Chapter 319| Chapter 320| Chapter 321
Chapter 319: Bloodshot
As for the living conditions here, while they couldn’t compare to the major surface headquarters and supplies were relatively scarce, in this apocalyptic world, it was the only sanctuary many people had left.
“Then we’ll stay here a little longer,” Duan Xiaolin said. “We’ll wait until the new base is completely repaired before we head back.”
“Okay,” Pei Xiqing agreed.
The evening banquet lasted for more than five hours.
By the end of it, Pei Xiqing was genuinely exhausted, and Ma Mengxiang was practically dead on her feet. The younger girl kept dozing off beside her, nearly face-planting into the ground several times.
Pei Xiqing waved toward Shadow, who was standing guard a short distance away. “The party is basically over, let’s see everyone off. Especially Mengxiang—she worked incredibly hard today. Please take her back and make sure she rests.”
Shadow was stunned for a moment. He subconsciously glanced over at Duan Xiaolin. “Boss…”
The man gave a faint nod of approval.
Receiving his orders, Shadow immediately straightened up. “Right away, Miss Pei. I’ll take her back to rest.”
“Be careful on your way,” she called out.
“Understood.”
Pei Xiqing dusted off her clothes and stood up, extending a hand to the man beside her. “Come on, let’s head back too.”
Duan Xiaolin grasped her hand, letting her pull him up.
The surrounding crowd had also begun to disperse for the night.
Navigating through the narrow, dimly lit alleys, Pei Xiqing walked slowly beside him, unable to suppress a series of long yawns.
Noticing her lethargy, Duan Xiaolin remarked lightly, “You’re getting sleepy much faster than before.”
“Yeah… I feel like no matter how much I sleep, it’s never enough.” She yawned again after taking just a few steps.
While extreme fatigue was a normal symptom of early pregnancy, she found it strange that she hadn’t experienced any morning sickness. Instead, her appetite was growing day by day. She had eaten a massive amount of food at the banquet and downed three bowls of Mengxiang’s rich soup.
To be fair, Ma Mengxiang’s cooking was genuinely delicious, and almost everyone at the base had overeaten.
“I’ll make sure to finish my work earlier from now on so I can keep you company,” he promised.
“You said it yourself,” she teased. “Don’t be so busy all the time. It’s getting hard to even see you lately.”
She followed him with a bright smile. Her soft, dark hair was loosely pinned up, with a few stray strands framing her face. When she smiled, the corners of her eyes curved into little hooks that were effortlessly, bewitchingly alluring.
Without warning, Duan Xiaolin scooped her up into his arms, carrying her bridal style as he took long strides toward their duplex.
Pei Xiqing struggled weakly in his grasp. “Oh… put me down! I need to walk to digest all that food! I ate way too much… I feel like I’m going to throw up if you bounce me around…”
He didn’t let her go. Instead, he tightened his hold.
“There are plenty of other ways to help you digest later,” he murmured.
Sensing the dangerous shift in his tone, Pei Xiqing twisted her body again. His large hand clamped securely around her waist, giving it a firm, meaningful squeeze.
She panicked slightly. “We can’t do that right now… Did you forget what the doctor said?”
Duan Xiaolin paused for a fraction of a second, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “I know.”
“If you know, then why are you still…” She poked his cheek reproachfully. “No.”
He looked down at her, his expression perfectly calm. “There’s always another way.”
Pei Xiqing’s cheeks instantly burned hot.
“What goes through that head of yours every day?!”
Duan Xiaolin pulled her closer, lowering his head until his lips were mere inches from her smooth, snow-white cheek. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he whispered, “I miss you.”
Pei Xiqing stared into his eyes and saw the dark, heavy desire churning within their depths. He had been suppressing those urges for so long, carefully keeping them hidden so as not to overwhelm her.
She swallowed hard.
She had a feeling that even if they didn’t go all the way tonight, she definitely wasn’t going to get a peaceful night’s sleep.
Pei Xiqing was awakened by the bustling noise outside the next morning.
The moment she opened her eyes and tried to shift her body, she found her fingers firmly locked in a familiar, broad hand from behind. Their fingers were tightly intertwined, palm flush against palm.
Pei Xiqing couldn’t move an inch. Even lifting a single finger felt exhausting.
The man’s arm quickly wrapped around her waist, pulling her securely against him beneath the soft quilt. Her delicate, pale skin was buried under the heavy covers, but one tender, exhausted arm hung limply off the side of the mattress, entirely out of her control.
The noise outside never seemed to stop—and neither did the relentless activity inside the room.
Pei Xiqing’s head was buzzing. At first, she had been mildly curious about what was happening outside, but as the hours dragged on, she couldn’t muster the slightest bit of interest even if she tried.
While the base went about its noisy morning routine, she simply surrendered to exhaustion and went back to sleep.
She slept straight through until noon.
Since there was no natural sunlight in the underground bunker, the concept of time was somewhat blurred. Still, the residents maintained a strict routine, arriving at their posts by eight o’clock.
When Pei Xiqing finally dragged herself out of bed to wash up, she opened the small window above the sink. Looking out, she saw that the base was already in full swing. Seeing her standing there brushing her teeth, a few passing neighbors greeted her with friendly, knowing smiles.
“Good afternoon, Miss Pei! Finally up?”
“Morning, Miss Pei!”
“You must have gone to bed very late last night, huh, Miss Pei? My husband also sleeps in; he was up busy until four or five in the morning!”
Pei Xiqing felt a wave of intense embarrassment wash over her. She could only offer a stiff smile and a polite nod before quickly shutting the window.
To be completely honest, she could barely stand upright. Her legs felt like jelly.
As she leaned heavily against the sink to finish washing her face, she felt the man wrap his arms around her from behind.
Duan Xiaolin scooped her up effortlessly and set her down on the bathroom counter. Planting his hands on either side of her, he looked at her with deep concern. “We need to do a careful check.”
“Check what?”
“Your body.”
Pei Xiqing suddenly remembered that earlier, when he had carried her to the toilet, he had noticed a smear of blood on the tissue.
Her face flushed a deep crimson. “It’s all your fault,” she muttered in embarrassment. “You went way too far last night.”
It had been completely… she felt utterly ashamed just thinking about the things they had done.
A flicker of genuine regret crossed the man’s face. “My fault.”
Seeing him actually look guilty, Pei Xiqing softened. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Oh, it’s okay. I don’t actually feel uncomfortable or anything.”
She offered a reassuring smile. “Really, I’m fine.”
Even she hadn’t expected that—despite not actually taking the final step last night—her body would still be pushed completely past its limits.
However, Duan Xiaolin was still deeply worried about the blood. The moment he carried her out to the living room, he immediately reached for the communicator to contact Qiu Chao.
While he was dialing the doctor, Pei Xiqing lay down on the sofa. “It’s really not serious,” she insisted. “It just feels a little… off.”
Curious, she sat up and lifted the hem of her pajama skirt to inspect herself.
A moment later, she let out a long sigh, a mix of profound relief and sheer helplessness in her voice. “I know where the blood came from.”
Duan Xiaolin paused, his attention snapping toward her.
“My legs are bleeding!” she announced.
