Lu Qiming insisted and picked up the knife, putting it back into her hand.
“You must give it a try, see which one suits you better. Don’t you want to have more self-defense ability when facing zombie attacks?” he said.
Jiang Miaomiao thought about fighting zombies and felt a headache coming on. She sighed.
“Zombies are strong, fast, and ferocious. How can I compete with them with a small knife? If I really encounter an attack, I might as well lie down and wait for death.”
Lu Qiming frowned.
“Are you really not going to try?”
She blinked her eyes and shook her head.
He fell silent for a few seconds, standing up coldly.
“Fine, you really disappoint me.”
In that instant, Jiang Miaomiao felt like she had fallen into an icy hole, feeling cold from head to toe, and deeply felt that she owed him.
Wait, no! It’s her own life, and lying down and waiting for death is her own choice. It’s none of his business!
He’s disappointed? Whatever!
Jiang Miaomiao brushed her teeth and washed her face, ignoring him.
Surprisingly, Lu Qiming also ignored her and, at eight o’clock, didn’t mention going out to work at all. He sat on the mattress playing games, not budging an inch.
【The slow update problem for new chapters has finally been resolved on the Huanyuan app, which can also be used to check the latest chapters on multiple platforms.】
Jiang Miaomiao belatedly realized that he was genuinely angry. Feeling uneasy, she walked to the room and knocked on the door, which was already wide open.
Without looking up, Lu Qiming asked, “What’s the matter?”
“I’ll give it a try after all.”
Whether it’s useful or not, she’d better set aside her pride; she didn’t want to be in a cold war with her only roommate.
After all, he was the main labor force, fetching water and everything.
If he remained upset, their living conditions would be severely affected.
Lu Qiming responded indifferently, “No need.”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t really want to make an effort to survive. What’s the point of trying? It’s a waste of time.”
He mocked her and continued to immerse himself in the joy of the game.
Jiang Miaomiao felt like using a needle to sew his mouth shut, to prevent him from saying these hurtful words.
But a few minutes later, she decided to walk up to him, biting her lip as she grabbed his arm.
“Come on, please, I want to try. Will you help me?”
“I won’t go.”
“I didn’t want to make an effort before, but now it’s different, okay?”
Lu Qiming paused his actions and turned his head, asking amid the noisy background music of the game:
“What’s different?”
“Well…”
She thought seriously for a moment and truthfully said, “Before, I was alone, and even if I struggled to survive, it was useless. Nobody would take care of me when I got injured or help me when I was hungry. But now it’s different, now I have you. In case something really happens to me, you won’t just watch me suffer, right?”
“Now I have you…”
Lu Qiming felt an indescribable feeling in his heart. He glanced at his computer, turned off the game, and said, “Come on, let’s pick a weapon for you.”
“Hehe! I knew you were the best.”
Jiang Miaomiao tiptoed and hugged him for a second, then quickly let go and ran downstairs.
In that brief moment, Lu Qiming could feel her body warmth and the faint scent of shower gel on her.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and followed her downstairs.
Jiang Miaomiao hadn’t paid much attention before, but now as she opened the bag, she realized how much preparation Lu Qiming had done.
Inside were various types of weapons, almost everything one could find in the city.
Fruit knives, bone-cutting knives, slingshots, crowbars, and…
She picked up something that looked like a flashlight and asked, puzzled, “What is this?”
“A wolf repellent electric shocker.”
“Do zombies fear electricity?”
“You won’t know until you try.”
Try it on who?
Before Jiang Miaomiao could ask, Lu Qiming looked at the room where the little zombie was kept and lifted his chin.
She made a sound of surprise, “Not this one, right? It’s so small…”
Keeping it locked up for a month was already an act of helplessness. Now, using these things to torture it would be like abusing a child.
Before the outbreak, it must have been the family’s little treasure. Knowing that it suffered like this, its parents must be heartbroken.
Thinking about the longevity lock around its neck, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Lu Qiming said, “Don’t overthink it. It has no consciousness anymore; it’s just a walking corpse. If you really can’t do it, then shall we catch another one?”
Thinking about the danger of catching zombies, Jiang Miaomiao shuddered and quickly shook her head.
