Chapter 28: Return to the Camp

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"Are there really such kindhearted people in these times?" Yue Qi stared at Wang Jian for a moment, pondering inwardly.

At a time like this, everyone was likely desperate to survive. Judging by Wang Jian's demeanor, unless his acting skills were truly exceptional, he didn't look like he was lying.

"But why is he being so considerate? Could it be that he's taken a liking to my abilities? Oh, that's right, I mentioned Bai Lian knows medicine—perhaps they lack a doctor?" Yue Qi considered this possibility and found it quite likely.

Indeed, Wang Jian’s intentions were exactly that. He was simply trying to recruit Yue Qi: first, because Yue Qi was strong; second, because his “wife” was skilled in medicine—a talent missing from his group. It seemed there was only one uninfected doctor left in all of Qingzhou, and that one had already been wooed by Wang Chao.

As for the rest, even if this guy had a sick, elderly mother—so what? In these times, a doctor’s worth was incomparable. Even if this man had other burdens, Wang Jian didn't care.

“Well then… all right. But Brother Wang, I must ask your pardon. My mother is gravely ill, so we’ll need to return home with the medicine early tomorrow morning. Sorry for the trouble!” After some thought, Yue Qi decided to accompany Wang Jian back to his base for now. He was well aware of Wang Jian’s intent to win him over, but it wasn’t the time to address it directly, so he sidestepped the matter.

“Haha, you’re too formal, brother! In times like these, the more friends, the more paths open to you. If you ever tire of wandering, you’re always welcome to seek me out!” Wang Jian clapped Yue Qi on the shoulder. Yue Qi was already quite tall, but Wang Jian seemed to be half a head taller still.

“By the way, I haven’t asked—what’s your name?” Wang Jian suddenly inquired.

“My name is Yue Qi—Qi, as in the number seven. I’m the youngest of seven siblings, so my parents named me for convenience…” Yue Qi didn’t hide this fact.

“That’s a great name! Simple and straightforward!” Wang Jian gave a look to the men behind him, the meaning of which was unclear, then said to Yue Qi, “Why don’t you and your wife come with us now? It’s wild out here—if you stay too long, you might run into more zombies.”

Truth be told, Yue Qi was reluctant to bring Bai Lian back to their camp. With her natural beauty, even if Wang Jian himself had no improper thoughts, who could say what his men might be thinking?

But since the conversation had progressed this far, if he hesitated now, it might arouse suspicion. And it was best not to reveal his spiritual power unless absolutely necessary.

“All right then, I’ll go call her out…” Yue Qi cast a complex look at Wang Jian, then added, “But my wife is rather shy and doesn’t speak much. Her temperament is also a bit fierce—if she offends you in any way, I hope you’ll forgive her…”

Bai Lian, inside, had heard the fighting outside cease, and was growing anxious since Yue Qi hadn’t returned. She was just about to head out with her sword when she saw Yue Qi come back.

“What happened? Are you all right?!” Bai Lian looked him over. He seemed unchanged, but it had taken a long time to kill just one zombie…

“I’m fine… but I ran into those survivors we met before. He’s invited us to return to his camp,” Yue Qi explained.

“And did you accept?” Bai Lian didn’t particularly care about such matters. Knowing Yue Qi was safe, she lost interest.

“I did, but…” Yue Qi seemed to have something more to say but hesitated.

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“A grown man, still so bashful! Out with it!” Bai Lian, noticing Yue Qi’s odd mood, spoke more sharply than usual.

“All right, but remember, you asked…” Yue Qi took a deep breath and confessed that he’d claimed Bai Lian was his wife to Wang Jian.

“That’s it?” Bai Lian’s expression remained cold as she looked at Yue Qi like he was a fool.

“That’s it… isn’t this where you’re supposed to get angry and kick me, maybe pinch me a couple times?” Bai Lian gave him a sly smile, a playful glint in her eyes unique to young women. “Are you a masochist or something? Not happy unless I hit you?”

“I am not… but you really aren’t angry?” Yue Qi eyed her warily, afraid she’d suddenly ambush him.

“I’m not angry, not at all. It was just expedient—I understand!” Bai Lian rose up on tiptoe to pat Yue Qi’s head, like an older sister chiding her younger brother.

