Ch137.2 - Raising a Big Cat in the Apocalypse (16.2)

translator: xiin

editors: apricot & juurensha

Sun Yan drove, sending Chi Xiaochi and Gu Xinzhi back to the Ding family home.

Gu Xinzhi had been paying attention to Ding Qiuyun, who was seated at the other side of the car, but Ding Qiuyun was too lazy to spare him a glance. He wouldn’t deliberately avoid looking at him if their gazes met occasionally, but other than that, he seemed to ignore him completely, treating him as a block of wood as he carefully groomed Boss’s fur with a small brush.

Taking care of Boss’s appearance every day had become one of Chi Xiaochi’s habits.

The black leopard lay quietly at his feet and let him brush its fur. Static electricity was often generated during the brushing, but the black leopard didn’t get restless, gently hooking its tail around his arm. It nosed gently at the scar on the ring finger of his left hand with its mouth, causing it to itch and making Chi Xiaochi suck in a light breath.

He buried his face in the soft fur on the black leopard’s abdomen, gently folding his hands around its streamlined muscles as he inhaled deeply.

The black panther lay on its back, letting him play as he liked with its body. Its gray blue eyes focused on Chi Xiaochi.

Gu Xinzhi looked at them enviously from the other side and tried to start up a conversation with Chi Xiaochi, “What’s its name?”

Even before Chi Xiaochi opened his mouth, Sun Yan had replied from the driver’s seat, “Boss.”

Chi Xiaochi corrected, “Boss Coal.”

Sun Yan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Captain Ding, do you really not feel that this name is quite tacky?”

Chi Xiaochi cuddled his Boss’s belly, scratching and rubbing him. “It suits him very much.”

Chi Xiaochi didn’t have any direct dialogue with Gu Xinzhi during the whole process.

In the bumpy and shaking truck, Gu Xinzhi gradually came to a realization.

Over the past two years, every dream he’d had lasted for several months. When it was all added up, he’d been living in his dreams for over a hundred years.

In his dream, Ding Qiuyun always tied his heart to him. He trusted him, was honest with him, never doubted him, and would always try to pull him into the conversation with everyone so that he wouldn’t feel too isolated and lonely.

But that version of Ding Qiuyun was someone he didn’t dare to see again.

On the contrary, this Ding Qiuyun who was quite different from his dream allowed him to feel at ease even as he couldn’t help his feelings of sourness and sadness.

When 061 noticed that Gu Xinzhi’s expression had grown complicated, and there was even a bit of grievance in his gaze, he gradually understood what was happening.

Chi Xiaochi had used up nearly 400 dream cards and put in two years of long-term planning, all for the sake of winning a psychological war against an abnormal madman.

As far as the current situation was concerned, Chi Xiaochi had won a complete victory.

Chi Xiaochi returned to the Ding family home with Gu Xinzhi in tow.

When they entered the house, Mother Ding was watering a camellia plant that Chi Xiaochi had brought back last time from over 300 kilometers away. Chi Xiaochi used a card to block out the pain, then crept up and placed his arm around Mother Ding’s neck, “Sister Ding, you’re watering flowers. Where’s Old Man Ding?”

“You’re back? He went out for a walk early in the morning.” Mother Ding only noticed Gu Xinzhi when she turned back, and she immediately went to smack Chi Xiaochi’s angrily. “How old are you already? Still hugging back and forth. This gentleman is...”

“My former comrade in arms, Gu Xinzhi.” Chi Xiaochi introduced easily, “I ran into him when we went out on a mission this time.”

Gu Xinzhi nodded to Mother Ding. He was somewhat at a loss and didn’t know what to say.

He’d imagined the future with Ding Qiuyun more than once, but the contents of his imagination had always held just the two of them, him and Ding Qiuyun. There had never been a third party, and even dogs and cats hadn’t occupied their space.

As a result, he’d never made any preparations on how to face the Ding family’s mother and father.

Mother Ding was more tolerant and could tell that he was an introverted child at first sight. She immediately went on warmly, “Have you eaten? There’s still some preserved egg and lean meat congee in the pot...”

Chi Xiaochi walked over to Gu Xinzhi and pulled on his arm, giving him no chance to explain himself, “His body isn’t in very good health, and he’s quite introverted. I’ll take him to the guest room to rest and will send food to him later.”

Mother Ding had always understood her son’s character. Since this was his comrade in arms, he would definitely take good care of him. So, she turned back to the kitchen and heated up the congee.

Gu Xinzhi was pulled upstairs by Chi Xiaochi, then taken to the guest room.

Chi Xiaochi let go as soon as they stepped through the door.

He was currently injured and had no intention of serving Gu Xinzhi. He instructed Gu Xinzhi to take out the bedding from the cupboard, then leaned against the door to watch him make the bed.

