Chapter 45 Sneak Attack
Jiang Ye's strength is a mystery.
Bai Chenzhu only knew that he could exchange a few blows with anyone who came. Every time it looked like he was about to lose, he would inexplicably turn the tide of the battle.
Including the time with the mutated bull, he made himself look very disheveled, like he crawled out of a river of blood, and was badly injured, but in the end, it was the mutated bull and Chen Hao who died.
Everyone's attention was drawn to Bai Chenzhu's words, and they all looked at Jiang Ye, especially Tang Zhao, who was most aware of the gap between himself and Jiang Ye. When he heard that Jiang Ye could be compared with that so-called 'Number One Strongest in Luozhou', his eyes immediately lit up like two little light bulbs.
Jiang Ye touched his chest and gasped. After all, no matter how much he trained in private, he was no longer the same person he used to be. He could only say ambiguously, "It's hard to say. Judging from his aura, he's very strong."
He was strong enough to be acknowledged even by Jiang Ye. Bai Chenzhu had a bad feeling. If they were to become his enemy, wouldn't their future be bleak?
"Don't worry." Jiang Ye poked the back of his hand. "We'll deal with whatever comes our way. We don't know anything right now, so we need to gather as much information as possible."
Bai Chenzhu quickly withdrew his hand.
Jiang Ye chuckled and looked at Bai Tao, "You've met that boy before, haven't you? Was he the same as he is now? Did he have a genetic disease from childhood?"
The boy, Bai Li, Bai Tao's half-brother, was in a wheelchair from the beginning. He showed no surprise or displeasure at Bai Tao's appearance, and one could even say he had no other emotions.
Bai Tao shook her head, "She was carefree and impulsive. She's not like she is now."
“Something’s not right with him. Keep a close eye on him,” Jiang Ye said in a deep voice. “He doesn’t even seem human.”
"How could this be?" Bai Tao was extremely surprised, trying hard to recall Bai Li's condition. "He's just a little pale, a little dull, and a little slow to react... Oh, right, the old man said he was in a car accident, so his lower body is paralyzed, which is why he looks like this now, so it's not surprising."
Jiang Ye stroked his chin and remained silent.
Bai Chenzhu glanced at his expression and bluntly said, "You're not thinking of sneaking up in the middle of the night to lift someone's blanket and check their legs, are you?"
Jiang Ye raised his eyebrows and chuckled twice.
Bai Chenzhu sighed.
Jiang Ye didn't say anything, so Bai Tao hadn't thought about it, but the more she thought about it, the more suspicious she became: Yes, how could such an outgoing person completely change after a car accident?
They become unresponsive to the outside world and develop a sickly appearance.
She was now eager to lift the blanket herself and immediately volunteered, "It's inconvenient for you to go over there. I'll find a time to go and take a look."
Bai Li's matter was put on hold for now. Jiang Ye hadn't eaten much and was full of alcohol. Fortunately, Zhou Zhuohua had packed some food for him, so he ate at the small table while everyone else went back to rest.
"Take your time eating, I'm going back first." Bai Chenzhu sat and watched Jiang Ye eat for a while, then became a little impatient and yawned.
Jiang Ye responded.
——
They lived on the top floor of the building, occupying the entire floor by themselves, while others lived below.
Bai Chenzhu stretched and walked step by step into the room, removing the two buttons around his neck.
He walked slowly to the door, grasped the handle, and his eyes cleared instantly.
Bai Chenzhu casually released the handle and took a few steps back. "Jiang Ye, is the chicken leg delicious?"
Jiang Ye was gnawing on a chicken leg when he heard this. He threw the bone into the trash can and wiped his hands. Without asking Bai Chenzhu the reason, he moved with lightning speed, leaving a shadow in the air.
He slammed the door open.
With a bang, a dark figure leaped out of the window, leaving the curtains fluttering in the wind.
Bai Chenzhu ran over and looked out the window. Large swathes of roses were hidden in the darkness, and nothing could be seen.
The room was a mess, and his backpack had obviously been rummaged through. The two checked it and found nothing was missing.
Bai Chenzhu put down his backpack, lost in thought. "A mutant?"
"Is it a person?" Zhou Zhuohua heard the noise and quickly ran over, peering outside.
