Caroline opened her mouth, but no words came out. At that moment, Caroline felt like Francis was acting like a peacock in mating season, showing off way too hard. Kay's face drooped even more. She turned to Caroline and asked, "Is there something wrong with him? Like here?" As she spoke, Kay pointed at her head. Caroline sighed, grabbed Kay by the arm, and pulled her a few steps aside. "It's a misunderstanding. Let me explain." So, Caroline stood on the side and told Kay the whole story. She also shared her honest impression of Francis. Halfway through her explanation, Kay tugged lightly on Caroline's sleeve and motioned for her to look behind them. Caroline turned around and saw that Francis had already stood up. He was pacing in the distance. He did not come closer, but he kept leaning toward them. One hand was cupped around his ear like he was trying to eavesdrop. Caroline went completely speechless. Francis did not look like a base leader at all. He looked more like an overexcited teenage boy. "That's pretty much the situation," Caroline continued calmly. "I think Francis is actually a decent guy. He's responsible, capable, loyal, and good with people. He's always treated us well too. But what you choose is still up to you. This is the apocalypse. Everyone is just trying to survive. You're on the front line with your life on the line every day. Falling in love isn't easy now." Caroline did speak kindly for Francis and praised him a bit, but she had no intention of playing matchmaker. After all, she herself had feelings for Tyler and was still stuck in an awkward place. She really had no right to push anyone else into a relationship. How Francis chased Kay would depend entirely on him. Kay nodded lightly and said seriously, "I don't plan to be in a relationship. When I was still on the front line, I already received messages from the unit. Even my captain tried to pursue me, and we talked about it. I turned him down." She paused, her tone calmer now. "After the apocalypse, I thought about many things. A lot of what I used to care about doesn't matter anymore. Now, I just want to live well. Once I finish my service, I want to come back and be reunited with all of you.Then Kay's eyes brightened slightly. "Actually, I came this time for another reason. After the base was built, I saw a name on the personnel list—my cousin Bonnie. We weren't that close, but we played together as kids. I don't have any other family left in this world. So when I heard the base was attacked and that you were in danger, I rushed here. I also wanted to take this chance to see my Bonnie." Kay was usually a quiet person who rarely spoke so much at once. It was obvious she was truly happy to see Caroline. The two of them stood in the base hall, chatting back and forth. The more they talked, the more excited they became, just like best friends who had not seen each other in years and suddenly had endless things to say. Earlier, Caroline had already introduced Francis and Kay to each other. Kay's impression of Francis was very average. She simply nodded coldly at him. But the way Francis looked at Kay—that was a completely different story. Even later, when Caroline and Kay were deep in conversation and ignored him entirely, Francis still stood nearby and refused to leave. Unfortunately, after about half an hour, someone came to call him away. When he left, he looked extremely reluctant. It was practically written all over his face: "I don't want to go." Caroline glanced at Kay's expression. Blank. Calm. Completely indifferent. Francis's long journey had only just begun. After they finished talking, Caroline brought Kay to her living quarters. Francis had already arranged a room for Kay—a guest room for visitors. It was a bit far from Caroline's place. Kay planned to stay for three days. She only had three days of leave and had to return to the front line the afternoon after next. After putting her simple luggage away, Kay went off to look for her cousin. Caroline hurried back to her place, planning to check on her panda cubs. The moment she stepped inside, she saw Tyler in total chaos. He was gently patting the panda cubs' backs with his fingers. Milk was all over him. There were even a few drops splashed on his face. When he saw Caroline come in, he froze, looking like a kid who had messed up. "Th-this ... this little thing threw up."Nearby, Jet burst into loud, dramatic laughter. The sound was anything but elegant—it was more like a crow's caw. "Gah! Gah! Gah!" His chubby body leaned backward as he laughed. That bird almost toppled out of the stroller. "Human! Tyler is too stupid! Human! Tyler is too dumb!" Jet flapped his wings wildly and shouted, completely ignoring Tyler's darkening face. He even added fuel to the fire, saying this was not the first time. Tyler had already changed clothes once. Earlier, one of the panda cubs had sprayed milk all over Tyler's face like a tiny fountain.