Chapter 78 Lubricants
After washing up, Bai Chenzhu opened the door, and the aroma of scrambled eggs filled his nostrils, momentarily distracting him. He glanced out the window; in the distance, a few zombies swayed precariously, and his eyes darkened slightly.
Downstairs, Tang Zhao, who had excellent hearing, looked up and waved to him, "Brother Bai, you've come at the perfect time! Bai Tao has found the eggs!"
"You went out again?" Bai Chenzhu asked as she tidied her clothes and came downstairs.
Tang Zhao sighed, "We can't just sit around and do nothing. We've found a car."
Before Bai Chenzhu could even feel happy, Zhou Zhuohua brought out the dishes and added the second half of Tang Zhao's sentence, "It's a pity it's so dilapidated, it would probably be finished if a zombie hits it."
"It's alright, let's keep looking." Bai Chenzhu comforted Tang Zhao, who was looking down in disappointment, and put his hand on his shoulder. "The ancient city is big, with rice and flour, it shouldn't be a problem to last for a while."
Tang Zhao looked left and right, and said with a worried expression, "Sometimes I feel like this house is a birdcage. There are monsters outside, and only inside the house is it safe."
"You're overthinking it." Bai Chenzhu patted the back of his head. "Where's Bai Tao?"
When the topic turned to white peaches, Tang Zhao's expression became complicated.
Zhou Zhuohua said, "Liang Zhi asked her to come over and hold a farewell party for the superhumans who are about to depart. In other words, he hopes she can sing some more songs."
"Of course, everyone who attends the farewell party does so voluntarily."
Bai Chenzhu raised an eyebrow, unsure how to describe it for a moment, "They really are...unexpected."
I've witnessed firsthand how much suffering people endured when overwhelmed. It was understandable then, given the urgency of the situation, but now they're trying to find shortcuts to overcome it.
Zhou Zhuohua shrugged. "I can probably understand them. The road back home is long, and they can only rely on themselves. Of course, they should seize the opportunity and become as strong as they can."
"If it were Sister Zhuohua, would she make the same choice?" Bai Chenzhu pulled out a chair and sat down.
“If it were me,” Zhou Zhuohua stroked his chin, nodded, and said confidently, “I would choose this—as long as I don’t die.”
"It's a real pity though~ Why am I the only one without superpowers?" Zhou Zhuohua chuckled. "But from another perspective, I haven't mutated either, so maybe that's a good thing."
"Dinner's ready! What have you been talking about?" Jiang Ye brought out several bowls of fragrant rice. "I saved some for Bai Tao, let's eat ours."
Bai Chenzhu was indeed hungry. He stared at the dishes on the table and suddenly noticed something was wrong.
This technique… He looked up and said, “Oh, what a stroke of luck! Jiang Ye has entered the kitchen.”
Jiang Ye was displeased and slapped him on the back, saying, "What are you saying? Spit out all the roast chicken and sweet potatoes you ate from me before."
Huh? Bai Chenzhu belatedly remembered the saying "He who eats another's food is bound to him," and clasped his hands in apology, "I was wrong, Elder Jiang is magnanimous, please forgive this lowly one."
The actions and words seemed perfectly natural on Tang Zhao, but when Bai Chenzhu imitated them, there was a subtle contrast, adding a touch of... strange liveliness?
Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow, mimicking his tone, "Boss Jiang?"
The tone couldn't have been clearer. Bai Chenzhu paused, then asked uncertainly, "Boyfriend?"
"Tsk." Jiang Ye was dissatisfied and pulled up a chair to sit down. "Couldn't you say a few nicer words?"
Tang Zhao, looking like he'd choked on candy, came over at the sound, winking and grinning, "I know this one! Brother Bai, you're still too reserved. Let me teach you a few phrases, like 'darling,' 'baby,' 'sweetheart,' etc. If you say them a few more times, Boss Jiang might give you his life."
Tang Zhao and Bai Chenzhu sat on either side of Jiang Ye. Jiang Ye turned to the side, put his arm around Tang Zhao's shoulder, and patted him hard on the shoulder.
