Chapter 43 Mr. Bai
That evening, they planned to find an open place to camp, but unexpectedly they saw a unique villa on the mountainside by the roadside.
The villa was only about two stories high, with a very modern and stylish design. It stood out conspicuously among the surrounding farmland and woods. When the group went over to take a look, they found it empty, with a layer of dust covering the smart lock.
Bai Tao complained, "Who would build a house in farmland anyway?!"
The villa was brand new, but sparsely furnished, clearly uninhabited. Tang Zhao muttered, "Damn capitalists, leaving so many houses vacant..."
Bai Chenzhu looked around and said, "Jiang Ye, this is very similar to your previous house."
“Yes, meeting is fate, and fate is my home.” Jiang Ye smiled at him, got out of the car, wiped his hands, and jumped over the wall in a few steps.
Tang Zhao exclaimed in surprise, "Could this be considered 'robbery'?"
Bai Chenzhu, who was used to his sudden outbursts, remained calm and cooperated with Jiang Ye in picking the lock. "In special circumstances, the owner will understand."
If the owner is still alive.
Bai Tao chased after Tang Zhao, playfully fighting with him.
As soon as the door opened, Zhou Zhuohua drove smoothly into the yard.
——
The house was more comfortable than the campsite.
Bai Chenzhu silently apologized to the homeowner, and then began to openly choose a room.
The group quickly divided into rooms and explored the house, discovering that it was indeed a new house with nothing but walls.
So they could only continue grilling the leftover fish from lunch in the yard.
Zhou Zhuohua continued to munch on her bread. Bai Chenzhu found a bucket, poured in a fish that looked fairly normal, and poked it around with a stick.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Ye came closer.
“I think this one is quite normal.” Bai Chenzhu examined the fish carefully after handling it for a while. “The teeth, eyes, and scales are all normal. Sister Zhuohua should have no problem eating it.”
Bai Chenzhu elbowed Jiang Ye, "Do you even know how to tell the difference?"
He noticed the strange look on Jiang Ye's face and his suspicions were confirmed. "You know."
As Jiang Ye was about to leave, Bai Chenzhu reacted quickly, grabbing him by the neck, "Where are you going? Tell me first."
He didn't speak loudly, leaving Jiang Ye some leeway.
Jiang Ye almost fell over when he was pulled. He turned around and sighed, took the stick from Bai Chenzhu's hand and poked the fish in the bucket. "Well, actually, in the later stages, everyone's bodies mutated. So even mutated fish can be eaten as long as you're not too picky."
"Mutant fish can be eaten?" Bai Chenzhu felt nauseous immediately when she recalled those bizarre movements. "Really?"
“Of course it’s true. Later generations of humans are less sensitive, and the infection rate drops rapidly. Only when the amount of virus infected reaches a certain level is it possible for mutation to occur, but right now…” He glanced at Zhou Zhuohua.
Bai Chenzhu understood, "You don't want to take this risk."
"I don't want to now. Besides, Sister Zhuohua saw how ugly the mutated fish looked. If you grill fish for her again, she might not dare to eat it."
Jiang Ye twitched his lips, recalling something, and sighed slightly, "Speaking of which, this is also why Luo Zhou was able to rise in the later stages. The ocean is vast, and the number of monsters infected by humans is limited. They rely on the sea for fish and grow some staple foods, so they don't have to worry about food shortages. Sigh, unlike other bases, where they work themselves to the bone just for a little bit of meat..."
"Why are you talking about things so far in the future?" Bai Chenzhu saw that he was a little down, so he patted him on the back, put the bucket in front of him, and gave him his task, "Grill some fish for me."
"Hiss, you're really not being polite." Jiang Ye put one hand on his hip and pointed.
This is all thanks to Jiang Ye's cooking skills; both the roast chicken and the roast fish taste great. Bai Chenzhu looked at him innocently and asked sincerely, "Are you sure you want me to be polite with you?"
"I wouldn't dare," Jiang Ye said, sounding slightly aggrieved.
Bai Chenzhu lifted her foot to leave, then suddenly took two steps back, poked Jiang Ye's cheek, and said in a gentler tone, "Be good, let's go grill fish."
