After making that decision, Zhao Yan felt much more at ease. He looked at Le Huan, who was still admiring herself in the mirror, and couldn’t help but urge her, “Let’s go.”
“Wait a moment—Zhao Yan, help me take down the fabric from the wardrobe.”
There was a stack of various fabrics on the top shelf. Zhao Yan walked over and took them down, knowing she wanted them for making clothes. He didn’t say anything, his phoenix eyes quietly watching her, signaling whether she was ready to leave now.
Le Huan looked around and saw nothing else she liked. “Alright, let’s go.”
She walked ahead in her little black leather shoes, while Zhao Yan followed behind, carrying the fabric in one hand and her washing supplies in the other.
“Good morning, everyone! I’m ready—we can go now.” Le Huan descended the stairs, her dress swaying with each step.
The people in the living room downstairs stared at her blankly. She came down like a princess, reminding them of the time before the apocalypse, when girls were just as delicate and beautiful.
Their gazes unintentionally drifted to her full figure. One by one, they lowered their heads, coughing awkwardly, their faces turning dark red (though it was hard to tell).
“Ahem… Le Huan looks even prettier today. We’re all ready too—let’s set off.” Wu You was the first to recover, mainly because he noticed the dark expression on their Team Leader’s face behind her.
“Ah, then let’s go. We’re finally heading back to the base—I never want to eat compressed biscuits again.”
“Haha, once we’re back, it’ll be potatoes and sweet potatoes until we’re sick of them.”
“I miss my mom’s braised pork ribs… I can barely remember the taste anymore.”
“Gangzi, I knew you were thinking about the base’s old sow all along.”
“Pfft—” Le Huan laughed. These big, meat-craving men were quite amusing.
She smiled brightly at them, her watery eyes shimmering. The burly men blushed again.
Zhao Yan glanced at the useless bunch, then walked past them and headed outside to load supplies into the vehicle. The others snapped out of it and quickly followed to help.
Finally, the two modified off-road vehicles started up, and they left City B.
…
Le Huan leaned weakly against Zhao Yan, her face pale—she was carsick.
They weren’t taking the original route back. Instead, they planned to search for more supplies along the way. Driving down a deserted road, they spotted a gas station. This trip had mainly been about finding fuel. Every base needed oil for their modified vehicles. It just so happened this station hadn’t been searched yet.
The gas station was pitch black. As Zhao Yan and Wu You approached with their guns, they saw figures moving inside.
Zhao Yan narrowed his eyes, took a closer look, and suddenly shouted—
“Run!”
He turned and sprinted toward the vehicles parked not far away.
Wu You and the others didn’t know what was happening, but years of experience made them react instantly. They turned and ran as well.
The moment they got into the car, they heard a loud crash—the glass doors of the gas station shattered. A massive swarm of zombies poured out, pushing and trampling over each other. The ones at the front moved slowly and were crushed by those behind, collapsing into useless heaps.
Smelling the scent of living humans, the zombies charged toward their vehicles.
Le Huan sat in the car as Zhao Yan slammed on the accelerator, the vehicle surging forward. Through the rearview mirror, she saw a horde of zombies chasing after them, their hollow mouths wide open.
She covered her mouth, almost vomiting.
After a series of sharp turns, they finally shook off the zombies. By then, Le Huan had already fainted. The violent jolting combined with the nauseating sight had been too much—her eyes rolled back, and she lost consciousness.
When she woke up again, she found herself in the back seat, leaning against Zhao Yan. She felt weak all over. Zhao Yan was holding a bottle of sugar water, feeding her little by little.
1066 jumped anxiously in her mind.
【Le Huan, are you okay? Zhao Yan and the others already got rid of the zombies—you’re safe now!】
Le Huan’s eyes shifted as she slowly regained her senses. The car had reached a smoother road, and her body felt much better.
“Le Huan, you’re awake! You scared us—we thought…” Wu You didn’t finish his sentence, but she understood—they had thought she was going to die.
She looked at the worry in Wu You’s eyes, then raised her head to look at Zhao Yan. He had been watching her the whole time. The concern in his deep gaze hadn’t faded.
Her lips trembled—she was about to cry.
She buried herself in Zhao Yan’s chest. He felt a damp warmth spreading across his clothes, but she made no sound. She was crying silently.
Zhao Yan felt as if something had gripped his heart, leaving it aching and sour.
Wang Ni had said she might not live for more than a month. Someone as lively and willful as her—how could she not live a long life?
When he had seen her pale and unconscious in the passenger seat while he was driving earlier, his heart had nearly stopped. Her illness was this severe…
He no longer wanted to argue about her treating him like a servant. He would just take care of her properly for one month—as repayment for her parents’ kindness.
After coming to that conclusion, Zhao Yan lowered his head and looked at the small figure crying against his chest. Her soft curls were fluffy, her body trembling occasionally. When she wasn’t causing trouble, she was truly gentle and adorable.
Seeing her cry so heartbreakingly stirred something in him. He reached out and gently wrapped his arms around her, his rough hand stroking her curls in silent comfort.
Wu You exchanged a glance with Xiong Gang through the rearview mirror, then both quickly looked away, pretending not to see anything. Wu You suddenly felt the urge to get out of the car as soon as possible and tell Wang Ni about this rare sight—his Team Leader’s tender side was honestly a bit terrifying.
After a while, Le Huan finally cried enough. She noticed Zhao Yan’s shirt was wrinkled and soaked with her tears—an absolute mess. She pretended not to notice.
She could feel that Zhao Yan had softened toward her. The way he gently stroked her hair made her feel drowsy. Soon after, 66 notified her that she had gained goodwill points.
She had guessed correctly.
“…I want some water,” she said softly.
Zhao Yan brought the cup to her lips and carefully helped her drink. “Does your heart still hurt?”
Le Huan nestled in his arms, not wanting to speak. She simply shook her head lightly.
“You must have seen a doctor before. What did they say?” Zhao Yan believed that although a heart condition was serious, there should be some treatment.
Le Huan’s eyes shifted as she casually made something up. “The doctor said I need to be carried when I walk, fed when I eat, and can’t be left without someone taking care of me…”
Zhao Yan’s face darkened as she listed her absurd demands. He had just decided to take good care of her, and now she clearly intended to treat him like a servant again.
Wu You burst out laughing. “Pfft—hahaha! That sounds like someone half-paralyzed. Where are you going to find someone willing to serve you like that now?”
Le Huan looked at Zhao Yan. Wu You had no idea that their Team Leader had already fed her and wiped her face.
Zhao Yan calmly turned his face away, refusing to look at her.
Le Huan, still weak, leaned against his chest. Her soft hair brushed against his neck, making it itch.
He had assumed she fainted because of her heart condition. It never occurred to him that she had simply been carsick.
After all these years, even children no longer feared zombies—but Le Huan had been scared unconscious.