Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Wen Jiuzhe quickly went to get a conventional haircut, which, paired with his face, still exuded a sternly handsome look.

With his new hairstyle, he didn’t look as dejected and gloomy as before.

Several days later, Wen Jiuzhe once again drove Xue Ling to the New Fourth Base.

Xue Ling had thought they were going to exchange items, but upon arriving near the base, she noticed the prominent couplets posted on either side of the base gate.

There were also many lights hanging outside the base, and many people were bustling about in the open space at the entrance.

Seeing the red couplets, Xue Ling suddenly asked, “Is it almost the Spring Festival?”

Neither Xue Ling nor Wen Jiuzhe knew the exact date, but evidently, the residents of the base were aware.

The people in this region still celebrated the Lunar New Year. As long as people were still alive, they had to celebrate it, regardless of what happened.

During the Lunar New Year, as long as there was a door, couplets must be posted.

“Last time I went to get a haircut, I heard them discussing the Lunar New Year. During the festivities, the base would be decorated with many lights for people to enjoy, and as it grew darker in the evening, fireworks would be set off in the open space in front of the gate,” Wen Jiuzhe said.

So today, he had specifically brought Xue Ling to see it, as she had always enjoyed such festive activities.

Living in that remote house together was too isolated for her.

“Come, let’s go out.”

Xue Ling hesitated and wrote, “There are too many people at the base entrance, what if something happens?”

Before she could finish writing, Wen Jiuzhe pulled her out of the car.

Suddenly being pulled out of the car and surrounded by people, Xue Ling’s movements became even stiffer and more awkward due to her nervousness.

But Wen Jiuzhe carried her for a few steps, passed through the crowded area, and then held her hand, which was covered in a thick glove. They walked to a spot far from the entrance, away from everyone, and sat down.

Indeed, there were many people at the base entrance today. The Lunar New Year was special; those who usually feared the dangers outside couldn’t resist coming out for the festivities, waiting to see the fireworks later.

In fact, most survivors in the base had never killed a zombie on their own.

Many people who encountered the zombies either died or turned into new zombies, while a small portion were fortunate enough to survive and were protected within the base, building new homes inside. They rarely ventured outside the base.

Only on special occasions like this festival, after the area around the base had been pre-cleaned, would most people venture out with their families, briefly experiencing the air outside the base.

Scavengers, who frequently left the base and dared to face zombie attacks, made up just one-twentieth of the survivors.

For ordinary survivors, the once-familiar world had become a symbol of danger.

Even from a distance, Xue Ling could see that some people had tense expressions, constantly and unconsciously observing their surroundings, wary of potential dangers.

The leaders of the New Fourth Base were very responsible, having pre-cleaned the area around the base and arranged patrols.

Even where Wen Jiuzhe and Xue Ling were, a base staff member came over to warn them that being too far from the base could be dangerous and advised them not to go too far alone.

Wen Jiuzhe acknowledged the warning. While the staff member was speaking, they glanced at Xue Ling a few times, who buried her head in her tablet, pretending to be engrossed.

Once the staff member left, Xue Ling hurriedly asked Wen Jiuzhe.

"He seemed to be looking at me just now. Do you think he suspects something?"

Wen Jiuzhe calmly said, "Maybe he was just envious that you had a tablet to play with. The base has electricity restrictions, and many people don't have electronic devices to play with."

Unbeknownst to them, the staff member who had warned them returned to the crowd and complained to a colleague.

"A young couple was hiding far away to be alone together. Aren’t they afraid a zombie might suddenly appear, leaving them no time to escape?"

As it grew darker, fireworks were set up at the base’s entrance. The crowd gathered and, guided by the staff, began lighting the fireworks, counting down together.

"Boom!"

The light shot upwards, suddenly exploding against the dark blue sky, one flower after another.

Everyone in the open space looked up.

Xue Ling was watching too. Even though the fireworks were simple, she still felt a surge of emotion and joy, and couldn’t help but nudge Wen Jiuzhe next to her.

Wen Jiuzhe was like a big rock, unmovable, but he extended his hand for her to hold.

Base staff were distributing handheld fireworks from boxes, the kind children could hold and light.

Soon, children's laughter and noise filled the open space.

The ground fireworks, which flickered briefly, complemented the brilliant explosions of the sky fireworks.

The large fireworks were set off in three waves, bringing the simple celebration to an end.

The crowd started to disperse slowly, some returning to the base, while others lingered outside to prolong the festivities.

After an hour, the deep blue sky turned pitch black, the crowd thinned out, and the sounds of laughter and chatter grew fainter.

Base staff began urging everyone to return, advising against staying out too long.

"Hey, that couple over there is still sitting around?" said the staff member who had previously reminded Wen Jiuzhe and Xue Ling.

"Who will go and remind them again? Xiao Chu, you go."

A short-haired staff member, Xiao Chu, agreed and ran towards Wen Jiuzhe and Xue Ling.

Xiao Chu, a young woman, felt a bit nervous upon seeing the tall and imposing man. She stopped about two meters away and said,

"It's getting late. Please head back to the base soon and avoid staying out any longer."

"Okay, got it, thank you."