Duan Xiaolin’s hands froze on the communicator. The line had just connected, and Qiu Chao’s voice began to crackle through the speaker, asking what the emergency was, but Duan Xiaolin ignored him completely.
Pei Xiqing couldn’t help but glare at the man. The “bleeding” was actually just a series of friction burns and scrapes on her inner thighs—undoubtedly caused by his rough stubble and relentless grip during their intense activities last night.
Realizing the true source of the blood, Duan Xiaolin casually ended the call, cutting Qiu Chao off mid-sentence. He turned to her, a deeply unapologetic smile playing on his lips. “Sorry.”
Sorry, my foot! she thought indignantly. He definitely did that on purpose!
Chapter 320: Chatting Together
The longer Pei Xiqing stayed at the base, the deeper her connection with everyone there became.
The conditions were undeniably harsh and supplies were scarce, but everyone worked together, supporting one another to overcome the grueling daily challenges of the apocalypse.
Pei Xiqing leaned back in her recliner, letting out a long, unsteady yawn.
Ma Mengxiang walked in from outside, carrying a large, heavy bag of fresh vegetables.
“I brought you some food!” she announced brightly. “It’s all freshly picked. This should last you for another five or six days.”
“Thank you.” Pei Xiqing smiled. “Back in the village, you were the one bringing us firewood. Now we’re here, and you’re still the one bringing us food.”
“That just means we’re destined to be together! Can you believe it? Fate really is a mysterious thing!”
Ma Mengxiang carried the vegetables into the kitchen before pulling a chair over to sit next to the recliner. She stared down at Pei Xiqing’s stomach, asking curiously, “Why does it feel like your belly hasn’t changed at all?”
“How could it possibly be that fast?” Pei Xiqing laughed. “It’s barely been a month. I’ll have to wait a little longer before I start showing any real signs of pregnancy.”
“That’s true. Back in the village, pregnancies usually didn’t become obvious until at least the three-month mark.” Ma Mengxiang leaned back in her chair, a sudden hint of melancholy in her voice. “I wonder how my cousin is doing now… If she got pregnant two months before you, she should definitely be showing by now. I don’t know where she is, if she even has enough food to eat, or how the baby is holding up.”
Her cousin, Ma Mengjia, had certainly been incredibly annoying at times. But the child she was carrying was still Ma Mengxiang’s nephew or niece. If that bastard Lin let her suffer out in the wasteland, starving and struggling to survive, Ma Mengxiang swore she would curse him to the grave.
“I’m sure there will be news after a while,” Pei Xiqing reassured her. “We just need to wait patiently for the situation at the new headquarters to stabilize.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Pei Xiqing couldn’t help but let out another huge yawn.
She drifted off to sleep right there in the recliner. She didn’t even hear what Ma Mengxiang said next.
She only woke up when she felt someone gently pinching her cheek. The touch was slightly warm and incredibly familiar.
Pei Xiqing slowly opened her eyes. “Brother Duan…”
The man was standing beside her, holding a few pills and a glass of warm water. “Time to take your medicine.”
“When did you get back?” she mumbled groggily.
“Ma Mengxiang came by a while ago. I followed her inside.”
“I fell asleep so fast I didn’t even notice.” Pei Xiqing sat up, took the capsules, and swallowed them with the water.
These specific medications had been prescribed by Qiu Chao after he conducted a thorough medical checkup a few days ago. They acted as a powerful tonic, designed to protect the fragile, developing fetus while simultaneously boosting her own weakened immune system.
The main side effect, however, was intense drowsiness shortly after taking them. Qiu Chao had stressed that she needed to take this medication continuously for the next six months. Because of her unique physical condition—and the latent energy of the crystal cores—she had to be incredibly cautious with her health, paying attention to far more details than an ordinary pregnant woman.
He had also mentioned that once she reached the three-month mark and the pregnancy stabilized, they would finally relocate to the newly constructed headquarters.
After finishing the medicine, Pei Xiqing asked Duan Xiaolin for an update on the base’s situation.
“Everything down here is fine,” he replied.
However, the situation on the surface was likely a completely different story. The violent thunderstorm’s magnetic field had yet to dissipate. It hung over everyone’s heads like the Sword of Damocles, refusing to leave. Their current stable, peaceful life in the bunker could be shattered at any moment.
“What about the new headquarters? How are the reconstruction efforts going?”
“They’re about seventy percent finished.”
“That’s incredibly fast,” she noted, surprised. It had barely been a month since the old headquarters fell.
Pei Xiqing pondered for a moment. “I guess that means the new base will be fully operational soon.”
The new headquarters was being rebuilt exclusively by Franlun’s elite forces. As for the other faction—the arrogant elites who had abandoned the old headquarters early on—their progress should technically be even faster.
The catastrophic natural disasters ravaging the surface were unrelenting. Humanity now faced only two options: desperately try to rebuild the destroyed bases, or start from scratch and construct entirely new ones.
If the Jiaojiao syndicate hadn’t been eradicated, they undoubtedly would have tried to exploit the massive reconstruction efforts. Perhaps a unified front could have sped up the building process, allowing everyone to resist and overcome this apocalypse together.
But not everyone at the old headquarters had been a fool. Since the ruling elites had chosen to evacuate early, they must have taken the best supplies, weapons, and equipment with them. There was little need to worry about their ability to rebuild.
Honestly, Pei Xiqing was too lazy to worry about them anyway.
After resting for a while longer, she heard the sounds of the man starting to cook in the kitchen. She got up and walked over to help chop the vegetables.
Duan Xiaolin scooped up a spoonful of hot broth and carefully blew on it before offering it to her. “Is it too salty or too bland?”
Pei Xiqing savored the taste carefully. “It’s perfect. Not too salty, not too bland—just right. But I think it needs to simmer for another five or six hours for the chicken flavor to really deepen.”
“Understood.”
The kitchen space was cramped, barely large enough for two people to move around comfortably.
Unexpectedly, Ma Mengxiang—who had left earlier—suddenly rushed back in. She was panting heavily, looking thoroughly flustered.
Pei Xiqing looked up from her tasting. “What’s wrong?”
Ma Mengxiang pointed frantically toward the entrance. “That… that guy is coming!”
“Who?”
“That guy Sister Zhang Tian mentioned!”
Pei Xiqing blinked in confusion. “Who?”
“A tall guy with wavy hair!” Ma Mengxiang elaborated quickly. “He looks really fierce, and I have no idea who let him into the base. He’s grabbing everyone by the collar and demanding to know where you and Brother Duan are!”
Pei Xiqing and Duan Xiaolin exchanged a knowing glance. They had a pretty good idea of who had arrived.
“Go call him over,” Pei Xiqing instructed.
“But he’s with Brother Yingzi right now!” Ma Mengxiang protested, blushing furiously. “I don’t want to go over there! Can’t you ask Sister Zhang Tian to lead the way instead?”
Pei Xiqing immediately smelled something unusual. She studied the younger girl closely for a few seconds before asking, her tone deliberately casual, “Brother Yingzi is right there… and you don’t want to go over to him?”
Ma Mengxiang nodded vehemently. “Well, I… I just remembered I have something else to do! I’ll leave first and come back later!”
With that, she turned and sprinted away.
