Surviving the Apocalypse with the Young Miss - Chapter 82

Chapter 82: Caring

From that point on, the two of them set out once again on the journey to the next city.

Song Ge gave the young lady a heads-up: “It’s going to be very exhausting and difficult before we find another car on the road.”

Tong Xiangyu replied, “I know. I’m not afraid at all~”

In her heart, Tong Xiangyu thought that the past few days were the only truly terrifying thing. She had been helpless, afraid, and desperate; only seeing Song Ge’s condition improve bit by bit offered her a shred of comfort, but as long as Song Ge didn’t wake up, she couldn’t truly find peace. Now that Song Ge was awake and recovered, she wasn’t afraid of anything else. What did exhaustion or hardship matter? As long as Song Ge was by her side and didn’t leave her, she feared nothing.

But she could never say these things to Song Ge. If she did, there was no telling how much Song Ge would tease her.

Song Ge frowned slightly. “What’s there ‘not to be afraid’ of? If you’re tired, say so. Don’t push yourself.”

Song Ge knew that this young lady was acting quite arrogant lately, emboldened by her “body mutation.” She had even said nonsense like “if there’s danger in the future, let me stand in front.” Song Ge suspected the side effect of the mutation was affecting her smart little brain.

Tong Xiangyu immediately hummed, “I won’t push myself, obviously~”

Without a map, no one knew how far away the next city was or when they would arrive. With the abnormal weather, they had to strictly follow their watches to coordinate travel and rest. Tong Xiangyu was primarily worried about Song Ge’s injury; although the girl had hoisted her onto her shoulder without a word, what if she was just posturing?

What if the internal organs hadn’t actually recovered yet? Injuries and illnesses had to be nursed properly, otherwise, there would be long-term complications.

The massive sun hung high in the sky.

The two found a shaded spot to rest. Tong Xiangyu had already sat down, but Song Ge was still scouting the surroundings to ensure there were no dangers. Tong Xiangyu watched the sweat dripping from Song Ge’s neck and soaking the back of her shirt. “Song Ge, take a break. It’s safe here; Baibai hasn’t barked. If there’s danger, he’ll let us know.”

Song Ge replied offhandedly, “I won’t entrust my life and safety to a dog.”

Tong Xiangyu stuck out her tongue. She knew Song Ge’s personality; let alone Baibai being a dog that died and came back mutated, even if it were a person—an ordinary human—Song Ge would likely find something to critique and remain guarded.

Tong Xiangyu rested her chin on her hand. “Song Ge, I was thinking… if this weather continues, the next city will be very short on water. And the longer we take on the road, the higher the chance that the supplies in the next city have already been scavenged clean. We might find nothing.”

Song Ge checked every direction and corner with meticulous care. Only after confirming there was no immediate or potential danger did she return to the roadside railing to lean against it and rest. They were in the shade, but as far as the eye could see, everything was engulfed by the scorching sun. Because the sunlight was so toxic and the exposure so prolonged, many trees had already withered and died.

Song Ge said, “It won’t be nothing. Maybe rescue is already on the way.”

Tong Xiangyu was surprised; this didn’t sound like something Song Ge would say. “Why?”

Song Ge: “Didn’t you say it? The monsters might all be dead.”

Tong Xiangyu said, “I was just guessing based on the situation back then. Didn’t you disagree?”

Song Ge: “I think it’s possible. High temperatures can kill viruses, not to mention this is twenty hours of high heat a day.”

It wasn’t a normal day where it was only hot for a few hours at noon; it was twenty hours of relentless, baking sunlight.

Tong Xiangyu countered, “But the virus can’t be killed by just this temperature.” She pointed at Baibai, who was lying nearby like a puddle of black asphalt melting on the ground. “Look, even Baibai is taking a sunbath. He’s a mutant from the infection, yet he seems to love this weather.”

Song Ge glanced over and said mercilessly, “Stupid dog.”

Tong Xiangyu: “…”

Tong Xiangyu stood up and walked over to Song Ge. “Come on, let me check your wound first.”

Song Ge was used to it and lifted the hem of her shirt. Beneath the clothes was a lean but powerful waist and abdomen, with clear abs visible near the scar. Tong Xiangyu took the injury very seriously, checking the front carefully before moving to look at the back.

Song Ge stood straight and turned around to let her see, saying, “Logically speaking, we’ve been driving out of Taiyun for quite a while, and our speed wasn’t slow. Hundreds of kilometers have passed—how is it that we haven’t seen even a glimpse of a village or town?”

Tong Xiangyu had never been here either and guessed, “Maybe it’s just very remote?”

Song Ge: “Maybe we should follow the Zitai River. There are many forks in the road; we don’t want to accidentally wander toward another city.”

Tong Xiangyu said, “But the river is dry, full of corpses and dead fish. The air must be full of bacteria and viruses.”

