L1LZDGD Chapter 21

Chapter 21

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…How much?

Qian Hui racked his brain, then mumbled, “I just… really, really missed you.”

He was at a loss for words, unable to articulate it further. All he knew was that he’d missed him terribly.

Nan Tingjin seemed unsatisfied with this answer. A shadow darkened his eyes as he fell silent again. Sitting by the tree with his back to the sunlight, he looked somehow colder than before.

His body temperature was significantly higher than Qian Hui’s. The heat radiating from his embrace and palms carried a faintly dangerous undercurrent, like a dormant fire waiting to ignite.

Qian Hui felt inexplicable tension and timidly pushed him away.

Nan Tingjin remained motionless. Seeing this, Ruanteng, protective of its master, extended its sharp leaves forward, leaving a shallow blood mark on his neck.

In truth, it wasn’t certain whether it could control Nan Tingjin. His ability class was simply too strong—even standing still without moving, he exerted overwhelming pressure on lower-grade mutated plants.

The kidnapping plan had gone smoothly so far, with no unexpected incidents along the way. But now Luobo and the others were asleep.

Summoning courage, Ruanteng trembled as it raised its leaves in a threatening gesture.

Nan Tingjin’s breathing paused momentarily. Noticing Qian Hui’s slight resistance, he slowly released his hold.

The space in his arms emptied as Qian Hui stepped back. After a moment, he cautiously edged closer again.

Having lost his memories and spent six years here, Nan Tingjin was no longer the same person he had been before.

From the moment they first met, Qian Hui could sense this difference, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on what exactly had changed.

Perhaps… the old Nan Tingjin had been gentler, never asking questions like “What do you like about me?” or “How much do you miss me?”

Qian Hui understood even less. If he liked someone, that was enough; he didn’t need to explain why.

Or perhaps this current Nan Tingjin was his true self.

While Qian Hui’s thoughts wandered, he reached out to touch the Ruanteng’s leaves.

He knew Ruanteng’s help would show him the truth. Sure enough, he saw a wound on Nan Tingjin’s neck.

Suddenly, he felt a strange sense of clarity, as if only now he truly realized Nan Tingjin had been forcibly brought here.

Qian Hui asked softly, “Does it hurt?”

Nan Tingjin looked over and replied slowly, “Yes, it hurts.”

Unconvinced, Qian Hui leaned closer to examine the faint wound.

He thought about letting Nan Tingjin go. They were already quite far from the Safe Zone.

Besides, back in the forest, Nan Tingjin had stayed by his side and even protected him…

Just as Qian Hui was about to recall Ruanteng, Luobo woke up.

The carrot had only slept briefly, but it was now fully rested and energetic as it scampered over.

Luobo wanted to switch shifts with Ruanteng, taking over the close watch on Nan Tingjin.

So Ruanteng shed its armor skills and returned to rest on Qian Hui’s wrist.

Luobo crouched under a tree, a blade of grass dangling from its mouth, black bean eyes fixed warily on Nan Tingjin.

Qian Hui reached out and pulled Luobo close, whispering softly, “Do we really need to… do this?”

Luobo shook its head, indicating that it was necessary.

It plucked some weeds from the ground, tied them into a dangling bundle of grass, and raised it to point at Nan Tingjin, meaning this represented him.

Swinging the grass bundle casually back and forth, Luobo gave it a couple of playful swats before finally tossing it to Qian Hui.

Qian Hui caught the bundle and quietly set it on the ground.

Having played with the carrot often before, he could guess what it meant.

He wanted to see Nan Tingjin, and Luobo had brought him here. With Nan Tingjin immobilized, Qian Hui could do whatever he wanted.

When exactly to let Nan Tingjin regain his freedom would depend on Qian Hui’s mood. If he let him go now, what would happen if Nan Tingjin left? It wouldn’t be easy to capture him again if Qian Hui changed his mind later.

After some hesitation, Qian Hui ultimately didn’t object to Luobo’s actions.

But now that he was face-to-face with Nan Tingjin, what should he do next…?

Ruanteng hadn’t rested for long either. After eating the Recovery Herb that Qian Hui fed it, it became even more energetic. Its branches unfurled and shot forward to once again coil around Nan Tingjin’s neck with a whoosh.

Luobo went to lie in the sun nearby, while Qian Hui leaned closer to Nan Tingjin.

“Have you… remembered anything from before?” he asked.

Nan Tingjin’s gaze swept over the wooden tail ring on his hand. “No.”

