Classmate Xie Li, your tongue is quite agile?

Xie Li, your tongue is quite sensitive, isn't it?

Xie Li glared at Jin Zhaoye, her voice fierce and sharp, like a kitten with its fur puffed up, waving its little paws at its owner.

Jin Zhaoye was pressed down and coughed lightly. She raised her hand, her palm sliding along Xie Li's smooth back.

Xie Li trembled slightly at the touch, her ears and cheeks instantly flushing red.

Jin Zhaoye's hand passed over Xie Li's slender, firm waistline and patted her bottom twice: 'Get up, stop pressing on me, you're heavy.'

'I won't! You just touched me, and now you want me to get up!'

'Xie Li, I advise you to know when to stop.'

'I won't stop!' Xie Li clung to her like an octopus, burying her face in the crook of her neck, pouting, 'I'll stop when you call off the engagement with her.'

The room suddenly fell quiet. The sound of rain outside hadn't ceased, making this abrupt silence feel even more awkward.

Jin Zhaoye was silent for a few seconds before speaking: 'Xie Li, our engagement isn't something that can be explained in a few words. Get up first.'

'Fine, I'll get up! What's the big deal!!!'

Xie Li bounced up from her, turned around angrily, and angrily started putting on her clothes.

No wonder they were fiancées. She really was getting it from both sides, an endless stream of grievances. Sooner or later, she was going to turn into a giant pufferfish and blow this whole world up.

Once fully dressed, she couldn't help but glance back.

Jin Zhaoye was leaning against the headboard, her face pale, her lips colorless, a few damp strands of hair stuck to her cheeks. Her mental state didn't look good.

Xie Li's heart ached terribly, and the question she asked was dripping with vinegar: 'Even though it was pouring rain, and she chose to carry someone else and not you, you still think she's better than me, don't you?'

Jin Zhaoye shook her head, analyzing rationally: 'Bai Zong injured her leg, she couldn't walk. Her arrangement made sense. Xie Li, you can't look at things emotionally.'

'Fine, fine, I'm emotional. You're all mature, steady elites. I'm just immature, okay!'

Furious, Xie Li pulled out several dry clothes from her Space, tossing them one by one next to Jin Zhaoye. With each toss, she glared at her. After tossing them all, she glared one more time.

Jin Zhaoye watched her tantrum helplessly, really wanting to tell Xie Li: I was very happy you came to carry me in the rainstorm. I'm also very happy that you're throwing a tantrum while still caring about my health.

I really like that you favor me like this.

But the answer Xie Li wanted, she couldn't give.

The engagement between the two families wasn't up to her. It was an agreement between two clans. Even before returning to the Base, she could guess that, given the current situation, the Jin Family, which held the biopharmaceutical team, and the Fu Family, which held military power, would only be bound tighter together. It was mutually beneficial.

It wasn't something that could be easily undone just because she said she didn't want to. At the very least, before finding a solution, she couldn't give Xie Li any definite answer.

Jin Zhaoye remained silent, and Xie Li's little tantrum couldn't continue.

Tantrums are for people who care. If someone doesn't care about you, no matter how much you fuss, it's useless. You'll just look like a clown, a laughingstock, losing all dignity.

'Change your clothes. I'm going out.' Xie Li dropped these words, her head drooping dejectedly as she turned and walked out.

...

In the center of the first-floor living room, there was now a metal bucket with a fire burning fiercely inside, the wood crackling.

Everyone had changed clothes, their wounds re-bandaged. Holding hot water, they gathered around the fire bucket to warm themselves.

Lan Ran walked through the crowd towards Xie Li, holding a bowl of hot water. Seeing her dejected look, she asked in surprise, 'What's wrong? How did changing clothes make you so wilted?'

'It's nothing. Wait a bit before going in.' Xie Li pretended to pull a box of children's fever-reducing medicine from her pocket and handed it to Lan Ran.

Lan Ran took the medicine, watching Xie Li's retreating back heading to the kitchen, feeling puzzled. Weren't they fine just a moment ago?

