Chapter 62 Part 1

“These… where did you get them from? They’re impressive.”

Jie Jialiang looked at the baskets Zhong Nian and the Masked Guy had brought back with a surprised expression on his face.

The old man had been extremely grateful to the two of them and had given them so much food that it nearly overflowed from the baskets, impossible to hide. So, they simply carried them back to the cabin openly.

“A gift,” Zhong Nian brushed it off with two words.

Jie Jialiang chuckled. “Is that so? Those villagers were so fierce with me, not giving me a single friendly glance. I could only secretly leave some things behind to trade for a bit.”

【Clever choice of words, haha. Sneaking into other people’s houses—isn’t that just stealing chickens and dogs?】

【Wasn’t it another Skinny Bamboo Pole he ordered to do it for him? He just reaped the benefits.】

【The stuff he left was even from the cabin…】

【Once this instance is over, the filter on this Silver Snake Guild’s Big Shot is completely shattered.】

“That’s good too. I was originally worried there wouldn’t be enough food to bring back.” Jie Jialiang glanced at the Skinny Man who was already busy preparing ingredients, then slowly sipped his coffee. “His appetite isn’t small.”

“…”

Zhong Nian didn’t bother talking to him. He turned to the Masked Man and said, “You make dinner first. I’ll go upstairs to check on Little Yu.”

The Masked Man nodded and carried the baskets into the kitchen.

Before Zhong Nian had even reached the stairs, he heard a curse from the open kitchen behind him.

It seemed the Masked Man had bumped into the Skinny Man. The kitchen was small to begin with, so a little collision was normal.

The Skinny Man rubbed his shoulder with a displeased expression. “Why are you standing right behind me! You don’t even know what you’ve eaten to be as hard as a rock. Tsk, it hurts like hell.”

Ever since that time he’d been used as a shield by the Bald Man, his personality had changed drastically. After the Bald Man died, he’d become the one who worked the hardest for Jie Jialiang.

Feeling like he had a powerful backer now, his spine straightened more and more. The Skinny Man no longer cowered all the time and had even been quite tough with that couple before.

However, he only grumbled a couple of sentences at the Masked Man. Once he met those sharp, cold-glowing eyes under the hood, his bravado instantly deflated, and he chose to avoid the conflict.

“Guess I’m the unlucky one…” he muttered, then rolled his shoulder that had been hit and left the kitchen.

Zhong Nian withdrew his gaze from the Skinny Man, exchanged a brief look with the Masked Guy, and continued upstairs.

He didn’t find Little Yu in the room. It was only through the window that he spotted her under the big tree by the back door, in front of that simple grave mound.

Zhong Nian went over and saw Little Yu with red eyes, her face’s tears already dried by the wind, her expression numb and stiffly cold.

“Eat first,” he said to her.

Little Yu looked up at him, a bit of life returning to her vacant eyes. She stood up and said to Zhong Nian, “Thank you. If there’s anything you need me to do, I’ll try my best to repay you.”

Seeing she wasn’t completely despondent, Zhong Nian shook his head. “If you want to avenge your lover and are willing to trust me, you can act together with us tonight.”

Little Yu vigorously wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes with the back of her hand. When she opened her eyes again, there was no trace of gloom left—only a firm, bright light shone in them.

“I want to live.”

–

Eleven at night.

The Masked Man held the bedding and began making a floor bed, wanting Zhong Nian to rest.

Zhong Nian pulled him back. “Tonight’s first half of the night watch is mine. I won’t be able to rest long anyway. Sitting on the sofa is fine; no need to go to such trouble.”

“Resting even a little is still resting. Sitting will make you cold.” The Masked Man insisted on making the bed properly—three layers below and two above.

Zhong Nian was a bit helpless against him.

They had other plans, and there was no need for a night watch anymore. There was no point in making the bed so meticulously; doing it superficially would have sufficed.

However, lying in the soft bedding, wrapped in a thick blanket, was indeed much more comfortable than sitting on the sofa.

A faint blush like rouge colored his fair cheeks. Zhong Nian looked like a contented cat dozing off. He rubbed against Fluffy and glanced at the Little Doll the man had tucked into the bedding.

He stretched out a finger and poked the Masked Guy who sat against the wall beside him.

Out of habit, before Zhong Nian could say anything, the Masked Man leaned forward and brought his ear close in a listening posture.

Zhong Nian felt it was a bit too close. His cherry-pink fingertip poked at the man’s side waist, pushing outward as he softly complained, “Are you treating me a bit too delicately? I don’t need to be taken care of that much.”

The spot on his side waist that was poked felt like it had been bitten by a little bug, the tingling itch spreading to the tip of his heart.

The Masked Man’s jaw tightened as he grabbed the finger that could so easily pluck at his heartstrings. His voice was low and hoarse. “No.”

Zhong Nian pursed his lips, withdrew his finger, and changed to a different position to lie down.

But he didn’t know what was in the bedding. Something pressed against his lower back—soft and bouncy, not hard, but ice-cold. The sliver of skin exposed under his clothes touched it, and the sudden chill made Zhong Nian let out a soft whimper.

“What’s wrong?” the Masked Man asked.

Zhong Nian reached back and grabbed the thing, his expression unchanged. “Nothing. The spot on my lower back from yesterday’s bump is still a bit sore…”

As he spoke, he viciously pinched that section of the sneaky troublemaker as punishment.