To Sweep Across Like Wildfire - Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Shen Qingruo and the others had initially intended to wipe out the third squad, but seeing the other side back down, the four of them discussed it and abandoned the idea. They felt that the game was just for fun, and it was better to be merciful when possible.

Jiang Sitian’s driving was indeed impressive—her boasting contained very little exaggeration. She ensured her teammates could maximize their damage during every vehicular battle. Although they had been spotted by the third car earlier, two other nearby cars that tried to join the fray were both eliminated by them.

After several rounds of this, even Meng Chi couldn’t help but feel a bit excited. However, she quickly regained her composure and calmly analyzed the situation: “The circle is shrinking. We don’t have many meds; let’s get into the safe zone immediately.”

Only then did Jiang Sitian snap out of her adrenaline rush. With a vroom, she drove straight for the safe zone. A moment later, she chatted idly: “Meng Chi, have you gotten your driver’s license yet? I remember you saying before that you were too busy to learn.”

“No.”

“You should learn sooner rather than later. You’ll have even less time after graduation.” Jiang Sitian savored her high-light moment from earlier, saying dreamily, “Driving is so fun. I love driving the most.”

Meng Chi fell into thought. After the college entrance exams, Jiang Sitian had invited her to get their licenses together. At the time, she had refused on the grounds of working a summer job and pre-studying her university courses. Despite Jiang Sitian’s heavy use of sunscreen that summer, she had still tanned significantly. Later, whenever Sitian mentioned learning to drive, she would specifically warn her: Never learn in the summer.

Previously, Meng Chi would have just listened and forgotten it. To a certain extent, she was a very independent person.

But she remembered two recent occasions with Shen Qingruo: once in the car when things got… physical and Shen Qingruo had no strength left, and another time when Shen Qingruo jumped into the lake to save a child and said her body felt too sticky and uncomfortable to drive. If Meng Chi had known how to drive then, they wouldn’t have had to leave the car behind.

She made up her mind almost instantly: she would get her license as soon as final exams were over.

Jiang Sitian was still rambling when she suddenly shrieked: “Holy crap, someone’s camping the bridge! The car’s about to blow, hide behind the cover on the bridge!”

They were crossing a bridge when dense gunfire erupted. Bridge camping is a classic tactic—players with plenty of ammo lie in wait on one end for players coming from the other. With railings on the sides and water below, there’s no room to turn; you can only go straight. The ambushed party is at a massive disadvantage. They had scouted the area before crossing, but this squad was incredibly patient and well-hidden.

Wen Nianzhou’s health dropped to half. Hearing the chaotic footsteps of nearby enemies, she sat up straight, her heart tightening. She knew she had this flaw: she got nervous during close-quarters combat. When there were too many enemies, her rhythm broke. Two enemies rushed her; her footwork faltered, and the opponents seized the chance to knock her down.

She took a deep breath, thinking this was the end of the match for her. Just as she was about to get up for a drink of water, she heard a sound from the top of the bridge.

The kill feed appeared: Your teammate [I’m Noob Don’t Hit Me] downed [King of Erangel Snipers] with an AKM.

Number 4 had somehow climbed to the top of the bridge’s support structure and knocked out a player who was sniping from the side. She dropped down from the top, her movement agile as she forced back the two players in front of Wen Nianzhou.

Jiang Sitian, who had been protected by Wen Nianzhou, suddenly went “berserk” upon seeing her friend go down. Despite having only a sliver of health left, she charged forward. With the support of Number 4, her reckless spirit successfully netted her a kill.

Meng Chi joined the fray as well.

Seeing them charge, Shen Qingruo knew the enemy’s morale was broken. She stopped competing for kills and retreated a few steps to revive Wen Nianzhou behind cover.

Wen Nianzhou: “Number 4, your recoil control is amazing. You’re really strong.”

Jiang Sitian was in the zone and hadn’t noticed the exchange. When she finally heard Number 4 speak, her character nearly walked right into an enemy’s face.

Number 4’s tone was blunt and characteristically casual: “Tiga says you have to believe in the Light.”

Wen Nianzhou went silent: “…” Jiang Sitian: “…” She’s never seen someone so thick-skinned.

After the battle, they quickly looted the boxes. Staying on the bridge was unsafe, and their car was destroyed, so they fled toward the safe zone on foot. They found another car midway and reached a suitable building inside the circle. Jiang Sitian performed a beautiful reverse-park to hide the car. Leaving a car out in the open near a house would alert passing players.

Shen Qingruo said, “Let’s camp here for a bit.”

Just as Jiang Sitian said “Okay,” she heard a faint click from Number 2’s mic. Her ears perked up, and she said disapprovingly, “Sister, you’re smoking again!”

Although Sitian occasionally visited Wen Nianzhou’s rental, they weren’t together tonight. Wen Nianzhou didn’t smoke in school, but after starting work, things hadn’t gone well at her company. She didn’t talk much about it, and Sitian didn’t know the details, but she had started smoking then. However, she wasn’t a heavy smoker. Since the news of Jiang Yiku’s cheating broke, Nianzhou had been smoking one cigarette after another.

