Chapter 10: Salvation
Ji Nian and Qin Xiao were saved.
The middle-aged man brought them into the convenience store.
Ji Nian’s hands were icy cold. Qin Xiao held them, rubbing them to warm them.
There was a basement under the convenience store. The middle-aged man was the owner, and his whole family—three people—were down there.
The owner’s wife was a kind woman. She offered Ji Nian a cup of hot water. “Child, drink some water.”
The fear in Ji Nian’s eyes hadn’t subsided yet. Qin Xiao thanked her, took the cup, and brought it to Ji Nian’s lips, feeding him. “Take a sip. It’s all over now.”
…Ji Nian didn’t open his mouth.
The owner’s wife brought a towel for Qin Xiao to wipe the blood off Ji Nian’s face.
Qin Xiao took the towel and slowly, gently wiped away the black blood from Ji Nian’s face, saying, “It’s okay now, it’s okay now, Ji Nian.”
“It’s okay now, it’s okay now, it’s okay now, Ji Nian.”
“Ji Nian, it’s okay… it’s all over now…”
He was being intimate with him. Usually, this cold boy would curse and snatch the towel away to do it himself.
But now he seemed lost, dazed, motionless, and silent.
Qin Xiao felt terrible. After wiping his face clean, he held his hand again. His fingertips were still ice-cold, as if they had been soaked in ice water, impossible to warm up.
…How could this be?
The owner and his wife both said, “He must be scared. He’ll be fine after a while.”
Scared?!
This single sentence reminded Qin Xiao. He immediately turned to the owner’s wife. “Do you have any needles?”
“Huh?”
The owner’s wife didn’t understand what he needed a needle for. She was momentarily stunned. “I’ll get it for you.”
When she brought the needle back and handed it to Qin Xiao, Qin Xiao pinched Ji Nian’s finger until it turned red and pricked it with the needle.
The owner’s wife was puzzled. “What are you doing?”
Their ten-year-old daughter was standing beside them, her big eyes full of curiosity, staring at Qin Xiao.
Qin Xiao said, “When I was little and got scared, my grandma did this. Letting a little blood from all ten fingers would make you better.”
The owner’s wife looked at him with a “Wow” expression, never expecting such a young man to be superstitious.
Upon hearing this, the owner’s daughter walked away. Her teacher had taught her that when one is sick, they should see a doctor. This older brother’s words were unreliable.
“Hiss—”
Qin Xiao was holding Ji Nian’s finger, and just as he was about to prick it, Ji Nian pulled his hand away.
The needle went astray, directly pricking Qin Xiao’s own finger.
Blood immediately welled up on his fingertip. He frowned in pain, then immediately focused on Ji Nian, “Are you okay?”
Ji Nian nodded, secretly relieved. He looked at the owner. “Thank you for saving us.”
“You?”
Qin Xiao almost didn’t recognize him.
So this guy could speak politely.
The owner was sitting on a cardboard box, waving his hand. “In this environment, only those of us who have survived can rely on each other.”
The basement was actually a warehouse, filled with food.
Instant noodles, sausages, packs of bottled water, white wine, beer, bread, snacks… mostly food.
No wonder the convenience store still had food left; the owner wasn’t short of it.
And because the owner was kind, if any hungry people passed by, he could save their lives.
As for the handgun, he bought it on the black market during a trip.
When he was young, the owner had been a soldier, and he had a special fondness for firearms.
The candlelight flickered, a single candle sitting steadily in a plastic basket on the wall, the only light source in the basement.
The warm glow cast everyone’s shadow on the wall, magically enlarging them many times.
The owner’s wife held her daughter close, stroking her hair. “May this dark and hopeless day pass quickly. How was your journey here?”
Ji Nian shook his head, not wanting to say anything depressing in front of the child.
Qin Xiao handed the needle back to the owner’s wife, sat down beside Ji Nian, and reached for his hand.
Ji Nian dodged his hand, frowning at him. “What?”
“See if it’s still cold.”
Qin Xiao held his fingertips; they already had some warmth.
Seeing them act affectionately, the owner casually asked, “Are you two brothers?”
“No.”
Qin Xiao shook his head. Brotherly, he put his arm around Ji Nian’s shoulder, but Ji Nian pulled it away. He rested his elbow on Ji Nian’s shoulder and continued, “But our relationship is deeper than brothers…”
“Cough, cough, cough…”
The owner choked. The owner’s wife quickly got him a bottle of water.
The owner gave his wife a gentle smile, opened the cap, and took a sip.
The owner’s home wasn’t here; the basement had plenty of food and supplies, but things like spare clothes and blankets were lacking.
Teacups, pots, pans, and bowls were complete; they cooked in the convenience store, and these items were brought up secretly later.
It was getting a little chilly, and the basement was even colder.
When Ji Nian and Qin Xiao came out, they put on extra clothes; first, they were thinking about changing if they got dirty, second, it was getting colder day by day, and warmth was essential.
Qin Xiao was full of energy and took off his extra clothes on the way to the car, now wearing a denim jacket over a short-sleeved T-shirt.
Ji Nian’s constitution was cold, so he didn’t take anything off; he wore thermal underwear, a sweatshirt, and a work-style jacket.
He took off his jacket, stood up, and handed it to the owner’s wife. “The child is growing; it’s cold, give this to her.”
There were two worn-out door curtains in the basement; at night, the owner’s wife would wrap her daughter in them, while they, the couple, covered themselves with nothing.
It was impossible not to be cold.
Looking at the clothes Ji Nian offered, the owner’s wife was touched. “No, if you give it to us, what will you wear?”
“I’m fine; it’s not that cold.”
Ji Nian’s sweatshirt sleeves were wrapped in thick cloth to prevent zombie bites during fights.
He went back and sat down. Qin Xiao bumped his shoulder. “If I’m cold, would you give me your clothes too?”
Ji Nian glanced at him, his eyes devoid of warmth. “Your skin is so thick, you’d be cold?”
Qin Xiao, who had been smiling, stopped immediately: …
Damn it, why did he ask that?
“I will, but it depends on how cold I am.”
Ji Nian added another sentence.
Upon hearing this, Qin Xiao immediately laughed again, his smile pure. He held out his fist towards Ji Nian.
Ji Nian glanced at it and extended his own fist, and the two bumped fists in a show of camaraderie.