Chapter 21
How much do you want to?
Qianhui thought hard and said vaguely, "It's just... I really, really want to."
He was at a loss for words and couldn't express it any further; he just really wanted to.
Nan Tingjin seemed dissatisfied with the answer; his eyes darkened, and he remained silent.
He sat by the tree, his back to the sunlight, looking somewhat cold.
His body temperature was much higher than Qian Hui's, and his embrace and palms constantly transferred heat, subtly revealing a lurking danger.
Qian Hui felt inexplicably nervous and timidly pushed him.
Nan Tingjin remained motionless. Seeing this, the soft vine, eager to protect its master, extended its sharp leaves forward, leaving a shallow bloodstain on the side of his neck.
In fact, it was uncertain whether it could control Nan Tingjin. His superpower level was too strong. Even if he just stood there and did nothing, he would still be very oppressive to the lower-level mutated plants.
The kidnapping plan went very smoothly, without any unexpected incidents along the way, but the carrots are sleeping now.
The soft vine mustered its courage, trembling as it raised its leaves, attempting a threat.
Nan Tingjin paused slightly, noticing Qian Hui's slight resistance, and slowly released his grip.
His arms suddenly felt empty, and Qian Hui stepped back a little, but after a while, she cautiously snuggled closer again.
Having lost his memory and spent six years here, Nam Ting-jin is no longer the same person he used to be.
From the first moment she saw him, Qian Hui could sense something different, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Perhaps... the old Nan Tingjin was gentler and wouldn't ask him what he liked about him or how much he missed him.
Qian Hui didn't understand any of this; she simply liked what she liked and couldn't give many reasons.
Or perhaps the current Nan Tingjin is the real him.
While lost in thought, Qian Hui reached out and touched the leaves of the soft vine.
He knew that Ruan Teng had helped him, and he saw that Nan Tingjin's neck was indeed injured.
He was suddenly struck by a strange feeling, as if he had only just realized that Nan Tingjin had been forcibly brought here.
Qian Hui asked softly, "Does it hurt?"
Nan Tingjin looked over and said slowly, "It hurts."
Qian Hui was skeptical, but she leaned closer to examine the tiny, minor scratch.
He thought about releasing Nan Tingjin first, since they were already quite far from the safe zone.
Moreover, Nan Tingjin had been by his side and protected him during their time in that grove of trees...
Just as Qianhui was about to call Ruanteng back, Carrot woke up.
It slept for a short while, then fully recovered its strength and ran over, full of energy.
Carrot was thinking of switching shifts with Soft Vine so that he could personally guard Nan Tingjin.
So, Ruan Teng removed her armor skill and returned to Qian Hui's wrist to rest.
Carrot squatted under the tree, a blade of grass dangling from its mouth, its beady black eyes fixed on Nan Tingjin, wary and alert.
Qian Hui reached out and picked it up, whispering to it, "You don't have to be like this... do you?"
The carrot shakes its head, indicating that it is necessary.
It plucked some weeds from the ground, tied them into a knot, and held it up, pointing it towards the Southern Imperial Court, meaning that this was him.
Carrot tossed the clump of grass around casually, even slapping it twice before finally tossing it to Qianhui.
Qianhui pinched the clump of grass and silently placed it on the ground.
He used to play with carrots a lot, so he can guess what carrots mean.
He wanted to see Nan Tingjin, so Carrot brought him some food, and since Nan Tingjin was in a restricted state, he could do whatever he wanted.
We'll decide when to release Nan Tingjin once Qian Hui is in a better mood. Otherwise, what if he goes back? If Qian Hui wants to see him then, it won't be easy to tie him up a second time.
Qianhui hesitated, but ultimately did not object to the carrot.
But now that I've seen it, what should I do...?
The soft vine didn't rest for long either. After eating the mana-restoring medicine fed to it by Qian Hui, it became even more energetic, stretched out its branches, and "whoosh," wrapped itself around Nan Tingjin's neck again.
Carrot went to lie down nearby to sunbathe, and Qianhui once again moved closer to Nantingjin.
"You..." he asked, "Do you remember anything from the past?"
Nan Tingjin glanced at the wooden pinky ring on his hand and replied, "No."
"Okay..." Qian Hui was a little disappointed, but her tone turned expectant again, "But it's okay, I can teach you!"