“No need, let’s use this one.”
Everyone was trying to survive; no one had it easy.
If the little zombie had a spirit in the afterlife, she… She would burn more paper money for it, so it could buy lollipops over there.
Jiang Miaomiao still didn’t want to use a knife, fearing that she might cut herself and cause a river of blood. So, she picked up the seemingly safer electric shocker.
Lu Qiming opened the door for her, and the little zombie was lying on the ground, its head covered with a bedsheet.
It was daydreaming, but when it heard movement, it became restless.
Jiang Miaomiao approached it stealthily, her gaze scanning its miserable wrists and ankles, feeling both disgusted and guilty.
There were many cuts on those areas where they had taken blood from it. Now, with the hot weather, the flesh was rotting rapidly, and many bones were exposed, making the room smell unbearable.
She placed the electric shocker on its relatively intact shoulder and pressed the switch.
Zi, zi, zi…
The electric current passed through its body, causing it to convulse all over, its mouth uttering incoherent sounds.
Jiang Miaomiao quickly turned off the power and poked it.
The little zombie propped itself up and roared, seemingly even more energetic than before the shock.
Uh… It seems like it didn’t work.
Jiang Miaomiao threw away the electric shocker and picked up the slingshot.
Lu Qiming removed the bedsheet covering the little zombie’s head and released its limbs, tying a rope around its neck with the other end held firmly in his hand.
When the little zombie saw Jiang Miaomiao, it lunged toward her with its mouth open, its teeth nearly all gone.
Jiang Miaomiao gritted her teeth and resisted, but most of her strength was used on her throat.
Every time the little zombie got close to biting her, Lu Qiming would pull the rope back, separating the two of them.
However, even so, Jiang Miaomiao couldn’t harm it in the slightest and ended up exhausting herself.
During the break, she leaned against the wall and cried.
“It’s too difficult, I can’t do it, sob…”
Lu Qiming grabbed her delicate wrist and looked at it, realizing that relying solely on physical strength was too much for her.
Combat skills, something that required talent, couldn’t be developed in just a day or two.
It would be better to start with the choice of weapons.
He thought for a moment, re-tied the little zombie, put on a set of protective clothing, wiped the blood off, and said to Jiang Miaomiao, “I’ll go out for a moment, you rest.”
Jiang Miaomiao quickly stood up, “Where are you going? Didn’t you say we’re not working today?”
“I’ll tell you when I come back.”
After saying that, he hurriedly left, leaving her alone in the spacious and quiet villa.
No, there was still it.
Jiang Miaomiao glanced at the little zombie and felt afraid of the strength it showed during the fight, so she quickly closed the door and went upstairs.
Lu Qiming didn’t come back at noon, so she cooked the meal herself and left a portion for him.
Looking at the food on the plate, she couldn’t help but curse Lu Qiming in her heart.
This guy was really annoying, doing whatever he wanted without telling her where he was going. What if he couldn’t come back?
Jiang Miaomiao took out her phone, sat on the living room floor, played games, and waited for him, but she fell asleep unknowingly.
“Hey, wake up, sleepyhead.”
She was awakened by someone shaking her and, in a daze, opened her eyes to see not Lu Qiming’s face but a small electric saw.
The sharp teeth of the saw were pointed at her face, instantly scaring away any sleepiness.
Lu Qiming looked at the electric saw, moved it further away, and said, “I got you a new self-defense weapon, get up and try it.”
Jiang Miaomiao stood up dazedly and took a few steps before remembering something.
“Did you eat? I left some food for you.”
Lu Qiming was adjusting the electric saw when he heard her words, and his heart warmed.
“I’ll eat later, you try it first.”
“Oh, okay.”
She reached out to take it and was taken aback as soon as it was in her hands.
“Wait a minute! This is…”
“An electric saw.”
“Ah… Ahem…”
Jiang Miaomiao almost choked on her own saliva, extremely shocked.
Using an electric saw for self-defense? She wasn’t a serial killer, was it too gruesome!
Seeing her struggling to accept it, Lu Qiming explained, “It’s a mini one, rechargeable with a lithium battery, very convenient to carry when going out. And it only weighs three or four catties, suitable for someone your size. It’s powerful, capable of cutting through a three-centimeter thick steel plate, which compensates for your lack of physical strength.”
