The room was unbearably warm.
Zhou Ke'er felt as if she were being roasted alive inside her down jacket. She hurriedly stripped it off—completely ignoring the gun still trained on her—gasping for air as tears of excitement welled up in her eyes.
"Warmth… it's so warm…"
This was the temperature humans were meant to live in. She had gone far too long without something this ordinary, this precious.
Zhang Yi said coldly, "Don't forget—this is my home. And you still haven't passed my final test."
The muzzle of the gun never wavered.
Zhou Ke'er forced a smile. "I did what you asked. I dealt with your enemies. Isn't that enough to earn your trust?"
Zhang Yi replied calmly, "Getting rid of them benefited you as well. All that proves is that you're useful."
He stared at her without warmth.
"Now you need to prove you're harmless."
After the apocalypse, he trusted no one. Anyone could lose their humanity.
Zhou Ke'er swallowed and asked softly, "Then… what do I need to do?"
"Are you hiding any weapons?" Zhang Yi asked.
She immediately raised both hands. "Not like this, I'm not."
"Raise them higher."
She obeyed without hesitation. She had no bargaining power at all. This place was far too warm—paradise compared to the hell she'd been living in.
Pressed against the door, she let him search her carefully from top to bottom. Zhang Yi was thorough and methodical, until he was certain she carried no weapons.
Only then did he point at her medical kit.
"I suggest you take a shower."
Zhou Ke'er froze, then blushed deeply.
She hadn't bathed in over half a month.
Without saying a word, she fled into the bathroom.
A moment later, Zhang Yi took out a set of women's clothes from his spatial storage—judging her size from experience managing warehouses—and placed them outside the door.
"Clean clothes. Try them on."
Inside the bathroom, hot water poured over her body.
Zhou Ke'er bit her lip as tears slid down her cheeks.
Only after losing them did she realize how precious ordinary things were.
She washed carefully—water was scarce—but still sped up. This was Zhang Yi's home, after all.
When she finally stepped out, wearing loose pajamas, her hair still damp, she looked strikingly beautiful.
Zhang Yi didn't react.
His gaze remained alert, guarded.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I haven't bathed in a long time… I wasted water."
Her heart was pounding.
She was afraid—afraid he'd throw her back into the freezing world outside.
Once you'd tasted comfort, no one wanted to return to suffering.