Both of them had come from the army, and making the bed quickly was a basic skill.

Gu Xinzhi spread out the bedding properly and said, “Pillow.”

Chi Xiaochi: “In the cupboard.”

Gu Xinzhi: “There isn’t one.”

Chi Xiaochi went to the cupboard to take a look.

As soon as he pulled open the cupboard, he saw a pair of pillows lying quietly in a corner of the shelving and realized that something was wrong.

Gu Xinzhi hugged him from behind, wanting to kiss the back of his neck.

Chi Xiaochi reacted immediately. He twisted his arm, took a few steps back, and fell onto the soft mattress with him.

Gu Xinzhi and Ding Qiuyun had been lovers for over a hundred years in Gu Xinzhi’s dreams. He just wanted to feel the same hugs and kisses in reality, but unexpectedly, he hadn’t even moved when he felt something cool against his right wrist. When he looked up, he found that there was a handcuff around his wrist.

While he was stunned for a brief moment, Chi Xiaochi had already turned over and quickly cuffed the other side of the handcuffs to the bedside rail.

Gu Xinzhi: “......”

Chi Xiaochi flipped over and sat up, protecting the back of his neck. He moved his neck, then turned back, reaching out a single hand to hold Gu Xinzhi’s thin, slightly depressed cheeks. He calmly repeated the introduction he’d given to Mother Ding, “Your body isn’t in very good health, and you’re quite introverted. Don’t run around and rest up in bed more.”

Then, he took a handkerchief out of his pocket, wiped his fingers, and headed out.

“...... Qingyun.”

Gu Xinzhi called out to him from behind.

Chi Xiaochi stood still.

Gu Xinzhi stared obsessively at his back. “Thank you for being alive. Thank you for being willing to come find me.”

Chi Xiaochi ignored him and headed straight out of the room.

Gu Xinzhi remained handcuffed by Chi Xiaochi for a week, during which even his drinking water was sent to his bedside by Chi Xiaochi. He didn’t seem to hate this kind of life where he was detained, and even if Chi Xiaochi released his handcuffs so that he could solve his personal hygiene problems, he didn’t make any more overtures towards Chi Xiaochi.

One week later, their team set out again to look for new supplies.

Chi Xiaochi’s chest injury was already much better. He told Mother Ding and Father Ding that he was going out, but he didn’t inform Gu Xinzhi.

It wasn’t until the morning that Chi Xiaochi left that Gu Xinzhi learned from Mother Ding that Ding Qiuyun had left home and was ready to start searching for new supplies. Their official departure time was 9AM, and the gathering place was in the parking lot at the east side of town.

He carefully hid the handcuffs under the quilt and gently thanked Mother Ding. It was only after he saw her off that he opened the quilt and turned his gaze to the handcuffs that flashed silver in the early morning sun.

At the east side of town, a heavy truck holding a group of people slowly pulled out of the parking lot.

Yan Lanlan was telling a joke to Sun Bin while Chi Xiaochi lay on his Boss’s stomach pondering.

061 asked, “Is it too risky doing things this way?”

Chi Xiaochi tossed an apple into the air and caught it in his hand. “I want to see what he’ll do if given space.”

Before he left, he’d placed the key to the handcuffs with the book that Gu Xinzhi often read in the first drawer of the bedside table. Gu Xinzhi would be able to get the key as long as he reached out.

Chi Xiaochi couldn’t believe his word one-sidedly. Whether or not he’d made a deal with the new humans was still unknown.

He may choose to stay where he was, or he may try to investigate the situation in the town while they were gone.

It would be better if it was the former. If it was the latter, then Chi Xiaochi would rather let the task fail and figure out a way to get rid of Gu Xinzhi.

As he spoke, there was a thump from the right side of the truck compartment, as though someone was jumping up onto the step outside.

At this time, they hadn’t yet left town. Yan Lanlan thought that it was a youth who was just playing around with them and pulled open the covering, wanting to drive them away. But she didn’t know what to say anymore when she saw his face clearly.

Gu Xinzhi was standing on the step with a bag over one shoulder. His hair was slightly wet, and he panted for breath as he stepped into the car.

Chi Xiaochi was also a little surprised. He stood up to look at him.

Chi Xiaochi had originally thought that he’d found the key, but when he bowed his head, he noticed that the thumb of Gu Xinzhi’s right hand was slightly reddened, and he was temporarily left speechless.

... They’d learned in the army before that dislocating the thumb would allow them to free themselves from any handcuffs.

It seemed that he hadn’t wasted time looking for the key at all.

Gu Xinzhi sat down beside him, set down his backpack, and said, “You said it. Within shooting range.”