“Alright…” Qian Hui’s voice carried a hint of disappointment, but quickly shifted to anticipation. “That’s fine. I can teach you!”

He imagined reenacting their past interactions with Nan Tingjin, thinking this might help him remember.

Nan Tingjin lifted his eyes, curiosity flickering. “Teach me what?”

Qian Hui pondered for a moment, glanced around, then pulled Nan Tingjin to the sun-drenched side of the grassy field.

After settling back down, Qian Hui said, “You used to hold me while we sunbathed.”

As he leaned closer, Nan Tingjin instinctively reached out.

“Don’t move!” Qian Hui commanded.

Since their reunion, Nan Tingjin had initiated three embraces, but each felt different from their past. Determined to guide this lesson, Qian Hui insisted on following his own vision.

Nan Tingjin froze, refraining from completing the embrace.

Satisfied, Qian Hui burrowed into Nan Tingjin’s arms, arranging himself in a comfortable position.

He leaned against the familiar shoulder, taking Nan Tingjin’s hand. “You still remember how to massage my hands.”

Apart from silver hair and red eyes, Qian Hui showed no other signs of zombification. Yet faint gray hues emanated from his joints, most visibly in his hands.

His pale skin accentuated the lack of blood color.

Nan Tingjin complied, holding Qian Hui’s hand and gently massaging his fingertips.

Qian Hui buried his face in the crook of Nan Tingjin’s neck, murmuring, “A little firmer, please.”

“Alright,” Nan Tingjin replied softly.

Qian Hui closed his eyes, drifting into memories of their time in the botanical courtyard.

Having risen too early that morning, he now relaxed into drowsiness and accidentally fell asleep.

The nap lasted only about ten minutes. When Qian Hui woke, Nan Tingjin was still massaging his hand.

“That’s enough…” Qian Hui wrapped his arms around Nan Tingjin’s waist, resting his chin against his chest.

“Did you remember anything?” he asked, eyes brimming with hope.

Nan Tingjin paused before answering, “I don’t think so.”

*What does “I don’t think so” mean…? That means no, right?*

But this had been only one attempt. Qian Hui hadn’t expected him to recover memories so quickly anyway.

“It’s alright,” Qian Hui murmured, as if speaking to himself. “I know you’ve been here too long… I need to try a bit more.”

He stood up and stepped back, hearing Nan Tingjin ask, “What else is there?”

“I… I’ll think about it.”

Qian Hui looked at Nan Tingjin, assuming he lacked patience. He spoke earnestly and with conviction, “Don’t rush. You need to stay with me.”

In their past together, they had only stayed outside the forest cabin, never doing anything particularly special.

For instance, Nan Tingjin had fed him medicinal soup, and he had given Nan Tingjin a ring. Now, without the tools or conditions, they couldn’t repeat those actions.

Moreover, Qian Hui’s true selfish desire was for Nan Tingjin to stay with him, just like before.

With Nan Tingjin bound now, this was the perfect opportunity to act.

Qian Hui thought Luobo was right. If he let Nan Tingjin move freely, the man certainly wouldn’t be so obedient.

Nan Tingjin remained silent. Qian Hui hugged him again, “Don’t worry. If I still can’t remember… I’ll have the little vine untie you.”

As for how long this “still” would last, Qian Hui hadn’t considered it yet.

After a moment, Nan Tingjin slowly replied, “Okay.”

He gently wrapped his arm around Qian Hui’s waist, their posture exuding intimacy.

Unaware of Nan Tingjin’s movement, Qian Hui remained in a good mood, nuzzling his cheek against Nan Tingjin’s collar.

Luobo rolled over, continuing to observe them from the shadows.

Seeing that Nan Tingjin was indeed behaving himself without any signs of escape, Luobo felt somewhat relieved.

The sunlight remained intense. Lajiao and Yumi had also woken up, while Tudou let out loud “woo woo” calls, demanding food.

Qian Hui left Nan Tingjin behind and went to feed the plants, checking each one’s condition.

After satisfying its hunger and regaining its courage, Yumi approached Nan Tingjin again.

Holding a small ball of corn kernels, Yumi pretended to admire the scenery as it slowly walked closer.

However, the Nan Tingjin who had been so quiet and obedient before Qian Hui now seemed like a completely different person, showing no signs of being restrained.

Intermediate-level mutated plants lacked the strength of special-grade ones but were sharper than low-grade varieties. Their ability to detect danger was most acute.

Yumi strongly suspected that Nan Tingjin could have freed himself.

