The bright sunlight stung the eyes.
There was no point in waiting here; she might as well find something to do.
Jiang Miaomiao remembered the spaghetti that Lu Qiming had made for her before. She found a pack of noodles and tried to cook it following the taste she remembered.
It took her nearly an hour, but the result was satisfying.
She neatly plated the noodles on a beautiful dish, placed a napkin on the table, and set the cutlery. Then, she carved little smiley faces from the ham sausages and arranged them around the edge of the plate.
It was already past five in the afternoon, and the sunlight was gradually weakening.
Lu Qiming should be back soon, right?
He only had biscuits for lunch, so when he saw the noodles on the table, he would surely sit down eagerly and finish them all.
The noodles were a bit spicy, so she opened the refrigerator and took out two chilled drinks. She unscrewed the caps and placed them next to the dish.
Having prepared everything, Jiang Miaomiao hugged the dog and started waiting once again.
As the sun set, the sky was painted with a beautiful evening glow.
She watched as the light gradually faded, turning the once brightly lit room into darkness.
Lu Qiming still hadn’t returned.
Jiang RouRou moved in her arms, making her more anxious.
Could something have happened?
She couldn’t wait any longer.
Jiang Miaomiao remembered the scene when he picked the lock that day. She found a fruit knife and followed his steps.
But while Lu Qiming seemed to do it effortlessly, effortlessly sliding the blade into the gap, she poked and prodded for a long time, leaving only a few faint scratches.
She couldn’t believe it!
They were using the same hands, why was it so effective for him?
Jiang Miaomiao tried harder, crouching down behind the lock. Suddenly, Jiang RouRou let out a low growl.
She stopped and listened carefully.
Footsteps approached from outside, getting closer and closer.
It was undoubtedly Lu Qiming’s footsteps. He took large strides, walking fast.
When they first met, every time they went out together, she had to run to keep up with him.
It wasn’t until they spent more time together that he learned to slow down a bit.
Lu Qiming was back!
Jiang Miaomiao felt elated in her heart, eagerly looking at the door, wanting to hug him the moment he came in.
But then she remembered that this morning, he left without saying a word, locking her inside. Her mood immediately dampened.
He could lock her in if he wanted, and he could leave if he wanted. She wasn’t angry at all, but she had been worried about him all day, how silly of her.
She wouldn’t wait any longer; she would go to sleep!
Jiang Miaomiao returned to the bedroom and slipped under the covers, purposely messing up the bedsheet to look like she had been sleeping all day.
Soon, the locked door was opened, and Lu Qiming walked in.
Jiang RouRou went to greet him, and he asked in a low voice, “Where’s Miaomiao?”
The footsteps came from the living room to outside the bedroom door, and someone gently pushed open the door.
Jiang Miaomiao stayed still under the covers, eyes closed.
Lu Qiming didn’t turn on the lights but looked at her for a while under the moonlight. He didn’t say anything, just put down what he was holding and quietly went to take a shower.
The sound of running water came from the bathroom, and Jiang Miaomiao opened her eyes, feeling frustrated.
Did he think he was being heroic and planned to do the same next time?
Lu Qiming usually showered super quickly, and within a few minutes, he was done. He came out, ready to leave in the dark.
Suddenly, the light came on, and Jiang Miaomiao stood by the switch, her eyes coldly fixed on him.
He was taken aback, “You’re awake? Did I wake you up?”
She didn’t answer, only asking, “Did you find the diesel?”
“I found it, but the generator was useless. The gas pump was too sturdy; I tried to pry it open all day, but it didn’t budge.”
She coldly snorted, “Serves you right, a person with no integrity.”
Lu Qiming cautiously looked at her and asked, “Are you still angry?”
“Angry? I’m not angry. I just don’t want to see you.”
She went back to the bed, covering herself with the blanket while saying, “Tonight, don’t sleep in my room. I don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night and find myself locked in.”
Lu Qiming knew she was genuinely upset, so he immediately crawled to the bedside, holding her hands, and apologized.
“Miaomiao, I didn’t let you go because I was worried about you. If it were safe outside, I would take you with me, no matter how far we went.”
Jiang Miaomiao said, “But I already told you, if it’s dangerous, you can leave and not worry about me.”
He sighed, “How could I not worry about you? You are the person I like. Isn’t this putting me in a difficult position?”
Jiang Miaomiao remained silent, feeling both touched and sad.
Lu Qiming rested his chin on the back of her hand, blinking his eyes pitifully.
“Don’t be angry, can you forgive me?”
She hummed but turned her face away, not looking at him.