Jiang Ye immediately caught their gazes and shook his head. "They ran too fast, I couldn't see them clearly. But they're quite big, not like ordinary cats or dogs."
The unknown is what causes the most panic. Zhou Zhuohua hugged her arms and shuddered. "How scary! Could it be that the roses down there have come to life?"
When the topic of mutated plants came up, Bai Chenzhu's expression turned grim. He couldn't help but recall the first mutated creature he had ever encountered, how he had used all his strength to escape in order to survive.
After he left, he had no idea how many people the mutated flower had eaten or how it had come to be.
After Zhou Zhuohua left, he stood by the table looking at it again and again until Jiang Ye finished washing up and called him, at which point Bai Chenzhu's soul flew back.
"Are you in a bad mood?" Jiang Ye walked over and leaned against the window.
“My mental energy does indeed easily attract these things.” Bai Chenzhu exhaled a breath of stale air. “But I have a feeling that it’s not necessarily coming for me.”
"They came for me?" Jiang Ye tilted his head.
He rolled over and leaned against the windowsill to look out. The bright moon hung high, and below were countless flowers, cut into beautiful shapes and arranged in a maze-like pattern, which was very romantic.
“We only arrived in Luozhou today and have only met Bai Guangzheng. We don’t know anyone else. At this time…” Jiang Ye pondered, turning his head to scan the tidied room, “Besides those who came specifically to find us, we can’t rule out the possibility that they just came to steal something.”
"What did it steal?" Bai Chenzhu checked again. "I've already checked, nothing is missing."
“So, maybe it didn’t find what it was looking for,” Jiang Ye said with a smile. “Hiss, but now that you mention it, it does seem to have a purpose.”
What is he looking for? A mutant? Bai Guangzheng... A barrage of thoughts swept through his mind like densely packed words. Bai Chenzhu leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and rubbed his throbbing forehead.
After a moment, he looked up at the quiet Jiang Ye.
Jiang Ye was looking at the scenery outside the window, looking very relaxed, humming a little tune, leaving all his worries behind. Compared to him, he was much more carefree.
The bright moonlight shone on Jiang Ye's face, making him appear gentler.
Bai Chenzhu's heart skipped a beat. Not wanting to deal with the jumbled mess of information anymore, he called out, "Jiang Ye."
"Um?"
Bai Chenzhu pointed out the window and asked, "Would you like to come down for a walk with me?"
Is he planning to go down and investigate? Jiang Ye glanced downstairs, then looked at Bai Chenzhu, puzzled. "Someone just said they wouldn't go out tonight."
It was just a spur-of-the-moment idea; I thought of 'Huaimin is also awake,' and wanted to find someone to go for a walk in the garden maze. I didn't expect Jiang Ye to refuse so quickly.
"If you don't want to go, then forget it." Bai Chenzhu frowned.
"You really are..." Jiang Ye smiled, looking down. "I didn't say I wasn't going."
——
The garden was quiet, and the surrounding buildings were also quiet, as if only the two of them remained alive.
Bai Chenzhu walked ahead, carrying a candle. The warm light followed him step by step, illuminating the flowers in the night. Suddenly, Bai Chenzhu felt as if he had truly returned to ancient society.
There was no sound behind him. Bai Chenzhu turned around to check, but there was nothing there. "Jiang Ye?"
He glanced around. "Jiang Ye! Stop fooling around."
Jiang Ye suddenly darted out in front of him, and even though Bai Chenzhu was mentally prepared, he was still inevitably startled.
“It’s meaningless,” Jiang Ye carefully examined his calm expression, raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Aren’t you afraid of this?”
Who said he wasn't afraid? Bai Chenzhu's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would jump out of his chest, though he didn't show it on his face. His brows were furrowed, and his face was pale. "Don't do anything foolish."
Jiang Ye's clear and bright eyes relaxed, as free as the wind. He took out his right hand from behind his back, "I just saw a multicolored rose, so I went and picked it."
He twirled the flower stem, on which the large roses were white on the outside and transitioned to crimson on the inside.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" Jiang Ye stepped forward and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Belatedly realizing that her words hadn't been quite accurate, Jiang Ye's expression turned serious. "Are you feeling unwell? Do you want to go back?"
