The rescued people were still being brought in in twos and threes. A few more people were now beside Wen Qianshu, leaning against the boxes with her. Most were drowsy, their heads nodding, wanting to sleep but not daring to. Wen Qianshu tilted her head up and didn’t say much.
She saw someone walk in and say that a group of people had been gathered, ready to be sent to the base together.
Since Jiang Yao would come looking for Qin Shu later anyway, Wen Qianshu wasn’t in a hurry. She prepared to go out with them and get to the safe zone first.
Who would have thought that just as she followed the crowd out of the tent, she would see several people carrying someone over. The person was clearly seriously injured, breaking out in a cold sweat that mixed with the mud covering their body. Their leg was dripping with fresh blood, which was getting everywhere.
She was wearing a full set of restraints. Besides the one on her mouth, her hands were also bound, and her legs were tied—this was because she was from a search team, and the base would not allow her to turn into a zombie and wander outside. If she couldn’t be saved, they would clean her up as much as possible, cremate her, and bring her back for a proper burial.
The scene was chaotic. They were busy setting up a fence and spraying a foul-smelling substance into the air to cover the scent of blood. A few survivors, pale with fright and with trembling legs, just wanted to get on the vehicle quickly.
“No.” Lou Jiu had come out at some point. She was holding a flashlight, examining the person on the stretcher. “Her injuries are too severe. We can’t treat them here.”
Lou Jiu frowned. The aid workers beside her were busy getting the ordinary people onto the vehicles to leave as quickly as possible.
In the chaos, someone behind Wen Qianshu pushed her and said in a low voice, “Don’t block the way.”
Wen Qianshu was pushed forward by the momentum, but she turned her head to the side, lowering it as if listening to something.
2333 was far more perceptive than her and immediately heard the sound of footsteps in the distance, intermittent—it was a group of zombies.
2333: “Ahem, ahem!”
Hurry up and admit defeat! If you admit defeat, I’ll tell you!
Wen Qianshu gave a faint smile. “Aren’t you giving me the cold shoulder? Why are you coughing like you’re trying to inform me of something?”
2333: “…”
After speaking, she deliberately fell behind and asked the tall guy who had carried her back, “Did you hear anything?”
The tall guy, wearing a restraint, furrowed his thick brows and said in a gruff voice, “What sound could there be? Hurry up and get on—”
He also suddenly looked up and saw a vehicle drive over, braking sharply to a stop outside the fence.
The person in the driver’s seat quickly climbed up, vaulted over the high fence, and said fiercely, “Retreat, everyone retreat!”
After speaking, the man unlocked the fence from the inside. The tall guy couldn’t be bothered with the sound anymore. He quickly roared at those behind him and then tried to pull Wen Qianshu, but he couldn’t catch her—the young girl was running very fast, but in the wrong direction, heading for the fence.
The tall guy: “Hey! Not that way, you should—”
Wen Qianshu grabbed the fence. “Get in the vehicle. I’ll close it.”
The man who had jumped in glanced at her, drove the vehicle to make way, and soon three more vehicles followed, parking inside. The rescue personnel swiftly brought the rescued people onto the vehicles and left quickly.
The dull sound of footsteps grew heavier, and a foul, fishy stench assaulted the nostrils. Wen Qianshu forcefully pushed the fence back, locking it with a “click.” The next second, a zombie slammed hard against the fence, its eyes wide open, drool streaming down.
Wen Qianshu took a step back, staring at the zombie, studying it quite intently. “Your simulator is strangely realistic. I’ve seen this zombie friend before.”
2333: “…”
Unfortunately, before she could finish teasing 2333, she felt a pain in the back of her neck and was directly dragged into a vehicle. The vehicle spun around without stopping and sped away.
Wen Qianshu was practically dragged onto the vehicle. The moment she landed, the door slammed shut in front of her with a “bang.”
The rich smell of blood filled her nostrils. Wen Qianshu’s mind cleared, and she realized that lying beside her was the search team member covered in blood and wearing a full set of restraints. Lou Jiu was kneeling beside her, using a flashlight to continue cleaning her wounds and injecting an anti-zombie agent.
The one who had dragged Wen Qianshu into the vehicle was the tall guy. He said in a rough voice, “Brother Shang, you went too far. The little girl was scared stiff, she didn’t even know how to run.”
The person driving chuckled lazily, “Didn’t we get her?”
2333: “…”
Shang Ci, the male protagonist of this world.
2333 thought, What shitty luck. Looking at it this way, the one lying down must be the female protagonist, Jiang Yao. The one kneeling was the female supporting character, Lou Jiu.
Great, they’re all here at once.
The vehicle sped forward, bumping along the road. Lou Jiu’s hands never stopped; she finally managed to clean up Jiang Yao and bandage all her wounds. Next, she bundled up the blood-contaminated medical waste and said, “Take a detour.”
Shang Ci replied, “Alright.”
With that, he jerked the steering wheel, veering in one direction at a fork in the road. Lou Jiu took off her gloves, rolled down the window, and tossed the bundle in her hand outside, throwing it far away. “Done.”