She raised her hand and knocked on the door. Jin Zhaoye's somewhat hoarse voice came from inside: 'Wait a moment.'

Lan Ran stood at the door for a few minutes before it was pulled open. Jin Zhaoye, having changed clothes, came out.

'Sorry, I was changing.'

'Oh, it's fine, I'm not in a hurry.'

Jin Zhaoye scanned the living room and asked in a lowered voice, 'Have you seen Xie Li?'

'She went to the kitchen.' Lan Ran replied equally quietly, making it seem like a spy rendezvous.

...

In the kitchen, Xie Li leaned against the stove, holding hot water and sipping slowly, chatting idly with Pang Ayi, who was tending the fire.

Before she could finish her bowl of hot water, Jin Zhaoye walked in.

Their eyes met for less than half a second. Xie Li was the first to look away, turning around to face the door with the back of her head, pretending not to see her, and continued drinking her water.

'Doctor Jin, come have some hot water.' Pang Ayi deftly took a bowl, filled it with hot water, and handed it to Jin Zhaoye. 'Don't worry, I rinsed this bowl just now.'

'Thank you, Auntie.'

'No need to be polite with Auntie.' Pang Ayi waved her hand and strode towards the door. 'You two warm up here. Auntie will go see about getting something for everyone to eat.'

Jin Zhaoye watched Pang Ayi's figure disappear from the kitchen doorway, then walked over to stand beside Xie Li, holding her bowl. She didn't speak, just took small sips of the hot water.

In the kitchen, besides the crackling of burning firewood, there was only Jin Zhaoye's occasional low coughs.

Xie Li waited a while, then waited some more.

She thought Jin Zhaoye had come to coax her, but she just stood there like a wooden post, not saying a word for ages.

She stole a sidelong glance. Jin Zhaoye was looking down at the hot water in her bowl as if she could stare flowers into blooming.

'Aren't you here to coax me?' Xie Li spoke up first.

Jin Zhaoye looked up at her and poured half the hot water from her own bowl into Xie Li's.

Xie Li looked at the hot water in her bowl, the corner of her mouth uncontrollably lifting, but she still had to be stubborn: 'I didn't say I wanted to drink it.'

'Then give it back.' Jin Zhaoye said.

Xie Li quickly picked up the bowl and took a big gulp. After drinking, she regretted it a little. She was too easy to appease.

Cannon fodder Xie Li, you're too cheap!? Angry, you spineless thing.

Xie Li gritted her teeth and scolded herself, then, utterly spineless, pulled out a box of cold medicine from her Space, popped out two capsules, and handed them to her. 'Take some medicine.'

Jin Zhaoye reached out, picked up the two small capsules from her open palm, put them in her mouth, and swallowed them with the remaining hot water.

'Thanks.'

Although she wasn't angry anymore, Xie Li didn't want to make it so obvious.

'You're welcome. I'm going to check on Xiaobao.' She replied stiffly and walked towards the kitchen door.

Before she could step over the threshold, someone came in from outside, and they almost collided.

Fu Yunsheng sidestepped to avoid Xie Li, walked past her to the stove, picked up a ladle, scooped a bowl of hot water, and asked Jin Zhaoye, 'When did you wake up? I went to see you earlier, but you were sleeping soundly, so I didn't disturb you.'

'Just woke up a little while ago. How is Bai Zong?'

Fu Yunsheng took a sip of hot water. 'The wound is quite severe. Ning Meng is cleaning it for her. She's upstairs. Do you want to go up and see?'

Jin Zhaoye glanced at the figure frozen at the doorway and shook her head in refusal. 'I don't have much strength. I don't want to climb the stairs.'

'Then I'll go upstairs first.' Fu Yunsheng said, holding two bowls of hot water as she turned and walked towards the door.

Xie Li, at the doorway, listened to their conversation and quickened her pace to leave before Fu Yunsheng came out.

...

Lan Ran was holding Xiaobao, sitting on the bed. The little girl was already awake, curled up in the clothes, whimpering like a kitten, pitiful.

