Zhou Quchuan opened his eyes and found himself lying on a hard bed, with a small stove surrounded by rocks in the center of the nearby room, burning firewood in it, and a small iron pot with a missing mouth on top of it.
At this moment, the small iron pot was bubbling with heat, cooking some unknown meat, emitting a strong aroma.
A young woman squatting next to the pot, her face was a bit dirty and indistinct, held two twigs as makeshift chopsticks, stirring the contents of the pot. She seemed to be stimulated by the fragrance and let out a loud gulp.
Zhou Quchuan loosened his grip and stopped the impending attack.
Because moments ago he had used his mental power to scan the area within a dozen kilometers, finding no threat to him, and the combat effectiveness of this woman was negligible.
Even though he had been awake for a while, his mental power did not get any response when scanning her.
This indicated that the woman was just an ordinary person, not a psychic, at most slightly stronger than an average person.
Strangely, how did he end up here?
While battling the Lava Burst Dragon for three days and nights, although he eventually killed the dragon, he was also injured. He had to seal himself quickly and sink into the nearby river to recuperate.
However, after self-sealing, he was not oblivious to the outside world. If any danger approached, it would trigger his self-defense mechanism, forcing him to wake from his sleep, not to mention being touched directly by someone.
Clearly, the current situation showed that the woman was alone and had brought him here.
Why didn't her touch wake him up?
Zhao Lian was staring at the meat soup, her mouth watering. She hadn't had meat for a long time, and catching this wild rabbit was a stroke of luck for her.
It looked like it would be ready soon— in this world, if conditions allowed, it was best to cook meat thoroughly before eating because no one knew how many bacteria and terrifying viruses the meat might contain.
Some viruses were not afraid of high temperatures, but at least high temperature could kill most of them.
Her thoughts wandered as she casually glanced at the bed, and suddenly saw that the man who had been unconscious had opened his eyes and was staring at her intently.
"You are awake." Zhao Lian walked to the bedside, and placed the military water bottle nearby, squatting down and asking, "Have some water. Your injuries are quite severe, can you get up by yourself?"
Zhou Quchuan knew what she meant. After a big battle with the Lava Burst Dragon, it was impossible not to be injured. However, the injuries she saw might be a shocking sight for an ordinary person, but for him, it was just superficial damage. In fact, his mental power had already recovered. As long as the energy in his body circulated, he would soon be as good as new, even if he fought the Lava Candle Dragon again.
But he was not in a hurry to heal the injuries, just sitting up slowly and glancing at the simple treatment of his wounds. He had to admit that the technique was terrible, but given the current conditions, the woman had probably tried her best.
He took the water bottle in silence, emptied it in one gulp, handed it back, and asked, "Who are you?"
"I'm Zhao Lian, Zhao of the Zhao country, and Lian of Lianyan." Zhao Lian took the water bottle and casually asked, "And you?" She shook the water bottle, seeing not a drop left, but was not angry. There was a nearby river, and she could go fetch some water later.
In this apocalypse, it was fortunate for humans that most of the water sources and land in the wilderness had not been contaminated.
"I only remember others called me Achuan, and everything else is forgotten." Zhou Quchuan lied without blinking, and asked in a matter-of-fact tone, "Did you save me?"
"Yes, by the river not far from here." Zhao Lian didn't entirely believe Zhou Quchuan's words, but in this doomsday, who didn't have some secret behind them, some unlucky or unknown secret they didn't want others to know?
In fact, she wasn't a person with overflowing sympathy. She couldn't quite explain why she had saved this man. Probably because he looked so young, perhaps around eighteen or nineteen, about the same age as her little brother who had died early in the apocalypse, just after starting college, which prompted her to feel compassion.
Or perhaps, when he was soaking in the water, his pale face looked too harmless and helpless, making it impossible for her to turn a blind eye, right?
In any case, her thought at the time was, he was so badly injured, he could die at any moment, so it was best to try to save him first. If he turned out to be untrustworthy, she wouldn't mind sending him on his way herself. After all, she had been wandering alone in the apocalypse for three years, and she had killed many bandits, let alone a man who was severely injured and looked so fragile.
She walked to the pot, carefully took out a small package from her pocket, and then took out a small bag of table salt from the package, sprinkled a little into the pot, and then put it away.
Then she picked up a stainless steel bowl placed beside her and scooped half a bowl of soup, walked back to the bedside, and handed it to the man. "Have some."
Zhou Quchuan took the bowl, saw her scoop for herself again, and after a while finally squeezed out a "Thank you."
Zhao Lian glanced at him, thinking he was just naturally introverted and shy, so she didn't think much of it and smiled. "No need to be polite," then she picked up the soup and started drinking.