Thinking of this, Jiang Sitian wanted to hang Jiang Yiku from the city gates. She was convinced that if it weren’t for Jiang Yiku, Sister Nianzhou wouldn’t be on the verge of becoming a chain smoker.

Wen Nianzhou gave a soft “Mm,” tossed her lighter on the table, and leaned back against her chair. She held her phone in one hand and a cigarette in the other. After the intense bridge fight, her palms were slightly sweaty. Her psychological resilience wasn’t great—in many aspects.

“Sister, you said you’d quit. Why are you smoking again…” The nagging voice in the mic brought Wen Nianzhou back to her senses. She took a light puff, exhaled slowly, and replied, “I’ve put it out.”

Jiang Sitian, as if she had clairvoyance, guessed she was lying. “I think you’re lying to me… Sister, stop… it’s bad for your health…”

The words “None of your business” almost escaped Nianzhou’s lips, but she knew Sitian meant well and couldn’t bear to say it. She shook her head, feeling her temper had worsened lately. She dropped the cigarette into a disposable cup with a bit of water left. Hearing the sound of a car approaching in the game, she said, “Quiet, someone’s coming.”

Naturally, it was another two “delivery men” bringing rich loot.

This place was safer than the bridge, so they looted thoroughly. A moment later, the signal circle shrank again, and they moved toward the safe zone fully geared.

In the final circle, there are many pros. It’s hard to survive with a full squad. Before long, Jiang Sitian and Meng Chi were eliminated, leaving only Wen Nianzhou and Shen Qingruo. After Wen Nianzhou took out two streamers, she was knocked down by a “snake” hiding in the grass. The final circle was in an open field with very little cover. Reviving was useless; it would just make them sitting ducks.

The moment Wen Nianzhou went down, she marked the enemy’s position. “Ignore me. There’s only one left.”

Now it was a showdown between the camper and Shen Qingruo. Both were fast, both had barely any health, and both were out of ammo.

Jiang Sitian was spectating Shen Qingruo, her heart in her throat. Seeing a loot box nearby, she shouted, “There’s a box to the north! Get ammo!”

As if the enemy could hear her too, they both lunged for the box. It was a race to see who could loot first.

Shen Qingruo was about to move, but then she glanced at something, stopped calmly, and pulled out an energy drink to chug.

Jiang Sitian: “?” Jiang Sitian: “!” Jiang Sitian: “Are you crazy or did you misclick?”

Just then, the “blue zone” (poison) closed in, swallowing the tiny area. Just as the enemy reached the box, they turned into a green loot box themselves.

The final poison is the most lethal, but the energy drink provides a few seconds of health regeneration. The enemy was so focused on the ammo that they didn’t notice the circle closing and were eliminated by the poison.

Jiang Sitian hadn’t expected such a play. Her heart felt like it had been on a roller coaster. She jumped up on her bed in excitement: “Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap!”

Meng Chi had also been incredibly tense. Seeing the victory, she let out a long breath and looked at the person beside her. “Jiang Sitian said you’re amazing.”

She spoke subtly, but the subtext was: I think you’re amazing too.

Shen Qingruo seemed to understand, yet also seemed to play along. She blinked and said, “Do you believe in the Light?”

The “Old Cadre” Meng Chi: “?” She had no idea where the reference came from.

Sensing her confusion, Shen Qingruo paused, then suddenly started singing: “Like sunlight piercing through the night, dawn quietly glides across the horizon, whose silhouette wanders through the cycles of reincarnation…”

She was trying to wake Meng Chi’s memory with the song. Meng Chi: “???” The “TV Child” Jiang Sitian was fired up: “I do! I believe in the Light!”

…

A while later, Jiang Sitian invited Shen Qingruo for another round, having completely forgotten her earlier reluctance. She asked, “Do you mind if I stream? It’s a shame my 36 old fans didn’t see that play.”

After getting permission, she opened her streaming app. Glancing at her follower count, she wailed, “I lost another fan! How can heaven be so cruel to me!” But she quickly pulled herself together, wiping a tear. Her mood changed as fast as a split personality. “Sitian, you can do it! Fight! You still have 35 fans!”

Ten minutes after she started, an old fan appeared: “Host, are you crazy? What’s with the room title?” On the platform, the room title for “The One and Only Cutie of Erangel” was: Believe in the Light.

After a few more games, Wen Nianzhou said she had to work the next day and they should play again later. Before logging off, she told Sitian to sleep early. Despite being in high spirits, Sitian obeyed and said goodbye to Meng Chi and Shen Qingruo.

Just as Shen Qingruo was about to log off, a system notification popped up. Before Jiang Sitian left, she had sent a gift set of clothes. The price wasn’t low.

Shen Qingruo looked at the “kid” beside her and wondered: What is with kids these days? Why is everyone so rich?

During the game, Jiang Sitian had mentioned where she streamed. Shen Qingruo looked it up, converted the value of the clothes into cash, and sent several expensive gifts back to her stream.