Just as Tang Zhao thought he had said something wrong and was nervously staring at Jiang Ye, Jiang Ye unexpectedly gave him a thumbs up and said, "Well done!"
Tang Zhao laughed heartily after being praised, scratching the back of his head.
Bai Chenzhu watched the two of them singing in unison, picked up a piece of green vegetable, and remained unmoved. "So enjoyable? You two can call each other names all you want."
The two stared at each other, wide-eyed, and suddenly withdrew their hands and feet, shuddering at the mere thought of the scene.
Tang Zhao shook his head frantically, "Brother Bai, you can't say things like that!" He didn't want to be assassinated tonight.
Zhou Zhuohua chuckled, propping her arm up against her chin, watching the two bicker with amusement, adding fuel to the fire, "You two are so good at this, you seem quite experienced~"
Tang Zhao hurriedly waved his hands in front of his chest, "No, no, no..."
Bai Chenzhu glanced at Jiang Ye lightly, and Jiang Ye broke out in a cold sweat for no reason. He cried out, "Sister Zhuohua, you can't slander me!"
Zhou Zhuohua glanced around and landed on Bai Chenzhu, then raised her hand to cover her mouth in surprise, "Ah! I forgot I can't say that."
"If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext!" Jiang Ye sighed, burying his face in the table like an ostrich.
Bai Chenzhu curled his lips into a smile. Knowing full well that Zhou Zhuohua was up to no good, he still chose to join in. He patted Jiang Ye on the shoulder and said in feigned anger, "Tell me honestly, how many 'treasures' do you have?"
Jiang Ye was speechless for a moment, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "Six!"
But just by casually mentioning it, he actually got a definite answer. Bai Chenzhu looked at him in confusion, "You really have one?"
Jiang Ye raised his five fingers and pointed at Bai Chenzhu, "Five plus one."
Tang Zhao understood instantly. His eyes widened, and he quickly covered his ears. "I'm still young! Be careful!"
It was rare for Zhou Zhuohua to align herself with him. "Tsk tsk tsk, it's still daylight."
Jiang Ye looked completely innocent. "I didn't say anything."
Bai Chenzhu put some food in his bowl and said, "Talk less and eat more."
The banter added to the lively atmosphere, and the group chatted and ate.
——
With everyone present—except Bai Tao—Tang Zhao, who was eating, finally voiced the question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time: "Since we have to leave sooner or later, where will we go next?"
Everyone at the table looked at Jiang Ye, including Bai Chenzhu.
Jiang Ye didn't say anything, but calmly picked up the green vegetables that Bai Chenzhu had given him and put them in his mouth.
Bai Chenzhu seemed lost in thought. From Fuyun City and Luozhou to Luming Ancient City, Jiang Ye's goal had been very clear all along the way. However, it now seemed that Jiang Ye didn't have absolute confidence in achieving his final objective.
After finishing the vegetables, Jiang Ye said slowly, "I don't know."
Tang Zhao was initially bewildered, then his voice rose several octaves, almost splitting his legs, "I don't know?!"
Jiang Ye smiled and said matter-of-factly, "What's so strange about that? I'm not omniscient or omnipotent."
"When it comes to this, you tell me you don't know anything? It's like a jigsaw puzzle with a missing piece at the very end." Tang Zhao complained, his expression a mixture of emotions. "It's so frustrating!"
Jiang Ye picked up a piece of green vegetable and put it in Bai Chenzhu's bowl. Bai Chenzhu paused for a moment and then picked up a piece of egg and put it in his bowl as well.
Zhou Zhuohua urged, "Eat up, we can talk after we finish. Don't talk about serious matters while we're eating, I can barely digest it."
She elbowed Tang Zhao.
Tang Zhao looked at her with a wronged expression, holding the bowl in his hands.
After the meal, Jiang Ye took out the fragments... if what was in front of him could still be called fragments.
The four pieces that were pieced together floated into the air, forming two rings of different sizes that slowly rotated and intertwined, gleaming with an iron-blue light.