It crept closer, testing the waters.

When the corn got within a meter of Nan Tingjin, the man suddenly turned to look at him.

Yumi hurled his weapon at Nan Tingjin and immediately bolted in the opposite direction.

The cornball struck Nan Tingjin’s arm and rolled away with a “clatter.”

Nan Tingjin glanced at it but showed no reaction.

Hidden behind a tree, Yumi grew even more puzzled by this.

It considered trying again, preparing to form an even larger cornball.

Just then, Qian Hui arrived and scooped up the corn.

“We need to leave,” Qian Hui said, unaware of Yumi’s earlier actions. He patted the top of Yumi’s head. “Be good. We can play more after dinner.”

Xiaozhi had been patrolling the forest’s edge earlier and spotted vehicles passing at the street’s end. It couldn’t tell if they were humans from the Safe Zone searching for Nan Tingjin.

If they were, they’d likely come this way too. They needed to leave quickly.

But Qian Hui didn’t plan to flee like he had that morning, unless he actually saw humans approaching.

He’d already succeeded in meeting Nan Tingjin and keeping him nearby for now. That meant he could focus on other things.

Like completing game tasks, killing zombies, training the plant team, and continuing to search for traces of his little courtyard plant friends.

He couldn’t forget about trying to help Nan Tingjin recover his memories either. It just seemed unlikely he’d make progress anytime soon.

Qian Hui couldn’t afford to relax. He needed to keep working hard to save up enough balance to buy the Revival Bean as soon as possible.

After packing everything, Qian Hui put on his backpack and came to Nan Tingjin.

He took Nan Tingjin’s hand. “Come with me!”

With the sharp leaves of Ruanteng pressing against the skin at his neck, Nan Tingjin obediently said, “Okay.”

So, Qian Hui led the plant team, along with a human leader bound in chains, moving in the opposite direction of the Safe Zone.

After leaving the forest area and entering the city ruins, Xiaozhi increased its size and carried Qian Hui forward.

Because his movements were restrained, Nan Tingjin received the same treatment, sitting behind Qian Hui.

Qian Hui moved his backpack to the front, leaving the zipper open. Several plants peered out curiously.

The man-eating flower’s speed wasn’t fast. As it crossed the ruins’ obstacles, it occasionally searched for wandering zombies nearby.

Bored, Luobo was the first to jump down and run around, occasionally throwing a carrot thorn elsewhere before flying back.

Qian Hui warned it, “Luobo, don’t run too far!”

Without turning its head, Luobo made a soft sound and casually stabbed a low-level zombie with its carrot thorn.

The area’s ruins lay scattered in disarray, showing few traces of human passage yet teeming with mid- to low-level zombies.

Gradually, Yumi, Lajiao, and Tudou slipped out as well, following Luobo’s lead.

The four plants traveled together, charging at zombies like a swarm when spotted. Tudou even used its bombs to deliberately attract them.

Qian Hui couldn’t stop them, left with no choice but to let them go.

Compared to Luobo and the others, Xiaozhi was more cautious. It slowed its pace, constantly scanning its surroundings.

When it detected human scent, Xiaozhi immediately lowered its head, hiding behind a wall.

At that moment, Yumi and Lajiao were chasing a mid-level zombie. Luobo also sensed something amiss and let out a warning cry, urging them to return.

Boom!

Tudou’s bomb detonated just then, drowning out Luobo’s warning.

The explosion slowed the zombie, and a cornball thrown by Yumi struck its head with a thud.

Simultaneously, Lajiao leaped up, its tail hook knocking the zombie to the ground.

Just as it was about to grab a rock to kill the zombie and harvest its crystal core, Lajiao looked up and met the gazes of several humans in the distance.

The group appeared to be a team of ability users from a nearby small base. Four in total, they had also spotted Lajiao and halted, watching warily.

While Lajiao hesitated, Yumi and Tudou rushed up from behind. Yumi excitedly stomped on the zombie’s face, then grabbed a corn cob and smashed it repeatedly.

By the time all three plants finally noticed the human team, the zombie had already lost its breath.

The human team’s strength wasn’t particularly high. Seeing this, they hastily retreated to the rear, moving away as quickly as possible.

Since the other side showed no intention of fighting, Lajiao had no plans to intervene. It stopped the snarling Yumi, dug out the crystal core, and quickly went back.

On the other side, after the human team had left, they were still filled with lingering fear.

“What was that… I didn’t see wrong, right? Three mutated plants?”