Jiang Miaomiao felt helpless, “But… but…”
She was scared.
She had never even killed a chicken in her life, and now she was supposed to use an electric saw to chop up zombies, crying out loud.
Lu Qiming casually picked up a steel pipe and placed it in front of her.
“Stop with the ‘buts,’ give it a try.”
He took off the protective clothing since he had been running around outside all afternoon and was sweating profusely, his hair soaked.
Jiang Miaomiao looked at him like this, unable to say no, and awkwardly picked up the electric saw, under his guidance, she turned it on.
Buzz…
The electric saw spun rapidly, instantly cutting the steel pipe into two.
Jiang Miaomiao was amazed. “It’s so powerful?”
Lu Qiming shrugged indifferently and found a thicker steel pipe for her to cut.
Jiang Miaomiao became interested and continued cutting. She witnessed firsthand how easy it was to cut through iron like mud.
“As long as you master how to use it properly, when you encounter zombies again, they’ll fear you, not the other way around,” Lu Qiming said.
But what she feared was that she wouldn’t be able to master it properly.
If she accidentally cut herself during a fight, with her delicate arms and legs, she wouldn’t last three seconds.
She didn’t want to become disabled.
Lu Qiming, hungry and hot, washed his face with cold water and went to eat.
When he came back and saw her still worrying about the electric saw, he taught her a few tricks.
For example, how to make a clean cut without injuring herself, from which angle to strike to maximize the damage, and what combination of moves would leave the opponent no chance to counterattack.
She practiced diligently for the entire afternoon and found it indeed helpful. At least now she knew how to handle the weapon.
“Lu Qiming, I didn’t expect you to have this kind of skill,” Jiang Miaomiao stopped to rest and curiously asked, “Were you in the military before?”
He sat on the windowsill, one long leg propped up, smoking a cigarette.
“No.”
“Then how do you know all this?”
“Isn’t it normal for men to know this kind of stuff? I know a lot of things; you just haven’t noticed. I’m starving, let’s cook.”
He cooked breakfast, she cooked dinner, that was their unspoken agreement.
But she cooked lunch today and practiced for so long in the afternoon that her wrists were too sore to lift, so she pitifully looked at Lu Qiming.
“Can you cook today? I promise to do it tomorrow.”
“You, really.”
Lu Qiming patted her head, jumped down from the windowsill, and carried the rice while smoking.
Jiang Miaomiao escaped and happily went upstairs to rest.
Looking at her first weapon in life, she was determined to cherish it.
Perhaps this little treasure could really save her life in the future.
Carrying the electric saw in her hand wasn’t convenient, so when they went to the supermarket to restock on food, Jiang Miaomiao deliberately took a needle and thread kit and a shoulder bag, then returned home and started tinkering in her room.
The next morning at 8 o’clock, the two of them put on their protective suits, masks, and gloves, wiped off the blood, and were about to leave.
She suddenly said mysteriously, “Wait a minute, let me show you something.”
Lu Qiming frowned. “What is it?”
“You’ll see.”
She ran upstairs and came back with a pink shoulder bag.
There was a hole on one side of the bag, and the head of the electric saw poked out from there, swaying with her walking posture.
Lu Qiming: “… Did you make this?”
“Yes, it’s convenient, right? I can carry it with me wherever I go from now on.”
“It is convenient, but it’s also a bit…”
He thought about his recently swollen toe and swallowed the word “ugly” back.
Jiang Miaomiao didn’t notice and looked very satisfied with her creation.
“There are many pockets in this bag. You can put a lot of things in it when going out. Water, band-aids, and if we go far and can’t come back for lunch, we can bring lunch with us. Do you want to make a bag too?”
Lu Qiming quickly refused, “No need, thanks.”
“Make one! It can also be used to carry supplies, so we don’t have to worry about not fitting them into the cart.”
“I really don’t need it, let’s go.”
He pushed her shoulder and forced her out the door.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, they had been living in this city for several months.
Jiang Miaomiao looked at the wandering zombies on the street and found it more and more unbelievable.
Back when she first transmigrated into the book, she thought it would be lucky if she could survive for a month.