Seeing Xie Li come in, she opened her eyes and looked over, her gaze wet and confused.

'Xiaobao's awake. Where does it hurt?' Xie Li leaned down close, touching the little girl's cheek.

The little girl raised her hand, pointing weakly at her own nose, her little mouth pouting, looking utterly wronged. 'Medicine tastes bad.'

'You have to take medicine when you're sick, otherwise your nose will keep hurting.' Xie Li pulled a lollipop from her pocket and handed it to her. 'Here, a lollipop for you. Eat it after you take your medicine, remember?'

Xiaobao's eyes lit up instantly. She reached out, grabbed the candy stick, and nodded vigorously. 'I remember. Xiaobao will take medicine obediently.'

Xie Li patted the little girl's head and praised, 'So good.'

Whether the little girl was naturally obedient or had become so well-behaved and sensible after losing her family, for Xiaobao, either reason was a good thing.

A spoiled, disobedient, fussy child wouldn't have much chance of survival after losing their family.

Zombies and mutated creatures wouldn't show mercy just because someone was young. Xiaobao was still little, perhaps not fully understanding what had happened to this world, but she had already instinctively learned to adapt.

Xie Li and Lan Ran rested in the room for a while before Pang Ayi's voice calling everyone to eat sounded in the living room.

'You stay in the room with Xiaobao and rest. I'll go get the food.' Xie Li stood up and walked towards the door.

A large pot was placed over the iron bucket in the center of the living room. Inside was a pile of unidentifiable mush that didn't look very appealing, but it smelled somewhat savory.

Pang Ayi stirred constantly with a large ladle. Not many people were left in the group, lining up sparsely.

Jin Zhaoye stood at the end of the line. Xie Li walked over and queued up behind her.

Pang Ayi was skilled and quick at serving. Soon it was their turn. Jin Zhaoye and Xie Li each carried two bowls of mush back to the room.

One bowl was for Lan Ran. The other was originally for Xiaobao, but the little girl had fallen asleep again. Xie Li placed the extra bowl on the bedside table, planning to share it with Lan Ran later.

Lan Ran took the bowl, glanced at its contents. 'What is this stuff? Looks like pig slop.'

Xie Li took a sip of the mush, frowning as she tried to identify it. 'Seems like there's Compressed Biscuits, dehydrated vegetables, instant noodles, dough lumps?'

'Xie Li, your tongue is quite sensitive?' Jin Zhaoye teased softly.

Xie Li's spoon, scooping the mush, paused. Some not-suitable-for-children images suddenly flashed through her mind. Jin Zhaoye did seem to like using her mouth.

The tips of her ears quietly flushed red. She lowered her head and coughed lightly, mumbling indistinctly, '...It's alright.'

Lan Ran sat on the bed, silently lowering her head to eat the mush, pretending she didn't exist.

After the meal, the dozen or so remaining people in the group, anyone who could move, gathered in the living room.

Fu Yunsheng stood in the center of the crowd, scanning those present. 'We don't know when this rain will stop. We can only rest here for now. Tonight, we need people to keep watch. Pairs of two, each shift two hours, rotating.'

She paused, as if waiting for questions.

'Major General Fu, this place is in the middle of nowhere. What exactly are we watching for?' Liu Zhaoyang raised his hand and asked.

Fu Yunsheng: 'You don't need to go out patrolling in the rain. Just stay alert, observe the surroundings more. If there's any unusual movement, wake everyone up immediately. Any other questions?'

'None.' Sparse replies came from the crowd.

Fu Yunsheng nodded, pulled a piece of paper from her pocket with a hastily written duty roster. She looked down at it and read: 'Ning Meng, Jiang Nanxu, first shift, 8 PM to 10 PM. Zhou Yu and Pang Ayi...'

She read out the watch list group by group. Xie Li and Lan Ran were assigned to the fifth shift.

4 AM to 6 AM, the time when it's easiest to feel sleepy. Xie Li reasonably suspected this petty-minded Major General was deliberately retaliating.

But she didn't voice any objection. No matter the time, someone had to keep watch.

