Chapter 62: The Road of the Second Exile (4)

"Lin Yuan?" Ye Liuyun raised her brows. "Never heard of that name. Aren't you from Longyan Oasis?"

The man looked at Ye Liuyun in confusion and asked, "Longyan Oasis... what is that?"

His face was half-handsome, half-cruel, the kind that made most people uneasy when he stared at them. Yet Ye Liuyun seemed completely unaffected, her expression calm. "Longyan Oasis is about ten kilometers from here. If you're not from Longyan, then why have you come? Are you here to seize territory?"

Radish, standing behind the man, silently pointed to his own head and mouthed to Ye Liuyun, "Boss, I think this guy has lost his memory..."

Ye Liuyun smiled faintly, not quite convinced.

"Listen, Lin Yuan or whatever your name is, I don't care if you're really amnesiac or just pretending. If you want to steal Longyan's resources, you'll have to be dreaming. The oases keep to their own boundaries, that's the rule. Anyone who breaks it pays with their life, understand?"

The man seemed not to hear her, eyes dark as he stared into the distance, then began to walk forward step by step.

Ye Liuyun realized she was being ignored and, annoyed, grabbed his shoulder. "Hey! Where do you think you're going?!"

The man didn't know where he was headed. He only felt an urgent, inexplicable anxiety in his chest, as if he must reach that place as soon as possible, as if it were a matter of utmost importance.

"A little girl..." He frowned, struggling to recall. "I have to find her... help her find her mother..."

"What little girl? Looking for her mother? Hey, what are you talking about?" Ye Liuyun was utterly baffled and pointed ahead. "Don't you see the sandstorm over there? If you go now, you'll just be walking to your death! Are you out of your mind?!"

Radish muttered quietly on the side, "If he's lost his memory, isn't that the same as being out of his mind..."

The man gazed into the distance, where the sky at the horizon was a swirling yellow, the sandstorm slowly approaching, soon to arrive.

He looked away, his gaze falling on the off-road modified battle vehicle not far away.

A bad feeling rose in Ye Liuyun’s heart.

The next second, the man strode to the off-road vehicle, yanked open the door, and threw the bearded driver out of the seat!

"Shit!" Ye Liuyun exploded with rage. "Are you robbing us?!"

The bearded man was burly, never expecting to be tossed aside like a chick. He lay on the ground, stunned at first, but as soon as he came to his senses, he was even angrier than Ye Liuyun, leaping up and lunging viciously for the man's neck!

But this Lin Yuan was far stronger than ordinary—before the bearded man could get a grip, he was flipped over the man's shoulder and thrown again!

Ye Liuyun swiftly drew her gun from her waist. She had never hesitated to deal with thugs.

But the man was incredibly quick. After throwing the bearded man, he kicked up a spray of sand, blinding Ye Liuyun and making her fire blindly. Then, with a wrenching pain in her wrists, her hands were forced behind her back, her knees kicked out so she fell to the ground in a humiliated heap!

Radish, the last one left, was just as easily subdued, unable to put up any fight.

Ye Liuyun was a woman, but she had always moved smoothly on her missions, never suffering such humiliation before. Seeing the man climb into her battle vehicle, the supplies they had gathered still in the back, she lost all control and cursed furiously:

"Damn you and your ancestors! If you've got the guts, kill me now!"

Radish tried to calm her. "Forget it, boss, this guy's too strong. The fact he didn't kill us shows he's holding back."

The bearded man was unconvinced. "Damn it, he's humiliating us!"

Just then, the man in the car suddenly opened the door and walked toward them.

Radish was on the verge of tears. "See what you've done—now he's coming to silence us!"

Ye Liuyun tensed, quickly searching for her fallen gun.

Their brief encounter had taught her well—without a weapon, even the three of them together were no match for this man.

But the man ignored her, instead grabbing the bearded one and dragging him back to the driver's seat.

The bearded man was furious, waving his fists. "You can kill me, but you can't humiliate me!"

The man gripped his thick wrist, forcing it onto the steering wheel. His face was devoid of emotion as he commanded, "Drive."

The bearded man was on the verge of collapse. "Are you out of your mind? Stealing a car when you can't even drive?!"

