“Alright, take them off.”
Ning Xin placed a bucket of well water on the ground and motioned towards Nie Ran, who was coming down the stairs.
Nie Ran held a clean patient gown, looking puzzled at the lone bucket of water.
“Do I wash with this? I can’t fit inside.”
“Why do you need to fit inside? Just take off your clothes and stand here. I’ll pour water on you,” Ning Xin replied.
Nie Ran hesitated, reluctant to move.
Ning Xin said, “You were the one who insisted I help you bathe, and now that I’m ready, are you going to back out?”
He reluctantly placed the clothes on the table and began unbuttoning his shirt.
He had layered his clothing for safety when going outside, so it was quite a hassle to remove them now.
Seeing him struggle to undress, Ning Xin crouched down to wring a towel. When she looked up, her gaze met something she shouldn’t have seen.
“Why did you take off your underwear?” she almost shouted.
Nie Ran asked, “Should I put it back on?”
… She had already seen it, so what was the point of putting it back on?
Ning Xin averted her gaze and gruffly said, “Just leave it like that. Who knows how long it’ll take you to put it back on.”
She just wanted to finish this quickly. She didn’t want to endure any more mental torture.
Nie Ran nodded and stood obediently.
Feeling overwhelmed, Ning Xin moved behind him to wash him with the towel.
Nie Ran was too tall, so Ning Xin had to tiptoe to reach his neck and shoulders with the towel. Her arms grew tired from holding them up high.
“How long has it been since you last bathed? Even the wild boars in the mountains probably aren’t as dirty as you. Tsk tsk, look at this towel, I’ll need a brush to scrub you clean,” she remarked, marvelling at the dirtiness of his body. With her attention successfully diverted, she focused entirely on how to clean him thoroughly.
One bucket of water was not nearly enough, and using only a towel wouldn’t do the job.
Ning Xin instructed him to fetch another bucket of water while she went into the storeroom to find a clothes-brushing brush and a bag of laundry powder.
With these two items, she gave him a thorough scrubbing from head to toe.
She couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment as she watched his skin slowly return to its clean and smooth state under her hands.
“Look at your face, it’s at least two shades lighter now,” Ning Xin proudly declared, almost as if she wanted to write “Thanks to me” on his face.
Nie Ran, looking pitiful, hugged his arms, his skin reddened from her vigorous scrubbing, almost on the verge of breaking.
“Are you done washing?” he asked.
“Almost, almost.”
“In the palace, we used to bathe with hot water and the best fragrant soap, using silk to wipe ourselves…”
It was nothing like today, where he felt like a pig on a chopping board, at the mercy of anyone.
Ning Xin consoled him generously, “It can’t be helped. With limited resources, even a prince like you has to endure.”
As she spoke, she finished the final rinse.
With all the dirt washed away, his body was exposed before her.
The muscle lines were smooth and graceful, especially those abdominal muscles, simply…
Ning Xin was almost mesmerized, but then she noticed something and curiously asked, “Why do you have so many scars on your body?”
“Scars?” Nie Ran lowered his head to look and indeed, his chest, abdomen, waist, back, and limbs were all covered with numerous scars crisscrossing his body.
The scars were thin and elongated, indicating they were likely caused by sharp objects, and the healing varied due to different time spans.
He murmured, touching the raised scars, unable to fully understand them himself.
Ning Xin couldn’t help but glance at him.
This person carried a large machete with him, and his body was covered in scars from blades, with a hint of suspicion of mental illness.
Honestly, if she had met him before, she would have turned and run to call the police.
“Alright, you’re all washed up. Dry yourself off. I’m going upstairs to sleep,” she said, throwing the towel onto him and heading towards the stairs.
But before she could take a few steps, she was hugged from behind.
Nie Ran’s wet face pressed against her head, his breath brushing against her earlobe as he spoke.
“Big sister, thank you,” he said.
Ning Xin replied, “Let go!”
He quickly released her, asking guiltily, “Did I hurt you?”
“You… you got my clothes wet,” she retorted.
Nie Ran’s eyes lit up, suggesting, “Let me help you bathe. Your clothes are dirty anyway.”
Ning Xin almost slapped him, muttering angrily as she went upstairs.
Nie Ran felt a bit disappointed but then cheered up, touching his cheek. He hummed a tune as he dried himself and put on his clothes.
With only one meal a day, and today’s portion already consumed, Ning Xin lay in bed until evening, watching the sun set behind the mountains, with no intention of getting up.
Even after being here for so long, she still didn’t know where exactly they were. Were the others who came with her already dead? Was there any way to escape? And where did those zombies come from?
Her mind was full of questions, yet there was no one to answer them for her.
She remembered the mysterious old lady next door, and thought of Nie Ran, who seemed to have a good understanding of the place. She really wanted to ask them.
Just as she was thinking about this, a knock on the door sounded. Nie Ran stood outside and asked, “Can I come in, sister?”
“What for?”
“I can’t sleep, I want to talk to you.”
Ning Xin responded with a disdainful expression, sitting cross-legged on the bed. “Come in.”
Nie Ran pushed the door open and entered, closing it behind him. He sat on the edge of the bed, holding his large cleaver in his hand, carefully placing it against the wall.
The sunlight shone on the blade, reflecting a beautiful and mesmerizing light.
If weapons could be aesthetically pleasing, this cleaver would definitely be a star.
“Sister, where are your parents?”
Ning Xin, absent-mindedly picking at her trousers, responded, “I don’t know, probably having a peaceful dinner at home.”
“How many people are in your family?”
