Chapter 53

Chapter 53

The sunset glow on the horizon lasted less than half an hour before the sky turned into a very pale blue-purple. Bai Tu sat on the hood of the car, watching the white clouds gradually disappear, once again turning down Guan Jianrui's invitation to eat noodles.

As the last rays of the setting sun vanished, Bai Tu heard several sets of footsteps, some heavy, some light, approaching. He jumped off the car hood, jogged over, handed a pre-prepared damp towel to Huo Changfeng, looked up, and smiled at him.

Huo Changfeng took it a beat late, opened his mouth—his mouth formed what looked like a "thank you"—but closed it halfway through. He finally asked, "Still feeling unwell?"

"I'm fine now." Bai Tu took the rifle from his other hand and naturally walked to his side.

He was wearing Huo Changfeng's jacket. The sleeves, too long for him, were rolled up several times but still reached his knuckles. Song Lan's face turned slightly green as he snorted coldly, "Of course you've rested well. No need to kill zombies or scout ahead, just sleep in the car."

Bai Tu ignored him.

He intended to kill Song Lan, but the time wasn't right yet.

Huo Changfeng, however, frowned. "Song Lan, since Bai Tu has joined us, he is our companion. In any team, everyone has a different job to do. I don't want to see anyone in my team blaming a teammate out of dissatisfaction."

Song Lan said incredulously, "Why aren't you scolding him? He hasn't done anything. Am I wrong?"

Huo Changfeng said sternly, "He hasn't targeted you. Song Lan, I also hope you understand your position in the team and don't bring personal emotions into missions."

Having served in the military for years, his speech and actions retained military habits, and he didn't hold back when reprimanding others. Song Lan widened his eyes, bit his lip in embarrassment, turned, and strode past them.

Ji Songyue and Fan Xinglu had slipped away as soon as Bai Tu approached and were already slurping noodles.

Huo Changfeng turned his head to look at Bai Tu and noticed he had trimmed his bangs, revealing a bit of his eyebrows. However, the cut was uneven—some strands long, some short—clearly a hack job. He found it kind of funny and asked, "Who cut your bangs?"

"Myself. Isn't it good?"

"It's fine," Huo Changfeng lied, "it just doesn't really suit you."

Bai Tu turned his head. His eyes were faintly bright even in the darkness. "Then can you trim them for me? I'm not very good at it."

He was shorter than Huo Changfeng, so even when tilting his head to look at someone, he had to slightly raise his chin, exposing a section of his neck. His upper body was wrapped in Huo Changfeng's jacket, and he held the rifle in both arms, looking very docile. Huo Changfeng felt an unexpected surge of tenderness and agreed, "I'll trim them for you after dinner."

Bai Tu smiled. When he smiled, he always lowered his eyes slightly, his lips curling subtly. His smile was very reserved yet heart-melting.

He turned to look ahead and softly exclaimed, "Huo Changfeng, the stars are out."

Huo Changfeng also looked up at the night sky and indeed saw a sky full of stars, breathtakingly beautiful.

*

After dinner, the group worked together to tidy up the convenience store, piling all the corpses together. Huo Changfeng directly incinerated them into charred remains with a bolt of lightning, slightly dispersing the putrid stench in the air.

Song Lan wasn't one to be squeamish at times like this. A gust of wind swept away all the foul odors inside the convenience store. Whether intentional or not, Bai Tu, who was standing at the entrance at the time, was blown forward, stumbling a step. By the time he steadied himself, he was covered in the rotting smell carried by the wind.

Song Lan said with feigned surprise, "Sorry, Bai Tu. I didn't notice you there. The convenience store has no windows, so I had to blow the air toward the entrance. You're not hurt, are you?"

His voice was just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"I thought you were moving shelves with Sister Songyue."

Aside from those against the walls, four shelves stood in pairs in the middle of the convenience store. They had fallen due to collisions. After moving the corpses covering them, the group prepared to shift the four shelves to clear space for setting up tents.

Guan Jianrui and Xiang Yubo were strong, easily moving one shelf each. But for Fan Xinglu and Ji Songyue, who had less strength, it was more strenuous; they had to lift both sides of a shelf to move it.

Bai Tu had just moved corpses, swept away the remains, and stopped at the entrance to catch his breath when he was hit by the wind from Song Lan's ability. Song Lan's words made it sound as if Bai Tu had done nothing and was just idly watching.

Ji Songyue, suddenly named, felt like she'd been unfairly blamed and was at a loss. Huo Changfeng had been lubricating and reloading everyone's guns but stopped his movements, his expression unreadable. Ji Songyue glanced at him, then looked at Fan Xinglu on the other side of the shelf, wanting to tell him not to just stand there and help move the shelf. Instead, she saw Fan Xinglu silently inhale, his eyes behind his glasses fixed intently on Bai Tu, a flicker of nervousness flashing through them.

