Chapter 196.

Chapter 196.

Yan Bubu and Feng Chen stood quietly at the doorway, making no sound. After a moment, Feng Chen led the tearful Yan Bubu outside and gently closed the door.

“It’s good, he finally woke up, it’s really good…” Downstairs, Yan Bubu spoke through sobs.

Feng Chen patted his shoulder and looked up at the sky. There, a graceful white crane and a vulture flew side by side at the boundary of light and dark, occasionally touching each other and emitting joyful cries.

In the following days, Yu Yuan's health improved day by day. Due to muscle atrophy, he had to undergo rehabilitation training, and Lin Fen was always there to assist him, helping him with leg straightening, bending, and lifting exercises.

These seemingly simple exercises were actually very painful for Yu Yuan. Each time Yan Bubu visited, though Yu Yuan remained silent, his face and head were covered in cold sweat from pain. Lin Fen was not much better, looking as though he had been pulled from water.

The sound of cooking came from the kitchen at noon, with Yan Bubu setting the table and placing chopsticks.

“Don’t set the chopsticks yet, go call them for lunch first,” Feng Chen said, wearing an apron and skillfully wielding the spatula.

Feng Chen had taken charge of cooking during this period, now stir-frying an edible wild mushroom. Beside him was a dish of ready-made braised pork ribs, and on another stove sat a clay pot, simmering with a thick, fragrant soup.

The soup contained several wild ingredients Lin Fen had gathered, said to be greatly beneficial for Yu Yuan’s health.

“Oh, okay,” Yan Bubu responded.

Lin Fen had cleared out a large room on this floor to serve as a training room. Yan Bubu approached the back door and saw Yu Yuan standing inside, his knees slightly bent and his expression tense, staring at the ground like a toddler learning to walk, eager yet hesitant.

“Come on, one more time, just half a step forward, that’s it,” Lin Fen encouraged, standing half a meter in front of Yu Yuan with his back to Yan Bubu, arms slightly outstretched.

Yu Yuan lifted his left foot off the ground, shakily taking a step forward, followed by lifting his other foot to continue moving.

Lin Fen also slowly retreated, praising, “Very good, that’s great, excellent…”

After Yu Yuan took two more steps, his legs suddenly gave way. Lin Fen quickly caught him in his arms.

The two remained in this embrace, silent and motionless. Yan Bubu was about to call them for lunch when he saw Lin Fen slowly lean down.

Yan Bubu could only see Lin Fen's back but understood what was happening. He immediately quieted down and quietly stepped back.

Leaning against the wall, Yan Bubu scratched the wallpaper with a finger, earnestly scraping off little black spots. After clearing a few patches in his view, he waited a while before stealthily peeking back into the room.

After looking for two seconds, he withdrew and walked forward to scrape off black spots elsewhere.

He suddenly found himself smiling, perhaps finding the task of scraping off the black spots amusing.

Two days later, with Lin Fen and Feng Chen checking the situation at the mountain base, Yan Bubu accompanied Yu Yuan outside for rehabilitation exercises.

“Two more steps… that’s great… keep going a few more steps…”

On the lawn outside the building, Yu Yuan slowly walked forward, sweat beading on his forehead. Yan Bubu shouted encouragingly ahead of him, ringing a bell in his hand.

Sasa the dog lay nearby, while a crane and a vulture circled overhead. Bibi, wearing its new dress, ran around. At first glance, it looked like a colorful floral dress fluttering in the air.

Lin Fen and Feng Chen returned to the top of the mountain, walking out of the forest, conversing in low voices. Hearing this, Lin Fen stopped and looked over, frowning, “Annoying brat with a bell, is he playing with the dog?”

Feng Chen touched his nose and ambiguously replied, “He's cheering him on.”

Lin Fen watched them for a while before turning to walk towards the forest on the left: “Let’s keep our distance, they’re as loud as cicadas, it's deafening.”

The two walked slowly along the path, Feng Chen saying, “There are more zombies below, it's really difficult to break through. There are lights on the surrounding mountains too, probably many guards posted.”

Lin Fen responded, “We’re trapped here. We need to let Ran Zhengshou know, but the key issue is we can’t get any message out.”

“Shall we try tonight?” Feng Chen asked.

Lin Fen shook his head, “No need to take the risk now. Let’s wait until Yu Yuan has fully recovered, then we'll have a better chance.”

Feng Chen considered this and agreed, “Alright, then we wait until Colonel Yu has recovered before we make a move.”

In the evening, Yan Bubu peered out the window, watching outside, while the sound of water flowed from the bathroom. Under the streetlight, he saw Lin Fen pushing Yu Yuan’s wheelchair as they took a walk. Yu Yuan was holding a bunch of wildflowers, weaving them into a garland and occasionally looking up to speak to Lin Fen.

Every time Yu Yuan spoke, Lin Fen would look down at him intently, his eyes as tender as if they were filled with water.

A crane and a vulture circled overhead, and Bibi walked alongside the wheelchair with Sasa the dog. Yu Yuan seemed to have finished the garland, looking at it with satisfaction before calling Bibi over and placing it on its head.