"I'm not going back, it's your fault." Bai Chenzhu shook her head and slapped his hand away. "I was chased by a climbing rose before, it was a mutated plant."
"It was chasing me and trying to eat me. Inside the layers of petals were densely packed teeth, no, they were stamens as hard as steel needles."
Jiang Ye swiftly put away the flower he had picked. He did so so quickly, as if the flower had never existed.
That look made Bai Chenzhu, who was about to say something, laugh.
“Let’s settle the score. You really scared me just now.” He spread his hands toward Jiang Ye, his eyes sparkling, and said gently, “As compensation, you should give me back that flower.”
Jiang Ye hesitated for a moment, "Aren't you afraid of flowers?"
“What I fear are mutants. And,” Bai Chenzhu paused for a moment, “what appears in your hands, I’m not afraid of.”
Jiang Ye's heart skipped a beat, and inexplicably, he handed over the rose he had hidden. Bai Chenzhu casually placed the candle in his hand, then took the rose and, mimicking his gesture, twirled the stem.
To be honest, the rose Jiang Ye picked was exceptionally beautiful. Its large corolla and the gradient of colors, from cool to alluring, were unforgettable. Bai Chenzhu compared it with the roses she had encountered along the way and realized that the one in her hand was the most beautiful.
Since he'd already picked them, he figured he might as well take them home and grow some. He inexplicably had the idea of growing flowers.
——
They walked one after the other in the rose garden. There were no strange noises or dangerous mutants. However, when they came out, they accidentally saw the mother and child. The woman looked at the two of them with a strange expression when she saw that they were holding candles and flowers.
Bai Chenzhu hadn't expected to have such a reward on his trip. He nudged Jiang Ye in the lower back, and Jiang Ye helplessly raised the corners of his lips and walked forward, "Good evening, Madam Bai."
Madam Bai's expression changed slightly, and she gripped the back handles of her wheelchair tightly with both hands.
“Mr. Jiang,” Mrs. Bai nodded politely, “I won’t disturb you two any longer, we have to go now.”
"Wait a minute." Bai Chenzhu called out to them. He casually stuffed the flower into his breast pocket, half-squatted down, groped around on the ground, and picked up a piece of candy. "This seems to be what Young Master Bai left behind."
He smiled faintly, "Food is very important at this time, so it would be better for Young Master Bai to be careful."
Madam Bai really wanted to say, "Where is Bai Li's candy?"
But Bai Chenzhu took a long stride and walked up to Bai Li, bowing low. "Young Master Bai?"
He examined the boy in the wheelchair; his face was haggard, his skin pale, and he looked sickly. A blanket covered his legs, and his hands were folded and resting on his thighs.
Bai Chenzhu clenched the candy in his palm, silently imbuing it with a wisp of spiritual energy, and then tentatively placed the candy in his hand. "Young Master Bai, you'd better hold it carefully now."
Bai Li reacted, her pale eyes rolled, and she slowly looked down at Bai Chenzhu's face, then at the candy in her palm.
A hint of longing appeared in Bai Li's eyes. He clenched the candy in his hand, and before even taking off the wrapper, he was about to stuff it into his mouth.
"Alright! My son needs to rest now, please make yourselves at home!" Madam Bai said hastily, pulling her wheelchair back and quickly pushing Bai Li away.
"You gave my candy to someone else." Jiang Ye stood to the side and watched the whole thing, now with a sullen face, very unhappy.
Bai Chenzhu turned his head and said, "But we did gain something, didn't we?"
He turned around, patted Jiang Ye's shoulder, and whispered in his ear, "I put a trace of spiritual energy into that candy."
Jiang Ye's pupils constricted as he recalled Bai Li's earlier behavior. "He's infected?"
"This news is worth more than a piece of candy, isn't it?" Bai Chenzhu said confidently.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Ye didn't buy it. He snorted coldly and walked back along the outer edge of the garden with the candle in his hand.
Why is he still so possessive of a piece of candy? Bai Chenzhu looked helplessly at his retreating figure.
The candle was in Jiang Ye's hand. As he walked further and further away, the light disappeared. Bai Chenzhu belatedly realized that he had been left behind in the darkness.
"Wait, actually I still have..." Bai Chenzhu saw the light source getting further and further away from him, so he quickly chased after it.
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