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Water droplets gathered at her temples before sliding down her cheeks and outlining her jaw.
Lin Yuzu suspected that she had heard it wrong and asked in a daze, “Huh?”
“Yuzu, do you like me?”
Xiao Xiao repeated. The hand she was using to wipe her hair also stopped, and the dimly lit room was silent.
It’s not an illusion. . .
Lin Yuzu didn’t hesitate for long before answering, “. . .Like.”
What Xiao Xiao asked was definitely not the same as what she thought of at first. . . but no matter which one it was, her answer was the same.
“Really?”
“Yeah.” Lin Yuzu then asked, “What’s wrong? Were. . . were you worried before?”
Xiao Xiao wouldn’t ask questions like this for no reason. I don’t know whether to say she’s confident or it’s really just pure casual talk? Or both. She has never been very frank and this line of questioning without saying anything isn’t really like her.
As for what made her change her attitude, Lin Yuzu can only think of what happened just now. . . no matter what happened, it was still a very bad experience.
Lin Yuzu’s mood softened by the warm water which suddenly cooled down at the thought of the three corpsed piled up outside.
“. . .” Xiao Xiao’s hand pressed the towel to wipe the remaining water, “Little bit, little bit more.”
Sure enough. . . Lin Yuzu’s eyelashes quivered slightly. She wanted to say something but when words came to her lips, she was interrupted by the sudden development that occurred the next moment–
“. . . Xiao Xiao?”
Lin Yuzu’s eyes widened in surprise.
. . . She was embraced. The body that leaned over from behind had that familiar cool body temperature that was far from being warm but doesn’t feel cold.
Lin Yuzu unexpectedly remembered the awkward scene she experienced with Xiao Xiao last time, only their positions were changed this time.
“Well, I was scared.” Xiao Xiao’s arm wrapped around Lin Yuzu’s body, not caring about her wet hair and leaning on her closely, “Almost. . . Yuzu, taken away. I’m uneasy when thinking about it.”
“. . .”
Lin Yuzu couldn’t say anything for a long time. Her knuckles on Xiao Xiao’s arm curled for a moment, chasing her tightening heart as she slowly held Xiao Xiao’s wrist, “I won’t be taken away by others.”
“I’m scared. . . and, Yuzu hurt.”
Lin Yuzu couldn’t see Xiao Xiao’s expression and can only hear her voice talking close to her ear. It was soft and low, so soft that it sounded close to a murmur, “. . . Yuzu, how exactly, see me?”
Lin Yuzu was slightly stunned, “Why are you suddenly asking me this. . .”
“Tell me.”
“. . .”
How do I see you. . .
Lin Yuzu fell into a brief silence.
Without the need to turn back, Xiao Xiao’s face naturally appeared in front of her eyes. Her beautiful face, her long hair that swayed gently like falling snow, and her brilliant eyes that are made of cold colors yet look at her gently.
Beautiful, powerful, pure.
When they first met, Lin Yuzu understood that this person was different from herself. . . not because of something external, but because of the vividness of her body.
She’s clearly a zombie, but she lives more like a person than anyone else. Living cleanly and neatly in this barren world, pursuing her passion with a constant gleam in her eyes.
“The elf princess who lives in the tree. . .” It was a joke supposed to lighten the mood, but at that time, Lin Yuzu’s heart meant every word.
It was because Xiao Xiao was by her side that. . . “Your wish is my command, and only death can stop me.” This line of thinking that would occasionally cross her mind in the past hasn’t reappeared for a long time.
I want to continue my life here.
I want to stay by her side.
I want to see her face every minute, every hour, every day, every next day. . . because. . .
“. . . she’s family.”
Lin Yuzu paused for a while and affirmed her statement, “It’s very important. . . the most important thing is family.”
“Family. . . really?”
It was the same uncertain tone again. Lin Yuzu wanted to look back and confirm Xiao Xiao’s expression, but she was held firmly, completely unable to move.
Xiao Xiao’s words sounded inexplicably soft, “But, me and Yuzu, not the same.”
Lin Yuzu, “Not the same. . .?”