Feng Chen emerged from the bathroom, radiating heat. Wearing a white robe loosely tied at the waist, revealing a broad expanse of firm chest, he was drying his hair with a towel as he walked.

“What are you staring at?” he asked Yan Bubu.

Yan Bubu replied sourly, “What am I watching? I’m watching our quantum beast run off with someone.”

“Really? Let me see.” Feng Chen chuckled and joined Yan Bubu at the window, suddenly raising his arm to wave in that direction.

Yan Bubu turned to him, “Who are you waving to? Lin Major General and Yu Yuan are talking, they didn’t see you.”

“To Bibi,” Feng Chen said, tossing the towel aside. “It’s turning its head to look at us.”

Yan Bubu was astonished, “You can see it looking at you? Can you even tell its face from the back of its head?”

"Can't you see it clearly?" Feng Chen asked in surprise.

Yan Bubu exclaimed after a stunned second, "I can't see it clearly! Its face and the back of its head are all blurry, I can't make it out!"

Feng Chen frowned at him, his face filled with gravity. Yan Bubu started to panic and quickly rubbed his eyes, "Why can't I see clearly? Could there be something wrong with my eyes?"

After rubbing his eyes twice, Yan Bubu suddenly saw Feng Chen smiling at him and realized the trick, throwing himself into Feng Chen's arms and cooing, "Oh, you were tricking me... I knew it, how could I tell the front from the back in such darkness?"

"It's looking at us," Feng Chen said, wrapping his arms around Yan Bubu and nodding towards the window. "See the wreath on its head? Colonel Yu added two more flowers to the front. Now, with the flowers facing us, doesn't it seem like it's watching us?"

"Haha, so that's what it is," Yan Bubu laughed and waved at the figure.

The two stood by the window, Yan Bubu resting his head on Feng Chen's shoulder and sighing softly with his eyes half-closed, "Brother, if only we could always live like this."

Feng Chen didn't respond, simply leaning over to kiss the top of Yan Bubu's head.

After a moment of silence, Yan Bubu added, "I know, we still need to dispatch the virus and save our mentors. I was just speaking my mind."

Feng Chen wrapped an arm around Yan Bubu's shoulder and whispered, "Once we settle all these matters, we'll live like this forever."

Yan Bubu turned to look at him, then leaned back on his shoulder, murmuring in agreement.

"When we rebuild the central city, all of us will live in the same building – our parents, General Lin, Wang Suizi... Living upstairs and downstairs, and at night, we can listen to Chen Wenchao beating up Cai Tao," Feng Chen's voice was low and steady.

His voice resonated softly.

Yan Bubu laughed heartily, "That's great, all of us living in the same building." He pondered for a moment, then added, "But if the zombie problem is completely solved, we don't have to stay in the central city. Our new city could be built on a vast land, where we can live in separate small buildings, like the ones we used to have at home."

"Alright, we'll build villas, all clustered together. At meal times, we'll use a loudspeaker to ask: 'Who has cooked? Who's meal is ready?'" Feng Chen said in a playful, high-pitched voice.

Yan Bubu laughed excitedly, yet with a hint of regret, "But if we live in villas, we won't be able to hear Chen Wenchao thrashing Cai Tao."

"Living in the new city, if we ever miss Haiyun City, we can always go back and stay there for a while," Feng Chen said, catching the hand that Yan Bubu sneakily slid into his robe and throwing it out, but he continued without pause, "The ice layer over the sea is gone now. We can catch fish in the water and sleep on a small boat at night..."

Yan Bubu, too, gazed out of the window, his face full of longing, but the hand that Feng Chen had just thrown off was slipping back into his robe like a snake, slowly gliding over his skin.

Feng Chen looked down at the hand, and Yan Bubu, sticking to him, asked, "Shouldn't we take advantage of the fact that Binunu and the others aren't here to do something? In an hour, it'll be ten, and they'll be back to sleep."

These days, preoccupied with treating Yu Yuan, both of them had been anxious and hadn't considered other matters. Now that Yu Yuan was recovering, Binunu squeezed in between them every night, leaving no chance for anything else.

"What do you want to do?" Feng Chen looked down at him.

Yan Bubu, lying on Feng Chen's shoulder and continuing his movements, eyes fixed on the reddening skin on the neck in front of him, said, "You know, a young man as energetic and robust as I am can easily fall ill if he doesn't do something."

Feng Chen's brow twitched, and he turned his gaze back out the window, "Binunu could come back at any time."

Yan Bubu glanced out the window and saw Yu Yuan's wheelchair on the ridge, Lin Fen busy in the vegetable garden, and the four quantum beasts helping out. The situation looked like it wouldn't wrap up within an hour.

"Binunu is helping its idol with farming; it won't come back unless we call it. And even if we do call, it probably won't come back," Yan Bubu thought for a moment and then added.

Feng Chen didn't respond, and Yan Bubu watched his expression while his hand kept exploring downward, suddenly squinting and smiling, "Oh... what is this... so spirited..."

"Don't move your hand around!"