Zhou Quchuan saw her enjoying the soup and looked down at his own bowl of bland soup. He slowly brought it to his lips and took a sip.
If someone familiar with him had seen this, they would definitely be shocked.
But to his surprise, the soup, seasoned with just a little salt, was even sweeter than he had imagined.
...
The pot was still bubbling, making a constant gurgling sound, and occasionally there was a crackling sound from the stove.
In the not-so-large room filled with dust and cobwebs, the two sat on opposite sides, holding bowls and quietly drinking soup, seemingly lost in their own thoughts.
In the quiet atmosphere, there seemed to be a gentle and soothing feeling slowly circulating.
Imitating Zhao Lian, Zhou Quchuan held the bowl with both hands and took a few sips, then suddenly felt a rare and inexplicable feeling of confusion.
What was wrong with him? Since he was awake and had regained his mental strength, shouldn't he just get up and leave directly?
Why was he sitting here so calmly, leisurely sipping soup?
Finally realizing something was amiss, Zhou Quchuan looked up at Zhao Lian, only to see her sitting next to him, with a straight and delicate nose, long and curly eyelashes, and lips that looked moist and rosy due to the soup, though somewhat dirty, did not completely conceal her beauty.
She drank with small and quick sips, seemingly very satisfied with the soup, and had an obvious smile on her face, appearing extremely happy because of a bowl of plain soup.
Zhou Quchuan couldn't understand why she was so happy—was she easily satisfied?
After finishing the bowl, Zhao Lian intended to scoop more but found Zhou Quchuan was looking at her.
"Do you want more?" Zhao Lian asked with a smile.
Zhou Quchuan nodded subconsciously and handed the bowl to her as she approached.
In fact, the injuries on his legs looked terrifying, his pants were severely damaged, soaked with blood, and some areas seemed to be covered in blood and flesh, but it didn't hinder his movement. He just didn't want to clarify the situation, and he wasn't deliberately trying to stay by her side. Zhou Quchuan silently thought, it's just that this woman gave a strange sense of security. Perhaps when she dragged him from the water to this house, it didn't trigger his self-sealing warning?
In any case, having just gone through a big battle, he had no other thoughts for the moment. Instead of staying by her to find out the situation, he could also quietly digest some of the experience he had gained from the previous battle.
Zhao Lian scooped another bowl of soup for him, generously adding a lot of rabbit meat for him.
She felt this man looked dull, with such severe injuries, not making a sound since waking up, and showing no signs of pain on his face, instead just being absent-minded.
Could it be that his pain nerves were out of order, or his severe injury had caused other problems? Such as brain damage?
So when he said he only remembered his name was Achuan and didn't remember anything else, maybe he wasn't lying to her?
Anyway, since she had interfered and saved him, she would see it through to the end. She wouldn't leave him alone here when he had no ability to act.
Handing the soup bowl back to him, Zhao Lian said, "Eat more. You need to eat to regain strength. I checked the surroundings before and found no signs of occupation by mutant beasts or large-scale wild animal activities. I plan to stay here for a while before leaving."
Taking the bowl, Zhou Quchuan couldn't help but feel a little surprised after hearing her words—wasn't this woman suggesting that she wouldn't leave him alone? In an apocalypse that had lasted so long, there was actually such a kind-hearted person, almost like a saint?
Seeing him staring at the bowl in a daze, with no reaction to her words, she became more convinced that he had really damaged his brain. For such a person, if it weren't for her rescuing him, if he had fallen into the hands of someone else, even a bandit, the outcome would have been very miserable.
She couldn't help but look at his appearance again. Because he had been soaking in the water before, his face was very clean, and even with a bit of stubble, it didn't detract from his handsomeness.
Zhao Lian never denied that she was deeply fascinated by good looks. Perhaps the reason she had saved this man by the riverbank earlier was not only out of compassion, but also out of an impulse inspired by his appearance.
Such looks, in the hands of those with ill intentions, would be a disaster for him. However, with such severe injuries, and being thrown into the river, maybe there was a reason for that?
And he looked completely absent-minded, really giving the impression of someone who had suffered a huge mental trauma...
At that moment, Zhao Lian imagined many events where this man had suffered a lot of bullying and humiliation because of his good looks. Such things were not uncommon in the apocalypse, and she had witnessed it firsthand. She had even ended the life of a victim of bullying at their request, to give them release.
Sighing silently, she saw that he still hadn't drunk the soup, so she comforted him, saying, "Your injuries look serious, but they are all external. They will slowly heal. It doesn't matter if you can't remember some things from the past; what's important is the future. Only by staying alive do we have hope." Even though she had forgotten who had said those words, it didn't stop her from using them to comfort others.
