LABMY CH95.1

After everything was settled, Qu Wenxuan found an opportunity to avoid Wang Li and the others and approached Jian Yuanbai. “Mr. Bai, is this enough to deal with the pollution on Jinhang’s body, or is there something else we need to do?”

As long as Yang Jinhang stayed by Jian Yuanbai’s side, the infection on his wound wouldn’t worsen. However, Jian Yuanbai still remembered what he did to Shen Nian back then.

Since he had to put on a full act, he played along, but he had no interest in touching another man’s wound. So, he said, “You need to gather your power and focus it on his wound. You can do this too.”

I can do it too?

Qu Wenxuan was confused. How could he possibly do that?

A moment later, he felt an invisible force wrapping around his fingertips, with a faint blue light flickering. After receiving a confirming nod from Jian Yuanbai, Qu Wenxuan placed his hand on Yang Jinhang’s wound.

As expected of the mysterious Word Spirit ability, it was truly amazing!

They were currently inside a rural house. Shen Nian leaned in, watching the process with interest, while Wang Li and Su Su were downstairs preparing dinner.

While washing vegetables, Su Su accidentally brushed against Wang Li’s arm. “Sorry.”

She received no response. Turning her head, she saw Wang Li standing there absentmindedly with a cabbage in his hand, staring blankly at the floor, lost in thought.

“Wang-ge?” Su Su patted Wang Li’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

Wang Li jolted as if snapped out of a trance and quickly replied, “Nothing, nothing.”

He made up an excuse, “I was just thinking about those people who were locked up. I feel sorry for them.”

Su u shook her head, her eyes filled with lingering fear. “Yeah…”

“Don’t think too much. It won’t help.”

Some of the rescued people didn’t even feel grateful toward “Mr. Bai” and the others. They believed that being rescued was actually harming them, thinking that Jian Yuanbai and Qu Wenxuan, as ability users, should take responsibility for their survival.

Most of these people were those who had lived quite well in that base, acting as lapdogs who oppressed the weaker ones.

But… Jian Yuanbai was never the type to be morally bound.

He simply left them with the words, “The supplies in the supermarket are enough to last you for a while,” and left without hesitation.

Su Su shook her head, stopped overthinking, and focused on preparing dinner.

She knew that “Mr. Bai” wouldn’t keep them around forever, not to mention that she once tried to guilt-trip him. For now, she just hoped to reach the fortress in S City.

So, she kept a low profile, fearing that she might get abandoned midway.

After preparing the meal, Su u brought the dishes out of the kitchen. Meanwhile, Wang Li lingered for a moment, then slowly rolled up his sleeve and glanced at his wrist.

There was a scratch, faintly turning black. It was from when he was untying those imprisoned people and got scratched by someone who reacted violently.

Wang Li couldn’t understand why a scratch from an ordinary person would show signs of infection, but he didn’t dare speak up. He was afraid of being killed or abandoned, so he hid the wound beneath his thick clothing.

During dinner, Jian Yuanbai held Shen Nian in his arms as they ate. The weather was getting colder, and Shen Nian was practically glued to Jian Yuanbai’s side.

From being shy at the beginning to now secretly kicking off his shoes and almost embedding himself into Jian Yuanbai’s embrace, Shen Nian’s progress was obvious.

Yang Jinhang, watching the two sticking so closely, mumbled with chopsticks in his mouth, “You two are really close… Are you brothers?”

Jian Yuanbai: “No.”

Yang Jinhang was stunned. “Then you guys are… lovers—”

Before he could finish, Jian Yuanbai cut him off, “I’m his stepfather. You can also call me his ‘Xiao Ba.’”

Yang Jinhang’s expression cracked for a moment. “Haha… hahaha, that’s… very close indeed… So, what about your wife?”

Jian Yuanbai glanced at Shen Nian, who remained silent, so he replied on his behalf, “Dead.”

Yang Jinhang immediately shut his mouth.

He was afraid that if he asked anything more, something even more bizarre would come out.

Shen Nian quietly enjoyed his cabbage noodles as if their conversation had nothing to do with him.

Wang Li and Su Su, who knew the truth that they weren’t actually stepfather and stepson, lowered their heads and stayed silent.

