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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter One Hundred and Seven: The Unsettled Calm
This strange atmosphere persisted until a few hours ago.
After enduring too many tragedies in a short time, the Air Raid Shelter finally received some not-so-bad news: Jin Bo had returned.
Of course, the joy of the natives of the Air Raid Shelter lasted only a few seconds. Because accompanying Jin Bo were not Old Timer or Zheng Qiutong, but several unfamiliar faces. Only two natives of the Air Raid Shelter recognized these newcomers: Dachun and Ocean. Ocean was missing, while Dachun shrank back into the crowd, too afraid to look up.
Ming Junwei and the others breathed a sigh of relief, forcibly pushing aside the sorrow from Pan Luo's death and the shock caused by the Demon Fetus. They embraced An Zheng and the others with heartfelt gratitude. After the hugs, Ming Junwei and his companions also tasted the bitterness of the Air Raid Shelter's natives. The appearance of Su Lan and Zeng Yadong was an unexpected gain, but Jiang He and Luci, who were supposed to return together, were nowhere to be found.
"They will be fine," Ming Junwei forced a grim smile as he organized manpower to carry several Blood Gourds into the medical cave.
"Let's save people first," Ming Junwei said.
An Zheng nodded, quickly washing his hands. Jin Zhong had already arranged the medical instruments and medicines in the cave. He didn't know how to use them; he was just following Jin Bo's instructions before he fainted.
"How is the Girl?" An Zheng asked as he turned back before entering the cave.
Ming Junwei lowered his head sadly and shook it gently.
"What about Song Yao?" An Zheng asked again.
"She's traumatized, staying alone," Ming Junwei replied, glancing at Jin Bo's lavish cave. Song Yao was sitting on the bed, hugging her knees, not eating or drinking, nor speaking a word.
"Then don't tell her about Jiang He... yet," An Zheng sighed and turned to enter the injured cave.
Su Lan and Zeng Yadong were not severely injured; after lying in another cave for some time, they gradually regained consciousness.
Su Lan was the first to emerge, seemingly still dazed from the dizziness. She held her forehead with one hand, standing at the entrance of the Air Raid Shelter, lost in thought.
"Hey, good to see you again," Ming Junwei greeted her, leaning on his empty gun like a cane. "How are you feeling?"
"Ming Junwei!" Su Lan squinted for a moment, surprised. "Are you injured?"
"Yeah, but I'm much better now," Ming Junwei said, pulling at the corners of his mouth and gesturing for her to come inside.
The two of them walked into the archway, and Zeng Yadong was still motionless, looking as if he were asleep.
"How is she?" Ming Junwei asked.
"She should be fine. I checked on her; she just overexerted herself and fell into a deep sleep," Su Lan replied with a light laugh. She looked at Ming Junwei for a while, her beautiful eyes sparkling with amusement. "I never expected you to be with Sister An."
Ming Junwei shrugged noncommittally. "The world is small. We went through quite a bit of trouble to find you."
"Well, now you've found me," Su Lan said, adjusting her skirt and crossing her long legs. Through the gap in the curtain hanging at the archway, they could vaguely see a group of busy young people coming and going. "I've heard from Jiang He that your journey hasn't been easy."
"It’s not too bad. In this world right now, surviving is already a win," Ming Junwei said as he rummaged through his belongings, remembering that Chao Yifan had taken his cigarettes. He clicked his tongue in frustration and remarked, "People keep dying; I wonder how long this will last."
"It won't be too long," Su Lan suddenly interjected. Noticing the unusual look in Ming Junwei's eyes, she smiled and explained, "Once Sister An is done with her tasks, I need to talk to her."
"Sounds good." Ming Junwei pushed himself up from his seat and turned toward the entrance. "I look forward to hearing the outcome of your conversation."
Su Lan stood up to see him off before lying back down on the mattress with a soft sigh.
