Chapter 119: He Will Be Lin Mu’s Umbrella of Protection

The two of them returned to the residential area. He Ze was still snoring loudly in his room.

Shen Rangchen was holding a bowl of instant noodles, eating it as his lunch. Cooking instant noodles was one of the few skills he had learned from Lin Mu.

“Rangchen.”

Lin Mu greeted him briefly, then immediately went into his room, found some clothes, and took a shower.

When he came out, Fu Jingmo was leaning lazily against the edge of the bed, his gaze brazenly fixed on him.

After wearing a white shirt, Lin Mu rummaged through the wardrobe and pulled out his camouflage uniform.

His fair fingers slipped out from the sleeves, and his hair was still wet, with water droplets slowly dripping from the tips.

After feeling the gaze glued to him, he pressed his lips together.

“…What’s for lunch?”

Before he could finish speaking, a white towel was draped over his head. Someone pressed close from behind, strong fingers threading through his hair, naturally helping him dry it.

Lin Mu slowly blinked, adjusting to the sudden intimacy, and turned to look at him.

Fu Jingmo didn’t stop his movements. He curled his lips into a smile and said, “Fried eggs for lunch.”

After drying his hair, Fu Jingmo went to change clothes, while Lin Mu went out to prepare some food.

Of course, he wouldn’t just make fried eggs—Lin Mu also stewed some meat.

He Ze woke up right at mealtime and asked, “Mumu, did you not come back last night?”

“Mm.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Staying out all night—our kid has grown up and spread his wings.”

“…”

The group sat down to eat. Shen Rangchen sat properly in his seat. Having already finished his bowl of instant noodles, he declared he wanted another bowl of rice with meat stew.

“Brother Fu, where are we heading next?”

He Ze took a bite of meat. The mutated zombies in Shancheng had already been dealt with—should they continue on to Fengcheng?

Fu Jingmo hesitated for a moment before speaking, “I still have some matters to take care of. You can wait for me here in Shancheng.”

“?? Huh, what’s the matter? Not taking us with you?”

Lin Mu raised his eyes to look at him, his eyebrows slightly arched. Fu Jingmo met his gaze and shrugged.

“I’m just giving you a choice. If you want to come with me, I don’t mind.”

“But you all know, my missions aren’t exactly easy. They might even be more dangerous than dealing with the mutated zombies.”

He Ze put down his bowl and chopsticks, speaking earnestly, “Brother Fu, your matters are our matters. Of course, we’ll face them together!”

“I have no objections.”

Shen Rangchen wiped his mouth and then carefully dried his fingers one by one.

Since no one had objections, they finished their meal and took a break.

Lin Mu assigned He Ze and Shen Rangchen the task of spending their accumulated points to purchase some supplies.

The road ahead was long, and no one ever complained about having too many supplies.

Before going to sleep, Lin Mu entered his spatial consciousness again.

It had been many days since he last went in after receiving the news.

Xiao Yuan, with its tiny head drooping, noticed Lin Mu’s arrival and let out a faint hmm.

It was angry—the kind of anger that couldn’t be easily soothed.

Lin Mu walked over and gently touched its tiny leaves. On the small branch to the left, there were now two more little leaves, with a tender green bud sprouting at the tip.

Xiao Yuan had grown a few centimeters taller, standing out among the strawberries and chili peppers.

“What’s wrong? Are you upset?”

The little sapling shook its leaves, turning its tiny body toward him, and a pitiful voice sounded.

“Mumu hasn’t come to see Xiao Yuan for 7 days, 12 hours, and 21 minutes!”

[My fault. I just needed some time to process the news you told me.]

“Wuwu, have you accepted it? Does Mumu not like Xiao Yuan anymore?”

[What can I do if I don’t accept it? Can you switch to a different owner?]

“Nope! Xiao Yuan has already merged blood with Mumu and can only stay with you.”

The tiny leaves brushed against Lin Mu’s palm, afraid of being abandoned.

[But you said it—how do we solve the R-virus?]

“Um, Xiao Yuan doesn’t know. Maybe the energy orb needs to be filled up a bit more.”

[…Alright, why does this feel like squeezing toothpaste?]

“Wuwu, you’re disgusted with me.”

