Idiot... why are you crying

[35] 35: Fool... what are you crying for?

The survivors were all a bit stunned. Xie Li had acted too decisively, and her turn in attitude had been too abrupt; one second she was all smiles, the next she was striking someone, leaving no time for anyone to react.

Everyone only then realized that this university student, who always trailed behind Doctor Jin, was perhaps not someone to be trifled with.

'Are there any others who still want to divide the supplies?' Xie Li turned to look at the few others who had said they wanted to leave.

Before those people could speak, Fat Aunt grabbed her spatula and charged at them. 'I’ll beat you ungrateful wretches to death! It was a waste of my food on you lot. Get out, get out, all of you, get out!'

The canteen aunties waved their kitchen utensils, chasing that group of people away as if they were driving off stray dogs.

'Fat Aunt, stop chasing them, you’ll lure the Zombie over in a bit,' Xie Li called out to the aunties who had run off into the distance.

Only then did the two aunties, still clutching their spatulas and kitchen knives, turn back, their grumbling voices still audible even from a distance.

Xie Li climbed into the carriage and, pretending she had found them inside, brought out a box of folding shovels and handed them to everyone.

Zhou Yu, Jiang Nanxu, and the other Nancheng University students took the shovels and began to dig immediately; they had no time to wonder how shovels could be in the carriage—saving lives was the priority.

Several employees from Jingfeng Group also stayed behind; they were all young women. In times like these, the young were always more hot-blooded, stupidly loyal to their friends.

'Sister, when did you become so fierce?' Lan Ran crouched beside Xie Li, whispering into her ear.

Xiaobao, holding a small stick, crouched beside the two of them, digging the soil hard. Hearing this, she looked up at Xie Li and added, 'Sister Gift is amazing!'

Xie Li stopped what she was doing, tilted her head to wipe the sweat from her face, and pondered for a moment. She realized that she had seemingly learned Jin Zhaoye’s way of handling things without even noticing; that woman also handled matters this way—courtesy first, force later.

'It is nothing, let us keep digging.' Xie Li looked up at the sky; it was a murky gray, with the cloud layer hanging extremely low.

A flicker of anxiety appeared on her face. 'I have a bad feeling about this; it might rain soon.'

'Do not say such terrifying things!' Lan Ran shrieked, hurriedly quickening her pace. She plunged her shovel into the soil, pried it open, shoveled it aside, and continued.

The sky grew darker and darker, the clouds shifting from gray to leaden, then to black, like an inverted iron pot covering the world, weighing heavily on Xie Li’s heart.

The air was stuffy and damp, clinging to their skin; every breath felt heavy with moisture.

'Oh no... it is going to rain...' Fat Aunt muttered.

Everyone looked up in unison. The thick clouds pressed low overhead, with white light flashing deep within them from time to time, and the muffled sound of thunder rolling from far to near.

Xie Li felt a chill on her face as a raindrop struck her forehead. She wiped it away, and the next second, raindrops the size of beans began to patter down.

The downpour came in a deluge, as if the sky had been torn open, and everyone was soaked through in moments.

The good news was that the soil had been soaked by the water and had softened considerably, making it much easier to dig. The bad news was that the muddy water was pouring down, flooding into the pit where the train head was trapped.

Xie Li was burning with anxiety. Watching the muddy water rise higher and higher, she prepared herself to expose the Space in front of everyone.

Even if she were to be hunted by the entire world in the future, she did not care; she could not just let Jin Zhaoye drown here.

Perhaps it was a telepathic connection, but a voice from the train head, which had been silent for a long time, rang out once more: Jin Zhaoye’s voice.

'Everyone, do not worry. We are fine for now; the water will not submerge us for a while.'

'Where is the water level?' Xie Li shouted toward the depths.

'It has only reached our calves. Do not worry, Xie Li, just keep digging slowly, do not be impulsive.'

Xie Li knew she was reminding her not to be impulsive, not to expose her secret. She silently quickened her movements, digging even faster.

The water level rose rapidly, and murky mud water poured down from all sides. Xie Li could no longer estimate whether Jin Zhaoye and the others still had room to breathe.

