Chapter 44

Wen Jiuze quickly got a standard haircut, but it still looked handsome on him.

After changing his hairstyle, he no longer looked as tired and gloomy as before.

A few days later, Wen Jiuze drove Xue Ling to the New Fourth Base again.

Before they left, Xue Ling thought they were going to exchange things. But when they got near the base, she saw the red couplets posted on both sides of the gate.

Many lights were hanging outside, and a lot of people were gathered in the open space in front of the entrance.

Seeing the red couplets, Xue Ling suddenly asked, “Is the New Year coming soon?”

Neither she nor Wen Jiuze knew the exact date, but it was clear that the people gathered at the base knew.

No matter what happens, people in this land celebrate the New Year as long as they’re alive.

During the Chinese New Year, as long as there’s a door, you put up couplets.

“The last time I went to get a haircut, I heard people talking about the upcoming Chinese New Year. They said the base would hang a lot of lights for people to enjoy, and at night, fireworks would be set off in the open space at the entrance,” Wen Jiuze said.

So, he had specifically brought Xue Ling to see it, knowing she always enjoyed such activities.

It had been too lonely for her to stay in their remote house with just the two of them.

“Come on, let’s go down.”

Xue Ling hesitated and wrote: “There are too many people at the gate. What if…”

Wen Jiuze pulled her along before she could finish writing.

Suddenly pulled out of the car and surrounded by people, Xue Ling became stiff and clumsy due to nervousness.

But Wen Jiuze picked her up, walked through the crowd, and held her hand, which was covered in thick gloves. They walked to a quieter spot, far from the entrance, where they found a place to sit down.

There were indeed a lot of people at the gate of the New Fourth Base today. The Chinese New Year was a special time. People who usually stayed inside the base for fear of danger from the outside couldn’t help but come out to walk around, eager to watch the fireworks later.

In fact, most of the survivors in the base had never personally killed zombies.

A large number of people who had encountered zombies had either died or turned into zombies themselves, but those who had survived were protected within the base. They built new homes there and only left when absolutely necessary.

Only on special occasions, when the area around the base had been cleaned beforehand, would most people step outside with their families to briefly enjoy the fresh air.

The scavengers who frequently leave the base and dare to face the zombie attacks only account for one-twentieth of the survivors.

The once familiar world had turned into a place filled with danger for the ordinary survivors of the base.

Even though Xue Ling was some distance away, she could still see people with nervous expressions. They frequently looked around unconsciously, fearful of the dangers that could appear at any moment.

The leader of the New Fourth Base was very responsible. He had cleaned the area around the base in advance and arranged for people to patrol.

Wen Jiuze and Xue Ling were both reminded by a staff member that it could be dangerous to be too far from the base and were advised to avoid walking too far alone.

Wen Jiuze responded that he understood. While the staff member was speaking, he glanced at Xue Ling a few times. Xue Ling, however, was focused on her tablet, pretending to be busy.

After the staff left, Xue Ling quickly asked Wen Jiuze, “He seemed to be looking at me just now. Do you think he suspects me?”

Wen Jiuze calmly replied, “Maybe he was just envious because he saw you playing with the tablet. The base has electricity restrictions, so many people don’t have electronic devices to play with.”

What they didn’t know was that the staff member who had just spoken to them returned to the crowd and started complaining to his colleagues.

“A young couple, hiding so far away to date. Aren’t they afraid that a zombie might suddenly appear and they won’t have time to escape?”

As dusk fell, fireworks were set up at the entrance of the base. The crowd gathered around, and under the staff’s guidance, began the countdown, reciting numbers in unison.

“Bang!”

The fireworks shot into the dark blue sky, exploding one after another.

Everyone in the open space looked up.

Xue Ling was also watching. Though the fireworks weren’t very extravagant, she felt moved and happy, and couldn’t help but bump into Wen Jiuze beside her.

Wen Jiuze stood like a rock, unmoved by the bump, but extended his hand for her to grab.

The staff at the base were holding boxes and distributing small fireworks for free to children, the kind that can be held in the hands and lit.

Soon, the laughter and excitement of the children filled the air.

The small fireworks on the ground, lighting up suddenly and fading out quickly, seemed to complement the grand fireworks exploding in the sky.

There were three rounds of fireworks in total, and the simple celebration came to an end.

The crowd began to disperse, with some returning to the base while others stayed outside to continue enjoying the festivities.

More than an hour later, the deep blue sky had turned completely black. The crowd had thinned, and the laughter became less frequent.

A group of staff began reminding everyone that it was getting late, and it was best to head back to the base and not stay outside any longer.

“Hey, that young couple over there is still sitting there?” one staff member remarked, referring to Wen Jiuze and Xue Ling.

“Someone go tell them not to stay outside. Xiao Chu, go tell them.”

A short-haired staff member, Xiao Chu, responded with an “okay” and trotted toward them.

Xiao Chu was a young girl, and when she saw the tall and strong men, she felt a bit nervous. She stopped a few meters away from them and said hesitantly, “It’s getting late. You should hurry and go back to the base. Don’t stay outside too long.”

“Okay, we got it. Thank you.”

Just as Xiao Chu was about to leave, she took a closer look at Wen Jiuze and suddenly gasped in surprise, stepping forward to confirm.

“Ah! It’s you!”

From the tone of her voice, it seemed she recognized Wen Jiuze.

