Chapter 81 A Nest
A gray and white wolf lay in a crevice beneath the broken wall, its body covered in wounds. It lay there, motionless and silent, like a corpse that had been dead for many years.
So much so that even when Bai Chenzhu walked right past it, he didn't notice this 'living creature' immediately.
In the silence, a sliver of silver light landed on the tip of its nose, cool to the touch.
The lone wolf opened its eyes, its golden pupils filled with ferocity. It propped itself up and crouched low as it walked out through the crack in the broken wall. The bloodstains on its body had dried and were mixed with its fur, making it look messy and dirty.
It looked at the little thing on the tip of its nose with a puzzled expression. The thing was slowly fluttering its wings. After looking at it for a long time, the gray wolf could barely recognize that it was a little butterfly.
It shook its head.
The silver light, accompanied by a soft laugh, landed on its erect left ear, like a bow.
This rendered the wolf's ferocity meaningless.
The gray wolf frantically tugged at its ears, trying to get the butterfly off, its actions comical.
"Jiang Ye, do you still recognize me?" Bai Chenzhu landed in front of it and tentatively touched its forehead.
Ordinary ability users don't have much mental strength, not as much as those with mental abilities. Bai Chenzhu wasn't sure if the 'self' in other people's mental seas could connect with their real-world memories.
The gray wolf stared at him for a few seconds, then turned to leave.
Bai Chenzhu reached out to stop it, but the gray wolf suddenly turned around and howled at him, looking fierce as if it wanted to bite him. Bai Chenzhu instinctively pulled his hand back, but the gray wolf bit his palm.
His pupils contracted sharply, but he felt no pain in his palm.
The gray wolf spat out his unharmed hand, observed Bai Chenzhu's expression for a while, squinted mischievously, and rubbed his palm.
That means she recognized him and was deliberately trying to scare him. Bai Chenzhu laughed, "Why are you sleeping here? You didn't answer when I called you."
The gray wolf tried to scramble back into the crevice to escape reality, but Bai Chenzhu grabbed its upper limbs. Bai Chenzhu guessed what it was thinking, "Do you feel that your appearance isn't good enough, so you're afraid to see me?"
After all, to some extent, the manifestations within the spiritual sea are also a manifestation of spiritual power.
From this perspective, Jiang Ye's mental state has always been terrible, utterly terrible.
Even the master's avatar was covered in wounds and looked utterly wretched. Although Bai Chenzhu didn't want to think about it that way, the gray wolf in front of him looked exactly like a lone wolf betrayed by its pack, barely clinging to life on its own.
Bai Chenzhu hugged its upper body, not minding the bloodstains on its body, and rubbed the gray wolf's fur. "Isn't it cute? Why are you running away?"
"Cute? Adorable?" The gray wolf froze.
He felt that Bai Chenzhu's eyes seemed to have some problems.
Bai Chenzhu could sense the gray wolf's tension and feigned anger, saying, "You dare to question me?"
The gray wolf let out a pitiful howl, lowered its head, circled Bai Chenzhu once, and rested its tail on his elbow.
Bai Chenzhu sat down with one leg propped up, and Gray Wolf sat next to him, serving as a backrest.
“You say this place is dilapidated,” Bai Chenzhu pointed to the chaotic sky, then to the ground full of lava, fire and broken houses, and said truthfully, “there isn’t even a place to rest.”
The gray wolf lowered its eyes, its golden pupils showing great sadness, as if to say: I didn't want this to happen either.
"Why don't you transform into human form?" Bai Chenzhu asked, puzzled. "We can't communicate like this."
The gray wolf covered its ears in annoyance, trying to deceive itself.
Bai Chenzhu vaguely remembered that Jiang Ye seemed to have died in a chaotic battle in his previous life, whether it was due to an enemy or an explosion.
He roughly guessed that Jiang Ye's human form wouldn't be much better.
Bai Chenzhu's teasing mood subsided considerably. He dared not think about Jiang Ye's appearance and changed the subject, saying, "I'll make you a nest. I'll come again next time, but you're not allowed to dismantle the nest."
The gray wolf nodded.
Bai Chenzhu gestured its size, raised its hand and brushed across the scorched earth in front of it, creating a large rattan nest with light-colored soft fabric piled in the middle.
He called it a den, and he really did make one—a wolf den that looked like a large cat's den.
He sat down himself, and the gray wolf carefully stepped onto the edge and jumped up, lying on his lap.
