As soon as these words fell, the inside of the vehicle instantly fell dead silent.
Of course, it had been quiet to begin with, but it was as if a bit more deathly tension had suddenly been added.
Zhong Ziang was completely unaware, staring straight at Jiang Fuyue, little red hearts practically popping out of his eyes.
“Sure.” Jiang Fuyue curled her lips, took the bottled water he handed over, “Thanks.”
“What’s with thanks between the two of us? Saying that’s too formal.” The boy shyly scratched his head.
Yici happened to catch sight of the person in the front passenger seat and felt as though the other man’s entire body was radiating cold air, the surroundings seeming about to freeze over.
He subconsciously shrank his neck and shifted aside.
Mm, can’t afford to offend, then better stay far away.
Jiang Fuyue really was a bit thirsty and drank nearly half the bottle in one go.
There was a bit of water clinging to the corner of her mouth. Zhong Ziang had already prepared for this and eagerly handed her a tissue. “Wipe it.”
Yici noticed that the person beside him seemed even colder.
Even the mask couldn’t suppress the sharp chill on his face. His gaze was like frost, freezing people to the bone.
He felt that at this moment it was necessary for him to say something, so the atmosphere wouldn’t be so stiff: “Ahem! Zhong Ziang, why do you only know how to care about girls? I’m driving so hard here, how come I didn’t see you hand me a bottle of water? Playing favorites?”
Zhong Ziang’s mouth twitched. “Now you’re ordering me around? There’s water on the car door. If you want to drink, get it yourself.”
Yici lowered his head to check. Well d*mn, there really was.
“Then, you should at least ask me, right?”
“Don’t nitpick. You need someone to ask just to drink water? Why don’t you just ask me next time you take a dump too?”
Yici: “……” D*mn it!
“Then what about you asking Jiang Fuyue?” Don’t be so double-standard!
Zhong Ziang replied righteously: “Can you compare to Yueyue? You’re a grown man and your mind is actually this small, and you can even say something like that, aren’t you ashamed? Besides, I’m happy to ask her, but not happy to ask you. So what? Not allowed to play favorites? I’ll ask whoever I want, hmph!”
Yici: “!” Completely roasted to the point of doubting his life.
“Just drive your car! Why so much nonsense? Right, Yueyue?” Zhong Ziang curved his brows and eyes, seamlessly switching from firecracker to bootlicker.
Yici: “……” Save me!
Zhong Ziang: “Yueyue, I also brought dry rations. Want to eat a bit? Not steamed buns, biscuits, strawberry filling, hehe… as sweet as you.”
Jiang Fuyue hurriedly waved her hand and, without meaning to, sneaked a glance into the rearview mirror. Unfortunately, the angle was wrong and she didn’t see Xie Dingyuan. “No need, I already ate breakfast.”
“Oh, then when you’re hungry, come find me to get some.”
“…Okay.”
“Remember to definitely come find me~”
Jiang Fuyue: “……”
Yici couldn’t take it anymore and let out a long sigh: “My fate is up to me, not the heavens!”
Zhong Ziang: “?” Why did he suddenly start sharing life mottos? Why does it feel like I’m being subtly mocked?
At this moment, the off-road vehicle passed over a sand dune. Perhaps Yici didn’t control the direction very well, the vehicle jolted up and down. Even with seat belts fastened, people inevitably swayed crookedly.
With that sway, Jiang Fuyue leaned straight onto Zhong Ziang’s shoulder. Although she quickly sat back up, that instant scene was still caught by the man in the front passenger seat through the rearview mirror.
The girl leaning in, the boy lowering his head, the two looking just like an inseparably intimate young couple.
“Everyone shut up and stop affecting the driving!” The man blurted out, his tone cold and hard, carrying a murderous aura.
Yici: “……” Actually, he really wanted to say that he hadn’t been affected.
But the next second, meeting the gaze thrown from the front passenger seat, he wisely clamped his mouth shut.
Too terrifying.
If he really said something, he probably wouldn’t ever need to open his mouth again.
Zhong Ziang, however, completely lacked Yici’s level of sensitivity. All he knew was, this guy told him to shut up?! He actually told him to shut up?! And in front of Jiang Fuyue! D*mn it!
How did he affect the driving?
This guy must be seriously ill in the head, right?
The strange, taut atmosphere inside the vehicle continued the whole way, until two hours later, when the car stopped outside the Kenny Bay resettlement camp.
Several soldiers split off in different directions to conduct reconnaissance.
Their movements were smooth and practiced, clearly not the first time they’d done this.
Five minutes later, they returned,
“Doctor, the surroundings are very safe. No signs of armed conflict were found.”
“Good.”
……
Very quickly, Jiang Fuyue changed into protective gear and put on her protective mask.
