Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Four

Xue Ling and Wen Jiuzhe didn’t stop at any more roadside camps for rest.

From August to the end of October, over two months, they eventually reached Xiuze County from Anxi City.

Once they got there, they were relatively close to Yu City. If all went well, they would reach Yu City in just a few more days.

Wen Jiuzhe had always told Xue Ling that their destination was Yu City, not Andong City.

As they got closer to their destination, Xue Ling, who had been cooperative throughout the journey, looked uneasy as she gazed at the familiar scenery outside the window.

Her uncle’s family lived in Yu City, where she had also lived for many years. Almost everyone she knew—classmates, teachers, friends—had all been in Yu City.

Returning to Yu City meant she would inevitably encounter people she once knew. There were also her uncle and mother—she wondered how they were doing now. The thought of these things made Xue Ling anxious, and she really wanted to bite something.

Wen Jiuzhe noticed this, and over the past two days, he had intentionally slowed down the car and tried to distract her by talking to her more often.

But nothing seemed to help. Xue Ling was even writing on the whiteboard listlessly, and she wasn’t watching videos on the tablet at all.

Of course, this was partly because the battery was almost dead. It had been half a month since they last went to a base to exchange for supplies, and the battery box was out of power. The tablet had only a little battery left.

"Before we go to Yu City, we need to pass by Xiuan Base in Xiuze County. I heard it’s the closest base to Yu City, and many of the people there are from Yu City originally."

Wen Jiuzhe reminded her that the people she knew were no longer in Yu City but spread across nearby bases.

Xue Ling tensed and turned to look at him.

Seeing her reaction, Wen Jiuzhe couldn’t help but smile. He pulled out a rubber toy and offered it to her, "If you really can’t help it, bite this."

He was talking about Xue Ling’s habit of biting the seatback, which was already torn, with the padding exposed.

The last time he switched to the passenger seat to sleep, he had almost been scratched by the protruding wire inside.

She silently took it and bit down on it. Soon, the toy was full of bite marks and dents, a pretty rubber figure now ruined.

Their journey took longer than they expected, stretching from summer into autumn.

By October, the area around Yu City had started to cool down. After two autumn rains, the mornings and evenings were chilly, though it still felt warm around noon.

As their car approached Xiuan Base, Xue Ling saw that most people by the roadside were already wearing jackets.

As usual, Wen Jiuzhe parked the car on a nearby empty spot close to the base entrance and got out to replenish supplies.

He asked Xue Ling, "Do you want to get out and find a place to sit?"

Xue Ling hesitated and shook her head.

The first time they approached a base, she was a bit afraid and stayed in the car. However, after passing by several bases without any incidents, Xue Ling’s courage grew.

Later, whenever they passed a base, and Wen Jiuzhe asked if she wanted to get out for a while, she agreed.

They once sat outside a base for a few hours, watching people come and go, and not a single person realized she was a zombie. A real zombie would have gone crazy and attacked people upon seeing them. How could they sit quietly in place?

So even though Xue Ling, in her full protective gear, looked a bit strange, people passing by wouldn’t suspect she was a zombie. At most, they thought she was sick and would instinctively keep their distance from her.

After that, as long as they passed by a base that wasn’t strictly managed, Xue Ling would get out of the car and find a place to sit, watching the people coming and going at the base entrance.

But now, as they reached Xiuan Base, she didn’t want to get out of the car again.

Wen Jiuzhe didn’t push her. He closed the door and headed to the trading point at the base entrance.

After a while, he returned and leaned against the car window, saying, "There’s no battery box exchange here. We’ll have to wait a few hours for the battery box to charge, and some supplies need to be arranged."

"Do you want to get out and sit for a while? We won’t go far, just near the car. Don’t you think it’s too stuffy in the car?"

Xue Ling hesitated and pushed the door open to get out.

Wen Jiuzhe placed two chairs near the car. Xue Ling sat close to him, seeking some calm from his presence.

People passing by would glance at them.

