Chapter 82 See You Next Time
That evening, Bai Chenzhu saw that the moon was bright and the stars were few, and it didn't look like it was going to rain, so he took the washed clothes to the roof to hang them out to dry.
This building is a hostel. Clothes and blankets are hung on horizontal bamboo poles, swaying in the wind. Some of the sheets have been drying for a long time and are yellowed, but who would come to collect them?
Bai Chenzhu found a spot, shook his clothes, and hung them up on a hanger.
He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw the two people sitting side by side on the balcony.
It's Zhou Zhuohua and Bai Tao.
No one knows what Zhou Zhuohua said, but Bai Tao burst into tears. In despair, she shouted, "You want to go find your family, but I have no family left. I only have you!"
Seeing that she was emotional, Zhou Zhuohua reached out to pull her back, "Don't be afraid, Tao Tao, Jiang Ye and the others will be with you; they are your family too."
“Even you’re leaving, they’ll leave sooner or later!” Bai Tao abruptly shook off her hand.
Bai Chenzhu quickly looked away, quietly picked up the basin, and left, trying not to disturb them.
Unexpectedly, Bai Tao and Zhou Zhuohua had a fight, and Bai Tao ran down the stairs crying, where she happened to run into Bai Chenzhu carrying an empty basin.
Bai Tao stood there awkwardly, "I..."
"Hi." Bai Chenzhu greeted her casually, "I happen to have something to ask you."
"What is it?" Bai Tao wiped the wetness off her face and sniffed.
Bai Chenzhu beckoned to her, "Come on, let's talk somewhere else."
Bai Tao obediently followed behind him, remaining silent the whole way.
The two walked into the narrow laundry room, where Bai Chenzhu stacked empty basins to the side. Bai Tao peeked at his empty basins, curious about what Bai Chenzhu wanted to see her about.
Unexpectedly, the person in front of her suddenly turned around, grabbed Bai Tao by the neck, and slammed her against the wall.
My back hit the wall with a dull thud.
The sudden attack shocked Bai Tao so much that she forgot to resist. She instinctively raised her hands to struggle, but Bai Chenzhu grabbed both of her wrists with one hand and covered her mouth with the other.
They were alone in the laundry room. Bai Tao's breathing was heavy, and she felt an unprecedented tension. She shook her head frantically, wanting to ask Bai Chenzhu why he did this.
Why.
But she couldn't make a sound.
It was exactly the same as when I was attacked not long ago.
Bai Chenzhu gripped her wrist tightly, moved his palm up to cover her nose as well.
A feeling of suffocation assaulted her mind, and Bai Tao's eyes widened, blood seeping from the whites of her eyes.
"Shh, look at me." Bai Chenzhu leaned forward, his phoenix eyes staring straight at Bai Tao, his dark pupils as unfathomable as a whirlpool, containing an endless black tide.
Bai Tao stared into his eyes, her heart pounding faster and faster as she suffocated. She felt as if she were looking at the deep sea, and she was falling into the ocean, unable to see a single ray of light on the surface.
The abyss will devour her, leaving not a trace.
Just as she was indulging in this sense of emptiness, a sharp pain suddenly exploded one after another like fireworks deep in her mind.
He was luring her into a virtual ocean depths, taking the opportunity to attack her brain.
Following the path of Bai Chenzhu's spiritual power, Bai Tao seemed to see the light of the exit! She closed her eyes and felt the attack that made her head explode. The next moment, when she opened her eyes, her delicate round eyes were full of aggression. Her reckless spiritual power burst out like a big knife and pierced into Bai Chenzhu's forehead.
She'd managed to imitate him about 70-80% of the way he wanted. Bai Chenzhu released all his restraints on her, took a step back, tilted his head to avoid the attack, touched his unharmed forehead, and smiled.
Bai Tao clutched her chest, gasping for breath. The suffocating feeling gripped her, making her tremble slightly and rendering her incapable of thinking. Confused, aggrieved, and angry, she took two steps back warily, breathing rapidly, "Bai Chenzhu?"
Bai Chenzhu snapped his fingers. "Are you feeling better? Do you remember what just happened?"
Bai Tao was stunned for a long time, but Bai Chenzhu gave her ample time to think.
Was he doing this on purpose? Bai Tao realized.
Bai Tao belatedly touched her eyes, stammering, "Can I use my eyes? How could I... Brother Bai, are you teaching me?"
“Hmm,” Bai Chenzhu said. “Jiang Ye said that your spiritual power can only be expressed through words, but I don’t think so.”
He was always very observant. "That day when you stood in front of me and blocked that alien's attack, you didn't open your mouth."
"Didn't I open my mouth?" Bai Tao was confused; she couldn't remember the details of that day.
Human beings' survival instinct often brings unexpected surprises in the face of crisis. Bai Chenzhu patted her shoulder, "Practice more in the future."
