Bai Qingqing huddled under the bed, staring at the military boots that were getting closer and closer to her. She tightly gripped the Tang sword, and her heart was pounding in her chest.
Was she going to be discovered?
After traveling for a day in the modified car, they were still not far from the Yaoyang Base. If she were to be found, Fu Chen would definitely turn back and hand her over to Cheng Rui.
Bai Qingqing couldn’t help but bite her lip, her palms sweaty with nervousness. She felt as still as a small animal caught in the spotlight, afraid to move.
She even slowed down her breathing, her eyes fixed on the man’s slender legs, fearing that he would come closer.
“Fu ge,” Xiao Yang’s voice suddenly came from outside the door. He seemed a bit uneasy as he looked at the man in the room. “What are you looking for in my room?”
Fu Chen turned to look at him and said, “Liang Zhiyu said you brought some weapons with you when you got on the car. Take them out, let me see.”
“Oh, I bought some weapons at the base,” Xiao Yang tried to maintain a relaxed expression and walked towards the edge of the bed.
Bai Qingqing watched as Xiao Yang approached, his tall body crouching down. Their gazes silently clashed.
Xiao Yang bent down to look under the bed as if searching for something. He saw her safely hidden there, and the tension in his heart eased.
He silently mouthed to her, telling her not to be nervous or afraid. Then he pulled the box out.
Fu Chen watched as he pulled out a box from under the bed. With a click, he unlocked it and slowly opened the box, revealing several sharp-edged weapons.
Xiao Yang picked up a butterfly knife that gleamed with a cold light and played with it in his hand. He looked at Fu Chen and smiled, “Fu ge, which one do you want? I’ll get it for you.”
“No need,” Fu Chen patted his head and turned around, saying, “Go downstairs, we’ll be leaving soon.”
“Can I rest a bit longer?” Xiao Yang grinned playfully.
“Three minutes,” Fu Chen didn’t stop his footsteps and left the room.
Both Xiao Yang and Bai Qingqing, who were half-crouching, let out a sigh of relief at the same time. Xiao Yang restrained his smile, immediately stood up, closed the door, and then crouched down to carefully help her out.
Xiao Yang asked with concern, “Did it scare you?”
Bai Qingqing sat on the bed, holding the Tang sword, and shook her head slightly. “No, he suddenly came in, but I hid quickly.”
“I’m sorry for making you hide for a few more days,” Xiao Yang said as he leaned in, staring into her clear eyes. “We’ll reach the Mist City near the City of Death the day after tomorrow. He won’t be able to chase you away anymore.”
“Mhm,” Bai Qingqing responded.
Xiao Yang said, “Fu ge probably won’t come again. You can get some rest.”
Bai Qingqing, whose tense nerves relaxed a bit, felt a little tired. She lay on the bed and closed her eyes, quickly falling asleep. Her obedient sleeping face made people want to give her a kiss.
Xiao Yang restrained his gaze and left the single room. Just as he was about to lock the door, he ran into Liang Zhiyu, who was coming upstairs.
Liang Zhiyu, with a sly smile in his foxy eyes, said, “Captain Fu was looking for you just now.”
“Oh, I see.” Xiao Yang scratched his head. “Fu Ge asked me for weapons, but I don’t have what he wants.”
Liang Zhiyu observed Xiao Yang. This kid silently accomplished a big task. He spoke in a gentle tone, “Xiao Yang, you’re not bad.”
Upon hearing the praise, Xiao Yang’s eyes flickered slightly, and he asked, “Liang Ge, why are you suddenly praising me?”
Liang Zhiyu smiled mysteriously, “Nothing.” He patted Xiao Yang’s shoulder and said, “I just think you’re really bold.”
Crafty old fox, Xiao Yang thought, and confidently smiled, “Liang Ge, I’ll go downstairs first.”
Liang Zhiyu looked at the spirited figure of the young man, his expression faint. The impulsive fervor of youth was sometimes not a bad thing, although his face had a punchable smile no matter how you looked at it.
Bai Qingqing had slept through the afternoon. When she woke up again, the room was pitch black. She got up, reached out, and gently pulled open the curtains. The outside was also pitch black.
The place where the team had regrouped was still far from Mist City. They were currently staying on the side of a desolate road, unable to see any scenery in the pitch darkness, only the red moon hanging high in the sky.
“A red moon,” Bai Qingqing murmured softly, looking at the magnificent and beautiful moonlight. She felt a sense of strangeness without reason.
Was the storm from the original text finally coming?
After the arrival of the apocalypse, the environment and climate underwent significant changes. Even the moon had mutated into a red colour, and heavy rain fell from the sky. The speed of mutation in beasts and plants drenched by the rain was even faster.
All the rivers and water sources on the land had been contaminated, and there was not a drop of clean water left. It was the second major disaster to befall humanity.
