Chapter 33 - Enemies Meeting
Having been “watered” for two consecutive days, to the point of becoming a little miserable, Nie Yi carried the water home, and saw Qi Jingchen watering the vegetables on the balcony.
For the saplings and seeds Nie Yi had initially found and brought back, most of the saplings stayed alive, while many of the seeds had sprouted in the past few days. Of course, some weeds had mixed in.
Qi Jingchen held a ladle and watered each plant carefully. He served them with the utmost care, like how Nie Yi served him.
“You’re so nice to them, but why won’t you care a bit about me?” Nie Yi said sourly. In his last life, he was rather envious of those plants that could comfortably hide in Qi Jingchen’s domain.
“Can you be eaten?” Qi Jingchen gave Nie Yi a look.
“Actually, I really can be eaten!” Nie Yi suddenly revealed a meaningful smile.
“You really want me to treat you like I treat them?” Qi Jingchen abruptly looked at Nie Yi.
Nie Yi had a faint sense that something was wrong, but how could he let such a chance slip by? He immediately said, “Of course!”
Qi Jingchen scooped up water with the big ladle he had used to water the saplings, then poured it over Nie Yi’s head.
“Hahahahaha!” Laying on the sofa, Qi Yaoyao couldn’t help bursting out in laughter. But her laughter involved the straining of the muscle all over her body, so she promptly grimaced.
These days, Gan Jun had given her training every day. Every time, he had squeezed her strength dry before letting her off, to the extent where she felt that there wasn’t a muscle on her body that was still intact.
It was rather odd. Clearly, she was now aching all over like every other day, but it really did seem that she had improved a little physically.
This sort of training was useful! When she understood this, even though Qi Yaoyao thought that it was difficult to bear, that it was absolute pain-wracking, she still persisted.
Qi Jingchen heard his sister’s laughter, but didn’t look over, only asking Nie Yi, “Do you still want me to water you more?”
At this time, Nie Yi was precisely afraid that Qi Jingchen was lazy and didn’t care about a thing, so naturally, he wished that Qi Jingchen would be more active. It was pretty good even if he poured water over his head, at least he had some spirit. Furthermore, he needed to take a soak, so being drenched first was fine. “Yes!”
Qi Jingchen ladled out a scoop and poured it over Nie Yi’s head.
When Ping Shengchao brought Xu Nan over, he just happened to see this.
Previously, when Ping Shengchao had accepted Nie Yi’s explanation and believed that Qi Jingchen was a good person, it was because Qi Jingchen had never harmed Nie Yi. But now, such a thing made him unable to continue watching, but soon, he recalled what Nie Yi had said when he killed Yan Zhe.
Ping Shengchao’s exterior may seem sloppy, but that certainly didn’t mean he was stupid. Naturally, he knew that Qi Jingchen doing this was Nie Yi’s indulgence. Since Nie Yi himself was willing, he really couldn’t say anything…
Xu Nan was even less likely to speak up. He wanted to follow Nie Yi, so he definitely didn’t want to offend Nie Yi.
“How’s your team?” Nie Yi wiped off the water that flowed down his hair and onto his face and looked at Xu Nan.
For the past few days, Nie Yi had always been at Base Two training those ability users. As for Xu Nan and the other few willing to follow him, he handed them over to Ping Shengchao, as well as Zhuo Xiaofeng, ordering them to bring Xu Nan and the others out of the base and complete some simple missions.
The military’s current main objective was still those large granaries, hospitals, large markets, and so on. As for those small-scale supermarkets, residential buildings, and such, they had no time to search through them. Therefore, each small-scale team in the secure base would reap plentiful gains when they go outside.
What a pity that almost everyone was unwilling to go back out after entering the secure base. They were simply wasting a good opportunity before their eyes… In the future, it was too late for them even to regret it.
“We’ve brought back a lot of supplies, which are all due to the ammunition provided by Nie shao,” Xu Nan said.
Both Ping Shengchao and Zhou Xiaofeng were very skilled in their marksmanship, while he and those who went out again had no small amount of experience against zombies. As a result, even though they had encountered some dangers, their team had also gained quite a lot.
“That’s good. You all can gather more food that is easier to preserve,” Nie Yi said. Then, he chatted with Xu Nan about things such as how to defend themselves and how not to be harmed by zombies. Finally, he warned, “The water outside, and unsealed food, you must not eat, no matter what.”
“We won’t,” Xu Nan said, then gave Nie Yi the address of a storehouse in his hand. According to the proposal they had previously agreed on, Nie Yi will provide two people, as well as equipment and ammunition. In return, half of the supplies collected will be given to him.
With these materials, Nie Yi was finally well-off, but it’s still not enough— If he wanted to develop his own force in the secure base, he must have supplies.