Bai Tao looked at him excitedly, her eyes reddening and brimming with tears, whether from bloodshot eyes or something else.
"What are you doing?" Jiang Ye's sinister voice rang out from outside the laundry room.
Bai Chenzhu turned her head to look at the source of the sound. Jiang Ye stood there with his arms crossed and his eyebrows lowered.
The laundry room was cramped, and he had gotten quite close to Bai Tao to restrain her. Bai Chenzhu raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, and said ambiguously, "Oh dear, I got caught doing something bad."
Jiang Ye angrily dragged him out of the laundry room.
Bai Tao was at a loss and tried to explain, "Brother Jiang, you've misunderstood."
"I didn't misunderstand. Look at your eyes, they're as red as a rabbit's." Jiang Ye waved his hand. "Go back and get some rest."
After saying that, he pulled Bai Chenzhu upstairs with a dark face.
Are you really alright? Bai Tao watched their retreating figures nervously.
Back in the room, Bai Chenzhu saw that Jiang Ye didn't want to talk. "Are you really angry?"
Jiang Ye snorted coldly, sat cross-legged on the bed with his back to him, and said, "You deliberately teased me, and you won't let me be angry?"
He certainly didn't think there was anything between Bai Chenzhu and Bai Tao, but Bai Chenzhu deliberately said some ambiguous things to tease and test him, which made Jiang Ye unhappy.
Bai Chenzhu smiled, took off her shoes, got into bed, wrapped her arms around his neck, and climbed up from behind. "Okay, it's my fault. I just felt a little insecure. Don't be angry."
Jiang Ye said, "No way."
Bai Chenzhu gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Is there any chance?"
Jiang Ye's backbone lasted only a few seconds, "...Now I have it."
This is so much fun. Bai Chenzhu laughed uncontrollably. His laughter was silent, only the vibration of his chest against Jiang Ye's back could be heard, and his breath echoed in Jiang Ye's ears.
Jiang Ye crumpled the map.
Bai Chenzhu remained perched on his back, looking at it again and again, "Why did you pull out the map?"
He glanced down and said, "Kangcheng is indeed far from Beiming City."
Jiang Ye wasn't very happy, gesturing to show the distance between the two cities.
Bai Chenzhu said, "You all miss Sister Zhuohua, and I miss her too, but I'm actually quite happy for her. Jiang Ye, you should understand me; we have no family left here. But Sister Zhuohua still has hope."
Jiang Ye frowned but didn't say anything.
Bai Chenzhu lay down sideways, sprawling onto Jiang Ye's lap, pressing the map behind his back. He looked at Jiang Ye above him and said, "I just saw my sister and Bai Tao on the rooftop. They seemed to be arguing."
"Hmm." Jiang Ye brushed the stray hairs from his ear, and then, mimicking Bai Chenzhu's mannerisms, bent down and unexpectedly kissed the corner of his lips. "You've enlightened me; I should be happy for her."
Bai Chenzhu was taken aback. "You express your happiness by launching a surprise attack?"
"If you can, why can't I?" Jiang Ye stared at him intently. This expression inexplicably reminded Bai Chenzhu of the wounded wolf in his spiritual sea, aggrieved and pitiful.
However, wolves are mostly cunning.
"Of course." Bai Chenzhu raised his hand and patted his head, a gesture that confused Jiang Ye. "Good boy, go to bed early tonight. We'll go talk to Liang Zhi tomorrow."
——
The next day, Bai Chenzhu helped Jiang Ye prepare a hearty breakfast, including fish porridge.
Tang Zhao made a vomiting face, clutched his head, and cried out in great pain, "I never want to see fish again in my life! It's been a week, a whole week, and I've been eating fish every single day!"
Jiang Ye teased, "Bear with it, we'll still be eating fish for the next few days. Otherwise, you can just eat vegetarian noodles by yourself."
This is unbearable! Tang Zhao pinched his own neck and made a funny face as if he was about to die.
Zhou Zhuohua and Bai Tao came down.
Bai Tao had eyes as swollen as two walnuts, but Jiang Ye and the other two tacitly refrained from asking.
Zhou Zhuohua joked, "Chef Jiang is cooking again. It's a rare sight."
The group sat down at the newly found dining table for a meal, and Bai Tao announced, "I'm going to Kangcheng with Sister Zhuohua."
As his guess came true, Bai Chenzhu, who was already mentally prepared, was not surprised at all. "Then let's pack up in a bit. We need to prepare more food and weapons for you."
Bai Tao paused, questioning her existence. Her gaze swept over Jiang Ye, Bai Chenzhu, and Tang Zhao. "Wait, aren't you going to express your reluctance to part with me? Aren't you going to try to persuade me to stay?"
They didn't treat Sister Zhuohua like this yesterday!
Tang Zhao scratched his head, gave in to her wish, and asked stiffly as if going through the motions, "So, do you want to stay?"
Baitao said: "No."
Tang Zhao nodded. "Okay."
