Chapter 48: Changing the Hair Tie

Bai Chen Zhu’s motion of rubbing his head paused. He suddenly didn’t dare to look at Jiang Ye, his gaze drifting as he mumbled, “No.”

“No? Then why won’t you look at me?” Jiang Ye felt uncomfortable seeing him beat around the bush.

He pinched Bai Chen Zhu’s cheek, forcing him to turn his head. “Look at me and say it again.”

“Don’t go crazy.” Bai Chen Zhu grew a bit impatient. He swatted Jiang Ye’s hand away. “I said no. Why would I lie to you?”

“Really no?” Jiang Ye inexplicably perked up. “Then you’re the same as me. We’re the same.”

“Who’s the same as you.” Bai Chen Zhu couldn’t stand his happy mood. He crawled over him, got off the bed, and started getting dressed, his expression cold. “I won’t have a girlfriend.”

Jiang Ye watched his back. Broad shoulders draped in white clothes resembled a snow-covered tower. Jiang Ye stood up and cheekily pinched the ends of his hair. He picked up a tie. “I won’t have one either. Want me to tie your hair for you?”

“Mm.” Bai Chen Zhu paused in changing clothes, then continued as if nothing had happened.

Jiang Ye’s words reminded him of certain things. He knew Jiang Ye’s intentions were different from his own.

Whether in the book or outside it, Jiang Ye’s orientation remained consistent. He had seen Jiang Ye attracted to beautiful women but pay little attention to men. In his mind, men probably fell into only two categories: those he could beat and those he couldn’t.

But he was different.

He wouldn’t have a girlfriend, nor a wife.

Neither before nor after.

This brought to mind how some straight guys really had no sense of personal space. Bai Chen Zhu tugged at his lips and glanced sideways at Jiang Ye, who was enthusiastically figuring out how to tie a bow.

It always sparked strange notions in him about misunderstanding their relationship.

—

Learning from yesterday’s experience of being attacked while separated, Bai Chen Zhu went out to sea with Jiang Ye and Tang Zhao today. Bai Tao sent Zhou Zhuo Hua to the hospital.

They got lucky today and encountered a large ship, far more comfortable than yesterday’s. Given the current situation, even large ships had limited range and wouldn’t stray far from shore, so the missions still ended with a return the same day.

Tang Zhao was thrilled beyond measure, running around with the others. He was the most eager when casting and hauling nets. Bai Chen Zhu felt like Tang Zhao’s skin had darkened a few shades.

“How’s that kid not afraid of sunburn.” Bai Chen Zhu stayed in the shade, lifting his shirt to fan himself and create a faint breeze.

The sunlight on the sea was scorching, burning the skin like fire. Staying out too long made one wonder if they’d be baked alive.

Jiang Ye squeezed in beside him, lazily eating fruit. “You forgot, our bodies are far stronger than ordinary people’s now.”

They weren’t fishermen. Their job on the ship was to handle mutants the fishermen couldn’t, like the occasional large mutated fish hauled up or aggressive mutated birds.

When idle, Jiang Ye openly pulled Bai Chen Zhu to rest, leaving Tang Zhao, that silly kid, to run around.

The fishermen took turns resting too. A dark-skinned uncle sat next to Jiang Ye, gulping water from his canteen.

By the time Bai Chen Zhu noticed, Jiang Ye was already chatting with him.

Jiang Ye asked curiously, “So before Bai Guang Zheng, the one in charge of Luozhou City was Mr. Li?”

“You bet!” The fisherman said proudly. “Mr. Li helped us a ton. Things were chaos back then. He took over the Holiday Hotel first as a shelter, set up the temporary hospital, encouraged ability users to go out to sea with us…”

He listed Mr. Li’s good deeds one by one, then sighed deeply. “Too bad good people don’t live long. He got attacked by zombies and was gone just like that.”

Jiang Ye clearly didn’t know Mr. Li, but he put on a sad face and patted the fisherman’s shoulder in mutual comfort.

What an act! Bai Chen Zhu was amused and exasperated. He turned to grab his canteen.

A streak of white light flashed through his mind. He sat up straight and looked at the fisherman. “The Mr. Li you mentioned—what’s his relation to Miss Li, who’s with Bai Guang Zheng now?”

The fisherman thought for a moment and shook his head.

Another fisherman nearby had just lifted the curtain to come in. Hearing this, his eyes lit up with gossip. “I know this. Bai Guang Zheng was originally the Li Family’s son-in-law. Without marrying Li Zhen Zhen and his strong superpowers, sitting steady in Luozhou wouldn’t have been so easy.”

Bai Chen Zhu was utterly shocked. He looked at Jiang Ye, who showed no reaction.

Bai Chen Zhu asked softly, “You knew already?”

Jiang Ye paused in stretching. He shook his head. “Nah, I didn’t. I’m not that omniscient. You just didn’t notice the photos hanging in the manor. The woman in them—isn’t she Miss Li? The manor must be her family’s. Once you hear these things, it all makes sense.”

