Xu Song’s scalp tingled as he realized that his actions seemed to imply a hidden meaning. His gaze wandered to the side.
Yue Zheng’s face was nestled against Xu Song’s head, his forehead touching Xu Song’s cheek. His face was hidden in the shadows, making it hard to see. But the strong and masculine lines on the side of his face revealed an enticing curve in the dim fog.
A curve that made one’s heart race inexplicably.
He hurriedly turned his head to the other side, but the sound of breaths was now closer to his ears, as if clearer than before.
His arm subtly moved inward, pressing against Yue Zheng’s body. Yue Zheng’s body was warm, heated by the two powerful men beneath the down jacket. The warmth emanating from him was a bit scorching, but it seemed to unconsciously emit an attraction, drawing Xu Song closer, urging him to get closer…
Maybe… maybe it was alright to lean against him only during rest at night… it should be fine, right? Back in school, they used to squeeze together on one bed, watching movies. Eventually, everyone fell asleep in that cramped and close state, and nothing happened, right? So now, it should be alright… it’s just mutual support and dependence during the journey, there shouldn’t be anything wrong with that.
After consoling himself, Xu Song finally relaxed. The current state between him and Yue Zheng should be normal. Maybe his reliance on him was just… a sibling-like affection?
He had never been in love or successfully confessed his feelings. Therefore, he had difficulty discerning the blurred boundaries between vague liking and fondness. And in the midst of the apocalypse, there was no time for him to dwell on such matters.
August 9th, 9:20 am.
The five of them sat around the still-burning campfire, looking at each other.
To go or not to go, that was the question.
Su Daji had good eyesight, so he usually took on the lookout duty. Yue Zheng’s abilities hadn’t been revealed yet, or rather, even if he were to reveal them, he hadn’t decided which one to expose, his abilities, apart from the spatial manipulation that could be used for attack, were now fully developed in terms of physique. If others were to find out, it might cause envy and resentment, so it was better to keep a low profile.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Compared to others, Yue Zheng had an advantage in terms of hearing. Although the thick fog hindered the transmission of sound to some extent, he could still hear the discussions among some of the first team members. They were also hesitating whether to continue forward in the foggy weather.
“It depends on their actions,” Yue Zheng gestured towards the front. The second team was originally meant to follow behind the first team. The frontliners had powerful abilities and could handle tasks such as clearing paths and exploration. The rear members, unless they encountered sudden attacks from both sides of the road, were relatively safe.
“Yeah, sigh… it was fine, and now the fog is back again? Just yesterday, we were talking about the possibility of snow, but now we have this thick fog,” Su Daji shrugged and looked towards the figures on the opposite side. “What do you guys think? Will they still continue today?”
“It’s hard to say. Even if they decide to go, it would be much safer to wait until the sun is higher, maybe around noon,” Yue Zheng looked up at the sky. The sun should have risen by now, but it was completely invisible, with a murky gray sky and air that seemed frozen.
“It’s like smog, isn’t it? How can there be so much fog with all these plants around? I thought smog was caused by car emissions, industrial combustion, and lack of vegetation?” The two delinquents looked at Yue Zheng with confusion.
“Have you heard of windbreak forests? They use a large number of tall plants to block strong winds. Trees can act as windbreaks, and now after the plant mutations, they have become at least two to three times taller than before. I guess they’re blocking even the winds on the plains. So when the fog condenses, it can’t be blown away, and naturally, it takes a while to dissipate,” Xu Song added, giving a lesson to the two delinquents who had dropped out of school since who knows which year.
“Oh, I see. So that’s how it is.” The two delinquents nodded in unison, as if they understood, pretending as if they didn’t have any further questions.
“Wait, then why do we still need to plant trees and promote greening? If we leave the land barren, wouldn’t the wind be able to blow through?” Luo Wen’an, thinking that he had grasped the key point, quickly asked.
“After the land becomes barren, indeed there will be wind, but the loss of nutrients and soil erosion will lead to desertification. Do you prefer to live in a place with a desert where nothing can be cultivated, but with wind? Or do you prefer an environment with more vegetation, fertile soil, but less wind?”