Passing by a car, she felt a little regretful.
“If we could drive, we could go to more distant places to gather supplies.”
Bus No. 11 was limited in speed, and the farthest place they had been to was a supermarket a dozen stops away.
If they went even further, one day wouldn’t be enough for a round trip.
Now they were eating less food. While they ate, the food they couldn’t bring back was rapidly spoiling since there was no way to refrigerate it.
Yesterday when they went to the supermarket to get rice, many bags of rice had insects in them, and a lot of vacuum-packed items were bloated and smelly, making her feel distressed.
When the food in the nearby supermarkets was no longer edible, what should they do?
Move to a different area?
She was reluctant to leave the “home” she had painstakingly established, not to mention that moving also exposed them to danger.
Lu Qiming contemplated for a moment and suggested, “Let’s find a bicycle.”
“A bicycle? What about the cart?”
“The person sitting on the back can hold onto it.”
“Will the zombies notice?”
“Let’s try it and see.”
The two of them searched around for a while and actually found a bicycle.
It was an old model with a small seat tied to the back, probably used by grandparents to take children to kindergarten.
Lu Qiming quickly removed the seat, patted the back seat, and said, “Get on.”
Jiang Miaomiao was surprised, “You want to carry me?”
“Unless you want to carry me?”
She looked at his tall figure, quietly climbed onto the back seat, adjusted her protective suit’s hem to prevent it from getting caught in the wheels, and held the cart with both hands.
Lu Qiming straddled the bike and put one foot on the ground.
“Are you stable?”
“Uh-huh.”
He exerted force and the bicycle shot forward.
Jiang Miaomiao’s body leaned back, and she exclaimed, reflexively holding onto his waist, the cart was instantly thrown far away.
“Stop, stop, the cart fell off.”
Lu Qiming whispered, “Don’t talk.”
She noticed that the surrounding zombies were all looking at them, so she shut her mouth quickly.
Nervous, she tightly held onto his waist.
Lu Qiming slowed down the speed and cautiously passed between two zombies.
They sniffed hard but couldn’t detect any human scent, so they continued walking forward.
Both of them breathed a sigh of relief, and Jiang Miaomiao felt regretful.
“Ah, I didn’t hold on tight enough just now. It’s all your fault, why did you ride so fast?”
Lu Qiming didn’t care, “We’ll find a new one at the supermarket.”
“Okay.”
She lowered her head and saw her hands embracing his waist. Realizing that their posture was too intimate, she let go, and instead, held onto the frame of the bicycle’s back seat.
Lu Qiming said in a low voice, “If I lose the cart, I won’t turn back to find it. If you lose it, don’t expect me to stop. Are you sure you’re holding on tight enough?”
Jiang Miaomiao thought back to what happened just now and felt a little scared. She held onto his clothes with both hands and explained, “I don’t have any feelings for you, so don’t be so presumptuous.”
He grunted a few times and focused on pedaling the bicycle.
The zombies ignored them, so it seemed safe.
The air inside the protective suits was a bit stuffy, so Jiang Miaomiao secretly opened the zipper a little to let in some cool air, which made her feel refreshed and comfortable.
She embraced Lu Qiming’s waist, her head leaning against his back, and felt a bit drowsy, as if she could fall asleep at any moment.
“Lu Qiming.”
She suddenly said, “Don’t you think we look a lot like the protagonists from The Legend of the Condor Heroes?”
“Really?”
“Yes, too bad you don’t have Yang Guo’s handsomeness, but you have one hand more than him.”
“…” Lu Qiming grumbled and gnashed his teeth, “And you don’t have Xiaolongnü’s beauty, and you’re so heavy.”
She laughed happily and opened a small pocket on her bag, taking out a few fruit candies.
“Do you want one?”
He shook his head, so she peeled one and ate it herself, carefully putting the rest back into the bag and leaning against his back again.
“It’s so sunny. Why haven’t we arrived yet?”
Lu Qiming calmly changed to a route with shade. His voice was as steady as his cycling skills.
“We’re almost there.”
Jiang Miaomiao tried hard to stay awake and not be overtaken by drowsiness.
