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墨書 Inktalez
At noon, everyone began to bustle about again. The Pockmarked Girl led a group carrying various containers to fetch water from the Tower Forest. The well was well-protected. Song Jiu and Wu Wentao approached from the corridor, seemingly deep in discussion, their expressions serious and uncertain.
"What’s wrong?" Song Yao asked upon seeing them.
"The Zombies are already here," Song Jiu said, his brow furrowed. "We were considering ways to transport supplies from the Roundabout, but now it seems completely hopeless."
Song Yao exchanged a glance with Jin Bo, both of them recognizing the deep sense of helplessness in each other's eyes.
"What about Luo Yu?" Song Yao looked around. After their discussions in the morning, Luo Yu had disappeared, and they hadn't seen her for a while.
"She went to the train station," Song Jiu exhaled slowly. "She mentioned that many guns were left behind there. Food can be found later on the road, but we should recover as many guns as we can."
"She went alone?" Song Yao's expression changed. There were plenty of Zombies at the train station, and the buildings posed a risk of collapse. It seemed too reckless for just a few guns.
"She’s with a few others," Song Jiu waved his hand dismissively. "Luo Yu is always meticulous. Since she volunteered to go, she must have a plan. She's not as reckless as Jiao Ziqian." At this thought, Song Jiu paused, glancing around the hall where only a few people remained. He wondered aloud, "Where's Ziqian?"
Ziqian was in the Guest Hall with Ying Dou Dou.
Chef Jia and Fang Fei were gathering usable supplies from the temple while Song Jiu and the others were brainstorming ways to leave the city. With Ziao Ziqian injured, he had to take a back seat for now. As the crowd dispersed, he found himself alone with Ying Dou Dou. Their eyes met, memories of past events and last night's message from Song Yao fresh in their minds. The future was uncertain; if they didn’t take advantage of this moment of calm to say something, they would regret it if another crisis arose.
With countless thoughts swirling in his mind, he sat across from her, unsure of how to begin. Ying Dou Dou accompanied him to wander around Tower Forest for a while. Old Lin's flower garden was still in full bloom, fragrant and vibrant. Not far away was a line of people filling their containers with water. Chef Jia stood under a shade structure, watching the young couple sitting beneath the flowers through the dappled sunlight, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“How are you?” Ying Dou Dou broke the awkward silence after a long pause.
“I’m fine; just need a few days of rest to be back on my feet,” Jiao Ziqian replied with a grin, turning his head slightly to look at the charming girl beside him. After hesitating for a moment, he managed to ask, “What about you? How are you?”
Ying Dou Dou turned her head to meet his gaze, breaking into a smile that felt like spring thawing out winter's chill. She nodded and said softly, “I’m okay too.”
Their eyes met, and a dry silence enveloped them as they both turned away, once again at a loss for words.
Jiao Ziqian felt he should do something. After all, as a man, it was inappropriate to remain passive. He couldn't let Young Lady take the lead all the time. Before the roundabout, their relationship had been quite awkward, but after last night, it seemed there had been some changes. He was used to being carefree, but now that he needed to be serious, it felt somewhat unfamiliar. In the past, when facing girls, his tongue had been quick—cold as Luo Yu and warm as Dream Fan. He had always been helpless against the endless chatter of Jiao Ziqian. No one would expect that such an outgoing boy would also have this shy side.
Taking a deep breath, Jiao Ziqian gritted his teeth and forced himself to appear calm. Quietly, he moved his hand over, trying to grasp her small hand like many classic scenes he had seen in movies, hoping to convey everything without words.
However, his little plan did not work out. Compared to Jiao Ziqian's hesitance, Ying Dou Dou was much braver.
Ying Dou Dou stood up and walked in front of him. Facing him directly, she softly asked, “Jiao Ziqian, you—”
Jiao Ziqian suddenly panicked. His mind raced with thoughts of "whatever happens, happens." Without waiting for Ying Dou Dou to finish her sentence, he lunged forward like a wild boar charging at cabbage, cupping her pale face in his hands and closed his eyes as he pressed his lips against hers in a fervent kiss.
“Mm—”
The roles instantly reversed. The courage that Ying Dou Dou had mustered was disrupted by his sudden attack. She couldn’t get her question out before being silenced by him. The aggressive male energy hit her like a wave, causing her mind to go blank. Her arms weakly wrapped around Jiao Ziqian's neck as she surrendered to this little rogue who was showering her face with kisses.