[No… Do you like strawberries? Should I plant more for you?]

“Yay! Make sure there are lots of them. The red ones look so pretty, just like Mumu’s blood.”

[…]

Lin Mu planted a few more strawberries for Xiao Yuan before leaving the consciousness space.

The room was still lit, as the base’s lights-out time hadn’t arrived yet. The sound of running water came from the bathroom.

“Lin Xiao Mu, bring me some clothes.”

Lin Mu stood up from the bedside, went to the wardrobe, and pulled out some clothes. His hand paused on a pair of white underwear. After glancing at it, he chose the larger pair next to it.

He knocked on the door three times. “Here.”

The door cracked open slightly, and a warm hand reached out, snatching the clothes. Then, it grabbed his slender wrist and pulled him inside as well.

His body collided with a firm chest, and his shirt got slightly damp.

“Baby, let’s shower together.”

Warm breath blew against his ear, and damp heat rushed over him.

Lin Mu’s fair face instantly flushed red. In his line of sight was a well-proportioned, muscular body with eight clearly defined abs.

He quickly averted his gaze, refusing to look any further down.

“No, I already showered this afternoon.”

Lin Mu pulled his hand back and slipped out of the bathroom, not forgetting to quickly shut the door behind him.

A helpless chuckle came from inside. Fu Jingmo turned down the water temperature and focused on taking care of himself.

Honestly, it was maddening—he only had himself to blame.

After a long time, the sound of water in the bathroom finally stopped. A man with broad shoulders and a narrow waist walked out wearing a tank top, casting a dissatisfied glare at the person sitting by the bed.

Lin Mu crossed his legs, with a hint of teasing amusement in his expression.

Fu Jingmo leaned closer, his posture towering over him, causing the water droplets from his hair tips to fall onto Lin Mu’s shirt. Feigning ferocity, he said, “I’m just being considerate, not wanting to scare you. Wait until I pick a good day, and then I’ll hum-hum-hum you.”

“Mm, take your time and pick a good day.”

Lin Mu’s long lashes fluttered as he curved his lips, teasing him.

Fu Jingmo lowered his head and gave the fearless man a quick peck. Looking at Lin Mu’s calm expression, he couldn’t help but feel the urge to kiss him until he was speechless.

Preferably, he’d end up tearfully calling him “Gege (Brother).“

The man who couldn’t get what he wanted indulged in wild fantasies in his mind. Lin Mu reached out and poked his chest.

“Go dry your hair first.”

While obediently standing up to dry his hair, Fu Jingmo asked, “When do you want to leave?”

“Hmm? Anytime works. I’ll go with whatever you plan.”

After tossing the towel aside, Fu Jingmo sat back on the bed, pulled Lin Mu into his arms, and kissed the side of his face.

“I mean, Shancheng is safe and comfortable. If you’d like, we could stay here for a few more days.”

The days of wandering and hardship weren’t easy to endure.

“No need. No matter how long we stay, we’ll eventually have to leave. The sooner you finish your mission, the sooner we can head to Fengcheng to hand it in.”

Lin Mu paused before continuing, “As for Xiao Yuan… I’ve been thinking, since it has fallen to me, I can only accept it. Maybe it really can bring a glimmer of hope to this world.”

“But I don’t know how many mutated zombie crystal cores it will take to fill the energy orb. Perhaps we really should seek help. Relying on just the four of us, our strength is far too limited.”

Lin Mu’s fingers were gently pinched, and he raised his eyes to look at the person behind him who was holding him.

Fu Jingmo gazed at him, a faint smile in his deep, profound eyes.

Lin Mu was not someone who would hesitate or retreat.

His Lin Xiao Mu just needed a bit of time to adjust himself.

“You’re right. If the R-virus can really be resolved, this isn’t something you should handle alone. But until we reach Fengcheng, don’t let anyone else know,” Fu Jingmo said, patting his head gently. “I can’t trust anyone else.”

When they reached Fengcheng, he planned to recall the members of Team 113 to provide Lin Mu with a sufficient shield of protection.

“Alright.”

The two of them spoke in low voices before turning off the lights to sleep.

However, their usual posture of occupying opposite sides of the bed had changed.

It became a posture of lying intertwined, necks resting against each other.