When did I start liking…

“A 22nd session junior? Which class are you in?” Song Ning’s voice, slightly muffled, came from the exoskeleton helmet.

The girl tilted her head. “When you graduated, I was in the third class of my second year of high school.”

Second year, third class?

Song Ning made a mental note of the class.

She sighed, squatted down, and, seeing nothing dirty on the ruins, sat beside the girl.

The convoy stopped not far away, and few dared to get out of the vehicles easily; for these ordinary people, the neurotoxin from the Illusion Worms [Imposter and Illusion Worm] was still a great threat.

The Emergency Strike Team, personally pulled out by the girl earlier, had all gotten out of the vehicles and were stretching outside.

Clad in exoskeletons, in Biohazard Mode, they weren’t afraid of the toxins. One of the functions of the Biohazard Mode was to filter the air.

“Sister… aren’t you curious about when I started liking you?” the girl asked with a mischievous smile.

Hearing the girl say that, Song Ning became curious. When did Ping Chengcheng start liking her, and why did she have such twisted feelings for her?

She looked at the girl curiously, waiting for her to continue.

Ping Chengcheng looked at Song Ning, wanting to know Song Ning’s expression, but could only see the black visor of the Biohazard Mode helmet.

Sigh. Then, let’s just tell her directly.

“Sister, actually, I’ve liked you for a long time…” the girl said, also sitting on the ground atop the ruins.

The familiar scent of dust permeated the air of the entire city. Thick dark clouds hung in the sky, and hazy mist was everywhere.

In this black and white world, two girls sat on the ruins, leaning against each other, whispering quietly.

“Sister, the first time I saw you was in the second grade of elementary school.”

Second grade?

Song Ning pondered. She had no memory of this girl at all.

Ping Chengcheng is so cute… why doesn’t she have any impression of her?

The girl leaned against her shoulder, her eyes filled with a bit of warmth from the memories.

She chuckled softly. “Sister, you know… ever since I was little, my body has been very weak, so I’ve always been timid. Although my health gradually improved after middle school, I could never shake off my old personality.”

As she spoke, the girl paused quietly for a moment and took a deep breath.

“You were so amazing back then. The first time I noticed you was at the school’s sports meet. I was sitting in the stands, feeling very drowsy because it was summer, very hot, and the teacher wouldn’t let us leave.”

“I vaguely heard the sports meet announcements…”

“1500-meter race: Song Ning.”

“Long jump: Song Ning.”

“High jump: Song Ning.”

At this point, the girl couldn’t help but laugh. “I thought to myself, who’s so amazing! Competing in three events in a row without even resting, I have to watch closely—”

“And then I saw you. You were dark-skinned, but you were cool and pretty… I still remember how you looked back then. Although it was just an ordinary white t-shirt and shorts, you looked so good, and I couldn’t take my eyes off you at first glance.”

On the ruins, the girl’s voice was soft as she leaned on Song Ning’s shoulder, looking into the distance.

Everything Ping Chengcheng said was true, but Song Ning didn’t know it.

“I guess it was around that time that I unknowingly developed feelings for you…”

“From then on, I often secretly looked for opportunities to observe you… At first, I didn’t know what that feeling was. It wasn’t until high school that I suddenly realized…”

“I think… I must be in love with you?” Ping Chengcheng said, laughing.

Song Ning listened to the girl’s words in silence, nodding slightly.

So that’s how it was? But… is it really that simple?

No matter how she thought about it, it felt a little unreasonable… Could Ping Chengcheng be lying to her again?

No… was there any need? There was no need to lie about this too, right? But… in Song Ning’s memory, she really didn’t have the slightest impression of this girl, and they hadn’t even exchanged a single word.

Why was that? So, why did Ping Chengcheng fall in love with her? The girl must be hiding something from her.

Song Ning began to have some doubts about the girl’s identity.

For this trip to A City, should she go to the archives of Ruolan High School to take a look? It was on the way anyway.

A student from the class of ’22? Third class of the third year.

If Ping Chengcheng’s identity as her “junior” was also fake, then who exactly was Ping Chengcheng?

It didn’t seem necessary for a normal person to hide their identity, right? So, what was the purpose of doing all this?

No… there was also another possibility… that this person had no “social existence” originally, so she needed to fabricate a reasonable identity to explain the inconsistencies about herself.

Song Ning remained calm on the surface, and the girl was still pouring out her past, but Song Ning couldn’t listen anymore.

What the girl was saying was basically about what Song Ning was doing, and she just happened to be watching from the side. Although the girl’s acting seemed really good, it was still too fake…

For so many years, someone had been watching Song Ning all along, and Song Ning hadn’t noticed at all? That was impossible, unless the girl was some kind of special agent! But how could that be!

“Sister, you know… that day at noon, I saw Ping Yan putting a love letter in your desk. Ugh, I was so angry…!”

“But luckily, hehe,” the girl said with a silly smile.

“Back then, in the evening, I secretly followed you guys and saw you reject him harshly! Hmph, I can’t tell you how happy I was back then!” The girl grabbed the young woman’s arm, hugged it, and shook it a few times.

“Sister, have you always liked girls?” Ping Chengcheng’s ruby-like eyes looked at Song Ning, but sadly, she could only see the black visor.

Song Ning nodded, not denying it. “Yes…”

As she said that, she also pondered slightly.

“Back then… when I realized I liked girls, I was also upset for a while.”

Inside the helmet, Song Ning’s expression was unreadable. She had long since come to terms with these things.

Song Ning was born into a somewhat traditional family. A long time ago, Song Ning had realized that she liked girls, but because of her family environment, she had always thought that this idea was wrong.

She liked those weaklings, those little girls who were easy to bully, but because of her surroundings, because of the pressure from her family, the pressure that society might bring, Song Ning didn’t dare to pursue her true feelings back then.

There was a boy by her side who suited her taste very well. Back then, Ping Yan’s personality was very weak, and he listened to her, but unfortunately, Ping Yan was a boy, so Song Ning couldn’t develop any feelings for him.

It wasn’t until the apocalypse broke out that Song Ning truly began to pursue her true feelings. The first time she saw Ping Chengcheng, honestly, she had the idea of raising her. She remembered that it was at an abandoned sewage plant, and the girl was being chased by a dozen zombies, looking very pathetic.

How cute and obedient was the girl back then?

A faint smile unknowingly appeared on Song Ning’s face.

If Ping Chengcheng could always be so obedient and cute… but Song Ning thought of Ping Yan again.

Although she didn’t like Ping Yan, she had always treated him as a very good friend for so many years. Ping Chengcheng had saved Song Ning’s life, but Song Ning still couldn’t forgive Ping Chengcheng.

She couldn’t replace Ping Yan and forgive Ping Chengcheng.