“Wow, wow!” Pockmarked Girl stood with her hands on her hips, unable to hide her amusement. She wanted to whistle to cheer them on but unfortunately lacked the skill; after straining for a while, her cheeks went numb without producing any sound.
“Stop staring and get back to work,” Chef Jia said with a smile, recalling that night when he first met the bewildered young man he had turned away. People often said that foolish people have foolish luck; compared to Song Jiu, Jiao Ziqian was indeed much luckier.
“Ah.” Pockmarked Girl watched for a moment before letting out an inexplicable sigh and turning away to wipe her eyes.
Chef Jia was taken aback and asked curiously, “Why are you crying?”
“I’m not,” Pockmarked Girl replied defiantly despite her reddened eyes. She forced a smile and added, “I just thought of Effie.”
Chef Jia's expression darkened at the words, and he sighed, shaking his head without saying anything further.
"Whoosh."
Ying Dou Dou's cheeks flushed, as if all her strength had been drained away by a kiss. Her previously calm gaze turned frantic as she stared blankly at the equally breathless Jiao Ziqian. After a moment, she murmured, "I can't breathe."
"Hehe, hehe." Jiao Ziqian chuckled awkwardly, feeling both joyful and excited. All his worries and troubles were cast aside as he shamelessly pulled the girl into his embrace. There were no sweet nothings exchanged; he simply lingered there, listening to her breathing and feeling her heartbeat, completely immersed in immense satisfaction.
The midday sun shone brightly, casting a golden glow on the two young people and enveloping them in a surreal haze from afar.
"What a kid," Song Jiu remarked, retracting his gaze with a hint of emotion.
Song Yao smiled faintly and linked arms with Song Jiu as they left the corridor. Jin Bo and Fang Fei followed behind, all wearing inexplicable smiles.
There were no sighs or melancholy, only envy and blessings.
No matter the circumstances, love always warms the heart. Life and death can be taken lightly, but the brilliance that suddenly appears in between cannot be erased by any suffering.
"Should we plan something to celebrate?" Jin Bo chuckled, his heavy mood lightening somewhat. After all, living means having a way to live; otherwise, what's the difference from being dead?
"Sounds good," Song Yao replied with interest, her eyes reflecting memories of the past. She laughed and said, "But is it appropriate in the temple?"
"Why wouldn't it be? Don't foreigners get married in churches?" The illiterate often possessed a fearless spirit; to Jin Bo, gods and Buddhas probably held less value than plain steamed buns.
Fang Fei rolled her eyes and said with a light laugh, "How about we plan it when we get back? It's not exactly picturesque with zombies roaming around."
"Well, let's talk about it when we get to the sea. Ziqian's injuries don't look good," Song Jiu thought, feeling a bit eager as he touched the wedding ring hanging around his neck. It seemed like such a distant memory.
The group returned to the Buddha Hall, where their bags were nearly packed. There wasn't much left in the temple that could be used; aside from fresh water, there were only a few blankets for warmth. Better to have something than nothing at all. With nearly two thousand kilometers ahead of them and uncertain circumstances to face, these supplies would be essential if they needed to camp out in the wilderness.
Before long, Luo Yu and the others returned safely, having retrieved some lost firearms and distributing them among those skilled with weapons. They had initially hoped to bring back the bodies of Lin Daozhang and his companions, but without a vehicle and surrounded by zombies, it was simply impossible.
Everything was ready; they just lacked the right opportunity.
As night fell, everyone gathered in the Great Hall of Great Hero. The flickering candlelight danced in the cool evening breeze.
The group discussed the supply situation regarding Roundabout. Lacking better options, they reluctantly decided to abandon the idea. Their current firearms and manpower were barely enough for self-defense; launching an assault on the Horde was unrealistic. While supplies were important, survival was paramount. They still had a long journey ahead, and as long as they were alive, they could find ways to manage food and water. None of them were spoiled; after weighing their options, they had no choice but to let it go.
Song Yao and Luci kept their eyes fixed on the dark corridor outside the hall, their expressions filled with anticipation.
Song Jiu and the others didn’t ask many questions; some guessed what was coming while others remained confused.
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