“They weren’t large mutant plants, but they looked very ferocious.”

“They actually travel together and hunt in groups…”

This was a situation they had never heard of before. Sometimes even a single mutated plant’s strength was already formidable, but if they understood how to cooperate… The group didn’t dare to think about it further.

Their outing was simply to go to another base to buy some food, while along the way they looked for usable materials and killed some zombies to take crystal cores.

Upon encountering such a peculiar yet fierce plant squad, they didn’t dare to confront them head-on.

Meanwhile, beneath the ruins’ wall…

Qian Hui took out a small towel and wiped each of the four plants’ bodies and leaves one by one.

“I told you not to stray too far,” he said sternly. “What would you have done if you encountered danger?”

Luobo recognized that Qian Hui wasn’t truly angry. He tilted his head and nuzzled the young man’s palm.

Qian Hui opened his backpack, letting all the plants inside. He stood up and looked at the sky. “It’s getting late. We need to find a place to rest.”

Xiaozhi had hidden quickly, so only three plants were discovered by humans. There were no major issues.

The plants weren’t injured either, and the humans tactfully left.

However, what surprised Qian Hui was that the game seemed to have awarded 10 Prestige Points for the incident.

[ Your plant squad is becoming increasingly strong, attracting some attention. ]

Qian Hui wasn’t sure if this attention was good or bad, but since there was a reward… he probably didn’t need to worry too much.

He sat back down on Xiaozhi’s neck and led all the plants away.

For three days, Xiaozhi traversed through the city ruins before arriving at an unfamiliar forest.

During these three days, the plant team advanced during the day and rested at night. Luobo occasionally ventured out alone to search for higher-level zombies.

Unfortunately, the highest they could find were mid-level ones. Qian Hui’s main quest was nearly complete; he just needed to kill two more mid-level zombies to reach thirty.

All the obtained crystal cores were distributed to the main damage dealers. Combined with the additional skill points Qian Hui purchased, Yumi and Tudou’s loyalty skyrocketed, quickly surpassing 60%.

Money Tree didn’t participate in these activities, but its loyalty still steadily increased. Only Mimosa progressed slowly.

It was timid by nature, spending most of its time hiding in Qian Hui’s sleeve, reluctant to show itself.

Qian Hui used Prestige Points to purchase Mimosa’s strategy guide, learning that it was sensitive and needed constant care. He often whispered softly to it through his sleeve.

Despite this, Mimosa’s loyalty stagnated at 30%.

Qian Hui didn’t force it, continuing to care for it attentively.

Apart from this, Qian Hui also made time each day to spend quiet moments with Nan Tingjin.

In the afternoon, when the sun was warmest, Qian Hui would nap in Nan Tingjin’s arms, letting him massage his hands.

However… when Nan Tingjin asked if there was anything else he wanted to teach him that day, Qian Hui said he’d think about it. He still hadn’t come up with anything.

He only let Nan Tingjin hold him while basking in the sun and massaging his finger joints.

Or occasionally hugged Nan Tingjin, asking if he’d thought of anything yet.

Soon, it was the fourth night. Qian Hui found a small lake in the forest.

The lake water was crystal clear. Xiao Baocai produced a new shell, its leaves unfurling above to form a massive cabbage bowl.

Xiaozhi helped fill the bowl with lake water for bathing.

Though the water was cold, Qian Hui didn’t mind. He soaked for a long time, washing his hair as he relaxed.

When he emerged, Lajiao wrapped several pepper seeds in clean leaves. The foliage steamed, drying Qian Hui’s damp hair.

His old clothes were now riddled with holes. Qian Hui bought a new set and dressed under a tree.

Several plants circled him, offering leaves and pepper seeds in service.

Qian Hui hadn’t forgotten Nan Tingjin. He instructed Xiaozhi to prepare another bowl of water for him.

Though reluctant, the flower complied, refilling the cabbage bowl with lake water.

After eating a few biscuits and waiting for his hair to dry, Qian Hui ran to the lakeside.

Nan Tingjin remained in the cabbage bowl, a thin vine coiled around his neck. His taller frame meant the water barely reached his chest.

Qian Hui leaned over the bowl’s edge. “Shall I buy you new clothes?” he asked.

Nan Tingjin scooted closer. “Yes,” he replied.

Qian Hui opened the shop and began selecting items. “What size should I get for you…”

He noticed Nan Tingjin’s discarded clothes nearby. After holding them up to himself for comparison, he chose a fitting size.