Because the two looked like they were in different seasons.

Xue Ling wore an oversized, thick coat that covered her hands. With a hat, sunglasses, gloves, long pants, and tall boots, she didn’t expose any skin. This was the kind of outfit people in Yu City wore in winter.

Wen Jiuzhe, on the other hand, wore only a thin long-sleeve shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his arms.

It had rained early in the morning, and the sky was still overcast with a bit of wind, but he didn’t seem cold at all, as if he was still in the middle of summer.

Sitting close to Wen Jiuzhe, Xue Ling could feel the heat radiating from him.

If it weren’t for the long-sleeve shirt Xue Ling had found for him, he would still be wearing his short-sleeve shirts.

He really wasn’t afraid of the cold. The coldest winter they spent together, he only wore a thin, unzipped down jacket even in the coldest weather.

When Xue Ling doubted whether he was just trying to look cool and wished he would wear more, Wen Jiuzhe took her hand and placed it inside his clothes, letting her feel what it meant to be genuinely warm.

He truly wasn’t cold, not just pretending to be.

That year, in winter, she slept alongside Wen Jiuzhe without using the electric blanket and hot water bottle they typically used every year. That was because Wen Jiuzhe was so warm, he made a great natural heater.

Xue Ling zoned out for a bit, and her tension eased slightly.

Through her sunglasses, she watched people walking by on the road toward the base entrance.

After a long time, she didn’t recognize any of the faces; they were all strangers. She felt disappointed, but also relieved.

She was afraid of encountering her mom and uncle, but really, it wasn’t very likely. With so many people around, even if you went looking, you might not find them.

As it started to get dark, Wen Jiuzhe got up to go pick up supplies from the trading point. Suddenly, he felt someone tug his clothes.

He looked back and saw that Xue Ling was staring in one direction, looking like she was about to freak out.

Wen Jiuzhe followed her pull and sat back down, looking in the direction she was.

A middle-aged woman was standing by the road, holding a little girl, waiting for someone.

She looked like any other middle-aged woman they had seen on the road. Her face showed signs of worry and fatigue, with fine lines around her eyes.

She looked like she’d been through some tough times, but not enough to seem completely worn out. Clearly, her life was still manageable.

Wen Jiuzhe looked closely at the woman but couldn’t see any resemblance to Xue Ling—not in the curve of her eyes, nor her nose, mouth, or face shape.

The woman didn’t resemble Xue Ling, but Wen Jiuzhe knew she had to be her mother.

Because the moment Xue Ling saw her, she panicked. Even with her mask on, you could tell she wanted to hide. But she didn’t dare make any big movements to attract attention. Panicking, she yanked Wen Jiuzhe’s T-shirt up and buried herself inside like an ostrich.

Wen Jiuzhe: “……”

She was cold and trembling slightly against his back.

If it weren’t for the fact that zombies couldn’t cry, he would have thought she was hiding in his shirt, crying.

Their posture was very noticeable, and everyone gave them an extra look out of curiosity. Her mother looked over too, but she didn’t recognize Wen Jiuzhe and showed no curiosity about him and the strange sight next to him. She quickly shifted her gaze away.

That’s because the person she was waiting for had arrived.

A car stopped next to her, and two people got out.

The young woman took the sleeping girl from her arms, and the middle-aged man put his arm around the woman’s shoulder, saying a few words. Then they all got back into the car and drove into the base.

Only after they had disappeared did Wen Jiuzhe pat the bundle hiding behind him.

“They’re gone, you can come out now.”

Xue Ling waited a little longer before pulling apart his T-shirt and sticking her head out.

Wen Jiuzhe tugged at his loose T-shirt and asked, “Was that your mom?”

Xue Ling stared blankly at the empty spot on the road and nodded.

“Should we stay here for the night and leave tomorrow?” Wen Jiuzhe suggested.

Xue Ling snapped out of her trance and looked at him. They never lingered near the base, usually staying only a few hours at most before leaving.