When she turned back, the man had changed as well.
He had taken off the silver mask and switched to a protective helmet; everything below his eyes was still covered.
On the surface, Jiang Fuyue showed no reaction, but inwardly she sneered darkly: Putting on airs! Your vest has already fallen all over the floor! Still pretending!
Just as Xie Dingyuan lifted his head, he unexpectedly crashed into a pair of slightly dark peach-blossom eyes.
Their gazes met. He was the first to look away.
Jiang Fuyue let out a cold laugh and turned to check Zhong Ziang’s and Yici’s protective measures.
“Yueyue, look, why can’t I pull this protective suit up? Did I put it on backwards?”
Jiang Fuyue lowered her head to check. Her hands inevitably touched his body, but all within normal, appropriate limits of contact.
Even Zhong Ziang didn’t think anything of it.
Xie Dingyuan’s gaze, however, sharpened, his lips pressing together.
If looks could turn into arrows, Zhong Ziang would probably have already become a hedgehog.
In the end, it was still because he hadn’t been beaten enough, daring to covet even his future sister-in-law!
“Achoo, ” Zhong Ziang sneezed. “Did you notice the temperature suddenly dropped just now, and now it’s fine again?”
Jiang Fuyue: “Did it? I didn’t notice. Alright, pull it up and try.”
“…Oh.”
After the necessary protective work was completed, Jiang Fuyue and her group entered the resettlement camp.
The person in charge was named Duoya, an old man with a big beard. He had originally been the principal of a middle school in Kenny Bay. Later, after being infected with the Schankwo virus, he was sent to the resettlement camp to wait for death, but he clenched his teeth and pulled through. Although no one knew when his condition might worsen, at least for now he was still alive and able to kiss the first ray of morning sunlight.
During the time he stayed in the resettlement camp, he consciously took on management responsibilities, doing his best to maintain order within the camp.
“This place is better than the Brinto, Swaga, and Qiekebi resettlement camps. Duoya deserves much of the credit for that.” Xie Dingyuan explained softly to her.
Jiang Fuyue gave a light “mm,” nodded, calm and even-tempered.
Now was not the time to be petulant. She still had this sense of propriety.
“Hello.” Duoya was wearing protective clothing and two layers of masks, but to ensure absolute safety, he still stopped seven or eight meters away from them and did not step forward.
Moreover, when speaking, he would subconsciously turn his head to the side, trying not to face them directly.
From his greeting posture, Jiang Fuyue judged that the other party should be from the Enluo tribe.
So she brought her hands together in the greeting manner of their tribe, bowed slightly, returned the salute, and said in the local language, “Hello.”
Duoya’s eyes lit up, his enthusiasm increasing a bit, though he was still restrained and cautious: “May I ask what business brings you here? This gentleman has already been here before.”
He was referring to Xie Dingyuan.
“Hello, Mr. Duoya.” Xie Dingyuan greeted him. “I’m very sorry to trouble you again.”
Duoya replied: “You brought us precious food and supplies. Within what we can do, we are very willing to provide you with help.”
After hearing this, Xie Dingyuan gave Jiang Fuyue a slight nod, signaling that she could now raise any requests she had.
The latter pondered for a moment. “I want to find someone named Sansa.”
A trace of surprise surfaced in Duoya’s aged eyes. “May I ask, why are you looking for her?”
Jiang Fuyue briefly explained the matter of the antibodies.
Xie Dingyuan stood to the side. This was also the first time he had heard about the “antibody” matter. Before this, he had always thought Jiang Fuyue came to Kenny Bay just to collect samples.
He hadn’t expected… no wonder she had been so insistent. Such a rare and precious antibody, if it were him, no matter how dangerous, he would come too.
In the end, Duoya agreed. “Although I don’t understand what you’re talking about, as long as it can cure Schankwo virus infection, I’m willing to do anything!”
Not only because he himself wanted to live, but also because other tribespeople would then have hope of survival.
“Come with me.”
Patients with mild symptoms were placed in the front hall, each person with a wooden board, this was their bed.
Because their conditions weren’t severe, Duoya would ask them to do what they could, such as washing clothes, cooking, and cleaning.
Passing through the front hall led to the backyard.
There were quite a few rooms, but the vast majority were broken and dilapidated. Sunlight couldn’t get in, leaving the interiors gloomy and pitch-black.
If there was one redeeming feature, it was probably that the rooms were small and densely packed, yet independent from each other, convenient for isolating severe patients and reducing cross-infection.
“This is the severe area.” Duoya stopped.
Jiang Fuyue: “Where is Sansa?”
“This way, please.”
Duoya led them to Sansa’s ward. It turned out that Sansa was only a seven-year-old little girl…
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