Chapter 17 Desert Gas Station - 4 *** ……
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Tang Bufan woke up in the middle of the night to find the RV shaking and hearing a clanging sound of metal hitting metal. He struggled to open his eyes.
There was a very tall figure in the darkness; it was Lu Yi, who was preparing to climb out through the skylight.
“It’s a herd of wild boars.” Lu Yi opened his golden-green beast eyes and said to Tang Bufan, who was lying on the iron bunk bed, “I’ll go out and chase them away. Teacher, you can continue to sleep.”
Tang Bufan was far from asleep. In a daze, he groped his way out of bed in the dark, only to forget that his leg was still not healed. When he stepped on the ground, the wound on his thigh was pierced sharply.
The sharp pain actually woke Tang Bufan up completely. Lu Yi had already climbed onto the skylight, and Tang Bufan quickly reached out and grabbed his foot.
"Don't go out." Tang Bufan looked up at him and said, "We don't lack food right now, it's not worth fighting them. Let's drive away."
The RV was converted from a cargo armored vehicle and is very heavy, but it was still being tossed about by a herd of wild boars, which gives you an idea of how many were outside.
"You drive, I'll just go out and take a look." Lu Yi told Tang Bufan not to worry about him.
Logically speaking, a herd of wild boars wouldn't surround a caravan in the middle of the night for no reason, and since there was no food, there must be something else outside.
Seeing his insistence, Tang Bufan could only helplessly instruct him, "Then transform into a beast after you get out."
Lu Yi paused for a moment, then nodded.
Tang Bufan then released his foot, and Lu Yi climbed up and covered the skylight.
Tang Bufan, carrying a shotgun, limped quickly to the driver's seat. He sat down in the driver's seat, and the external surveillance footage of the five RVs popped up on the windshield.
"Why didn't you sound the alarm?" Tang Bufan scolded Kai Ge.
“With Lu Yi here,” Kai replied in a gentle, electronic male voice, “I want you to continue sleeping.”
"...I think Lu Yi has gone crazy from leveling up." Tang Bufan was speechless for a moment and started watching the video in the dark.
There are six external cameras on the RV, one each at the front, back, left, right, top, and bottom. Except for the one under the vehicle, which didn't pop up, the others were all played onto the glass.
A large group of wild boars were crowding around the left side of the RV, grunting and munching on something in the darkness, while Lu Yi squatted on the roof, looking down at them.
He still maintained his human form. Tang Bufan frowned. Wild boars were no easier to deal with than wolves. Although they were not as agile as wolves, they charged around with their fat bodies. Getting hit by them was like being hit by a car. It would be very dangerous for Lu Yi to fall down.
"Everyone says it's turned into a beast." Tang Bufan muttered helplessly, gesturing to Kai Ge to drive: "Let's go."
"Okay, Xiao Tang," Kai replied, and the RV's engine started up.
Tang Bufan glanced at the dashboard; the battery still had 11% left. They had driven for a long time during the day to disperse the pack of wolves, which had used up a lot of battery power.
"Stop when the battery is down to 5%," Tang Bufan told Kai Ge. The refrigerator, freezer, and plant cultivation box on the roof all need electricity, so we have to prioritize supplying these three with electricity.
"Okay, Xiao Tang." Kai Ge controlled the RV, which drove slowly and steadily in the darkness.
The wild boars didn't chase after them; they remained where they were, heads down, eating. This relieved Tang Bufan, who was watching the monitor.
Lu Yi returned through the skylight and walked to Tang Bufan's side.
"Two of the wolves we released during the day came back, probably thinking the wolf pack was still following us. As a result, they attracted wild boars and got eaten," Lu Yi said, leaning down behind Tang Bufan.
Tang Bufan turned his head and met his face, so he moved to the side without making a sound.
Lu Yi looked down at the dashboard, his expression filled with worry, just like Tang Bufan's: "The battery is almost empty."
"I'll stop after driving for a while longer," Tang Bufan sighed. The car was really too old.
Lu got up and walked towards the shelves. He asked Tang Bufan, "Where's the water pipe? There's a lot of blood on the left side of the RV now, we need to wash it off."
Otherwise, it will attract wild animals.
"The water pipe is in the kitchen. Open the cabinet door under the sink," Tang Bufan said, then stopped Lu Yi from taking the water pipe. "Fill a basin with water and wipe it with a rag. We haven't seen that gas station yet, so let's save some water."
"OK."
After the RV drove a little further away, Tang Bufan went back to bed and continued sleeping. He fell asleep almost as soon as he closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, it was already broad daylight.
Lu Yi lay on the ground, with a dirty mattress beneath him. He wasn't covered by a blanket, and the curtains of the RV were drawn, blocking out the strong light from outside.
He was sleeping. This was the first time Tang Bufan had seen him quietly with his eyes closed. Usually, he was the one who woke up, while Lu Yi woke up much earlier.
The 17-year-old orc boy had long, golden hair. His white vest was filthy; although it had been washed, the bloodstains from the poisoners remained. His military boots and white socks were neatly arranged at the end of the mattress, though the socks were also filthy and had holes in the toes.
Tang Bufan lowered his slender legs and sat down next to the iron bunk bed, looking down at him. Suddenly, he felt very sad. This person, who was raised by his parents to be so beautiful, had been suffering with him all along.
Chen Fei was the same; he followed me and then died.
Tang Bufan wiped his eyes in the stuffy carriage; his eyes were red at the corners. He landed quietly, without putting on shoes, and carefully stepped over Lu Yi on the ground to reach the shelf, where he took out a sewing kit.
Tang Bufan quietly turned back, picked up Lu Yi's socks, sat back on the bed, and began mending them.