Although they didn’t understand it, perhaps this was just one of those strange hobbies that powerful people had… like role-playing or something.

After dinner, Jian Yuanbai and Shen Nian returned to the room they would be staying in for the night.

Even in the apocalypse, Jian Yuanbai’s obsession with cleanliness hadn’t changed one bit. He found a clean, neatly folded bedsheet in the house, changed it, and then prepared to sleep.

Shen Nian wanted to take a shower. When he entered the bathroom and turned on the showerhead, the cold water made him shiver, even though the water temperature wasn’t actually low. In such extreme weather, ordinary people would freeze while bathing.

He finished his shower as quickly as possible and looked at Jian Yuanbai. “Xiao Ba, can you help me dry my hair?”

Jian Yuanbai walked over and ran his fingers through Shen Nian’s wet hair. “You’re getting more and more comfortable bossing me around.”

Shen Nian turned his head and smiled sweetly at him, speaking in a soft and gentle voice, “But you’re my Xiao Ba.”

“I know… you’ll help me, right?”

Jian Yuanbai felt quite pleased being called “Xiao Ba” over and over, but he was also a bit confused. “I remember at first, you refused to call me Xiao Ba. Why are you so comfortable with it now?”

After Shen Nian’s hair dried, he crawled into bed but shivered from the cold sheets. He patted the empty spot beside him while calling for Jian Yuanbai and explained, “Because you used to be annoying, but now I feel like you’re a good person.”

“Xiao Ba, come sleep.”

Shen Nian, freshly cleaned and pure white like porcelain, reached out his hands and patted the empty space on the bed. His beautiful eyes were filled with anticipation, as if extending an invitation.

And indeed, it was an invitation—just a simple invitation for a stepfather and stepson to sleep together.

Jian Yuanbai got into bed, and immediately, a warm body snuggled into his embrace. The delicate and slightly dazed-looking boy rubbed against his chest obediently. “Good night, Xiao Ba.”

Shen Nian closed his eyes, feeling utterly content:

He really loved his human body pillow.

Warm and comfortable, with automatic heating and built-in protection. Plus, he wouldn’t abandon him in times of danger.

So what if he enjoyed playing this weird “raising a kid” roleplay?

He was willing to play along.

That was his duty, after all.

Jian Yuanbai held the person in his arms with one hand. A faint rose fragrance filled his nose. Shen Nian’s body always carried this pleasant rose scent.

At first, Jian Yuanbai thought it was just the scent of his body wash, but after so long, no matter where they bathed, Shen Nian still smelled like roses. It seemed to be his natural scent.

The rose fragrance wasn’t strong, very faint, and easy to miss if you didn’t pay attention. Over time, Jian Yuanbai had gotten used to falling asleep with this light scent.

But tonight, the scent seemed to follow him into his dreams.

In his dream, he saw a pair of teary eyes and an outstretched hand, accompanied by a sobbing “Xiao Ba. “

When he woke up, the details of the dream were already blurry, but the sound of “Xiao Ba” lingered in his mind.

Looking at Shen Nian, who was still sleeping soundly in his arms, Jian Yuanbai’s heart was filled with affection for his “stepson.”

It seemed that after spending so much time together, he had truly come to see Shen Nian as his own.

Otherwise, why would he dream about him?

Although he didn’t have a wife, having a stepson first wasn’t too bad.

Hopefully, his future wife would accept this stepson.

As this thought crossed his mind, Jian Yuanbai suddenly remembered—he was destined to leave this world. He wouldn’t be staying here to find a wife.

Staring at Shen Nian’s sleeping face, Jian Yuanbai finally understood the meaning of “the deeper the love, the farther the plan.”

In his heart, he called out to the system, “When will Shen Nian awaken his ability?”

“It’s been so long, and he’s still an ordinary person. When the weather gets colder, Shen Nian will freeze to death before he even becomes the ‘Long Aotian.’”

The system replied, “I don’t know much about the plot either. I only know that in this world of apocalyptic mutation, Shen Nian struggled to survive as an ordinary person for three years before suddenly awakening his ability. From then on, he grew rapidly, led the surviving humans in eliminating the mutated monsters, and established a utopia. In the end, he lived happily ever after with two female leads.”

