Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Chu Ya propped himself up to sit, and Shen Juanjuan hurriedly supported him, asking anxiously, "Are you running a fever again? You suddenly fell asleep, then sat up staring at me, and fell asleep again. It's really scary. Are you running a fever? Are you?"

Chu Ya simply said he wasn't running a fever and sat there in a daze on his wheelchair. His rain-soaked face, under the faint light, looked pale and devoid of any color.

"What are you doing now?" Seeing that Chu Ya had only uttered one sentence and then went silent, Shen Juanjuan nervously leaned forward, "Can you move your eyes? Move them a bit?"

Chu Ya suddenly sensed danger, which made him snap back to reality.

He instinctively looked towards the source of danger, the laundry station on the left side of the courtyard, knowing clearly that this danger was not aimed at him but at Shen Juanjuan standing beside the wheelchair.

Shen Juanjuan continued to chatter, reaching out to touch Chu Ya's forehead, "Are you going to run a fever and fall asleep again? Can you please not do it here? Let's go inside if you must?"

Chu Ya suddenly pushed him aside, moving the wheelchair half a step forward while raising his fist to strike forcefully ahead.

The hood of his raincoat was blown off by the wind, and his hair flew backward. As his fist hit the invisible object, a dull thud echoed, and his wheelchair slid back half a meter, quickly steadied by Shen Juanjuan.

"Shen Miaomiao!"

Chu Ya remained tight-lipped, his eyes fixed on the front. He then changed the direction of the wheelchair, sliding to the left while pulling out a dagger from his waist and thrusting it forward forcefully.

"Get lost!" he growled briefly.

"Where, where should I go? Where do you want me to go?" Shen Juanjuan stood under the eaves, looking utterly lost.

Chu Ya slightly lowered his head, his sharp gaze fixed on the center of the courtyard. In what appeared to be empty ground to Shen Juanjuan, a massive creature stood facing Chu Ya through the rain.

The Black Wolf paced around the courtyard, its icy green eyes fixed on Chu Ya, baring sharp teeth that gleamed white.

Chu Ya had once seen a rabid dog tied up in a factory, awaiting execution, with the same fierce and frenzied look as the Black Wolf. However, unlike the rabid dog, the Black Wolf exuded cunning, indicating it still possessed some intelligence and was calculating its next move.

Its target seemed to be Shen Juanjuan, but after being stabbed by Chu Ya, black smoke rose from its spine, making it wary and hesitant to attack again.

Chu Ya gripped the dagger tightly across his chest, watching its movements closely. Shen Juanjuan, unaware of the situation, cautiously approached Chu Ya, asking in panic, "Shen Miaomiao, what's wrong? What are you doing—"

"Move aside!"

Seeing the Black Wolf suddenly tense up, Chu Ya knew it was about to pounce and shouted at Shen Juanjuan, simultaneously pushing the wheelchair forward.

Shen Juanjuan immediately stopped, standing frozen in place.

The Black Wolf seemed to lunge at Chu Ya but changed direction mid-air, opening its mouth wide to bite Shen Juanjuan. Unable to block it, Chu Ya pushed hard on the wheelchair's armrests, leaping out to the left.

Chu Ya landed on the waterlogged ground, the pain almost causing him to pass out, but his dagger pierced the Black Wolf's neck.

This minor injury did little to the Black Wolf, which continued its attack but let out a howl, crashing into the yard and splashing water everywhere.

Chu Ya, blinded by pain, managed to lift his head and saw Shen Juanjuan standing safely. He turned to look at the Black Wolf.

The Black Wolf lay on the ground, convulsing violently, its limbs stretching and curling as if enduring intense agony.

It didn't seem like the wound caused this; rather, it appeared to be suffering from a sudden, severe illness.

Noticing Chu Ya's gaze, the Black Wolf bared its fangs, growling fiercely.

Chu Ya lay on the ground, his face partially submerged in water, his red eyes fixed on the Black Wolf.

The Black Wolf also stared back, its eyes filled with viciousness, as if infused with poison. Temporarily abandoning Shen Juanjuan, it bared its teeth at Chu Ya and struggled to stand, swaying unsteadily.

