Chapter 44.2: Temporary Stay at Qingmin (First) [2]
Author: He Feng Yang
Translator: HeXie
Editor: Larkspur
Chapter 44.2: Temporary Stay at Qingmin (First) [2]
However, the mission this time was really dangerous. And if Xu Yan and Chen Baoguan’s people had successfully escaped back to Lan Cheng Base, there might be news of them having run into trouble being spread. As such, the members of the group with special abilities and families, led by Peng Zijun and Gao Jingshu, didn’t wish their family members to worry unnecessarily. Therefore, they mentioned their hope of returning hoping to return to Lan Cheng Base earlier.
Wu Ye was also worried that if they dallied in the town for too long, something unexpected might happen in Lan Cheng Base. After all, their roots there weren’t too deep and the upper-echelon in Lan Cheng Base was shameless enough that he didn’t want to risk it. So, after much discussion, they decided to stay here for only five days. Five days later, they would leave and return to Lan Cheng Base.
With that settled, Wu Ye ordered everyone to rest. Of the four houses on the top floor, three had working windows and doors, and they were all equipped with three rooms and one living room, totalling up to seven bedrooms [4].
As the only woman in the team, Yang Li Na, got her own little bedroom. Meanwhile, as the people with the highest position there, Wu Ye and Qin Wuhua got the cleanest, most luxurious master bedroom.
The remaining fifteen discussed how they were going to split up the five remaining rooms. Those unused to sharing with others slept on the sofa. The weather’s warm anyway, so there was no need for them to worry about catching a cold.
Wu Ye had filled the basins, bathtubs, vats, fish tanks and so on that everyone had found with water. After a very tense battle-filled day, they were all exhausted; they went to bed early after a simple cold water shower.
In the town occupied entirely by zombies, even a person as big hearted as the second young master couldn’t quite fall asleep due to the unceasing hair-raising, goosebumps-inducing howls outside. He couldn’t fall asleep on this side and couldn’t fall asleep on that side – he kept tossing around like a pancake flipping itself.
Poor Qin Wuhua was so tempted by the show Wu Ye unknowingly made of himself that his proud spear almost stood tall. But because he was afraid that Wu Ye would notice, he shifted over and over again to the side until almost half his back was hanging out of the bed, before he finally couldn’t stand it anymore and asked, “What’s it?”
Wu Ye scratched his head and said, slightly embarrassed, “I can’t sleep. Have I disturbed you?”
“It’s fine, I can’t sleep either.”
My sweetheart is tossing around in bed with me beside him… It’ll be strange if I can sleep! Qin Wuhua thought as he hid his desire behind an unperturbed mask.
“What’s keeping you awake?” Wu Ye asked softly, hands supporting his head. The room right now was dark enough that one couldn’t see a finger once they extended their hand out. However, despite the darkness, he could see the rough outline of the furniture placed in the room.
And he remembered that there was a photo frame on the wall opposite of their bed. It was a photo of a newlywed who had their arms circling the other’s eyes. And he could see that their eyes were filled with the deepest of joy as they smiled at each other.
Just looking at it was almost enough for anyone to feel their love for one another. The photographer who took it had done justice for the two as all the details were practically perfect. It was a very good photo. But the only issue Wu Ye had with it was the fact that the two people in that photo were two guys. And they were two very sunny, handsome men.
They were so good… why did they have to be gay?
Qin Wuhua silently shifted back towards the centre of the bed when he was sure he wouldn’t be tempted anymore. But his arm accidentally touched Wu Ye’s cool back and he retracted it as if electrocuted, the tips of his ears faintly red. Luckily for him, Wu Ye didn’t notice any peculiarity of his actions. And to ensure that stayed the case, he quickly answered Wu Ye’s question while lowering his voice he said, “I wasn’t thinking of much, you? What were you thinking of?”
“My mother, my father, my little brother …” Wu Ye was originally about to say more, but he was afraid that the walls had ears. So, he closed his mouth vigilantly and forcibly changed the subject. “What about you? Do you miss your family?”
After saying that, Wu Ye belatedly recalled something and regretted his words. What was he doing mentioning that matter? Qin Wuhua’s family had long since passed on, wasn’t this act of his akin to sprinkling salt on Qin Wuhua’s wounds?
Fortunately, Qin Wuhua didn’t mind as he began to speak with a soft tone. “I used to miss them. Then I grew up and gained more experience. After that, time passed, and I can’t even remember what they looked like now.”
The explosion that took their life had basically levelled their house. As such, all the mementos and photos of his family turned into ashes and nothing was left as a proof they were once alive. And no one else offered to give the pictures of his parents when they were younger, so after more than ten years, his memory of his family was no more than a blurry, indistinct shadow in his mind.
Sensing the indescribable sorrow Qin Wuhua had hidden deep in his heart to the point he didn’t feel it, Wu Ye once again changed the topic. “Can you tell me about some things that happened when you were in the army?”
This house of theirs only had two rooms, and next door was Qian Xin and Ji Yun[5]. So, Qin Wuhua wasn’t afraid they’d hear something they shouldn’t.
[4] TL’s notes: So first, there’s actually a clause that says ‘after an afternoon’s cleaning up’ that made no sense at all, given that it’s located right at the start of the paragraph – it could be either cleaning up zombies or cleaning up the house?? But it’s fine, this is just to let you know. Next – which is the part that’s bothering me slightly – is the author’s math. Not the only instance, obviously, but the first one encountered in this chapter, which is that three houses with three bedrooms each doesn’t yield seven bedrooms… I suspect there’s a missing ‘two rooms had broken windows’ or something, but then that would contradict the first sentence saying that of the four houses three had all their windows and doors intact… just saying yeah?
[5] so. the second instance of failed math (?) – 15 people in 5 rooms = 3 people per room. Right? So why are there only two people in the room next door? Although I suppose there are some who slept on the sofas…