Pei Xiqing rubbed her chin thoughtfully. What’s going on with those two? Did something happen between them? I haven’t seen them together in a while.
Turning back to the stove, she asked, “Why is Ling Lang here?”
“He’s delivering the medicine,” Duan Xiaolin replied smoothly.
“Isn’t having a major general act as a delivery boy a bit of a waste of his talents?”
Ling Lang was a high-ranking, young, and promising military commander. He should be completely overwhelmed with reconstruction duties right now, yet he still found the time to personally deliver her medication.
Just as Pei Xiqing carried a tray of prepped ingredients out to the living room, Zhang Tian led a figure to their front door.
The door had been left ajar, but Ling Lang’s tall frame easily blocked out all the light from the hallway—especially since his arms were loaded with an absurd number of insulated bags and boxes.
Zhang Tian pushed the door fully open. “Alright, here you go. Xiqing and Brother Duan are cooking inside.”
Pei Xiqing smiled warmly. “Sister Tian, why don’t you stay and have dinner with us?”
Zhang Tian shook her head. “I can’t. I have too much to do. The night patrol is critical, and I need to go lead my team right now. I’ll come by when I have some time off. Sorry for bothering you!”
Ling Lang turned sideways, waiting for Zhang Tian to leave before hoisting the heavy bags in his hands. “Your express delivery has arrived.”
“Is shipping free?” she teased.
“Cash on delivery. You can’t take the goods without paying up.”
“Alright. Will dinner cover the courier fee?” Pei Xiqing bit into an orange slice and smiled. “I’ll treat you to hot pot. It’s perfect for this freezing weather.”
Ling Lang nodded seriously. “That’s acceptable.”
“Come on in, then. Close the door behind you.”
She turned up the heating in the small duplex and found a spare pair of cotton slippers for Ling Lang to wear.
As he stepped inside, Ling Lang glanced around, taking in the layout of the room. The place was barely the size of a palm—a cramped one-bedroom, one-living-room duplex with a tiny kitchen and bathroom. Yet, it was kept impeccably clean. The daily necessities were neatly arranged, and a small, hand-carved wooden cat sat on the shoe cabinet near the entrance, adding a touch of cozy warmth to the space.
The small dining table was already set with a steaming hot pot and various fresh ingredients. The rich, savory aroma of the mushroom soup base filled the air. The billowing steam made the cramped room feel incredibly warm and inviting.
Having rushed through the biting wind and apocalyptic snow to get here, Ling Lang felt a long-lost sense of domestic warmth wash over him. He let out a quiet sigh of relief.
After changing into the slippers, he set the insulated boxes on the coffee table and sat down. “Where’s my brother?”
“In the kitchen.” Pei Xiqing poured a fresh cup of tea and handed it to him. “Want to try some?”
Ling Lang took the cup and downed the hot tea in a single gulp. “Not bad.”
“So, why are you really here?”
“Why can’t I be here? I just came to see how you two were holding up, and to survey the surrounding terrain and the magnetic anomaly. That’s all part of my official mission.”
“Did you find anything interesting?”
Ling Lang hooked a finger, gesturing for her to lean in.
Pei Xiqing leaned a little closer.
“Honestly, this magnetic field is acting like a complete hooligan.”
“Oh? What do you mean?”
“The field itself isn’t the real problem. Anyone with lightning-based abilities can pass through it with minimal resistance.”
“Then why has the anomaly become so violent and powerful recently? It looks terrifying, and it’s already killed so many people.”
“Because of the water,” Ling Lang explained simply. “Without the massive influx of floodwater acting as a conductor, the anomaly is nothing. As soon as the apocalyptic snow and rain finally stop, most of these localized dangers will solve themselves.”
“That makes sense.” Pei Xiqing’s eyes flashed with understanding. “But this apocalyptic storm probably isn’t going to stop that easily.”
“We’re already working on a solution,” he assured her confidently. “It won’t be much longer before we force it to stop.”
“You sound very confident.”
“Of course I am.” The corners of Ling Lang’s lips curled up into a faint, arrogant smirk. “Natural disasters are exactly that—natural disasters. To put it bluntly, they are still bound by the physical laws of nature. As long as it isn’t some divine, supernatural ‘act of God,’ there will always be a scientific way to counter it.”
“…I certainly hope so.”
Pei Xiqing hesitated for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle. “Did you happen to run into Brother Yingzi on your way here?”
Ling Lang nodded. “Yeah. Why?”
“Why didn’t he come in with you?”
“I have no idea.” Ling Lang loosened the tactical wristband on his arm. “He was acting completely inexplicable. Honestly, almost everyone in this base acts inexplicable, but Shadow was acting especially weird. When he saw me at the entrance, he was super enthusiastic and insisted on showing me the way. But halfway here, he suddenly muttered that he had ‘urgent business’ to attend to and just bolted, leaving me completely lost in the maze of hallways. I had to wander around for ages before I found this place.”
“Really? That doesn’t sound like Brother Yingzi at all.”
“I don’t really care,” he waved a hand dismissively.
“What if I told you that Brother Yingzi is currently facing a major crisis? Would you still be so uninterested?”
Hearing that, Ling Lang sat up straighter, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Are you serious? Real or fake?”
“How long do you plan to stay here at the base?” she asked innocently.
“Are you trying to kick me out already?” he scoffed. “I can stay as long as I want. It’s none of your business.”
“Oh, please! I actively want you to stay so you can see exactly what kind of trouble Shadow has gotten himself into. What are you thinking?”
Ling Lang coughed lightly, covering his sudden interest. “Well… then I suppose I’ll stay for three or four days.”
“Perfect.” Pei Xiqing gave him a playful wink.
Spotting Duan Xiaolin busy in the kitchen, Ling Lang took off his heavy coat and prepared to go help. But before stepping into the kitchen, he paused and asked quietly, “Does my brother know about Shadow’s situation?”
“He knows a little, but not the full details,” Pei Xiqing replied softly.
“Then I’ll just sit back and watch the show,” Ling Lang smirked.
“Given Shadow’s emotional intelligence, it’ll probably take him a few hundred years to realize what’s actually going on,” Pei Xiqing sighed, leaning back in her chair. “We have to find a way to make him realize it on his own, to make him feel a sense of urgency.”
“And how do we do that?”
“Just wait and see. No rush. Let’s eat first.”
Ling Lang strode into the tiny kitchen. With two tall, broad-shouldered men standing side-by-side, the cramped space instantly felt entirely occupied.
The food was ready quickly. Ling Lang carried the heavy dishes out to the table, while Duan Xiaolin followed behind with the bowls and chopsticks.
“Take a seat,” Duan Xiaolin instructed mildly. “Let’s eat.”
“Yes, Brother,” Ling Lang nodded respectfully.
After dinner, Ling Lang and Duan Xiaolin sat in the living room, discussing official business for about ten minutes.
Eventually, Ling Lang pushed the large insulated boxes across the coffee table. “These containers hold all the specialized medications formulated by Qiu Chao. Some of them are advanced nutritional tonics that Ji Yao specifically prepared for Pei Xiqing. She said they’re highly beneficial for a woman’s health. The detailed dosage instructions are included inside the packets. If anything is unclear, I can walk you through it.”