After arranging everything, Fu Yunsheng gave a final reminder: 'Those on watch, remember to wake the next group fifteen minutes early, don't let there be a gap. Those who can rest now, rest while you can. Dismissed.'

The crowd dispersed, each finding a spot to huddle.

Jin Zhaoye walked over to Xie Li and Lan Ran and asked with concern, 'Four o'clock. Can you get up?'

Lan Ran shrank behind Xie Li, waiting for her to answer.

'We can get up.' Xie Li nodded. 'We'll go back to the room to sleep in a bit. Where are you sleeping tonight?'

Jin Zhaoye covered her mouth and coughed lightly, her tone casual. 'I'll just find a corner to curl up in.'

'Come with us. We have to get up for watch later anyway, you can help watch the child.' Xie Li found a plausible excuse.

Lan Ran nodded vigorously beside her. 'Yes, goddess. Xiaobao is sick. We have to get up for watch later. Leaving her alone in the room isn't safe.'

Jin Zhaoye looked at the two of them and didn't refuse, following them back to the room.

Once inside, Xie Li opened the wardrobe and searched, finding a thin quilt on the very top shelf.

'This is for you to cover with.' Xie Li placed the quilt on the bed. 'It's raining, the night will be cold.'

Jin Zhaoye stood by the bed, glanced at Lan Ran's back as she made a bed on the floor, and frowned slightly. 'Lan Ran, Xie Li, let's all sleep on the bed. This bed is big enough. We can sleep sideways, it'll be enough.'

Lan Ran's cheeks instantly flushed red. She looked back at Jin Zhaoye, squirming. 'Isn't that inappropriate?'

'It's fine. The floor is too damp. Getting sick would just waste cold medicine.'

Xie Li's expression remained unchanged, but fireworks were going off in her heart. She glanced at Lan Ran. Lan Ran glanced back at her.

The two completed a silent conversation with their eyes.

So, the three of them, plus a child, inexplicably ended up sharing the same quilt.

Xiaobao was placed in the innermost corner, against the headboard. Lan Ran lay down next to Xiaobao. Xie Li lay in the middle. Jin Zhaoye slept on the outermost side.

One quilt for four people was inevitably a bit stretched.

Xie Li waited a while, until Lan Ran's breathing gradually became long and even, confirming she was asleep. She gave all the quilt to her and Xiaobao, so the little girl wouldn't freeze and get sicker during the night.

She turned over, facing Jin Zhaoye, and asked in a whisper, 'Asleep?'

'No.' Jin Zhaoye's low voice sounded by her ear.

Xie Li moved closer to her ear. 'No quilt. Will you be cold?'

'...A little.' Jin Zhaoye's reply held some hesitation.

'Hugging while sleeping won't be cold.' Xie Li reached out and wrapped her arm around Jin Zhaoye's slender waist, pulling her into her embrace.

Jin Zhaoye knew this girl hadn't pulled the quilt away with good intentions.

She compliantly relaxed her waist and nestled into Xie Li's arms.

In the darkness, Lan Ran, having just feasted on a lavish serving of dog food, slowly opened her eyes.

She stared with dead-fish eyes, singing silently in her heart: I should be under the bed, not on the bed~~~

The quiet night, the pattering sound of rain, was the best lullaby.

Xie Li held Jin Zhaoye, listening to the rain, and unknowingly fell asleep.

She woke up again when Jin Zhaoye pushed her.

'Xie Li, time to get up.'

Xie Li opened her eyes. The room was pitch black, you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up, responding vaguely, her brain not fully booted up yet. 'You keep sleeping. I'll wake Lan Ran.'

She fumbled in the dark, patted Lan Ran's shoulder. Two pats got no response, so she added a bit more force and shook her awake.

Lan Ran grumbled, turned over, and after a good while reluctantly sat up.

The two of them felt their way out of the room. The fire in the living room had gone out, leaving only a few dark red embers in the iron bucket radiating residual warmth.

