Jiang Miaomiao sat by the window, watching the heavy rain for several hours.
Suddenly, she heard some movement behind her and quickly turned around.
“Are you awake?”
The sofa was comfortable, and there were no worries about zombies here. Lu Qiming had a rare good sleep, leaning on the sofa back with his eyes closed, lazily responding with a soft “Hmm.”
Jiang Miaomiao walked over.
“Are you hungry? I’m preparing dinner.”
Since there was no electricity, they had to be conservative with their flashlight’s battery. It was best to finish everything before it got dark.
Lu Qiming had no objections. He dragged the coffee table over and placed it in front of him as a dining table.
Jiang Miaomiao placed some snacks on the table. Just as he was about to take them, she suddenly said, “Close your eyes.”
“What for?”
“Just do it.”
Lu Qiming was skeptical, “You aren’t trying to punch me while my eyes are closed, right? I haven’t offended you today.”
Jiang Miaomiao replied sarcastically, “Well, it’s a shame not to hit you. With your looks, you deserve a punch.”
He playfully closed his eyes.
She held his big hand and placed the electric shaver on it.
Lu Qiming opened it to try, pleasantly surprised.
“Hey, it’s really nice, much better than the junk I had before.”
Jiang Miaomiao pursed her lips and asked, “Do you like it?”
“Of course, I do! Come on, let me give you a crew cut to save you from washing your hair without water in the future.”
As he said that, he hooked his arm around her neck, trying to press the shaver onto her head.
Jiang Miaomiao was terrified and desperately pushed his arm away.
“Let go of me… let go of me…”
Ah—
Lu Qiming screamed in pain, looking at the bite mark on his arm.
“It was just a joke. Was it necessary?”
She escaped and looked serious.
“I’m warning you, don’t even think about touching my hair.”
She had already lived a miserable life, and she couldn’t afford to lose her femininity as well.
Wearing a crew cut and oversized boxer shorts with dark, rough skin, she didn’t want to turn into that.
Lu Qiming lowered his head to rub the bite mark, and she noticed something as she stared at his face.
“Why is your face so pale?”
“Because you bit me.”
“Don’t joke around. Let me see your injury.”
Lu Qiming pulled his long legs back and reached for the snacks.
“If you want to see, take your time. I’m not waiting for you.”
Jiang Miaomiao saw her favorite snacks being taken by him and lost interest. She began to eat her dinner.
After eating, she went downstairs to check the water level, which had risen to the fourth and a half floor. Their current position on the fifth floor was not safe either.
While it was still not completely dark, they had enough energy after eating and drinking to move up two more floors.
The seventh floor was still an office area. Jiang Miaomiao turned on her flashlight, looking for a safe place to stay.
Suddenly, she heard a thud behind her. She turned around and saw Lu Qiming lying on the ground.
She was frightened and rushed over to help him up.
“What happened? You were fine, how did you fall?”
“It was just an accident, nothing serious,” he waved his hand dismissively. “You don’t need to worry about me, go about your business.”
His body temperature was extremely low, and he was covered in sweat, which greatly concerned Jiang Miaomiao.
She used her flashlight to illuminate his face and carefully examined it. His complexion was even paler than before, and his lips lacked any trace of color.
“Don’t move!” She held him down and forcibly checked his wounds.
Lu Qiming was still trying to endure the pain. “I’m really fine. The injuries are almost healed. You don’t need to…”
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Miaomiao had already seen the condition of his wounds, and her face suddenly turned grim.
“This is what you call almost healed?”
The wound was festering, and his entire leg was swollen. The cotton thread was soaked with pus, and the surrounding skin appeared lifeless, as if it was gradually losing vitality.
Lu Qiming hung his head slightly. “In a few more days, it will definitely be fine.”
“In a few more days, your entire leg will rot, and you’ll be permanently disabled!”
He fell silent, and Jiang Miaomiao didn’t have the time to check the surroundings. She found a nearby office, dragged him and their belongings inside, and closed the door.
She placed the flashlight on the desk and examined Lu Qiming, searching through her bag for medicine and tools.
The cotton thread needed to be removed, and the pus in the wound had to be drained; otherwise, the presence of bacteria would worsen the injuries.
Her plan was well thought out, but when she finally found a pair of scissors, sterilized it with a lighter, and was about to cut, she hesitated.
The wound was so horrifying, and she wasn’t a professional.
If she messed up and made things worse, causing him to be disabled or even killing him directly, what would she do?
Seeing Jiang Miaomiao’s hesitation, Lu Qiming suddenly spoke up.
“You can go.”
Jiang Miaomiao was stunned. “Go where?”