Cycling was much faster than walking. Before she fell asleep, they arrived at the supermarket and found a new small cart.
Food was a consumable item, and they couldn’t take too much at once. So, they had to replenish their supplies from time to time, which was very troublesome.
Today, their main supplies were cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and other seasonings. They had also finished their snacks to pass the time.
Additionally, the bean sprouts had all been eaten, and the bean seedlings were still growing. Since they couldn’t get enough vegetables, they had to find some dehydrated ones and bring back some beans.
Eating bean sprouts every day was a bit boring. If they could grow some other vegetables, the space for planting vegetables was quite large, so they wouldn’t feel like they were wasting it.
What vegetables grew quickly?
Radishes? Cabbage?
Jiang Miaomiao pondered while looking around. When they passed by a vegetable stall, she excitedly waved at Lu Qiming.
“Come here, come here.”
Lu Qiming came over with two bottles of chili sauce. She held up a potato and said, “Look, they’re all sprouting.”
The potatoes had turned rotten with grayish-black color and were covered in spots. However, green and tender sprouts grew from the top, and the curled-up leaves indicated that it wouldn’t be long before they became seedlings.
Lu Qiming was also surprised and brought a plastic bag.
“Put more of them in, we’ll grow them at home.”
Jiang Miaomiao also had this idea, so she picked out the sprouting potatoes, and there were more than ten of them.
They also found other vegetables like garlic, ginger, peanuts, etc., with many of them sprouting. They took a bunch of them as well.
Based on her memory, the growth cycles of these things were quite long, so they wouldn’t be able to eat them for a while.
To grow quickly, they should choose leafy vegetables, especially chives. They grow in large pots, and once you cut them, they grow back again, making it very convenient.
Where are the vegetable seeds placed in the supermarket?
The two of them searched carefully in the dim light. Suddenly, there was a rustling sound from a corner, and they immediately stopped.
Jiang Miaomiao tensed up, speaking in a hushed voice, “Did you hear that?”
“Yes.”
“Could it be zombies?”
Lu Qiming wasn’t sure either. He handed her the things in his hands and prepared to go and check it out.
However, she suddenly placed everything on the ground and took out the small electric saw from her bag, holding it in her hand.
Lu Qiming was surprised, “Aren’t you afraid?”
Of course, she was scared; her palms were all sweaty.
But Lu Qiming was unarmed, while she at least had an electric saw. There was no reason for her to hide behind him.
“I’ll give it a try, and you protect me.”
A touch of tenderness flashed in Lu Qiming’s eyes, and he stepped aside to make way for her.
“Be careful.”
Jiang Miaomiao tightened her grip on the electric saw, held her breath, and cautiously moved forward.
There was indeed something moving in the corner.
She gritted her teeth and pressed the switch, stabbing the electric saw forward.
The other side was quicker and let out a series of frightened barks.
“Woof, woof, woof! Woof, woof, woof!”
Woof?
The two of them exchanged glances. Lu Qiming took out his phone from her bag and used the flashlight to shine it there.
A dirty and skinny little dog was cowering in the corner, trembling.
The sound of the electric saw was loud, and Jiang Miaomiao was afraid it might attract zombies, so she quickly turned it off.
Looking at the small and pitiful creature in front of her, with a big head and large eyes, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
“Is this… a dog?”
Lu Qiming looked at it repeatedly and nodded, “How can there be a dog here?”
According to the original text, the zombies would eat any living creatures, including animals.
During the zombie outbreak, pets either left the city with their owners or were eaten by zombies. There should be very few survivors.
Could this little dog be one of the lucky ones, just like them?
Lu Qiming put away the phone and said in a low voice, “Don’t mind it, hurry up and grab the things. Let’s take them and go home.”
Wearing the protective suits did increase their safety, but when disaster struck, the probability was still one hundred percent.
There was no need to waste time outside for unrelated things.
Every second spent outside meant an additional risk.
He picked up the things to leave, but Jiang Miaomiao grabbed his arm and used the phone to illuminate the little dog.
The dog was very small, probably just weaned before the zombie outbreak. It was so thin that its bones protruded through the skin, and it had no meat on its body, with clearly visible ribs.