Bai Chenzhu combed its fur with his hands, and when he saw any wounds, he tried to heal them with his mental power. He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but after the gray wolf's condition improved, the temperature in this area also dropped, and the faint thunder also disappeared.
Bai Chenzhu figured out a bit of the trick, and looking at the lone wolf resting quietly with its eyes closed on his lap, a dark idea came to him.
His 'control' has always been limited to shielding, that is, severing the connection between the body and the brain. But if he could control the brain... Now, Jiang Ye's spiritual body is right in front of me. If I can control it, does that mean I can also control Jiang Ye himself?
Sensing danger, the gray wolf stood up from his lap and looked around warily.
Bai Chenzhu was startled by his own thought. He covered his head with one hand and shook his head, "Damn it!"
The gray wolf poked its head over and looked at him worriedly.
"I'm fine, I just thought of some...not-so-pleasant things," Bai Chenzhu reassured him. "Almost there, lie down."
The gray wolf trusted him and lay back on his lap, squinting and dozing off.
When Bai Chenzhu opened her eyes, she found herself lying on the bed with Jiang Ye, their foreheads touching, in an intimate posture.
The gray wolf in his spiritual sea was fast asleep, and Jiang Ye was also sleeping soundly. He, who was usually very sensitive, could not even detect Bai Chenzhu getting up.
Bai Chenzhu propped himself up on the edge of the bed, turned to look at Jiang Ye, and thought regretfully: If he had the chance another day, he really wanted to take Gray Wolf to his mental sea.
Looking at the blue sky and white clouds, feeling the sea breeze, is much better than that wretched place.
——
After warning the superhumans, nothing like this happened again.
Hundreds of superhumans left Deer Cry Ancient City one after another, leaving only Jiang Ye and his group, along with the superhumans led by Liang Zhi, behind.
Jiang Ye and his group had other plans, while Liang Zhi, the man rumored to have abandoned the city and fled, only began planning his own itinerary after almost all the superhumans had left.
Bai Chenzhu thought that if it weren't for the interference of the alien race, this city lord would have been fully capable of supporting the crumbling city, instead of letting the ancient city with its large population become a dead city.
“We’re planning to go to Cannes,” Liang Zhi said, having invited them to dinner.
This wasn't surprising; Deer City had become a veritable zombie city. Humans are social animals, and zombies are no longer their kind. Since the few of them couldn't save the city, they naturally sought another place to go.
Liang Zhi chose Kangcheng, which is nearby.
Dinner was simple: a few bottles of mineral water and some bread. Bai Chenzhu was eating bread when someone suddenly poked her cheek.
He looked up and, unsurprised, stared at Jiang Ye, who had been up to his mischief.
Jiang Ye mouthed: Hamster.
Bai Chenzhu: ...
Liang Zhi didn't look at them, but instead looked at Zhou Zhuohua and abruptly asked, "I wonder if Miss Zhou would be willing to travel with us for a while?"
Bai Chenzhu paused in his eating and his gaze fell on Liang Zhi.
Is this an attempt to steal their doctors?
Bai Chenzhu was certain that Zhou Zhuohua wouldn't go with just anyone, but when he noticed that Zhou Zhuohua didn't refuse immediately, he frowned.
Things didn't seem to go as he expected.
Bai Tao looked at Zhou Zhuohua nervously, but Zhou Zhuohua remained calm and asked a question that Bai Chenzhu hadn't expected, "When are you setting off?"
Liang Zhidao said, "We have prepared the vehicles and supplies, and we expect to set off the day after tomorrow."
His gaze swept over Jiang Ye and his group of four. "Of course, if Miss Zhou's other companions would like to join us as well, we would be very happy to!"
What exactly happened? Bai Chenzhu found it difficult to eat.
The dinner was unusually quiet, with occasional sounds of Jiang Ye and Liang Zhi discussing something.
——
Back at the villa, Bai Tao, who was closest to Zhou Zhuohua, was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. "Sister Zhuohua! Are you really going to go with those strangers? No, don't! I can't bear to part with you! None of us can bear to part with you!"
Zhou Zhuohua poured a glass of water, turned around and sat on the sofa. "Please sit down first, I have something to tell you."
Bai Tao was puffed up and refused to sit down, looking resistant as she crossed her arms and turned away from her.
The other three people sat down on the sofa.
Bai Tao was furious. She scratched the sofa, both anxious and angry.