"If you kill me, you'll die too," Chu Ya rasped.

Rainwater stung his eyes, but seeing the Black Wolf approaching, he endured the excruciating pain and slowly lifted his upper body, gripping the dagger tightly.

Shen Juanjuan, still in shock, stood under the eaves, gasping and crying in terror.

He couldn't understand why Chu Ya suddenly became so aggressive, rushing into the rain, falling to the ground, and stabbing at the air.

The rain made the Black Wolf's fur cling to its body, emphasizing its massive size. It staggered towards Chu Ya, growling low in its throat, its back slightly arched, ready to pounce.

Chu Ya struggled to lift his upper body, gritting his teeth, "No matter what you've become, you're still my quantum beast. If you kill me, you'll die too!"

The Black Wolf paused, seemingly contemplating, then turned its head, glaring viciously at Shen Juanjuan under the eaves.

Chu Ya held his breath, tensing his muscles. Just as the Black Wolf prepared to charge, he lunged forward with all his might, grabbing its fur with one hand and raising the dagger with the other.

Despite the Black Wolf being his quantum beast, he showed no mercy. With a dull thud, the blade plunged into its neck.

"Roar—"

Both the Black Wolf and Chu Ya crashed to the ground.

The intense pain momentarily clouded Chu Ya's consciousness, but he vaguely saw Shen Juanjuan rushing towards him, and the Black Wolf lying beside him, convulsing.

"Shen Miaomiao, stop falling, stop falling... wah... you scared me. What are you doing? Let's throw away the knife, okay... wah..."

Finally regaining his senses, Shen Juanjuan, ignoring his fear, rushed over to hug Chu Ya, dragging him towards the wheelchair while sobbing uncontrollably. But his strength was too weak; each time he tried, Chu Ya's head merely swayed slightly, his body remaining motionless on the ground.

"Class Two, come on... wah... Shen Miaomiao, move a bit..."

Chu Ya, jolted awake by the cold rain, opened his eyes, refocusing his vision, and saw the Black Wolf standing up, lunging towards Shen Juanjuan behind him.

Chu Ya's dagger had fallen out of his hand, and seeing the Black Wolf's ferocity, he shoved Shen Juanjuan away and pushed hard with both hands, holding the wolf's jaws open, preventing it from biting down.

Though the Black Wolf appeared fierce, it was actually weak, its body still convulsing, the knife wound on its neck smoking, and its legs trembling.

After a few seconds of standoff, both collapsed onto the ground, continuing to roll in the water.

"Shen Miaomiao, Shen Miaomiao..." Unable to hold Chu Ya back, Shen Juanjuan watched him roll on the ground, terrified and worried, crying helplessly.

Chu Ya exerted all his strength to hold the Black Wolf tight, veins bulging on his forehead as he panted heavily. Seeing Shen Juanjuan trying to help him again, he gritted out through clenched teeth, "I'm... fine... don't... worry... about... me... get... away..."

Hearing that Chu Ya could still speak, Shen Juanjuan felt somewhat relieved and suddenly stopped crying.

"Is it a ghost? Are you fighting a ghost? Are you fighting a ghost?" Shen Juanjuan asked shrilly.

Chu Ya had no strength left to answer. Shen Juanjuan saw him throw a punch forward and finally realized, shouting, "You must be fighting a ghost!"

He looked for footprints on the ground but found only water, so he rushed to the fence and picked up an iron rod.

"I'll help you fight the ghost!"

Shen Juanjuan waved the rod around Chu Ya, sobbing, "You shameless thing, go away! Shen Miaomiao told you to go away, so go now. I'll beat you to death, I'll catch you..."

In his wild swinging, he accidentally hit the Black Wolf. Shocked, he stared at the empty ground for two seconds before continuing to strike, shouting encouragement to himself.

The Black Wolf's convulsions grew more intense, drool dripping from its mouth as it continued to receive blows from Shen Juanjuan's rod. It did not persist, shaking off Chu Ya's grip, getting up, and staggering towards the gate.

Chu Ya watched it disappear at the gate, confirming it wouldn't return, then lay back, closing his eyes and breathing heavily, letting the rain pour over his face and into his mouth.

