lines captivated everyone. Yuto Saito watched with a smile, thinking that Chen Xinyu danced beautifully and truly embodied the essence of a classical beauty. After the dance, applause filled the room. Yuto Saito was delighted; he loved girls with contrasting personalities the most.
Chen Xinyu adjusted her state once more. This time, she portrayed the female devil, Dongfang Bubai. She took a few toothpicks from the table and used them as props. "Embroidery needles, huh!" she said coldly, humorously dubbing herself. The group burst into laughter.
"That's so funny!" Ruoruo exclaimed.
Yuqi teased, "Xinyu, your serious expression was great, but when you threw the toothpick, it was just too funny!"
"It's mainly because it's a toothpick, not a real embroidery needle," Chen Xinyu explained. "I could only perform it in a funny way. Let's consider it a comedy."
"Yes, it's great!" Ni Shuang applauded. "Chen Xinyu's acting skills are excellent, and her versatility is incredible."
Natto nodded in agreement. "It really is great! Turning it into a comedic interpretation—I never would have thought of that."
Chen Xinyu smiled sweetly. "I wanted to lighten the mood for everyone. The apocalypse is here, and everyone is stressed every day. You should smile more and relax."
Yuto Saito applauded. "Very good! Everyone, please welcome Chen Xinyu into the team with warm applause." All the women applauded, expressing their welcome.
"Thank you, I love you all!" A bright smile appeared on Chen Xinyu's face.
Yuto Saito then reviewed Chen Xinyu's data:
Name: Chen Xinyu
Level: Level 1
Combat Strength: 520
Strength evaluation: 5 stars
Experience: 0
Appearance evaluation: 95
Loyalty: 95
Yuto Saito had seen Chen Xinyu's data before. When he picked her up, her loyalty was only 88. After dinner, a hot spring soak, and an invitation to join the team, her loyalty had directly soared to 95. Since she had just joined the team, her experience was 0, and her level was only 1. However, once she gained experience, her combat power would increase very quickly.
Yuto Saito wondered, should he bestow a talent upon Chen Xinyu, or should he wait to refine an Awakening Pill and let her awaken first?