It was also particularly dirty, with tangled fur, making it difficult to see its original color. They couldn’t tell how it had managed to survive all this time.
It must have had an owner before. Seeing humans, it clearly wanted to approach but was too scared to move.
Its body trembled uncontrollably, appearing very helpless.
While Lu Qiming urged her to hurry, Jiang Miaomiao asked, “Can we take it home?”
He hesitated, “Are you talking about this dog?”
“Yes, our home is so big, and there are only the two of us. It’s so lonely. Having one more member would make it livelier.”
Lu Qiming decisively shook his head, “No.”
“Why not?”
“Who knows if it’s infected? What if it bites you when we bring it home?”
“Then we can isolate it first, lock it in a small room, and make sure it’s not infected before letting it out.”
Lu Qiming still refused, “It’s too dirty. Even if it hasn’t been bitten by a zombie, it might carry other infectious diseases.”
Jiang Miaomiao begged, looking up at him, “I promise to take care of it and get rid of it immediately if there’s a problem. Please?”
She had always wanted to have a dog, but she never had the opportunity before.
Now, in the end times, with enough food and drink and encountering such a dog, it was almost as if the heavens were helping her fulfill her wish. It would be such a pity not to seize this opportunity.
Lu Qiming remained resolute, with a cold tone, “No pets allowed. Go home, or else I’ll go on my own.”
She didn’t dare to go back to the villa alone, passing through so many zombies, so she could only give up on the dog, looking at it with reluctance before turning to leave.
The little dog whimpered from behind, as if trying to keep them.
Jiang Miaomiao’s heart felt heavy, suppressed and gloomy, feeling too disappointed even to bother finding green beans.
Lu Qiming had been stealing glances at her. After a while, he asked in a low voice, “Do you really want to keep it?”
She nodded but then immediately felt listless, “Why ask when you won’t let me bring it back?”
Lu Qiming rummaged through a shelf nearby, found a roll of garbage bags, tore off a long strip, and pulled her wrist back.
Confused, Jiang Miaomiao asked, “What are you doing?”
He didn’t answer and walked straight back to the corner they were at earlier.
The little dog was still crouching there, trembling even more when it saw them approaching.
Lu Qiming released her hand, opened the garbage bag, and covered the dog with it, then lifted it up.
The little dog tried to climb out of the bag in panic.
He was quick with his hands, layering the bag several times, and then handed it to Jiang Miaomiao.
“Don’t touch it until it’s cleaned.”
Jiang Miaomiao was pleasantly surprised, “So, you agree to let me bring it back?”
“What else?” He said in a slightly annoyed tone, “If I didn’t agree, someone would probably give me the cold shoulder for several days.”
She had indeed intended to do so, and being exposed by him made her feel embarrassed. She touched her nose and smiled dryly, “It’s not that exaggerated.”
Lu Qiming rolled his eyes and walked forward.
Jiang Miaomiao held the dog and followed behind him.
The little dog struggled at first, but as it felt her body warmth, it gradually calmed down.
Since the garbage bag was airtight, she was worried that it might suffocate, so she deliberately opened a small hole.
The dog’s big eyes rolled around, showing intelligence, and there was no sign of infection.
Lu Qiming placed all the items into the cart and used a mountaineering rope to tie the cart to the back of the bicycle’s seat.
This way, as long as he pedaled in front, the cart would follow, making things much more convenient.
“Get on.”
He patted the back seat.
Jiang Miaomiao sat on it, her attention focused entirely on the little dog.
The poor thing must not have eaten properly during this period; it looked so thin and pitiful.
What should she feed it when they get back? Would it be bad to feed it bacon since dogs tend to get sick from eating too much salt?
She smacked her forehead, “Ah!”
Lu Qiming asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I should have brought dog food with me when we came back just now.”
“…”
Back home, Jiang Miaomiao’s first task was to take off her protective suit, and the second task was to carry the dog into the bathroom to give it a bath.
Lu Qiming was completely ignored, feeling quite bad and smoking a cigarette as he leaned against the bathroom door, making snide remarks.
“You’re not even this proactive when it comes to giving yourself a bath.”
“You find it dirty? Of course, I have to clean it up a bit.”
Jiang Miaomiao placed the little dog in a large basin and filled it with water.