Ji Songyue immediately grew suspicious, and she glanced back and forth between him and Bai Tu.

Bai Tu glanced at Song Lan but said nothing, walking over to move the remaining shelf. The edges of this shelf were severely worn. As Bai Tu placed his hands on it and exerted force, red marks immediately appeared on his palms and the base of his thumbs.

At the same time, Huo Changfeng put down what he was holding. The gun parts clinked against the table, letting out a sharp *clink* in the quiet convenience store. He strode over to Bai Tu's side, hoisted the entire shelf onto his shoulder, carried it to the corner in a few steps, then walked back and ruffled Bai Tu's hair. "Come on, let me trim your hair."

Bai Tu was silent for a moment before whispering, "I want to take a bath."

His voice was soft, but the convenience store was too quiet, and everyone heard him clearly.

Song Lan's face turned ugly.

The other four avoided eye contact, wishing they were deaf.

Huo Changfeng said, "After I cut your hair."

He took Bai Tu's wrist and led him outside. Passing Song Lan, he paused and said calmly, "Bai Tu won't use the stored water in the car to bathe. Do you have any other objections?"

As his words fell, the convenience store seemed to freeze. No one dared to make a sound.

Huo Changfeng had a good temper. He would reprimand people but had never truly lost his temper. Many things were dealt with firmly but leniently, maintaining the fine tradition of his time as a team leader in the military. Thus, the team members respected him but weren't afraid of him.

Now, Huo Changfeng's expression and tone were calm, but the air around him grew so heavy it felt like a thunderstorm was brewing.

Song Lan's eyes reddened, but he didn't dare speak again, watching helplessly as Huo Changfeng led Bai Tu out of the convenience store.

"I've never seen the boss this angry before..." Guan Jianrui let out a long sigh and whispered to Xiang Yubo, "Hey, Xiangyu Bao, was the boss this intimidating back in the military?"

Xiang Yubo hesitated, then shook his head. "I haven't seen it."

Guan Jianrui wanted to say more but was glared at by Ji Songyue, so he shut his mouth and focused on moving the shelf. After finishing, he ran to the car to get the tent and busied himself setting it up.

After a while, Song Lan left. Guan Jianrui stopped, scratching his neck. "What do we do? They're both part of the team; we can't have them at each other's throats every day. If they keep arguing, I think the team will fall apart sooner or later."

Ji Songyue gave a helpless look and said after a moment, "You guys can be just as much of a mess when you catch feelings."

Guan Jianrui raised his hands in protest. "Hey, don't lump me in with them! This is a one-off."

"Ultimately, today's issue is because Song Lan is too stubborn," Fan Xinglu said quietly. "It's normal for him not to like Bai Tu, but now they're teammates. Sabotaging each other within the same team is exactly what the captain hates to see."

Ji Songyue glanced at him, frowning slightly.

Xiang Yubo picked up the tent poles Guan Jianrui had casually placed on the ground, connecting them section by section. "Captain Huo will handle it."

*

Bai Tu didn't know how the others discussed him and Song Lan, and he wouldn't care even if he did. Huo Changfeng went to the car to pack a bag with scissors, a towel, soap, clothes, and a cloth curtain. Then, carrying the bag in one hand and holding Bai Tu's wrist with the other, he walked in the direction he had returned from that evening.

Bai Tu let him hold his wrist, following his pace until they reached the edge of a sparse grove. Then, with his other hand, he tugged at Huo Changfeng's sleeve.

Huo Changfeng stopped but still didn't speak, his expression heavy.

Huo Changfeng wasn't holding tightly. Bai Tu twisted his wrist and easily broke free. He moved in front of Huo Changfeng, brushed off the dust on his sleeves from moving the shelf, and said, "Don't be angry."

Huo Changfeng stared at him, then suddenly sighed and flicked his forehead with a finger. "Are you stupid? You don't even speak up when bullied."

Bai Tu smiled, took Huo Changfeng's hand, and gently nuzzled his cheek against it, like a small animal, his tone soft and affectionate. "Only you think of me this way."

Huo Changfeng's palm had thick calluses but was sensitive to touch. Bai Tu's skin was smooth. Huo Changfeng's Adam's apple bobbed as his hand unconsciously stroked Bai Tu's face a few times, then slowly moved to his neck, feeling the slow, strong pulse beneath the thin skin.

Bai Tu remained motionless, appearing very compliant. His demeanor and posture even made Huo Changfeng feel an urge to assert control.

Bai Tu is so obedient... does that mean he'd do even more...