After Xu Nan spoke about some matters, he left. And at this time, Qi Jingchen took a coffee can and filled it with pebbled. When he filled half the can with pebbles, he continued to fill it with soil, and finally planted a lettuce seed.
“Lettuce is quite good; the tender green is beautiful, there won’t be any bugs, and it can be directly eaten,” Nie Yi complimented.
“Just don’t know if it can grow.” Qi Jingchen frowned slightly. The recent weather was still pretty hot, which wasn’t conducive for the growth of vegetables.
“I think that you can definitely grow it,” Nie Yi said. At that time, Qi Jingchen was very good at growing plants. “Do you still remember when you used to grow a lot of veggies? It’s a pity that Yu Xuguang blew them all up in the end.” At the mention of “Yu Xuguang”, Nie Yi’s expression instantly turned ugly.
“I remember.” Qi Jingchen didn’t have such an intense feeling like Nie Yi. Actually, when Yu Xuguang had self-destructed, he managed to hurt him, but he didn’t feel mad at all. Back then, he already had no will to live.
Qi Jingchen’s reaction was too dull, and it made Nie Yi’s original heart-filled anger disappear. In the end, he said, “Go shower first. When you’re done, I’ll go take a soak.”
Qi Jingchen had planted all the flowers, and now his hands had become a little stained. He then comfortably went for a shower. After he finished up, Nie Yi contentedly went for a soak, then began to sense the water around him slowly.
At this time, Nie Boyuan was having a fit of anger in his villa.
Initially, his activity of sending people out to look for Nie Yi was rather loud, so now many people knew of Nie Yi. This wasn’t much by itself, but now the gossip about Nie Yi had spread around the entire secure base in a short few days.
As of now, the entertainment around the secure base was too little. In their despair and fear, everyone wanted some gossip to shift their attention, or, that is to say, vent. And the matter of the secure base chief’s son liking a man, and even obeying every word of this man, was definitely fitting.
Meanwhile, Nie Boyuan had just found out about this half an hour ago.
Some people weren’t satisfied with Nie Boyuan becoming the secure base chief. When he got off work today, the person who was dissatisfied with him walked to his side. “Old Nie, I’ve heard that you’ve let your foster son move into your villa? It’s fine if you treat your foster son so well, but you shouldn’t forget about your actual son just because of him, right? For a fire ability user to be doused with water, compelled to soak in water until his skin had turned white and wrinkled, he really is pitiful.”
Nie Boyuan felt angry that Nie Yi had spoken to him so rudely, so after he found out that Nie Yi had gone to Zhao Chengqi, he didn’t care about Nie Yi at all. Now that he heard this from out of nowhere, he had even believed Nie Yi had been wronged, and was immediately worried. “What happened?”
“You really don’t know, old Nie? It’s already been spread around the entire secure base by now. Your son had found a fierce lover. After he offended his lover, Nie Yi was made doused with water by his lover.” When that person saw Nie Boyuan’s expression, he laughed heartily.
Nie Boyuan could only feel his face hurt painfully, angered to the point he couldn’t speak. His original worry of Nie Yi’s anger instantly turned into hatred and resentment.
It wasn’t good for him to say anything outside, but when he returned home, he threw a fit of anger. Seeing the housekeeper, Auntie Liu, making a face at him, he promptly became furious. “Auntie Liu! I had never mistreated you, so who are you making that face for?”
“Whatever face I’m making, what does it have to do with you?” Auntie Liu said as she cooled her expression and wiped the table. “Doing things insincerely, you’re still afraid of people talking?”
“When have I done things insincerely?” Nie Boyuan slapped the table. He had lost many of his close relatives. These days, he was even busier, and even the housekeeper at home was looking for trouble with him.
Auntie Liu was old already, and couldn’t do any work or earn any money. To be able to live here and eat and drink well, it was all because of him, how could she be discontent?
“Even though we told Xiao Nie that his mother had became a zombie at the start of the apocalypse, she had clearly been bitten. If you were home, how could she have died?” Auntie Liu suddenly said. Nie Yi’s mother, Nie Boyuan’s wife, was called Li Ping. Her prior relationship with Aunt Liu had always been pretty good.
Yet, on the contrary, Nie Boyuan and his wife had no affection between them. He often never returned and stayed in another house. It was the same during the night of the apocalypse, so Li Ping and her own housekeeper were staying in a house.
Li Ping’s body had a bite, so she had probably heard her housekeeper’s movements and went to check, then was bitten…
When Aunt Lie thought of the matters of that day, her heart was extremely stifled, angering Nie Boyuan as well as herself. When she had heard the movements in Nie Yi’s grandparents’ room, she nearly went to look, but stopped after she received a phone call from Nie Boyuan. Nie Boyuan gave their house a call, but why didn’t he call Li Ping? Moreover, why did she assume that Li Ping would know about this, and didn’t call either?