The four pieces, each the size of a palm, when pieced together, were almost as big as a basketball.
Just like the first time he saw it, Tang Zhao exclaimed in surprise, reaching out to touch it curiously, only to find it was ice-cold.
"It looks complete." Tang Zhao looked it over from left to right, scratched his head, and said, "Where is it missing?"
Having figured out the key point, Bai Chenzhu slowly put down the cup in her hand and pointed to the empty part in the middle, "Look. They look like they are rotating around something, and there should be a part missing in the middle."
Zhou Zhuohua gestured to indicate the size, "Based on this size, the center part should be solid. If I'm not mistaken, it should be the most important part."
“That’s right, that’s the core,” Jiang Ye said. “I don’t know its exact location, but I roughly know it might be near Beiming City. Perhaps we can go there and gather more clues.”
Tang Zhao exclaimed, "Brother, you already said 'Beiming City'! Isn't that clear enough? Let's just go there!"
"Hey!" Jiang Ye tapped his head twice with his fingers. "Listen carefully, I said 'maybe.' This area is quite large; all the surrounding cities are considered 'nearby.'"
Tang Zhao, beaming with pride, raised a finger and shook his head. "Isn't that simple? According to our previous patterns, there must be monsters like the 'Zombie King' there, and the fragments are most likely on them. As for where the 'Zombie King' is, just grab any resident and ask."
After thinking about it carefully, Bai Chenzhu realized that there seemed to be some truth to it.
However, if that's the case, Jiang Ye from his previous life couldn't possibly not know... He glanced at Jiang Ye and saw that Jiang Ye was using his arm to hold Tang Zhao's head and mess with it, turning the head into a bird's nest.
"Does what I said make no sense? It does! I've figured out the 'game strategy'—leveling up by defeating monsters and saving the world, that's definitely the routine!" Tang Zhao shouted indignantly.
“You’re the one who’s right,” Jiang Ye said. “You even gave me a ‘guide’.”
Bai Chenzhu rested his chin on his hand, leisurely swirling his water glass as he looked at them.
Zhou Zhuohua was sitting next to him deep in thought, ignoring the two people. She said, "Xiao Bai, actually I have something else to investigate."
Bai Chenzhu's interest was piqued by her words. "Hmm? Tell me about it."
Zhou Zhuohua's expression gradually became serious. "You know that those alien races weren't around during the day, they only came in the evening, right?"
Hearing this, Bai Chenzhu vaguely guessed what she was going to say next.
Sure enough, Zhou Zhuohua said, "I've been wondering if the place they go to so regularly every day is where they have a nest nearby?"
"And among us, you are the only one most capable of finding that place, Xiao Bai."
This statement is not without merit.
Bai Chenzhu tapped his temple. "Unfortunately, we'll have to wait a few more days."
"Of course there's no rush, recovery is the priority." Seeing his actions, Zhou Zhuohua understood.
She felt around in her pocket, then suddenly pulled out something and secretly slipped it into Bai Chenzhu's hand under the table. She hadn't thought of it at first, but after being bombarded with displays of affection during dinner, she made a point of going to her room to get it afterward.
“I’ve been looking for medical supplies these past few days, and I found this, so I brought it back. I thought maybe you could use it.”
Bai Chenzhu's heart skipped a beat. He secretly peeked under the table and found a tube of cold lubricant in his hand, as hot as a hot potato.
He coughed softly, unsure how to respond to this sudden act of kindness. "...Sister Zhuohua, you're so kind."
"Hmm." Zhou Zhuohua's expression was grave. "Xiao Bai, you must take good care of yourself and not let Jiang Ye do whatever he wants. Especially now that conditions are not as good as before, you must pay attention to personal hygiene."
Bai Chenzhu: ...?
He felt that Zhou Zhuohua might have misunderstood something.
Jiang Ye, with his keen hearing, suddenly looked up at the two of them, puzzled. "What nonsense? When did I do anything nonsense? Who is slandering me?"
