Chapter 28: A Thief in the Dorm

The sky gradually darkened.

Everyone had left, and the rain began to fall again, continuously washing the bloodstains from the ground.

By tomorrow morning, there probably wouldn’t be any traces left.

Ruan Ming stood at the courtyard gate, her eyes dazed, until someone tugged at her clothes.

Little Yu looked up, her face full of worry.

Ruan Ming finally came back to her senses, looked down at her, and forced a small smile. “Let’s go, back inside.”

She took Little Yu’s hand and walked back in, firmly closing the courtyard gate behind them.

“You and Little Calico head upstairs to sleep. I’ll come up after I shower, okay?”

It had been raining outside, and she’d just fiercely fought those men. She was drenched in sweat, mixed with blood, and deeply uncomfortable.

Little Yu shook her head, clutching her clothes, unwilling to let go.

Ruan Ming sighed helplessly: “Alright, then you and Little Calico wait for me outside the bathroom door.”

Only then did Little Yu let go. She brought a small stool and sat with Little Calico right at the bathroom door.

Ruan Ming had no choice but to hurry, hauling water inside.

Finally finished, she wrapped herself in a towel and came out. Little Yu eagerly handed her the wristband.

The wristband was flashing; clearly, a new message had come in.

Ruan Ming stroked the little girl’s soft hair and took the wristband, opening it.

It was that person’s name.

“Meeting just now was truly unexpected. Don’t be angry. I’ll come find you tomorrow.”

Expressionlessly, Ruan Ming closed the message and handed the wristband back. “Go upstairs now. I’ll tidy up and come up soon.”

Watching Little Yu obediently carry Little Calico up first, she quickly threw on her clothes, went to the door and carefully inspected it to make sure it was secure, and only then followed.

Little Yu was already in bed. Little Calico tried to jump onto the bed but was stopped and lay in the cat bed beside it, meowing discontentedly.

Ruan Ming had just lain down when Little Yu snuggled close and handed her the wristband again.

Probably the person, seeing her lack of reply, had sent another message: It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have kept it from you.

Ruan Ming leaned against the pillow, staring at the wristband for a long while before replying: Shouldn’t have kept what from me?

Seeing her finally reply, Ye Fengwan’s uneasy heart settled slightly. She responded: Kept it from you that I recognized you. Kept it from you that I came to the New Land.

Ruan Ming: The news about you coming to the New Land was already posted in the channel earlier. I just had it muted and didn’t see it.

Ye Fengwan: Then I kept the first part from you.

Ruan Ming stared at those words, her fingers moving, typing and deleting, typing and deleting.

In truth, every time she recalled that night with that strange woman, it was mostly mortifying. She couldn’t bear to imagine the state she’d been in that day, how she had shamelessly begged that person for pleasure.

That person had seen her at her most disgraceful.

Fortunately, she hadn’t done anything out of line because of her situation and had just gently satisfied her…

She’d thought they were strangers, that if they never met again in this lifetime, no one would ever remember what happened.

Now, knowing Ye Fengwan was that woman from that night, she couldn’t accept it all at once.

And what was even more infuriating—Ye Fengwan had clearly known it was her, yet hadn’t mentioned a word, deliberately getting close.

Thinking this, Ruan Ming’s expression chilled. She replied: I’m tired. I’m going to sleep first.

On the other side, Ye Fengwan had already anticipated Ruan Ming’s reaction. She suppressed her emotions and replied: Okay. Sleep well. I’ll come find you tomorrow.

Ruan Ming didn’t respond and tossed her wristband onto the head of the bed.

The little girl next to her was lying on her side, her arm pillowing her head, staring at Ruan Ming unblinkingly with her dark, bright eyes.

Ruan Ming steadied her emotions and gently pinched her little cheek: “It’s past ten. Why are your eyes still so wide open? Not sleepy?”

As she spoke, a small hand reached over and grasped her palm.

Ruan Ming didn’t have much experience interacting with children. Before, her uncle’s family lived in a slum near the outer perimeter. The space there was cramped, packed with countless families, and there were many children, noisy from morning to night, a chaotic racket.

She had practically kept children at arm’s length.

But this one in front of her was clearly different from those others. She was very quiet. Not the quiet of being silent, but a quietude that came from within. Ruan Ming felt very comfortable around her.

“Sleep,” Ruan Ming said, pulling the blanket up over her.

The little girl obediently closed her eyes.

The kitten by the bedside also began to purr.

…

The next day.

Ruan Ming woke up very early.

The intense battle the previous evening left her with aches and pains all over when she woke.

She knew the sorer she was, the less she could indulge it. In fact, she needed to strengthen her training, otherwise, every time there was a major exertion, she’d hurt even more.

So, before Little Yu woke, she put on her protective suit and mask and headed up the mountain to carry water, large bottles strapped to her back.

Dawn was just breaking. The grass by the roadside was covered in dewdrops, and her pant legs were soon soaked as she walked through them.

