Chapter 36
A faint glimmer of light appeared on the horizon, and a cool breeze swept through the woods.
Nan Tingjin leaned closer, his dark eyes fixed on Qian Hui: "If I'm not your boyfriend, then who is?"
Qian Hui was still being held by him, the strength of his arms around her waist tightening.
“Now,” Nan Tingjin said coldly, uttering the words softly, “you’re telling me you’ve mistaken me for someone else?”
"No, no..." He hugged her too tightly, and Qian Hui reached out to push him away, but his wrist was grabbed and she could hardly move.
Qian Hui's slight struggles were completely ineffective. Sensing Nan Tingjin's unstable emotions, he timidly shrank back.
This reaction only deepened the gloom in Nan Tingjin's eyes.
He placed his palm on Qian Hui's neck, leaned closer, as if to kiss her.
Qian Hui was forced to look up, instinctively trying to dodge.
His hot breath was so close, and seeing his aggrieved and flustered expression, Nan Tingjin paused and kissed his cheek.
This was quite a blow, carrying a fierce undertone. Qian Hui trembled from the kiss, and red marks immediately appeared on her fair skin.
He felt even more aggrieved: "No..."
Not far away, the carnivorous plant heard some noise and quietly peeked out to take a look.
Qian Hui had her back to it and was with Nan Tingjin, doing something unknown.
The man-eating flower suspected that Qianhui had been bullied, but upon closer inspection, it didn't seem quite right.
It watched silently, deciding to observe further.
Under the tree, Nan Tingjin stared at Qian Hui for a while.
He adjusted his position, held Qian Hui tightly again, and pinched the tip of Qian Hui's chin: "Speak."
Qian Hui sat on his lap, her thick eyelashes trembling: "I didn't mistake you for someone else..."
“I dreamt about it…” He hesitated for a moment, then said slowly, “You wanted to be my boyfriend, but I didn’t agree.”
After a moment, Nan Tingjin repeated in a low voice, "Dreaming?"
“Yes,” Qian Hui looked at him, now relaxed a bit, gradually lost in thought, looking dazed, “You like me.”
The scenes in the dream were fragmented, and almost all of them consisted of Nan Tingjin and Qian Hui themselves.
He was involved, yet also like an observer, able to see everything but unable to control his actions.
Yesterday was the first time Qianhui had a dream, and she was still a little dazed and unsure of what the dream meant.
The second time he had the dream, the repeated scenes and conversations were clearer, and he felt a stronger sense of déjà vu.
As for the content of the dream...
It must be that Nan Tingjin confessed his feelings to him, but he hasn't accepted yet.
In his dream, Nan Tingjin was pursuing him, but she wasn't his boyfriend yet.
The Nanting Temple would often wait for him somewhere, seemingly to take him home. They would buy him gifts and cakes, and he had to accept them, or they would throw them away.
In his dream, Qian Hui felt somewhat helpless. He carefully put away the gifts, but since he couldn't finish the cakes and pastries, he shared half with Nan Tingjin, asking him to eat with him. Otherwise, if he gave them to someone else, Nan Tingjin would be unhappy.
Nan Tingjin is powerful and stubborn, and he will never give up until he achieves his goal. It is impossible for Qian Hui to avoid him; he will always find a way to find her.
Qian Hui also dreamed that one day, he seemed to be angry and threw whatever was at him at Nan Tingjin.
Nan Tingjin didn't dodge, and then came over to take his hand, asking if his hand hurt.
Qian Hui forcefully pulled her hand back, her face stern: "It doesn't hurt."
But whether it was due to emotions outside of the dream or not, Qian Hui could sense that he in the dream also liked Nan Tingjin.
But then... the dream abruptly ended, and he never saw the day when the two of them truly became lovers.
There were no zombies or mutated plants in the dream. Many blurry figures of passersby flashed by. It was not a world where the apocalypse had come, but it was far less pure than a world under the apocalypse.
After waking up, he was still preoccupied with Nan Tingjin and longed to see him immediately, so he came looking for him.
Although he is sometimes slow-witted and clueless, seemingly naive as if he knows nothing, he is not stupid.
Since coming here from the plant garden, his every move has become more and more human-like, and his mind has become much more agile.