Bai Chenzhu expressionlessly stuffed the lubricant into his pocket.
Zhou Zhuohua raised an eyebrow and said, "Just because it didn't happen before doesn't mean it won't happen in the future."
"Sis, do you even listen to yourself? Are you speaking human language?" Jiang Ye released the howling Tang Zhao and spread his hands at the two of them. "What is that? I heard a sound. Take it out and let me see."
Zhou Zhuohua awkwardly turned her head away and quickly pulled Tang Zhao, who had just been rubbed, out the door. "Why isn't Tao Tao back yet? What are we going to do if she's hungry? Let's go check on her."
"Wait, what does it matter to me whether she's hungry or not!" Tang Zhao protested fiercely, but was dragged out of the house by Zhou Zhuohua.
Sneaky and furtive. Jiang Ye looked at Bai Chenzhu, who had a calm expression, and beckoned with his hand, "What good stuff? Let me see it too?"
Without saying a word, Bai Chenzhu placed the item directly in his hands.
Jiang Ye took a closer look and was so frightened that he almost threw the thing away.
Jiang Ye had clearly asked for it first, and now he was acting like this. Bai Chenzhu laughed so hard he was bent over. "It's not a bomb, is it really that big of a deal?"
What's the difference between that and a bomb! Jiang Ye held this thing, unsure whether to throw it away or keep it, completely at a loss. "Eight hundred years ago, I would never have even glanced at it in a supermarket."
"Oh?" Bai Chenzhu drawled, teasing him as he looked at his restless state. "Such a strong reaction, it doesn't seem like it."
Jiang Ye hesitated, then his face flushed slightly, a rare occurrence.
—It was rushed out.
"Stop laughing." Jiang Ye tossed the hot potato back to you. "This is from Sister Zhuohua. Keep it."
Bai Chenzhu didn't put it away immediately; instead, she deliberately played with it between her fingers. "What's the difference between what's given to me and what's given to you?"
Jiang Ye was speechless, and he glared at Bai Chenzhu.
Bai Chenzhu's eyes crinkled as she teased him, "It's a shame this one's flavorless. Tell me, what flavor do you like? Mint or cherry? I'll keep an eye out for you next time."
Jiang Ye had never known Bai Chenzhu to be so talkative; he had never seen Bai Chenzhu speak so much before. He would rather Bai Chenzhu remained a quiet and reserved beauty.
Instead of the way it is now...
He stood up abruptly, grabbed the person by the waist, and lifted them onto the table, trapping them in a small space with both hands. His words were full of threat. "And you? What flavor do you like?"
Bai Chenzhu was slightly taken aback.
Wait, he's a normal man's weight!
Jiang Ye just brought him up like that?
"Not going to say anything?" Jiang Ye kissed his chin. "Now you know fear?"
Bai Chenzhu, still processing the fact that Jiang Ye was strong, had a complicated expression. He patted Jiang Ye's face with the cold tube, saying flippantly and helplessly, "I said, next time, can you at least tell me before you make a move?"
Jiang Ye said, "So, if we just use our mouths, we don't need to say anything?"
"you……"
Jiang Ye bit his lower lip and licked it in small, gentle bites.
Sticky and gooey, Bai Chenzhu recalled the golden retriever she had seen at a friend's house before, with its innocent round eyes that would jump on its owner and rub against him and lick him.
At the time, he was glad he didn't own a dog.
Bai Chenzhu braced herself under the table with one hand and pressed down on his forehead with the other, pushing him away and directly refusing, "That's enough, not here, go back to your room."
"Are you shy?" Jiang Ye didn't take it seriously and chased after her with a smile, asking for a kiss.
Before Bai Chenzhu could speak, the round table beneath him creaked, shook twice at a certain point, and then collapsed with a thud.
Jiang Ye looked bewildered, but Bai Chenzhu, who had fallen onto the wooden board, was not surprised at all. He looked at Jiang Ye, who had fallen on top of him, flicked his finger and gave him a flick on the forehead, and sighed, "See? I knew it."
This is just a temporary folding round table!
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