'Quick, quick, sisters, give it some effort, the roof of the carriage is already showing!' Fat Aunt shouted to encourage everyone, her voice cracking.

Hearing this, everyone accelerated their movements, their shovels moving so fast they were almost a blur as they desperately dug at the earth.

'Jin Zhaoye, where is the water level?' Xie Li shouted downward.

Inside the carriage, the murky mud water had almost completely filled the space.

Jin Zhaoye, Fu Yunsheng, and the others were all treading water, floating at the top of the carriage, their chins lifted and pressed against the ceiling, struggling to breathe.

'Do not worry, we still have space to breathe,' Jin Zhaoye shouted upward.

The others said nothing more. They knew how difficult the rescue was for those above; such a deep pit and such a heavy storm were not things one could just dig through by hand.

Those above were already doing their utmost to save them. Whether they could be rescued or not, they would have no complaints.

'Almost there, almost there, we are about to dig through, everyone, pick up the pace!' Lan Ran shouted loudly.

Everyone was trying their best, but the train head remained stuck in the mud pit, and the murky water level continued to rise, bit by bit submerging the train head and the space Jin Zhaoye relied on to survive.

Xie Li dropped her shovel and, regardless of the consequences, jumped into the large pit they had dug. She threw herself at the edge of the pit, grabbed the piece of iron plating that had already been submerged in the water with both hands, and focused her mind, trying to pull the train head stuck in the sewage into the Space.

The carriage shook, but it could not be taken in. This was her first time trying to collect such a massive object; the power surging from her palms felt as if it had hit a wall and was bounced back.

It shook her so hard her head felt like it was splitting, and her vision went black.

Once failed, Xie Li wanted to try again. Just as she moved, her feet suddenly went soft, and she tumbled directly into the mud water.

Cold mud poured into her collar, covering her mouth and nose. Xie Li struggled to climb back up.

For some reason, the ground beneath her feet seemed to be shaking, and the mud was sloshing; she felt as if she were lying on a turbulent sea, unable to steady herself.

Someone was shouting in her ear, accompanied by the rumbling of thunder. Xie Li vaguely heard three words—it is an Earthquake.

She looked up and saw everyone scurrying about like headless flies, saw everything around her shaking.

The ground was like a soft blanket being pulled at one corner, shaking up and down, swaying left and right, and then a huge crack split open from the middle. The crack spread from afar, growing wider and longer.

The train tracks creaked and groaned; the high-tilted carriage lost its balance and crashed to the ground with a clang, splashing a field of mud.

Xie Li lay at the edge of the pit, clutching that train head which had already been submerged in the mud, trying again and again to pull it into the Space.

Every time she tried, the stinging pain in her mind intensified. Her eyes were bloodshot, red veins spreading through her sockets, and fresh blood dripped from her nasal cavity, disappearing quickly into the mud water below.

'Jin Zhaoye... hold on,' Xie Li muttered unconsciously. 'I will save you.'

Inside the carriage, Jin Zhaoye had long reached her limit for holding her breath, her consciousness growing increasingly blurred. In the last second before losing consciousness, she seemed to hear a voice from above, and the corners of her taut lips slowly curled up into a smile.

'Why... can I not take it in... get in there, damn it!!!'

Xie Li screamed in a breakdown, blood streaming from her nose, but no matter what, she could not take it in.

There were living people inside the train head; it was impossible for the Space to accept it. Everything she tried was in vain.

But Xie Li did not want to give up. She did not want to give up on Jin Zhaoye; even if she died, she wanted to save her.

More and more blood gushed from her nose. Just as Xie Li was about to have a mental breakdown, a loud boom came from beneath the deep pit, as if something were turning over deep underground, and the ground began to shake violently.

Xie Li’s feet felt empty, and her whole body plummeted, hanging in mid-air. Fortunately, her hands were still tightly gripping the train head, which kept her from falling into the earth fissure.

She looked down; the crack below was very deep, pitch-black, and bottomless. She could only see the murky mud water pouring down constantly, like a floodgate.

The water level in the pit dropped rapidly. In just a few seconds, the train head that had been submerged in the mud surfaced again.

Xie Li hung onto the train head and waited a while. As the aftershocks of the Earthquake gradually subsided, she leaped down and ran to the deformed door.