“Take your dog and climb upstairs. The flood can’t catch up with your speed. Climb to the supermarket on the twentieth floor, and you won’t have to worry about food and water.”
“What about you?”
His eyes sparkled and he smiled wryly.
“I’m just a burden right now. I can’t help with anything, so I won’t drag you down.”
He had seen her hard work and effort over these days, running around for everyone. No matter how heavy the things were, she gritted her teeth and carried them all.
If she were a physically strong person, that would be one thing, but she was so thin that he sometimes worried her arms might break.
Many things felt insignificant when he did them himself, but when he asked her to do them, it felt like he was torturing her.
“You can go.”
Lu Qiming repeated, “If I can get through this, I will definitely find you guys.”
In the pitch-black office, Jiang Miaomiao sat in the only beam of light and fell silent for a long time. Unable to contain herself, she yelled.
“Shut the hell up!”
Did he really expect her to abandon him in his injured state? Was he kidding? What did he take her for?
Jiang Miaomiao was furious. Holding the scissors fiercely, she threatened, “Say that shit again, and I’ll cut another wound on you!”
Lu Qiming didn’t expect her to be so angry, that even profanity came out, as if he had committed some unforgivable crime. His strength weakened significantly.
“I’m not going anywhere. Don’t curse… me.”
“Curse you? I might even hit you. You don’t have the strength to fight back right now.”
Saying that, Jiang Miaomiao patted his face and instructed, “Close your eyes.”
He complied, and within a few seconds, he felt a sharp pain in his leg, causing his body to twitch twice in agony.
Jiang Miaomiao hugged him tightly and whispered, “Hang on, it’ll get better soon.”
He gritted his teeth, kept his eyes closed throughout the entire process, and entrusted himself completely to her care.
By the time it was done, he was drenched in sweat, as if he had taken a cold shower. He felt as if he had gone through life and death several times, and his weak fingers couldn’t move.
Jiang Miaomiao quickly gave him a bottle of Red Bull and fed him some chocolate. She used up the remaining anti-inflammatory and pain-relief medicine on him.
Lu Qiming finished eating and lay motionless on the sofa. It was unclear whether he had fallen asleep due to exhaustion or had passed out from the pain.
Gently touching his ice-cold forehead, Jiang Miaomiao looked at the empty medicine box on the table and decided to search around for more.
They needed medicine—anti-inflammatory, pain relief, and fever reducers—anything that could help.
She draped a coat over him, picked up the flashlight, and walked outside.
Jiang Rou Rou, who was originally asleep, perked up its ears alertly and followed her.
“Hush, don’t go, stay with him.”
She pointed to the sofa, signaling it to go back.
Jiang Rou Rou hesitated for a moment, turned a few circles, and eventually returned to lie down next to Lu Qiming’s feet.
“Good boy.”
Jiang Miaomiao praised it, then opened the door and ventured into the darkness, carrying the small electric saw.
It took her the whole night, but she nearly searched the entire floor and found a lot of medications. There were remedies for cough, asthma, rheumatism, and cold relief. She also found the anti-inflammatory and pain-relief drugs she desperately needed.
Through this experience, Jiang Miaomiao deeply understood the value of medicine. She took everything she could use and returned to the original office.
After putting away the items, she lay down next to Lu Qiming and looked at him, still unconscious. She murmured, “You are not allowed to die. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have survived and endured all this hardship. Since you insist on me living, you have to take responsibility for me. You can’t just walk away and abandon me.”
Lu Qiming unconsciously let out a few soft groans.
She smiled, rubbed her sore nose, and lay down beside him, falling asleep.
The storm raged all night long. At eight in the morning, Lu Qiming opened his eyes.
His leg still hurt, but it was noticeably better than yesterday; at least, he could move it now.
Feeling hungry, he wanted to find something to eat. When he turned his head, he saw the woman lying beside him.
She was sleeping soundly, her hair greasy from not being washed for too long, and her clothes were dirty.
Her delicate fingers, due to the heavy workload during this time, had become rougher than before.
Yet, the more he looked at her, the more beautiful he found her. She was more charming than when he first saw her, all clean and tidy. He felt an impulse to give her everything he had, to exchange it all for her to have a comfortable life.
However, it was just wishful thinking. The only thing he had was his relatively strong body, which was now tormented by illness and rendered him unable to do anything. He had to rely on her for care.
A strand of hair stuck to her mouth, and Lu Qiming gently pushed it away and tucked it behind her ear.
Looking at her small mouth, he felt an urge to act, but as he was about to make a move, he remembered something and cautiously moved away from her, opened the door, and went out.
Not long after, Jiang Miaomiao woke up and immediately went to check Lu Qiming’s injuries.