“All right then, just don’t give yourself away when we go out!” Yue Qi pouted.

“Don’t worry. Why fret over a woman’s acting skills? Focus on yourself first…” Bai Lian gave him a strange look. “By the way, since we’re supposed to be an old married couple, shouldn’t we have some terms of endearment? We can’t still call each other ‘Sister Lian’ and ‘Yue Qi’ in front of others.”

“You’re right… then what should we call each other? Husband and wife?” Yue Qi asked awkwardly.

“That’s too formal, it sounds so distant. How about you call me ‘Lian’er,’ and I’ll call you ‘Brother Qi’?” Bai Lian’s cheeks suddenly reddened, and she broke into a playful grin, all traces of her icy beauty gone.

“Uh… Lian’er?” Yue Qi suddenly felt utterly defeated by this little vixen—one moment she ignored him, the next she was mischievous. He wondered how the sect leader ever managed to keep her in line.

“Come on, Brother Qi, let’s head out now…” Bai Lian cheered, linking her arm with Yue Qi’s and gently nudging him toward the door. What Yue Qi didn’t see was that her face was as red as a ripe apple, but she wore an expression of pure happiness.

Wang Jian waited patiently outside. Though Yue Qi had only been gone a short while, Wang Jian wasn’t suspicious. Even if Yue Qi could duel a zombie for half a day without losing, he was no match for Wang Jian’s group, and he had a woman with him besides.

Since the outbreak, Wang Jian believed the greatest danger wasn’t the zombies but the survivors themselves. Some people might greet you with a smile one minute and stab you in the heart the next.

Wang Jian touched his abdomen, a cold smile tugging his lips. Few knew that the knife scar on his stomach was given to him by one of his own—a man he’d since had torn to pieces.

The rest of Wang Jian’s men were already growing impatient, eager to storm the house and drag the two out. But seeing their boss unmoving, they restrained themselves and waited.

Creak—the fire inside was extinguished, likely by Yue Qi. Soon after, the door opened.

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The moment Yue Qi and Bai Lian stepped out, the eyes of Wang Jian’s five men widened in astonishment.

When had they ever seen such a beautiful girl? “Goddess” hardly did her justice. Even before the catastrophe, Qingzhou’s famed courtesans couldn’t compare. In fact, to compare the leading lady of a brothel to this young woman would be like pitting a barnyard hen against a phoenix.

“Well, Brother Yue Qi, your wife is truly stunning…” One could see that Wang Jian was well-mannered, doing his best not to stare at Bai Lian.

“Not at all, not at all! Thank you for the compliment!” Yue Qi replied awkwardly, but Bai Lian pinched his arm out of nowhere, making Yue Qi wince.

“Well then, why don’t you both come with us back to camp? Please.” The couple was openly displaying their affection—at a time like this, such sweetness was almost asking for trouble! Wang Jian grumbled inwardly, leading his men ahead.

Wang Jian kept his composure, but his men were slack-jawed. Never had they imagined Yue Qi’s wife would be so beautiful.

“Boss, that woman…” The bearded man known as Ergou was drooling into his beard, his lustful gaze flickering back repeatedly, though it was hard to see in the darkness.

“Are you looking for death?” Wang Jian smacked Ergou on the head. “Never mind that kid’s strength—if you covet another man’s wife, aren’t you afraid he’ll kill you? Besides, she’s a doctor. If you mess this up, where am I supposed to find another?”

“Got it, boss!” Chastened, Ergou fell silent, though his gaze continued to wander.

“But boss, don’t you want her for yourself? She’s so beautiful, she might as well be a fairy come down to earth!” another stubbled man chimed in.

“What good would that do? Do you think she’s a pushover? If she resists, what about our doctor?” Wang Jian shot him a fierce glare.

“Boss, you’re wrong. Who falls hopelessly in love and dies for it these days? If that kid dies, do you really think she won’t submit? She can barely protect herself—didn’t you see it was the guy who handled the zombie? She’s helpless!” The stubbled man made a throat-slitting gesture.

“We’ll discuss this later. Let’s get them back to camp first!” Wang Jian’s face was clouded with uncertainty, as if torn.

PS: Kind readers, please give a thumbs-up or recommendation! The numbers are brutal—my motivation is fading…