Three people were lying on the ground inside the carriage, covered in mud, making it almost impossible to tell who was who.

The only one standing was Fu Yunsheng, whose body was covered in black scales. Xie Li met her gaze, and both turned their heads away at the same time.

Xie Li gripped the door handle with both hands and pulled with all her might. The door creaked, and Fu Yunsheng inside was also pushing hard from within.

With their combined efforts, the deformed door was pried open just enough to create an opening.

The train head shook, and the carriage tilted toward the depths of the fissure.

Xie Li’s hands froze; she dared not force the door any further, fearing the train head would flip directly into the crack.

'Get them up first,' Fu Yunsheng shouted to Xie Li, picking up the unconscious Jin Zhaoye and pushing her out through the gap.

Xie Li bent down to catch her, dragging Jin Zhaoye out slowly and carefully. Once she was out of the door, she hoisted Jin Zhaoye onto her shoulder and climbed up using her hands and feet, clinging to the train head.

The others in the distance all stumbled back to help with the rescue.

'I will help you lift,' Liu Zhaoyang reached out to assist.

'No need, I can take care of this here, go help them save the others,' Xie Li refused, shaking her head. She carried Jin Zhaoye a short distance away, found a patch of flat grass, and laid her down.

The heavy rain continued to fall, washing over Jin Zhaoye’s face and rinsing away the mud to reveal the pale, bloodless cheeks beneath.

'Jin Zhaoye...' Xie Li called out.

The woman’s eyes remained tightly shut, her lips a bruised purple, and she did not respond to her call.

Xie Li leaned down and pressed her ear against her chest.

The surrounding sounds were too chaotic—the rain, the cries of everyone saving others, the rumbling of the Earthquake—all mixed together, and she could not hear if Jin Zhaoye had a heartbeat at all.

'This cannot be... you are the protagonist, how could you die so soon?' Xie Li straightened up, placed her hands one over the other on Jin Zhaoye’s chest, and began to perform CPR.

One, two, three—Jin Zhaoye did not respond. Xie Li pried open her mouth and nose, rinsed out the mud, then leaned down, pinched her nose, covered her lips with her own, and gave her Artificial Respiration.

Afterward, she sat up and continued the compressions, repeating the cycle—once, twice, she did not know how many times.

Time ticked by, second by second, and Jin Zhaoye still lay on the ground, pale and motionless.

Xie Li’s eyes turned red, tears rolling down one by one. She was truly terrified; she feared that her arrival had changed too much, leading to Jin Zhaoye dying at the very beginning of the story.

Wiping away her tears, she continued the compressions and breaths.

She did not know how much time had passed when the woman beneath her finally let out a weak cough, like a kitten.

Xie Li stopped her movements, lowering her head to watch the woman slowly open her eyes.

'Jin... Zhaoye.' Xie Li’s voice was trembling.

Jin Zhaoye looked at her, her lips moving, the corners curling up slightly to reveal a faint, shallow smile.

'Fool... what are you crying for?'

At those words, Xie Li completely broke down.

She stared at Jin Zhaoye’s pale face, tears streaming down like a child’s. She threw herself into Jin Zhaoye’s arms, pressing her forehead against her shoulder, and wailed in a total breakdown.

Jin Zhaoye weakly raised a hand and patted her shoulder. 'Student Xie Three-Years-Old, crying so sadly, do you need Big Sister to go pick another little yellow flower for you?'

'Wuwuwu... I do not want that now...' Xie Li’s muffled sobbing reached Jin Zhaoye’s ears, mixed with a barrage of accusations.

'I should never have let you sit in the train head with her... she does not know how to protect you at all... you were fine for so many days with me, and you were with her for only half a day and you almost died.'

Xie Li hugged her, the more she spoke, the more aggrieved and angry she became. 'She does not know how to take care of you or care about you at all. She turned into a fish, swimming happily in the water, how could she not care about whether you lived or died?'

Jin Zhaoye did not have the strength to speak much, her hand patting her shoulder rhythmically.

After a long while, she finally spoke, her voice still hoarse. 'Xie Li.'

