Chapter 35 If you're awake, don't pretend to be asleep.
The morning mist hadn't yet dissipated, bathing the forest ranger's cabin in a pale white light. Black Bear was jolted awake by a sharp pain in his left leg. He didn't dare move, only quietly turning his head—Zhang Qiling was leaning against the edge of the bed, his back against the mottled wooden wall, his eyes closed but not completely relaxed, his fingers still lightly resting on the black and gold ancient sword at his side. The light of dawn was soft, seeping in through the cracks in the window, falling on his long, drooping eyelashes, softening even his usually cold and hard features.
Hei Xiazi watched for a while, then couldn't help but raise his fingertips, wanting to touch the grass clippings on his cheek. Just as he was about to touch them, he heard Zhang Qiling's voice in the fog: "If you're awake, don't pretend to be asleep."
His eyes were closed, but his tone was clear. Black Bear withdrew his hand and chuckled, "Dumb Zhang, your alertness is almost like a spirit after spending so much time with zombies."
Zhang Qiling opened his eyes, his gaze clear—he was a light sleeper, and the only time he had been able to rest last night was because of Hei Xiazi's breathing beside him, which inexplicably put him at ease. He leaned closer, his palm hovering in the air beside Hei Xiazi's leg to make sure it wouldn't press on the wound before gently pressing on the stitches: "No swelling, the bleeding has stopped."
Hei Xiazi grabbed his wrist, preventing him from pulling back. Zhang Qiling's right hand was still wrapped in the gauze that had been hastily applied the night before; the edges were loose, and pale pink bloodstains seeped out, staining the cloth. Hei Xiazi slowly unwrapped the gauze, and when he saw the deep, bone-revealing wound, his brows instantly furrowed: "The edges are turning white; it's going to get infected. We need to find antibiotics."
"It's alright." Zhang Qiling tried to pull his hand back, but Hei Xiazi gripped it even tighter. His fingertips traced the old scars on the back of Zhang Qiling's hand—scratches from the Chi Gu at the Qinling Sacred Tree, and several shallow marks from calluses from holding a knife. New wounds piled on top of old ones, a jarring sight.
“Zhang Qiling,” Hei Xiazi’s tone was no longer teasing, but heavy and tense, “Do you think your injuries don’t count as injuries? Last time in the snake swamp, you shielded me from a pheasant’s neck, your arm was bitten and bleeding, but you turned around and said it was nothing; this time, to protect me, your hand was gouged out by broken glass, and you still insisted on stitching up my leg—do you think you’re made of iron?”
Zhang Qiling kept his eyes downcast and remained silent. The birds outside the wooden house chirped softly, making the room seem even quieter. After a long while, he finally looked up, his gaze falling on Hei Xiazi's face, his seriousness chilling: "Your injury is affecting your movements; it needs to heal first."
"So if I don't get better, you're just going to keep dragging this on?" Hei Xiazi's voice softened a little, carrying a hint of grievance he himself didn't realize. "Zhang Qiling, can you stop always putting me first and look at yourself too?"
Zhang Qiling's fingertips gently brushed against Hei Xiazi's chin, the movement light but carrying an unmistakable tenderness: "You are important."
Just three words, nothing more, yet they struck Hei Xiazi's heart like a pebble, rippling outwards in waves. He'd known Zhang Qiling for so long, and the most he'd heard him say were "Be careful" and "Come with me," but he'd never heard such direct concern—not just physical protection, but a spoken expression of "importance." Hei Xiazi stared into his eyes; the morning light illuminated them brightly, clearly reflecting his own image, even the barely perceptible redness at the base of his ears was clearly visible.
“Mute Zhang,” Black Bear suddenly laughed, though his eyes were a little hot. He deliberately tilted his head, his tone teasing, “If you say that, I’ll misunderstand—think that besides the ancient tomb and the bronze door, you finally have someone you care about who is alive.”
Zhang Qiling didn't avoid him; instead, he moved closer, instantly closing the distance between them so they could smell the faint scent of morning mist on each other. He reached out and brushed away the stray hairs from Hei Xiazi's forehead, his voice softer than the mist, yet each word clear: "It's not a misunderstanding."
Black Bear's heart skipped a beat. Just as he was about to speak, the roar of a car engine suddenly came from the distance, emerging from the woods to the east, growing closer and closer until it finally stopped outside the wooden cabin. Zhang Qiling tensed instantly, reaching for the hilt of the Black Gold Ancient Sword. At the same time, he instinctively shielded Black Bear with his back, almost pressed against Black Bear's chest—a protective posture etched into his bones, requiring no thought whatsoever.
Hei Xiazi tried to get out of bed, but Zhang Qiling pressed down on his shoulder: "Don't move, I'll go see."
"Together." Black Bear didn't listen. Enduring the pain in his leg, he slowly stood up, supporting Zhang Qiling's arm—how could he let Zhang Qiling face the unknown danger alone?
The footsteps outside the door stopped, followed by Xie Yuchen's familiar voice: "Brother, blind man, it's me, Xie Yuchen."
Zhang Qiling's vigilance eased slightly, but not completely. He gestured for Hei Xiazi to take half a step back, then silently opened the door. Outside, Xie Yuchen's suit was stained with blood and mud, his hair was disheveled, and his usual meticulous appearance was mostly gone; in the SUV behind him, Wu Xie leaned against the door, his face frighteningly pale, the gauze on his left shoulder seeping blood, and even his breathing was trembling.
"What happened?" Zhang Qiling's voice turned somber as he looked at Wu Xie's wound.
“After you left the factory last night, the safe house we were staying in was raided by Jude Kao’s men.” Xie Yuchen wiped his face, his tone urgent but not chaotic. “They were looking for the old scroll of the Zhang family that contained clues to the clan’s territory. They opened fire right away, and Wu Xie took a bullet for me to protect the scroll. After we broke through, we followed the trail you left behind to get here.”