She immediately realized that Xiao Xiao was talking about her being a zombie, “Indeed, we’re different in some places, but it’s not against the rules that we can’t be family, right? Besides, you haven’t done anything. You’re obviously. . .”
Obviously better than anyone. . .
“Is that so?” Xiao Xiao tightened her arms, “Then why did not come back to me? I was on the road and saw the tracks. Yuzu obviously knew, there were people, but still went ahead.”
Is it because of this?
Lin Yuzu didn’t expect that this would make Xiao Xiao misunderstand and responded with a low tone, “I didn’t mean to distrust you? I was just a little worried about the situation at home. . . I didn’t want you to meet with the invaders, but that was because. . . I was afraid you’d be hurt by others.”
In terms of strength alone, perhaps there’s no need to worry, but no one would want others to experience the fearful and disgusted gazes of other, besides. . . Lin Yuzu also doesn’t like to put Xiao Xiao in front of a scene like today. . .
“. . . Even if they might, are they right?”
Xiao Xiao then continued, “I have no, past memories. Before becoming like this, may have eaten, many people. . . you not afraid? I never, understand, that time, why, Yuzu brought me back.”
“. . .” Lin Yuzu didn’t answer immediately.
Why did she bring Xiao Xiao back? There isn’t a complicated reason, all she has to say is just. . .
“Because. . . I need Xiao Xiao.”
That’s it.
Living alone in an empty world is like suffering from an unbearable chronic disease. If Xiao Xiao didn’t appear in front of her eyes in such a dazzling manner, perhaps Lin Yuzu would have died without complaint in some ditch one day.
Lin Yuzu is aware of her selfishness and weakness. She didn’t care and didn’t pursue Xiao Xiao’s past, otherwise, they would have immediately become enemies due to their natures.
She needed Xiao Xiao, so she kept silent.
Lin Yuzu said, “I have no way to survive alone, I need you by my side.”
And the more time we spend together, the stronger this desire becomes.
“So, Yuzu, want to protect me?”
“. . . Yes.”
I want to protect you, I want to keep you happy and pure and maintain your dazzling existence.
Xiao Xiao buried her face into Lin Yuzu’s shoulder, her voice muffled by decisive, “I hate this.”
“. . .”
“It’s overprotective. Obviously, when two people go back, they won’t get hurt.” Xiao Xiao said, “Really, I’m scared. I also, like Yuzu, want to be together forever. If not the case. . . will be very sad.”
Together forever?
Lin Yuzu closed her eyes. She wasn’t unhappy, but her mood was sour at the moment.
“I’m sorry.” She also knew that her approach was wrong.
Xiao Xiao, “Well, forgive you, but no next time. Yuzu said, we family, right?”
“It’s okay to share burden with family. Yuzu wants, protect me, then I too, protect Yuzu.”
Although Xiao Xiao’s words were soft, they were very solemn. Just like how they lean on each other that they could clearly feel each other’s temperature, Lin Yuzu can also feel her sincerity.
Underneath the towel, while being covered, Lin Yuzu blinked and there were droplets of water silently falling. She faintly smiled and said, “. . . Okay, I won’t do this again.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” Lin Yuzu smiled, “Want to pull the hook?”
Xiao Xiao loosened her hand and stretched out her little finger to hook Lin Yuzu’s pinky, “Pull the hook, liar. . . do housework for a month.”
Lin Yuzu pondered for a moment, “Then if you violate the agreement, we won’t have food for a month?”
“Only, I won’t.”
Xiao Xiao used an aggravated tone to express her dissatisfaction and continued to dry the remaining half of her hair.
It was already late at night, and when she walked out of the bathroom, even Xiao Xiao yawned. Lin Yuzu saw the two slender birds nestled on the desk, snuggled up against each other as they fell asleep.
She also intended to res, but Xiao Xiao pulled her hand, turned off the flashlight, and walked towards the bookshelf.
“What’s wrong? Ah. . .” Lin Yuzu walked over and understood the moment she got a good look at the bookshelf, “That’s”
The books Xiao Xiao just put back on the bookshelf were a stack of documents wrapped in a tarpaulin. They were affected by the previous fight and there were signs of obvious damage.