Unknown birds chirped in the forest, making the whole woodland seem especially serene.

She loved mornings like this—quiet, fresh, and full of vitality. Compared to the Safe Zone’s environment filled with curses and wailing, this place was practically paradise.

The buildings in the Safe Zone were gray and gloomy. The people’s clothing was mostly dark and dull. Even the sky was perpetually overcast, devoid of any color.

But here, before her eyes were verdant green leaves, unknown red and white flowers, and a misty white fog shrouding the mountainside. Everything seemed so vivid and vibrant.

If it weren’t for the high concentration of Dark Uranium elements in the air, she’d want to take off her mask and breathe deeply.

She passed a few vines; their roots bulged with large tubers. Digging one up, she found twisted, misshapen wild yams. The mutated yams were huge.

Testing with her detector, it showed a yellow light. Her heart leaped with joy. She dug up two large ones and left them in place to pick up on her way back.

This was her second trip here, so the path was familiar. She fetched the water and headed down the mountain. When she arrived home, it was only 7:30.

Little Yu was already awake.

Waking up and not seeing Ruan Ming, and recalling her instructions from last night, she hadn’t dared to leave the room. She’d gotten out of bed and was sitting in the cat bed holding Little Calico.

When Ruan Ming entered the room, this was the scene she saw. Her heart ached slightly. She walked over, picked her up, and said, “It was sister’s fault. I should have told you I was going out. Next time, I’ll definitely let you know in advance.”

Little Yu nodded, pressed her cheek against hers, and then struggled to get down, taking Little Calico with her downstairs.

As usual, they fed the cat, ate a few fairy peaches, and then went to the cactus field.

Mainly, it was catching bugs and keeping mutated birds of prey from pecking at the fairy peaches.

The fairy peaches were starting to ripen. Although they didn’t taste great, they emitted a special fragrance that birds were highly fond of.

She used tweezers to search for bugs plant by plant. Nowadays, the bugs were getting craftier, mutating to an identical green as the cactus stems, making them almost impossible to spot with the naked eye.

Ruan Ming could only rely on her Auditory Ability, using both eyes and ears.

Looking at the increasing number of bugs in the box, some even as thick as a toe—such thick, rich protein—her desire to raise chickens grew stronger and stronger.

The vast expanses of cactus fields in the New Land attracted countless birds and beasts.

Ruan Ming noticed there were fewer birds over her territory than others. She turned to look at the tree’s base, where Little Yu sat, her small face taut as she stared up at the sky.

And birds that had flown into her territory’s airspace acted as if they’d encountered some ferocious beast, screeching and turning to fly away.

Ruan Ming put down her box and walked over, spreading her hand to block Little Yu’s gaze.

Little Yu blinked, and then it was as if she snapped out of something, becoming slightly listless. She looked at Ruan Ming blankly.

“Don’t use your ability. It drains your energy. And there are so many birds, you can’t chase them all away. It might also draw unwanted attention.” As Ruan Ming spoke, she picked up Little Calico and placed her in the little girl’s arms.

“Your job is to play well with Little Calico.”

Little Yu gestured with her fingers: I want to help you.

Ruan Ming smiled. “There will be times when I need your help.”

Only then did Little Yu relax and happily romp around the cactus field with Little Calico.

Around four in the afternoon, an off-road vehicle stopped at the entrance to Territory 32.

Ruan Ming’s wristband buzzed.

She looked at the name flashing on the screen and took a long moment before answering.

The woman’s soft voice sounded in her ear: “I’m at your territory entrance.”

Ruan Ming replied: “Just drive in directly.”

“Are you at home?”

“In the field. Coming back now.”

She picked up her box of bugs and called out to Little Yu.

Little Yu scrambled over to her, Little Calico bouncing mischievously behind.

“Let’s go. Home now.”

Little Yu nodded and reached for her sleeve.

When they reached the courtyard gate, a tall, black off-road vehicle was parked there.

The woman in the driver’s seat looked over.

Ruan Ming lowered her eyes, not meeting her gaze.

Little Yu had never seen such a large vehicle before and looked at it curiously.

Ye Fengwan opened the door and stepped out, her long legs particularly eye-catching.

She closed the car door, walked up to Ruan Ming, and asked gently, “Still angry?”

Ruan Ming felt this person before her was both familiar and strange. Just the day before yesterday, when she’d discovered the pollution-free spring water on the mountain, she’d happily sent her messages, even sent a picture of the fairy peach she’d bitten.

But now, seeing her, superimposed with that face from three years ago, it felt like two completely separate people. She couldn’t merge them together for the moment.

She shook her head: “No.”

Ye Fengwan sighed softly in her heart and said: “Come on. Help carry the stuff.”

She walked back and opened the rear compartment.

Inside were bags of all sizes.

Ruan Ming frowned at the sight and asked, “Why did you bring so much?”

Ye Fengwan said: “For you to eat.”