Shang Ci made another turn, backing the vehicle up to the fork and heading in a different direction. “There’s a temporary stop point diagonally ahead. There should still be medicine.”
Lou Jiu didn’t speak, merely pulling a map from the back seat and examining the route with a flashlight. Her eyelashes were very long, each one distinct in the light. Wen Qianshu just watched her long eyelashes, also not speaking.
Only the tall guy couldn’t keep quiet any longer and asked, “Little girl, what’s your name?”
Wen Qianshu: “Qin Shu. Qin as in the Qin state, Shu as in poetry and books.”
The tall guy: “Yo, that’s a nice name.”
He couldn’t keep his mouth shut. “What were you thinking? You were clearly so scared, yet you still helped our Captain Shang watch the gate?”
He thought Wen Qianshu was standing there motionless because she was frightened by the zombies.
After all, Qin Shu looked thin and small, quite pitiful.
Shang Ci’s team had been out on a search and rescue mission when they unexpectedly discovered a large horde of zombies heading for the aid station. They immediately rushed back and ordered a retreat. He had originally planned to guard the gate himself, wait for his team members behind him to enter, then immediately close the fence and have Gao Bai drive in to organize the evacuation. He hadn’t expected Wen Qianshu to rush over and save him some time.
It wasn’t much time saved, but it was just enough to lock the zombies outside.
Wen Qianshu smiled and said in a low voice, “I’ve heard of you. You’re Search Team 5. I really like Search Team 5.”
Her voice sounded strangely shy, almost making 2333 choke.
2333: “What’s wrong with you?”
Lou Jiu didn’t even look up, continuing to observe Jiang Yao’s condition while looking at the map. Gao Bai, however, raised his eyebrows, glanced at the captain in the driver’s seat, and said, “Oh? No wonder. Who’s your favorite on our team? Big brother can introduce you.”
Wen Qianshu’s voice became even softer and shyer. “Really?”
Gao Bai couldn’t help but laugh. “Really. Height, weight, zodiac sign, hobbies, you name it.”
Knowing Wen Qianshu as it did, 2333 clearly knew she was teasing him.
But there was nothing 2333 could do, so it could only mourn for him in silence.
In the deep night, only the car’s headlights and the flashlight were on. Wen Qianshu finally put away her casual smile and said in a low voice, “Lou Jiu.”
Gao Bai: “Oh, let me tell you, on the surface he’s all laughs, but actually—what?”
The vehicle sped through the ink-like darkness. All the scenery receded quickly and disappeared, just like the years of the past, left behind in the long river of time.
Those encounters on campus, that lifelong companionship, those promises never dared to be made in a lifetime, those words that were hesitated over and never spoken.
And now, it could be said so easily.
Like water flowing from high to low, like the sun rising in the east and setting in the west.
It was only natural.
Wen Qianshu lowered her eyes and said softly, “I like Lou Jiu the most.”
The first time, she never knew who she was for her entire life.
The second time, she never said she loved her in her entire life.
The third time, she hesitated for too long, for more than half her life.
The fourth time, she finally couldn’t control it anymore. She wanted to tell her from the very beginning that she liked her.
She liked her so much.
Even if it was said as a joke.
Gao Bai almost jumped up. Lou Jiu, holding the flashlight, looked up at Wen Qianshu. Her irises were a very light color, hidden behind her goggles, but her gaze was still scrutinizing.
This strange atmosphere didn’t last long before they arrived at the temporary stop point.
Shang Ci hid the vehicle and jumped out of the driver’s seat. Gao Bai and Lou Jiu, one on each side, lifted Jiang Yao on a stretcher and carried her into the temporary stop point.
As soon as they were inside, Shang Ci couldn’t help but laugh loudly. Gao Bai frowned and glared at him, “Laughing, still laughing! At this rate, you’ll be a bachelor for life!”
Shang Ci leaned over and put an arm around his shoulder. “I’ll still have you with me, so I’m not afraid.”
Gao Bai: “Pah, if anyone’s going to be single, it’s you. I’m not keeping you company.”
Gao Bai was heartbroken. “It was hard enough to find a little girl who likes our ‘Monk’ Team, so how come she admires our team’s beauty?”
Among all the search teams, only the fifth team was entirely single, not one of them had a partner. Plus, their captain’s surname was Shang, so over time, they were jokingly called the Monk Team.
Shang Ci, on the other hand, was quite open-minded about it. “Nonsense. Hers is genuine admiration. Who’s like you, with your head full of lovey-dovey stuff, dreaming of getting out of singlehood.”
2333 sneered, thinking that humans were truly too naive.
On the other side, Lou Jiu settled the unconscious Jiang Yao, found a blanket to cover her, and then found some glucose for an IV drip.
Afterwards, she took a nutrient pack from the food cabinet and gave it to Wen Qianshu. “Eat this.”
She had been hungry for so many days; it was better to start with liquid food.
Wen Qianshu nodded, took the nutrient pack, and tore it open.
What she had said earlier sounded too much like a joke, so obviously no one took it seriously—even if they did, they probably thought it was admiration and longing for the search team, not that kind of like.