"Are you dead? Tell me, are you dead... are you scared? Did you cry? You must have cried... ugh... if it hurts, go away, go away quickly..."

Shen Juanjuan, unaware the Black Wolf had left, continued swinging the rod. His raincoat hood had slipped down, leaving his eyes drenched and unable to see clearly. He was blindly swinging towards the edge of the yard, almost hitting the pile of junk by the fence.

"Shen Juanjuan, Shen Juanjuan." Chu Ya called several times before stopping Shen Juanjuan, then reached out, "Come help me up."

Shen Juanjuan stopped yelling, turning to look around. Chu Ya said, "It's gone. Now there are only the two of us here."

"Gone?" Shen Juanjuan trembled.

"Yes, it's gone."

Shen Juanjuan stumbled over, reaching out to help Chu Ya but fell beside him. Chu Ya tried to take the iron rod from his hand twice without success, so he pulled Shen Juanjuan into his arms, patting his back, "It's okay, everything is fine. Don't be afraid."

Shen Juanjuan also hugged Chu Ya, sobbing, "I drove it away."

"Yes."

"Did you get bitten?"

"No."

"I... I made it cry, it ran away while crying."

Chu Ya held Shen Juanjuan, soothing him softly until his emotions calmed. Then he had Shen Juanjuan help him onto the wheelchair and they went under the eaves.

He pushed open the door to the central room, wheeled in the cart, and opened one of the woven bags to find the heater.

Thanks to his preparations, he had been cleaning this row of rooms and found cables nearby to connect to the landfill, adding a line to bring electricity to the house.

They were in the living room, with a door to the right leading to the bedroom and the kitchen to the left. The bathroom was at the end of the row, a small separate room built with cement bricks.

Though small, the living room had a sofa and coffee table. The heater cast a warm orange glow, quickly raising the room's temperature. Chu Ya stripped off their wet clothes, hung them up to dry, and pulled out a blanket to cover Shen Juanjuan, wrapping him completely.

Chu Ya took off his hoodie and put on a padded surgical jacket. Seeing Shen Juanjuan shivering under the blanket, he asked, "Still cold?"

"Not cold."

"Then why are you shivering?"

"I don't know."

Shen Juanjuan's eyes filled with tears, huddled under the blanket. Chu Ya wheeled closer, sitting beside the sofa, watching him.

"Don't be afraid, that wasn't a ghost," Chu Ya whispered.

Tears streamed down Shen Juanjuan's face as he sniffled, "I'm not afraid of it, I'm not afraid at all."

Chu Ya wiped away his tears, "Then why are you crying?"

Shen Juanjuan drew a breath, whispering, "I was afraid you would die."

"I won't die."

"But I was afraid you would die." Shen Juanjuan reached out a hand from under the blanket, "Kids in our orphanage died too, now they're buried in those mounds. I think they must feel awful, unable to breathe, crushed by the earth... please don't die, okay?"

After a moment of silence, Chu Ya replied, "Okay, I promise I won't die."

Chu Ya sat beside the sofa, waiting for Shen Juanjuan to calm down before checking his leg. The splint was secure, and the broken bone was healing well. Despite the rough tumble with the Black Wolf, the injury was fine, just aching slightly. A good sleep should help.

Seeing no issues with the wound, he began organizing the items from the woven bag. But his mind was not at peace, pondering what had happened.

Based on his knowledge of guide-sentinel dynamics, quantum beasts never change form or disobey their masters. Yet what had happened clearly contradicted his understanding, challenging everything he had learned.

Chu Ya placed the water kettle on the floor, his consciousness probing his mental domain, but still failed. He knew his mental domain was severely damaged, the icy plains turned into a hurricane and darkness, even affecting the quantum beast.

Thinking of the Black Wolf, Chu Ya felt heavy-hearted and confused.

There was no mental link between him and the Black Wolf, and he didn't know where it had gone. However, given its aggressive nature, he needed to be prepared for another attack.

Shen Juanjuan lay on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought: "...that ghost must be the one who left the footprints last time, just invisible. Is it dead now or hiding... look at the ceiling, is that a ghost? Shen Miaomiao! Shen Miaomiao! Look at the ceiling!"