Lu Yi had already woken up. He smelled Tang Bufan's scent when Tang Bufan stepped over him, but he was still a little tired, so he closed his eyes again. After dozing for about a minute, he opened his eyes again.
Then I saw the very thin man sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing a thread between his lips.
"Did I wake you up?" Tang Bufan looked up at Lu Yi and tried to thread the needle with his slightly trembling hands.
"I'll do it." Lu Yi sat up from the mattress and gestured for Tang Bufan to give him the needle and thread.
Tang Bufan looked at his trembling hands, feeling bitter, and handed over the needle and thread.
"Why didn't you say your socks were torn?" Tang Bufan tucked a strand of hair behind his ear with his finger. "These must be so uncomfortable to wear."
His hair wasn't as long as Lu Yi's, but it was still long enough to reach his back. He hadn't cut his hair in two years, and since then, Tang Bufan hadn't bothered to use scissors.
"It was torn just two days ago." Lu Yi finished sewing and sat on the mattress, reaching out to Tang Bufan: "Teacher, give me the socks... they smell bad."
His face turned slightly red, and he was embarrassed to ask Tang Bufan to help him with the filling.
"Can you stink as much as I do?" Tang Bufan smiled and reached out to him instead: "Give me the needle and thread."
"I'll fix it myself."
"Do you know how to fix it?" Tang Bufan looked at the end of the line; Lu Yi hadn't tied a knot.
"..." Lu Yi fell silent. He could repair cars and hunt, but mending clothes... no one had ever taught him.
"Give it to me." Tang Bufan insisted; he really didn't want to be a useless person.
Lu Yi hesitated for a moment before handing him the needle and thread.
"Brother Kai, how much is the battery charging?" Lu Yi looked at the electronic camera in the driver's seat.
"twenty three%."
"What about time?"
"10:29 a.m."
"It'll probably take all day to charge." Tang Bufan looked down and carefully mended his socks. "I almost used up all the battery yesterday."
"Try driving a little further in the evening, maybe we'll see a gas station." Lu Yi looked at Tang Bufan again. The man was wearing loose gray shorts and a worn white T-shirt. Because he was so thin, the clothes hung loosely on him.
His loose hair was also very greasy.
“There’s a well there, we can take a good bath,” Lu Yi said, raising his hand to sniff himself; he smelled strongly.
He couldn't help but look at Tang Bufan again, who was holding his dirty socks and mending them with his eyes downcast.
Lu blushed again.
"Maybe... I should sew it myself." Lu Yi regretted it and leaned towards Tang Bufan.
Tang Bufan held the needle in one hand and the sock in the other, and subconsciously raised his leg to press his foot against Tang Bufan's chest to prevent him from getting closer.
"I said I'd sew it, so I'll sew it." Tang Bufan looked up at him irritably: "Sit back down."
Lu Yi was rendered speechless by Tang Bufan's light kick, while Tang Bufan, who was ten years older than him and had been a teacher, was still quite influential when he spoke in a deep voice, even though he was not as tall as Lu Yi's chest.
Lu Yi could only obediently sit back down and cross his legs on the mattress.
Tang Bufan withdrew his foot and looked at the disheveled and dirty boy. The gold necklace around his neck and the silver earrings in his ears showed that he had once lived a life of luxury. Tang Bufan's eyes darkened.
"Summer is almost over, have you thought about going back?" Tang Bufan asked him while sewing socks, "Your Commander Academy should be starting soon, right?"
Lu Yi was slightly stunned, not expecting Tang Bufan to say this suddenly. He felt the hot air cool down instantly.
“I don’t plan to go back.” Lu Yi’s voice turned a little colder: “Teachers don’t need to worry about my studies. The last year before graduation is all about internships.”
After he finished speaking, he thought for a moment and then added to Tang Bufan, "Field exploration is also part of the internship. I can write a report about my field experience during this period and submit it. With my previous grades, I should be able to graduate smoothly."
Tang Bufan didn't understand the education at the Commander's Academy, but Lu Yi had suffered too much following him.
“You’re a good kid, Lu Yi,” Tang Bufan said, his voice tinged with emotion. “But I’m a failure as a teacher… I’m incompetent, so I think… at least it’s my duty to offer you some advice.”
He finished speaking and looked up, his eyes slightly red: "You are the city lord's child, and you will become a commander after graduation. I hope you can be happy."
Lu Yi was somewhat taken aback. He looked at the pale, thin man in front of him, whose dark pupils did indeed show concern for him.
He suddenly felt less depressed.
After thinking for a moment, Lu Yi asked him, "How does the teacher define happiness?"
This time, Tang Bufan was stunned. He met Lu Yi's gaze, and the young man's eyes were as steady as a stone, landing in Tang Bufan's heart with a "ding-dong".
Tang Bufan suddenly realized something.
"ah!"
"Ah." Lu Yi imitated him, opening his mouth.
Tang Bufan blushed, and was amused by Lu Yi's imitation.
"Don't laugh at me," Tang Bufan said angrily. "I'm just concerned about you."
"I know," Lu Yi said with a smirk.
Tang Bufan stared at him: "Do you think I'm old-fashioned?"
"……No."
"Fine," Tang Bufan said helplessly, and could only lower his head to continue sewing socks. "If you don't want to go back, then don't. Anyway, you just love suffering with me."
"It's not bitter." Lu Yi smiled and looked at the man whose cheeks were red with embarrassment and anger, and suddenly found him quite cute.
Lu Yi couldn't be sure what happiness was; he only knew that he felt very comfortable following Tang Bufan.
Tang Bufan mended Lu Yi's socks, and Lu Yi prepared lunch for Tang Bufan. The RV was charged all day and didn't set off again until the next morning.
A hot wind carrying loess dust appeared on the horizon of the desert.
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