Jian Yuanbai was stunned. “Three years? Two female leads?”

The system confirmed, “Yes. So, the timeline should be three years. As for the two female leads… they probably won’t exist anymore.”

After all, with Jian Yuanbai here, how could there be two female leads? The system understood this all too well.

Jian Yuanbai frowned in confusion. “Why won’t there be two female leads anymore?”

The system, realizing it had slipped up, immediately went silent and pretended to be dead.

Jian Yuanbai’s mind kept shifting between “three years” and “two female leads.”

His gaze toward Shen Nian gradually turned more thoughtful.

Since Jian Yuanbai never voiced his thoughts, Shen Nian naturally remained clueless.

After finishing their meal, the group set out on their journey once again.

On the way, apart from encountering two or three monsters that fled upon seeing Jian Yuanbai, nothing particularly eventful happened.

Until the third day, when Yang Jinhang suddenly shouted, “I’m not afraid of the cold anymore!”

These past few days, he had been sleeping next to Qu Wenxuan. But this morning, he suddenly discovered that he was no longer affected by the cold.

Under everyone’s gaze, he belatedly realized, “I think… I’ve awakened an ability.”

Everyone present was stunned. Qu Wenxuan grabbed Yang Jinhang’s hand excitedly and asked, “Really? What’s your ability?”

They were already relieved that Yang Jinhang hadn’t mutated into a monster. Unexpectedly, he even awakened an ability, which was an unexpected blessing.

Yang Jinhang hesitated for a moment, then looked at Shen Nian and asked, “Your eyesight isn’t very good, right?”

Shen Nian nodded, “I’m severely nearsighted.”

Yang Jinhang hesitated, “I think… I can heal your eyes.”

As soon as he said this, Jian Yuanbai, who had been quiet all along, suddenly stood up. His movement was so abrupt that everyone turned to look at him.

Yang Jinhang cautiously asked, “Mr. Bai… what’s wrong?”

Jian Yuanbai shook his head and said in a cold tone, “Nothing. I’m just a bit too happy that you can heal Shen Nian’s eyes.”

His icy tone and expressionless face made it impossible for Yang Jinhang to smile.

Shen Nian, on the other hand, was delighted but also a bit puzzled. “Why did you suddenly awaken an ability?”

Yang Jinhang glanced at Wang Li next to him and said to Shen Nian, “Let’s talk over there.”

They walked to the side of the vehicle, and Yang Jinhang, with a mix of excitement and embarrassment, explained, “Because you and Mr. Bai said that words hold power. Qu Wenxuan told me to repeat every day that I wouldn’t mutate. He said that although it wouldn’t be as effective as facing others directly, it should still work.”

His face was glowing with excitement. “Now I’m an ability user too. Do you want to give it a try?”

“I feel like I have a healing-type ability.”

Shen Nian thought for a moment, “Let’s try it then.”

Yang Jinhang didn’t know how to use his ability, so he tentatively placed his hand over Shen Nian’s eyes. The long, thick eyelashes brushed against his palm, tickling him and making him even more nervous.

Suddenly, he felt a mysterious force flowing from his palm. After a while, the energy slowly faded.

He anxiously removed his hand and watched as Shen Nian slowly opened his eyes. “How is it?”

Shen Nian stared at him for a moment. “I can see a bit clearer now.”

Hearing this, Yang Jinhang sighed in relief. “As long as it works, I’ll keep trying. I’ll definitely heal you completely.”

His focus had been on Shen Nian’s eyes, but now he realized how close they were. Looking at Shen Nian’s face, he blurted out, “You’re so beautiful.”

Realizing what he said, Yang Jinhang panicked and waved his hands, “I-I didn’t mean that.”

“Shen Nian.”

Jian Yuanbai’s cold voice suddenly called out. No one noticed when he had walked over, but his face was dark as he shot a warning glance at Yang Jinhang.

Qu Wenxuan, who followed behind, also looked displeased as he dragged Yang Jinhang over to thank Jian Yuanbai.

“Mr. Bai, thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve already turned into a monster. I never expected to awaken an ability. Thank you so much.”

He cautiously glanced at Jian Yuanbai’s dark expression and nervously explained, “I just thought Shen Nian looked good… Ah no, not good-looking, I mean… I don’t have any other intentions.”