They set up the equipment at the stop point, contacted the base, and reported the situation.
Jiang Yao was still unconscious, but her body was twitching slightly, and she was foaming at the mouth—that was the effect of the anti-zombie agent taking hold.
So, Lou Jiu stayed up to watch over her, while Gao Bai and Shang Ci prepared to take turns, one watching the first half of the night and the other the second.
As for Wen Qianshu—she was already exhausted. She had only half-unrolled her sleeping bag before she collapsed and fell asleep.
But this sleep didn’t last long, and it wasn’t dawn when she was woken up.
Gao Bai: “How did they follow us here? Didn’t we lead them away?”
Shang Ci used a periscope to observe the situation outside. “Not good.”
He frowned, turned to Jiang Yao’s side, added another layer to the restraint on her mouth, and tied her whole body to his back. As Gao Bai helped him tighten the straps, he said, “I’ll go lure them away—”
Shang Ci: “You don’t need to—”
He turned his gaze. “Xiao Lou?”
Lou Jiu stood up straight, wrapping an anti-bite strap around her arm. “Yeah, I’ll do it.”
She tossed her blood-stained jacket aside. Now, she was only wearing a military green tank top, her fine figure on full display. Below, she wore camouflage pants tucked into her boots. She was still wearing a restraint, the strap digging into the side of her head. She adjusted it slightly, revealing a red mark where it had pressed.
Lou Jiu’s expression was blank as she wrapped the anti-bite strap tightly around her hand, put her jacket back on, and secured it with her gloves.
She sensed a gaze on her and turned her head slightly, seeing the little girl from last night—she always felt like she had seen her somewhere before but couldn’t quite place it.
Shang Ci: “See you at the vehicle.”
Lou Jiu raised a hand and pulled down the ladder with a “whoosh.” “Yeah.”
Her movements were swift, and she climbed out in just a few moves.
Wen Qianshu averted her gaze, but Gao Bai pulled her over to the periscope. “Little girl, don’t you admire our team’s beauty? Take a look at this—”
Wen Qianshu: “What is this?”
In the periscope, Lou Jiu leaped down from a raised emergency exit, stomped hard on a zombie’s chest, and slammed it and the two zombies behind it to the ground. Then, with a beautiful flip, she almost immediately climbed onto a nearby high-altitude frame.
The high-altitude frame was built by the base at the temporary stop points. It was a man-made high-altitude refuge frame that allowed people to climb up when surrounded by zombies and use the height to shake them off.
The zombies, attracted by the scent of blood on her, followed in a massive horde, climbing over each other to get up. However, Lou Jiu’s movements were exceptionally agile, as if she were walking on flat ground high in the air. Every zombie that followed her up tumbled down midway. Seeing one about to grab her, Lou Jiu flipped over to dodge, hooked her long leg around a bar, grabbed the zombie’s pant leg, and swung it out forcefully.
That unlucky zombie flew sideways and crashed down on a row of others with a clatter. Lou Jiu used her core strength to rise from her upside-down position, swung herself up with the momentum, leaped easily, and landed steadily on a bar. She stood up straight and continued to lead the zombies after her.
Gao Bai: “Impressive, right? Do you admire her even more now? She’s number one on our team for the high-altitude frame. It’s like she’s not afraid of heights at all.”
Wen Qianshu: “Yeah.”
In truth, Wen Qianshu had no idea what Gao Bai was saying. She stared into the periscope, her mind blank. She only saw Lou Jiu’s solemn face, her light-colored eyes focused, dressed in camouflage, her back ramrod straight. Her slim-fit pants were tucked into tall boots, and the zipper of her jacket was pulled all the way up.
Wildness and restraint intertwined, violence and calmness mixed in one place.
Like the collision of fierce flames and cold ice, a breathtaking beauty.
The field doctor of Search Team 5.
Wen Qianshu felt her throat tighten for no reason, as if she were thirsty, terribly thirsty.
Shang Ci made sure Jiang Yao was secured, calculated the time, and said, “It’s about time. Let’s go.”
Wen Qianshu: “Yeah.”
She said “yeah,” but she didn’t move at all.
Gao Bai thought she was scared stiff by all the zombies again, unable to walk. He quickly grabbed her by the collar and pulled her along. “What ‘yeah’? Let’s go!”
Gao Bai even patted her shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t be afraid, we brothers have got your back!”
Wen Qianshu: “…”
2333: “…”
Author’s Notes:
OOC Skit:
Wen Qianshu: Lost in her beauty, unable to extricate myself.
Gao Bai: I’m the one with genuine admiration; she’s the one with her head full of lovey-dovey stuff.
Jiang Mingyue used a lifetime of companionship to make Wen Qianshu let down her guard; Yun Cai guided her to take the first step and start fighting for what she wants; here with Lou Jiu, Wen Qianshu will be more proactive. These few worlds are actually a gradual process. Without the foundation of the first two worlds, Wen Qianshu might not like Lou Jiu this much right now.
However, Wen Qianshu likes the ‘moon’ also because the ‘moon’ has a similar personality in every world, but is beautiful in different ways.
Only children make choices; a face-con wants them all.
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