Su Ze looked at the still unconscious Shen Qingsheng, hesitated for a moment, then slipped into the crowd and quietly left before the nurses could catch him.
The streets were littered with destroyed and collapsed buildings, with transport vehicles hauling away monster corpses one after another.
It seemed the guardians responsible for defending this area last night had endured an incredibly difficult battle.
He couldn't remember what he had reported this morning. Unlike the first blood moon, on the second day, there were dedicated personnel to count the casualties.
When he entered the range where the walkie-talkie could connect, whistling wind sounds came through.
Su Ze felt helpless. He didn't respond and returned home, opening his door.
There he found Uesugi Akizuki in tears, blowing into the walkie-talkie making whooshing sounds.
When she saw Su Ze return, she was first in disbelief, then her face broke into a joyful smile. She ran over and hugged him tightly, her crying barely audible, but her tears quickly soaked through the bloodstained bandages on his body.
Su Ze stood there quietly. After more than ten minutes, when she still hadn't let go, Su Ze patted her head and found no response. When he bent down to pick her up, he discovered that the shrine maiden with wine-red hair had fallen asleep, but her small hands were still holding onto his.
Su Ze didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He placed the girl on the bed, and when he tried to go smoke, he found she had awakened again, clutching his hands tightly, staring at him with watery eyes that conveyed pleading, fear, anxiety, and dependence all at once.
Su Ze said nothing and lay down beside her. His heavy eyelids slowly closed. Tonight he would be replaced by the Huaxia Ghost Officer's Wandering Theater troupe, who were said to be top-tier experts, so he felt completely at ease closing his eyes.
Uesugi Akizuki kept staring at Su Ze's profile with reddened eyes. After about ten minutes, once she confirmed he was asleep and wouldn't suddenly leave while she slept, she finally felt secure enough to grip his hand tightly and close her eyes that hadn't rested for nearly two days.
"Alright, now the Executors and Forerunner's logistics team are checking the surveillance footage to help find your sister. Tonight you'll have to keep watch with me," Meng Xingyao said with a smile as she hung up the phone.
Uesugi Chigenki sat barefoot in the corner of the bed, hugging her knees with a slightly pouty face. "Fine, I'll keep watch..."
"Come on, dinner's ready," Meng Xingyao brought over a feast and set it on the table.
"I don't need your fake concern!" Uesugi Chigenki glared at her with puffed cheeks. "You just want to use my power to protect Huaxia. We're just in a transaction!"
"Look at you, even when you're bristling you're as cute as a kitten," Meng Xingyao sat down at the table and started eating. "Since you know this is a transaction, why not take advantage and ask for more? Are you planning to fight on an empty stomach tonight?"
"I won't eat your Huaxia food!" Uesugi Chigenki glared at her with pursed lips.
Meng Xingyao stopped talking and continued eating. Uesugi Chigenki watched longingly for a while before burying her head in her knees, curled up in the corner.
Gurgle~
In the quiet room, the sound of hunger was extremely loud.
Uesugi Chigenki buried her head even deeper, tucking her little feet in, her orange hair cascading down her back.
Suddenly, an appetizing aroma wafted over.
She secretly lifted her head, peeking through the gap above her knees to see Meng Xingyao sitting beside her with a fragrant bowl of porridge. Seeing her look up, Meng Xingyao scooped up a spoonful and held it in front of her.
It was meat porridge with bright green chives and finely minced meat on top, crystal clear and perfectly prepared. Meng Xingyao smiled warmly, "Come on, take a bite."
Seeing this, Uesugi Chigenki grew even angrier, struggling to control her impulse as she said word by word, "Get away, or I'll flip your porridge."
Meng Xingyao narrowed her eyes slightly, "Just try it!"
Uesugi Chigenki frowned and suddenly raised her hand to flip the porridge!
With a splash, the crystal-clear meat porridge flew up and splattered all over Meng Xingyao's face. The bowl spun several times on the ground with a clattering sound that seemed especially loud in the frozen moment, before landing face down.
Meng Xingyao's smile froze, her right hand still holding the undelivered spoonful of meat porridge, her face covered in fragrant porridge.
Meng Xingyao opened her eyes, liquid still dripping from her eyebrows. Their eyes met, both gazes calm, though Uesugi Chigenki's contained traces of coldness and anger.
"You really dared to flip it?" Meng Xingyao's smile remained frozen, a cross appearing on her forehead.
"You told me to try it. I've never received such a stupid request in my life."
Uesugi Chigenki glared back fearlessly.
Actually, Uesugi Chigenki was somewhat surprised. Earlier when this person looked so confident, she thought she would move the porridge away when she tried to flip it. Who knew she would just stand there like a wooden post?
"Fine, starve then," Meng Xingyao turned to leave. "Where does all this resentment come from?"
"I discovered you, I saved you, I'm helping you find your sister, offering you food, and you're ungrateful and flip my porridge!"
She turned and grabbed some clothes before heading to the bathroom to shower.
Uesugi Chigenki pouted, staring at the bathroom door for a long time before burying her head in her knees again.
As night approached, the blood-red light rose as usual.
Su Ze was very sensitive to danger. When he opened his eyes, the first spatial rift had just appeared in District Seven.
He turned his head to see Uesugi Akizuki still sleeping soundly beside him, her gentle breath falling on the back of his hand that she held tightly. She hadn't slept for nearly two days, yet her complexion remained fair and flawless. This girl was both pitiful and adorable.
Su Ze gently tried to untangle her fingers, but just as he freed the second finger, the girl opened her eyes, her amber pupils meeting his gaze with confusion and fear.
He hadn't realized she was such a light sleeper.
"Sorry to disturb you," Su Ze said softly. Since she was awake, he decided to get up properly. "Go back to sleep, I won't leave tonight."
He was about to walk away when the girl got up too, pulling at the hem of his hospital gown.
Su Ze had no choice. He couldn't ignore the spatial rifts opening up, even though someone else had taken over his shift. His duty remained.
He picked up the girl and carried her to the rooftop, bending down to grab the umbrella leaning against the wall. They went to a spot overlooking District Seven's vast expanse. He sat on the railing, holding the umbrella to shield them from the blood light, while the girl leaned against his chest, tightly holding his other hand.
Under the blood moon, the two of them formed a gentle scene amid this chaotic world.
Soon, countless monsters came running out of the spatial rifts again.
Suddenly, in the blood-colored sky, thousands upon thousands of crows burst forth from the distance! Accompanied by eerie, chaotic cawing, this tide of crows swept over the monsters in the streets like a wave. Black mist exploded outward, and the monsters caught in it were killed without warning!