Feng Chen caught his hand, a flash of embarrassment crossing his eyes. But Yan Bubu quickly closed the window, then leaped into his arms, wrapping his legs around Feng Chen's waist.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry, make the most of our time! Before they finish farming!"

Binunu carried a small pile of weeds to the ridge, patted the dust off its hands, and then went to fetch Sasaka, signaling that it was time to go back.

Lin Fen glanced at Binunu, then looked up at the third-floor window where the light had just gone out, dropped his hoe on the ground, and called out loudly, "Soldier Binunu!"

Hearing this, Binunu stiffened, immediately let go of Sasaka, and stood up straight, its claws pressed firmly to its sides.

"Soldier Sasaka!" Lin Fen called out again.

The Black Lion remained motionless, holding its pose until Binunu tugged at it, prompting it to slowly stand up straight.

"Soldier Vulture! Soldier Crane!" Lin Fen continued the roll call.

Yu Yuan, seated in his wheelchair with a thick blanket over his legs, gently coughed into his fist upon hearing Lin Fen's roll call.

Lin Fen immediately looked over, and Yu Yuan shook his head, "It's nothing, just choked a little."

The two avian quantum beasts, which had been perched on the back of Yu Yuan's wheelchair, flew down to the ground, standing woodenly next to Binunu upon hearing their names.

Lin Fen approached the four quantum beasts: "Soldiers, as the highest-ranking officer of this research institute, I now command you to run twenty laps around this mountain."

Binunu looked puzzled, turning to Sasaka. Lin Fen sternly commanded, "Maintain discipline! No whispering or looking around when your commanding officer is speaking."

Binunu turned back, standing rigidly with its chest puffed out.

Lin Fen, from his elevated position, addressed Binunu, "Every soldier must undergo physical training, understand?"

Binunu nodded.

"I asked if you understand?" Lin Fen barked.

"Ow!"

"Louder!"

Binunu stamped its foot forcefully: "Ow—"

"Timing starts now!" Lin Fen glanced at his watch, then looked at the four quantum beasts. After a few seconds of surprise, he asked, "Why are you all staring at me? Start running."

Binunu, like a cannonball, dashed out first. After covering some distance, it noticed Sasaka jogging ahead and quickly waved its claws to urge it on.

Sasaka then picked up its pace.

Vulture and Crane, trailing behind, wobbled a few steps before turning to look at Yu Yuan with eyes full of grievance.

"Fly, just fly. You don't need to run. Flying low is enough," Yu Yuan said.

Watching the four quantum beasts vanish into the darkness, Lin Fen then turned to Yu Yuan with a smile.

With each passing day, Yu Yuan's condition improved slightly. Although his face still bore traces of illness, it had regained much of its color.

At that moment, he glanced sideward at Lin Fen, "Sending the quantum beasts to run laps, are you getting a kick out of this?"

Lin Fen didn't reply, merely scooping Yu Yuan up by the knees, sitting down in the wheelchair himself, and placing Yu Yuan on his lap.

"Look over there," he gestured for Yu Yuan to see the extinguished window on the third floor.

Yu Yuan, looking at the window, chuckled, "You could have found another reason. Why make the quantum beasts run laps?"

"Didn't you say I was enjoying myself? It's been a while since I've trained soldiers, so I thought I'd train them instead," Lin Fen replied with a laugh.

The two shared a quiet laugh, as the quantum beasts completed their first lap. Binunu, leading the way with its dress fluttering, was closely followed by Sasaka, while Vulture and Crane maintained a few meters' distance, flying behind them.

"Binunu, come here," Yu Yuan beckoned to Binunu at the front.

Binunu ran up to Yu Yuan and Lin Fen, then stood at attention with its feet together.

Yu Yuan stroked its head and gently said, "Would you like to sleep with me tonight? You, Sasaka, and your commanding officer – the four of us together."

Sasaka stopped next to Binunu, only looking at it, remaining silent without taking a stand.

Binunu wanted to refuse, but as soon as it shook its head, Lin Fen interjected, "Soldier, that's an order."

Binunu hesitated, seeming unwilling to agree but also reluctant to disobey the order, internally struggling.

Yu Yuan continued with a gentle smile, "I have a beautiful stone that can be set in your hairpin. It glows when it catches the light."

"Ah, that stone would match Black Liqiao's complexion perfectly," Lin Fen remarked.

Binunu's eyes lit up, immediately looking at Sasaka beside it, and tugged at it with its paw.

Sasaka touched its head in response, indicating that any decision was fine.

"Alright, then it's settled. It's getting late now, we should head back—"

Yu Yuan's words were cut short as he saw Binunu dash out again, quickly followed by Sasaka. Vulture and Crane, having no choice, continued to fly after them.

Yu Yuan slowly turned his head towards Lin Fen, who hurriedly explained, "You see, I didn't ask it to run now; it's running on its own."

"That was a military order you gave it. It won't come back until it finishes running!" Yu Yuan tapped Lin Fen's shoulder, "Didn't you think it through before giving the order? Nineteen laps to go, they'll be running till midnight!"

Lin Fen said, "I just wanted to give those two some more time."

Yu Yuan sighed deeply and looked up at the sky, "Alright, then let's wait here until they finish."