However, she found nothing on the sofa. There was no sign of him.
Remembering what he had said last night, she thought he had left on his own and was scared. She searched everywhere for him and finally spotted a familiar figure in the stairwell.
Lu Qiming was standing by the water with a toothbrush and cup, his mouth full of toothpaste foam.
Jiang Miaomiao breathed a sigh of relief and then couldn’t help but complain, “What are you doing here, brushing your teeth?”
With such severe injuries, he was still thinking about brushing his teeth—was he asking for death?
Lu Qiming pointed to his mouth and made a gesture to wait.
She could only hold back and stood there, arms crossed, waiting.
After Lu Qiming finished brushing his teeth, he washed his face, appearing much refreshed. He walked over to her.
Jiang Miaomiao asked the same question again, unable to understand his actions.
He hooked the corner of his mouth and lowered his head, whispering in her ear:
“Because I want to kiss you.”
“……”
Before she could respond, he had already captured her lips. Unlike the passionate and stormy kiss before, today he was surprisingly gentle.
Licking gently, like a kitten drinking milk, he melted her heart with each touch.
Her rational mind told Jiang Miaomiao to refuse, but a voice in her heart urged her not to spoil the moment, to close her eyes and enjoy it.
She was torn between these two thoughts, her gaze wandering, and she caught sight of his hunched back as he held onto his pants.
“Why is your posture so strange?”
Lu Qiming awkwardly adjusted his waistband. “Because it also wants to kiss you.”
She didn’t understand, “What?”
“Never mind, continue.”
He used one hand to cradle the back of her head and kissed her again.
As the saying goes, “A day’s plan starts in the morning.”
So, for the rest of the day, Jiang Miaomiao was in a daze, still under the influence of that kiss.
The water level seemed to have stopped rising, staying at the sixth floor height.
They decided to temporarily stay on the seventh floor and consider moving when Lu Qiming’s condition improved.
Jiang Miaomiao asked Lu Qiming where he found the toothpaste and toothbrush. She went to the staff lounge, hoping to find a bottle of shampoo to wash her hair.
Not taking a bath was tolerable, but not washing her hair was unbearable.
Greasy and itchy, her hair was falling out more, and she worried that she wouldn’t even have any hair to style in the future.
From an employee locker, she found a bottle of male shampoo, but in their current situation, she didn’t care and immediately went downstairs to wash her hair.
The water was a bit cold, but luckily, the temperature wasn’t too low. She washed her hair thoroughly, wiped it dry with clothes, and returned to the office, lying down to let it air dry naturally.
Lu Qiming sat not far away, eating a bag of raisins.
Jiang Miaomiao secretly glanced at his face, but as she looked, her gaze unintentionally fell on his lips, and she recalled the morning kiss.
What exactly was he thinking?
Was it just for fun since he had nothing better to do, or…
Lu Qiming noticed her gaze and lifted his chin slightly. “Do you think I look particularly handsome now?”
Jiang Miaomiao snorted, “Handsome? I haven’t seen anyone else for half a year. Even if it were Song Xiaobao, I’d find him handsome.”
“Who’s Song Xiaobao?”
“… Big brother, did you just crawl out of an ancient tomb?”
Lu Qiming rubbed his nose and continued to eat raisins. “I don’t care about things that don’t concern me.”
“Hmm, you just like to tease people.”
He didn’t like that remark and retorted, “Who’s teasing you?”
“Isn’t it? Every time you want to kiss, you just do it. Do you treat my mouth like a jelly?”
Lu Qiming blinked, “But you clearly enjoy it too.”
Jiang Miaomiao blushed and said with a straight face, “In any case, you can’t do that anymore. We’re not a couple, why keep kissing each other? Are we using each other to satisfy our desires because there’s no one else to choose? We’re not animals; it’s too pitiful.”
She hated ambiguity and irresponsibility.
She hated when the other person treated it as a game, while she had fallen for it so easily.
Lu Qiming couldn’t understand her words.
“I didn’t use you to vent my desires. I want to sleep with you because I like you. Isn’t that clear enough?”
“Don’t… What did you say?”
Jiang Miaomiao couldn’t believe her ears, thinking she had misheard.
Lu Qiming put down the unfinished raisins and walked up to her, pushing aside her wet hair.
“I like you, that’s the truth. You don’t need to doubt it.”
She stared at him in a daze, feeling as if she were dreaming, and her body felt light.
Lu Qiming said, “I already told you before. How come you still don’t get it? Are you a fool?”
“… You’re the fool! Don’t take the opportunity to insult me.”
He chuckled, stroking her wet cheek and leaned in for another kiss.