As Xiao Chu was about to leave, she took a closer look at Wen Jiuzhe and let out a surprised exclamation, taking a few steps forward to confirm her recognition.

"Ah! It's you!"

Her tone indicated she recognized Wen Jiuzhe.

This wasn't surprising, as Wen Jiuzhe had been to many bases and was recognized by many people. His appearance easily left a strong impression.

Xue Ling moved further into Wen Jiuzhe's shadow, hoping to remain unnoticed, but Xiao Chu soon looked at her and even scrutinized her covered face.

Wen Jiuzhe, who had been relaxed, raised his hand to shield Xue Ling.

Seeing this, Xiao Chu let out another surprised sound, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Is your girlfriend still the same? Oh, you might not remember me, but I remember you."

"It was three or four years ago, you were traveling in Lanba City, weren’t you? You were on the Yan Mountain cable car. We were on the same car, which got stuck halfway. Do you remember?"

At that time, Xiao Chu was traveling with a close friend. The gondola could seat six people, including her and her friend, a middle-aged couple, and the young couple.

Xiao Chu remembered it clearly. When the gondola stopped mid-air, she and her friend were terrified. Her friend was almost crying, clutching her and saying, "Are we going to fall?" The next second, they saw the boyfriend pull his girlfriend into his arms. At that moment, Xiao Chu's friend shut up and exchanged a complex glance with her.

Could these young couples consider the others around them? Their show of affection made our fear and our safety seem less important.

The gondola became eerily quiet. Xiao Chu accidentally locked eyes with the girlfriend and saw that she looked just as embarrassed, trapped in her boyfriend’s embrace.

But her boyfriend didn’t seem to care about anyone else.

Because of this couple, Xiao Chu and her friend were too annoyed to feel scared and had a lot to talk about.

When they got off the gondola, they couldn’t stop giggling and chatted the whole way down the mountain.

The most coincidental part was that later that night, while resting at a hotel in Lanba City, they came across a trending video.

The video starred the same couple from the gondola. In the video, the girlfriend, perched on the boyfriend's shoulders in a public square, looked like she wanted to disappear.

Her friend forwarded the video to her, saying that even though the guy couldn’t read the room and didn’t care about his girlfriend’s feelings, he was undeniably good-looking.

...

When Xiao Chu brought up the trip to Lanba City from a few years ago, Xue Ling was initially pleased, but as the story continued, she became increasingly uneasy.

Her toes curled in embarrassment, and she was overwhelmed with discomfort.

Ah, isn’t it supposed that I’m already dead? Why am I still here, enduring this social execution?

Isn’t it supposed that life doesn’t have so many spectators? Why, in this post-apocalyptic world, would someone who saw my embarrassing moment still recognize us?!

How small is this world that we would meet again?

Xue Ling tightly gripped Wen Jiuzhe, hoping he would deny it and say she was mistaken.

Wen Jiuzhe said, "Oh, it's us alright."

Xue Ling: "..."

Another death. The soul has died.

Still unsatisfied, Wen Jiuzhe added, "But we've already broken up."

Xiao Chu was taken aback, unsure what he meant by this. Her heart sank, and she wondered if she had stumbled upon a couple breaking up.

Wen Jiuzhe continued, "But even though we've broken up, we still have feelings for each other, and we're still living together."

Xiao Chu: "..." This is really unexpected. Is this some new kind of play?

Xue Ling: "..." That’s enough! Did you really have to find a chance to explain this?

Unable to bear it any longer, Xue Ling covered Wen Jiuzhe's mouth, almost pushing his head to the ground.

Xiao Chu couldn’t help but laugh at the sight, but as she laughed, she felt a sudden urge to cry.

How wonderful, she thought. Everything around her had changed after the apocalypse, but there were still some people who remained the same.

Now that she thought about it, life before the apocalypse had been so good, carefree. The minor troubles she had in school or at work didn’t seem like worries anymore.

And her best friend, who had witnessed their moments together and accompanied her on that trip, had already passed away.

She hadn’t seen any familiar faces in a long time, having been too busy trying to survive, and had forgotten about the times and people before the apocalypse.

Even meeting someone she had only seen once made her feel happy, as if she had bumped into an old friend.

But they were still strangers. Xiao Chu didn’t cry but blinked hard to hold back her emotions. "Sorry, I think I’ve said too much. Do you guys live in the base too? It’s late, and it’s dangerous outside. You should head into the base right away."

"We don’t live in the base. We’re off now," Wen Jiuzhe said, picking up Xue Ling.

Xiao Chu was taken aback. The girlfriend, who had been bundled up and silent this whole time, held up a tablet to her, showing the words: "Happy New Year!"

Xiao Chu quickly responded, "Happy New Year!"

The girlfriend waved at her again, and Xiao Chu waved back.

Watching the couple walk away, just as intimately as they had a few years ago, they got into a car that was parked in the distance.

So they really didn’t live in the base.

Xiao Chu didn’t know, and she had no interest in prying into others’ private affairs.

"Xiao Chu!" a distant voice called out to her.

Xiao Chu glanced once more at the departing car, then turned and ran back to the gate. She joined the other staff members to tidy up the fireworks debris left near the gate.

It started snowing again.

The year 3035 drew to a close.