Qian Hui had no memory of what happened before he was in the plant courtyard. Unlike other zombies, he was close to the plants and previously thought that he was also "grown" from the mud.
But if everything in the dream was real, and he just forgot it, then it must have happened before the plant courtyard.
This aligns with the description of Nan Tingjin in the plot: he has been single for many years, dislikes getting close to people, but once pursued a man.
Isn't that...myself?
Then, Nan Tingjin appeared in the forest near the plant garden, and when the two met, he said he was her boyfriend.
Even though Qian Hui still had some things she couldn't understand, such as what happened later, how he could forget the past, and why Nan Tingjin had forgotten him now.
However, he was very clear about the fact that "Nan Tingjin is not his boyfriend yet" and had his own set of logic.
“Anyway,” Qian Hui said vaguely, “you like me… but you’re not my boyfriend yet.”
Upon hearing this, Nan Tingjin remained silent.
He gently rubbed Qian Hui's cheek with his fingertips and said softly, "Is that so? I don't remember."
Qian Hui was taken aback, not expecting Nan Tingjin to say such a thing.
Does he not remember whether he was ever her boyfriend, or does he not remember liking her in the past...?
Nan Tingjin's eyes were dark and deep, as if he were lost in thought. He asked again, "So, you want me to leave?"
Qian Hui was even more at a loss and quickly replied, "No..."
He suddenly realized that the reason Nan Tingjin agreed to go with him yesterday was because the two were lovers.
If Nan Tingjin weren't her boyfriend, he could leave her at any time.
Qian Hui panicked at this moment, grabbing Nan Tingjin's sleeve: "You can't leave..."
Nan Tingjin asked expressionlessly, "Why do you like me?"
Qian Hui thought about it carefully and nodded: "I like it."
What do you like about me?
Qian Hui opened her mouth, but couldn't quite answer.
Nan Tingjin slowly released him and answered the previous question: "I'll think about it."
Qian Hui pulled away from his embrace, feeling inexplicably lost: "Okay..."
He was starting to regret it... He should have known better than to say it.
But the two recurring dreams almost became memories, causing him to "think" about them uncontrollably, with Nan Tingjin being another protagonist in the dream.
Qianhui subconsciously wanted to tell him these things without much hesitation.
He had a vague feeling that he had done something wrong, but that's exactly how it was in his dream...
Does Nan Tingjin really not remember anything about him, and can't recall ever liking him before?
Qian Hui glanced at Nan Tingjin secretly, her fingers clenching her sleeves tightly.
He lowered his head and said, "Then...then I'll go back to sleep first."
It wasn't fully light yet; there was still a long time before it was time to get up.
Nan Tingjin raised his eyes, remaining silent.
Qian Hui said she was going back to sleep, looking aggrieved, as if she was trying to coax him.
He came to me on his own initiative. He hadn't resisted being hugged and kissed earlier, and there were still faint red marks on his cheeks.
Nan Tingjin suppressed his emotions and looked away.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Qian Hui slowly stood up, turned around and left.
He went back into the cabbage shell, crawled inside, lay down, and casually picked up some chili peppers and potatoes, holding them in his arms.
The potato was sleeping soundly when the chili pepper opened one eye, then closed it again.
Nuts rolled over from the side, also wanting Qianhui to hug her.
Qian Hui scooped it all into her arms and whispered to herself, "If you don't remember, then forget it..."
Anyway, he didn't agree to be with Nan Tingjin before, and later at the plant courtyard... it probably doesn't count... right?
As for Nan Tingjin, he had already lost his memory, forgotten everything that had happened in the plant courtyard, and also forgotten that he had once liked himself.
Now Qian Hui remembered that it all seemed like a misunderstanding.
But he just said he liked Nan Tingjin, and Nan Tingjin doesn't seem to believe him.
Aside from their relationship, Qian Hui was also worried and didn't want Nan Tingjin to leave.
He was sullen, turned over, and quietly pushed the cabbage leaf door open a crack.
The door had been opened before, so the invisibility effect was long gone.
The trees outside were shrouded in a thin layer of sunlight. Through the gaps, Qian Hui saw Nan Tingjin sitting under a tree, looking in this direction as well.
His hand trembled, and he closed the door again.
Qian Hui rolled over again, silently chanting in her heart, "I don't believe it, I don't believe it... As long as Nan Tingjin's safety is confirmed, that's all that matters."
