Not long after, several faint flashlight beams lit up the corridor.
Wu Tian returned with Wang Zhihai, Zhao Anjing, and their arms full of bags.
Zhao Anjing and a group of girls went into their rooms, dropped their bags, and ran off. Mu Qingtian also followed suit, putting down her gear before heading out with them. They had been eager to pet cats for a while.
Lin Yuan, holding Pei Qi, had already arrived. Since there was nothing else to do, he decided to help them lay out the bedding. For everything else, they had their own arrangements.
Pei Qi perched steadily on his shoulder, not falling no matter how he moved. As Lin Yuan laid out the blankets, his thoughts drifted unintentionally.
The seven new survivors, three men and four women, were fortunate to have encountered the three special police officers. Had it been anyone else, they might not have been so lucky.
Women, especially those with some degree of attractiveness, in this post-apocalyptic world, devoid of moral and legal restraints, among men who had lost their families and loved ones, could only imagine their fate.
Of course, Lin Yuan knew there were many survivors like Wang Zhihai, but again, he believed one shouldn't preach kindness without having experienced hardship oneself.
If he hadn't met Wu Tian, hadn't met Wang Zhihai and the others, he might have become someone entirely different under the long-term loneliness and survival pressure.
But now, he carried a burden he had never experienced before. Once he encountered such people, he wouldn't hesitate. As for what painful past had turned a normal person into a beastly pervert, he wouldn't inquire. He was only responsible for sending them to hell.
He would lead everyone by his side, board a rescue helicopter, or perhaps sing a classic song like "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies" on a rescue convoy.
With a goal in mind, his thoughts became clearer, and his hands sped up. He still had to accompany Wu Tian.
After painstakingly clearing the zombies from two buildings, he had to spare some time for romance.
He quickly helped Wang Zhihai make the beds in the two rooms and was about to rush off to find Wu Tian.
At this moment, Zhao Mengnan called out to him, "Captain, wait a moment."
Turning around, he saw the rugged man showing a hint of pleading on his face.
"What's wrong, Meng Nan? Aren't you going back to tidy up your rooms?"
Men and women lived separately; he understood that much.
"Uh... Captain, could you lend us your cat for a while? I, Captain Wang, and Xiao Zhu all like cats, and it's not good for us to play around with Anjing and the other girls."
Hahaha, Lin Yuan almost burst out laughing. He managed to suppress it and carefully took Pei Qi, who was about to nibble his face from his shoulder, and handed her to Zhao Mengnan.
"Meow meow meow?? (What's going on? Does this rascal Lin Yuan want to harm me?)"
Before Pei Qi could react, Zhao Mengnan, Wang Zhihai, and Zhu Mingjun, all six hands reaching out, scooped her up.
Pei Qi tried to resist, but Wang Zhihai, like a magician, produced a small bag of cat food biscuits from somewhere – freshly opened.
Pei Qi immediately became obedient.
"Meow~ Meow meow (Hmm, not bad. These two newcomers have some discernment.)"
The allure of good food was immense, especially for a gluttonous cat.
Watching Pei Qi, who had a cool, queenly demeanor but an unrestrained mouth, Lin Yuan clicked his tongue. Indeed, kittens were easily tempted by snacks.
"Then I'll head up first. When they come back, tell them to stay in the room tonight and remember to close the windows when using the lights."
Leaving a small night light and a flashlight, Lin Yuan went upstairs.
He patted his pocket, confirming the keys were still there. He and Wu Tian had exchanged keys, although they were all spare keys from other people's homes.
Hahaha, Wu Tian, my darling, I'm coming!
However, when he got there, he found Wu Tian's place empty, dark, and without any light from flashlights or candles.
He could only pout, close the door, and return to his own place.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw that the living room's dining table, which had been dark with only a sliver of moonlight, was now illuminated by two candles.
Wu Tian wore half-rimmed glasses, and it was clear she had applied light makeup. She was dressed in a white shirt that accentuated her curves, along with a short skirt and black stockings. She sat slanted in a chair, legs crossed, looking incredibly seductive. On the dining table were two stemmed glasses, a bottle of 'Lao Changcheng' wine, and a small plate of strawberries.
Her high ponytail had been cut off when Lin Yuan gave her the helmet; now, her hair was shoulder-length, just below her chin.
Lin Yuan looked at Wu Tian in the candlelight and couldn't help but sigh, "Sometimes I really feel like this is a dream. You are truly beautiful today..." He suddenly got stuck on his words, unable to recall the right term, and finally managed to blurt out, "...stunning!"
The person opposite could no longer hold back her laughter, "Hahahaha, Lin Yuan, did you fail your Chinese exam in college!! You can't even find words to compliment a woman's beauty?"
Immediately, she dropped her mature, imposing demeanor and deliberately arched her back to reveal the curves of her waist and hips, admitting it was tiring.
"This is also good. I don't want to act like a seductress to tempt you; posing is too tiring."
She quickly sat up straight, pulled the chair to the dining table, popped open the red wine bottle with a slap, and began pouring the wine with a gulp.
He watched the cork and a small ring of the bottle's opening clatter and roll across the floor.
He then looked at the overflowing wine glasses.
Lin Yuan's eyes twitched slightly, and a flicker of regret arose in his heart.
Would he be beaten to death for this later?
Surely not.
Under the candlelight, he carefully examined the two full glasses of wine before drinking them with relief.
As long as there were no glass shards.
He didn't know how she managed to slap the bottle without shattering it completely, as if she had used a glass cutter to score the opening.
Suppressing his lingering questions, and observing her incredibly alluring attire, Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow, "Old Wu, who taught you to dress like this?"
Wu Tian blinked, "Hey, how did you know someone taught me?"
How strange, why did this girl's intelligence suddenly drop? This is clearly not your style.
Lin Yuan recalled their very first meeting, her calling him "Little Yuan Ge," which sounded so unpracticed yet so alluring. He even suspected she might have been a vice president of a voice acting club in college.
"It was Lin Qingyan who taught me. She said you definitely wouldn't be able to resist me dressed like this."
Feeling the changes in his body, he strongly agreed with Lin Qingyan's words. He truly couldn't resist.
But speaking of which, Lin Qingyan seemed so cold and innocent, yet she knew such things.
Tsk, people's hearts are not as they once were, and the world is ever-changing.
The two drank the red wine heartily, confiding in each other.
By the end, both were close to tears, and the ambiguous romantic tension had almost vanished.
One had traveled across half of China, earned some money, and planned to return during the summer vacation to take his mother and sister on a trip; he had already written 26 pages of travel plans.
The other had just graduated from college, received a desired job offer, and wanted to relax, spend time with his parents, and have a few meals with friends before parting ways.
But this damned apocalypse had destroyed all their beautiful plans, yet amidst the destruction, it allowed them to find each other.
They embraced each other, spilling red wine onto their clothes.
Just as he reached for a tissue, Wu Tian turned him around. Lin Yuan looked into Wu Tian's eyes, where tears still held a spark of flame. Without another word, he wrapped his arms around her and entered the room.
In the midst of their passionate encounter, as he was about to make his move, he suddenly remembered something.
The protective measures hadn't been taken!
He quickly dashed out of the room and then dashed back in.
When lovers meet, even for a brief moment, it surpasses countless encounters in the mortal world.
Spring nights are too short and cannot be told to outsiders.