After finishing this, Shen Qingruo rubbed her stiff neck and stood up. “Let’s sleep too. Stay here and don’t move. Let Sister handle the ‘pre-sleep preparations’.”

Meng Chi didn’t know what she was doing. She gave an “Oh” and looked at her phone. Before exiting the game, she saw the clothes Sitian had sent her, so she sent Sitian a red envelope on WeChat. Sitian didn’t accept the money, only replying: “I really love playing with you guys. Remember to invite me next time you start a match.”

A moment later, Sitian sent a screenshot of her stream. A comment was circled. A user named “Help Me Up I Can Still Fight” had written: You’re welcome. Treat me to a meal another day.

Sitian followed up with: “I just received 1,000 yuan worth of gifts. I thought I was finally famous, then I saw the comment and realized it was just an illusion. Number 4 sent all of them… usually when friends support a stream, don’t they hide their identity? My heart is going through such ups and downs… By the way, what’s Number 4’s name? I never found out.”

Just as Meng Chi sent the name, she heard a sound. Shen Qingruo’s toe caught the bottom of a bucket and gently kicked it to her feet. The bucket was filled with hot water.

Shen Qingruo said, “Soaking your feet before bed strengthens the body and promotes blood circulation. It’s more effective than supplements.”

Meng Chi: “…”

Seeing her not moving, Shen Qingruo raised an elegant eyebrow. “Don’t know how to soak your feet? Gently lift your ‘jiojio’ (little feet) and ruthlessly plunge them into the bucket… Are you a cat in disguise? Scared of water?”

A while later, Jiang Sitian asked why Meng Chi wasn’t asleep yet. She replied: Soaking my feet. Sitian replied: Staying up late to practice ‘longevity health care.’ You guys are something else.

Meng Chi hadn’t thought of gifting on the stream when she sent the red envelope. She awkwardly registered an account, followed Sitian, and sent some gifts. Then she also followed “Help Me Up I Can Still Fight.”

By now, Shen Qingruo was curled up on the sofa, her feet in the hot water. She was wearing a face mask and a pink rabbit-ear headband. The warm light in the living room made her look like she was under a soft filter.

Meng Chi’s heart skipped a beat. She had never seen this side of Shen Qingruo. Although she had been at her house for a while, she still felt a sense of unreality. But now, it finally sank in: she was in Shen Qingruo’s home.

Shen Qingruo had one hand on her lap and the other scrolling through her phone. Sensing the gaze, she didn’t look back but lightly adjusted her mask. “What? Realized I’m not naturally beautiful but a product of maintenance?” She said helplessly, “Kid, I’m almost thirty next year. I’m not like you; staying up late doesn’t show on your face.”

Meng Chi paused, then said, “I want to do a mask too.”

“I call you a kid and you really act like one. Whatever adults do, you have to copy… The masks are on the TV stand. You’re a kid, don’t use mine—use the hydrating ones over there…”

After putting on the mask, Meng Chi leaned back contentedly. She didn’t really care about the mask; she just wanted to do what Shen Qingruo was doing. Was it true that she was still childish and liked to mimic others? She couldn’t figure it out, so she just sat quietly playing on her phone with Shen Qingruo.

Soon, Shen Qingruo left, and a sound came from the kitchen.

Feeling bored, Meng Chi scrolled through her phone and accidentally clicked on the file Jiang Sitian had sent a few days ago. She hadn’t intended to read it, but seeing the title “Yuri ABO,” she got curious and clicked… and a new door slowly opened for her.

Perhaps because she felt guilty, she kept a close eye on Shen Qingruo’s position. When she saw her coming back, she immediately turned off her screen.

Shen Qingruo handed her a glass of milk. “Just warmed it. Drink it.”

Normally, Meng Chi would have hesitated or argued—milk had become a subtle symbol of her “youth” between them. But her mind was still on what she had just read, so she took it distractedly.

Milk… milk-scented pheromones.

She took small sips, peeking at Shen Qingruo. Shen Qingruo had a bit of milk on her lip, as she had likely just had some too. A moment later, a soft tongue lightly swept the milk away.

Meng Chi’s ears suddenly turned red, and she finished her milk much faster.

…

After the lights were out, they lay in bed. Shen Qingruo’s bed was indeed comfortable, but it was unfamiliar to Meng Chi. While she was struggling to sleep in a new place, those stories she had just read kept popping into her head. Besides Yuri ABO, there were standard Yuri stories, but all of them were filled with… those kinds of scenes.

“Can’t sleep?” In the dark, Shen Qingruo’s voice was fuzzy, as if she were about to drift off.

Meng Chi slowly turned over to face her. Perhaps her gaze was too intense, because Shen Qingruo’s drowsiness dissipated a bit.

…

Twenty minutes later, Shen Qingruo thought exhaustedly: How is this kid acting like she’s on stimulants? She retraced her pre-sleep steps and immediately hit on the foot soak. Strengthening the body? Instant results?

Shen Qingruo cursed weakly, “I should never have let you soak your feet!”