Chapter 305- Cultured Villain vs. Humanoid Weapon (10)
Mu Jin and Jian Minghui both had a restful night, waking up refreshed the next morning. After they got dressed, they heard Auntie Wang’s loud voice outside the door, announcing that breakfast was ready.
Mu Jin exchanged a smile with Jian Minghui, then walked over and kicked the still-snoring Lou Bin to wake him up, pulling him along downstairs for breakfast.
Today’s breakfast was simple noodles. The villa’s former owners had left a few eggs behind, but there weren’t many, so Auntie Wang decided to beat them into the noodle soup so everyone could have a taste.
The sound of slurping noodles filled the air around the table. Mu Jin noticed Chen Shuyun’s dark circles and exhausted expression.
Sitting beside her, Wei Xuezhen asked her a few concerned questions, but Chen Shuyun simply shook her head, unwilling to say more.
After spending half the night dreaming of being torn apart by zombies, Chen Shuyun was particularly reluctant to leave the villa. The thought of encountering those terrifying zombies again on the road made her instinctively shiver.
Perhaps her condition was so obvious that even Jian Minghui noticed. When he saw Mu Jin’s slight smirk as he glanced at Chen Shuyun, Jian Minghui became thoughtful, suspecting that her state might not be so simple.
After breakfast, the group left the villa. As they stepped outside and saw cars being driven up, Mu Jin couldn’t help but marvel at the luck these students had.
They’d escaped from school with one of the maintenance teachers, who had the keys to the staff commuter buses.
The buses were large and could carry quite a few people. Four vehicles were enough for over eighty people, while the rest had gradually found other cars along the way, making travel easier for everyone.
Not wanting to be crowded with so many people, Mu Jin opted to drive his own SUV. Just as he took the driver’s seat, Jian Minghui opened the passenger door.
Jian Minghui settled into the car, meeting Mu Jin’s amused look without a hint of embarrassment, showing every intention of staying put. He had the look of someone fully committed to staying by his side, with no plans to get out.
Lou Bin, imitating Jian Minghui, saw him getting into Mu Jin’s car and immediately hopped off the commuter bus, making a fuss as he ran over to join them in the back seat. He looked to Jian Minghui as if seeking praise, completely oblivious to the fact that, despite the smile on their leader’s face, Mu Jin was inwardly gritting his teeth in frustration.
This city had a low population density, so encountering zombies along the road was rare, with only a few stragglers here and there. It had been sheer bad luck for the small group to stumble upon such a massive horde near the shopping center the other day. If it weren’t for the zombies surrounding them, Mu Jin might never have crossed paths with them.
As they set out on the second day, Mu Jin’s car, originally holding just the three of them, was joined by Shi Haoyu. He was a quiet fire-ability user, who, though he hadn’t particularly stood out in school, had been placed in the same class as Jian Minghui when they first enrolled. Due to financial difficulties, he couldn’t initially pay his tuition, so Jian Minghui had helped by covering the fee for him. Shi Haoyu later repaid him through part-time work, but the kindness stayed with him, and after awakening his ability, he chose to stay by Jian Minghui’s side.
Mu Jin, however, didn’t recall Shi Haoyu’s name in the storyline; he seemed to have been a minor character who had perished early on in a zombie wave. But now that he was a close subordinate of Mu Jin’s partner, Mu Jin was happy to look out for him as a gesture of goodwill.
Throughout the journey, the convoy drove continuously during the day, stopping only in the evening to find a safe place for rest. Everyone would eat well, rest early, and then resume travel at first light.
In the following days, Chen Shuyun’s condition visibly worsened, and at night, Jian Minghui could occasionally hear the sounds of her night terrors emanating from her tent as he passed by.
On the fourth morning, Chen Shuyun emerged for breakfast with dark circles under her eyes once again. Jian Minghui, feigning concern, walked over to her and asked with a worried expression, “Mother, did you sleep poorly last night?”
“Why? Are you happy that I’m not sleeping well?”
Jian Minghui faced away from everyone else, sounding genuinely concerned. But from Chen Shuyun’s angle, she could see his lips curving slightly, and her tone turned sharp in an instant.
“Mother, how could you say that? I didn’t mean it like that. I only noticed you looked unwell, so I was concerned!”
Jian Minghui had anticipated her reaction; his face remained calm, though his voice carried a note of sadness.
“I don’t need your fake concern—get out of my sight!”
Several days of restless, nightmare-ridden sleep had frayed Chen Shuyun’s nerves, leaving her unable to control her temper.
She usually tried to maintain a gentle, well-mannered appearance around others, but her ongoing exhaustion had stripped away any pretense. Seeing what she interpreted as a mocking smile on Jian Minghui’s face sparked a surge of anger. She raised her voice and directed a series of cold, sarcastic remarks at him.
