Chapter 10 Playing with Flowers
Once he regained consciousness, Bai Chenzhu raised his hand to touch his forehead, belatedly realizing that there was an IV drip on the back of his hand.
His first thought was, "The male lead actually saved him?"
Ignored, Jiang Ye, with his hands in his pockets and slightly bent over, looked down at him and asked in a surprised tone, "You're not dead? You haven't mutated?"
The current Cypress Bamboo is so brittle that it seems like it would crumble at the slightest touch, but it did not die or mutate after being infected.
The discrepancies in his memory confirmed Jiang Ye's suspicion that Bai Chenzhu was an unexpected variable.
His gaze was undisguised, and the scrutinizing look, as if he were examining a rare object, made Bai Chenzhu instinctively dislike it.
If Bai Chenzhu weren't currently feeling weak and feverish, he would have immediately gotten up and kicked Jiang Ye again, letting the sick guy experience the harshness of the world.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you," Bai Chenzhu said expressionlessly.
Jiang Ye approached step by step, staring at Bai Chenzhu for several seconds before suddenly having a teasing thought. "It's better to be human. Speaking of which, there's a food shortage at the villa lately. I don't think you, with your sickly appearance, will survive more than a few days outside. Should I steam you or braise you?"
Here we go again. Bai Chenzhu found it amusing and sincerely suggested, "You can eat yourself and be self-sufficient."
"Not as delicious as your delicate skin and tender flesh." Jiang Ye leaned down with one hand near his ear, carefully examining his eyebrows and eyes. Suddenly, he grabbed his chin and lifted it up. "These eyes are like they can talk. Why don't you gouge them out and let me taste them?"
From stockpiling grain to gouging out eyes, Jiang Ye spoke lightly, yet his words were chilling, especially in the current climate.
However, Bai Chenzhu just looked at him helplessly, as if he were looking at a naughty brat.
He raised his index finger, pressed it against Jiang Ye's forehead, and pushed him away. The force wasn't strong, and Jiang Ye released his grip and stepped back.
What's this? Jiang Ye couldn't help but glance at someone a few more times.
From the moment they met on the roadside, this person kept threatening him, wanting to see him make a fool of himself. After a couple of tries, Bai Chenzhu finally laughed in exasperation, "Jiang Ye, how childish are you?"
Naïve? Jiang Ye was speechless, feeling a subtle displeasure. He straightened up, his face tense, and scoffed, "And how much better are you?"
Bai Chenzhu raised the back of her hand and haphazardly wiped her flushed chin, naturally changing the subject, "What are your plans next? Stay in Jiangzhou City or go somewhere else?"
Perhaps he hadn't thought it through, or perhaps he didn't want to reveal it to Bai Chenzhu. Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow, remaining noncommittal.
Now that she was already on the male lead's pirate ship, Bai Chenzhu, unusually, played the good guy and tried to give the male lead some "guidance," saying, "You could consider Fuyun City, it just happens to be not far from here."
That was the first base after the apocalypse. Jiang Ye would develop his own power there.
The butterfly is trying its best to flap its wings and reverse the plot, but it doesn't know that there is another butterfly in the world besides itself.
Jiang Ye's expression turned strange, and he looked at Bai Chenzhu with an indescribable expression.
After a long pause, he managed to utter a question: "Why Fuyun City?"
Although Bai Chenzhu knew some of the paths the protagonist would take in the future, he knew he couldn't say it directly, as doing so would only bring him death.
He cautiously explained his suggestion: "Floating Cloud City has a small population, but it has all the necessary facilities. It's easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it a good place. Especially now that the apocalypse has just begun, going there early can give us a head start."
However, Jiang Ye directly blocked his path to becoming a good person.
Jiang Ye dropped his enigmatic demeanor, casually putting his hands in his pockets and raising his chin. "Why should I listen to you?"
"Fuyun City, right? I'm not going there."
These words were truly infuriating, and their force was immense coming from Jiang Ye's mouth.
He never expected such an impulsive and rash reply. Bai Chenzhu's pupils contracted sharply. He propped himself up and sat up, looking at Jiang Ye's smug face. "You're going to go against me, aren't you? This isn't child's play."
Jiang Ye tilted his head, unconcerned. "So what if it is?"
His face had a smug look that said, "Come and hit me if you dare."
Bai Chenzhu hardened his fist.
Now that things have come to this, he is absolutely certain: he just can't stand this guy!