Zhou Quchuan looked at her and keenly sensed the sympathy embedded in her words—was she actually feeling sorry for him? Because of his injuries?
It seemed this woman not only had a kind heart but was also a talkative person, not very sharp in her mind...
Looking at the meat soup in the bowl, Zhou Quchuan silently kicked the word "fool" out of his mind.
Only now did he start to feel a little curious about this unfamiliar woman. He wanted to see how long she would keep him, a "dragging oil bottle," by her side in this devastated world where human nature had long since deteriorated.
Zhou Quchuan nodded, and said in a low voice, "Thank you for your trouble." Such words were habitual for him, and they flowed well, and since he had to pretend, he might as well do it more convincingly.
Seeing Zhao Lian begin to remove the previous gauze from his knee wound and apply disinfectant, although the pain was nothing to him, Zhou Quchuan still involuntarily trembled slightly and a look of mild pain appeared on his face.
"Sorry, it might hurt a bit, but endure it and it'll be over soon," Zhao Lian glanced at him, thinking that this guy was finally showing a bit of a normal human expression.
It was indeed fortunate that he had endured without making a sound despite having such a terrifying wound that exposed the bone.
After pouring some disinfectant on the wound, Zhao Lian picked up a nearby booklet and fanned air towards it. Sensing the slight numbness and coolness coming from the knee, Zhou Quchuan suddenly flashed a memory from his childhood, when his mother was applying medicine to his scraped knee.
For the first time in his life, he felt that perhaps it was a good thing not to immediately use his abilities to heal the injury.
After disinfecting the wound on his foot and applying new gauze, she also helped him deal with the wounds on his arms, chin, and face. During the process of applying the medicine, their faces inevitably came closer. Suddenly, Zhao Lian's movements stopped, and she inexplicably stared at him.
Zhou Quchuan knew that his appearance was quite good, but what he disliked the most was others staring at his face blankly, especially after experiencing some unpleasant things at the beginning of the apocalypse. Those around him knew about this taboo of his.
However, for some reason, he didn't find Zhao Lian's gaze unpleasant. Her eyes were clear, her emotions seemingly normal, with just a hint of curiosity.
"You..." She reached out her hand, seeming like she wanted to touch his face.
Zhou Quchuan frowned slightly, about to reach out and push her hand away when she suddenly withdrew her hand and said with a smile, "Sorry, I got lost in thought just now. Your beard is a bit long, do you need me to trim it for you?"
It turned out that just now Zhao Lian was attracted to the smoothness and clarity of his skin, even to the extent of wanting to touch it. Although she had applied medicine to him at close quarters before, she hadn't been in the right mood or time to observe the condition of his skin.
And for some reason, when he was sober, his handsomeness seemed to go up a few notches, emitting an inexplicable attraction from head to toe.
Perhaps it was because his eyes were too beautiful.
However, she suddenly realized that Ah Chuan might have experienced some unpleasant things in the past due to his appearance. If she really did that, it might stimulate him to recall some bad memories, so she forced a change of the topic.
Zhou Quchuan didn't know what she was thinking, but he knew that the woman was probably lying. She was definitely attracted to his appearance but was too embarrassed to admit it, so she quickly changed the subject.
"Why?" he suddenly asked.
"Why what?" Zhao Lian asked with confusion.
"Why are you being so kind to me?" Zhou Quchuan looked at her expressionlessly.
If it were someone familiar with Zhou Quchuan, seeing him like this would definitely be frightened, as he often wore this expression before getting angry, and the consequences of him getting angry were very frightening.
However, Zhao Lian didn't know him at all and had preconceived notions; she thought that his expression was just a way to hide his inner sorrow. She thought to herself, this guy must have been hurt badly in the past, to think that she was "being so kind to him".
She smiled faintly and said, "This is just a very ordinary thing, isn't it? And you don't have to feel embarrassed. I am someone who likes to do things from start to finish. Since I saved you, I will save you until the end. And these are not without benefits. Once you're better, I'll leave the hunting and cooking to you."
Looking at her smile, Zhou Quchuan was briefly dazed, realizing it had been a long time since someone had spoken to him so casually.
However, what seemed like a mild expression to her was interpreted as inner excitement in Zhao Lian's eyes.
She didn't say anything, just tidied up and prepared to go out to look for food, and also to bring back some water from the river.
She left a metal rod next to Zhou Quchuan and instructed him not to move around casually, and if he needed to relieve himself, he could do so in a corner in the house.
After speaking, Zhao Lian took her backpack and a machete and left, making sure to lock the door.
Zhou Quchuan's face turned a little grim. He subconsciously glanced at the corner and with a "hmph," suddenly rolled off the bed, swiftly moved to the door, and listened quietly to the sounds outside. After a while, he turned the doorknob, slipped out, and left.