The rest of the group couldn’t help but look over at her. Since Chen Shuyun had joined them, everyone had noticed how starkly different her attitude was toward Jian Mingyuan and Jian Minghui. She showered Jian Mingyuan with affection, while mostly treating Jian Minghui as if he were invisible.
Though favoritism from parents was nothing new, the tone Chen Shuyun used now struck many as crossing a line.
Especially when Jian Minghui turned to face her, sadness evident in his expression, the others felt that Chen Shuyun had gone too far. Even Wei Xuezhen, who had been sympathetic to her, frowned.
In everyone’s mind, Jian Minghui had always been a considerate and gentle person, respectful and devoted to Chen Shuyun. They all remembered how, each time supplies were distributed, Jian Minghui would set aside a portion of his share for her.
With a son like that, what more could Chen Shuyun find to criticize? To berate him publicly like this seemed excessive.
Jian Minghui’s expression was marked by barely concealed disappointment and sadness as he returned to the table, catching a glimpse of the anger in Mu Jin’s eyes. A faint smile crossed his face, and he quickly sat beside Mu Jin, discreetly tugging his hand under the table and giving it a reassuring pat.
After all these years, he no longer held any expectations for Chen Shuyun’s maternal love. His gestures were just for show, partly to irk Chen Shuyun. Now that they were returning to Jian Zhengqing’s base, it seemed the perfect time for everyone to see the “real” Chen Shuyun and witness her “gentleness.” He was sure that once they reached the base, some entertaining rumors would begin circulating. Watching her anger only brought him satisfaction.
Mu Jin sensed his lover’s comforting gesture, yet he knew Jian Minghui better than he knew himself. If he truly didn’t care, he would choose to completely ignore or firmly distance himself from her. But the fact that Jian Minghui still went out of his way to irritate Chen Shuyun meant he had once deeply craved her love. Seeing his attempts to console him, Mu Jin’s heart ached even more.
One month into the apocalypse, civilian networks had largely collapsed, and mobile phone batteries were now a precious commodity. Without internet access, navigation and maps were unusable.
The convoy traveled onward by trial and error. With the emergence of mutated plants, many roads had collapsed, causing some difficulty for the team, but they managed to get by unscathed.
After a week of travel, the convoy finally reached a farmstead. Though it was crucial to stay on the move, it was exhausting to push forward without rest, and people needed a break. Jian Mingyuan decided that they would rest here for the night and resume travel tomorrow afternoon.
The team dispatched a squad of ability users and a group of sturdy men to clear the zombies from the village, then chose several spacious houses for everyone to settle in.
Luckily, this farmhouse appeared to have been fairly affluent, with complete facilities; it had probably been a secluded tourist destination in the past. The space was more than enough for the whole group. With a few people patrolling as guards, they could finally relax.
Although Mu Jin had joined the team, given the strength he had displayed early on, no one dared assign him any tasks. Even when arranging night shifts, they conveniently left him out.
Mu Jin had no interest in standing watch, but since his beloved was assigned the night shift, he could only go along with it. After saying a few nice words, he volunteered to team up with Jian Minghui for the night shift.
Luo Bin, who usually partnered with Jian Minghui, saw Mu Jin joining them and enthusiastically tried to tag along. Just as he was about to suggest that the three of them stay together, he felt a sharp pain in his toe.
Nearly yelping, Luo Bin turned around to find Jian Minghui smiling, but his eyes behind his glasses glinted with a chill.
It’s often said that people with simple minds have a strong sixth sense, and Luo Bin, sensing the danger, promptly swallowed his words.
Then, Jian Minghui turned to Mu Jin with a warm expression and said, “Xiao Jin, we are in the same group, Lou Bin and Shi Haoyu are in the same group. We will guard the east side, and they will guard the south side.”
Mu Jin nodded, pretending not to notice his lover’s little act.
Watching Jian Minghui smiling at Mu Jin, Luo Bin took a couple of steps back, gritting his teeth to stifle the pain in his toe. He nudged Shi Haoyu with his elbow and whispered, “Hey, Shi Haoyu, don’t you think something’s a bit off with the boss?”
Shi Haoyu kept his head down, quietly polishing his bat. Hearing Luo Bin’s comment, he lifted his eyes briefly to glance at Jian Minghui and Mu Jin nearby, then ignored the noisy Luo Bin and pulled him away.
Seeing this, Jian Minghui smiled with satisfaction, thankful that Shi Haoyu could at least read the room.
These past few days, he’d been in a great mood. It wasn’t just the harmony between the four of them on the road—what really pleased him was that Mu Jin had shown no interest in the girls trying to chat him up when the group took breaks.
Anyway, those little girls have nothing on him; I’d rather he looked at me.