“Um… four of us, parents, me, and an older brother,” she said, lifting her head and leaning against the headboard, indulging in fantasy.
“My dad runs a company and makes a lot of money, buying a big house and luxury cars for the family, and taking us on international trips every year. My mom is a professor, beautiful and cultured, with exceptional cooking skills. My brother, he’s older than me… two years older, handsome, and especially protective of me. If anyone dares to bully me, he would immediately come to my rescue.”
Nie Ran stared blankly, mouth agape.
She laughed, “Jealous, huh? You can’t be jealous.”
“Why are your eyes so red?”
Ning Xin quickly lowered her head. “It’s nothing, just got some sand in them.”
Nie Ran looked around, puzzled. The windows were closed properly, so where did the sand come from?
Recalling her earlier words, he sighed deeply.
Ning Xin, puzzled, asked, “Why the sigh? Did something bother you?”
Nie Ran drooped his head dispiritedly. “I wanted to consider you my sister, but you already have such great parents and a brother. You definitely don’t need me.”
“Huh?”
“I really like you, even though you can be harsh sometimes. But you’re different from people in the palace; I can feel it.”
Ning Xin awkwardly scratched her head. “Haha, is that so…”
“Unfortunately… sigh.”
He sighed heavily, holding the knife as he got up to leave. His hand was already on the doorknob when he heard Ning Xin’s shout from behind.
“Wait, I didn’t say you couldn’t.”
Nie Ran unexpectedly turned around, “Are you willing to become sworn siblings with me?”
“Well…” She rubbed her chin, her eyes rolling around, “It depends on how you perform. If you perform well, I’ll swear with you. But if you don’t, I’ll kick you out.”
Nie Ran hurriedly asked, “How long will it take to see?”
“However long it takes, at least a month.”
“Ah, that long…”
“If you’re not willing, forget it.”
Ning Xin pretended to be going to sleep, and he took two steps to come to the bedside.
“I’m willing!”
She chuckled, “If you’re willing, you’re willing. Why shout? Go back to sleep.”
Nie Ran looked at her, hesitating and reluctant to leave.
Ning Xin asked with a sideways glance, “What do you want to do now?”
“At night, there’s always something calling outside, making people feel uneasy. Sister, can I sleep here?”
“Alright, just recognized me as your sister, and now you’re already climbing onto the bed.”
Ning Xin sneered, “Can you?”
He genuinely picked a spot for himself.
“Your bed is too small, I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“No, no, you’re a prince, of course you should sleep on the bed.”
“No need, no need, I’ll sleep on the floor.”
After saying that, Nie Ran ran out, brought his own blanket and pillow, laid them on the floor, and fell asleep.
Before long, the sound of snoring came, so fast that Ning Xin didn’t even have time to stop him.
Is this guy’s face too thick? She should have given him a good brushing today.
Ning Xin lay in bed angrily, closed her eyes pretending he didn’t exist.
Outside, the zombies kept howling. Strangely, having someone lying next to her made her feel much safer than usual.
Even if the zombies came in the middle of the night, with Nie Ran and his knife here, she wouldn’t have to worry about her life.
Thinking of this, she opened her eyes again and looked at the figure on the floor.
Nie Ran was sleeping soundly, dreaming about something, his silhouette handsome and charming in the moonlight.
Ning Xin smiled faintly, tucked herself in, and fell asleep comfortably.
She slept early that night and woke up early the next day.
When she opened her eyes, it was still dark outside. While getting off the bed, she contemplated that she still had to go purchase goods today. She almost stepped on Nie Ran when she suddenly woke up, realizing that she didn’t need to open the shop anymore.
The porridge she had yesterday had already been digested. What to eat today?
With grains and vegetables in hand, she pondered and decided to cook a proper meal to reward her suffering stomach.
Nie Ran was clumsy, so she didn’t need his help.
Putting on her shoes, she stepped over him and silently descended the stairs.
Washing rice, washing vegetables, cutting vegetables, and lighting the fire.
Ning Xin cooked a pot of rice, made shredded radish with preserved meat, and a big bowl of sour cabbage soup.
The old lady didn’t like to come downstairs, so she packed a portion for her separately, intending to take it upstairs. Then she served two bowls of rice and the remaining dishes on the table, picked up the tray, and went upstairs happily.
She delivered the food to the old lady first before entering her own room.
Nie Ran was still sleeping, sunlight shining brightly. His high nose bridge and brow bone left several deep shadows on his face.
She scrutinized his face, suspecting he might be a model or something, but would a model have such good cooking skills?
“Hey, lazy pig, wake up.”
Ning Xin called out to him to wake up, but Nie Ran didn’t move at all, his eyelashes not even trembling.
She became curious and playfully covered his mouth and nose with her hand, to see how long he could hold his breath.
One minute… two minutes… three minutes…
By the end, she started to feel a bit scared, worried that she might cause harm. She quickly stopped, but just at that moment, he opened his eyes.
Ning Xin breathed a sigh of relief, “You’re awake, I thought you were dead.”
Nie Ran glanced around, his gaze settling on her face, unmoving for a while.
“What are you looking at? Don’t think pretending to be asleep means you don’t have to work. I cooked the meal, you’ll wash the dishes later, and your clothes too. If you dare to break anything again, it won’t end well for you.”
He still didn’t speak, his eyes cold.
Ning Xin couldn’t help but frown, reaching out to touch his forehead.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Without warning, Nie Ran reached out, grabbed her neck, pulled her down beneath him, and pressed her tightly.
“Tell me! Who are you?”
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