It was Wen Jiuzhe who hoped she could sit around the base and relax for a bit. It was also Wen Jiuzhe who feared that staying too long near the base could put her in danger.

Facing her gaze, Wen Jiuzhe smiled, as if he could completely see through the emotions she couldn't put into words.

"Stay here for one more day, so you can see her one more time tomorrow."

No one went in or out of the base at night, and all the doors were closed. They spent the night in the car.

Outside, an unnoticeable autumn rain fell. Wen Jiuzhe reclined the seat, and they lay down to rest.

There was a blanket in the car, which Xue Ling had found after the temperature dropped. But Wen Jiuzhe was too warm to stay fully covered. He only held a corner to lightly cover his stomach, while most of it was on Xue Ling, who wasn't cold at the time.

Xue Ling kept her eyes open, her head resting against Wen Jiuzhe's chest. His chest was soft, and she absentmindedly bumped it with her forehead.

She thought Wen Jiuzhe had dozed off, but suddenly, he rolled over and muttered, "You're hitting this side too much; try the other side."

Xue Ling was left speechless.

Xue Ling lifted the blanket, sat up, and carefully wrote "Xue Pingying" on the writing board.

The next day, Xue Ling absolutely refused to get out of the car. She sat in the passenger seat, cracking the window open to sneak a peek outside.

Unfortunately, the person she was waiting for didn't show up all morning.

At noon, as Wen Jiuzhe leaned against the car, munching on some instant biscuits, his sharp eyes caught sight of someone.

He quickly finished the rest of the biscuits, clapped his hands, and called out, "Ms. Xue Pingying!"

A loud thud echoed from inside the car. It wasn't clear if Xue Ling had bumped into something out of nervousness or was mad because he had suddenly called out.

But Xue Pingying had already looked over, confused, and started walking towards them. The "zombies" in the car fell silent.

"Do I know you? Who are you?" Xue Pingying couldn't figure out who the young man was and looked puzzled.

"Are you Xue Ling's mother? I'm her college classmate. I've seen your photos; you two look quite alike." Wen Jiuzhe made up a story.

Hearing the name Xue Ling, Xue Pingying couldn't help but show a sad expression, her eyes turning red immediately. She was too preoccupied with her emotions to find any flaws in his not-so-rigorous explanation.

"Yes, I'm Xue Ling's mother. You're her classmate, a college classmate, right? Nice to meet you, nice to meet you."

Wen Jiuzhe looked down at the somewhat incoherent lady before him, then suddenly asked with a smile, "Hey, where's Xue Ling? Is she okay? Why didn’t I see her just now?"

Xue Pingying's tears instantly fell, and she hurriedly wiped them away. "She... she passed away three years ago, already turned into a zombie."

Wen Jiuzhe, as if just an old friend of Xue Ling’s, looked regretful upon hearing this and offered a few comforting words, his tone tinged with apology.

After some back-and-forth, Xue Pingying said she had things to take care of and left, her eyes still red.

After Xue Pingying left, Wen Jiuzhe opened the car door. Xue Ling clutched her clothes with both hands, her face frozen as she stared at him.

She quickly looked around the car, then grabbed a half-empty bottle of water that Wen Jiuzhe had been drinking. She twisted the cap open, tilted her head back, and poured the water over her eyes.

She was trying to make it look like she was bawling her eyes out.

She held the bottle in her hand, blinking as water dripped down her face and chin.

But it still wasn’t enough. She suddenly threw her head back, opened her mouth wide, and silently made an exaggerated, ugly crying face.

Wen Jiuzhe was speechless.

He knew she couldn’t cry and was frustrated, trying to force herself to.

But watching her, he struggled to hold back laughter. He found her so endearing.

He was doing his best not to laugh, his face contorting in the effort. He took a couple of deep breaths and forced a serious expression to fit the somber mood. Wen Jiuzhe stepped forward and gave her a hug, patting her on the back a few times.

"Poor thing... Let it all out. Want me to add some more water?"