Chapter 102: Doomsday 17

Before the sun set, everyone worked together to prepare their weapons. They planned to set off early the next morning to begin their return journey.

The following day, Le Yixian sat in the back seat of the off-road vehicle, staring absentmindedly at her right hand. Upon waking that morning, she had secretly checked her wound again—it had turned black once more. Perhaps due to her timely treatment, it lacked the putrid stench typical of the infected.

A shadow blocked the light, pulling Le Yixian out of her reverie. She saw Ke Yuandao standing outside the vehicle, looking at her. When their eyes met, he bent slightly, leaning closer with a strange glow in his handsome eyes.

Le Yixian blinked in confusion.

“I washed my face today,” Ke Yuandao said.

Le Yixian’s lips twitched into a smile. She leaned forward and planted a kiss on his handsome face.

Because of her healing abilities, Le Yixian was quite conspicuous within the group. Everyone feared that if a zombie suddenly appeared, it might bite their healer. So when Ke Yuandao approached Le Yixian, more eyes naturally turned their way.

When they saw Le Yixian kiss Ke Yuandao, the group was momentarily stunned before deeming it perfectly natural. A striking man and woman—the former a powerful lightning-wielding mutant, the latter a healer who saved lives—they seemed well matched. No wonder Ke Yuandao had been shadowing Miss Xia from the start.

Ke Yuandao stepped back, satisfied. He touched the spot where she had kissed him and said, “I’ll lead the way up front. Zi Qing will come to keep you company.” He added, “If you want to come with me, that’s fine too.”

“I’m not going,” Le Yixian shook her head. She had no offensive power now and didn’t want to join the vanguard and risk her life. As a fragile healer, she wasn’t about to throw herself into danger.

Ke Yuandao looked a bit disappointed. “Really not coming?”

Women who had pursued him before practically clung to him twenty-four hours a day.

“No,” Le Yixian urged as more eyes turned toward them. “Go ahead. Let’s get back early.”

Reluctantly, Ke Yuandao said, “Then kiss me once more.”

Le Yixian was speechless.

“This side,” he pointed to the other cheek.

Le Yixian’s mouth twitched. She leaned over and kissed him. “Alright, go.”

Ke Yuandao finally moved to the front to lead the way.

“Ke Yuandao’s like a sticky toffee now,” Li Ziqing suddenly appeared, watching his retreating figure and sighing.

“Really?” Le Yixian asked.

“Yeah, didn’t you see him look back every three steps?”

“Not that obvious,” Le Yixian replied, watching Ke Yuandao climb onto the roof of a transport truck without any unusual behavior.

Li Ziqing said, “You don’t know, but last night someone patrolled outside our room several times.”

Le Yixian’s first thought: “Who? A pervert?”

Li Ziqing was speechless.

“Isn’t it?” Le Yixian asked. Who else would wander outside a girl’s room in the dead of night?

Li Ziqing stared at Le Yixian as if she were a rare specimen. “No perverts dared come. It was Ke Yuandao.”

Le Yixian was startled. “Why was he outside our room?”

She hadn’t noticed at all.

“To breathe the same air as you,” Li Ziqing said.

There was a long silence in the car before Li Ziqing’s curiosity got the better of her. “How did Ke Yuandao end up with you?”

“He didn’t chase me. I chased him.”

At these words, the driver, who had been listening to gossip while driving, lost grip of the steering wheel. The vehicle jolted, almost causing the two in the back to collide with the front seats.

“Sorry, sorry,” the driver quickly steadied the car, still shocked. The aloof Captain Ke had actually been pursued!

Li Ziqing, nearly biting her tongue in surprise, looked up. “What?!”

“I said, I chased him. Strange, isn’t it?” Le Yixian repeated.

How could it not be strange? He cared for you, and you thought he was some pervert. With that kind of emotional intelligence, how did you manage to win over Ke Yuandao’s cold demeanor?

“I’m pretty,” Le Yixian replied.

Li Ziqing realized she had inadvertently spoken her thoughts aloud. Looking at Le Yixian’s face, she couldn’t deny it: she was right.

Several years into the apocalypse, most people had endured harsh sun and rain, with little food. Few cared about their appearance anymore. Even Le Yixian, with access to resources, had been tanned to a wheat complexion. Compared to Xia Meimei beside her, she was a couple of shades darker.

In this end-of-the-world, Xia Meimei’s pale skin shone dazzlingly, and she was undeniably beautiful, her skin fair and tender.

Thus, the women of the apocalypse were quietly ranked.

“So how did you win over Ke Yuandao?” Li Ziqing pressed.

Le Yixian blinked. “With seduction.”

The driver’s hands slipped on the wheel again.

“You don’t know. Though Ke Yuandao is a bit cold in public, he’s shy around me and often blushes,” Le Yixian continued. “He’s very cute.”

Driver: ...

Li Ziqing: ...

Who would have thought Captain Ke could be shy? The image was unimaginable.

Along the way, the convoy’s noise attracted many zombies. The mutants stood atop the transport vehicles to attack, leaving no zombies able to approach. This defense drained their powers quickly, so they rotated shifts at noon.

When Ke Yuandao handed over to Li Ziqing, he noticed her gaze was unusual, but he didn’t think much of it. Later, when he got into the off-road vehicle, he caught the driver’s complicated look in the rearview mirror.

He was speechless.

“Hungry? I just had Wang Qiang boil some water for instant noodles,” Le Yixian said, handing him a cup with a neutral expression.

Ke Yuandao took it and finished it quickly.

Le Yixian yawned after watching him eat.

“Sleepy?” Ke Yuandao asked, glancing at her. “Take a nap.”

Le Yixian rubbed her eyes and nodded. “Okay.”

Then she leaned against Ke Yuandao’s shoulder. His body stiffened, unused to it, and he tried to shift.

“Don’t move. Let me lean a while,” Le Yixian yawned again. She sounded hoarse, probably very tired.

Ke Yuandao was speechless.

Soon, slow breathing came from beside him.

Ke Yuandao carefully turned his head. Sunlight filtered through the window, casting a glow on her, making her appear luminous. Her fair skin seemed so delicate it could be pierced.

His heart softened. He gently adjusted his position to make her more comfortable as she slept.