Vicious Cannon Fodder? No, He’s a Darling Wife! - Chapter 8

On the way to escort the survivors to Base 06, Qu Zhilan broke away from the team and headed alone to the old building complex where they had previously collected samples of mutant bat pups, attempting to find Qin Zhao’s body.

In just over half a month, the collapsed ruins had become even more dilapidated. It took Qu Zhilan a significant amount of effort to find the remains which were now so ravaged they were little more than a skeleton.

To be precise, he found a mottled white skeleton with bits of tattered flesh clinging to it at the spot where Qin Zhao had fallen. Judging by the marks, it looked as though a wild beast had hollowed out the soft internal organs and then ruthlessly torn at the rest.

The smell of rotting flesh was foul, but Qu Zhilan was long accustomed to the scent of death.

Whether it was the clothing, the build, or the scars left behind by years of training and combat, everything confirmed that Qin Zhao was indeed dead.

Dead in a manner so absurd it was more farcical than a stage play.

Qu Zhilan’s cold, dark eyes lowered. For some reason, the image that flashed through his mind at that moment was Yuan Su’s eyes, red from weeping, and his pale face after a sleepless night of mourning.

The dry wind scraped across his face. The man bit the tip of his tongue irritably; it seemed only pain could keep him focused and clear-headed.

Qu Zhilan knelt on one knee. His gloved hand searched the body, finally finding a dull, tarnished ring around the skeleton’s neck.

It was uninspired, devoid of any unique design just a plain, ordinary band.

A testament to Qin Zhao’s indifference.

If he wasn’t mistaken, this was the wedding ring shared by Qin Zhao and Yuan Su.

Qu Zhilan stared at it for a long time, suddenly letting out an extremely low, enigmatic scoff.

Before interacting with Yuan Su, Qu Zhilan had gathered from Qin Zhao’s attitude that there was no real affection between the two, and that Yuan Su had used schemes to force the marriage.

But after their interactions over the past few days, he believed Yuan Su did have feelings for the man.

The longing, the adoration, the helplessness and grief of a lover separated by life and death.

Qu Zhilan lit a cigarette. As he drew from it, the cherry flared bright. His pitch-black eyes were like a cold pond reflecting fallen stars. Nicotine swirled through his lungs before exhaling past his beautifully defined lips. His gaze grew murky.

But… just how much “affection” there was remained to be seen.

Qu Zhilan stowed the ring away, opened the body bag he had prepared, and placed the mangled remains inside, loading them onto the vehicle.

Find a place to bury him, or bring him back to the base.

Qu Zhilan himself couldn’t quite pin down his current state of mind.

Logically, he should bring Qin Zhao back for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death and allow him to enter the incinerator amidst the mourning of the people who admired him—not just dig a random hole outside the base and bury him in haste.

Contradictory emotions tore at him. Qu Zhilan felt a mix of shame and irritation at his own indecisiveness. His mind kept drifting back to Yuan Su’s red-rimmed eyes, his moist, tender lips… and that lingering, feather-light gaze that felt both delicate and electrifying.

It was a fleeting look, almost like an illusion, yet it felt so deliberate and when caught, the boy would look entirely innocent, unintentionally licking or biting his lip.

It was a green, unpolished temptation, yet visually striking.

“Sister-in-law…” When he murmured the word, the slight slide of his tongue felt like a starving predator.

The man’s fingers at his side curled unconsciously, the ring in his palm digging painfully into his flesh. It was this sharp sting that pulled him back to reality, making him frown.

Qu Zhilan’s focus sharpened, landing on a water bottle that had rolled far away earlier.

He bent down to pick up the dirty bottle. After studying it for a long time, he put it in his bag—he couldn’t rule out the possibility that Yuan Su was a fool who had poisoned Qin Zhao.

His dark, narrow eyes narrowed. He glanced at the body bag in the back—if he really found something, wouldn’t that be the perfect leverage?

His Adam’s apple bobbed as dark desires surged.

In an instant, Qu Zhilan realized the path his thoughts were taking. He snapped back to his senses, standing frozen and rigid.

The man tossed his cigarette and got into the car.

“Achoo!”

Yuan Su sneezed, his whole body jolting. He was squatting on the ground, wearing mud-stained rubber gloves.

Physiological tears welled in his eyes. He sniffed, grumbling with a frown, “Is someone talking smack about me?”

341 looked at his teary-eyed face and said dryly: [It might also be that the drink you had with your spicy rabbit last night was too cold.]

At the mention of that, Yuan Su immediately remembered how delicious and refreshing the rabbit had been, and he swallowed hard.

He asked: “If I ask for two more rabbits today, will Gao He agree?”

341: […]

Gao He did agree. He was clearly incapable of refusing that face when it made a request. Flushed and excited, he nodded. “No problem. As long as you like it.”

Afterward, he even started using his position to bring Yuan Su food, even taking it to the cafeteria to be processed before delivering it.

Yuan Su had checked his accounts; thanks to his dead husband, he was actually quite wealthy. Beyond the necessities, he had more than enough points for snacks and treats.

341 felt like it was mentoring a host who could manage to get fat even in the apocalypse.