With a click, the door lock opened, and Xiao Yang entered with food in his hands. Seeing her sitting on the edge of the bed staring at the night scenery outside, he closed the door and walked over.
“Awake? How was your sleep?”
Bai Qingqing turned around and noticed him carrying the fragrant food. Her stomach rumbled in response. She covered her stomach in frustration. How was it that the more idle one became, the faster hunger struck?
“Come, eat.” Xiao Yang handed her the bowl.
However, Bai Qingqing didn’t eat directly. She took out a bowl and chopsticks from her space and put a small portion in the bowl. “I’ll eat this.”
Xiao Yang, seeing that she left him a large portion of the meal, disagreed, “You should eat more.”
Perhaps due to consecutive injuries, Bai Qingqing had visibly lost weight recently. She had the appearance of a delicate and sickly beauty, but he didn’t like it. He wanted to see her plump and healthy.
Bai Qingqing held the small bowl and said, “This is enough for me. You should eat more to grow taller.”
Xiao Yang fell silent, and the two sat together, slowly eating their food.
After they finished eating, he hesitated for a moment before asking, “Qingqing, do you think I’m short?”
Bai Qingqing turned her head and looked at him. Each man in the team was over 1.8 meters tall, and Xiao Yang was the shortest among them, but he still stood around 1.83 meters.
On the other hand, despite her height of 1.68 meters, she seemed small and pitiful compared to them.
With their strength, they could easily overpower her. It was the inherent suppression between men and women.
Bai Qingqing thought that her words might have touched his self-esteem and hurriedly reassured him, “You’re not short at all. You’re tall, your height is perfectly fine.”
Xiao Yang hummed.
She got off the bed and stood in front of him, gesturing in confusion, “You’re already a head taller than me. How much taller do you want to be?”
Xiao Yang extended his long arms and embraced her waist, looking up at her, he tentatively asked, “What height of guys do you like?”
Bai Qingqing pretended to ponder for a moment and then said, “Not too tall, below 1.8 meters.”
“…,” Xiao Yang responded.
Seeing the frustration on his face, Bai Qingqing couldn’t help but smirk. She placed her hands on his shoulders and gently pushed him away, saying, “Can you find some time tonight to help me sneak out?”
“Hmm?” Xiao Yang asked, “What do you want to do?”
A blush appeared on Bai Qingqing’s face as she gave him a coquettish look. “Take a bath, if I don’t take a bath soon, I’ll start to smell.”
Xiao Yang’s ears turned slightly red as well. He said, “I understand.”
…
The night was quiet, and the RV was also peaceful.
It was Shen Mingxuan who would be on alert outside for the first half of the night, and Liang Zhiyu would take over for the second half. The others had already gone to sleep. Xiao Yang opened the door and took Bai Qingqing outside.
The two of them walked lightly, as if sneaking, and went downstairs to the bathroom.
Bai Qingqing pushed open the door, and Xiao Yang stood at the doorway like a statue, saying, “I’ll keep watch outside.”
“I’ll finish quickly,” Bai Qingqing said.
Bai Qingqing took out clothes from her space and placed them on the rack. Nervously, she started undressing, her heart unable to control its accelerated beating.
Sneaking into the car, hidden from everyone else—it was indeed exciting, but fortunately, she had a companion.
She turned on the hot water and quickly rinsed herself.
The sound of water dripping echoed in the bathroom, and Xiao Yang felt a dryness in his mouth. He was standing guard outside while the girl he admired was taking a bath. This was the first time he had done something like this.
The sound of footsteps came closer.
Xiao Yang said, “Someone’s coming.”
Being highly alert, Bai Qingqing hurriedly wrapped herself in a towel and opened the door to let him in. The two squeezed into the narrow bathroom together.
Shen Mingxuan came up to get a drink of water and saw that the kitchen and bathroom lights were on. He reached out and pushed the door, asking, “Who’s in there?”
In the bathroom, Bai Qingqing and Xiao Yang stood face to face, with towels in their hands. Bai Qingqing’s little face was flushed and very alluring. Her long black hair, wet and dripping, draped behind her, giving off a dishevelled yet beautiful post-bath image.
Xiao Yang’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he said, “I’m taking a shower in here.”
Shen Mingxuan poured a glass of water and felt something was off. He said, “Getting up in the middle of the night to take a shower? What kind of dream did you have?”
The bathroom was filled with a white mist, and the hot temperature made their bodies heat up. The flowing blood felt scorching hot.
Blushing and with a racing heart, Bai Qingqing lowered her eyes.
Xiao Yang tried his best to keep his gaze steady, but he heard Shen Mingxuan’s suggestive joke and felt slightly embarrassed. He cursed, “Get lost, I worked up a sweat and came down to take a shower.”
Shen Mingxuan put down the glass and looked at the tightly closed bathroom door. “Haven’t finished yet?”
“I just started,” Xiao Yang said.
“OK, I’ll go somewhere else,” Shen Mingxuan left the kitchen.