Baitao:......
Bai Chenzhu smiled silently, his lips pressed together. He hadn't expected Tang Zhao to guess Bai Tao's departure and to accept it so quickly. After all, Tang Zhao and Bai Tao usually got along quite well.
Perhaps because they played together well, Tang Zhao had some understanding of Bai Tao, so he wasn't surprised by her decision.
Bai Tao stomped her feet in anger, "I'm going to make a scene! I'm really going to make a scene! Damn it, isn't one of you even sad, heartbroken, or reluctant to let go? God, how could I have met such heartless and cruel scumbags? Waaaaah..."
Bai Chenzhu found it amusing to watch her wail for so long without shedding a single tear.
——
A day later, Zhou Zhuohua and Bai Tao left with Liang Zhi's group.
Bai Chenzhu and the other two escorted them to the vicinity of the city gate. Bai Tao was still using laughter to cover up her true emotions. Zhou Zhuohua waved to them, as if it were just a normal brief separation. She smiled slightly and said, "See you next time, everyone."
Bai Chenzhu's heart skipped a beat, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly, but he couldn't speak. He could only nod, his phoenix eyes filled with mixed emotions.
He heard Jiang Ye beside him say casually, "Goodbye, please say hello to Mengmeng, Uncle Zhou, and me."
No one knew what was going on in Kangcheng, but these words naturally assured Zhou Zhuohua that her search for her relatives would be successful. Zhou Zhuohua's excitement and reluctance surged like waves. Afraid of being impolite, she turned her face away and mumbled a few words, "Yes, definitely."
Tang Zhao jumped up and waved vigorously, "Goodbye, Sister Zhuohua! We will definitely come to Kangcheng to find you!"
Bai Tao stuck out her tongue, "Liars turn into puppies!"
W-what? Tang Zhao was a beat slow to respond, "Hello?!"
After saying goodbye, Zhou Zhuohua pulled Bai Tao and turned to get into the car, and Liang Zhi's convoy gradually disappeared into the distance.
The three of them drove back in the sightseeing vehicle, feeling empty inside, and remained silent for a while.
Tang Zhao tried to suppress his negative emotions. "What are we supposed to do next?"
Bai Chenzhu said, "Actually, Sister Zhuohua mentioned something to me before."
He looked at Tang Zhao and said, "Do you remember that group of alien races? They flew to the north of the ancient city during the day, flying very far, and only came back in the evening."
Tang Zhao immediately understood. Sitting in the back row, he grabbed Bai Chenzhu's chair back in surprise, leaning forward and asking, "Oh right! I almost forgot about that. Where did they go? Should we go north to check?"
“We definitely have to go. Before leaving the ancient city and heading to Beiming City, we need to go to that forest.” Jiang Ye casually tapped the steering wheel with his fingertip. “But the area is huge, and we didn’t leave any survivors. How are we going to find them now?”
The ancient city is surrounded by forests, with only a few roads leading to the outside world. On their way there, the cold mist from the forest brushed against their faces, and the slightly damp air indicated the remoteness of the place.
On the map, the forest area is much larger than the ancient city.
Bai Chenzhu thought for a moment, "Let's follow the direction they flew in, we'll find them eventually."
He said optimistically, "But they're all gone. They're dead people's things, so it's not a big deal if we can't find them."
“Indeed, and before we go to the forest, we have something even more important to do,” Jiang Ye stated.
Bai Chenzhu and Tang Zhao both cast puzzled glances at them.
What else could it be?
Jiang Ye sighed helplessly, "Hey you two, Zhuohua is gone, and now only I can drive among the three of us. You can't just rip people off like this."
Even an iron man couldn't withstand driving all day long.
The topic of driving practice had been brought up several times before, but there was no need for him before, nor were there the conditions for her to practice. Now, however, the opportunity had arrived. Bai Chenzhu's eyes gleamed with eager anticipation.
"Heavens above! Earth below!" Tang Zhao cried out in despair and collapsed into the back seat.
"Stand up straight!" Jiang Ye laughed and clenched his fist at him. "Prospective college student, show the determination you have for the college entrance exam!"
Remembering how he was severely scolded by the coach the first time he went to the training ground, Tang Zhao crossed his arms and shuddered. He raised his hand with a look of utter despair, "Teacher Jiang, I'm not very smart, so can we let Brother Bai learn first?"
“There’s a saying, ‘The sooner you die, the sooner you’re reborn.’” Bai Chenzhu seemed to see right through him, and smiled knowingly as she delivered a blow to his heart. “Kid, running away is not a good habit.”
"Waaaaah, Sister Zhuohua, I miss you so much!" Tang Zhao cried pitifully as he hugged himself and lay back on the back seat, on the verge of tears.
"You're hopeless!" Jiang Ye mocked.
Author's Note:
[Regarding updates] I used to update every other day, but I'm currently resting due to illness, so updates will be slower, about once every two or three days.
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