Chapter 30—Finding Home

by Bocchan13

Song Yu stood there as Lan Zhou generously provided the pillow to his blanket, and even added an additional blanket, this one more fluffier.

Song Yu really wanted to fight Lan Zhou! But the guilt and embarrassment was still there. He DID owe Lan Zhou an apology and an explanation. They spent a wonderful spring night together only for Song Yu to disappear into thin air. And even if they both considered it a one night stand, it still didn’t reason why Song Yu was now cold to him.

Song Yu could only sigh and sit down on the blanket, his body language showing resignation. Lan Zhou smiled at the corner of his lips and sidled up to him, not touching. Song Yu could smell a smoky scent from Lan Zhou. It was clean and fresh with a bit of smoke and earth. He hadn’t been near another person the last two years, so the feeling of someone by your side was now foreign to him.

The group was still around the camp fire, making dinner. Yu Ci looked at Song Yu whose body language was a far cry from his cold persona he was used to. And it sort of bothered him somewhat. That small bittersweet feeling encumbered him so much that his black hole stomach shriveled and the smell of tasty beef jerky dipped in potato tasted like sawdust.

“Hey, if you don’t want it, save it for later. We don’t know when we can reach another base since they took the jeeps.”

Xiao Zi and Lu Jingxiu had to stop eating as they all discussed their next course of action. Seeing the conversation getting nowhere, Wang Cheng yelled out,

“Yo! Old Lan! Stop flirting and come over here. We need your input on what we should do next. Song Yu if you want to join, please do!”

Zero tact. Song Yu blushed crimson when he heard the word ‘flirting’. Lan Zhou who was about to touch Song Yu’s hand glared at Wang Cheng, his menacing aura a total contradiction to his cool and somewhat puppy like persona towards Song Yu.

Lan Zhou reluctantly put on his shoes and strode towards the campfire, leaving Song Yu to himself. Song Yu could hear Lan Zhou’s husky voice as they exchanged opinions for their next destination.

“The Sun base is the farthest base until we get to O Country. I don’t think the ability user would have gone this far to begin with. He might be with an independent nomadic team that get supplies here and there.”

Lan Zhou opened the map and looked at the locations they had been at before.

“Do you think he might have crossed the glacial mountains?”

“That’s not even an option. He was born in B Country, what kind of idiot goes to the coldest country who doesn’t know the slightest things about its climates? I’m sure that A country is the farthest he would have gone to.”

“Xiao Zi, do you think you can still make it without him?”

Xiao Zi could only shake his head.

“Even if I had started before the zombie apocalypse, the materials I need require a base form that exceed the standard of scientific discovery we have on hand. I can make a vaccine, but not a cure.”

 Song Yu listened with one ear, his brain putting everything together. The pretty man was a biochemist, and looking for someone that could aid in his search for a vaccine. He flipped through his memories but did not recall anyone finalizing a vaccine in his last life.

There were many quacks who claimed they had, but it had all ended in disaster. He did recall that someone in the Military B base was the closest to finding a cure, but that was 20+ years more in the future.

Song Yu furrowed his brows. So…Lan Zhou was protecting him because he was an important figure? The scene where Lan Zhou pushed in front of Xiao Zi when they met at the prairie danced in his brain.

So he wasn’t in another relationship? Is he truly how he was 2 years ago? Does he still like me?

Wait? I’m still not speaking to Lan Zhou! I can’t give him hope! What if he wants me to go with him? I don’t want to leave my paradise!

The scale with Lan Zhou and his paradise was at a teetering unsteadiness in his heart. He didn’t want to realize this growing pit of love towards Lan Zhou, yet he couldn’t stop the pitter patter of his treacherous heart. On the other hand, he still didn’t trust Lan Zhou with his paradise he spent so long and hard to protect.

His safe haven was his alone. If he brought people into his haven and got abandoned again…

His thoughts swirled into a mass of confusion and self-reflection. He heard the conversation pick up at the fireplace.

“The Military base still doesn’t have the proper tools for my research. Since the B Base stole all of the equipment and doctors, we have to find an alternative lab as well. Why didn’t we just raze it to the ground like last time?”

Lan Zhou looked behind him to see Song Yu’s slender back facing away from them. He knew that Song Yu was eavesdropping on their conversation, but didn’t care. He had to earn Song Yu’s trust one way or another. He spoke a little louder.

“The B base didn’t do anything wrong this time around. We stopped it from happening, so we don’t have a motive to go after them. Back then, we had the support of the people, but if we just killed everyone now, the Military base would be seen as corrupt.”

Xiao Zi nodded in agreement whilst Wang Cheng scoffed.

“Well now we don’t even have the right equipment for Xiao Zi. Even if we managed to find the ability user, we would have to search for a base that has everything. Do you really want to co-operate with B Base in this case?”

Lu Jingxiu raised his hand.

“I propose we stop this, Old Lan. It’s been two years. We still hadn’t found him and Xiao Zi won’t be able to make a cure without the right equipment not to mention the other factors. B Base is breathing down out backs and the Military Base can’t support us forever. This time around, we don’t have any accolades, fame or glory.”

Song Yu could hear their frustrations. They really did look hopeless. But…like why where they dropping these bombs of information on Song Yu? Did they think he was sleeping? Hell no! They were all ability users, and understood that an ability user had great hearing.

Then Song Yu realized that maybe that was the case since…he hasn’t shown them his ability. And listening to them, Song Yu thought that one of them must have a future prediction ability or probability ability.

Lan Zhou peered back at Song Yu again. He found who he was looking for…and the expedition to find the pure ability user was fruitless. Should they abandon this reckless journey? He promised his team that they wouldn’t kill themselves helping other people anymore. That they would do their best and live instead of survive. These past two years they had been on the road trying to find one person in a sea of millions.

The hope of humanity was a powerful responsibility…and a burden. A noble cause…but at the cost of what? Lan Zhou had felt guilty for coming back, and in trying to ‘do it right’ it may have cost the teams life.

What kind of leader was he if he didn’t know when to retreat?

The campfire was silent as the flickering wood cast shadows over everyone.

“It’s not my decision alone. Let’s put it to a vote.”

Lan Zhou’s solemn voice echoed through the small cave as he raised his hand.

“Who wants to stop the expedition and make our own base?”

It was a unanimous decision as everyone raised their hand, the conviction in their hearts clear. The guilt of giving up this mission was echoed in their eyes, a decision they might regret later in life. But…they wanted to live a life. They had all come back from the fires of death.

They had cheated it once; they weren’t going to waste this second life. Lan Zhou raised his hand, his heart clear for the first time in a while. Sensing a gaze on his back, Lan Zhou straightened up and nodded his head.

“By morning light, let’s go find our home.”