After he left, Bai Qingqing felt that she had broken out in a sweat and that her bath was wasted. She would have to wash herself again.
Xiao Yang’s gaze burned hotly as he stared at her. There was a hint of desire in his eyes, but he struggled to restrain himself and didn’t give in to the temptation of forcefully kissing her.
Bai Qingqing lowered her eyelashes and gently opened her red lips. “You go out, I still need some time.”
Xiao Yang grabbed her slender, fair arm and held it tightly for a moment. Then, he turned his back to her and left, his voice somewhat hoarse. “Hurry up.”
Bai Qingqing didn’t dare to dawdle any longer. In just a few minutes, she finished rinsing and changed into fresh clothes before going out. The two of them quickly returned to their room upstairs.
The next day at noon.
The team sat together to have lunch, and Shen Mingxuan brought up last night’s incident again. “This Xiao Yang, he got up in the middle of the night to take a shower. Quite diligent, huh?”
Liang Zhiyu looked at Xiao Yang and said, raising her eyes, “Getting up in the middle of the night to take a shower doesn’t seem like his style.”
Xiao Yang’s grip on the chopsticks tightened, and he said coldly, “I like taking showers. Is that not allowed?”
Bai Tiantian looked at everyone in confusion. What was there to discuss about taking a bath? She looked at Fu Chen sitting across from her. His face remained cold, and it was hard to tell any changes in his expression.
Xiao Yang had been acting suspiciously these past two days, often going upstairs to eat alone and returning to his room to sleep when there was nothing to do. It was easy for people to notice that something was off.
Shen Mingxuan lit a cigarette with a lighter and mocked, “A grown man getting up in the middle of the night to take a shower, spending almost half an hour. If someone didn’t know better, they would think it was a woman taking a bath.”
Xiao Yang’s face turned black, and he angrily retorted, “Are you looking for trouble?”
The two of them had a grudge from their previous fight over Bai Qingqing, and that small knot had yet to be untied.
Shen Mingxuan’s peach blossom eyes flashed with a cold light as he keenly sensed something. He playfully said, “Could it be that you’re hiding a woman in the car?”
Liang Zhiyu commented, “That does seem more like his style.”
Xiao Yang slammed his chopsticks down, his anger evident. “Nonsense!”
Shen Mingxuan caught on to something and his expression changed. He lazily straightened up and asked in a demanding tone, “Did you bring Bai Qingqing onto the car?”
Bai Tiantian looked at Fu Chen. His exceptionally handsome face remained indifferent, and his black eyes gazed at Xiao Yang. “Is it true?”
The smile on Liang Zhiyu’s face disappeared, and Shen Mingxuan frowned slightly. Bai Tiantian looked worried. Although Fu Chen’s expression was cold, it only indicated the calm before the storm.
Fu Chen had never lost his temper in the team, but once he erupted, who could control him?
Xiao Yang dared to defy his orders and secretly bring Bai Qingqing onto the car. It was a challenge to his authority.
The modified car had been on the road for two or three days, far away from the Yaoyang Base. Even if someone discovered someone else in the car, they couldn’t be sent back.
Fu Chen suddenly stood up and walked towards the stairs. Xiao Yang followed immediately with a stern face. Within less than ten seconds, Xiao Yang’s locked door was kicked open.
“Come out,” Fu Chen’s voice was cold and severe.
The room was empty, and there was no response from anyone.
Fu Chen stared at the dimly lit room, his voice icy. “I’ll count to three. If you don’t come out…”
Though he was angry, he couldn’t come up with any threatening words.
“Three, two, one…” His words fell, but there was still no response from the empty room.
The people waiting in the corridor stared at Xiao Yang’s room.
Shen Mingxuan’s peach blossom eyes filled with doubt. Could it be that he had made a mistake? Xiao Yang hadn’t brought anyone onto the car, and Bai Qingqing was still at the base.
Fu Chen slammed the door shut.
Xiao Yang raised his hand and hammered on the door fiercely. “Brother Fu, open the door! Let me in!”
Fu Chen entered the room and activated his psychic powers to search, but he found no trace related to Bai Qingqing. He opened the door again, emitting a dangerous aura.
Fu Chen grabbed Xiao Yang by the collar, his expression as sinister as a demon. “Didn’t I say that no one is allowed to bring her onto the car?”
“Yes, you did.” Xiao Yang’s face flushed with anger as he spoke coldly. “If you don’t want her, I do!”
“You want her?” Fu Chen looked at him with cold eyes, full of disdain. “Can you afford her?”
“Qingqing is not your possession.” Xiao Yang met his gaze and gritted his teeth. “She has the right to make her own choices.”
Fu Chen sneered, forcefully pushing him away, and closed the door again. In the dim room, his tall figure exuded a chilling aura as his voice turned sinister. “This is your last chance. If you don’t come out, I won’t spare you, Xiao Yang.”
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