Zhou Zhuohua took off her glasses and wiped them, then sighed, "Jiang Ye, my dad went to Kangcheng on a business trip, and Mengmeng might be there too."
Mengmeng? Zhou Mengmeng? Bai Chenzhu dug this name out from the depths of his mind.
When he, Jiang Ye, and Zhou Zhuohua first came out of the villa, there weren't many zombies yet. Zhou Zhuohua had a fever and wanted to see Zhou Mengmeng. So he and Jiang Ye went to a residential area to look for Zhou Mengmeng, but only found a letter on a table.
The letter said that Zhou Mengmeng had been picked up by her father's friend and taken to her father's place.
In that residential area, they didn't find Zhou Mengmeng, but they encountered Bai Tao. Then, they took Bai Tao out of the residential area and returned to the hotel, where they encountered the 'executioner' who killed Bai Tao's mother.
Bai Chenzhu pinched the bridge of his nose and suddenly understood Zhou Zhuohua's decision. His initial resistance and displeasure lessened considerably. He put himself in her shoes and asked, "Sister Zhuohua, are you going to Kangcheng to find your relatives?"
Bai Tao clenched her fists, then suddenly felt weak and saddened. It turned out Zhou Zhuohua was going to find her relatives; she had no right to stop her.
Zhou Zhuohua nodded. "I've been hesitant ever since Liang Zhi and the others said they were going to Kangcheng. It might be dangerous along the way, but I still want to follow my heart. I want to go to Kangcheng."
She was determined, and no one could change her mind.
Bai Chenzhu thought that Zhou Zhuohua had always been like this, calm and rational.
Just like now, she's simply informing her partners.
Tang Zhao hesitated, then said, "But Sister Zhuohua, your sudden departure has left us all..."
He didn't continue, nor could he continue; everyone understood his meaning.
Tang Zhao was the last to join the team, but he quickly integrated into the group and had long been used to the presence of this older sister, and to having someone cover for them and treat their injuries.
He felt upset when he suddenly heard that one person would be missing.
Tang Zhao suddenly leaned forward, as if remembering something. "Besides, it's dangerous for you to be alone! You can't trust those superhumans. What if they want to harm you?"
In the world of superhumans, ordinary people are as easy to manipulate as ants.
Bai Tao sat on the armrest of the sofa, looking distressed and dejected. "Are Beiming City and Kangcheng on the same road?"
Jiang Ye remained seated on the sofa, his fingers interlocked on his knees. He shook his head. "Completely opposite."
Bai Tao took a deep breath, but her exhale was heavy with nasal sounds and a faint sob. She covered her face and stomped upstairs, slamming the door shut and disappearing from sight.
Jiang Ye lowered his voice, "Sister, we can take you to Kangcheng first."
As if she had expected this, Zhou Zhuohua smiled and said, "No need, you can go do your own thing."
“Jiang Ye, I’ve always wanted to tell you not to rush things. Things will work out eventually. Ever since the three of us were trapped in the villa, I’ve known you were preoccupied with something, worried about the unknown. You were having nightmares and even needed sleeping pills to fall asleep for a while. I don’t know what you’re worried about, but when I saw you searching for the fragments with such a clear direction, I roughly understood your urgent thoughts.”
"So, you don't need to stop for me. I'll take good care of myself."
Since Zhou Zhuohua said so, Jiang Ye also frankly said, "But no matter what the plan is, it's not as important as you. Getting you to Kangcheng safely is also what I want to do."
“You’re just one step away,” Zhou Zhuohua said slowly, taking a sip of water. “But if you come with me to Kangcheng, there might be a lot of situations that will take time to deal with, like Luming Ancient City. When we came here, nobody knew what was going to happen here.”
Seeing that the two held their own opinions, neither could persuade the other.
Bai Chenzhu observed Zhou Zhuohua's expression and patted Jiang Ye's hand. "I believe in Sister Zhuohua. She has always been the smartest among us. She has overcome so many difficulties with us. You should give her more confidence."
Jiang Ye looked at Bai Chenzhu with suspicion, "Which side are you on?"
Bai Chenzhu frankly admitted: "Actually, I think both methods are fine. I just suggested a way to make everyone feel less psychologically burdened."
After saying that, he glanced at Zhou Zhuohua.
Zhou Zhuohua's tense muscles relaxed, and she smiled at him.
Bai Chenzhu knew that he had guessed Zhou Zhuohua's thoughts correctly.
She is gentle and modest, but sometimes too independent. She doesn't like to bother others or rely on others, but she likes to be needed.