Unfortunately, halfway through, the shower suddenly stopped working.
She shook it, but it was no use, so she looked at Lu Qiming for help.
The tap water had been cut off long ago. Getting water in the villa was troublesome. They needed to fetch water from the lake and pour it into a large tank on the top floor for daily use in bathing and cooking.
This kind of physical labor was usually done by Lu Qiming, and as compensation, she would wash his clothes while doing laundry.
The two had always complemented each other, but today Lu Qiming decided to play dumb.
“What do you want me to do?”
“No water.”
“Oh.”
“Can you go fetch some water?”
“No time.”
He turned to leave, but Jiang Miaomiao chased after him with her wet hands and blocked his way.
“I’ve already brought the food back, and there’s nothing to do today.”
“I want to play a game.”
“Can’t we play later tonight?”
“No, I want to play now.”
Jiang Miaomiao felt deflated and showed weakness.
“What exactly do you want me to do for you to go fetch water?”
Lu Qiming’s gaze involuntarily fell on her rosy and soft lips, his heart wavering. He quickly looked away, his face stern.
“Nothing will make me go. Take care of the dog you brought, don’t bother me.”
He walked upstairs with his hands in his pockets, ignoring Jiang Miaomiao who was stomping her feet in frustration behind him.
Serves her right, hmph.
The dog was as ugly as a ghost. What exactly did she see in it?
Just because it’s alive, she likes it?
He’s alive too, why doesn’t she come and bathe him?
Lu Qiming made up his mind to ignore the matter, sitting in his room playing solitaire on an old-fashioned gaming device.
But after only two rounds, he couldn’t help but go downstairs to scrounge for food. As he passed the bathroom, he secretly glanced inside.
The person he wanted to see wasn’t there; only a foolish dog was lying in the basin looking dazed.
He walked to the window and glanced outside through the security bars. He saw a small figure.
Jiang Miaomiao was wearing a protective suit and carrying a bucket of water, laboriously walking from the artificial lake.
The water bucket wasn’t very big; usually, Lu Qiming could easily carry it back home with one hand. But when it was in her hands, it felt so heavy that it could break her wrist.
He became more and more irritated, biting off a piece of preserved duck neck in his hand, and went back to his room with a cold face.
It was 11:30, lunchtime.
Lu Qiming went downstairs and saw Jiang Miaomiao sitting on the living room floor, hugging a little white dog, caressing and patting it.
“Is this the dog?”
“Yes, isn’t it cute? It’s so white and clean after the bath, and there are no wounds or skin diseases on its body. It’s healthy.”
Jiang Miaomiao touched its round head and bent down to talk to it.
“You’re just too skinny, need to gain some weight. What should I call you? How about Rou Rou? Jiang Rou Rou, hehe, do you like it?”
Talking to animals was just silly behavior.
Lu Qiming rolled his eyes, ready to cook. When he lifted the lid of the pot, he found that the noodles were already cooked.
Jiang Miaomiao stood up while hugging the dog, patting her bottom.
“I’ve already made the meal. Let’s eat.”
“Have you eaten?”
“No, I’m waiting for you to eat together.”
The word “waiting” warmed his heart, and much of the frustration accumulated in the morning dissipated. He proactively served her some noodles.
But soon he felt even more disappointed.
Jiang Miaomiao hugged the dog and used chopsticks to pick up the noodles, speaking to it gently.
“Rou Rou, open your mouth.”
The silly dog actually opened its mouth and ate the noodles she fed it, wagging its tail happily.
She continued feeding it, and Lu Qiming couldn’t sit still. He put down his chopsticks and said:
“It’s just a dog.”
Jiang Miaomiao didn’t understand.
“I know.”
“Then are you raising it like your son?”
“I might not have a chance to have a child in this lifetime, so what’s wrong with being kind to it?”
She glanced at his bowl, thinking he was worried that the dog might be contagious, so she took it to the balcony to eat separately.
Lu Qiming was utterly frustrated, finished his noodles in silence, threw the bowl and chopsticks into the trash bin, and went upstairs to continue playing games.
He made up his mind; unless that woman came over and apologized, otherwise… he’d just let her go live with the dog!
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