Ruan Ming: “You gave it to me. What will you eat?”

Ye Fengwan: “I still have more back at my place.”

Ruan Ming said nothing more. She hefted the largest bag of rice, draped several other large packages over her other arm, and carried them into the house.

Little Yu came over, pointing at the smaller bags in the car, indicating she could carry them too.

Ye Fengwan smiled, handed her a bag, then carried the rest herself. She closed the rear hatch and followed behind.

Little Calico ran after her, winding around her feet and nearly tripping her.

Ruan Ming came back out at some point and silently took the things from her hands.

With her hands free, Ye Fengwan scooped up Little Calico from underfoot and thoroughly ruffled its fur. She lifted her head and called towards Ruan Ming’s retreating back, “What are we having for dinner?”

The question was asked with great familiarity, as if this were her own home.

Ruan Ming’s steps faltered. She turned around to look at her and asked, “What do you want to eat?”

Ye Fengwan rubbed Little Calico’s belly, thought for a moment, and said: “Forget it. Food is limited. Just cook whatever you see fit.”

Ruan Ming ignored her and carried the ingredients into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Ye Fengwan, holding Little Calico, wandered around the small courtyard. When she spotted the chayote seedlings in the backyard, she couldn’t help but put the cat down to examine them, pulling at the leaves a little.

Just then, soft footsteps sounded behind her.

The little girl, barely reaching her thigh, carried a large mug over and offered it to her.

Children were easily drawn to beautiful people. She couldn’t help stealing glances at Ye Fengwan.

Taking the cup, Ye Fengwan stood up and smiled at her: “Thank you.”

Little Yu, shy under her gaze, turned and ran to find Ruan Ming in the kitchen.

Ye Fengwan lifted the cup and took a shallow sip. The moment the water entered her mouth, her eyes lit up.

She turned and followed into the kitchen as well.

In the kitchen, Little Yu crouched on the floor, her small hands skillfully feeding firewood into the stove. Ruan Ming was bent over at the water vat, washing vegetables.

The foodstuffs Ye Fengwan had brought, besides a large bag of rice, included dried goods like shiitake mushrooms and wood ear fungus.

Fresh items included potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet potato leaves, and—a live chicken.

Ye Fengwan entered the kitchen and sidled up to Ruan Ming, holding up her cup as she asked quietly: “Is this what you sent a picture of the day before yesterday?”

Shoulders brushing lightly together, a faint, elusive fragrance near her nose. Ruan Ming gave a soft hum of assent.

“Can we not eat this chicken?” she asked.

Ye Fengwan looked at the little hen still struggling on the ground and asked: “You want to raise it?”

Ruan Ming nodded: “Caught so many bugs today.”

Though the chicken wasn’t organic, in this era of scarce resources, as long as it was edible, it was already a delicacy for ordinary people.

Ye Fengwan nodded: “Then we won’t eat chicken tonight.”

In fact, not only the chicken—Ruan Ming didn’t plan to eat those potatoes and sweet potatoes either; she intended to use them as seeds.

Ye Fengwan seemed to read her intention and said: “You can’t not eat any of it. If you want to plant them, I’ll try to get more.”

Ruan Ming ignored her and turned to scrape the wild yam.

The yams were ones she’d found and dug up this morning while fetching water. The flesh was pale purple. She’d already planned to eat them tonight.

Seeing this, Ye Fengwan volunteered: “Let me help you scrape them.”

Ruan Ming wouldn’t let her: “Scraping these can make your hands itch.”

Since arriving at the territory, perhaps it was the open environment and the richer diet. Combined with the organic honey, her whole appearance looked more robust, full of vitality, her cheeks rosy, a healthy white tinged with red.

Ye Fengwan’s gaze lingered on her face for a moment before shifting away. She moved to sit by the stove and watch the fire with Little Yu.

The yams were set to steam, cooking in the same stove as the rice—one on top, one on the bottom.

Another stove was for stir-frying.

At that moment, Ye Fengwan’s wristband rang. It was Little Wu calling.

“Sister Wan, our dorm had a thief! That little hen Supervisor Zhang gave us is gone!”

The voice wasn’t quiet; all three people present could hear it.

Ruan Ming’s hands paused. Little Yu also looked up at Ye Fengwan.

Ye Fengwan hurriedly stood up and walked outside.

As she walked, she said into the wristband: “I tested it. The chicken lit up red. I sent it back. If you want to eat it, I’ll find another one later.”

Ruan Ming bit her lip lightly and continued scraping.

On the other end, Little Wu continued making a fuss: “Okay, fine. But our dorm really did have a thief! When we came, we brought a bag of rice. When I got back, I only saw half a bag. Lots of dried goods are gone too—”

Ye Fengwan lowered her voice and scolded: “Shut up. There’s no thief.”

Only then did Little Wu realize, let out an “Oh,” and said: “So it was an inside job.”

And then she hung up.