Xie Chiyuan choked.
These days, you even get a notification when you're about to cry?
The temperamental crybaby clutched the piece of cloth tightly in her hand, burying her head in Xie Chiyuan's chest.
The car windows were open.
Having just heard Tang Xin vaguely describe the relationship between Xie Chiyuan and Yu An, I pretended to be passing by, half-believing and half-doubting, to find out more.
As a result, just as they passed by the car window, they saw Yu An burying her face in Xie Chiyuan's arms.
The onlookers: "!"
Damn, this melon is genuine.
The team members vanished like ghosts. Xie Chiyuan glanced at the people who were still peeking, his thin lips moved, and he uttered two words: "Get lost."
The logistics team's task is to provide support and treat injuries as soon as they are received.
Xie Chiyuan didn't stay long before the car started moving.
Tang Xin, unafraid of death, sat down next to him and calmly asked, "Commander Xie, when do you plan to hold a banquet and collect gift money?"
Xie Chiyuan glanced at him and said coldly, "Did a pig eat your brain?"
Anyone with a brain wouldn't take this kind of absurd misunderstanding seriously.
Tang Xin looked at him, then at the boy who still had his face buried in his chest, and was speechless for a moment.
These two are so intimate, how dare Xie Chiyuan say he's brainless!
On the way back, Yu An slept the entire way.
He pressed his head against Xie Chiyuan's arm, and by the time they got out of the car, Xie Chiyuan's arm was so sore he could barely lift it.
"Commander Xie, we've arrived."
"knew."
Xie Chiyuan gave a casual reply, but didn't move.
He squeezed his arm a little before carrying Yu An out of the car and back to the base.
Back at the base, routine checks are required, but Xie Chiyuan's special status means he doesn't need to undergo such checks at the entrance.
Escorted by guards, Yu An, held in Xie Chiyuan's arms, was not subjected to another inspection. From yesterday to today, Yu An has stayed by Xie Chiyuan's side.
If it were infected, it would have already started biting him.
Time passed slowly, and when Yu An woke up again, it was completely dark outside. Unlike in the village, a few stars could be seen at night here.
He was alone in a room, on a soft and comfortable bed.
"Big brother."
Little White Mushroom's voice came from his pocket, sounding a bit healthier than before. His voice was soft, clearly indicating that he knew his older brother had a bad temper when he woke up.
Yu An was stopped and looked down at his pocket.
"Xiao Jiu".
He called out slowly, his expression still blank: "How did we end up here—"
Before Yu An could finish speaking, all the memories flooded back to him. During his few days in the village, he managed to steal a large sum of money by being beaten.
He said to Big Head...
He said he came to find his and Xie Chiyuan's child.
He didn't just say it to Da Tou; he said it to other people in military uniforms as well.
As the memories of the past few days flooded back, Yu An, who had just sat up, suddenly fell backward with a thud and tumbled back down.
Some people are alive, but they are already dead!
Embarrassed to the point of becoming withdrawn, Yu An grabbed a pillow, buried his face in it, and gave Little White Mushroom a demonstration of what it means to commit suicide on the spot.
Little Nine, who still wanted to coax his older brother: "..."
Little Nine silently pulled his head back down.
After a while, Yu An, who hadn't suffocated yet, moved his pillow and sat up again. His hair was messy, with a few stray hairs sticking up on his head.
"It doesn't matter."
He murmured to himself, trying to comfort himself: "Xie Chiyuan might not know about this, and they might not spread rumors."
Yu An had never seen Xie Chiyuan's full face, so he genuinely didn't recognize him; the large head was indeed Xie Chiyuan. He figured that as long as these people didn't say anything out of line, he could pretend nothing had happened.
Holding onto this sliver of hope, Yu An managed to calm herself down.
He took the little white mushroom out again and touched it with his fingers: "Little Jiu, you still haven't told me who beat you back into your child form?"
"People from the Eastern Base."
Xiao Jiu tugged at Yu An's fingers, pitifully complaining to her older brother, "Big brother, the person who beat me up said that he'll kill me the next time he sees me."
Yu An was heartbroken.
He looked at the tiny little Jiu, who was barely the size of a palm, and said with resentment, "Our little Jiu is so well-behaved, why does he have the right to beat him up like that!"
