"According to Bruno's explanation, if it really was poisoning, then the timing must have been very close. In that case, the members of Team T can almost be ruled out, because none of them would have any reason to deliberately approach Uncle Qian and the others' living quarters," Shen Feng continued.
"What are you implying? By your logic, are you saying it was one of us who had nothing better to do and went to poison them?" Xu Shu frowned and retorted.
"I'm only speculating, I'm not saying it was anyone in particular." Shen Feng glanced sideways at Xu Shu.
The child in my arms, Xiao Hu, stirred a little.
I quickly patted him gently.
Seeing that he had settled back down without waking, I quietly joined in, "Bruno's explanation might not be entirely right either. Yang hasn't woken up yet, so it could still have been him. Let's not make wild guesses now. We finally got out of that hellhole—let's talk about something happier."
"Exactly! Let's talk about something else. From the day I first came to this place, I never liked it. Now with all this mess stirred up, I've long been fed up. No matter how beautiful the scenery is, once it's filled with twisted-minded people, it's nothing but a living hell. Better to leave as soon as possible. Compared to that, I'd much rather travel along with you all, never settling down anywhere, never having to beg anyone. That's true freedom." Uncle Gazi deliberately lightened his tone, clearly trying to ease the tension in the car.
Sure enough, Yangyang, Chen Pu, and Jun Di were drawn into his words and laughed as they chimed in.
"Yeah, yeah, I thought I was the only one who felt this way. Honestly, aside from the time I stayed at our place, I've never felt truly comfortable anywhere else. Even though life in the valley was orderly enough—hot baths, daily supplies—the overall atmosphere was suffocatingly twisted. It always felt like the people there were devoid of flesh and blood. To finally be out… I really feel relieved," Yangyang said with a smile.
Chen Pu nodded eagerly in agreement. "Yangyang's right. I never liked those people either. What era are we even living in? And they're still dividing people into classes, like some kind of landlords!"
"Exactly." Jun Di hugged Tingyun closer and picked up the thread: "If you ask me, if we ever get the chance, why not find a small island somewhere? We could clear some land, plant crops, live a self-sufficient little farming life. In the winter, we'd huddle in a wooden cabin, sipping hot soup, chatting and laughing. We could bring Tingyun and Rongrong along—oh, and now there's also the little boy. We'd build snowmen and have snowball fights. And when it's hot, we'd head to the beach, swim in the sea, catch fish in the shallows. No walkers, no constant fear—just peace. How good would that be?"
When Jun Di finished speaking, a wave of wistful sighs filled the car.
Everyone began picturing that beautiful scene—sunlight, sandy beaches, seawater, a wooden cabin.
The more they imagined it, the more perfect it seemed.
"Ha, Jun Di, you really do know how to dream. If we could actually live in a place like that, it would be wonderful." Han Xue sighed lightly after speaking, then added, "But unfortunately, right now we definitely have to follow Suo Tian and the others to that so-called headquarters, don't we?"
At those words, silence immediately fell over the car.
No one said anything more.
I glanced back at the compartment, gently patting Xiao Hu's back at my side, not knowing how to respond either.
Indeed, ever since meeting Suo Tian, our group had, without realizing it, started following in his footsteps.
In this dark and terrifying world, he was undoubtedly a strong figure, and so unconsciously we began treating him as a guiding light.
When we first ran into him again outside the shuttle bus, I thought to myself, let's just stick with him for now—once the right chance comes, we'll go our own way.
But gradually, that thought began to fade.
All of us had grown used to the heavily armed protection of the black-clad men, and even more accustomed to the way Suo Tian foresaw and handled everything perfectly.
Before we knew it, we had come to think of ourselves as people who naturally belonged by their side.
As I looked out the car window, that same thought surfaced once again: We'll follow Suo Tian to their headquarters, and once things settle down, just like Jun Di suggested, we'll find an uninhabited island to live on.
As for Suo Tian... I won't think about that for now.
One step at a time.
The convoy soon drove out of the valley.
Just as we were about to leave the mountain pass, the cars ahead suddenly came to a stop.
We waited inside for a while before a black-clad man ran over carrying something furry in his arms.
Rolling down the window for a closer look, I couldn't help but cry out in delight:
"Zheng Yiyi?!"
Curled up motionless in the man's arms, Yiyi suddenly lifted his little head at the sound of my voice and barked woof, woof, woof in my direction, wagging his tail furiously.
How on earth was he here?
The man handed Yiyi over to Chen Pu, then, before we could ask, pointed ahead and explained, "There's a crack at the base of one of the mountains connected to the valley. He must've accidentally squeezed out through there."
I nodded and thanked him sincerely, then turned back to look at the filthy, dirt-covered little dog in Chen Pu's arms.
Smiling at the others who were just as overjoyed, I said, "This guy's luck is absolutely off the charts."