As ordinary people and as doctors, from the time they started working together until now, they have asked Zhou Zhuohua for help far more times than Sister Zhuohua has asked them for help.
Zhou Zhuohua was convinced that finding the fragments was the most urgent task for their small team. For Zhou Zhuohua, finding her relatives was also a very urgent matter, and the two were caught in the middle, pulling her in a difficult position.
Like a tree that has grown branches, she was determined to walk onto that branch herself.
As for the question of safety, Bai Chenzhu had a vague guess in his mind: Bai Tao might prefer to leave with Sister Zhuohua.
This is just a reasonable speculation.
Bai Tao and Zhou Mengmeng are close friends, so they probably knew about Zhou Zhuohua's existence long ago. After Bai Tao's mother passed away, it was Sister Zhuohua who took care of her and accompanied her to the funeral. Later, the two became like sisters.
Compared to the three men, Bai Tao always preferred to be closer to Zhou Zhuohua. Even though Zhou Zhuohua was just an ordinary person and Bai Tao was a superhuman, Bai Tao always relied on Zhou Zhuohua.
Or rather, in this apocalyptic world where nothing exists, Bai Tao regarded Zhou Zhuohua as family, a pillar of support. But now, Zhou Zhuohua is going to find her own family…
Perhaps it would be safer for the two of them to travel together. But whatever Zhou Zhuohua and Bai Tao choose, they need to have a proper discussion with Liang Zhi's side.
Bai Chenzhu lowered his eyes and continued what he had just said, "Besides, things may not be as bad as we think."
——
Zhou Zhuohua remained resolute. After a brief chat, everyone returned to their respective rooms.
Bai Chenzhu and Jiang Ye looked at each other, neither of them showing any intention of taking a shower first.
Bai Chenzhu sensed something subtle. "How about we go together?"
Jiang Ye didn't ask where he was going, but nodded knowingly, "Okay."
Liang Zhi was caught red-handed as soon as he came out of the bathroom after using the toilet.
Despite having just met at dinner, Liang Zhi raised his hand, both amused and exasperated, "Gentlemen, I can't beat you two. Put down the knife, and we can talk this out."
The bathroom was inside the room, and when he came out, he was blocked, without even a chance to shout for help.
But Liang Zhi wasn't surprised. Beneath his honest and upright exterior lay a unique caution and prudence. "Are you two here to ask about Miss Zhou?"
Bai Chenzhu put down the fruit knife in his hand, his eyes darkening. "I only have one question: who first suggested going to Kangcheng?"
Jiang Ye remained in the same knife-wielding pose. Liang Zhigang breathed a sigh of relief, only to be hoisted high up again.
He carefully chose his words, "Actually, before I was captured by the alien race, I had contacted the surrounding cities, hoping they would send people to support the ancient city at that time, because there were just too many patients, not enough hospitals, not enough doctors, and not enough medical supplies..."
"From what I know, Kangcheng was in the best condition at the time because of a Dr. Zhou who overcame all opposition to isolate people infected with the virus and presided over the construction of the makeshift hospital."
Jiang Ye frowned. "He succeeded?"
“I don’t know. Later I was imprisoned and lost contact with the outside world,” Liang Zhi said. “But based on the above information, and the location of the nearby base that Mr. Jiang mentioned, I’m taking a gamble and going back to Kangcheng, which was in good condition before I lost contact.”
“Miss Zhou is a very kind person. She helped us treat our illnesses and bandage our wounds. When I found out that Miss Zhou was also a doctor, the similar surname made me ask her if she knew that Dr. Zhou Xuan.” Liang Zhi saw that Jiang Ye had finally put down the sharp weapon in his hand. “So, it was indeed my idea to go to Kangcheng.”
The result was obvious. When he asked Zhou Zhuohua, Zhou Zhuohua found that it matched the information she already knew—her father had indeed gone to Kangcheng on a business trip, so she had the idea of finding her relatives.
Liang Zhi observed their expressions and said, "You two don't need to worry. Firstly, the journey is long and we really need a doctor, so we will do our best to protect her. Secondly, if Dr. Zhou Xuan were still here, we would definitely make sure to deliver Miss Zhou safely."
He didn't finish the second half of his sentence, but Bai Chenzhu understood what he meant—by sending Zhou Zhuohua there, Zhou Xuan would owe him a favor.
A great doctor's personal connections are invaluable in critical moments.
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