The system gave an objective evaluation: [Gao He looks like his soul has been snatched by you.]

Yuan Su disagreed. He walked into the vegetable greenhouse, reaching out to play with the spray from the automatic irrigation system. He said nonchalantly, “How could that be? Gao He is clearly straight.”

Because of this belief, Yuan Su was very comfortable around him lacking the tension and resistance he felt with Chu Wenhe and was completely unaware of how he was flirting without even trying.

Yuan Su wasn’t particularly diligent at work. Since the plantation work was easy and his colleagues didn’t seem to like playing with him, he had to find his own entertainment like feeding the children.

Much like before the apocalypse, some busy employees would bring their kids to work. Although the “Granary” technically didn’t allow it, there were still many children around. They mostly stayed in the breakrooms or corners out of the security cameras’ reach.

As long as they didn’t cause trouble, the higher-ups turned a blind eye.

Lately, there had been another small-scale viral outbreak in the base, with symptoms like low-grade fever, fatigue, dizziness, and nausea.

The elderly and children had weaker immune systems, and many toddlers in the base had already caught it. Since the “Granary” had full-body disinfection tunnels at the entrance, many employees chose to sneak their kids inside for safety.

Yuan Su bought a bag of fruit candies. 341 called him a spendthrift.

It was true; candy wasn’t a survival necessity, so it was rarely produced in the base and was quite expensive.

[Do you like children?]

Yuan Su: “A little bit.”

Mainly, he liked the feeling of being needed, and those hopeful eyes looking up at him.

Especially since some of the livestock workers had strictly forbidden their children from going near Yuan Su, but the kids were greedy and couldn’t help themselves.

Seeing those people who disliked him being annoyed made him happy.

The system was silent for a long time. Yuan Su seemed to sense something and asked suspiciously, “You’re not going to send me to a world where men can give birth later, are you?”

341 was so shocked it was speechless. After a long glitch, it said: […You even know about that! How do you dare say you’re homophobic? You fake straight man!]

Yuan Su spotted the hesitant kids nearby and shook the bag in his hand. A few brave ones took the first step.

He curled his lip. “I am homophobic, but I never said I was straight.”

The system was quiet for a long time, clearly on the verge of a breakdown: [Do you even hear yourself?!]

This time, Yuan Su didn’t go to them. After a few days of feeding, the bold ones approached him voluntarily, and the rest followed like a flock of little lambs.

“Big brother, what is this?”

“Is it food? Is it yummy?”

“Does this candy taste good? It looks so pretty…”

Children’s awkwardness was easy to read; they’d ask obvious questions and act like they didn’t know anything just to keep the conversation going. Yuan Su found it amusing.

A group of kids stared at him with big, round eyes. Looking at the “hungry” little brats, he generously poured the candies into his palm. “One each, no grabbing. There will be more tomorrow.”

Just as he finished distributing the candy, several grim-faced parents came out to find their kids. The pack of brats scattered with screams of joy.

“Didn’t I tell you not to go near him?! What’s in your mouth? Spit it out!”

“I want to eat it!” the kid shrieked, running away.

These employees didn’t like him on the surface, but since their kids were literally taking things from him, they didn’t give him any more trouble.

Yuan Su watched the commotion for a while, turned off the sprinklers, and headed toward a distant warehouse piled with farming tools and old machinery to slack off. There were no cameras there, but it was so remote that kids rarely went there.

That’s why Yuan Su liked to curl up inside for a nap. 341 would warn him before a manager came to inspect, so every time a leader visited, he appeared to be working diligently.

“You really are a good system. If possible, I’m willing to give you a forty percent cut of my reward,” Yuan Su said sincerely.

The system replied tonelessly, [I appreciate the sentiment.]

Yuan Su was even more touched.

He checked the time, thinking that Chu Wenhe might be coming soon to ask for the warehouse key, and Qu Zhilan was probably due back at the base. How should he “be forced” to give the key to Chu Wenhe? Should he tell Qu Zhilan he was being threatened?

Yuan Su was still planning, but the moment he stepped into the small warehouse, he froze. The wafers he’d left on the table were gone, and the wrappers were on the floor.

“Someone was here?”

The youth frowned, his beautiful face wrinkling. He grumbled unhappily, “They didn’t even leave me a single piece?”

[Isn’t there more in your bag? Just buy some more on the way home later.]

Yuan Su thought that made sense. He adjusted his position, leaning on the table to prepare for his “shift nap.” But before he could sink into dreamland, he vaguely heard the sound of his bag being dragged across the table, followed by a slight vibration.

Drowsily, his lashes fluttered. He opened his eyes a crack and caught a blurry glimpse of a mass of ink-black, formless matter.

His relaxed body went rigid instantly. It took a second to process, but when it clicked, his drowsiness vanished.

Yuan Su tried to maintain steady breathing, praying it was a dream, that what he saw was an illusion, and that whatever it was would just go away…

In his state of terror, a vine-like, cool object slowly coiled around his slender neck.

It slid down, wrapping around him, and playfully squeezed his fragile, exquisite Adam’s apple a few times.

It was cold, smooth, and slimy—clearly not human.

Support