"No kidding. For a dog to have that kind of luck, he must've done a lot of good in his past life," Jun Di laughed as he joined in.
These past days must have terrified Zheng Yiyi.
Now he huddled close in Chen Pu's arms, tilting his head to peer at each of us in turn, his little watery eyes making him look utterly pitiful.
After the black-clad man returned to his car, the convoy moved out again.
This time there were no more delays.
We drove straight through the nearby county town, and before long the familiar highway came into view.
Once we were on the highway, I finally let out a long, heavy sigh and leaned back into the seat.
Looking at the mountains flanking both sides of the road, my mood suddenly soared.
That suffocating pressure from the valley vanished in an instant.
Unlike when we left the village and the shelter, this time what I felt was pure relief and ease.
Not long after, Xiao Hu woke up in my arms.
At first he was cranky, but when I pointed out the view outside, the little guy's attention was instantly captured by the fresh scenery.
Perched on my lap, he leaned halfway out against the window, staring wide-eyed at the passing sights.
Every time we passed a natural waterfall, he would burst out laughing uncontrollably.
Tingyun, drawn in by him, copied his every move at the window.
Whenever Xiao Hu laughed, she laughed even harder.
Their infectious giggles had the whole car bursting into laughter right along with them.
Not long after, Rongrong also woke up.
The moment she opened her eyes, everyone in the car tensed up.
Except for Shen Feng, all eyes were fixed on her.
I was especially nervous, because at this moment it was Yangyang holding her.
I was afraid that if we weren't careful, Rongrong might suddenly lash out and bite Yangyang.
But when Rongrong woke up, she blinked sleepily, glanced around at us, then turned her head and saw Yangyang holding her.
She froze for a second, then her little arms—no longer as chubby as before—instinctively wrapped around Yangyang's neck in a spoiled, affectionate way.
Her drowsiness seemed to vanish. I asked her, "What should you say now?"
Rongrong looked at me, then rubbed her little face and greeted everyone one by one: "Hello, Brother Shen Feng. Hello, Brother Chen Pu. Hello, Grandpa Gazi. Hello, Sister Xu Shu…"
But when her eyes fell on Han Xue, she hesitated.
"Sister Han Xue," I reminded her.
"Hello, Sister Han Xue," Rongrong obediently said, greeting each person properly.
Then she turned and spotted Tingyun leaning against the car window, giggling foolishly as she looked outside.
Her attention was instantly drawn away, and with curiosity written all over her face, she followed her gaze out the window.
I watched her for a while.
Not noticing anything unusual, I signaled to Xu Shu to sit in the back and keep a closer eye on Rongrong, then straightened back up.
Greeting everyone after waking up was something Xiao Xue had taught her when she was alive.
Shen Feng kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, his expression somewhat dazed.
Quietly glancing at him, I knew he must be thinking of Xiao Xue again.
With a sigh, I patted Xiao Hu's head and deliberately raised my voice: "Xiao Hu, want me to tell you a funny joke?"
Xiao Hu was fully absorbed in looking out the window and didn't bother with me.
But I didn't mind—the point was for Shen Feng to hear it.
"Ahem…" I cleared my throat and peeked at Shen Feng again.
Seeing his expression soften a little, I began:
"One day, Lu Xun was walking down the street when he suddenly heard someone calling him from behind: 'Brother Xun!' Lu Xun turned around and saw a handsome young man with red lips and white teeth standing there. 'Who are you?' Lu Xun asked. The youth replied, 'Brother Xun, don't you remember the green watermelon fields, the golden January skies, and the boy with the silver-ringed headband?' Lu Xun's eyes lit up with joy, 'Run Tu?! Is that you?!' 'No,' the boy said, 'I am Cha.'"
*This passage is actually a Chinese internet joke (a meme) that plays on Lu Xun's famous essay "My Old Friend Runtu"
The punchline had barely fallen when Shen Feng burst out laughing, followed immediately by a wave of laughter filling the car.
Xiao Hu turned around at the sound, gave us a puzzled look, then turned back to stare outside.
I couldn't help but laugh as well, and when I saw Shen Feng smiling, a weight lifted off my chest and I finally relaxed a little.
"Chen Yang," Shen Feng suddenly called my name.
"Hm?"
He stared at me for a couple of seconds before looking forward again.
After a short pause, he moved his lips slightly and whispered, "I'm fine. Don't worry."
I was stunned at first, then patted his shoulder with a smile. "It was just a joke."
Shen Feng only smiled in response, saying nothing more.
Thanks to that joke, the car stayed lively for quite a while.
Jun Di, Yangyang, and Chen Pu, now in the mood, each started telling their own jokes, keeping everyone laughing.
The car kept moving on the road for a long time.
By the time dusk fell, everyone inside was complaining of hunger.
Finally, a voice crackled over the walkie-talkie—it was Suo Tian: "There's a rest area one kilometer ahead. We'll turn in there."
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