“Thank you for making the trip,” Duan Xiaolin said, taking the heavy boxes. “How is the overall situation back there?”
“What can I say? It’s exactly the same as always,” Ling Lang replied nonchalantly. “The remaining elite factions are completely uncoordinated and constantly scheming against one another. Sooner or later, someone is going to cause major trouble.”
He sneered. “Their new base might not even get fully built. Those idiots aren’t focused on actual reconstruction; they’re entirely obsessed with figuring out how to climb higher and seize more power by stepping over everyone else’s corpses.”
“Keep a close eye on them,” Duan Xiaolin ordered coldly.
“Leave it to me.”
They chatted for a while longer before Duan Xiaolin checked his watch. “She needs to go to bed strictly on time now that she’s pregnant. I’m going to go check on her.”
Ling Lang nodded in understanding.
Just then, Pei Xiqing walked out of the bedroom. “Ling Lang, I asked one of the neighbors to quickly clean up the room next door for you…”
“Thank you,” Ling Lang said gratefully.
The moment the front door clicked shut behind him, cutting off Pei Xiqing’s voice, Ling Lang smiled to himself and headed for the adjacent room.
Inside the duplex, Pei Xiqing stared at the closed door in bewilderment. Duan Xiaolin had shut it right in the middle of her sentence.
“You were a bit too quick with that,” she scolded mildly. “I wasn’t finished! The old lady next door isn’t in good health, so she kindly lent her grandson’s empty room to Ling Lang. I was just about to tell him to be quiet when he goes over there so he doesn’t disturb her…”
Before she could even finish her sentence, Duan Xiaolin reached out and switched off the main lights.
Plunged into sudden darkness, Pei Xiqing instinctively reached out, gripping his sleeve tightly.
“Why did you turn the lights off so suddenly? I know it’s almost my bedtime, but it’s still a little early… and I haven’t even put the laundry out to dry yet.”
“I’ll take care of it later.”
“But…”
Sensing the subtle shift in his mood, she tugged gently on his shirt. “What’s wrong?”
In the pitch-black room, the man’s voice sounded exceptionally low and rough.
“What exactly were you and Ling Lang whispering about in the living room before dinner?”
Pei Xiqing paused in surprise before bursting into a fit of giggles. “We were just talking about the magnetic field! And Brother Yingzi’s love life!”
Duan Xiaolin gently pinched her chin, tilting her face up toward him. “You were smiling very happily.”
Her eyes curved into crescent moons, completely unable to stop laughing. “Are you jealous?”
“I just find it a little strange that the two of you always have so much to chat about.”
“Who said we do? In the past, I practically got into a shouting match with him every single time we met! Have you already forgotten?”
“I haven’t forgotten.”
“You are definitely jealous,” Pei Xiqing teased, snuggling securely into his embrace with a wicked, delighted smile.
Duan Xiaolin wrapped his arms around her tightly. One large palm rested on the back of her neck, gently stroking her skin with an unmistakable possessiveness.
“Yes,” he admitted softly. “I am.”
Chapter 320: Chatting Together
The longer Pei Xiqing stayed at the base, the deeper her connection with everyone there became.
The conditions were undeniably harsh and supplies were scarce, but everyone worked together, supporting one another to overcome the grueling daily challenges of the apocalypse.
Pei Xiqing leaned back in her recliner, letting out a long, unsteady yawn.
Ma Mengxiang walked in from outside, carrying a large, heavy bag of fresh vegetables.
“I brought you some food!” she announced brightly. “It’s all freshly picked. This should last you for another five or six days.”
“Thank you.” Pei Xiqing smiled. “Back in the village, you were the one bringing us firewood. Now we’re here, and you’re still the one bringing us food.”
“That just means we’re destined to be together! Can you believe it? Fate really is a mysterious thing!”
Ma Mengxiang carried the vegetables into the kitchen before pulling a chair over to sit next to the recliner. She stared down at Pei Xiqing’s stomach, asking curiously, “Why does it feel like your belly hasn’t changed at all?”
“How could it possibly be that fast?” Pei Xiqing laughed. “It’s barely been a month. I’ll have to wait a little longer before I start showing any real signs of pregnancy.”
“That’s true. Back in the village, pregnancies usually didn’t become obvious until at least the three-month mark.” Ma Mengxiang leaned back in her chair, a sudden hint of melancholy in her voice. “I wonder how my cousin is doing now… If she got pregnant two months before you, she should definitely be showing by now. I don’t know where she is, if she even has enough food to eat, or how the baby is holding up.”
Her cousin, Ma Mengjia, had certainly been incredibly annoying at times. But the child she was carrying was still Ma Mengxiang’s nephew or niece. If that bastard Lin let her suffer out in the wasteland, starving and struggling to survive, Ma Mengxiang swore she would curse him to the grave.
“I’m sure there will be news after a while,” Pei Xiqing reassured her. “We just need to wait patiently for the situation at the new headquarters to stabilize.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Pei Xiqing couldn’t help but let out another huge yawn.
She drifted off to sleep right there in the recliner. She didn’t even hear what Ma Mengxiang said next.
She only woke up when she felt someone gently pinching her cheek. The touch was slightly warm and incredibly familiar.
Pei Xiqing slowly opened her eyes. “Brother Duan…”
The man was standing beside her, holding a few pills and a glass of warm water. “Time to take your medicine.”
“When did you get back?” she mumbled groggily.
“Ma Mengxiang came by a while ago. I followed her inside.”
“I fell asleep so fast I didn’t even notice.” Pei Xiqing sat up, took the capsules, and swallowed them with the water.
These specific medications had been prescribed by Qiu Chao after he conducted a thorough medical checkup a few days ago. They acted as a powerful tonic, designed to protect the fragile, developing fetus while simultaneously boosting her own weakened immune system.
The main side effect, however, was intense drowsiness shortly after taking them. Qiu Chao had stressed that she needed to take this medication continuously for the next six months. Because of her unique physical condition—and the latent energy of the crystal cores—she had to be incredibly cautious with her health, paying attention to far more details than an ordinary pregnant woman.
He had also mentioned that once she reached the three-month mark and the pregnancy stabilized, they would finally relocate to the newly constructed headquarters.
After finishing the medicine, Pei Xiqing asked Duan Xiaolin for an update on the base’s situation.
“Everything down here is fine,” he replied.
However, the situation on the surface was likely a completely different story. The violent thunderstorm’s magnetic field had yet to dissipate. It hung over everyone’s heads like the Sword of Damocles, refusing to leave. Their current stable, peaceful life in the bunker could be shattered at any moment.
“What about the new headquarters? How are the reconstruction efforts going?”
“They’re about seventy percent finished.”
“That’s incredibly fast,” she noted, surprised. It had barely been a month since the old headquarters fell.
Pei Xiqing pondered for a moment. “I guess that means the new base will be fully operational soon.”
The new headquarters was being rebuilt exclusively by Franlun’s elite forces. As for the other faction—the arrogant elites who had abandoned the old headquarters early on—their progress should technically be even faster.
The catastrophic natural disasters ravaging the surface were unrelenting. Humanity now faced only two options: desperately try to rebuild the destroyed bases, or start from scratch and construct entirely new ones.