Even from a few meters away, the three people around the campfire could clearly see the two of them sticking together. Bai Tao whispered in Zhou Zhuohua's ear, "Those two are whispering again. How can they have so much to say?"
“Birds of a feather flock together. The average age of the two of them together is no more than six years.” Zhou Zhuohua patted her hand. “Alright, after being out in the wind and rain for so long, it’s rare to find a house. Go to sleep early tonight.”
——
That evening, Bai Chenzhu brought a thin blanket into the room.
Jiang Ye lived a rough life, using a jacket as a blanket. He even tried to encourage Bai Chenzhu to do the same, saying, "What's the point of a blanket in the middle of summer? It's so hot, it's good enough if you don't sleep naked."
"Take it off yourself if you want." Bai Chenzhu spread out his own blankets. "Without blankets, I don't feel safe."
Since he was already in his room sleeping, he didn't mind making himself more comfortable.
Jiang Ye rolled over and pinned his blanket down.
He's being unreasonable again. Bai Chenzhu slapped him on the back of the shoulder and said, "Go back home."
Jiang Ye, being mischievous, lay down on the thin blanket and pretended to be asleep.
"Get off me." Bai Chenzhu raised his hand to push Jiang Ye away, but Jiang Ye's hands were gripping the edge of the bed board tightly. If Bai Chenzhu really used his strength, he would probably lift the bed board off, and then he probably wouldn't be able to sleep comfortably tonight.
"Aren't you going to get up?" Bai Chenzhu's patience was wearing thin.
Jiang Ye was still pretending to be asleep.
Bai Chenzhu simply plopped down on his waist. Jiang Ye was completely caught off guard by this move and let out a cry of pain that was half real and half fake: "Murder! Murder! Help! Someone is trying to kill me!"
Bai Chenzhu found it amusing, raised her hand and pinched Jiang Ye's nape, gently stroking it, "Is my blanket comfortable to sleep in?"
"I can't sleep well, I can't sleep well at all!" Jiang Ye said hurriedly. "I want to go back."
Bai Chenzhu used force with one hand to press his forehead into the blanket with a thud.
After a moment, he released his hand. "Since you like it, then don't reply."
"Such a good thing?" Jiang Ye was stunned. He tried hard to turn his head to look at Bai Chenzhu, but the hands on the back of his neck were tightly clenched, and he could not see Bai Chenzhu's expression.
He hesitated for only a moment before abandoning the idea of using his superpower.
A warm body pressed against him. Jiang Ye felt a chill run down his spine.
Bai Chenzhu lay on top of him, using him as a cushion, and suddenly realized that Jiang Ye was as stiff as a stone slab. He patted Jiang Ye's shoulder, "You sleep in my blanket, so you can be my cushion, no objections?"
Jiang Ye expressed strong disagreement.
"Rebuttal denied." Bai Chenzhu flicked him on the back of the head. "You can just lie there like that tonight."
"etc……"
Bai Chenzhu imitated his scoundrel, pretending to be asleep and even deliberately making snoring noises to prove that he was 'sound asleep'.
With the person clinging to his back, Jiang Ye was dumbfounded. His fingertips twitched and unfolded, and he mentally rehearsed the action of lifting the person off countless times, but he hesitated to take any action.
Time passed slowly. Bai Chenzhu didn't expect Jiang Ye to actually endure it. After he had tormented Jiang Ye enough, he pretended to be asleep, rolled over, and landed on the mattress, giving Jiang Ye a chance to get up.
A collective gasp came from the side, and Jiang Ye felt a chill run down his spine. Bai Chenzhu, who was sleeping on his side facing the wall, heard the noise and a slight smile curved his lips.
A blanket was draped over him.
The curve of Bai Chenzhu's lips gradually flattened.
I thought it was just a normal scuffle, but Jiang Ye's behavior seemed to be too indulgent, not even retaliating.
After a while, he turned over and glanced at Jiang Ye. Jiang Ye was sleeping on his side, facing the door with his back to him, wearing a coat over his body, his arms exposed to the air, his muscles clearly defined.
Bai Chenzhu lifted the thin blanket a little and draped the corner of it over Jiang Ye's waist.
——
Luozhou is located in the southernmost part of China, surrounded by the sea on three sides and connected to the mainland by only one bridge. It is most famous for its resort island.
