Chapter 166 The Girl Who Protects Him
The next second, a warm and firm chest pressed against her back, and strong arms wrapped around her from behind, pulling her and her coat into a tight embrace.
His embrace carried an undeniable strength, dispelling the bone-chilling cold by the window and attempting to dispel the sorrow in her words.
"Won't!"
Fu Jinxing's deep voice rang out above her head. It was only two words, but it was resolute and carried an almost obsessive determination.
Josie was slightly taken aback, and couldn't help but turn to the side in his arms and raise her head.
In the dim light, she could clearly see his face so close to hers.
That usually refined and gentle face was now tinged with an inescapable weariness, with faint dark circles under his eyes and a short, bluish-black stubble on his chin. Far from diminishing his handsomeness, it added a touch of coldness to his appearance.
The eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses no longer held their usual calm and rational demeanor; instead, they were brimming with complex and intense emotions.
Fu Jinxing lowered his head, his lips, slightly cool in temperature, gently pressed against her icy forehead.
His lips didn't leave immediately; his warm breath brushed against her forehead.
A deep, hoarse voice, as firm as a rock, rang in her ears, each word striking her heart:
"Xixi." He tightened his arms around her, as if trying to meld her into his very bones. "There are no 'ifs,' no farewells, and that day will never come!"
The cold wind was still howling outside the window, but in the corner of this cold and dilapidated room, in the man's firm embrace, Josie's wandering heart found a sense of peace for a moment.
More and more people were coming and going in the room, so Qiao Xi nudged him and said, "Brother Jinxing, let's tidy up and prepare dinner."
Seeing the increasing number of light bulbs, Fu Jinxing had no choice but to temporarily let go.
The logistics staff chopped dry firewood from discarded furniture salvaged from a corner and lit a campfire in the cleared area.
The orange-red flames leaped and greedily licked at a slightly warped metal basin placed on top of it.
The pot was filled with murky hot soup, and potato chunks of varying sizes and a few wilted but still bright green vegetable leaves floated in the boiling water.
The steaming soup, mingled with the aroma of potatoes, filled the air, tantalizing everyone's taste buds.
When the first bowl of hot food was distributed to the survivors who had just successfully transformed and whose bodies were still adapting to their superpowers, their fingers trembled slightly as they held the simple bowls or lunchboxes.
The scalding heat traveled through the container to the palm of the hand, and some people couldn't wait to scoop up a spoonful and put it in their mouths without caring that it was too hot.
The rough potato chunks and slightly salty vegetable leaves melted on my tongue, and that ordinary yet precious taste brought tears to my eyes without warning, mixing with the dirt on my face and dripping into the bowl.
No one laughed; there was only a chorus of suppressed sniffling and the soft clatter of bowls and chopsticks.
They silently devoured the food, enjoying this rare delicacy in the apocalypse.
After dinner, the wind outside suddenly became even more piercing, like countless vengeful spirits howling and crashing against the broken windows and walls.
The temperature in the hall began to drop again as the fire subsided, and exhaustion weighed heavily on everyone like a lead weight.
Everyone took out all the warm clothing they could find and laid out makeshift beds in a relatively sheltered corner.
Qiao Xi was about to walk towards the corner that Shen Han and Xie Jue had laid out. She had just taken a step when her wrist was grabbed by a cool but strong hand.
She turned around and met Fu Jinxing's eyes, which appeared exceptionally deep in the flickering firelight.
“XiXi,” he said in a low, gentle voice that seemed to leave no room for refusal, “stay with me tonight.”
Josie subconsciously glanced around.
Although the main fire in the hall had been extinguished, leaving only a few faint embers glowing red, the hall was still bustling with people, and almost every corner was crowded with people resting.
She frowned and lowered her voice to remind him, "Brother Jinxing, there are people everywhere tonight..."
Fu Jinxing smiled and gently stroked the inside of her wrist with his fingertips, his tone soothing: "I won't do anything."
He paused, his voice becoming even softer, his magnetic voice tinged with deep weariness, "I just wanted you to stay with me for a while."
Josie's heart stirred slightly, and she subconsciously turned her head to look in the direction where Shen Han was.
Shen Han and Xie Jue had already made up their bed in the corner against the wall. He seemed to notice her gaze and looked up at her.
Their eyes met. Chen Han's gaze was calm and unwavering, devoid of his usual wariness and jealousy. He simply nodded slightly to her to reassure her, then looked away and began to speak quietly with Xie Jue, his demeanor relaxed.
This unusual calm made Josie instantly realize something.
She turned back, looking at Fu Jinxing with a hint of inquiry: "What did you and Shen Han... talk about?"
These past few days, the two men who were always at odds with her have been surprisingly harmonious, and they haven't caused her any trouble.
Fu Jinxing didn't answer directly, but simply led her to a corner where he had laid out a thick winter mat, his voice low and honest: "He didn't say anything else."
The firelight danced on his glasses. "I just... didn't want you to be troubled by these trivial matters during such a difficult time."
He raised his hand and gently tucked a strand of hair that had been ruffled by the wind behind her ear.
As they spoke, the sounds of snoring and tired breathing gradually increased in the hall, like a low background noise.
The day's intense stress and trek had exhausted everyone's energy, and the entire space slowly fell into a heavy and weary silence.
Josie didn't ask any more questions. He put his arm around her shoulder and she leaned against his warm chest.
His crisp, clean scent mingled with the smoke from the campfire, strangely bringing a long-lost sense of peace.
Exhaustion washed over her like a tide. She found a comfortable position in his arms, her tense nerves slowly relaxed, and her consciousness quickly sank into darkness.
Fu Jinxing, however, was not sleepy.
He leaned against the cold wall, carefully holding Josie in his arms, wrapping her even tighter with his coat.
In the darkness, he could only use the faint moonlight filtering in from the window to trace her sleeping profile with his eyes again and again.
Even in her sleep, her brows were slightly furrowed, her long eyelashes cast faint shadows under her eyelids, and her lips were pursed, revealing a stubbornness that was completely different from the innocent and carefree girl in my memory.
Sometimes, she would unconsciously twitch and utter uneasy mutterings, as if struggling in a nightmare.
Whenever this happened, Fu Jinxing would immediately tighten his arms and pull her closer into his embrace, his broad, warm hands gently and rhythmically patting her thin back until her furrowed brows relaxed and her breathing became steady and long again.
And so, in the silent darkness and the howling wind, he silently protected his girl.
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