Chu Ya looked up and saw a large water stain on the ceiling, resembling a clawing human shape.

"That's not a ghost, it's just a mark."

"A mark... poke it with the stick, it looks like a ghost!"

"That's just a water stain, not a ghost."

"Uh-huh, that's water stains, I know." Shen Juanjuan nodded, then bellowed at the ceiling, "Thick-skinned! Don't think I don't know it's you!"

Chu Ya helplessly tilted the heater upward, letting the orange light illuminate the ceiling. Shen Juanjuan saw clearly this time and no longer thought it was a ghost.

Interrupted by this, Chu Ya stopped thinking about other things and began setting up the room. He found the light bulb he had taken from the tin shed and hung it on the door frame between the bedroom and living room, providing light for both rooms.

"Lie still, I'll go to the bedroom to make the bed."

Chu Ya placed the quilt and mattress on his lap and started pushing the wheelchair. Shen Juanjuan sat up from the sofa, flipping back the quilt to get down.

"I want to come with you." Shen Juanjuan gripped the wheelchair armrest firmly, his tone resolute.

His cotton coat had been soaked by the rain and was now drying on the heater. Chu Ya originally wanted him to lie back on the sofa, but seeing the panic in his eyes and the white-knuckled grip on the armrest, he swallowed his words.

He pulled the fleece blanket from the sofa over Shen Juanjuan, wrapping him several times, even covering his head, leaving only his face exposed.

"Let's go, I'll make the bed with you."

The bedroom contained only a large wardrobe against the wall and a double bed. Chu Ya made the bed while Shen Juanjuan looked at himself in the standing mirror on the wardrobe.

"I look so silly. This is like a head raincoat, and foot raincoat... no, this is a Shen Juanjuan raincoat, covering all of me."

Shen Juanjuan followed Chu Ya step by step. When Chu Ya sorted through the drying clothes in the living room, he squatted beside the heater. When Chu Ya put the clothes into the wardrobe, he stood next to the wheelchair, holding onto Chu Ya's sleeve.

Chu Ya, who had just fought with the Black Wolf, was a bit worn out. After tidying the bed and setting the heater to its lowest setting to dry the clothes, he called Shen Juanjuan to sleep.

Both lying in bed, their bodies were exhausted, but their minds remained excited, making it hard to fall asleep. Shen Juanjuan clung tightly to Chu Ya's arm, with the severed-armed bear and the wire rabbit on the pillow, only revealing his eyes looking at the opposite window.

"Do you think that ghost will be watching us outside the window?"

"No," Chu Ya lay flat, staring at the ceiling, "it wasn't a ghost."

"What was it then?"

"It was a quantum beast."

"Huh? How could a quantum beast attack us? Quantum beasts only attack bad people, not good people, and we're not bad people."

Chu Ya recalled Gu Lin's snake and murmured, "Not exactly, a bad person's quantum beast can harm good people."

Shen Juanjuan seemed to understand and hummed in response. A moment later, he asked, "Shen Miaomiao, are you a bad person?"

"No."

"Am I a bad person?"

Chu Ya looked down at him, and Shen Juanjuan suddenly became nervous, his whole body trembling.

After a serious look, Chu Ya said, "You're not a bad person."

Shen Juanjuan sighed in relief, "Of course, neither of us is. The one we fought wasn't a quantum beast, it was still a ghost."

Chu Ya did not continue on this topic and simply said, "Go to sleep, there's a lot to do tomorrow."

"Okay, let's sleep." Shen Juanjuan closed his eyes, but after a moment, he spoke again, "Shen Miaomiao, pat me, please."

"What?"

"Just like before, when I fought the ghost, you patted me. Pat me like that again?"

There was a rustling sound as the quilt was lifted and then lowered. A hand fell on Shen Juanjuan's back, gently patting through the quilt, one stroke after another.

"Shen Miaomiao."

"Mm-hmm."

"Don't be afraid, if the ghost comes, I'll fight it for you."

"Mm-hmm."

"I'm here, so you don't have to be afraid of anything."

"Mm-hmm."

...

Their intermittent conversation gradually faded away as both fell deeply asleep.