“…This question is too profound. Let’s skip it, skip it,” Luo Wen’an waved his hand, deciding to avoid the embarrassment of delving into such a deep question.
Su Daji turned his head and continued to look at the shadows of the action happening on the other side, refusing to embarrass himself like Luo Wen’an.
Due to the increasingly heavy fog, even the first team, who had been reckless and unbridled, didn’t dare to move easily. The entire group remained in place, taking a rest for the entire day.
The rear teams, fearing that they would become separated if they went too far, stayed closer together during this time, unlike the loosely formed groups before.
The teams in various locations that had evacuated from their original residences were quietly experiencing this tragedy. Hidden behind the thick fog, countless human tragedies unfolded.
The group finally resumed their journey on the second day after the fog. Yue Zheng had awakened the others early in the morning, as his hearing was exceptional and he had already heard the news that the front team would depart early the next day.
Most of the members of the first team held a sense of disdain towards the larger group following behind them, considering them to be incapable individuals who just scavenged for food and drink. While the rear members were merely surviving by picking up what the others left behind, it only served to make them more detestable.
Although some proposed picking up the pace to leave the trailing group of stragglers behind, no one could guarantee that the front was completely safe. Therefore, no action had been taken.
That was until the thick fog came.
Within the fog, as long as they treaded lightly, they could naturally leave behind the burdensome stragglers. Without the encumbrance, the speed of advancement and the pressure on their minds would be greatly reduced. Thus, when it was discovered that the fog had not yet dissipated the previous night, the decision to depart the next day had already been determined by several groups.
The first team also had ordinary people who lacked abilities, but they were generally dependent on the abilities of others or were individuals who possessed firearms and had some combat ability. They did not hinder the actions of the first team, so everyone accepted their presence.
“They’re about to leave?” Luo Wen’an rubbed his eyes, still groggy, and quickly got up to grab his backpack.
“Yeah, I heard some movement earlier and went to check it out. I found out that their team had already set off,” Yue Zheng said.
“Damn, they’re trying to leave us behind.” Luo Wen’an immediately understood. Although he also felt that the rear members were a burden and found them annoying, he had never thought about separating them from the group.
After all, when there were more people, it always gave a sense of security.
The five of them hastily packed their belongings. They didn’t have time to notify others, as they didn’t know where the front team would go. People nearby heard the commotion and quickly gathered their things as well. Some daring individuals ran ahead to investigate the situation and discovered that the vanguard team had vanished without a trace! They cursed under their breath and hurriedly caught up with their companions.
The sky gradually brightened, but the thick fog remained. The first team moved quickly, and apart from Yue Zheng, who could hear their movements, neither Su Daji nor Luo Wen’an could see what was happening ahead.
“Damn, where did they go? We haven’t seen anyone for half a day.” Luo Wen’an became agitated. The fog obstructed everyone’s vision, and they dared not stray too far from each other, fearing they would get separated from the group. The situation of being unable to see what lay on both sides of the road filled them with a sense of anger and frustration.
“They are up ahead,” Yue Zheng pointed to a piece of intestines left on the ground not far from where they stood, a sign left by the front group.
“Really, they’re in such a hurry.” Luo Wen’an rolled his eyes. The previously agitated mood eased somewhat with the appearance of the intestines.
Perhaps because they were getting closer to the city, scattered wreckages of vehicles and traces of debris began to appear by the roadside.
The reason they were referred to as wreckage was that they were truly in ruins, flattened, crushed, scattered, with only the car frames remaining, blackened from explosions. There wasn’t a single vehicle that could be driven.
Even if there were relatively intact cars, they were soon discovered by the vanguard team. During the morning journey, Yue Zheng had heard the sound of smashing coming from the front on five occasions.
At first, he thought it was a battle with some creatures, but when the group passed by, they realized it was a recently smashed car emitting a still-warm heat by the roadside.
Thank you for the chapter!
So excited—rushing to the next chappie!!