“Do you hate it?”
“Ruffian, go away.”
“Back then, I don’t remember who pounced on me and ripped off my clothes. Now you’re calling me a ruffian? Huh?”
He kissed her again.
Jiang Miaomiao blushed and tried to escape his blockade by burying herself in the sofa.
“Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Let’s talk about something serious.”
Lu Qiming asked seriously, “Who is Song Xiaobao?”
“Oh, Song Xiaobao… He’s a famous actor, handsome and tall, and very humorous. I really like him.”
Lu Qiming raised an eyebrow, “Taller than me?”
“Yeah.”
“Not possible.”
“Whatever, believe it or not.”
After saying that, Jiang Miaomiao wanted to walk away but was pulled back by him.
“Tell me, do you like him more, or do you like me more?”
She rolled her eyes, “Who said I like you? Narcissist, hmph.”
Jiang Miaomiao pushed away his hand and briskly walked out of the office to find useful things in other companies.
The rain continued to pour, and the sky remained gloomy.
But her heart was already bright and clear, giving her a newfound enthusiasm for everything she did.
Before going to sleep that night, Jiang Miaomiao changed Lu Qiming’s bandages.
As he watched her careful actions, he remembered what he had said before – wanting to build a house and live with her, having a yard full of vegetables and flowers.
His feelings for her were genuine, and his desire to live with her was also genuine.
She was lazy, so he would do more work.
She loved good food, so he would practice cooking and learn to make all the dishes she liked.
She liked jewelry, so he would work hard and buy beautiful jewelry to give her.
Lu Qiming raised his head, looking at the pouring rain outside, sincerely hoping that these days would end soon and give him the opportunity to fulfill his wishes.
The continuous heavy rain had lasted for over a month.
During this period, the water level rose again, forcing them to move to higher floors. By chance, they discovered the reason why the city had been flooded like this.
Lu Qiming saw a map of the city in the office of a chairman and together they studied it, finding that the city was situated in a low-lying area downstream of a major river.
In the past, during the frequent rainy seasons, the government would organize flood diversion and drainage to redirect the floodwaters.
But now, with no one in charge, it was likely that the upstream areas had experienced heavy rain for many days.
When the cumulonimbus clouds floated over the city, the floodwaters broke through the dams and rushed into the city all at once.
Due to the special terrain, there was no human intervention to control the flooding, and they didn’t know how long they had to wait for the water to recede naturally.
If they were unlucky, they might have to stay hidden in this high-rise building indefinitely.
While the building provided safety, the quantity of food was limited, and there was an expiration date to consider.
They could manage for a month or two, but what if the flood didn’t recede for a year or two?
If they consumed all the edible food, they couldn’t resort to eating office desks.
Many problems were looming before them, and the future still seemed difficult.
However, Jiang Miaomiao was still happy; she always felt that there was a way out in any situation and that there would be a solution.
With Jiang Rou Rou and Lu Qiming by her side, she felt hopeful.
And sure enough, one morning, while she was still asleep, Lu Qiming suddenly covered her eyes with his hand and asked her to follow him.
Guided by him, she walked in the darkness until her hands touched the cold glass, unable to guess his intentions.
“Could it be that you want to kill me because I ate all the duck necks last night and didn’t leave any for you?”
“You dare to say that! Considering how thin and small you are, you have a bigger appetite than me when it comes to food.”
“I was so hungry, sigh. What are you up to?”
“Hush, listen to me counting down. Three… two…”
Lu Qiming stood behind her, his lips close to her ear, and exhaled warm breath as he counted down.
When he said “one,” he moved his hand away.
The light pierced her closed eyelids, and her vision became tinged with red.
Jiang Miaomiao subconsciously rubbed her eyes and slowly opened them, only to find the window full of brilliant sunlight.
The city was completely submerged in water, and the surface sparkled with ripples.
Some tall buildings were reduced to only their rooftops, and they stood there, as if on a solitary island.
The view was vast, peaceful, but also precarious.
“The rain has stopped,” she said, looking at the azure sky without a cloud.
Lu Qiming held her shoulder, “The past few days were too damp, and everything got sticky. While the weather is good today, let’s take everything out and dry them in the sun.”
“Where should we put them to dry?”
There was no balcony here.
Lu Qiming looked around and pointed to a damaged window where sunlight streamed in and fell onto the floor.
After washing up and having breakfast, they moved all their belongings into the sunlight.
Lu Qiming wasn’t idle either, and Jiang Miaomiao specifically observed his leg.
Ever since she helped him remove the cotton thread and cleaned the pus from the wound, it had been improving day by day. Now it had already scabbed over, and it would probably be completely healed once the scab fell off.