Even from a distance, you can see the Holiday Inn in the center of the resort island; it is designed to resemble a giant ship and is highly iconic.
Scattered around it are brightly colored houses, like stars surrounding the moon.
"A legendary top-notch resort in the world." Zhou Zhuohua adjusted his glasses as he looked at the vibrant colors and sighed, "I've always wanted to come here for a vacation, but I never expected my first visit would be in the apocalypse."
As the car drove across the bridge, Bai Chenzhu looked at the shimmering sea and a strange thought occurred to her, "Jiang Ye, what if there are fragments in the sea?"
Jiang Ye said that the third piece of the fragment is in the Holiday Inn.
Of course, he also told Bai Chenzhu in private that the fragment should be in Bai Tao's father's hands.
However, having experienced what happened with Tang Jie, they are no longer entirely certain.
After all, the second fragment should have been in Tang Jie's hands, but unexpectedly, Tang Jie had nothing. It was only after Jiang Ye pressed him that he finally got a clue about the place he had planned to go, and at great risk, he found the fragment inside the mutated bull's body.
They've arrived in Luozhou a few years earlier than planned, still out of sync with the timeline, so it's hard to say what they'll encounter.
Jiang Ye said calmly, "That's fate. I'll just do my best."
Bai Chenzhu looked at him upon hearing the sound, but Jiang Ye was focused on the road ahead.
That's a lie. These past few days have been enough for Bai Chenzhu to figure out Jiang Ye's personality, and by observing his actions, he's been able to discern some patterns.
He could vaguely guess Jiang Ye's thoughts: he would probably try his best to find it, even if it meant searching for a needle in a haystack.
——
The car was surrounded as soon as it came off the bridge.
After revealing that there were two superhumans in the car, they received a high-level reception. The squad leader, to welcome them to Luo Zhou, offered them a room at the Holiday Inn.
Jiang Ye asked directly, "We have important business to discuss with your boss. Could you make arrangements?"
"What's so important? You can tell me, it's the same thing," the squad leader said politely.
Bai Chenzhu glanced at Jiang Ye, then continued without changing his expression, "It's about the Zombie King. We've been fleeing because a powerful Zombie King appeared at the last base. And now, we're sensing a similar aura in Luozhou, and we're very worried about the safety of Luozhou."
As expected, upon hearing that it was the Zombie King, the leading squad leader immediately relayed the message up the chain of command: "Please wait a moment, Mr. Bai is very busy and will see you later."
Mr. Bai.
Bai Chenzhu caught the key words and glanced at Bai Tao.
Bai Tao, who had been chatting and laughing with Zhou Zhuohua, also heard this word. Her smile gradually faded, and she frowned, deep in thought.
Jiang Ye put his arm around Bai Chenzhu's elbow and led him into the car. "What are you looking at? Let's go."
Bai Chenzhu looked away.
The car stopped in the parking lot near the hotel, and the group looked up at the towering Holiday Inn, speechless for a moment.
"Wow, I heard this is one of the world's most famous hotels." Tang Zhao craned his neck as he walked, nearly tripping over a stone.
Bai Tao pulled him aside, annoyed. "I can tell without you even saying it."
Bai Chenzhu walked ahead, lost in thought. "If accommodations are allocated according to this standard, Luozhou is a very suitable place for development."
Zhou Zhuohua frowned. "With people living so close together, if a zombie appears in just one room, it will be a disaster."
“After all, there are thousands of rooms here.” Jiang Ye casually fiddled with his car keys. “Therefore, a large number of patrol personnel are needed, and ordinary people can also find jobs here.”
The group chatted as they walked. They were all tall and had long legs, standing out like cranes among chickens on the street. Soon, many people followed them and offered to be their tour guides.
Compared to Fuguang City, the streets here are cleaner, and the roadside is lined with stalls selling all sorts of strange and wonderful things. It's all about bartering, and there are many people coming and going, making it a lively and bustling place.
But Bai Chenzhu saw straw markers on the heads of several people.
The items marked with straw tags were all tradable goods. He instantly realized what was happening, and his good mood vanished.
It seems that Luozhou's 'prosperity' is merely a facade, and in essence, it is no different from that of Fuguang County.