The two people from the previous watch, seeing Xie Li and Lan Ran come out, greeted them and went back to their room to sleep.

After the handover, Xie Li and Lan Ran found a spot by the window to stand. They both yawned in unison.

'Rinse your mouth, wake up a bit.' Xie Li pulled two packets of portable mouthwash from her pocket and tossed one to Lan Ran.

Lan Ran caught it, tore open the packaging, and poured it into her mouth.

Gargling by the window for a while, the cool mint sensation shot from her tongue tip all the way to the top of her head. Her drowsiness immediately dissipated by more than half.

After rinsing, Xie Li and Lan Ran each stood by a window, gazing out boredly.

Dark clouds obscured the moon and stars. As far as the eye could see, it was pitch black. The whole world was like an enormous ink blot, casually splashed between heaven and earth.

'I never realized before how dark night could be?' Lan Ran leaned on the windowsill, muttering. 'No wonder ancient people had night blindness. Was it actually because their nights were darker? If it were us now, wouldn't we be blind too?'

'Huh?'

Xie Li scratched her head and turned to look at her. 'I remember it was because ancient people had unbalanced diets, lacked vitamins, so everyone had night blindness, wasn't it?'

'Eh? Really?' Lan Ran also turned her head, her tone full of shock. 'I thought it was because there was no electricity?'

Xie Li didn't follow her train of thought. 'What does having no electricity have to do with being able to see?'

'No lights!' Lan Ran said righteously. 'Without lights, no matter how good your eyesight is, you can't see.'

'But they had candles and oil lamps! They just didn't have electric lights, they weren't unaware of using fire for illumination!'

'But candles were expensive in ancient times.'

The two academic underachievers debated for a long time about whether ancient people had poor eyesight or couldn't see the road because they had no lights.

In the end, neither could convince the other, and the topic was dropped.

The sky outside the window gradually brightened without them noticing. A thick curtain of rain veiled the world. It seemed as if the entire world had suddenly been reduced to only shades of gray and white.

Xie Li glanced outside. The small path everyone had used to enter yesterday was already submerged by accumulated water, leaving only sporadic patches of green vegetation floating on the surface.

The courtyard was filled with water. The depth looked to be up to the shins. The water surface was less than a hand's breadth from the threshold.

'Lan Ran, go wake everyone up. We need to evacuate quickly. The water's about to flood in.' Xie Li stared at the rainwater outside, her voice somewhat low. She turned and ran towards the room. 'I'll go wake Xiaobao and Jin Zhaoye.'

Lan Ran grabbed the iron basin placed in the center of the living room and started banging it loudly.

'Up, everyone up! The water's rising, everyone get up!'

The house immediately erupted into chaos. Survivors rubbed their eyes and poured out from various rooms.

'What's wrong? What happened?'

'Hey, don't push! Pang Ayi, you stepped on my shoe!' Luo Peishan bent over to pick up her shoe while muttering.

'Oh dear, Auntie is old, didn't notice. You young girl, you should eat more, you're so skinny, like a little chick.' Pang Ayi muttered, grabbing Luo Peishan's arm and pulling her into the crowd.

Fu Yunsheng, pulling a vest over herself as she ran, rushed downstairs quickly and dashed to Lan Ran, asking in a deep voice, 'What happened?'

'Water, it's flooding up.' Lan Ran pointed outside the window.

Fu Yunsheng turned to look at the door. Under the main door, water was already flowing into the house.

She strode over, pulled the door open. The accumulated water at the doorway, as if finding an outlet, rushed in with a roar.

The turbid water quickly flowed over everyone's shoes. Seeing this, without needing orders, everyone sprang into action, returning to their rooms to pack their belongings or gather useful items.

...

When Xie Li ran back to the room, Jin Zhaoye had already been woken by Lan Ran's basin-banging.

Their eyes met. Before Jin Zhaoye could ask, Xie Li spoke rapidly, 'The rain's too heavy, everything outside is flooded. This place isn't high ground. We need to leave quickly. Any later and we won't be able to leave.'