Coincidentally, Jiang Ye also disliked him. Rather, ever since he met Bai Chenzhu, he couldn't help but tease him, pry into his little secrets, and find it amusing and satisfying to annoy him.
Unfortunately, Bai Chenzhu seemed to have gotten used to his fault-finding and could retort with a few words without batting an eye.
But now, Grandpa Jiang, who is called childish, is completely at ease.
Seeing that the person was alright, Jiang Ye had already come up with a way to torment them: "If you can walk, get down and go cook for me."
"Me, cook?" Bai Chenzhu was still angry and pointed to himself incredulously.
Jiang Ye retorted, "Otherwise what? Look at you, you can't lift a finger, what can you do if you don't cook? I don't hire useless people."
What does it mean to be a useless person? Under the blanket, Bai Chenzhu stopped fiddling with the fabric of his clothes, a sharp look appearing in his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, there was a noise coming from the stairs.
"Jiang Ye, it's going to rain. Have you brought in the laundry?" Zhou Zhuohua came down in her slippers and ordered him around without any politeness.
"Me, collect the laundry?" Jiang Ye glanced at her, then at Bai Chenzhu, and immediately understood. He sneered, "Forget it, it's too late now. By the time you finish cooking, who knows what time it will be. I want to see breakfast when I get up at seven tomorrow morning."
After giving his instructions, the young master swayed and walked away.
Bai Chenzhu was left gritting his teeth, pondering when he could just jump off the male lead's pirate ship and run away.
Zhou Zhuohua went downstairs and reluctantly took the patient's temperature, checked the IV drip, and adjusted the IV tubing.
She deliberately sent them away.
Bai Chenzhu accepted her kindness and said softly, "Thank you."
"I didn't do anything." Zhou Zhuohua always had more patience for her patients. She sat on the single sofa next to her, adjusted her glasses, and looked Bai Chenzhu up and down with curiosity. "Speaking of which, I've met some of Jiang Ye's friends, but I don't have any impression of you. What's going on between you two? It doesn't seem like you hate each other, but it doesn't seem like you're close either."
The topic jumped so quickly. Bai Chenzhu was caught off guard and only reacted after a few seconds of stunned silence.
Perhaps noticing Bai Chenzhu's hesitation, Zhou Zhuohua spoke first: "By the way, I still don't know your name. I'm Jiang Ye's childhood friend, Zhou Zhuohua, the Zhuohua of 'bright and beautiful'."
If Zhou Zhuohua hadn't introduced herself, Bai Chenzhu would have thought she could have gotten away with it.
But now... he could only mimic Zhou Zhuohua's tone, "My surname is Bai, and my given name is Chenzhu, the Chenzhu of 'green bamboo in the mortal world'."
Seeing Zhou Zhuohua adopting a listening posture, he paused for a moment, "Uh, Jiang Ye and I are... well, we became friends after a fight? Rather than kindness, I think he was just taking advantage of a drowning dog."
After all, they started fighting right away; the saying "no fight, no friendship" is just a euphemism.
"You think of him like that?" Zhou Zhuohua raised an eyebrow. "Actually, Jiang Ye may seem nasty, but he's a nice guy. At most, he'll tease you a little, but he won't do anything to you."
“Look, he saw you alone by the roadside and brought you back. Even though he slammed you into the car, you got dizzy as soon as you entered, and he panicked, afraid that something terrible had happened to you.”
Bai Chenzhu didn't know what to say, so he just smiled and said, "Heh."
If he hadn't been half-asleep when he heard Jiang Ye say that his death was bad luck, he would have truly believed what Zhou Zhuohua said.
Just then, Bai Chenzhu's stomach rumbled twice. He rubbed his stomach and looked calmly at Zhou Zhuohua, "Excuse me, where is my backpack?"
"It's probably left in the car. I'll go look for it later. You must be hungry by now." Zhou Zhuohua said calmly. "You slept for so long and missed dinner. There's something in the fridge, wait a bit."
She got up and naturally took a bag of frozen dumplings from the refrigerator, which had little stock, and washed the small pot.
Zhou Zhuohua's cooking method is very simple: she turns on the stove, adds water, and once the water boils, she puts the dumplings in and stirs them with chopsticks.
Bai Chenzhu stared intently at her back, his entire attention drawn to the fragrance.
By the time the dumplings were cooked, the IV drip bottle was empty.
Bai Chenzhu slurped down his instant dumplings; when you're really hungry, everything tastes delicious.
Zhou Zhuohua suddenly said, "When I came back just now, that girl mentioned your name. You, Jiang Ye, and that girl, are you in a love triangle?"