"Isn't Cheng Long handsome?" Zeng Yadong, who had been in a drowsy state, suddenly chimed in.
Su Lan chuckled lightly and turned to look at her. "Still longing for your lone ranger, huh?"
Zeng Yadong sat up, brushing through her messy long hair, and pouted. "I bet Cheng Long wishes he could crush us both. What’s there to long for?"
"I won't harm you. I'm grateful that you can trust me," Su Lan said earnestly.
Zeng Yadong paused for a moment, then waved her hand impatiently, flopping back down onto the pillow. "Alright, anyway, I’m on your pirate ship now... By the way, how's Gu Yan? He’s not dead, right?"
"I'm not sure. I just woke up not long ago. Dr. An is treating him next door."
"Dr. An? Your former colleague?"
"Sort of." Su Lan rested her arms behind her head, a complex expression flickering in her eyes as she stared at the arched ceiling.
Chao Yifan got some hot water from Jin Zhong, preparing a few bowls of instant noodles to bring to Cao Liang and the others. Cao Liang and Wheat, having returned, didn’t take a break either. They had initially thought things would be tense below, but surprisingly, the two groups were quite harmonious, so they helped out for a while.
Wheat glanced at Song Yao, who was sitting on the bed, feeling a pang of sympathy. She took the steaming bowl of noodles and walked into the archway.
"Sister Yao, have something to eat," Wheat called timidly. She hadn’t seen clearly outside; now that she was inside, she noticed that Song Yao was covered in blood, her beautiful eyes vacant and somewhat frightening.
Song Yao lifted her eyelids and, seeing Wheat, felt a wave of emotion wash over her, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Sister Yao, please don’t cry," Wheat said in a fluster, quickly setting down the bowl of noodles and grabbing a towel from the wooden rack nearby as she rushed over.
Wheat and Pan Luo were of similar stature; one was quirky and lively, while the other was quiet and gentle. Usually, everyone would joke that the two were long-lost sisters. However, it wasn't long before one of the sisters withered away.
Song Yao thought she had already come to terms with the death of those around her. She believed her heart was strong enough to withstand the grief that came with losing someone close. The last time she learned about Jinhua's murder, although her chest felt tight, it was nothing compared to the despair and pain she felt this time. Suddenly, Song Yao understood the changes in Chao Yifan during that period; Jinhua had died in Chao Yifan's arms, while Pan Luo had died in hers.
Wheat sat beside Song Yao, using a damp towel to wipe away the dried blood on her cheek. Wheat had not witnessed Pan Luo's tragic end, which could be considered fortunate. Perhaps most people had prepared themselves mentally for death, but surely no one wished to die in such a miserable way.
Song Yao forced a smile as she took the towel and wiped her face, letting out a long sigh.
"Where's Jiang He? Why haven't I seen him?" Song Yao felt the need to confide in someone, even if it meant sobbing on someone's shoulder. The heavy feeling in her heart was too unbearable.
Wheat couldn't lie; she only remembered Ming Junwei advising her not to tell Song Yao about Jiang He's absence to avoid further upsetting her already fragile state. Wheat hesitated for a moment, realizing she couldn't keep up the pretense, and quickly got up to leave the archway, reminding Song Yao to eat her instant noodles while they were still hot.
Song Yao was perceptive; Wheat's evasive gaze did not escape her notice. Seeing Wheat avoid her question made a buzzing sound echo in her mind.
"It can't be true, right? No way!" Song Yao suddenly laughed out loud, repeatedly telling herself that Jiang He wouldn't die—he was just an unreliable slacker who should have died long ago. Although Song Yao kept trying to reassure herself, when she saw Cao Liang and Su Lan return to the Air Raid Shelter while Jiang He and Luci were nowhere to be found, she felt like she couldn't hold on any longer.
Chao Yifan and Ming Junwei spotted Song Yao standing dazed in the archway and hurried over, putting down their bowls and chopsticks.
"Yao Yao, don't panic—"
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