Chapter 63 The Spiral World (1)

Chapter 63: The Spiral World (Part 1)

After leaving the city, the temperature dropped sharply. The streets were dilapidated, buildings had collapsed, plants were parched and withered, and a desolate atmosphere hung over everything. Lin Yanqing had traveled this road to the neighboring city several times and had cleared a path wide enough for a car to speed along.

Xia Li shivered in the back seat, then let out a series of sneezes.

"Are you cold?" He Yunchuan instinctively started to take off his jacket. As he pulled it halfway down, his injured arm was exposed—the skin torn open, revealing the intertwined vines that formed his bones and muscles. He froze, a sour taste rising in his throat.

"Wear mine first." Lin Yanqing handed his jacket over from the passenger seat. Seeing this, He Yunchuan immediately pulled it back on, covering the strange wound on his arm.

Xia Li put on the jacket, rubbed his nose, and said, "Bro, don't you think it's really cold?"

Lin Yanqing had already noticed that the temperature in this area was very abnormal, sometimes feeling like summer, other times like autumn.

As Lin Yanqing was wondering about this, Xia Li asked again, "How much longer until we reach Nanyao City? It's almost dark."

Previously, driving to Nanyao City on the highway took just over an hour. But that was then; no one knew how many days this journey might take.

"Let's find a place to spend the night first. We'll continue at dawn." Jiang Songnian slowed down, scanning the streets on both sides.

There were far fewer madmen in the vicinity than expected. Perhaps the dispersal gas had triggered a large-scale migration, driving them toward the other side of the city in a short time.

The car turned a corner, revealing a two-story general store. Jiang Songnian parked at the entrance and peered through binoculars into the glass windows.

"I'll go in first to check it out," Lin Yanqing said.

"I'll go with you—"

Before Jiang Songnian could finish, He Yunchuan interrupted him, his expression somewhat unnatural. "I'll go. You all stay in the car."

"OK, no problem." Jiang Songnian gave him a friendly smile through the rearview mirror.

Lin Yanqing was the first to push open the car door. The area was open; as far as the eye could see, no madmen were wandering. The entire city seemed deserted, so quiet that even the sound of the wind felt sharp.

The ground was damp, as if a torrential downpour had just passed. The store's main door was wide open. Inside the entrance were several steps, and below them, water had accumulated, already ankle-deep. Shelves were knocked over, many goods soaked. The air was filled with the smell of mold and dust.

Lin Yanqing said, puzzled, "Why does it look like there was a flood?" He casually picked up an iron rod, trying to fish out a roll of garbage bags from nearby to make makeshift shoe covers.

"A Qing." He Yunchuan pushed up his glasses. His previous pair had broken, and Lin Yanqing had brought back a new pair for him. But the frame was too loose and kept slipping down.

"Huh? What's up?" Lin Yanqing bent over, stretching his arm out, but just couldn't reach the roll. With a bit more effort, he ended up pushing it farther away.

He Yunchuan just walked into the water, took a few steps to the shelf, picked up the entire waterlogged roll, and handed it to him.

Lin Yanqing shook the water off the outer packaging, opened the sealed bag, pulled out a few, and handed them to He Yunchuan.

"They might not be waterproof. Put on a few more," Lin Yanqing said.

"What's the big deal? Why bother with this? If the shoes get wet, they get wet. It's not like we'll die!" He Yunchuan's shoes were already soaked. He stamped his feet, roughly scraping the mud off his soles on the steps.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you so impatient? Are we in a hurry?" Lin Yanqing used the garbage bags as shoe covers. After simply protecting his feet, he stepped into the water to first check for any madmen, then see if the second floor was suitable for spending the night. He walked a few steps forward, realized He Yunchuan wasn't following, and turned back, looking at him strangely. "What's really going on with you? Stay close. If a madman ambushes you, I'm not responsible."

"A Qing." He Yunchuan's voice was hoarse.

"Yeah?"

Lin Yanqing hadn't expected him to ask this question. In fact, he seemed to have never really thought about such things. Life presented too many questions to ponder. But after the world fell into chaos, there was no need for deep contemplation or unnecessary worry—the sky had already collapsed.

"Of course, we're still human. Nothing's different." Lin Yanqing wasn't sure, but that was all he could say. He felt like He Yunchuan was about to cry. It had been many years since he'd seen He Yunchuan show such vulnerability.

He Yunchuan slowly rolled up his sleeve, revealing his scarred arm. It resembled intertwined vines, the skin withering and peeling away.

"It's been many days. There's no sign of improvement." He Yunchuan clenched his fist tightly. The vines suddenly tightened, and a transparent liquid seeped from deep within. He was bleeding—transparent blood.

"Does it hurt?"

"A little."

Lin Yanqing waded through the puddle toward him, reached out to pull his sleeve back down, and patted his arm through the thin fabric, smiling. "There, now others won't see it. In the future, we'll disguise ourselves, blend in among humans, pretend to be ordinary people."

"Lin Yanqing! I'm being serious with you!"

"So am I." Lin Yanqing smiled bitterly. "But what can we do? There are so many troubles to worry about. I used to think that once I solved a hundred problems, I could live a carefree life. Turns out that's not how it is. Troubles just keep piling up, no different from when we were kids."

He Yunchuan simply took off his constantly slipping glasses.

"Anyway, since things are like this, let's take it one step at a time, okay? Yun Chuan."

