Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
In the afternoon, Cao Zheng and Xiao Meng returned from the cemetery. On their way back, they happened to run into Fang Fei and Xiao Zhuang, who were heading to pay their respects at Jin Bo's grave. Xiao Meng greeted Fang Fei, while Cao Zheng scrutinized the sorrowful expression on Xiao Zhuang's face with a rather unfriendly gaze.
“Lao Cao, Jiu Jiu seems to be looking for you,” Fang Fei subtly winked at Cao Zheng.
Cao Zheng understood immediately and nodded silently.
“It looks like they’ve finished their discussion,” Yang Xiaomeng remarked as she watched the two disappear into the woods. “I wonder what the outcome is.”
“Just like a pillow for a sleepless night; fuel will definitely solve the problem.” Each had their own responsibilities, and Cao Zheng's main duty was still to navigate the boat. As long as he had fuel, everything else could be negotiated.
After that, they traveled in silence, making their way through the difficult terrain of the forest back to the Living Area. They followed the gentle sea breeze along the Mangrove until they reached the docking Coast. There was no one on the shore at that moment; in the distance, they could see that the small cabin and Cafeteria were bustling with activity. Cao Zheng frowned thoughtfully before climbing up the yacht via the gangway.
“Hey, aren’t you going to find Jiu Jiu?” Yang Xiaomeng, who hadn’t had breakfast yet, caught a whiff of food carried by the sea breeze, and her stomach grumbled in protest.
“The engine still needs some maintenance. They just finished talking and are probably still eating. You go ahead and tell him I’m back,” Cao Zheng replied as he picked up a toolbox from the deck. He tilted his head in thought and added, “By the way, ask if that fishing boat is still needed. If not, I’d like to take some parts for use.”
“Sure, I’ll ask. Do you need me to bring you food?” Yang Xiaomeng noted down his requests and asked, “Do you need any help?”
“I’m not eating,” Cao Zheng responded briefly before stopping to say, “See if Old Dai is busy. If he’s not, have him come help me out.”
“At this hour, he shouldn’t be too busy,” Yang Xiaomeng said with a mischievous smile as she tossed her long hair like a waterfall and swayed her hips toward the small cabin.
On the Saddle Vine path under the shade of trees, Song Yao leaned against a tree trunk. Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting dappled patterns of light on the ground.
Sun Houqi squatted across from her, pulling out a metal box from his pocket. He took out an unbranded cigarette from inside, flicked a lighter wheel with his fingers until a flame ignited, and let tendrils of smoke curl into the air.
"Can you give me one?" Song Yao sniffed, the fresh scent of the forest mingling with the smell of cigarettes, creating a unique atmosphere.
Sun Houqi, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, handed over the metal box and lighter to Song Yao. He watched her as she lowered her head, took the cigarette, and lit it in one smooth motion, exuding a lazy and decadent aura.
Song Yao slowly exhaled a plume of blue smoke, her eyes shimmering with moisture as she sighed, "Tell me what happened during those days."
"Do you remember anything from before you fell unconscious?" Sun Houqi asked, not rushing to recount the events but rather curiously observing Song Yao. He tentatively inquired, "That should be called fainting, right?"
"I vaguely remember," Song Yao said, brushing her hair back with a bittersweet smile. "Fainting or hibernating, it's pretty much the same."
"Then I'll start from when you fainted," Sun Houqi said, rubbing his nose as he gathered his thoughts and recalled the past.
Moments ago, when Sun Houqi mentioned Ginger River, Song Yao realized she had indeed met that person before and had fought alongside him.
In the heavy snow of Beijing City, surrounded by corpses near China Zun, with cold winds howling and frigid currents swirling, she had lost so much that year and recorded so little.
"I remember that we were trying to break through at that time, right?" A long time had passed, and many details were hazy for Sun Houqi. He could only recall a general outline: "Things were pretty chaotic then. You were at the front with Brother Feng. Oh right, do you still remember Brother Feng?"
"I do," Song Yao nodded. She remembered him well; when she and Ginger River were trapped in China Zun, Wang Zhongyu was responsible for their safety but unfortunately met his demise. Afterward, it was Brother Feng who tirelessly protected them.
"Yeah, during the breakout you fell into hibernation and almost got dragged down by a Zombie. Luckily, Brother Feng was right there beside you and pulled you back."
"So, is Brother Feng doing okay now?" As Sun Houqi stumbled through his recounting, Song Yao's thoughts drifted back to that snowy day.
Sun Houqi's expression darkened slightly as he hesitated before saying, "Brother Feng is no longer here; he’s not in the building anymore." In reality, Brother Feng had fallen victim to the Horde while trying to save Song Yao. However, some details didn’t need to be made too clear; it was enough to remember him well without adding unnecessary sorrow.
Song Yao could roughly guess what had happened. In that chaotic environment, everyone was looking out for themselves. Brother Feng saved her, but no one could save Brother Feng.