Although he didn’t understand why he needed to clarify this, the fear in his heart made him feel the need to explain.

Mr. Bai’s expression was terrifying. Was he really mad because he praised Shen Nian’s looks?

But Jian Yuanbai ignored him and turned to Shen Nian with a hint of nervousness. “Can you see clearly now?”

Shen Nian nodded naturally and said, “Let’s go, Xiao Ba. We still have a journey ahead.”

Jian Yuanbai hesitated, “You…?”

Shen Nian looked at him curiously, “What’s wrong?”

Jian Yuanbai shook his head. So, even after regaining his sight, Shen Nian still didn’t notice the difference?

As he was thinking this, Shen Nian casually mentioned, “Come to think of it, the last time I saw you was three years ago before the apocalypse. Now that I can finally see you clearly, you seem to have gotten a lot more handsome.”

Three years ago… It was understandable that he didn’t recognize him.

Moreover, the reason he was mistaken for Bai Lingchen at first was that they looked somewhat alike.

Jian Yuanbai immediately relaxed. “It’s good that your eyesight is improving. Let’s go. According to our route, we should reach S City in three days.”

Yang Jinhang’s ability to heal physical abnormalities was invaluable in the apocalypse filled with danger.

Qu Wenxuan and Yang Jinhang, both with decent morals, felt indebted to Jian Yuanbai. Even though they now had the strength to survive on their own, they never suggested leaving the group.

After three more days of travel, they finally reached S City. The scene before them left everyone in awe.

A thick steel wall surrounded half the city, leaving only a single gate for entry and exit. A long line of vehicles queued at the gate, waiting for inspection.

The happiest person was Su Su, who stuck her head out of the car window and looked at the towering fortress. For an ordinary person like her, this fortress provided an immense sense of security.

She excitedly patted Wang Li, “Wang-ge, we made it! We’re really here!”

Wang Li smiled, though not as enthusiastically as her. “Yeah, we made it.”

In the car, Shen Nian was also pleased, especially after learning that the fortress provided heating for ordinary people. His face lit up with joy.

With two ability users in their group, the guards at the gate treated them well and provided a detailed introduction to the fortress.

“This fortress’s defense was built by several ability users over a long period. It can withstand attacks from A-level pollutants, so you can rest assured here.”

Jian Yuanbai asked, “A-level? You’ve classified the pollutants by level?”

The guard nodded, “You’re new here, so you might not know. Our fortress scholars have gained a decent understanding of pollutants.”

“The levels range from C to S. The higher the level, the stronger the infection and the greater the destructive power.”

“With our current technology, we still can’t detect if a person is infected until they mutate. But don’t worry, the fortress has patrol squads that will respond immediately if any issues arise.”

The guard smiled and added, “There’s a small chance that infection leads to awakening abilities instead of mutation. It seems to depend on the individual. So if anyone gets injured by pollutants, report it immediately for proper treatment.”

Jian Yuanbai glanced at Yang Jinhang, finally understanding how he awakened his ability.

He had already been surprised that Yang Jinhang didn’t mutate, but awakening an ability by chanting “I control my own fate” seemed too far-fetched.

In the fortress, resources could be exchanged for the right to choose housing. Ability users received special privileges. Jian Yuanbai chose a decent two-bedroom apartment.

Qu Wenxuan and Yang Jinhang picked a nearby spot, and a guide led them there.

Their farewell to Wang Li and Su Su was brief, as they shared little emotional connection. To Jian Yuanbai, escorting them to S City was already an act of kindness.

Watching them leave, Wang Li turned to the guard and said, “I’m an ability user too. Can I get the same privileges?”

The guard was surprised he hadn’t mentioned it earlier but quickly registered him after Wang Li demonstrated his ability.

Su Su was shocked, but Wang Li looked at her and asked, “Will you come with me?”

Wang Li had witnessed Jian Yuanbai’s strength. After awakening his ability, he remained silent, pretending to be an ordinary person until they reached S City.

Now that he was no longer an ordinary person, why should he continue driving for others?

Perhaps… he could…

Recalling the women he saw in rags at the supermarket base, Wang Li’s gaze toward Su Su darkened with hidden malice.