He thought that if he and Nan Tingjin relived their past interactions, perhaps he could remember them.
Nan Tingjin raised his eyes slightly, seemingly showing some interest: "Teach me what?"
Qian Hui thought about it seriously for a while, then turned her head to look around, and then pulled Nan Tingjin up and took him to the other side of the grass bathed in sunlight.
The two sat down again, and Qian Hui said, "You used to hold me while we basked in the sun."
As he moved closer, Nan Tingjin instinctively reached out his hand.
Qian Hui said, "You're not allowed to move!"
Since reuniting with the current Nan Tingjin, including just now, he has hugged her three times, but each time it felt different from before.
Since it's a teaching activity, Qianhui plans to do it entirely according to her own ideas.
Nan Tingjin stopped what he was doing and, as expected, did not continue to hug him.
Qian Hui was satisfied and snuggled into Nan Tingjin's arms, finding herself in a comfortable position.
He leaned against his familiar shoulder and took Nan Tingjin's hand in his: "You can even massage my hands."
Aside from her silver hair and red eyes, Qian Hui has no other signs of being zombified, but all her skeletal joints have a faint bluish-gray tinge, most notably her hands.
His skin was so pale that it made him look even less rosy-cheeked.
Nan Tingjin complied, took Qian Hui's hand, and gently massaged her fingertips.
Qian Hui buried her head and rubbed against his neck, then said, "You can go a little harder."
Nan Tingjin responded softly, "Okay."
Qian Hui closed her eyes, as if she had truly returned to the time when she was in the small garden with plants.
He had woken up too early during the day, and now that he was relaxed, he drifted off to sleep.
She didn't sleep for very long, only about ten minutes. When Qian Hui woke up, Nan Tingjin was still rubbing his hands.
“That’s enough…” Qian Hui wrapped her arms around Nan Tingjin’s waist, tilted her head back, and rested her chin on his body.
"Do you remember anything?" he asked expectantly.
Nan Tingjin was silent for a moment, then said, "I don't think so."
What does "shouldn't have" mean...? Then it means there isn't any, right?
But she had only taught him once, and Qian Hui hadn't expected him to regain his memory so quickly.
“It’s okay, I know you’ve been here too long…” Qian Hui muttered to herself, “I need to try a few more times.”
He rose and stepped back, hearing Nan Tingjin ask, "Anything else?"
"I... let me think about it."
Qian Hui looked at Nan Tingjin, thinking he didn't have much patience, and said seriously and confidently, "We can't rush, you have to stay with me."
The two of them used to just stay outside the cabin in the woods, and it seems they never did anything special together.
For example, Nan Tingjin fed him medicinal soup, and he gave Nan Tingjin a ring, but he currently has neither the tools nor the means.
Moreover, Qian Hui's real selfish desire was to have Nan Tingjin accompany him, just like before.
Now that Nan Tingjin is tied up, this is the perfect time to do these things.
Qianhui thought Carrot was right; if he were left to his own devices, he definitely wouldn't be so obedient.
Nan Tingjin remained silent, and Qian Hui hugged him again: "Don't worry, if you still don't remember... I'll have Xiao Teng untie you."
As for how long this "forever" period will last, Qianhui hasn't decided yet.
After a while, Nan Tingjin slowly replied, "Okay."
He gently put his arm around Qian Hui's waist, and the two were very intimate.
Qian Hui was unaware of Nan Tingjin's actions. He was in a good mood and rubbed his cheek against Nan Tingjin's collar.
Carrot rolled over, secretly observing this side the whole time.
Finding that Nan Tingjin was indeed behaving himself and showed no signs of trying to escape, he felt much more at ease.
The sun was still shining brightly, and the chili peppers and corn had woken up. The potatoes were loudly calling out to Qianhui, wanting to be eaten.
Qian Hui left Nan Tingjin where he was and went over to feed a few plants, checking on their condition one by one.
Having eaten and drunk his fill and regained his courage, Corn returned to the vicinity of Nantingjin.
It held a small ball of corn, pretending to admire the scenery, and slowly walked over.
However, Nan Tingjin, who was so quiet and docile in front of Qian Hui before, seemed to have become a different person at this moment, not at all like someone who had been controlled.
Intermediate-level mutated plants are not as strong as super-level plants, nor are they as sluggish as low-level plants; their sense of danger is the most acute.