"Cough cough cough!" Bai Chenzhu almost choked to death by those words, coughing so loudly it shook the heavens and earth. Zhou Zhuohua was startled and quickly patted his back to help him catch his breath.
Bai Chenzhu took a few breaths and picked up the cup on the table.
Seeing that he didn't deny it, Zhou Zhuohua stroked her chin and muttered to herself, "Are college students these days so promiscuous? Jiang Ye has lost his girlfriend but picked up his 'love rival'?"
"Cough cough cough!" Bai Chenzhu almost spat out a mouthful of water. "No, no cough cough cough! No cough cough cough!"
"Don't rush, let's talk about it later." Zhou Zhuohua was afraid he would choke to death.
Little did Bai Chenzhu know that he was even more afraid that she might say something strange if she delayed, so he struggled to utter a few words.
"She's not Jiang Ye's love rival, and I have nothing to do with Wang Xinxin! They're the ones who're playing games!"
Zhou Zhuohua wasn't very convinced, uttering only an "Oh," and seemed unconcerned. She was a little curious, but not much.
This wasn't the reaction a childhood sweetheart with a crush on Jiang Ye, as described in the book, would have. Bai Chenzhu paused, then asked almost involuntarily, "Aren't you angry?"
Zhou Zhuohua looked puzzled. "Why would I be angry?"
Bai Chenzhu hesitated, "Aren't you and Jiang Ye...?"
Zhou Zhuohua was puzzled, but Bai Chenzhu's expression was enough for her to understand the meaning behind his words. Zhou Zhuohua's eyes widened slightly, and the aloof demeanor she had maintained since their first meeting cracked.
Seeing that her expression was off, Bai Chenzhu asked, his voice softening, "Could it be..."
He was actually a little curious as to why several women in the novel could willingly share one boyfriend.
Who lives with whom? Zhou Zhuohua's pupils dilated in shock. For a moment, Bai Chenzhu seemed to see her entire world collapse. Her expression was as if she had seen an alien.
The calm before the storm is punctuated by a single, emotionless sentence: "What did you say? I didn't hear you."
This rhetorical question sent a chill down Bai Chenzhu's spine. He began to regret his loose tongue; why had he overstepped his bounds and pried into other people's private affairs? Bai Chenzhu turned his head back to focus on eating, pretending nothing had happened, "I didn't say anything."
Zhou Zhuohua rubbed her forehead, took a few deep breaths, turned his head back, stared into his dark eyes, and said through gritted teeth, suppressing her anger, "Listen carefully, I am his sister, the sister who watched him grow up with his bare bottom on the ground!"
Bai Chenzhu thought to himself, "What does that have to do with me?" He increasingly regretted asking that extra question, which led to Zhou Zhuohua now taking the opportunity to vent her displeasure at being misunderstood.
Jiang Ye suddenly called her and said he had a fever, was in a villa on a mountain, surrounded by desolate wilderness, and was too sick to drive.
Jiang's parents were constantly traveling for work, and Zhou Zhuohua's father was the Jiang family's doctor. The Zhou family was a family of doctors, so Zhou Zhuohua had known Jiang Ye since she was a child and was considered his half-family doctor.
Zhou Zhuohua scolded him, but fearing he might become mentally impaired from the fever, she took leave from work and hurriedly brought her medicine kit to take care of him for a few days.
This incident resulted in the loss of electronic device signals, and the appearance of zombies and mutated plants and animals in the surrounding area. Even though they moved slowly, their sheer numbers were terrifying.
Only in the last few days, after Jiang Ye's health improved somewhat, did the two of them dare to drive out and check on the situation.
Zhou Zhuohua's words shattered Bai Chenzhu's stereotypes.
Bai Chenzhu frowned: Why does every part not match the book?
After Jiang Ye finished collecting the clothes and came downstairs, Zhou Zhuohua, who was still fuming and had nowhere to vent her anger, gave Jiang Ye a hard rub on the forehead as she went upstairs. Jiang Ye casually slapped her hand away, saying, "Don't go crazy."
Zhou Zhuohua said, "You picked up this person yourself, so you have to take care of her yourself!" Then she left.
"What did you say to her?" Jiang Ye asked, puzzled. In his eyes, Zhou Zhuohua was not someone who got angry easily.
Bai Chenzhu's eyes darted around, not daring to repeat what he had just said.
It's one thing to let Zhou Zhuohua get away with it; even if he's angry, there's nothing anyone can do about it. But if Jiang Ye finds out about this 'misunderstanding,' he'll probably be in serious trouble for a while.