This wasn’t surprising. Wen Jiuze had been to many bases, and many people knew him. His appearance was also memorable.

Xue Ling, hiding in Wen Jiuze’s shadow, hoped not to be noticed. But Xiao Chu soon looked at her again, carefully observing her covered face.

Wen Jiuze, sensing the situation, raised his hand to shield Xue Ling.

Xiao Chu, noticing his gesture, blushed slightly and exclaimed, “Is your girlfriend still the same one? Oh, you probably don’t remember me, but I do.”

“It was three or four years ago when you were traveling in Lanba City, right? You took the Yanshan cable car. I was on the same cable car as you when it broke down halfway. Do you remember?”

Xiao Chu recalled the moment clearly. At that time, she had been traveling with her best friend. There were six people in their cable car, including them, a middle-aged couple, and a young couple.

The cable car had stopped mid-air, and both she and her friend had been terrified. Her best friend, nearly in tears, clutched her and asked, “We won’t fall, will we?” At that moment, they saw the young couple in the same cable car hugging each other.

The handsome boyfriend had held his girlfriend in his arms, and at that sight, her best friend had fallen silent and looked at her with a complicated expression.

Couldn’t these young lovers be more considerate of the lives of the bystanders? They seemed oblivious to the presence of others, exuding the scent of love as if no one was around, making the lives and fears of the rest seem insignificant.

The atmosphere in the cable car had been eerily silent. Xiao Chu had accidentally met the girlfriend’s gaze and saw that she was being held by her boyfriend. The girlfriend’s eyes had looked so embarrassed, almost as if she wished she could disappear.

But the boyfriend, not caring at all about the surroundings, had remained completely unaffected.

Thanks to the young couple, Xiao Chu and her best friend were less frightened in the cable car and actually ended up talking more to calm their nerves.

When they got off the cable car, they shared a laugh and chatted all the way down the mountain.

The most coincidental part was when they saw the viral video later that night at a hotel in Lanba City.

The video featured the young couple from the cable car. In the square, surrounded by tens of thousands of people, the girlfriend sitting on the boyfriend’s shoulders, clearly mortified, was hilarious.

Her best friend had forwarded the video to her, commenting that while the guy may not have cared about his girlfriend’s life or death, he was still incredibly handsome.

…

When Xue Ling heard Xiao Chu recalling their trip to Lanba City, she was initially amused, but soon, as the conversation went on, unease crept in.

Her toes twitched, and she felt a sudden discomfort in her body.

Ah, wasn’t I already dead? Why was I sitting here being talked about as if I were still alive?

Hadn’t we agreed that there wouldn’t be so many spectators in this life? Why, even after the end of the world, are there still people who witnessed my embarrassing moments and can recognize me on the spot?

How is it possible that the world is so small that I would encounter something like this?

Xue Ling grabbed Wen Jiuze tightly, hoping he would quickly deny it and say that he had mistaken the person.

Wen Jiuze said, “Oh, yes, it’s us.”

Xue Ling: “…”

Once again, she felt defeated. Spiritually drained.

Wen Jiuze still felt that wasn’t enough and added, “But we’ve broken up.”

Xiao Chu was stunned upon hearing this. She didn’t quite understand what he meant. Her heart skipped a beat, and she thought, no way, did she just stumble upon a young couple quarreling and breaking up?

Wen Jiuze continued, “Although we broke up, we still have feelings for each other, and we’re living together now.”

Xiao Chu: “…” This is unexpected. So, it’s a new type of relationship, huh?

Xue Ling: “…” Enough, that’s enough! I really didn’t think you’d seize this chance to introduce me, did I?

Unable to hold it in anymore, she covered Wen Jiuze’s mouth with her hand, nearly pressing his head into the ground.

Xiao Chu couldn’t help but laugh at the sight, but as she did, a sense of sadness overcame her.

It’s great that the world around her had changed after the apocalypse, but there were still people who hadn’t changed at all.

Looking back, life was so carefree before. The little troubles she faced in school and at work now seemed so trivial.

Also, her best friend, who had traveled with her and witnessed the young couple’s love, had passed away.

It had been so long since she had run into anyone she knew, and she had been too busy just trying to survive to even think about the past—about people, and times before the apocalypse.

Even encountering someone she had met only once felt like a reunion with an old friend.

But they were still strangers after all. Xiao Chu didn’t truly cry. She blinked away the tears and said, “Sorry, I think I said too much. Do you live in the base too? It’s so late, it’s dangerous outside. Let’s go inside quickly.”

“We won’t stay in the base. We’re leaving now,” Wen Jiuze said as he picked up Xue Ling.

Xiao Chu was stunned. She saw the girlfriend, dressed warmly and silent, holding a tablet that displayed the words, “Happy New Year!”

Xiao Chu quickly replied, “Happy New Year!”

The girlfriend waved at her again, and Xiao Chu waved back.

She watched the young couple walk away intimately, just as they had a few years ago, getting into a car parked at a distance.

It turns out they really didn’t live on the base.

Xiao Chu had no idea about that, and she didn’t want to pry into their privacy.

“Xiao Chu!” someone called from a distance.

Xiao Chu took another look at the car moving away and then ran back to the base’s gate. She joined the other staff members in cleaning up the fireworks confetti left at the gate.

It began snowing again.

The year 3035 had come to an end.