Corn strongly suspects that Nan Tingjin is able to free himself from the restraints.
It approached little by little, trying to test the waters.
When he was only a meter away from Nan Tingjin, Nan Tingjin turned around and looked over.
Corn suddenly threw the weapon at him, then turned and ran.
The corn ball hit Nan Tingjin's arm and rolled away with a "gurgle, gurgle".
Nan Tingjin glanced at it but did not react.
Seeing this, the corn plant, hiding behind the tree, became even more puzzled.
It wanted to try again, preparing to make an even bigger corn ball.
Qianhui happened to come over and bent down to pick up the corn.
"We're about to leave," Qianhui said, patting the top of Yumi's head since she hadn't seen anything. "Be good, we'll continue playing after dinner."
The man-eating flower was patrolling the edge of the woods when it saw a vehicle driving by at the end of the street in the distance. It was unsure whether it was a human sent by the safe zone to search for Nan Tingjin.
If so, they will most likely find their way here, so we need to leave as soon as possible.
However, Qianhui does not intend to escape like she did in the morning, unless she discovers that humans are approaching.
He has successfully met with Nan Tingjin and has temporarily kept him by his side so he can do other things.
For example, completing game tasks, killing zombies, cultivating the plant team, and continuing to search for traces of the plant friends in the courtyard.
The attempt to restore Nan Tingjin's memory should not be neglected, but it is unlikely to be effective in the short term.
Qian Hui can't let his guard down; he still needs to work hard to save up his balance and buy the resurrection beans as soon as possible.
After packing her things, Qian Hui took her backpack and went to Nan Tingjin.
He took Nan Tingjin's hand: "Come with me!"
With the sharp leaves of the soft vine pressing against the side of his neck, Nan Tingjin obediently replied, "Okay."
So, Qianhui led the plant team, along with a human leader who was bound, in the opposite direction of the safe zone.
Leaving the forest area and entering the city ruins, the carnivorous plant grew larger and carried Qianhui forward.
Because his movements were restricted, Nan Tingjin also received this treatment, sitting together behind Qian Hui.
Qianhui moved her backpack to the front, the zipper was open, and several plants peeked out.
The man-eating plant wasn't very fast, but it traversed the obstacles of the ruins, occasionally searching for any wandering zombies nearby.
The carrot, bored, couldn't stand it any longer and jumped down to run around everywhere, occasionally dropping a carrot that flew away and then flew back.
Qianhui reminded it, "Don't run too far, Radish!"
Without turning its head, Carrot let out a "whoosh" and casually used the carrot to stab and kill a low-level zombie.
The area is a mess of ruins, with little sign of human activity, but there are quite a few low- to mid-level zombies lurking around.
Gradually, the corn, along with the chili peppers and potatoes, slipped out, following in the footsteps of the carrots.
The four plants walked together in front, rushing towards any zombies they saw. The potato would even deliberately use bombs to lure the zombies over.
Qian Hui couldn't stop her at all, so she had no choice but to let it go.
Compared to the carrots, the carnivorous plant was more cautious; it slowed down and constantly checked its surroundings.
Upon smelling human scent, the carnivorous plant immediately lowered its head and hid behind a wall.
At this moment, Corn and Chili were chasing after a mid-level zombie, and Carrot also noticed something was wrong, letting out a "woof" to signal them to come back quickly.
"Bang--"
The potato bomb exploded just in time, drowning out the sound of the carrot.
The zombie's speed was slowed by the bomb, and then it was hit on the back of the head by a thrown corn ball.
At the same time, the chili pepper leaped up, and the hook at its tail knocked the zombie down.
It was about to pick up a rock to kill a zombie and extract its crystal core when it looked up and met the gaze of several humans in the distance.
The group opposite them appeared to be a team of four superhumans from a nearby small base. They had just spotted Chili and stopped to look warily in their direction.
Just as Chili hesitated, Corn and Potato rushed over from behind. Corn excitedly stepped on the zombie's face and slammed the corn ball down a few times.
By the time the three plants finally discovered the presence of the human team, the zombies were already lifeless.
The human team's strength was probably not high, and upon seeing this, they quickly retreated to the rear and moved away as soon as possible.
Since the other side didn't seem to be fighting, Chili didn't bother with it. She stopped the grimacing Corn, dug up the crystal core, and hurried back.