“Miaomiao, Miaomiao…”
He held her fingers and kept shaking them, telling her about his experiences throughout the day.
“Outside was scorching today. I encountered zombies shortly after I went out, and they chased me everywhere. It was hard to find a gas station, but the biscuits and water I brought were nowhere to be found.
I didn’t have lunch, and I haven’t had a sip of water until now. I feel like I’m suffering from heatstroke; it’s so uncomfortable…”
Hearing this, Jiang Miaomiao couldn’t help stealing a glance at him.
Under the light, his skin looked black and red after being exposed to the sun all day, making it hard to see his condition.
He was really good at playing the victim, but she didn’t believe him.
Jiang Miaomiao remained indifferent, unwilling to respond to him.
Lu Qiming sighed in helplessness, letting go of her hand and stood up.
“Alright, I’ll sleep next door tonight. You rest early.”
After saying that, he walked out of the room but noticed the cold noodles on the table. He happily picked them up and rushed back.
“This was prepared for me, right? I knew you would forgive me.”
Jiang Miaomiao rolled her eyes.
“Who said that? It’s for the dog.”
“….Woof woof.”
“???”
“Woof, woof, woof!”
Lu Qiming called out two more times, grinning, “Can I eat now?”
Jiang Rou Rou, who was sleeping in the living room, perked up her ears – it seemed like someone was trying to steal her food bowl!
Jiang Miaomiao was completely helpless with him and got out of bed to take away the noodles.
“I’ll reheat it, you sit down.”
He beamed and refused to sit, instead hugging her waist and not letting go. The two of them, like conjoined twins, reheated the noodles together.
Lu Qiming was starving; he sat at the table and began eating with his head down.
Jiang Miaomiao put the room-temperature drinks back in the fridge and brought two new bottles. She handed one to him while warning him, “From now on, you’re not allowed to do this again. Otherwise, I’ll take Rou Rou and pry open the window to climb out, never to return.”
With his mouth full of noodles, he couldn’t speak but nodded repeatedly.
Jiang Miaomiao relaxed, sitting across from him, drinking her beverage, and watching him eat.
He ate heartily, as if he had been starved for three days. She couldn’t help but ask, “You really didn’t eat lunch?”
“Mmm.”
Jiang Miaomiao imagined him hungry and working under the scorching sun, dismantling machines and constantly guarding against zombie attacks. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
“Are you foolish? If you couldn’t pry it open, you should have come back immediately. It’s so dangerous outside, and you delayed until so late.”
He swallowed the food in his mouth and smiled at her with a bit of tomato sauce on his lips.
“But I came back safe and sound, right?”
“This time you did, but who knows about next time?”
She offered a suggestion, “Let’s not look for diesel anymore. Let’s endure the heat for now. In another month or two, the temperature will drop.”
After thinking for a while, Lu Qiming nodded.
“Okay.”
After they finished eating, they prepared to sleep. Jiang Miaomiao looked at the ventilation grille on the ceiling and suddenly said, “Let’s turn off the electricity.”
Lu Qiming didn’t understand, “Why turn it off? It’s too hot to sleep without air conditioning.”
“It’s cooler at night than during the day; we can use the fan. Turn off the air conditioning, refrigerator, and all the unnecessary electricity. The remaining power can be saved for charging the chainsaw in the future.”
She intended to survive, so she had to be prepared for the future.
The chainsaw could be a lifesaver in critical moments; it was much more useful than enjoying the luxury of electricity.
Lu Qiming disagreed and forcefully pulled her onto the bed.
“Stop thinking about it, let’s sleep.”
“But…”
“Can you bear to see me under the scorching sun all day and not sleep well at night?”
Jiang Miaomiao had no choice but to give up and lay next to him in the cool room. Soon, they fell asleep.
In the morning, the generator had stopped working, and the air returned to its usual heat.
Jiang Miaomiao was feeling lethargic. While eating breakfast, she yawned and discussed the day’s work plan.
“The air is too dry; the soil in the pots is cracking, and the newly sprouted vegetables are almost withering. We need to take good care of them. The items on the shelves haven’t been sorted for days. If there are any expired foods with bloated packages, it might affect the non-expired ones next to them. We need to clear them out. Also…”
Lu Qiming nodded absentmindedly, as if he didn’t really pay attention. After finishing breakfast, he suddenly grabbed her hand.
“Come on, I’ll show you something great on the rooftop.”
“The rooftop?”
This building had twenty floors, and the rooftop was on the eightieth floor.
It was scorching hot, and climbing sixty floors was a daunting prospect.
Lu Qiming said, “Follow me; you won’t regret it.”
With such a bold claim, she wanted to see what the treasure was.