If the Jiaojiao syndicate hadn’t been eradicated, they undoubtedly would have tried to exploit the massive reconstruction efforts. Perhaps a unified front could have sped up the building process, allowing everyone to resist and overcome this apocalypse together.
But not everyone at the old headquarters had been a fool. Since the ruling elites had chosen to evacuate early, they must have taken the best supplies, weapons, and equipment with them. There was little need to worry about their ability to rebuild.
Honestly, Pei Xiqing was too lazy to worry about them anyway.
After resting for a while longer, she heard the sounds of the man starting to cook in the kitchen. She got up and walked over to help chop the vegetables.
Duan Xiaolin scooped up a spoonful of hot broth and carefully blew on it before offering it to her. “Is it too salty or too bland?”
Pei Xiqing savored the taste carefully. “It’s perfect. Not too salty, not too bland—just right. But I think it needs to simmer for another five or six hours for the chicken flavor to really deepen.”
“Understood.”
The kitchen space was cramped, barely large enough for two people to move around comfortably.
Unexpectedly, Ma Mengxiang—who had left earlier—suddenly rushed back in. She was panting heavily, looking thoroughly flustered.
Pei Xiqing looked up from her tasting. “What’s wrong?”
Ma Mengxiang pointed frantically toward the entrance. “That… that guy is coming!”
“Who?”
“That guy Sister Zhang Tian mentioned!”
Pei Xiqing blinked in confusion. “Who?”
“A tall guy with wavy hair!” Ma Mengxiang elaborated quickly. “He looks really fierce, and I have no idea who let him into the base. He’s grabbing everyone by the collar and demanding to know where you and Brother Duan are!”
Pei Xiqing and Duan Xiaolin exchanged a knowing glance. They had a pretty good idea of who had arrived.
“Go call him over,” Pei Xiqing instructed.
“But he’s with Brother Yingzi right now!” Ma Mengxiang protested, blushing furiously. “I don’t want to go over there! Can’t you ask Sister Zhang Tian to lead the way instead?”
Pei Xiqing immediately smelled something unusual. She studied the younger girl closely for a few seconds before asking, her tone deliberately casual, “Brother Yingzi is right there… and you don’t want to go over to him?”
Ma Mengxiang nodded vehemently. “Well, I… I just remembered I have something else to do! I’ll leave first and come back later!”
With that, she turned and sprinted away.
Pei Xiqing rubbed her chin thoughtfully. What’s going on with those two? Did something happen between them? I haven’t seen them together in a while.
Turning back to the stove, she asked, “Why is Ling Lang here?”
“He’s delivering the medicine,” Duan Xiaolin replied smoothly.
“Isn’t having a major general act as a delivery boy a bit of a waste of his talents?”
Ling Lang was a high-ranking, young, and promising military commander. He should be completely overwhelmed with reconstruction duties right now, yet he still found the time to personally deliver her medication.
Just as Pei Xiqing carried a tray of prepped ingredients out to the living room, Zhang Tian led a figure to their front door.
The door had been left ajar, but Ling Lang’s tall frame easily blocked out all the light from the hallway—especially since his arms were loaded with an absurd number of insulated bags and boxes.
Zhang Tian pushed the door fully open. “Alright, here you go. Xiqing and Brother Duan are cooking inside.”
Pei Xiqing smiled warmly. “Sister Tian, why don’t you stay and have dinner with us?”
Zhang Tian shook her head. “I can’t. I have too much to do. The night patrol is critical, and I need to go lead my team right now. I’ll come by when I have some time off. Sorry for bothering you!”
Ling Lang turned sideways, waiting for Zhang Tian to leave before hoisting the heavy bags in his hands. “Your express delivery has arrived.”
“Is shipping free?” she teased.
“Cash on delivery. You can’t take the goods without paying up.”
“Alright. Will dinner cover the courier fee?” Pei Xiqing bit into an orange slice and smiled. “I’ll treat you to hot pot. It’s perfect for this freezing weather.”
Ling Lang nodded seriously. “That’s acceptable.”
“Come on in, then. Close the door behind you.”
She turned up the heating in the small duplex and found a spare pair of cotton slippers for Ling Lang to wear.
As he stepped inside, Ling Lang glanced around, taking in the layout of the room. The place was barely the size of a palm—a cramped one-bedroom, one-living-room duplex with a tiny kitchen and bathroom. Yet, it was kept impeccably clean. The daily necessities were neatly arranged, and a small, hand-carved wooden cat sat on the shoe cabinet near the entrance, adding a touch of cozy warmth to the space.
The small dining table was already set with a steaming hot pot and various fresh ingredients. The rich, savory aroma of the mushroom soup base filled the air. The billowing steam made the cramped room feel incredibly warm and inviting.
Having rushed through the biting wind and apocalyptic snow to get here, Ling Lang felt a long-lost sense of domestic warmth wash over him. He let out a quiet sigh of relief.
After changing into the slippers, he set the insulated boxes on the coffee table and sat down. “Where’s my brother?”
“In the kitchen.” Pei Xiqing poured a fresh cup of tea and handed it to him. “Want to try some?”
Ling Lang took the cup and downed the hot tea in a single gulp. “Not bad.”
“So, why are you really here?”
“Why can’t I be here? I just came to see how you two were holding up, and to survey the surrounding terrain and the magnetic anomaly. That’s all part of my official mission.”
“Did you find anything interesting?”
Ling Lang hooked a finger, gesturing for her to lean in.
Pei Xiqing leaned a little closer.
“Honestly, this magnetic field is acting like a complete hooligan.”
“Oh? What do you mean?”
“The field itself isn’t the real problem. Anyone with lightning-based abilities can pass through it with minimal resistance.”
“Then why has the anomaly become so violent and powerful recently? It looks terrifying, and it’s already killed so many people.”
“Because of the water,” Ling Lang explained simply. “Without the massive influx of floodwater acting as a conductor, the anomaly is nothing. As soon as the apocalyptic snow and rain finally stop, most of these localized dangers will solve themselves.”
“That makes sense.” Pei Xiqing’s eyes flashed with understanding. “But this apocalyptic storm probably isn’t going to stop that easily.”
“We’re already working on a solution,” he assured her confidently. “It won’t be much longer before we force it to stop.”
“You sound very confident.”
“Of course I am.” The corners of Ling Lang’s lips curled up into a faint, arrogant smirk. “Natural disasters are exactly that—natural disasters. To put it bluntly, they are still bound by the physical laws of nature. As long as it isn’t some divine, supernatural ‘act of God,’ there will always be a scientific way to counter it.”
“…I certainly hope so.”
Pei Xiqing hesitated for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle. “Did you happen to run into Brother Yingzi on your way here?”
Ling Lang nodded. “Yeah. Why?”
“Why didn’t he come in with you?”
“I have no idea.” Ling Lang loosened the tactical wristband on his arm. “He was acting completely inexplicable. Honestly, almost everyone in this base acts inexplicable, but Shadow was acting especially weird. When he saw me at the entrance, he was super enthusiastic and insisted on showing me the way. But halfway here, he suddenly muttered that he had ‘urgent business’ to attend to and just bolted, leaving me completely lost in the maze of hallways. I had to wander around for ages before I found this place.”
“Really? That doesn’t sound like Brother Yingzi at all.”