"Right, you're right." He Yunchuan lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe the lenses, then put the glasses back on his nose. "One step at a time. Let's go."

Lin Yanqing continued checking the surroundings, confirming no madmen were lurking in the store. The two of them locked the door together. The water on the first floor couldn't be drained. Lin Yanqing brought over several cardboard boxes, laying them out from the store entrance all the way to the staircase. After a quick tidy-up, they went to fetch Xia Li from the car, letting him go directly to the second floor.

This was a chain store, mainly selling daily necessities and cultural creative products, along with some snacks. Xia Li and He Yunchuan gathered useful items on the second floor, while Lin Yanqing and Jiang Songnian rummaged through the first floor. Many products were sealed in plastic bags; although the outer packaging was waterlogged, the contents inside were still usable.

Jiang Songnian had a lollipop in his mouth, leisurely selecting goods. Not far away, Lin Yanqing exclaimed and shouted to him, "Jiang Songnian, come here quick! Look what I found!"

Lin Yanqing was bent over, reaching for something under a metal shelf. Jiang Songnian hurried over and helped him lift it. Lin Yanqing quickly straightened up, holding a small turtle in his hands, his eyes shining as he smiled at Jiang Songnian.

"Whoa, we'll have meat tonight!" Jiang Songnian cheered.

The smile instantly vanished from Lin Yanqing's face. He silently tucked the little turtle into the crook of his arm, pretending nothing had happened.

Jiang Songnian rubbed his nose, looked around, and picked up a washbasin from under a shelf.

"Here, put the little turtle in this. We'll release it outside later," Jiang Songnian said.

"What turtle? This is a tortoise! A little tortoise!" Lin Yanqing said indignantly.

Jiang Songnian stared at him carefully, making sure he wasn't joking. After hesitating, he cautiously said, "You... can't tell the difference between a turtle and a tortoise, can you?"

"...Is this a turtle?" Lin Yanqing was utterly baffled. "How could there be a turtle here?"

"Lanhai Province is coastal. Probably a tsunami washed it ashore. Let's keep it for now." Jiang Songnian helped him put the turtle into the basin and casually tossed a small toy inside.

"How could there be a tsunami?" Lin Yanqing worried, his delicate brows furrowing.

"Extreme weather will only become more and more erratic from now on. Don't overthink it. Have we gathered enough stuff? Let's go upstairs."

Lin Yanqing nodded, grabbed Jiang Songnian's arm, stepped onto the cardboard boxes, and walked along them to the steps. He shook off the water, removed his shoe covers, and as Jiang Songnian approached, he eagerly took the basin, cradling it in his arms. The more he looked, the more amusing he found it.

"Jiang Songnian, look at its expression. So sneaky. Funny."

"Be careful it doesn't bite." Jiang Songnian took off his shoe covers and said unhappily, "Why do you always call me by my full name?"

Lin Yanqing's cheeks flushed. What else could he do? He couldn't exactly call him "uncle" all day.

He stayed silent, pretending not to hear, and carried the basin upstairs.

On the second floor, Xia Li had found several cushions to spread on the floor. Unable to find anything warm, he opened a few disposable bedding sets and wrapped them around himself. He really felt quite cold—at least five degrees colder than in the car. Lin Yanqing couldn't feel heat or cold; He Yunchuan's sensitivity seemed to have diminished as well; Jiang Songnian was physically strong and resistant to both cold and heat. Only Xia Li approximated an ordinary, average person.

They just had a simple dinner. After eating, Lin Yanqing went back to playing with his little turtle, and Jiang Songnian crouched beside the basin too. With their foreheads pressed together, they whispered to each other. Lin Yanqing smiled so broadly his eyes crinkled shut, bubbling over with happiness.

Cocooned in a white sheet, Xia Li stared fixedly at the two of them.

He Yunchuan held Xia Li's hands in his own to warm them and sighed, "What's with this awful weather? Tomorrow, we'll stop by a clothing store to pick up some thick clothes so you don't freeze on the road."

Xia Li's gaze remained locked on Lin Yanqing's profile as he murmured, "What are they talking about? My brother looks so happy."

Following his line of sight, He Yunchuan saw Lin Yanqing happily slurping a jelly cup, his head resting on Jiang Songnian's shoulder, completely at ease. Occasionally, he would straighten up and glare at Jiang Songnian, who would coax him with a few words, easily making him light up again.

"My brother is so happy with Jiang Songnian," Xia Li said almost inaudibly. "Like a child, he loves to be spoiled. As if he has no burdens at all."

Unsure what Xia Li meant, He Yunchuan gave a vague hum of agreement. After a pause, he suddenly spoke up, "Lili, are you..." He stopped abruptly, not daring to continue.

"Am I what?" Xia Li turned his head to look at He Yunchuan.

He Yunchuan pressed his lips together, got a hold of himself, and asked with a smile, "Are you very cold? Do you want me to hold you while you sleep?"

Xia Li buried his face deeply, angrily and forcefully sucking on his jelly. Then he lifted his head and beamed. "Mm, okay."

Author's Note:

Volumes 2 and 3 have been merged into one volume. Actually, Volume 3 isn't finished yet. I can only write a little on weekends lately, but I shouldn't have to stop updating. I should be able to finish the ending before the updates are done. If there are any special circumstances, I'll mention them in advance.

Also, since it's not finished yet, some logical aspects can't be revised for now. I'll polish the text after everything is written. The plot won't change, just some minor details.