Both of them packed a backpack with water and food, locked the doors and windows, and headed towards the rooftop.
The higher they went, the hotter it became. After reaching the thirtieth floor, the fire escape staircase turned into a large oven, causing them to constantly sweat while inside.
They had to stop every once in a while to rest and drink water. The water they drank seemed to immediately turn into sweat, saving them the trouble of needing to use the restroom.
After walking like this for almost the entire morning, they finally reached the rooftop.
The rooftop faced the scorching noon sun, and the heat waves surged, making the light unbearable.
As they stepped out of the staircase, their skin felt like it was burning.
Jiang Miaomiao quickly took out a sun umbrella and opened it to shade both of them from the sun.
The air was still scorching, but at least they didn’t have to face the direct sunlight.
“What do you want me to see?” She was exhausted, like a wilted eggplant.
Lu Qiming held her hand and said, “Come with me.”
The rooftop had many facilities, such as generators, central air conditioning, water reservoirs, and more, scattered all around.
They passed by several large water reservoirs and arrived at an open space.
Several flat, large cardboard boxes were placed on the ground, and there were words written on them.
The sunlight was too intense, and Jiang Miaomiao couldn’t see clearly at first. As she got closer and squinted her eyes, she realized the words on top were: “XX Brand Solar Panels.”
Solar panels???
“How can these be here?” She turned around in surprise and asked Lu Qiming.
His T-shirt was already soaked with sweat, and sweat dripped from the edges, making him look uncomfortable, but his expression was quite cheerful.
“Guess.”
The boxes were so new, they didn’t seem weathered by wind and sun. Could it be…
Jiang Miaomiao quickly moved behind him, looking around warily.
“Are there other people in this building?”
After all, it was a city where tens of millions of people used to live.
Perhaps there were others who had the same idea as her, not following the troops to evacuate but staying behind to find a safe place to stay.
What if they encounter someone else, and they end up fighting over the supplies? In the original text, even the survivors who followed the troops in the retreat have had numerous riots due to scarce resources, resulting in many deaths.
Jiang Miaomiao would rather live alone with Lu Qiming for more than ten years than deal with such a tricky situation. Fighting over resources was not good, and being killed by others was even worse. It’s better to have the current peace and quiet.
Looking around and not finding anyone, she heard Lu Qiming’s mocking laughter.
“Are you silly? How could you think someone else placed these?”
“Then who else could it be? It certainly can’t be you.”
Jiang Miaomiao frowned.
Lu Qiming shrugged, a look of “I’m helpless with you” on his face.
Jiang Miaomiao was shocked.
“Where did you get these? When did you find them? How come I didn’t see them?”
The questions came at him like a string of firecrackers, and he calmly explained, “I’m not that dumb. After finding out yesterday that the fuel dispenser couldn’t be opened, I went to look elsewhere. Do you see that building over there?”
Lu Qiming pointed in a direction, and Jiang Miaomiao looked over, shielding her eyes with her hand. She could barely see a silver-colored tall building in the distance. It must be a kilometer or two away, straight and not as tall as the World Trade Center under their feet, but still about forty to fifty floors.
Lu Qiming said, “That building houses a company specializing in solar energy. This is the stock from their warehouse. It’s on the thirtieth floor and wasn’t soaked by water. I brought a set here to see if we can install it.”
Jiang Miaomiao suddenly realized, “No wonder you came back so late. I thought you were still trying to pry open the fuel dispenser.”
He smiled and touched her head.
Her gaze fell on the pile of things.
“But how do we install it? Do you know how to do it?”
Lu Qiming replied, “When we lived in the villa before, I specially studied the solar power system there. There are also installation instructions in this set; we should be able to figure it out.”
Jiang Miaomiao looked skeptical.
“That power system was pre-installed, and we just had to plug it in and use it. But this one is starting from scratch.”
He patted her shoulder.
“Don’t worry; this little thing won’t be a challenge for me. You go back to the supermarket, and I promise you’ll be able to enjoy the air conditioning again by tomorrow.”
After saying that, he took out a knife, opened the box, and started examining the seemingly useless components.
Jiang Miaomiao wasn’t completely at ease, wanting to stay and help.
However, Lu Qiming insisted on sending her downstairs, so she had no choice but to leave the sun umbrella and go back to the supermarket alone, holding the dog.
In the evening, she prepared dinner, waiting for Lu Qiming to return so they could eat together, but he didn’t show up.
Jiang Miaomiao packed the meal into a food container, slung it over her shoulder, held the dog with one hand, and carried a flashlight with the other. She went back upstairs to find him.