Upon hearing "Jude Kao," Hei Xiazi's eyes instantly turned cold: "That old bastard is truly a persistent ghost. He didn't get away with anything at the Snake Swamp and Cloud Palace, and now he's trying to steal from the Zhang family—does he really think we're easy to bully?"
"Treat the wound first." Zhang Qiling didn't reply, turned around and helped Hei Xiazi into the house, then turned back to Xie Yuchen and said, "Help Wuxie in, the first aid kit is still here."
Xie Yuchen helped Wuxie through the door, and as soon as he took a step, he noticed Zhang Qiling's actions—Heixiazi's legs were weak, and he swayed with every step. Zhang Qiling was practically half-carrying him, her hands steadily supporting Heixiazi's waist, her concern in her eyes impossible to hide. Xie Yuchen raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, and simply helped Wuxie to another wooden bed.
Hei Xiazi leaned against the headboard, watching Zhang Qiling treat Wu Xie's wound. Wu Xie's shoulder wound was deep; the bullet hadn't lodged in his body, but it had grazed his scapula. The pain made him break out in a cold sweat, but he still forced a smile: "It's nothing, just a minor injury... I'm sorry to have worried you all."
"You're still being stubborn even in this state," Black Bear cursed, but handed over a clean towel. "Wipe your sweat. Don't faint from the pain and we'll have to carry you."
Zhang Qiling's movements were steady as he changed Wu Xie's dressing, unlike his cautiousness when stitching up Hei Xiazi's leg last night. He was only concerned with making sure there wouldn't be any problems. Hei Xiazi's gaze fell on his right hand—he had clearly seen it when he unwrapped the gauze earlier; the wound was deep enough to expose the bone, and now, due to the force applied, it was bleeding again. Hei Xiazi couldn't help but reach out and grab Zhang Qiling's wrist: "Take care of your hand first, otherwise the gauze won't be wrapped properly later."
Zhang Qiling glanced at him, didn't refuse, and let Xie Yuchen continue bandaging Wu Xie. Hei Xiazi pulled him to sit beside him, picked up an iodine-soaked cotton pad, and carefully cleaned the wound. When the cotton pad touched the injury, Zhang Qiling's fingertips trembled slightly, but he didn't utter a sound. Hei Xiazi felt a pang of heartache, and his tone softened: "If it hurts, just say so. Don't hold it in. If you get hurt badly, who will go tomb raiding with me in the future? Who will protect me from the zombies?"
Zhang Qiling didn't speak, only turned to look at him. The morning light fell on the two of them, so warm it was almost dizzying. Hei Xiazi felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, and was about to make a teasing remark when Zhang Qiling suddenly leaned down and gently touched his forehead—the kiss was light, a little cool, yet it burned like fire on Hei Xiazi's skin.
Black Bear was stunned, and the cotton pads in his hand fell onto the bed. Zhang Qiling, however, acted as if nothing had happened, picked up the cotton pads and handed them to him, but the redness at the base of her ears became more and more obvious, and even her voice was a little lower: "Don't get distracted."
Xie Yuchen pretended to organize the first aid kit, a smirk playing on his lips—these two had finally decided to break the ice.
By the time everyone's wounds had been treated, it was already broad daylight, and the morning mist had mostly dissipated. The four of them sat around in the center of the wooden house, sunlight streaming through the windows and casting long shadows on the ground. Xie Yuchen spoke first: "Jude Kao wants clues about the Zhang family's ancestral land because he wants to find the 'secret to immortality' hidden by the Zhang family. He knows that you, Mr. Zhang, know the most about the Zhang family's affairs, so he will definitely keep pursuing us."
“We can’t keep taking hits.” Wu Xie leaned against the wall, his complexion improving. “We need to find his hideout and get the old scroll back—otherwise, he might cause trouble by wandering around with the clues.”
Zhang Qiling remained silent, his fingers unconsciously stroking the jade pendant around his neck. It was a keepsake from his mother, or perhaps a token of love from his father to his mother (a hypothetical scenario). (As a hypothetical scenario) Wu Xie had helped him investigate back at the Heavenly Palace on the Cloud Peak, saying that this jade was a token used by the Zhang family to identify relatives; it would become slightly warm when near people or objects related to the Zhang family. At this moment, the jade pendant was warm, clearly sensing the old scroll in Qiu Dekao's hand—that scroll was also a Zhang family heirloom, from the same lineage as the jade pendant.
“Take the initiative.” Zhang Qiling finally spoke, his gaze sweeping over the three of them before finally settling on Hei Xiazi. His tone softened a bit, “But your leg isn’t healed yet.”
“Just one day, just one day.” Black Bear grabbed his hand, his eyes full of determination. “Give me one day to heal, and I’ll definitely be able to come with you—you can’t just leave me here and watch you go on your adventures, can you?”
Zhang Qiling looked into his eyes, and the unwavering determination within them made it impossible for him to refuse. He was silent for a moment, then reached out and grasped Hei Xiazi's hand, their fingertips intertwined, his tone gentler than ever before: "Okay, I'll wait for you."
Hei Xiazi laughed and leaned over to give Zhang Qiling a light peck on the corner of his mouth—this time, Zhang Qiling was stunned, his fingertips stiffening. Xie Yuchen and Wu Xie tactfully turned their faces away, pretending to look at the trees outside the window.
The sun was fully up, shining through the dilapidated windows and bathing the four of them. Although danger still lay ahead, at this moment, their hearts were tightly bound together. The warmth emanating from Zhang Qiling and Hei Xiazi's clasped hands was more resolute than any vow—they would walk together, and neither Jude Kao's conspiracy nor unknown risks could separate them.
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