Realizing what he was thinking, Huo Changfeng abruptly withdrew his hand. Meeting Bai Tu's puzzled look, he only said, "I thought you wanted a haircut?"

Bai Tu gave a regretful "oh." Huo Changfeng's palm was dry and warm, a bit rough, but the pressure was gentle. When it touched his skin, Bai Tu found it comforting, not uncomfortable at all.

Seeing him staring dumbly, Huo Changfeng said helplessly, "Close your eyes."

"Oh..." Bai Tu closed his eyes.

He heard a soft *snip* at his forehead, and fine strands of hair fell onto his eyelids and cheeks. Huo Changfeng's breathing was light and very close. With his eyes closed, Bai Tu said, "Huo Changfeng, I'm afraid of the cold. Can I share a sleeping bag with you tonight?"

The snipping sound of the scissors stopped. Bai Tu continued, "I brought a double sleeping bag. It won't be too crowded."

After a moment, Huo Changfeng said, "No."

The snipping resumed. Bai Tu said, "Alright, then I want to be in the same tent as you."

Huo Changfeng thought of how Song Lan had stormed off earlier. "For safety's sake, we usually have three to a tent. You'll be in the tent with me, Guanguan, and Songyue tonight."

In this perilous environment, they couldn't afford to worry too much about propriety between men and women. The tent was big enough, each person had their own sleeping bag, and it didn't inconvenience anyone. When Ji Songyue needed to change clothes or do anything else private, she just had to say so, and they would consciously step aside, waiting until she was done before entering the tent. They had gotten used to it over the past few months. But this was Bai Tu's first time spending the night outdoors with them, and Huo Changfeng, worried he might not be accustomed to it, gave a brief explanation.

Bai Tu was fine with it, and just said okay.

Back in his army days, Huo Changfeng often cut his own hair, but for convenience, he usually just buzzed it short, let alone trimming bangs. Seeing Bai Tu had no more to say, he also fell silent, focusing intently on controlling the scissors, pausing now and then to check his work.

"Done." A moment later, Huo Changfeng put away the scissors, combed through the bangs a few times with his fingers, casually brushed the stray hairs from Bai Tu's face, then fished out a small square mirror from his bag. "Take a look. Satisfied?"

Bai Tu stared at his reflection in the mirror for a long moment without speaking.

"What's wrong?" Huo Changfeng thought he was dissatisfied.

"Nothing. I just didn't expect your haircutting skills to be this good," Bai Tu said.

Two lifetimes, and Huo Changfeng's haircutting technique hadn't changed a bit, which had led to him sporting this hairstyle for a very long time. Bai Tu touched his smooth-shaven temples, partly hoping he could keep this style forever, partly worried.

"I want to bathe now," he finally said.

The outdoor "bathroom" was just a small square area enclosed by a cloth curtain. One person stood inside to wash, while another scooped water from a bucket to pour in. But Huo Changfeng possessed both lightning and water-based superpowers. Aside from being a bit draining on his energy, bathing was incredibly convenient—he was practically a human sprinkler.

While Bai Tu bathed inside the curtain, Huo Changfeng stood just a step away, controlling the water to fall at a steady pace. After Bai Tu finished and it was his turn, cold water cascaded over his head. Mixed with the night breeze, it sent shivers through him. Huo Changfeng suddenly felt a pang of regret. He was used to washing like this himself and, as he ran warm, didn't feel the cold. He had forgotten that the water temperature from his own power was only around ten degrees Celsius—practically ice water in the autumn chill.

Bai Tu had just said he was afraid of the cold, yet during his bath, he hadn't uttered a single complaint. And Huo Changfeng himself hadn't remembered either. Recalling how Bai Tu looked when he came out, his cheeks had indeed been pale. But Bai Tu was naturally fair-skinned, so at the time, Huo Changfeng hadn't thought it strange. Now, thinking back, it was clearly from the cold.

Huo Changfeng hastily wet himself, quickly lathered with soap, increased the water flow to rinse off the suds, then dried off and put on his clothes before stepping out.

Bai Tu was sitting on a rock, lost in thought. His hair was half-dried, the ends still damp and dripping. The clothes they had changed out of were neatly folded into squares beside him, and on his lap lay Huo Changfeng's clean change of shirt.

The moment Huo Changfeng lifted the curtain, Bai Tu turned to look at him and stood up, holding the shirt. Huo Changfeng hurried over and touched the back of Bai Tu's hand. It was icy cold to the touch. Frowning, he immediately took the shirt Bai Tu offered and wrapped it around him.

Huo Changfeng himself only wore a black tank top on his upper body. Bai Tu didn't refuse him putting the shirt on him, just reached out and lightly touched Huo Changfeng's solid upper arm, saying, "It's cold at night. Let's head back quickly."