She had already walked back and forth once today, and now climbing sixty floors again was like climbing a hundred and eighty floors in a day.
When she stepped out of the fire escape staircase, her waist was so tired she couldn’t straighten it.
The bright moon hung high in the sky, casting a clear and cold moonlight on the rooftop, making everything visible.
Lu Qiming was still crouched in front of that pile of things, scratching his head and pondering.
The rooftop was quite cool at night, and a gentle breeze blew. Jiang Miaomiao regained some strength and walked towards him.
“Is it not installed yet? Let’s eat first.”
He looked up and frowned, “Why did you come?”
“I was afraid you’d starve to death, you glutton.”
Lu Qiming hadn’t realized it before, but when he smelled the food, his stomach growled.
He took the bowl and looked at the sky, “It’s so late; you should go to sleep first.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll try again.”
Jiang Miaomiao glanced at the half-finished product he had spent the whole afternoon on and shook her head.
“You’re not in this profession. How could you expect to install it just like that? It’s better to forget about it.”
Lu Qiming paused eating.
“Don’t you trust me?”
“…Don’t be so sensitive. I’m just stating the objective fact.”
“The fact is, I’ll definitely be able to install it.”
Lu Qiming quickly finished his meal, drank half a bottle of mineral water in one breath, wiped his mouth, pulled her over, kissed her, and patted her butt.
“Be a good girl, go home and sleep. Wait for my good news.”
He went back to work, and Jiang Miaomiao blushed slightly, standing there without moving.
Go down again? She might really get exhausted halfway.
She didn’t want to sleep alone. Since there was no air conditioning in the hotel now, staying on the rooftop with the wind blowing would be cooler. She decided to stay here to sleep.
She collected the cardboard boxes and arranged them into a makeshift bed. She also found a small piece of cardboard to use as a fan and laid down, fanning herself.
Jiang RouRou peed in the corner and then lay down beside her.
Lu Qiming, without lifting his head, continued to study the instruction manual, displaying a never-give-up attitude.
Neither of them said a word, but the atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious.
Jiang Miaomiao remained vigilant about the possibility of encountering zombies, but perhaps because the rooftop was extremely high, about two to three hundred meters, the zombies couldn’t climb up, so the night remained peaceful.
Lu Qiming worked all night without sleeping, and even when the sun came up, he was still at it, showing the determination of a stubborn mule.
She tried to persuade him a few times, but he remained unmoved, so she left the dog with him and went downstairs alone.
When she returned, her hands were full of plastic bags, filled with water and food.
Lu Qiming was slightly surprised, “What are you doing?”
“Keeping you company. The rooftop is scorching hot, and I guessed you might need someone to hold an umbrella for you.”
After saying that, Jiang Miaomiao opened the sun umbrella and poured half a bottle of water onto it, holding it up behind him.
As the water evaporated, the area under the umbrella became refreshingly cool. Lu Qiming felt a little embarrassed, but he couldn’t bear to let her leave, so he hastened his pace.
After such a long time of study, he finally figured out some clues and assembled the solar panels, preparing to connect them to the building’s power system.
It was a complicated task that even experienced electricians might not be able to accomplish.
As someone who only had a superficial understanding, Lu Qiming found the task extremely difficult and faced repeated setbacks.
The weather was scorching hot, and after numerous failures, Lu Qiming grew increasingly frustrated and felt like giving up.
But when his arm accidentally touched the woman’s leg behind him, he immediately calmed himself and found the motivation to continue.
She wanted to use the air conditioning, and he was determined to make that happen for her.
Lu Qiming was busy, and Jiang Miaomiao was not idle either. As the water on the umbrella dried up, she poured more water on it and occasionally wrung a wet towel to place on Lu Qiming’s sunburned back.
Jiang RouRou was panting from the heat and couldn’t bear it, so she ran back to the supermarket.
Jiang Miaomiao estimated how long the remaining water would last and thought about what to eat for lunch. Suddenly, her vision darkened, and her head buzzed.
She couldn’t hear or see anything, her body went stiff, and she fell forward, landing on Lu Qiming’s back.
He was startled and quickly turned around to support her.
“What’s wrong with you?”
She could vaguely see his mouth moving but couldn’t hear his voice. Her body felt weak and covered in sweat; she felt like vomiting.
Lu Qiming reacted quickly, immediately carrying her to a shady spot, taking off her clothes, and pouring a bottle of mineral water on her.
Jiang Miaomiao felt a bit better.
He lifted her head and fed her some water, then used two fingers to pinch the mountain root on her hand, exerting force repeatedly.
The skin at the mountain root turned purple-red rapidly.