On the other side, the human team remained shaken even after they had walked a distance.
"What are those... I'm not seeing things, am I? Three mutated plants?"
"It's not a large exotic plant, but it looks ferocious."
"They actually hunt together in groups..."
This was something they had never heard of before. Sometimes, the strength of a single mutated plant was not to be underestimated. If they knew how to cooperate... the group dared not think about it further.
Their trip was simply to buy some food at another base, and along the way, to find usable supplies and kill a few zombies to obtain crystal cores.
They encountered this strange and ferocious team of plants and dared not confront them head-on.
Meanwhile, beneath the ruins.
Qianhui took out a small towel and wiped the bodies and leaves of the four plants one by one.
“I told you not to go too far,” he said sternly. “What if you encounter danger?”
Carrot realized that Qian Hui wasn't really angry, so it tilted its head and rubbed against his palm.
Qian Hui opened her backpack, letting them all in, then stood up and looked up at the sky: "It's getting late, we need to find a place to rest."
The carnivorous plant was quick to hide, and only three plants were discovered by humans, so there was no major harm.
They weren't injured, and the humans wisely left.
To Qianhui's surprise, the game rewarded her with 10 prestige points, seemingly because of what had just happened.
[Your plant team is getting stronger and stronger, and it seems to have attracted some attention.]
Qian Hui wasn't quite sure whether this attention was good or bad, but since there was a reward... she shouldn't worry too much.
He sat back on the back of the carnivorous plant's neck and left with all the plants.
—
For three consecutive days, the carnivorous plant traversed the city ruins and arrived at an unfamiliar forest.
Over the course of three days, the plant team advanced during the day and rested at night, while Carrot would occasionally venture out alone to search for higher-level zombies.
Unfortunately, the highest level I can find is intermediate. Qian Hui's main quest is almost complete, and I only need to kill two more intermediate zombies to reach level 30.
All the obtained crystal cores were distributed to several main damage dealers. In addition, Qianhui bought some extra skill points, and the loyalty of Corn and Potato soared, quickly exceeding 60%.
The money tree doesn't participate in these events, and its loyalty continues to rise steadily, while the mimosa plant's growth is slower.
It was also timid, hiding in Qian Hui's sleeve all day and not liking to show itself.
Qianhui used her prestige points to buy a guide for the Mimosa plant, knowing that it was sensitive and needed a lot of care, so she often whispered to it through her sleeve.
Even so, the Mimosa's loyalty stops at 30%.
Qianhui didn't insist and continued to take good care of it.
In addition, Qian Hui also takes time each day to spend some quiet time with Nan Tingjin.
The afternoon sun is the warmest, and Qian Hui would take a nap in Nan Tingjin's arms while he massaged her hands.
However... when Nan Ting asked if there was anything else he wanted to teach her that day, Qian Hui said she would think about it, but she still hasn't come up with anything.
He only allowed Nan Tingjin to hold him while he sunbathed and massage his finger joints.
Or she would occasionally hug Nan Tingjin and ask him if he remembered.
—
Soon it was the fourth night, and Qianhui found a small lake in the woods.
The lake water was very clear, and the small cabbage sprouted a new husk, its leaves unfolding from above to become a giant cabbage bowl.
The carnivorous plant helps fill the lake water into a bowl, which can then be used for bathing.
The lake water was cold, but Qianhui wasn't afraid of the cold and soaked in it for a long time, washing her hair as well.
When he came out, Chili wrapped a few chili seeds in a clean leaf, the leaf steaming hot, to dry Qianhui's wet hair.
The old clothes she had worn had several tears, so Qianhui bought a new set and sat under the tree to put them on.
Several plants, each carrying leaves and chili seeds, busied themselves around him.
Qian Hui didn't forget Nan Tingjin, and asked the man-eating flower to prepare a bowl of water for him as well.
The man-eating flower was reluctant, but it still obeyed and refilled the cabbage bowl with lake water.
Qianhui ate a few cookies, and when her hair was almost dry, she got up and ran to the lakeside.
Nan Tingjin was still in the cabbage bowl, with a thin vine wrapped around her neck.
He was even taller, sitting in the bowl, with the lake water only slightly reaching his chest.
Qianhui leaned over the bowl and asked him, "How about I buy you new clothes?"