Qian Hui carefully picked out clothes similar to Nan Tingjin’s previous attire, arranging them neatly on the grass along with a towel.

Having completed these preparations, he remained by the bowl’s edge, waiting patiently.

Nan Tingjin stood silent. Once cleaned, he emerged directly from the water.

He dried himself and dressed in front of Qian Hui without any hesitation.

Qian Hui watched with a puzzled expression, yet showed no signs of discomfort.

After Nan Tingjin finished changing, Qian Hui approached and wrapped his arms around him.

His eyes sparkled with satisfaction at Nan Tingjin’s current appearance.

“Xiao Jin,” Qian Hui murmured, gently touching Nan Tingjin’s cheek, “have you remembered anything?”

Nan Tingjin didn’t immediately respond. Qian Hui yawned, rubbing his eyes.

He heard Nan Tingjin ask, “Tired?”

Qian Hui nodded. Nan Tingjin gathered him in his arms, carrying him toward the cabbage shell beneath the tree.

After several days of companionship, Nan Tingjin had grown to follow Qian Hui’s every whim. He only embraced when asked, remaining utterly obedient and content.

Qian Hui, in turn, grew increasingly relaxed, nearly forgetting that Nan Tingjin had been brought here against his will. At times, he felt as if his companion had reverted to his former self, save for the lingering memory loss.

When carried back to the tree’s shade, Qian Hui offered no resistance. Exhaustion had settled in, his mind sluggish with fatigue.

Within the cabbage shell, a soft glow illuminated the space where Xiao Baocai and Money Tree lay sleeping side by side. Xiaozhi patrolled nearby, while several other plants played by the lakeside.

Nan Tingjin settled Qian Hui near the leafy entrance, his fingers brushing the man’s slightly disheveled bangs.

Qian Hui’s mood tonight seemed rather good. He wrapped his arms around Nan Tingjin again, tilting his face upward. “Goodnight, Xiao Jin.”

The cabbage shell’s limited space meant Nan Tingjin would sleep outside alone, with Xiaozhi and Luobo taking turns guarding through the night.

Nan Tingjin acknowledged the greeting but lingered. He bent closer, murmuring, “Did we… kiss before?”

Qian Hui yawned again, answering sleepily, “We did…”

Yet he showed no intention of kissing Nan Tingjin now. Xiaozhi returned from patrol, ready to rest. Qian Hui released his hold on Nan Tingjin, gathered the flower instead, and burrowed into the cabbage shell’s warmth.

The plants that hadn’t returned yet slightly closed their leaves, leaving small gaps.

Nan Tingjin stood outside, watching Qian Hui take off his jacket and settle down. A hand reached out through the gap to hold his, accompanied by a soft “Goodnight.”

On the other side, Luobo hung from a suspended thorn, its eyes fixed intently on the lake as it tried to catch a fish.

Suddenly, its nose twitched, sensing the scent of an advanced zombie nearby.

It was nighttime—why hadn’t this zombie entered hibernation?

As the night watchkeeper tonight, Luobo needed to ensure the area’s safety. It threw out another thorn and followed the scent.

However, the smell quickly faded as it crossed the lake. The advanced zombie was moving away, perhaps just passing through.

Luobo turned to look in Qian Hui’s direction and ultimately decided to ignore it for now.

It returned, urging Yumi and Tudou to go back to sleep, then circled around Nan Tingjin.

Meanwhile, under the pitch-black night, an advanced zombie was moving through the forest.

It moved quickly, leaving the woods in a flash. It crossed the abandoned streets and entered a low building.

The building mostly collapsed, nearly destroyed. The zombie pushed aside the debris and crawled through the gaps in the walls, then went all the way down until it reached a basement.

The basement was spacious, having been clearly tidied up. Several zombies were curled up in the center.

Despite being inhabited by zombies and buried deep underground, there was no foul odor. Instead, a faint herbal fragrance permeated the air.

The high-level zombie circled the basement, emitting threatening growls from a particular corner before settling down in a chosen spot.

In that corner, several bent steel bars formed a narrow enclosure. Within it was a sunflower, emitting a gentle glow.

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Mutant Plant List (temporary, may change later):

Xiaozhi/The man-eating flower

Xiaofen/Little mushroom

Lajiao/Green pepper

Ruanteng/Little vine

Xiao Baocai/Little cabbage

Tudou/Potato

Luobo/Carrot

Xiaocao/Mimosa/Shameplant

Yumi/Corn

Facaishu/Money Tree

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