If they had let Li Ping know a little earlier, Li Ping might not have died.
Nie Boyuan was speechless. He had too many things to deal with at that time, and had really forgotten about Li Ping. Later, he called but received no news. But who could have foreseen the matter of the zombies?
Auntie Liu didn’t continue speaking. On the one hand, she blamed herself; on the other hand, she also blamed Nie Boyuan, moreover… These days, Nie Boyuan treated Yu Shuo and his mother too well.
That Yu Shuo had thrown a lot of tantrums at Nie Boyuan, but Nie Boyuan didn’t mind. However, Nie Yi had gotten angry, yet he just didn’t care about him anymore!
Auntie Liu had no child, and Nie Yi was someone she raised herself. She had long regarded Nie Yi as her own son, and was naturally even angrier at Nie Boyuan.
While the two of them were speaking, Yu Shuo had returned.
Seeing Yu Shuo, Auntie Liu took her cleaning rag and went to take care of the sanitation, not even greeting him.
“Yu Shuo, I heard that you left the base today. How was it?” Nie Boyuan raised his spirits and asked.
“I’m pretty good,” Yu Shuo said curtly and walked upstairs. Halfway, he turned around. “I heard some things outside…”
Nie Boyuan knew that Yu Shuo was talking about Nie Yi, and he sighed. “Ignore him.”
When Yu Shuo heard this reply, he didn’t continue asking and immediately went to his room. After he entered his room, he expressionlessly sat on the chair, and suddenly smiled.
He originally had someone keep a close watch on Nie Yi; it was just to see if he could find some blackmail material against Nie Yi, such as Nie Yi using his position to bully people or so on. Yet, he never thought that he would find out information that was actually so interesting.
Naturally, he had to help disseminate it…
Outside, Nie Yi obviously knew about the gossip about him, but he was eager for everyone to know that he was deeply in love with Qi Jingchen, that Qi Jingchen was his. Naturally, he wouldn’t clarify, and even wished to publicize it more.
After soaking in water for half the night, Nie Yi, whose entire body was practically swollen, carried Qi Jingchen and punctually arrived at Base Two.
When he had just begun carrying Qi Jingchen, his arms turned sore. Now, he was more and more used to carrying Qi Jingchen, and simply wished that Qi Jingchen could always be in his arms. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible…
At the present stage, Nie Yi had taught the ten ability users all that he could teach. Adding to the fact that he still planned to contact the other several hundred ability users, he didn’t continue going to the gym. Instead, he went to the drills ground to swap pointers.
Ever since Qi Jingchen had kissed him last time, not only had his ability advanced, his spiritual strength had also risen somewhat. And now, when he was fighting, he was going at it increasingly smoother and easier. As he continued to fight, a batch of water ability users from the military returned.
“Why don’t we fight one round? You can attack all at once with abilities. I won’t use mine,” Nie Yi bluntly provoked them.
“That’s not too good, is it?” They looked at Nie Yi, but their expressions were somewhat eager.
These few hadn’t been brought to the gym by Nie Yi and ‘taught’, and had merely seen Nie Yi’s battle with Zhang Zihai at the start.
At that time, they admired Nie Yi, but later, they kept seeing Nie Yi obey Qi Jingchen’s every word, as well as hearing Zhang Zihai mention things like how Nie Yi treasured Qi Jingchen and whatnot, so they now disdained Nie Yi a little.
For a man to be wrapped around the finger of his lover, that was too useless!
“I think it’s pretty good,” Nie Yi said. His words had barely fallen when he was drenched— those water ability users had already rushed to throw the first attack.
When he possessed his water ability, even if he was soaked wet, he could dry it in an instant, but now… Nie Yi smiled faintly, and brazenly closed his eyes, only using his spiritual strength to perceive everything around him, then kicked a water ability user out.
After kicking one out, he continued to the second, then the third…
Those water ability users used to be soldiers, and their skills were pretty good. This time, several of them had fought against Nie Yi alone, planning to humiliate Nie Yi, yet the ones ended up on the floor and beaten about was them. Even though Nie Yi was drenched from head to toe, he wasn’t harmed at all.
“Convinced?” Nie Yi asked.
“Convinced.” They could only concede.
“Get up, pour water over me,” Nie Yi added.
This Nie Yi… he shouldn’t have a special hobby, like masochism, right? They were all a little taken aback, but who didn’t want to retaliate after being beaten? They soon worked hard and began to throw water balls at Nie Yi.
Nie Yi slowly sensed the ability around him. He felt that he was about to break through the barrier, but at this time, he heard someone say, “Yu Xuguang, this is Base Two.”