Xie Li was too busy crying to pay her any mind.

'Xie Li...' Jin Zhaoye called again, her fingers gently hooking the tip of Xie Li’s fair, translucent ear, pinching and tugging it.

'Look up.'

'What!' Xie Li looked up at her, her face a mess of rain, tears, and nosebleed, looking utterly wretched.

Jin Zhaoye looked at that face, feeling a pang of heartache, and had to coax her softly: 'Stop crying, why is your nose still bleeding? Did you hit your nose?'

'No.' Xie Li turned her head away, pulling up the collar of her T-shirt to wipe it messily. 'I just used too much force earlier.'

She turned back, her eyes red, glaring fiercely at Jin Zhaoye. 'From now on, you should just join my team. Otherwise, next time, I will not save you.'

'I heard you.' Jin Zhaoye wore a faint smile, meeting her gaze. 'You said you would definitely save me, and you did it. You are amazing.'

Xie Li was appeased by Jin Zhaoye’s praise, but she still tried to maintain her fierce expression, stiffening her neck and saying, 'Complimenting me will not work. If you act with her again next time, I will not save you.'

'How cruel~ Student Xie, who refuses to save people, is just too cruel.' Jin Zhaoye’s tone was weak yet lazy, sounding incredibly alluring to Xie Li’s ears.

Xie Li sniffled and let out a weak whimper.

On the other side, Fu Yunsheng had brought out Ning Meng and Bai Jingning. She was the last to climb out of the train head. By the time she came up, the black scales on her body had faded, returning to the skin tone of a normal person.

After a flurry of frantic resuscitation, both Bai Jingning and Ning Meng regained their heartbeats and breathing.

Bai Jingning had a deep gash on her calf, which had swollen and turned white from soaking in the rainwater; the injury was quite serious, but she had survived.

Ning Meng, on the other hand, was thick-skinned and sturdy; aside from having no strength when she first woke up, she had not suffered any major injuries.

The heavy rain showed no signs of stopping. Everyone had been soaking in the rain for too long; they had not noticed it while busy saving people, with adrenaline keeping them going and ignoring the cold and pain. Now that everyone was saved, as that energy faded, they felt the bone-chilling cold.

Some began to shiver, their teeth chattering, their lips turning purple, trembling in the downpour like chaff.

Fu Yunsheng looked at the dozen or so people remaining in the team; everyone’s face was etched with exhaustion, their eyes filled with panic and numbness.

She wiped the rainwater from her face and said loudly, 'Everyone, hold on a little longer. Go into the carriage and collect the remaining supplies. We need to find a place where we can make a fire and cook something hot to eat.'

The survivors received the order and began to move. Liu Zhaoyang and the other university students nimbly climbed into the carriage to scavenge for anything useful.

Xie Li looked at Jin Zhaoye, leaned in closer, and whispered in her ear, 'I am going to help salvage supplies, will you rest here for a while?'

'Go ahead.' Jin Zhaoye closed her eyes wearily, letting the rain fall on her face.

Xie Li turned to look around. Seeing no one was paying attention, she quietly took a three-proof windbreaker from the Space, shook it out, covered Jin Zhaoye with it, and then hurried to the side of the carriage to move supplies with the others.

After ten minutes of busy work, everyone brought out everything useful from the carriage.

Everyone was carrying one or two backpacks. Fat Aunt looked at her large iron pot with reluctance, but in the end, she gave it up with a heavy heart; carrying the large pot was truly inconvenient for travel and too much of a waste of physical strength.

The team was packed and ready, leaving only Bai Jingning, who had an injured leg, and Jin Zhaoye lying on the ground.

Fu Yunsheng looked at Bai Jingning, hesitated for a moment, then walked over to Jin Zhaoye and crouched down. 'Ah Ye, can you walk? Bai Jingning’s leg is injured, she cannot walk.'

Jin Zhaoye braced herself on the grass and slowly stood up. She had put on the windbreaker Xie Li had given her, zipping it to the very top and standing the collar up, wrapping herself in the faint scent of lime and mint.

She glanced at Fu Yunsheng, her voice weak. 'You carry her, I can walk on my own.'