"Later, we retreated to the lower floors," Sun Houqi said, lighting another cigarette. "Your partner was still hanging outside at that time. We circled around the floors to the fire escape and tried to pull him back. When he heard you were in trouble, he nearly lost his mind."
Song Yao smiled gently, naturally recalling that familiar, bewildered expression of the young man.
"We didn't know your exact situation then; we all thought you were dead. I was with that American Guy and a few brothers blocking the stairway while your partner took you inside. After that, we heard some commotion from within. When we went back to check, Ginger River was crying and laughing, completely out of it."
"The American Guy said he was heartbroken and worried something might happen, so he planned to tie him up. But then he started shouting that you weren't dead."
"In the following days, we were stuck inside the building. Ginger River came up with a plan to solve the airborne descent issue, and then we just waited for the Zombie to freeze to death. We waited for a whole week."
"You succeeded," Song Yao said, feeling a wave of emotion. Ginger River truly was still the same Ginger River; he would never give up under any circumstances.
"Yeah, we were almost starving to death when one morning we found all the Zombies lying down. I won't go into details about what happened in between, but in short, the ten or so of us who remained alive left China Zun." Sun Houqi sighed and continued, "It was a miracle we survived. The feeling we had at that moment—it's hard to describe."
"And then?"
"Then we went our separate ways. The American Guy said he wanted to go back home; he had three or four subordinates with him who left first. I tried to persuade Ginger River to come with us. Before we went to China Zun with Wang Lian, Shaolian had told us where Garrison was located. It was already deep winter, and without Zombies around, finding a boat to reach the island wasn't too difficult."
"He didn't agree," Song Yao said softly.
"Right. He was very stubborn. No matter how much we tried to convince him, he insisted on going back because he had made arrangements with your companions." Remembering that somewhat single-minded young man made Sun Houqi reflect as well. "I really admire him; after all we've been through together, it wouldn't have been right for him to just leave you behind like that. We stayed in the city for two days, got a car, prepared some water and dry rations, and escorted him out of the city before we set sail."
"Thank you," Song Yao said, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Ah, there's nothing to thank for. To be honest, I thought he was in a precarious situation, traveling all that way alone. One little mishap and it would be over for him." Sun Houqi flicked the cigarette butt away and smacked his lips. "I underestimated him. He’s quite the man, but where is he now?"
"He’s gone," Song Yao said, her gaze flickering slightly as she spoke softly.
Sun Houqi was taken aback. In that moment of asking, he sensed something was off. Before he could regret his question, Song Yao provided the answer.
"Ah." Sun Houqi could only sigh in response and quietly asked, "Did he see you wake up?"
Song Yao pressed her lips together, swallowing the bitterness in her throat before smiling. "He did."
The two fell into silence for a while, each processing their emotions, unsure of what to say next. The atmosphere grew somewhat heavy.
After a long pause, Song Yao gradually calmed down. She blinked and turned the page on her sadness, asking, "How are our friends?"
"Mm."
"Zeng Yadong and Tan, they left with Xinxia Yang at that time. They should have reached the island by now," Song Yao's voice wavered slightly as she spoke. After years apart, it was rare to hear news of each other, and she feared more bad tidings might come.
Upon hearing those names, Sun Houqi's bewildered expression shifted to one of realization. He exclaimed in surprise, "So they were with you guys—no wonder!"
"What do you mean?" Song Yao raised an eyebrow, noticing his expression as if he recognized them.
"Hahaha, don’t worry! They’re doing fine," Sun Houqi said, his eyes darting as if recalling something amusing. With a mysterious smile, he added, "Tan is that little girl, right? Zeng Yadong is the one with glasses."
"That's them."
"The little girl is already married." Sun Houqi seemed to be in a talkative mood as he smiled and continued, "We returned to the island after spring began, and by then, everything was back on track. When we got back, we felt like refugees, but the people on the island were doing quite well."
"Really?" Song Yao's eyes widened in surprise. "Tan is married?"
"Of course! She just got married last year, and this year she might even have a baby," Sun Houqi said, his face lighting up with youthful exuberance as he spoke about these trivial matters, shaking off the stiffness from their earlier conversation at Stilt House. He added cheerfully, "I didn't know what her relationship with you all was. If I had known earlier, I could have benefited from it."
"Benefited?" Song Yao asked, puzzled.
"Yes, back when we were at Stilt House, I told you about the current situation on the island. Zeng Yadong is quite something now; she's a key player in Yao Camp. When it's her turn to take charge, she basically oversees everything. Major issues only come up when Yao Camp steps in."
Song Yao was left speechless for a moment, unable to respond. The girl with glasses she remembered was now caught up in the intricate political struggles.
Sun Houqi assumed Song Yao was surprised to learn about an old friend's situation and laughed, "Turns out we're all on the same side. Don't be dazed; once we go back, you'll get to meet her."
"Yes, I'm looking forward to it," Song Yao replied, regaining her composure but smiling somewhat awkwardly.
Comment 0 Comment Count