If he insists on leaving, there's nothing I can do to stop him.
Qian Hui closed her eyes, trying hard to fall asleep.
He didn't know how long he had been lying there. The plants around him gradually woke up, but he was still not sleepy at all.
Qianhui had no choice but to sit up and prepare to get out of bed as well.
Once the cabbage shells were opened, several plants went to the stream to fetch water, saving some money on buying water.
After Qianhui finished washing up, she wiped the plants' faces and leaves, and then took out breakfast.
The plants lined up, took their share of food from him, and casually found a place to sit down.
The new succulent has a small appetite and only took half a cookie. It obediently followed behind the most familiar little bamboo shoot and sat together next to the sunflower.
Nuts are a bit special; they don't have hands or feet, their bodies can't bend, making them inconvenient to eat.
Previously, in the plant garden, it would nibble on the flowers and plants around the garden to fill its stomach. After Qianhui discovered this, she would occasionally feed it other foods.
The nut can now freely change its size and has become much smaller, but Qianhui still intends to feed it.
Little Cabbage ran over promptly, thoughtfully picked up a biscuit, and held it to Nuts' mouth.
Nut looked at it with a slightly wary look in its eyes, then glanced around.
Qian Hui didn't stop her, and patted the top of the nut's head: "Little Fruit?"
Nuts hesitated for two seconds, then opened his mouth and took a bite of the cookie.
With the help of the little cabbage, Qianhui was temporarily free. She took out another bag of biscuits and looked towards the stream.
Nan Tingjin returned alone from the stream, and Qian Hui took the initiative to step forward and hand him the food and water she was carrying.
He glanced at it, then didn't take it: "I'm not hungry."
Qianhui, holding a cookie, whispered, "Are you still angry?"
He thought about it carefully again. Nan Tingjin didn't remember the past, so he couldn't be blamed.
Now that the "misunderstanding" has been cleared up, the boyfriend's identity no longer exists.
“Just consider me… mistaken for someone else,” Qian Hui said, her head bowed. “It was my fault, but I… I didn’t mean to send you away.”
He continued, "We're leaving in a bit, have you thought it through..."
"Just pretend you mistook me for someone else?"
Nan Tingjin said in a deep voice, and stepped closer to Qian Hui.
His expression was not good, and Qian Hui subconsciously stepped back until her back was against the tree trunk, with nowhere left to retreat.
Nan Tingjin bent down and uttered two words in a low voice: "No."
He was standing too close, his imposing aura making Qian Hui extremely nervous: "Then, what should we do?"
Nan Tingjin fell silent again, and Qian Hui cautiously tugged at his sleeve: "Xiao Jin..."
The rest of the plants were on the other side, so I didn't really notice this side.
The man-eating flower was busy getting on its way, so it buried itself in its food. The carrot urged the durian to clean up the crumbs on the ground.
Nan Tingjin lowered his gaze, grabbed Qian Hui's wrist with his other hand, and pulled him into his arms.
Qian Hui was held tightly, and she almost dropped what she was holding. She heard Nan Tingjin whisper in her ear, "Little liar."
He froze for a moment, then began to struggle: "I didn't!"
Qian Hui understood Nan Tingjin's meaning. He probably didn't believe her about her dreams or her past feelings, and he might even think she had ulterior motives and deliberately tricked her out of the base.
Nan Tingjin was too strong, and Qian Hui couldn't push him away. She protested, "You're the one who lied to me!"
Qian Hui glared at me with her beautiful eyes, looking like a fierce little rabbit.
Nan Tingjin laughed instead: "Fine, I lied to you."
He spoke casually, clearly trying to coax someone, and then leaned closer to kiss them.
Qian Hui refused, reaching out to push his face away forcefully: "No! You're not allowed to kiss me!"
Nan Tingjin didn't continue, patiently coaxing, "Didn't you already kiss before?"
He seemed to have figured it out himself. He assumed that Qian Hui had been talking nonsense this morning and that he was angry, but after an hour or two, when he saw Qian Hui approaching him again, his anger had subsided considerably.
Qian Hui said matter-of-factly, "You're not my boyfriend."
Nan Tingjin's face darkened: "Then who is your boyfriend?"