Bai Chenzhu ignored him and finished the last dumpling in a few bites.
The villa lights gradually went out. Zhou Zhuohua came up from the first floor and placed Bai Chenzhu's backpack, which he had left in the car, next to him. She frowned when she saw Bai Chenzhu sleeping on the sofa. "Didn't Jiang Ye tell you there were guest rooms in the villa?"
He was supposed to sleep on the street tonight, but he's already doing alright. Bai Chenzhu doesn't care where he sleeps; the sofa is more comfortable than the street. He lies down with his arm as a pillow, the back of his hand, still bearing the needle marks, resting on the blanket.
“You are already weak, and the patient is very likely to have a relapse if he sleeps like this.” Zhou Zhuohua’s professionalism made her unable to bear it any longer. “Come with me, there are guest rooms on the third floor.”
"Thank you." Bai Chenzhu was slightly taken aback, then packed his things and followed her upstairs.
The room wasn't big; it was at the end of the corridor and had its own bathroom. The window had been converted into a tatami bay window, and you could see the iron gate opposite from there when you sat on the futon.
The room wasn't decorated much, but it was quite clean.
Zhou Zhuohua opened the door, seemingly surprised. She turned on the light and looked around the room, reaching out to touch the dust-free bedding. Bai Chenzhu heard her mutter, "Damn it, when was this room cleaned..."
"You'll have to make do with this." Zhou Zhuohua left quickly.
Bai Chenzhu was already quite satisfied. He opened his backpack and looked inside. There wasn't much inside, just two sets of clothes and some food, which was just right for now.
After washing up, he found it unusual that he couldn't sleep. As he tossed and turned, muffled thunder rumbled outside, one after another. The sky was overcast, and the wind swirled fallen leaves everywhere.
The cold night wind seeped through the window and crept onto his skin. He got up and sat by the window for a while. Because the lights were off, the room was dimly lit, with only the streetlights from the yard shining in.
In the quiet night, Bai Chenzhu stared blankly out the window.
It seems that ever since he was bitten by a zombie, his physical condition has deteriorated rapidly. He is weak, easily fatigued, and prone to illness.
Bai Chenzhu lowered his head, clenched his fist, and looked at the needle mark on the back of his hand.
His body is even weaker than a normal person's; can he really survive in this world?
A flash of lightning outside the window illuminated his dejected face after he had shed his social mask.
Time ticked slowly towards midnight.
Two figures peeked out furtively from behind the wall covered with electric fences.
Bai Chenzhu, who was by the window on the third floor, squinted and saw that the figures were Wang Xinxin and the man in black.
They stealthily tossed the fist-sized object into the yard, then hurriedly ran into the abandoned villa next door and quickly locked the door.
Bai Chenzhu had a bad feeling and went out wearing a coat.
The apocalypse is amplifying the evil in human nature, but social order has not yet been completely destroyed. These two are already so audacious. Is it because they hold a grudge against Jiang Ye for not taking them in?
As I was going downstairs, I ran into Jiang Ye. He was leaning against the protruding balcony on the second floor, enjoying the breeze, and had lit a cigarette between his fingers. His face was hidden in the shadows, so I couldn't see it clearly.
Bai Chenzhu didn't want to talk to him; she always felt that Jiang Ye was extremely unreliable.
But Jiang Ye was the owner of the villa, so he said succinctly, "Wang Xinxin and the others have thrown something into the yard. It would be better to go and take a look."
"Hmm." Jiang Ye flicked his cigarette ash, still looking lazy and not in a hurry.
He stubbed out his cigarette on the marble countertop. "Go back to your room and sleep. I'll go clean up the mess."
This calm demeanor was unlike anything Jiang Ye would have. Bai Chenzhu looked him up and down and asked from the bottom of her heart, "Can you do it?"
"Tsk." Jiang Ye glanced at him. "What you're saying is really asking for trouble."
"What kind of time is this for him to still be talking nonsense?" Bai Chenzhu's face darkened. Not wanting to pay him any attention, she turned to go downstairs.
Jiang Ye frowned as he watched. He straightened up, raised his long arm to stop the person, and said seriously, his usual teasing tone gone, "Go back, sickly brat, I can handle this."
Jiang Ye grabbed a long-handled umbrella and went out.
Before leaving, he turned his head slightly, as if to make a pointed remark, or perhaps to deliberately scare someone, "If you stay up late, you'll have nightmares."
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