Wasteland Rebirth

The convoy had not been on the road long before the sky darkened, and they soon found a suitable spot to camp. They decided to stop. After the failed plan to cook sweet potatoes under the attack of T3 zombies, the group was starving, and if not for the fear of encountering T3 zombies again in the area, they probably wouldn't have been in such a rush to leave. 

Chu Xiang had been keeping a close watch on his wound. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it, but he felt a bit chilly. He attributed it to the change in weather, thinking that the old saying was true: "Spring chills the bones, autumn chills the flesh." It wasn't unusual for it to snow in early spring. 

Soon, Gu Hai and the others started a fire to roast sweet potatoes. Zhang Jingyao found a broken pot by the roadside, and the bag of flour she had packed just before departure was now almost half-empty. After finding a clean water source, she filled the pot with water. Zhang Hongbing gathered firewood to cook dinner. 

He Er seemed to get along well with the others and didn't return to the team. He was laughing and chatting with a cross-eyed man. Chu Xiang, who had never liked He Er, ignored him. The cold was getting to him, so he grabbed a bed blanket from an abandoned vehicle by the side of the road and draped it over himself. 

Zhang Jingyao, who grew up in the countryside, was no stranger to cooking. Su Yulian, a typical pampered young lady, was slowly adapting to the situation. She helped Zhang Jingyao with some kitchen chores, and the two chatted while cooking a thick, gluey paste. There was no oil, no salt, nor ginger or garlic, and what was meant to be a dumpling soup had become a sticky porridge. 

However, this porridge attracted some of the team members, who used a broken basin to scoop some of it. Yet, they didn't share even a small piece of the roasted sweet potatoes. Wang Bin and Zhang Hongbing were furious, cursing, while Zhang Debing, unable to walk due to his injured legs, could only seethe in frustration, wishing he could join the others in confronting them.

Chu Xiang, feeling cold, had not eaten a single bite. He curled up under the vehicle with his blanket. Suddenly, a warm roasted sweet potato was placed before him. "Eat," a voice said. "I heard you killed a mutated zombie. I didn't expect you to be so strong."

Chu Xiang was surprised. He hadn't expected Xie Shanshan to bring him a roasted sweet potato. The coldness in his body seemed to ease, and the warmth of the sweet potato in his hand felt like a piece of coal, warming his heart. Xie Shanshan squatted beside him, so close that he could smell a faint, unfamiliar fragrance on her, one that seemed to have been imprinted in his life, touching him deeply.

His eyes reddened, and his hands trembled. He didn't know whether he should tell her his real name. Just as he made up his mind to speak, he heard Zhao Yang's voice calling, "Shanshan, where have you gone? Hurry up and come back to eat the roasted sweet potato."

Xie Shanshan smiled at Chu Xiang and said, "You remind me of a friend of mine, but he's not as brave as you. Hurry up and eat while it's still hot. I need to go back to them." 

Chu Xiang couldn't remember if he had been brave in the past, but he was sure he had never been as ruthless as he was now, killing without a second thought.

He watched as Xie Shanshan returned to Zhao Yang's side, and an inexplicable chill swept over him. Xie Shanshan was the kind of girl that men adored: sweet, lively, and full of youthful energy, with delicate features and a slender frame. Though her chest couldn't compare to Zhang Jingyao's or Su Yulian's, it was still perfectly proportioned to her petite and pure image. Yet, how could someone so charming end up with a man like Zhao Yang, who seemed so self-righteous?

"You still say you don't like pretty women? Or is it this little sister's inner beauty that moved you?" At some point, Zhang Jingyao had appeared behind Chu Xiang, holding a bowl of the sticky porridge. Her words were a retort to Chu Xiang's earlier comment that "inner beauty is what matters."

Chu Xiang gave a bitter smile and didn't answer. The coldness pierced him, and he instinctively tightened the blanket around himself. The sweet potato remained pressed against his chest, untouched. Zhang Jingyao wasn't actually jealous of Xie Shanshan. Seeing Chu Xiang in pain, she crouched down and gently touched his forehead. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"I'm cold," Chu Xiang gritted through his teeth.

Zhang Jingyao, a trained nurse, couldn't find any cause for his coldness. And as the evening progressed, his condition worsened. By 9 p.m., Chu Xiang was huddled under the blanket, his lips turning purple, shivering uncontrollably. When she touched his body, it felt as though he had been locked in a freezer for a day and night.

Song Jun's face darkened. Last time, Chu Xiang had had a high fever for three days and nights. Was it recurring? Would he freeze for another three days and nights? No one knew how much harm that might cause his body, but they had no hospital or medicine here. What could they do?

Zhang Jingyao, who had changed her attitude toward Chu Xiang since his last fever, was now genuinely worried. Though she had examined him before, she had felt no real urgency, but now, seeing him so cold, her heart was in turmoil. She would gladly bear his suffering if it could alleviate his pain.

Su Yulian and Zhang Debing were sleeping in the vehicle. At first, neither of them knew about Chu Xiang's "illness," but Zhang Hongbing, with his big mouth, quickly spread the word. Zhang Debing struggled to peek out of the window. "Let Chu Xiang come in. I'll go out."

But Su Yulian insisted, "No, I'll go out and let him in. You were injured protecting me. How can you go outside?"

Song Jun didn't hesitate. He lifted Chu Xiang and placed him in the vehicle. However, the temperature inside didn't help much. Chu Xiang continued to shiver, his lips still purple and unconscious. Zhang Jingyao stayed in the vehicle, attending to him, while Zhang Debing got out to let Su Yulian take his place. They kept exchanging spots but neither of them could rest properly.

Zhang Jingyao grew increasingly concerned as Chu Xiang's body temperature continued to drop. She wasn't sure if he would wake up like he did after his last high fever. If he didn't make it, how would she face the future? In this chaotic world, surviving without the protection of a strong man would be nearly impossible!

"Cold… cold…" Chu Xiang mumbled in his delirium.

Seeing the Pajero's air conditioning running at full blast, Zhang Jingyao was sweating from the heat, yet Chu Xiang was still shouting that he was cold. Suddenly, she made a bold decision. She had seen similar scenes in movies and TV shows where the female protagonist warmed the male protagonist with her own body. As long as she didn't strip completely, it should be fine.

Her heart raced with embarrassment at the thought, but seeing Chu Xiang shivering, she didn't hesitate. Within moments, she had removed her jacket, and her ample chest—barely contained by a tiny bra—was exposed, soft and snow-white.

Chu Xiang wasn't sure when he had lost consciousness again, but he knew he had been infected by the T-virus once more. Oddly, this time, he felt cold instead of feverish, so cold that it left him in a semi-conscious state.

In his semi-conscious haze, he felt warmth pressing against his face. It was soft, and the scent was faintly intoxicating. He instinctively rubbed against it, seeking more warmth, as if he were a child once again nestled in his mother's embrace.

His hands reached out, and he could feel the softness, the warmth—a sensation so comforting that he almost groaned.