Qian Hui lowered her eyes, her eyelashes casting thick shadows: "I didn't..."
Just then, Carrot jumped up to the tree above and poked its head out, "Huh?"
It didn't know what the two were doing here; it looked a bit like they were arguing, but not quite.
The things were packed, and they needed to hurry to the place where the plants were being held to see what was going on.
Carrot came over to urge us to get going.
Nan Tingjin's gaze swept over the carrot, clearly displeased, and he slowly released Qian Hui.
Carrot didn't take it seriously, turning to look at him, then at Qianhui.
Not far away, the carnivorous plant grows larger, allowing the other plants to crawl inside one by one.
Qian Hui was still a little unhappy, and threw the biscuits in her hand to Nan Tingjin: "Are you going or not!"
Nan Tingjin took the biscuit and replied slowly, "Go."
Everything seemed to be paused as he and Qianhui entered the mouth of the man-eating flower.
Once everyone was seated securely inside, the carnivorous plant raised its head.
A tiny leaf of the mimosa plant is stuck to one of its teeth, and the leaf is raised to indicate direction.
—
On the other side, at the location of a branch of the Sky Base.
The outer ruins were quiet, without even a wandering zombie. The patrol team quickly passed by the wall.
Unbeknownst to them, a cabbage was hiding in the shadows, observing them.
The cabbage is not very big, about the height of an adult's calf, and its body is round and flat.
Its facial features are on one of the wide sides, and the leaves that are rolled into thick hands and feet are thicker at the ends, like wearing two boxing gloves.
Watching the patrol team walk away, Cabbage began to act.
It leaped up, quickly crossed the ruins, and arrived at the wall outside the base.
Then, Cabbage's raised right hand suddenly grew dozens of times longer, easily grabbing the top of the wall, and with a push of its legs, it flew straight up.
An alarm immediately sounded, and the instruments showed extremely high energy levels. The guards quickly notified everyone: "There's a top-tier exotic plant!"
By this time, the cabbage had climbed over to the other side of the wall and landed steadily.
However, the human superhumans arrived quickly, and in addition to the patrol teams outside, there were also many people guarding the inner area.
Cabbage dodged several ranged attacks, shattered a defensive shield with a single punch, and charged into the crowd.
It was extremely brave and agile, and its gauntlets had grown two sizes larger and could be stretched freely, making its opponent cry out in pain.
However, the number of human superhumans is constantly increasing; as soon as a few fall, others quickly fill their place.
They even took out tranquilizer guns, attempting to capture Cabbage alive.
Cabbage delivered a flying kick, and the syringe containing the anesthetic split in two.
It looked around, bared its teeth fiercely, and swung its fists wildly, throwing out dozens or even hundreds of replica boxing gloves.
The cloned gauntlets are Cabbage's ranged attack; the damage is much lower than a real fist, but it's still sufficient.
While the human superhuman on the other side dodged the gauntlets, Cabbage turned and fled, her outstretched arms hooking onto the wall as she flew upwards, her figure quickly disappearing from sight.
The base sent people out to chase after them, and after a long and thorough search, they returned empty-handed.
After a long time, the cabbage quietly slipped back.
It continued to lurk in the shadows, watching the heavily guarded base.
Just a few days ago, Cabbage was passing by when she discovered that humans were chasing two mutated plants.
The two plants seemed to have escaped from this base, but unfortunately they failed to escape and were quickly captured and brought back.
Cabbage had intended to help, but she was too late.
It wanted to infiltrate the base, but as soon as it got close to the base's walls, a human team would rush over to check the situation, so it couldn't find an opportunity at all.
After staking out the area for two days, Cabbage couldn't think of a better way, so she decided to force her way in.
However, it underestimated the number of human superhumans inside. It couldn't handle so many humans on its own, and it hadn't even figured out the terrain, let alone find the location of the two plants.
Why……
Cabbage sighed.
What should we do? Should we just leave like this?
Cabbage hesitated for a moment, then decided to wait for two more days. If he still couldn't get in, he would beat up a few more of the patrolling men outside.
Immediately afterwards, Cabbage turned and left, retreating to a place further away from the base to avoid being discovered.
It was quiet around, there were no zombies, so it should be safe. It lay on the ruins and rubbed its belly.
Ugh... I haven't eaten for days, I'm starving.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