“I don’t really care,” he waved a hand dismissively.
“What if I told you that Brother Yingzi is currently facing a major crisis? Would you still be so uninterested?”
Hearing that, Ling Lang sat up straighter, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Are you serious? Real or fake?”
“How long do you plan to stay here at the base?” she asked innocently.
“Are you trying to kick me out already?” he scoffed. “I can stay as long as I want. It’s none of your business.”
“Oh, please! I actively want you to stay so you can see exactly what kind of trouble Shadow has gotten himself into. What are you thinking?”
Ling Lang coughed lightly, covering his sudden interest. “Well… then I suppose I’ll stay for three or four days.”
“Perfect.” Pei Xiqing gave him a playful wink.
Spotting Duan Xiaolin busy in the kitchen, Ling Lang took off his heavy coat and prepared to go help. But before stepping into the kitchen, he paused and asked quietly, “Does my brother know about Shadow’s situation?”
“He knows a little, but not the full details,” Pei Xiqing replied softly.
“Then I’ll just sit back and watch the show,” Ling Lang smirked.
“Given Shadow’s emotional intelligence, it’ll probably take him a few hundred years to realize what’s actually going on,” Pei Xiqing sighed, leaning back in her chair. “We have to find a way to make him realize it on his own, to make him feel a sense of urgency.”
“And how do we do that?”
“Just wait and see. No rush. Let’s eat first.”
Ling Lang strode into the tiny kitchen. With two tall, broad-shouldered men standing side-by-side, the cramped space instantly felt entirely occupied.
The food was ready quickly. Ling Lang carried the heavy dishes out to the table, while Duan Xiaolin followed behind with the bowls and chopsticks.
“Take a seat,” Duan Xiaolin instructed mildly. “Let’s eat.”
“Yes, Brother,” Ling Lang nodded respectfully.
After dinner, Ling Lang and Duan Xiaolin sat in the living room, discussing official business for about ten minutes.
Eventually, Ling Lang pushed the large insulated boxes across the coffee table. “These containers hold all the specialized medications formulated by Qiu Chao. Some of them are advanced nutritional tonics that Ji Yao specifically prepared for Pei Xiqing. She said they’re highly beneficial for a woman’s health. The detailed dosage instructions are included inside the packets. If anything is unclear, I can walk you through it.”
“Thank you for making the trip,” Duan Xiaolin said, taking the heavy boxes. “How is the overall situation back there?”
“What can I say? It’s exactly the same as always,” Ling Lang replied nonchalantly. “The remaining elite factions are completely uncoordinated and constantly scheming against one another. Sooner or later, someone is going to cause major trouble.”
He sneered. “Their new base might not even get fully built. Those idiots aren’t focused on actual reconstruction; they’re entirely obsessed with figuring out how to climb higher and seize more power by stepping over everyone else’s corpses.”
“Keep a close eye on them,” Duan Xiaolin ordered coldly.
“Leave it to me.”
They chatted for a while longer before Duan Xiaolin checked his watch. “She needs to go to bed strictly on time now that she’s pregnant. I’m going to go check on her.”
Ling Lang nodded in understanding.
Just then, Pei Xiqing walked out of the bedroom. “Ling Lang, I asked one of the neighbors to quickly clean up the room next door for you…”
“Thank you,” Ling Lang said gratefully.
The moment the front door clicked shut behind him, cutting off Pei Xiqing’s voice, Ling Lang smiled to himself and headed for the adjacent room.
Inside the duplex, Pei Xiqing stared at the closed door in bewilderment. Duan Xiaolin had shut it right in the middle of her sentence.
“You were a bit too quick with that,” she scolded mildly. “I wasn’t finished! The old lady next door isn’t in good health, so she kindly lent her grandson’s empty room to Ling Lang. I was just about to tell him to be quiet when he goes over there so he doesn’t disturb her…”
Before she could even finish her sentence, Duan Xiaolin reached out and switched off the main lights.
Plunged into sudden darkness, Pei Xiqing instinctively reached out, gripping his sleeve tightly.
“Why did you turn the lights off so suddenly? I know it’s almost my bedtime, but it’s still a little early… and I haven’t even put the laundry out to dry yet.”
“I’ll take care of it later.”
“But…”
Sensing the subtle shift in his mood, she tugged gently on his shirt. “What’s wrong?”
In the pitch-black room, the man’s voice sounded exceptionally low and rough.
“What exactly were you and Ling Lang whispering about in the living room before dinner?”
Pei Xiqing paused in surprise before bursting into a fit of giggles. “We were just talking about the magnetic field! And Brother Yingzi’s love life!”
Duan Xiaolin gently pinched her chin, tilting her face up toward him. “You were smiling very happily.”
Her eyes curved into crescent moons, completely unable to stop laughing. “Are you jealous?”
“I just find it a little strange that the two of you always have so much to chat about.”
“Who said we do? In the past, I practically got into a shouting match with him every single time we met! Have you already forgotten?”
“I haven’t forgotten.”
“You are definitely jealous,” Pei Xiqing teased, snuggling securely into his embrace with a wicked, delighted smile.
Duan Xiaolin wrapped his arms around her tightly. One large palm rested on the back of her neck, gently stroking her skin with an unmistakable possessiveness.
“Yes,” he admitted softly. “I am.”
Chapter 321: What a Mess
Two days later, Ling Lang leaned against the wall outside the duplex, his arms folded lazily across his chest in a casual stance.
He stared through the doorway at Ma Mengxiang, who was bustling around in the kitchen, for a long time. Finally, he couldn’t help but turn to Pei Xiqing, who was sitting nearby drinking her daily tonic. “Is this what you asked me to stay and watch? I’ve been waiting for two days. When is the main event going to start?”
“It’s almost time,” Pei Xiqing replied softly. She carefully injected herself with her prescribed medication and swallowed a few capsules. “I promise, I won’t let you down.”
“I’ve waited two whole days and haven’t seen a single thing,” Ling Lang shrugged. “I’m supposed to go back and report some juicy gossip to Qiu Chao and the rest of the guys at Franlun. You aren’t going to send me back empty-handed, are you?”
“No, no, don’t worry.”
Ling Lang sat down, his eyes narrowing slightly as he continued to watch the girl in the kitchen. “Why do I feel like this plan might be a little risky?”
If there really was something going on between Shadow and this village girl, he certainly hadn’t seen it. He had been hanging around the base for two days and hadn’t heard a single rumor, let alone caught them sneaking around to see each other. In fact, from what he had observed, they were actively keeping their distance, acting more like complete strangers.
“I didn’t think it was that serious at first either,” Pei Xiqing admitted. “But after observing them for the past few days, I think the situation really calls for it. Besides, aren’t you here to help?”
“What the hell? Me? When did you trick me into being a part of this?”
“What do you mean ‘trick’? Couldn’t you use slightly more elegant phrasing? This is just a friendly intervention. Besides, I think those two are lucky to have us. We both enjoy helping others, don’t we?”
Ling Lang snorted dismissively. But a few seconds later, his curiosity got the better of him. “…Tell me what you did.”
Inside, Ma Mengxiang was still cooking frantically, sweating profusely from the roaring fire in the kitchen stove. She spun back and forth between the counter and the pot, her hands never stopping for a moment.