They were something Lin Yuzu has been carrying around with her. After living here, she placed it on the bookshelf. Xiao Xiao probably thought they were very important to her so she reminded her to come and take a look.
Lin Yuzu smiled at her, “Don’t worry, they’re just something that’s no longer useful.”
Gao Shuo probably couldn’t have imagined that the experimental data he had gone to so much trouble to obtain from her would be kept in such a conspicuous place.
Lin Yuzu picked some of the papers casually. Xiao Xiao wanted to remind her, but it was too late. There was a big hole in the tarp and some of the documents fell on the ground and scattered away as soon as she removed the tarpaulin.
“Ah. . .”
Lin Yuzu was just about to pick them up but was stopped by Xiao Xiao with a stern look.
“Don’t move.”
Xiao Xiao signaled her to pay attention to her wounds and squatted down to pick up the scattered papers herself. One fell into a crash under the bookshelf and dusted it off after carefully picking it up.
A thin page that recorded some sort of experimental data, which was basically incomprehensible without their causes and effects.
Xiao Xiao swept a glance at the dense content, but her expression suddenly darkened as her gaze focused on the insignia on the bottom of the paper.
This emblem. . .
Lin Yuzu also saw it and mumbled, “This is. . .”
Xiao Xiao opened the small box on the bookshelf. Inside was the meal bard that she once used to introduce herself.
It had the same insignia.
The emblem printed on the information had some slight distortion compared to the logo of SW university on the meal card, but it was almost exactly the same at first glance.
Lin Yuzu flipped the page at front and back, “This is the research data of the Shiwan base. . . I remember that their base is in S city.” it was the same place where SW university is located.
Lin Yuzu had a deep impression of this base.
At that time during the ‘Venus’ project, although all bases share data, it was still very dangerous outside the base. Communication was basically cut off and the other bases were too far away from the Linshan base where Lin Yuzu was located. Even if one wanted to participate in the exchange of information, no one had sufficient power to do so.
Shiwan base is the farthest, but they had awakened individuals who could do long-distance teleportation. Although they could only transport small objects between long intervals, it was enough to exchange blood samples and data.
There was a very powerful professor over there who contributed a lot to the advancement of the experiment, but the two parties ended up not knowing what the differences were and Lin Yuzu’s sister refused to continue working with them.
“What’s the connection between Shiwan base and SW university?”
It was a casual question. Lin Yuzu didn’t have the idea of pursuing the answer but she noticed Xiao Xiao’s unusual look and couldn’t help but worry, “. . . Xiao Xiao? Have you thought of something?”
She hasn’t forgotten that Xiao Xiao initially woke up in a lab.
Xiao Xiao shook her head, “. . . I don’t remember.”
She crumpled the information in her hand with a dazed look.
It was rare for Xiao Xiao to act that way. Lin Yuzu then took advantage of their current height difference as she was standing and touched her head, “It doesn’t matter. If you can’t remember, then you can’t remember.”
“Mmm. . .” Touching her head probably helped a lot as Xiao Xiao pulled her hand and lifted her face, the pupils of her ice-blue eyes slightly curved, “It’s okay, I have, memories with Yuzu.”
Lin Yuzu, “. . .”
Her heart thumped loudly.
The culprit was oblivious while holding her fingers to her face, her eyes gleaming, “. . . So Yuzu, not leave again.”
Ah. . .
Lin Yuzu thought of the look in Xiao Xiao’s eyes as they parted under the giant tree and her heart softened because of guilt, “I won’t. We’ll always be together in the future.”
No matter what kind of relationship they had, Lin Yuzu’s heart still felt a little bitter. She then smiled at Xiao Xiao, “I said that I want to be together forever. This is also part of the agreement, I don’t want to do housework for a month.”
“Mmm.” Xiao Xiao stared at her, seemingly relieved as she showed a contented smile that shone even in the dark, “It’s a promise.”
The author has something to say:
The next chapter will return to their carefree daily life! Still happy to write their sweet interactions!