——
"Dad!" Bai Tao cried out in surprise, drawing the attention of the entire street.
This also includes the other four people.
Like a bird breaking away from the group, Bai Tao happily ran to a refined man, opened her arms and hugged his arm, "Daddy! I've finally found you, waaaah!"
She cried tears of joy, affectionate and warm, a stark contrast to her current demeanor in the car, where she complained about not liking her father.
Bai Chenzhu followed and looked Bai's father up and down.
Mr. Bai looked very young, appearing to be only in his thirties or forties. He had a fair complexion, no beard, and a very refined appearance. He was wearing a set of tightly sealed casual clothes and a pair of black gloves.
Beside him stood a beautiful woman in a dress, pushing a wheelchair. In the wheelchair sat a boy about the same age as Bai Tao, who looked sickly and had a pale, numb face.
They looked like a family of three traveling together. Bai Chenzhu looked them over and concluded that the boy was the son of the base lord that Han Yuyan had mentioned.
Is Bai Tao really an only child? He turned to look at Jiang Ye, trying to convey this question.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Ye had been watching him the whole time. The two met eyes unexpectedly, and Jiang Ye looked surprised.
Bai Chenzhu stroked his chin, lost in thought. "It seems things are really different from what we expected."
Jiang Ye: "Mm."
Mr. Bai stood frozen in place, at a loss. Upon hearing the word "Dad" and seeing Mr. Bai's nonchalant attitude, the guards around him dared not move rashly.
Thus, Bai Tao was able to get close, and after crying, she unceremoniously used Mr. Bai's sleeve to wipe her tears.
She looked at the woman, sizing her up and down. Her round eyes were filled with clear innocence, and no one would doubt her ulterior motives.
Bai Tao turned to look at Mr. Bai, raising her voice, "Dad, is this also my new mom?"
The word "also" almost made Bai Chenzhu burst out laughing. He turned his head away and coughed twice to cover his laughter.
Tang Zhao has always been a bit dim-witted and very straightforward. He laughed without thinking, and his laughter was so loud that it almost made Bai's father lose his composure.
"Tao Tao, you're still alive?!" Bai's father finally showed an expression, like a robot that had short-circuited and returned to normal.
He looked touched, tore the white peach off his body, and held her shoulders, looking her up and down. "You must be tired after traveling all this way. Let's go back to the manor and talk about it."
Bai Tao exclaimed happily, "Great! Can I take them all back with me?"
She pointed to the other four people.
"Who are they?" Father Bai's attitude turned cold as he scrutinized Bai Chenzhu and the others.
Bai Tao pointed at Zhou Zhuohua and said, "This is my girlfriend."
Then, pointing to Tang Zhao, she said, "This is my boyfriend."
Finally, pointing to Bai Chenzhu and Jiang Ye, he said, "These are my two backup options."
Bai Chenzhu's eyes twitched, and only one thought crossed his mind: Why is he the backup option?
Bai Tao shook Mr. Bai's arm, looking at her father pleadingly, "I'll be so lonely without them. Dad, you can understand, right?"
Perhaps they were too shocked by the abnormal and twisted relationship, for a moment the guards behind Bai's father and the people on the street who were listening intently were all dumbfounded.
"Okay, Daddy~" Bai Tao used her charm and hugged Mr. Bai's arm, shaking it.
She has a small, round face, is very pretty and harmless, and is at the age of a young girl, so when she acts coquettishly, it feels perfectly natural.
Mr. Bai couldn't hold on any longer, so he surrendered.
However, her innocent and naive appearance made the four people who had been with her for a while feel very unfamiliar and uncomfortable, and even suspected that Bai Tao had been possessed.
Bai Chenzhu covered her eyes, and Jiang Ye said, "You'll get used to it."
What does this mean? Bai Chenzhu looked at Jiang Ye in shock. Could it be that Bai Tao in her previous life also often used this method to deceive people?
Jiang Ye looked at him intently and nodded in affirmation of his guess.
Many thoughts flashed through Bai Chenzhu's mind in an instant, but among those countless fragments of memory, he remembered Zhou Zhuohua saying that Jiang Ye responded to gentleness but not force.
He paused, and with an inexplicable feeling, asked, "Do you like this?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com