Jin Zhaoye bent down, scooped Xiaobao out from under the quilt, and handed her to Xie Li.

The little girl was soft and warm from sleeping under the covers, like a freshly steamed glutinous rice ball.

Startled by the sudden movement, she frowned and whimpered twice. 'Sister Liwu~'

'Xiaobao, be good, we have to go.' Xie Li coaxed while stuffing her into a backpack. 'Stay obediently in the backpack. Sister will take you away from here.'

'Candy~' Xiaobao raised the lollipop she had been clutching all night.

'Okay, I'll unwrap it for you. You can eat it slowly in the pack.' Xie Li unwrapped the candy and put it in the little girl's mouth.

Xiaobao grabbed the candy stick, mumbled indistinctly, tucked her head down against the backpack, and her eyelids began to droop again.

She didn't understand at all what was happening outside. She only knew her mouth was sweet, the backpack was warm, and she relaxed and closed her eyes.

Xie Li hung the backpack containing Xiaobao on her chest, tore off a strip of cloth, wrapped it around from the bottom of the backpack, crossed it over her shoulders, and tied it around her waist.

She bent over and tugged hard. The backpack was firmly secured against her front. Xiaobao was like a fixed little koala, sleeping soundly against her chest.

Jin Zhaoye had already emptied the wardrobe and taken off all the doors.

Xie Li watched Jin Zhaoye's actions, not sure what she was planning. 'The water isn't that deep, is it? Can this thing work as a boat?'

'The wardrobe is solid wood. Placed on the water, it can hold everyone's luggage, saving some energy.' Jin Zhaoye explained.

Xie Li said 'Oh' and didn't ask further, walking over to help her lift the wardrobe.

The living room was crowded with people, even more chaotic than before. Everyone was holding something—planks, plastic basins, plastic buckets, you name it.

Xie Li shouted towards the crowd, 'Make way, everyone spread out a bit.'

The crowd complied and spread out. Xie Li and Jin Zhaoye carried the wardrobe to the doorway, laid it down on the water surface. The wardrobe sank a bit, water quickly flowed in, and after the water covered the bottom board, the wardrobe bobbed and floated on the water.

'Everyone, put your larger, lighter luggage into the wardrobe.' Jin Zhaoye turned and shouted to the crowd.

Everyone quickly walked out of the house, placing items that were inconvenient to carry inside.

Jin Zhaoye wiped the rainwater from her face and shouted to the crowd, 'Is everyone here? If so, let's move out!'

'Major General Fu went to carry Bai Jingning!' Liu Zhaoyang yelled back.

The rain was too heavy. Standing at the doorway, if you didn't shout, you couldn't hear what the other person was saying.

Just as he said that, Fu Yunsheng came downstairs carrying Bai Jingning on her back, with Ning Meng following behind, carrying two large bags.

Fu Yunsheng passed through the crowd, walked to the main door, glanced at the water level, which had risen significantly, and ordered, 'Tie the ropes securely. Let's move.'

Ning Meng walked at the very front. She tied the rope around her waist securely, then passed it to the next person.

One by one, the dozen or so survivors were linked together like beads on a string, pushing a large wardrobe as they waded through the water.

The water rose extremely fast. At dawn, it was only shin-deep. In the short time it took everyone to pack, the water had already risen to thigh-level.

Everyone staggered through the water. They had barely gone a short distance, perhaps not even a hundred meters, when Ning Meng, leading the way at the front, suddenly stopped.

She turned her head and said in a suppressed voice, 'Major General, there's something in the water!'

Xie Li quickly wiped the rainwater from her face, straining to open her eyes wide, looking towards where Ning Meng was.

Through the curtain of rain, she could see Ning Meng standing in the water. Beside her, a small cluster of dark, slender things was moving towards her.

Xie Li shifted her gaze to look around. Under the turbid water surface, there were many dark, slender shadows swimming and darting about.

Some were only as thick as a finger, some as thick as an adult's arm, some even as thick as an adult's calf. They were swarming from all directions, forming an encirclement.

The survivors saw the figures swimming in the water clearly. Scre