Chapter 144: The Fresh, Plump Chinese Cabbage

Qin Sheng cast a fleeting, indifferent glance at the supplies brought by the members of the Second Team.

"Put them down."

"Yes, yes, right away! Be careful, put them down gently, don't break anything..." The men delivering the supplies were meticulously cautious, terrified of damaging the goods.

It was not hard to fathom why; it seemed her visit to the Second Team had indeed been effective. At the very least, if the Second Team dared to pull any more tricks behind her back, they would have to think twice—the Tang sword at Qin Sheng’s side had no eyes.

Once the items were neatly arranged, the Second Team members quickly found an excuse to slip away, fearful that their new captain might use her authority to discipline them. Qin Sheng had no interest in such small fry, so she let them go. If she wasn't mistaken, Zhang Ming would likely head straight to Guo Jun to lodge a complaint against her. She was quite curious to see what countermeasures Guo Jun would come up with.

"Captain, were these sent over by the Second Team?" Hearing the commotion outside, Wang Qiang and the others emerged after a few quick bites of their meal, surprised to find only Qin Sheng and the pile of supplies in the courtyard.

"It must be. With our captain having spoken, the Second Team leader would have to be incredibly bold not to send them over!" Little Pang felt a surge of satisfaction thinking about the scene at the Second Team’s quarters earlier that afternoon. Even he, standing beside Qin Sheng, had felt his heart nearly stop from her overwhelming presence; it was no wonder the Second Team leader’s legs were shaking.

"Even so, I expect Zhang Ming will go and twist the truth to Guo Jun about our captain this evening," Yu Yong said, dropping the title and using his name directly, his concern for Qin Sheng undiminished.

Qin Sheng nodded. She knew this was inevitable; otherwise, there would have been no need for her to visit the Second Team in person.

"Captain, this..." Yu Yong looked worried.

"Don't worry, Uncle Yu, I will handle these matters," Qin Sheng replied, appearing completely unconcerned, as if the situation were trivial. "Distribute the supplies among everyone, get some rest early, and be ready for morning training tomorrow."

"Understood, Captain."

"Good, everyone come and collect your portions."

Yu Yong distributed the supplies, which mostly consisted of bed sheets, covers, and personal daily necessities. Qin Sheng had no shortage of such things in her spatial storage, so she took nothing and walked back to her room.

After dinner, everyone dispersed to their rooms—except for Shen Shi. He seemed to have developed a fondness for the old locust tree in the courtyard. After eating, he began practicing the Baduanjin exercises he had often performed with his father. Even though he had not practiced them in a long time, the movements were etched into his bones. Each motion was standard, soft yet powerful. Shen Shi closed his eyes, re-enacting the forms.

The night breeze brushed his fingertips, reminiscent of his father’s large, rough, yet warm hands correcting his posture when he was a boy. He only stopped when he heard a girl’s light laughter. He opened his eyes to see the source of the sound.

Seeing a familiar face, Shen Shi curled his lips in a helpless smile and greeted her, "Captain."

Qin Sheng nodded with a smile, signaling for him to continue. Shen Shi nodded and went through the movements once more. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Qin Sheng following along with a few of the movements.

"Have you practiced this before, Captain?"

Qin Sheng retracted her hands and nodded with a faint, perhaps nostalgic, smile. "I learned it from my grandfather. After he went missing, I stopped practicing."

Seeing her sadness, Shen Shi regretted asking. "I'm sorry..."

"It’s alright. Finish up and get some rest; there’s morning training tomorrow." Qin Sheng smiled faintly and strode toward the dormitory building.

Suddenly thinking of something, Shen Shi called out, "Wait..."

Qin Sheng paused, turning back in confusion. "What is it?"

"If you go out in the future, you can take me with you. At least I can protect you from behind." Shen Shi wasn't sure if he should say it, but he feared she would continue to venture out alone into dangerous situations, just as he had found her at the hospital.

He stood there, heart racing slightly as he waited for an answer.

"Understood."

With that simple reply, Qin Sheng disappeared from his sight. Shen Shi stood frozen, finally realizing what she had said. His expression softened, a change he didn't even notice himself.

Once in her room, Qin Sheng slipped into her spatial dimension. She hadn't had a chance to check on her Chinese cabbage since the days in the Zombie Forest. The first thing she did was rush to the planting area, and her eyes lit up with delight. The cabbages had grown large and succulent, appearing so tender they seemed ready to burst with juice.

Qin Sheng got to work immediately, changing her clothes and harvesting the cabbages. She then scattered seeds for cucumbers and greens. These had a much shorter growth cycle; she expected to be eating fresh vegetables in just two or three days. Since the apocalypse began, she had mostly relied on semi-processed vegetables, and she missed the taste of fresh produce. Having fresh ingredients would allow her to prepare simple, nutritious meals.

As she thought about this, her movements quickened. Before long, she had finished planting and watering. After stacking the cabbages, she stretched contentedly, undressed, and filled the bathtub for a relaxing soak. The exhaustion of the past few days seemed to melt away in the warm water, and she drifted into sleep, completely unaware of the man who had sauntered into her room outside the dimension.

Strangely, the small doorbell she had rigged didn't ring. Song Qing'an looked up at the little bell, arching his brow with a helpless smirk. "Does this little thing think it can stop anyone?"

With a flick of his finger, the bell glowed slightly brighter, but otherwise remained silent.

"That will do." Satisfied, Song Qing'an walked deeper into the room, muttering to himself, "The room is so big, I wonder if she feels lonely..." He quickly dismissed the thought with a self-deprecating chuckle. He didn't need to worry about her being afraid; if anything were to enter this floor, he would be more concerned for the intruder's safety.

He scanned the room but found no sign of Qin Sheng. Assuming she had slipped out, he sat in a chair. The room was stark and impersonal, looking as if no one lived there at all, save for the clean linens on the bed.

Song Qing'an pursed his lips and murmured, "Xun Feng!"

In the next second, Xun Feng emerged from the shadows and bowed. "Master, I am here."

Song Qing'an nodded, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Go to the little shop, secretly take those vases and decorations that Lu Shenchen swindled from me, and bring them here."

Xun Feng complied without question, disappearing back into the shadows. Within minutes, he returned with the items.

"Beautiful. You may leave, Xun Feng." Satisfied with the items from the shop, Song Qing'an dismissed him.

After some thought, he placed the items around the room. With a few adjustments, the space finally felt vibrant. Pleased with his handiwork, he sat down, wearing a smile he couldn't suppress, waiting for Qin Sheng to return and praise him.

But he waited the entire night.

Qin Sheng had woken up in her dimension, eventually falling back asleep on the folding cot. She ate breakfast inside as well. When she finally stepped out, the first thing she noticed were the new additions to the room. She looked closely, finding them strangely familiar.

Before she could place them, she realized someone was in the room. Song Qing'an’s abilities far surpassed hers; usually, she could sense his presence, but he was so quiet while sleeping that she could barely detect his breath. She didn't know when he had arrived. He was slumped over the table, sleeping peacefully, his closed eyes making him look unusually docile.

Seeing the contrast between his usual smugness and his current quiet state, Qin Sheng couldn't help but chuckle softly.

She hadn't expected that tiny sound to disturb the dreamer.