Little Jiu has never caused trouble. Back when they lived in the research institute, Little Jiu was the most timid and cowardly of all the kids.
The little white mushroom sitting in Yu An's palm heard Yu An's words and said in a slightly childish voice with disappointment, "Big brother, it's all Xiao Jiu's fault. If Xiao Jiu had hidden better and hadn't been discovered, she wouldn't have been beaten."
Yu An: "..."
Yu An felt even more heartbroken this time.
He lowered his head and kissed the cap of the little white mushroom. Then, he firmly assured him, "Don't worry, with your big brother here, I promise I won't let Little Nine get beaten up again!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jiu affectionately nuzzled against him.
The two of them didn't say much before footsteps sounded outside the door.
Yu An hurriedly climbed out of bed and walked towards the door.
The door opened.
Yu An and the soldiers exchanged glances. The soldiers seemed to notice his nervousness, and stammered, "Hello, hello."
"We came to check if you were awake and if you needed any food."
Yu An does not need food.
Ever since he became a zombie, he's become incredibly resistant to hunger. Human food tastes bland to him.
"Commander Xie is busy and won't be back for the time being. If you need anything, please feel free to ask." The soldier's attitude was very good, and his tone was extremely respectful when speaking to Yu An.
Yu An was a little confused.
He'd slept since daytime, which was way too much. Now that he couldn't sleep anymore, he tentatively asked, "Can I go for a walk?"
He doesn't know anything about the base yet.
The soldier smiled and said, "Of course."
Led by a soldier, Yu An left the dormitory building and began to explore the base. The base was divided into a canteen, dormitories, a medical point, a planting area, a trading area, and a reserve settlement area.
There are many people living in the base.
The patrol team will continuously check the residents' health, and if they find anything abnormal, they will immediately send the person to the medical point.
As Yu An walked, he felt that many eyes were focused on him.
He nervously clutched his clothes, anxiously wondering if his identity had aroused suspicion.
Yes, that's right.
Ignoring the stares, he mustered his courage and asked the soldier, "Can I find someone?"
"Yes, we can." The soldier readily agreed: "Just tell us a name, and we'll find it for you right away."
“Big Head,” Yu An added seriously, “Yuan Big Head.”
He remembered that when Da Tou told him his name, he mentioned that Xie Chiyuan's name also contained the character "Yuan." Da Tou didn't deny it, so it was very likely the same character.
Soldier:"……"
Well, Commander Xie's family is really humorous; they even gave Commander Xie a nickname.
People passed by from time to time, and anyone wearing a military uniform would glance at Yu An.
Thanks to that big mouth who came back to base today, everyone now knows that Commander Xie's family has come looking for him. I hear Commander Xie and his family are having a really sweet time together!
Despite his cold and aloof demeanor, Commander Xie is actually married with children. He even carries his family members when they walk by.
The soldier dared not call Xie Chiyuan by his rather unique nickname directly. He mumbled, "The officer went to work after bringing you back. He'll be back later."
As they were talking, a sudden, urgent alarm sounded.
Almost instantly, several squads of soldiers in uniform rushed toward the door with their guns drawn.
The soldiers who were with Yu An were also anxious: "There's a situation at the base, we'll take you back first!"
Yu An was being pulled to run back. Amidst the surging crowd, he suddenly saw a familiar person.
It's the big head!
Upon seeing this, Yu An took off running towards Da Tou's direction.
He ran so fast and fast that the soldiers who tried to pull him away were thrown off balance by the crowd and could only watch helplessly as he ran toward Xie Chiyuan.
"He's looking for Commander Xie, he should be fine."
"We'll settle the people at the base first."
The alarm sounded, and some commotion broke out at the base.
No one was following Yu An, so he chased after Xie Chiyuan, being jostled around until he reached the base's city wall. Some soldiers recognized him and didn't chase him away, but simply made way for him to walk to Xie Chiyuan's side.
Standing atop the city wall, Yu An instinctively glanced down.
Several large trucks were parked below, and people were negotiating with them, asking about the situation. But strangely, none of the trucks responded.
A large truck was blocking the entrance.
The car body and the windshield were completely blocked, making it impossible to see what was happening.