Hearing this, Song Ge recalled Tong Xiangyu’s previous comments and said casually, “What bacteria or viruses? When it poured rain, it already circulated through.”

Tong Xiangyu froze, finished her check, and tucked Song Ge’s shirt back down. “Song Ge, do you think… was it that strange rain that caused my body to mutate? After the storm, I had a bad allergic rash, but it cleared up in two days. Isn’t that recovery time much shorter than usual?”

Song Ge: “But I was in that rain too.”

Tong Xiangyu: “I said before, everyone’s mutation might go in different directions. You just haven’t discovered yours yet.”

Song Ge: “Maybe.”

Tong Xiangyu added, “The problem is, it didn’t rain in Taiyun. Did that rain only fall outside Kecheng?” Was it only the two of them—oh, and Yaoyao—who experienced physical mutations?

Song Ge said, “Impossible. We wouldn’t know if it rained elsewhere. The rain evaporated, and there isn’t a cloud in the sky now; it must have drifted somewhere else to fall. Maybe while we’re being scorched for twenty hours, others are being rained on for twenty hours.”

Tong Xiangyu’s eyes widened slightly at the possibility. She felt a bit excited. “If it really is mutation through rain, wouldn’t many people’s bodies be undergoing evolutionary changes?”

Song Ge: “Probably.”

“That would be wonderful!” Tong Xiangyu felt happy. She leaned against the railing with Song Ge, looking into the distance. “If our bodies get stronger, we can adapt to this harsh weather, those scary monsters, mutant animals, and other dangers.”

Song Ge: “Mhm.”

Because the surroundings were safe, they didn’t look for a different spot to set up camp. They rested and lit a fire to pass the night. The sun set rapidly after 10:00 PM.

Song Ge maintained her habit of keeping watch, but the situation had changed. Tong Xiangyu always insisted on sleeping against her.

Part of it was the sudden drop in temperature at night, but Song Ge guessed the other reason was that Tong Xiangyu had been traumatized by the car accident. The young lady had lost her sense of security.

The moon was bright, the stars sparse, and insects chirped softly. Song Ge heard the huffing of the mutant dog in the distance and the sounds of small insects nearby. The noises were tiny, yet she heard them with absolute clarity, even being able to pinpoint their direction and approximate location.

Her sight and hearing had always been good, but she wasn’t sure if they had changed. If it was a mutation… what kind of mutation was this? Enhanced senses? It felt a bit useless.

Tong Xiangyu was right that mutations could increase a person’s ability to survive in harsh environments. However, a large number of mutated people wasn’t necessarily a good thing. For example, Tong Xiangyu’s mutation enhanced her wound repair, which was beneficial to her. But was it possible for mutations to take a turn for the worse? For instance…

Forget it, it was too early to worry about that. Aside from the Zeus base and the people eaten by the mutant dog, they hadn’t encountered any other survivors yet. Song Ge figured that if the government had discovered mutants, they were surely researching them by now. It was only a matter of time before rescue teams were dispatched to every province.

She wondered if the sensory enhancement was her mutation. If so, it felt optional to her. If she could choose, she hoped for more powerful abilities—to protect herself and to protect Tong Xiangyu.

Tong Xiangyu had been obsessing over her injury these past few days. Song Ge felt a squeeze of discomfort in her chest whenever she saw that cautious, worried look on her face. Song Ge didn’t want to be weak, because no matter how weak she was, no one would protect her; instead, there would only be the fists of bullies. She had learned that lesson very young.

She had promised to take Tong Xiangyu to find her parents, which meant protecting her all the way. If one day, facing danger, Tong Xiangyu had to step out and protect her instead, wouldn’t she be a joke? Even if Tong Xiangyu was willing, Song Ge was not.

Rather than being protected from behind, Song Ge wanted the ability to protect the person she cared about. To protect her from getting hurt, so she would never have to use those so-called mutation abilities. There were no downsides visible now, but what if there were unknown side effects?

Song Ge’s thoughts paused, and she felt a strange, awkward sensation. She turned her head to look at Tong Xiangyu, who was fast asleep in her arms.

The person I care about…

Had Tong Xiangyu unknowingly become someone she cared about?

It made sense. Although their social statuses were worlds apart and they had never crossed paths before, ever since the monster outbreak began, this crybaby, pampered young lady had stayed by her side. Scolding, acting spoiled, worrying, feeling wronged; sometimes cautious, sometimes pushing her luck. She loved to cry, but she loved to laugh even more. Looking back now, every expression in Song Ge’s memory was vivid and beautiful.

It was as if someone had haphazardly painted beautiful, heart-stirring colors onto her gray life. It had been a long, long time since anyone had kept her in their heart like this. Even if this “Little Bodhisattva’s” kindness and concern applied to everyone, and she was just one of many.

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