After a while, Pei Xiqing walked in to offer some help.
Ma Mengxiang immediately waved her off. “Oh, you don’t need to help me! I’m the only one who knows the exact recipe for this dish. If you step in, it might mess up the flavor. Just wait outside for me! I promise I’ll make it so delicious you’ll be begging for seconds.”
Pei Xiqing was practically shoved out of the kitchen.
“Do you really not need any help?” she asked, sounding somewhat helpless.
“Really!” Ma Mengxiang nodded firmly. “If you come in, I’ll just get more flustered. Just wait outside obediently. It’ll be ready soon…”
Left with no choice, Pei Xiqing sat back down on the sofa and casually flipped through a pile of requisition files.
Returning to the stove, Ma Mengxiang muttered to herself, “The big radish… where’s the big purple radish I just brought back? Oh, right, the green melon needs to go into the pot now too. Most importantly, I can’t forget the onion, ginger, and garlic…”
She frantically searched the cluttered kitchen counter.
Suddenly, someone silently handed her a small bag containing the exact ingredients she needed.
She took it absentmindedly. The other person moved with incredible speed, efficiently prepping the rest of the ingredients she would need next. Whatever she required, it was placed perfectly into her hand within three seconds.
With the seamless assistance, Ma Mengxiang’s movements gradually became more skillful, and her cooking speed increased dramatically.
It wasn’t until the person next to her silently handed her a freshly sharpened kitchen knife that she finally spoke.
“Sister Xiqing, I already told you not to come in and help! You should just be resting outside. Why are you handling something so dangerous? What if Brother Duan finds out…”
She stopped mid-sentence.
Turning her head, she froze.
The person standing in the cramped kitchen, efficiently prepping her vegetables, wasn’t Pei Xiqing at all. It was Shadow, dressed in his usual dark tactical gear and wearing his signature mask.
Shadow turned his head toward her, his movements somewhat stiff.
The two stared at each other in stunned silence.
“Why are you here?” Ma Mengxiang finally blurted out.
Glancing down, she noticed that Shadow even had a fully stocked first-aid kit slung over his shoulder.
Shadow cleared his throat. “Someone told me that you had almost blown up the kitchen. I thought you were hurt, so I rushed over.”
Ma Mengxiang frowned, her face scrunching up in sheer disbelief. “What the hell?”
How did that make any sense?!
She peeked out of the kitchen in confusion. The living room was completely empty. Not a single soul was there.
“Xiqing? Where are you? It’s almost time for dinner…” she muttered, bewildered. “Where could she have gone at this hour? Brother Duan will be back soon.”
Shadow went back to methodically chopping the vegetables. “She must have gone out. Perhaps she went to find Brother Duan.”
“Then I’ll go look for her.”
Ma Mengxiang untied her apron and prepared to step out.
“It was Ling Lang,” Shadow said quietly from behind her. “He’s the one who came and told me.”
“And you actually believed him? You’re probably the only person gullible enough to believe this kitchen could explode.”
“…” Shadow lowered his head, focusing intently on the cutting board. Just as she reached the door and was about to leave, he spoke again, his voice tight. “I was worried about you. Because it was about you, I… someone once told me that excessive worry can lead to confusion.”
Ma Mengxiang paused in the doorway.
Her body trembled slightly.
“I’m sorry, Mengxiang,” he said.
Ma Mengxiang kept her back to him, not daring to turn around. She could only hear the rhythmic sound of his knife hitting the cutting board behind her. “Why are you suddenly apologizing? It’s weird for you to say that. You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for.”
She lowered her head, subconsciously rubbing her rough, calloused palms together.
During her time in the village, she had spent every single day either farming the harsh soil or chopping heavy firewood. Growing up in the countryside, she was used to enduring hardship, and she had never really minded it. However… once she had experienced what it was like to have someone constantly by her side—someone who stepped in to help when she had no strength left, someone who silently carried the weight of everyone’s hopes when she was on the verge of giving up—she found she could no longer return to her previous, heartlessly independent life.
She had never had many friends growing up. All the boys in the village only ever had eyes for Ma Mengjia, her pretty cousin. But Ma Mengjia was lazy; she never wanted to work in the fields, leaving Ma Mengxiang to shoulder all the grueling labor alone.
As a result, she had more calluses on her hands than most men, her skin was weather-beaten, and her blunt personality made her generally unpleasant to be around. She had lived under Ma Mengjia’s sarcastic shadow for years and had eventually grown accustomed to it.
But then… Brother Yingzi had appeared.
She didn’t even know the man’s real name, but she couldn’t help wanting to stay by his side for as long as possible. Just being near him made her incredibly happy.
After leaving the village, however, reality had set in. She realized that the gap between her and Brother Yingzi was a massive, unbridgeable chasm. She didn’t even dare to dream about crossing it. He was an elite operative from the central headquarters, likely holding a highly important military position. She was just a rough woodcutter from a remote village who had never seen the world.
So, after arriving at the base, she had understood perfectly well why Brother Yingzi was keeping his distance. Not wanting to cause trouble for anyone, she had forced herself to stay away, avoiding him and refusing to seek him out.
She had assumed that this was just how things would be from now on. Who would have thought that he would suddenly show up and say things… things that made her waver so violently?
“Mengxiang,” Shadow said softly. “I’ve already spoken to Brother Duan.”
Ma Mengxiang spun around. “What? What did you speak to Brother Duan about?!”
Just as Shadow opened his mouth to answer, an unusual scuffling noise echoed from the hallway outside.
Realizing what it was, Shadow let out a long sigh. Even beneath his mask, his face clearly twitched in exasperation.
When Ma Mengxiang turned back to the door, Shadow had already vanished from the room, escaping out the back.
She marched over and yanked the front door wide open. Sure enough, Pei Xiqing and Ling Lang were standing right there, trying to sneak away.
“XIQING!!!” she roared with all her might.
Pei Xiqing pretended not to hear her, turning her head silently to glare at Ling Lang. “I explicitly asked you to tell Brother Yingzi to come over for dinner, and to merely mention that our kitchen sink was leaking. What exactly did you say to him?!”
Ling Lang maintained a look of perfect calm. “I did exactly as you asked.”
“Then why did I just hear Brother Yingzi say that my kitchen had exploded?!”
Ling Lang burst out laughing, his unrestrained amusement echoing down the hall.
“What do you think?” he smirked.
Pei Xiqing groaned, utterly speechless. “You are way too reckless! You almost drove me crazy. If Shadow had seriously believed my house exploded, he would have torn this base apart trying to get back here.”
“How are we supposed to achieve the desired effect without applying strong medicine?” Ling Lang argued, strolling down the corridor. “Besides, didn’t it work out perfectly? Oh, make sure to tell Hui Xian and Qiu Chao about this later. I guarantee you those two love gossip more than anyone else in Franlun.”
“So, did you finally see what you wanted to see?”
Ling Lang paused for a moment before answering. “…I suppose so.”
He looked out over the complicated, intricate maze of alleys that made up the underground base, his gaze turning slightly distant.
Pei Xiqing had only taken a few steps before she spotted Duan Xiaolin.
The man was standing at an intersection, deep in conversation with several of the base’s leaders.