Bai Chen Zhu really hadn’t noticed. “Where are they hung?”

“In the main house.”

“Ow ow ow! Don’t pinch me! Aah! I was wrong, I was wrong!” Jiang Ye begged for mercy, though his lips clearly curved in a smile.

Bai Chen Zhu released his hand from shaking Jiang Ye’s neck. “You sneaky brat, slipping out again without me.”

And he hadn’t even noticed when he’d done it.

“It’s safer this way.” Jiang Ye wiped his nose, smiling guiltily.

The two chatted with the fishermen about Mr. Li, but they didn’t know much—just rehashing pre-apocalypse stories.

Suddenly, the fishing boat shuddered. Tang Zhao shouted from outside, “Boss Jiang, come quick! Help! So many mutated birds!”

They grabbed their tools and rushed out, only to see a massive flock of mutated birds swarming the sky.

—

They ran into a minor hiccup on the way back that evening. By the time they disembarked, it was already pitch black.

Tang Zhao walked ahead, carrying his prized big fish, eager to get back and cook. In just one day, his arms and face had tanned a shade darker, and he had fine wounds all over.

Bai Chen Zhu shook his head at his back and studied the mutated octopus in his hand. His fingers bore peck wounds too. The octopus would sneak licks of the blood from humans and now lay still, pretending to be dead as he poked it.

It already had eight tentacles—now even more. Otherwise, no anomalies. He wondered what it would taste like.

As they walked, Bai Chen Zhu felt like something was missing behind him. He looked back—nothing. Jiang Ye was gone.

Bai Chen Zhu frowned. His mental power swept through the crowd, pinpointing a familiar back at a shabby stall nearby.

He was haggling with the stall owner over his catch, trading two crabs for… an ordinary hair tie?

A total rip-off.

Sensing his gaze, Jiang Ye stuffed the hair tie into his pocket, turned with a smile toward him, and strode over.

In just two or three minutes, Jiang Ye appeared before him, taking the initiative. “What? Afraid I’ll run off?”

Suspicious. Way too suspicious. Bai Chen Zhu’s gaze fell on his pocket, then shifted to Jiang Ye’s handsome face. “You got a girlfriend?”

Jiang Ye looked even more shocked. “What? How come I didn’t know?”

Bai Chen Zhu’s gaze returned to his pocket.

Jiang Ye burst out laughing. “It’s for you.” One hand held his haul, the other wiped it clean before pulling out the plain hair tie from his pocket. “Your hair’s grown. I saw you always using that tie—it’s inconvenient.”

“Give it back.” Bai Chen Zhu shook his head. “I’ll find a knife later and cut it.”

Simple and brutal—effective.

Cutting hair like chopping a melon. Jiang Ye’s eyes widened like he’d seen a ghost.

He fell silent, so Bai Chen Zhu took it as agreement. He stepped back and turned toward the manor.

“Don’t cut it!” Jiang Ye chased after, blocking his path.

Bai Chen Zhu moved forward; Jiang Ye retreated backward, racking his brains for reasons. “I mean, autumn’s coming. Humans need more hair for warmth, right?”

“And where do you find a hairstylist now? If you hack at it yourself, it’ll look awful! Don’t come crying to me then.”

“Ah Zhu, say something!”

The sea breeze was strong, carrying salt. Bai Chen Zhu brushed aside the hair blocking his eyes and finally noted his hair had indeed grown long. “Say what.”

Jiang Ye froze, then caught on after a moment. “Ah Zhu! Did you hear what I just said? No cutting!”

Amid the coming and going crowd, Jiang Ye chattering around the young man drew eyes. Bai Chen Zhu stopped, extended his hand, palm up clean. “Hand it over.”

Jiang Ye halted too. He frowned, hesitating over the chance Bai Chen Zhu would toss it away. Finally, he placed the two-crab-valued hair tie in Bai Chen Zhu’s hand.

Bai Chen Zhu naturally pulled off the tie from his hair and replaced it with the hair tie, his tone utterly helpless. “If you like it, I’ll keep it.”

Seeing Jiang Ye light up like a big happy dog about to pounce, Bai Chen Zhu sidestepped, slung an arm around his shoulders like bros, and continued forward. He weighed the mutated octopus in his hand. “Alright, Sister Zhuo Hua’s waiting for us.”

Bai Tao popped up at dinner that night. Bai Chen Zhu thus confirmed the existence of this ‘Mr. Li’ with her.

“That old man never mentioned him, but visitors always do, and he gets this sad look.” Bai Tao gnawed on one tentacle from the octopus Bai Chen Zhu brought back, chewing forever without success, locked in a battle of wits with it.

“The photo shows three people—a couple and Li Zhen Zhen. As for Li Zhen Zhen? She’s quiet, just guards her precious little building all day. I’ll probe tomorrow.”

“Hey hey hey! My crabs! I only ate one—how are your hands so fast!”

Bai Chen Zhu eyed the inexplicably extra crab meat in his bowl, picked some up to eat, and reassured Bai Tao. “It’s fine. More tomorrow.”