However, such a large wound would surely leave a severe scar.
She didn’t mind, but she couldn’t help feeling sorry for his leg.
After moving everything, Lu Qiming somehow brought two reclining chairs and arranged them side by side in the empty space.
The weather was too humid, and they needed to bask in the sun.
Jiang Miaomiao lay on the chair, closed her eyes, and fantasized that she was at a beautiful beach in Sanya, enjoying the scenic view.
Oh, right! Last time, when she went on a shopping spree in the clothing area, she brought back a very pretty swimsuit.
Should she change into it now?
She sat up, feeling a little tempted, but when she looked at Lu Qiming, she felt a bit embarrassed.
Lu Qiming was teasing the dog with a bag of dried tofu, not bothering to look up as he said, “If you want to look at me, just look openly and honestly. Why do you always do it sneakily? It makes you seem creepy.”
“…”
After spending so much time together, they had already seen each other at their most disheveled states, so what was there to be embarrassed about?
She would go change right now.
Jiang Miaomiao took out the swimsuit from her bag and ran to the bathroom to put it on. She looked at herself in the mirror at the sink and felt satisfied with her appearance. She returned wearing flip-flops.
Lu Qiming happened to catch a glimpse of her unintentionally and froze, unable to take his eyes off her.
She instinctively covered her chest. “What are you looking at?”
He wanted to tease her, but his mouth felt dry, and he couldn’t speak. He shook his head and looked away.
“So weird,” Jiang Miaomiao muttered, taking out the last two bottles of Assam milk tea from the bag of food and tossed one to him.
He reached out to catch it, but missed, and the milk tea hit his chest, almost making him spit blood.
Lu Qiming coughed while lying on the chair, and Jiang Miaomiao took a sip of milk tea, glancing at him, unable to resist asking, “Why are you so strange? Could it be…”
Her face turned red, “You were stunned by my beauty? Oh, hehe.”
Lu Qiming rolled his eyes, “With that figure, there’s nothing to be stunned about. Your chest is not even as big as my chest muscles.”
“Who knows? Anyway, it’s strange that you’re not me.”
She shrugged and lay down on the chair to bask in the sun.
She enjoyed the warmth on her front and back, and when she felt thirsty, she could drink some milk tea. It couldn’t get any more comfortable than this.
Lu Qiming tried hard not to look at her, but his gaze always involuntarily moved toward her. In the end, he couldn’t resist and approached her.
Jiang Miaomiao was startled, “What are you doing?”
“Let’s have a diving competition!”
“What? It’s so high here! Hey, don’t jump!”
She tried to stop him, but Lu Qiming had already rushed to the edge of the window and dived in headfirst.
The calm water exploded into white splashes, and Jiang Miaomiao was extremely worried.
The water surface was three to four meters away from here. Was he okay?
As she was thinking, he had already surfaced and waved to her.
She only knew how to do the doggy paddle, and she didn’t dare to swim in such deep water. She immediately shook her head.
Lu Qiming withdrew his hand and swam skillfully.
He switched between butterfly and backstroke, showing exceptional agility.
“You sand sculpture…”
Jiang Miaomiao muttered softly and couldn’t help but smile. A few seconds later, she thought of a serious question and shouted, “Come back!”
Lu Qiming had already swum over a hundred meters away and asked from a distance, “What?”
“Come back quickly! I’m afraid your leg will get infected!” Jiang Miaomiao shouted.
Lu Qiming floated on the water, tilted his head for a moment, and blew her a kiss. “I love you too!”
“…”
What on earth was going on here!
Jiang Miaomiao was speechless, but the milk tea she drank seemed even sweeter now. As she watched the water, she also felt eager to try.
Lu Qiming was swimming so smoothly; she should be fine too, right?
After all, she had spent two summers practicing her doggy paddle.
Jiang Miaomiao put the milk tea aside and stood by the window, cheering and encouraging herself.
Suddenly, Lu Qiming splashed in the water.
“Help! I got a leg cramp!”
What?!
There was no time to hesitate now. She aimed and jumped down. After struggling to resurface, she found the water surface vast and couldn’t see any trace of Lu Qiming.
Jiang Miaomiao panicked, swimming to the position where he was just now and shouted loudly, “Lu Qiming! Where are you?”
Had he already sunk underwater? She only knew how to doggy paddle; she couldn’t dive!
She was extremely anxious, and suddenly something grabbed her ankle, making her scream.
Lu Qiming surfaced from below, holding her tightly, and kissed her on the face with a mischievous smile.
“Do you want a knight in shining armor to rescue you? But I won’t pledge my life for yours, you know.”
Leave a Reply