As they approached, the head person-in-charge noticed Ling Lang and quickly rushed forward to shake his hand. “Ah, so you must be the Major General! I have heard so much about you!”
Ling Lang shook his hand politely. “By the way, I have some additional information regarding the base’s structural reinforcements that you might be interested in. It concerns the installation of that protective wall.”
“Interested! We are very interested!”
“Shall we find a quiet place to discuss it?”
“Right this way, please! Follow me.”
Ling Lang followed the eager administrators away, leaving Pei Xiqing alone with Duan Xiaolin.
Duan Xiaolin looked at her. “Why aren’t you heading back? Didn’t you say Ma Mengxiang prepared a massive feast and that you couldn’t wait to eat?”
Pei Xiqing rubbed her nose guiltily. “Forget about it. We should probably wait a bit.”
“Did you know that Shadow suddenly abandoned his post earlier?” Duan Xiaolin asked smoothly.
Pei Xiqing coughed awkwardly. “I might have known.”
“He actually came to see me to confess his dereliction of duty.”
“And what did you say to him?”
“I ordered him to reflect on his actions and admit his mistakes.”
“Ah?” Pei Xiqing sighed softly. “As expected of a Franlun operative.”
Even when it came to matters of the heart, the operatives’ first instinct was to adhere to strict military discipline and self-punishment.
“And then what?” she asked, narrowing her eyes. She highly doubted Duan Xiaolin would genuinely punish him for this.
“Nothing happened.”
Pei Xiqing raised an eyebrow, a slight smile forming on her lips. “Then I think both of them have more or less figured things out. I shouldn’t need to worry about their relationship anymore.”
Duan Xiaolin gently patted her head. “Indeed. That’s enough meddling for one day.”
“Alright, then let’s go eat.”
“Let’s go.”
By the time they returned to the duplex, the food was already set out on the table, steaming hot.
Ma Mengxiang was nowhere to be seen.
However, there was a small note left on the table.
—Xiqing, thank you.
Looking at the slightly messy, distorted handwriting, Pei Xiqing couldn’t help but smile.
She really couldn’t help but worry about them. Ma Mengxiang was nothing like her cousin, Ma Mengjia. They handled things completely differently. But after today’s intervention, she was confident that Mengxiang and Shadow had finally established a mutual understanding of their relationship. They wouldn’t spend the rest of their lives confused and full of regrets.
After finishing her meal, Pei Xiqing prepared to take her scheduled tonic.
While carefully administering the injection, she glanced at her back in the bathroom mirror.
The colors of the mysterious totem on her skin were slightly faded. Because of this, whenever her emotions fluctuated heavily, she would easily experience the legendary “red fever” associated with the virus.
But as she looked closer, her blood ran cold. She noticed that a cluster of dark, mottled spots had appeared right next to the totem on her back.
Corpse spots?
Pei Xiqing froze in shock. It had been nearly three months since she had last seen these horrifying marks—not since the virus had nearly killed her.
What’s going on…?
She twisted around to confirm it again.
There was no mistake. They were definitely corpse spots. The exact same symptoms she had exhibited during her initial infection.
Pei Xiqing immediately called for Duan Xiaolin.
Entering the bathroom and seeing the lividity marks blooming on her pale back, Duan Xiaolin remained silent for several seconds. Without a word, he calmly picked up her shirt and helped her pull it back on.
“What caused this?” Pei Xiqing asked, her voice trembling slightly.
“The crystal cores.”
Pei Xiqing fell silent, staring at his reflection in the mirror.
This meant that her body was rapidly depleting the latent energy of the cores implanted within her. Without the stabilizing energy of fresh high-grade crystal cores, the mutant virus would begin to spread uncontrollably once again.
She had no idea how long it would be before the ravenous, uncontrolled urge for raw flesh consumed her mind.
Without the cores, the corpse spots would rapidly multiply, and the mysterious “Substance X” suppressing the virus wouldn’t last long at all. Only the specialized energy from the crystal cores could stabilize Substance X, which was currently keeping her alive.
The man’s expression remained perfectly calm, seemingly undisturbed. However, the profound, icy darkness hidden deep within his eyes betrayed the sheer terror gripping his heart.
“What about the crystal cores harvested from those newly mutated parasites outside…?” she asked hesitantly.
“Qiu Chao hasn’t reached a definitive conclusion on their compatibility yet,” he replied tightly. “We’ll have to wait at least another month for the lab results.”
“Then…”
“I can’t wait that long.”
Pei Xiqing stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed.
“Hey, I’ll go with you,” she offered. “I firmly believe the crystal cores harvested from those mutated parasites will be useful. There’s always a way out of this.” She forced a reassuring smile. “This level of corpse spotting isn’t a problem for me yet.”
At most, she would just endure the agonizing bone-deep pain for a while, exactly as she had before.
She looked up at Duan Xiaolin. He didn’t nod, nor did he explicitly refuse. She simply leaned against his chest. “Even without fresh crystal cores, I can still survive this. Don’t look so serious all of a sudden.”
Duan Xiaolin took her hand, bringing her knuckles to his lips. “Why shouldn’t I be serious?”
“Because your stern face makes you look unhappy,” she teased gently. “Smile… Really, don’t worry about me. I’m very strong.”
Truthfully, she was just as worried about him. He couldn’t even use his supernatural powers without suffering massive physical backlash.
“I’m not primarily worried about sourcing the crystal cores,” he admitted softly. “Qiu Chao still has a small emergency reserve. What I’m terrified of is whether your body can bear the immense physical burden of the virus spreading while simultaneously trying to sustain a pregnancy.”
He hesitated. “If we have to choose…”
Pei Xiqing interrupted him immediately. “Wait! Stop! You aren’t suggesting I abort the baby, are you? I can handle this. I’m not weak. I’m just a little drained from the virus acting up. Now that this baby is here, I have to respect this little life.”
Duan Xiaolin let out a bitter, helpless laugh. “Forcibly aborting the child now would also cause massive trauma to your body, so what would be the point? I would never stoop so low as to kill our own child with my bare hands.”
Privately, Pei Xiqing thought he was absolutely ruthless enough to do exactly that if it meant saving her life.
“So, what were you going to say?” she prompted.
“I was going to say… just go to sleep first.” Duan Xiaolin gently combed his fingers through her hair before scooping her up into his arms. “We still have time, and there will always be a way to deal with this. And if your life force truly isn’t strong enough to sustain both of you… then I will simply lend you mine.”
Pei Xiqing gasped, quickly covering his mouth with her hand. “Pah! Pah! Pah! Don’t say such unlucky things! Your life is a life too! Everyone only gets one!”
He smiled against her palm. “I can only survive in this world if you are alive in it.”
“Don’t worry,” she whispered fiercely. “We are both going to live a very long life. When these natural disasters finally end and the apocalypse is over, we’re going to travel everywhere and see all the beautiful places we haven’t been to yet.”
“It’s a promise.”
![[Audio] She’s a Passerby, But Can See the Protagonist’s Halo](https://i0.wp.com/redpanda-translations.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/20240624205729_300_420.jpg?resize=151,215 "[Audio] She’s a Passerby, But Can See the Protagonist’s Halo")