Before Fu Yunsheng could reply, Xie Li darted over like a mobile luggage rack.

She had one backpack on her chest and one on her back, blocking Jin Zhaoye like a wall. 'Doctor Jin, let me carry you.'

Fu Yunsheng looked at her, and Xie Li met her gaze without showing any weakness.

If it were not for the heavy rain, the intensity of their burning gazes might have sparked a small fire.

Fu Yunsheng looked away first and reached out. 'Give me one backpack, I will carry one for you.'

Xie Li did not stand on ceremony with her at all, taking off the backpack on her back and tossing it over.

She then turned her back to Jin Zhaoye, half-bowed, braced her hands on her knees, and turned her head to look at Jin Zhaoye. 'Come on, Doctor Jin, do not worry, I am young and have plenty of energy, I can definitely carry you.'

Rainwater streamed down her fair cheeks, and her eyes were bright, reflecting Jin Zhaoye’s pale, weak figure.

She bent down and leaned onto Xie Li’s back, resting her chin on the Alpha’s shoulder, her whole body sagging against her.

Xie Li supported her thighs, bounced her up slightly to adjust the center of gravity, and made it more comfortable for the person on her back.

The team began to move forward through the rain. Xie Li trailed at the back, stepping on the crooked train tracks, walking very steadily. Jin Zhaoye rested on Xie Li’s shoulder, her breathing gradually deepening.

Lan Ran walked in front of Xie Li, with Xiaobao tucked into a waterproof backpack and protected against her chest, the zipper left slightly open to allow her to breathe.

The team was very quiet; no one spoke. Everyone was too tired, exhausted in both body and mind, with only the monotonous white noise of the falling rain.

After walking for about half an hour and experiencing several minor aftershocks, the outline of a building finally appeared in the rain ahead, gray and hazy, looming like a watercolor painting soaked and blurred by water.

Fu Yunsheng, who was walking at the very front, stopped and turned back, her lips moving as if she had said something. Xie Li did not hear it clearly; the distance was too great and the rain was too heavy.

But she was not blind; she saw the outline of the building appearing in the rain ahead.

Everyone’s pace quickened involuntarily, and their originally dragging footsteps found new strength. They stepped off the tracks, crossed a patch of abandoned vegetable fields, and the small red-brick building appeared before them.

They were quite lucky; despite such a massive Earthquake, the house had not collapsed. The roof was intact, the walls had no cracks, and although the courtyard wall had collapsed for the most part, it actually made it easier for everyone to enter, saving them the trouble of prying open the courtyard gate.

Xie Li followed everyone over the collapsed wall and into the courtyard.

Fu Yunsheng, who was at the front, went inside to check and soon came out, shouting to everyone at the door: 'There are no Zombies inside, everyone come in.'

Having found a place to stay, everyone was no longer in a hurry.

As it happened, the remaining members of the team were all girls. The Alpha and Omega separated, taking each side, stripping off their wet clothes to their undergarments, and taking a simple bath in the downpour.

Xie Li had no intention of bathing Jin Zhaoye in public. She carried her into the house, where the light was very dim and the air was filled with the scent of old dust.

Looking around, there were a few rooms off the living room. She chose the nearest one, pushed the door open, and walked in.

The owner must have been away for a long time; the bed was bare, without even a sheet, just a mattress covered with a dust cloth.

Xie Li lifted the dust cloth and placed Jin Zhaoye on the mattress. Her eyelids flickered, and she opened her eyes to look at Xie Li.

'Are you awake?' Xie Li leaned in to ask.

'Hmm~' Jin Zhaoye hummed, turned her head, and fell back into a deep sleep.

While everyone else was outside bathing, Xie Li simply wiped the water off Jin Zhaoye’s body.

The mud on her body had already been washed away in the previous downpour, except for her clothes, which were a bit dirty.

Xie Li hesitated whether she should help Jin Zhaoye change her clothes. Just as she was wavering, the door was knocked.

'Gift... Xiaobao seems to be sick.' Lan Ran’s voice came from outside the door.

Xie Li turned and walked to the door, pulling it open.

Lan Ran walked in carrying Xiaobao. The little girl’s wet clothes had already been changed by Lan Ran, and she was wearing