Nan Tingjin approached him and replied, "Okay."
Qian Hui opened the online store and started browsing: "What size do you need..."
He saw that Nan Tingjin had changed out of his clothes and picked them up to compare with his own before choosing a size.
Qian Hui even specially chose clothes similar to Nan Tingjin's previous ones, neatly arranged them on the grass, and thoughtfully prepared towels.
After doing all this, he still didn't leave, remaining by the bowl and waiting.
Nan Tingjin remained silent until the washing was complete, then stepped directly out of the bowl.
He wiped himself down and put on his clothes in front of Qian Hui without any attempt to hide it.
Qian Hui looked over, seemingly oblivious to anything.
After Nan Tingjin changed his clothes, Qian Hui approached and hugged him.
His eyes shone, and he seemed quite satisfied with Nan Tingjin's current appearance.
“Xiao Jin,” Qian Hui reached out and touched his cheek, “do you remember?”
Nan Tingjin did not answer immediately, and Qian Hui couldn't help but yawn.
He rubbed his eyes and heard Nan Tingjin ask, "Tired?"
Qian Hui nodded and said "Mmm," then was lifted up by Nan Tingjin and carried towards the cabbage shells under the tree.
After spending several days together, Nan Tingjin followed Qian Hui's wishes almost entirely, only hugging her when she wanted to, and was very obedient and well-behaved.
Qian Hui relaxed more and more, almost forgetting that he had been kidnapped. Sometimes she felt as if he had returned to his former self, but had not yet regained his memories.
When he was carried back to the tree, Qian Hui did not resist. He was really sleepy at the moment, and his mind was a little sluggish.
Lights were shining inside the cabbage husks, and baby cabbages and money trees lay asleep side by side. Carnivorous plants patrolled in the distance, and several plants played in the lake.
Nan Tingjin placed Qian Hui down to sit by Ye Zimen and reached out to stroke his slightly disheveled hair.
Qian Hui seemed to be in a good mood tonight. She hugged Nan Tingjin again, looked up at him, and said, "Little Jin, goodnight."
There wasn't enough space in the cabbage shells, so Nan Tingjin slept alone outside, while the carnivorous plant and carrots took turns keeping watch.
Nan Tingjin responded, but had not yet left.
He bent down and asked in a low voice, "Have you ever kissed me before?"
Qian Hui yawned again and replied sleepily, "Yes, we kissed..."
But he didn't seem to have any intention of being close to Nan Tingjin right now. Just then, the man-eating flower returned from its patrol and was also preparing to rest.
Qian Hui released Nan Tingjin, picked up the man-eating flower, and crawled into the cabbage shell.
Some plants haven't returned yet; their leaves are slightly closed, leaving gaps.
Nan Tingjin stood outside, watching Qian Hui take off her coat and lie down. She reached out through the gap to take his hand and said "Goodnight" again.
On the other side, a carrot hangs from a suspended spike, intently staring at the lake water, trying to catch a fish.
Suddenly, it raised its head and twitched its nose slightly, as if it had smelled the scent of a high-level zombie not far away.
It's nighttime, so why are there still zombies not asleep?
Tonight, Carrot is on guard duty. It has to ensure the safety of the surroundings, so it throws out another thorn and follows the scent.
However, as they crossed the lake, the scent faded rapidly, and the advanced zombie was moving away, seemingly just passing by.
Carrot looked back in the direction where Qianhui was, and finally decided to leave it for the time being.
It turned back, telling the corn and potatoes to hurry back to sleep, and then strolled around Nan Tingjin again.
Meanwhile, in the pitch-black night, a high-level zombie roamed through the forest.
It moved swiftly, leaving the woods in the blink of an eye, crossing the abandoned street, and entering a low building.
The low building had collapsed more than halfway and was almost completely destroyed. The zombies rummaged through the debris, squeezed through the gaps between the walls, and continued down until they entered a basement.
The basement was large and had clearly been roughly cleaned up; several zombies were huddled in the center.
Zombies inhabit this place and are buried deep underground, yet there is little odor; instead, there is a faint, pleasant fragrance of grass and trees.
The advanced zombie walked around the basement, made a few threatening "heh heh" sounds at a corner, and then chose a spot to lie down.
In the corner, several bent steel bars formed a narrow space, inside which a sunflower was kept, emitting a soft light.
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