Carrying the machete, Zhao Lian cautiously made her way through the overgrown path towards the river, being careful not to make too much noise to avoid startling any potential small prey.
The weather today was quite pleasant, with clear skies and a refreshing breeze occasionally brushing past, dissipating some restlessness.
Feeling the climate, Zhao Lian couldn't help but feel a slight sense of worry, as it indicated that winter was approaching.
This place was in the south, and although it didn't snow in the winter, the continuous overcast and rainy weather made the cold seep into the bones, making it very uncomfortable.
Moreover, winter meant that it would be difficult to obtain meat, and food would suddenly become scarce, so she needed to prepare in advance.
Recalling the previous winter, she and the convoy members were heading to a survivor gathering area called "Harvest Base" with endless hope, but she hadn't expected what would happen later.
—Hope that she would sacrifice herself and the convoy would be saved?
It seemed like everyone thought that this was a matter of course, but why should she?
So, she ran away.
Perhaps her past impression of being gentle and submissive was too deeply ingrained; no one thought she would dare to resist and run away, so after she pretended to accept this arrangement, no one even kept an eye on her.
When she initially escaped, she felt very lost, not knowing where to go, but gradually, she felt that, no matter what, she should survive first.
In the nearly one year since then, she had stumbled and suffered quite a bit. Danger didn't just come from the external world filled with virus-infested monsters, but more so from her own kind.
When she escaped from another survivor camp for the second time, she promised herself that she would never trust anyone again.
But people were always like that; they forget the pain after the scar has healed. After months of living alone in the wild, when she saw the man in the water, she surprisingly felt compassion again.
Perhaps deep down she had always wanted a companion, someone to talk to.
After reaching the river, Zhao Lian found a slightly sunken area along the bank. It was relatively hidden with the cover of wild grass, making it hard to notice her figure even from nearby, effectively preventing attacks from others of her kind or the occasional wandering zombies.
She took out a folded fishing rod and fishing line from her backpack, prepared some bait, and began fishing.
After the apocalypse, people found that only land animals seemed to be infected and mutated, while plants and fish in the water were not affected.
When Zhao Lian first started living in the wild, she didn't know anything. She had even eaten grass and tree bark when she was hungry. However, the desire to survive quickly motivated her to learn some hunting skills. Of course, she failed countless times in the beginning, but by relying on wild grasses, flowers, weeds, insects, she made it through the most difficult period. When she finally ate meat after many days, she was almost moved to tears.
The wilderness far from human activity is actually very dangerous because you never know when you might encounter dangerous things such as mutated beasts, zombie hordes, etc., which are extremely dangerous for ordinary humans.
But after escaping from the camp, Zhao Lian seemed to have some luck, as she had been walking along the river for quite some time in this area, surprisingly without finding any signs of the surrounding area being occupied by mutated beasts, or even very few large wild animals.
Apart from some herbivorous animals that are equally dangerous for humans going to the riverbank to drink water, Zhao Lian felt that this place was really suitable as her foothold.
She had been living here for several days until she met Achuan, who was drifting downstream.
Watching the fish floater steadily floating on the water's surface, Zhao Lian's thoughts drifted a bit, as she calculated the amount of food and supplies she currently had.
Now that there was one more person to feed, the consumption would inevitably double. She still tried to collect as many wild fruits and vegetables as possible, making them into dried fruits and vegetables, even though they were not very tasty, but it would be good enough to fill their stomachs in the winter.
Achuan's wound seemed to still need a few months to fully recover, by which time the winter may have already ended, welcoming the new year.
But as long as he could move around in the house, she would teach him how to make dried fruits and vegetables, so he wouldn't be idle.
Judging from his previous behavior, he seemed to have a somewhat introverted and gloomy personality, and he seemed to have suffered great psychological trauma in the past, easily moved by even a little kindness from others, which also indicated that he was a kind-hearted person, and even though he had been hurt, he would not become extreme and harm others.
That's good, it proves she didn't save the wrong person.
At this moment, the fish floater suddenly sank down, Zhao Lian quickly came back to her senses and stared at the fish floater, then with a strong pull when it suddenly sank again, a palm-sized gray fish was hooked up.
Zhao Lian cheered in her heart and unhooked the fish from the hook, throwing it into a small bucket beside her.
She had been coming to the riverbank to fish almost every day for the past few days, but the catch was not much. Today, she had caught one in such a short time, which could be considered fortunate. If she could catch a few more, she would figure out a way to make them into fish jerky—she didn’t know how much Achuan knew about this, but she could ask him when she got back.
Thinking to herself, Zhao Lian did not notice that there were a pair of eyes behind her watching her.