“Ah… it hurts…”
She screamed and pushed his hand away.
Feeling pain indicated that she was out of danger.
Lu Qiming breathed a sigh of relief.
“Do you know that you almost went into shock just now?”
Jiang Miaomiao was still in discomfort, clutching her churning stomach, and shrunk into his arms, not wanting to speak.
He looked at the unfinished solar panel, bit his lip, and carried her downstairs.
The building was still hot, not much better than the rooftop.
Lu Qiming carried Jiang Miaomiao down to the 25th floor, to the hotel’s swimming pool, and placed her in the water.
After she was completely soaked, he pulled her out and fanned her with a fan.
After about half an hour of this, Jiang Miaomiao finally regained her strength and weakly said, “Thank you.”
He scolded her, “See? I told you to come back, but you didn’t listen. Feeling comfortable now?”
“I was afraid you’d get heatstroke. Otherwise, who would willingly stay out there under the scorching sun?”
Jiang Miaomiao felt a little wronged.
He said in a displeased tone, “With your weak constitution, you should worry about yourself first.”
She fell silent, looking at him pitifully. It took a while for her to realize that she wasn’t wearing clothes and awkwardly covered her chest.
Lu Qiming understood her intention and brought a large vest for her to put on. Then, he helped her back to the room.
The floor was cooler, so Jiang Miaomiao didn’t get on the bed; instead, she lay on the floor and held his hand.
“Don’t go up there either.”
Lu Qiming said, “If I don’t go, we won’t have electricity.”
“If we don’t have it, then so be it. If I get heatstroke, you can save me, but what will you do if you get heatstroke? I can’t even carry you.”
He thought for a moment and sat down beside her.
“Okay.”
Jiang Miaomiao didn’t trust him and kept an eye on him.
As expected, in the evening, he quietly slipped upstairs again.
At least it was cooler on the rooftop at night, and there were no zombies.
She was exhausted after a round trip to the gates of hell today, so she had no strength to climb the stairs again. She planned to go and find him in the morning.
But the next day, as soon as she opened her eyes, she saw him sitting by the bed with a smug smile.
“Did you finish it?” She suppressed her excitement.
Lu Qiming picked up the remote control and pressed the air conditioning switch.
Cool air gently blew out, and Jiang Miaomiao’s hair tips trembled slightly as the room returned to a comfortable temperature.
“The number of batteries is not enough; we may not be able to provide power to the entire floor. We can only use the air conditioning, lights, and maybe a small single-door fridge in this room. If we use things like electric stoves or water heaters, it will likely exceed the capacity.”
“Exceed the capacity? Will it cause a fire or explosion?”
“Where did you get that idea? It’ll just trip the circuit.”
“That’s good…”
She breathed a sigh of relief, looked at the air vent, and couldn’t help but hug him and kiss him enthusiastically.
“Lu Qiming, you’re amazing!”
He felt flattered by her praise, hugged her, and rolled on the bed with her, finally lying on her.
Jiang Miaomiao tensed up, thinking he wanted to do something.
But he only yawned, and his head gently rested on her chest.
“So sleepy.”
He hadn’t slept well for several nights, and little stars appeared before his eyes as he looked at things.
Jiang Miaomiao looked at his tired face, stroked his hair, and smiled, “Go to sleep, sleep as long as you want.”
“I’m a bit hungry.”
“I’ll cook for you.”
She brought a pillow for him to hold and quietly closed the door.
Her calf was scratched by the dog’s claws, and she looked down to see Jiang RouRou.
It was chubby, and with so much fur, it was suffering in this summer, with its tongue always sticking out.
The air conditioning was only on in the room; the living room remained hot.
She hesitated for a moment, then opened the door slightly and placed Jiang RouRou inside, whispering, “Don’t make any noise, okay?”
Jiang RouRou obediently lay down in the corner, not making a sound.
With that, Jiang Miaomiao finally felt relieved and closed the door before going downstairs to cook.
Since the electric stove couldn’t be used, she had to cook over a fire. Because it was too hot in the supermarket, she set up the fire near the window and opened the glass slightly to allow for ventilation. As she stir-fried the vegetables, she remained alert for any zombies that might climb in.
There were no zombies outside the window, but she noticed a dark object flying past in the sky.
At first, she thought it was a bird and didn’t pay much attention, but after a few seconds, she suddenly put down the spatula in her hand and leaned over the window to look outside.
In the distance, there was something flying in the sky that looked like a bird.
It had a pair of wings, but it glided through the clouds like an eagle without flapping them, and a faint roar could be heard from inside it.
It was an airplane!
Was it the government sending help to the survivors?
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