Bang!

The car door was yanked open. Ye Liuyun stood outside, gun aimed at the man's head.

"Get out!"

Any ordinary person, confronted with a gun, would at least show some reaction. But the man seemed completely unaware of fear. He seized Ye Liuyun’s wrist and pressed it hard against the window, not letting go of the bearded man for a moment.

His gaze was cold as he looked at Ye Liuyun. "If you don't want your wrist broken, let go."

Ye Liuyun's expression changed drastically as a searing pain shot through her arm. She could feel the bones grinding, as if they would be crushed in another second.

What kind of monster was this?

She dared not resist and quickly released her grip. The gun fell from her hand, and the man let her go.

The entire confrontation lasted but seconds, but Ye Liuyun was already sweating.

She was no match for him, that much was clear. But she couldn't just give up the supplies in the vehicle; so far from the oasis, if she and her team had to walk the desert, they'd be doomed if they ran into any mutant beasts.

She blocked the car, saying, "You really can't go! A sandstorm like that will get you lost, and even if you don't care about getting lost, that's the nest of the Cross Insect Monsters! If you want to die, don't drag my brothers with you!"

The man frowned. "Cross... insect monsters?"

The bearded man sat sweating in the driver's seat, nerves taut. "A year ago, the Qinghe Oasis ran dry—over a thousand migrants were eaten alive by those things! We don't know why you want to go there, but besides the monsters and a ruined city, there's nothing but death!"

The man fell silent, pondering whether the Qinghe Oasis they mentioned was the same abandoned city that lingered in his mind.

Ye Liuyun watched him, worried he'd charge into the sandstorm regardless. Seeing him hesitate, she quickly volunteered, "If you want to go to Qinghe Oasis, you don't have to take this road. I know another, much safer route!"

He frowned at her, as if weighing her sincerity.

That face, which hadn't seemed so intimidating before, now with its cold, sunken gaze, made Ye Liuyun tense all over. She swallowed uncomfortably.

"Get in," the man said.

Ye Liuyun paused, then hurried to the back compartment and climbed in.

Radish quickly followed.

The man said, "Guide me. I want to go to Qinghe Oasis."

...

...

Shi Xianyu scrubbed the mousetrap cage meticulously and soaked it in disinfectant three times. The stainless steel wires glistened in the sunlight, and finally, the discomfort in her heart eased.

Carrying the cage out of the kitchen, she found that Lu Li had already washed the ragdoll and was squatting by a basin, absorbed in playing with the bubbles.

Children were so simple and sweet—she could be so fascinated by something as small as a bubble.

A smile appeared in Shi Xianyu’s eyes as she approached. "Aren't the bubbles beautiful?"

Lu Li looked up at her, eyes bright, and nodded.

"How about I give you a bubble machine?" Shi Xianyu patted her head and smiled. "Come on, let's go to the car. There are lots of toys inside."

Outside, the sandstorm had lessened; though the sky was still a murky yellow, the wind had died down.

The RV had been parked downstairs for most of the day, now covered in a layer of dust. Shi Xianyu gave it a quick wipe, unwilling to linger outside, and led Lu Li inside.

The moment they entered, they were greeted by a sofa booth and a small dining table. On the left was the kitchenette and refrigerator, on the right the driver’s and passenger’s seats. Farther in were two rows of storage cabinets and a bathroom, with two single beds above the cabinets, reachable by a hanging ladder.

Lu Li curiously explored this miniature world.

The sofa was a deep ocean blue, the dining table a bright white, with a bowl of cherry tomatoes on top, glossy green leaves and vibrant red fruit. Every color in the RV was clean and vivid, a stark contrast to the dull, ashen tones she was used to.

Unexpectedly, she caught her own reflection in the kitchen window.

Even though Shi Xianyu had cleaned her up, the warm, bright surroundings only made her feel darker, thinner—a little ugly duckling out of place.

Shi Xianyu took out a brand new pillow and blanket from the storage cabinet and asked, "Lu Li, do you want the green little dinosaur blanket or the pink bunny one?"

She'd prepared both, not knowing the child's gender before.

Lu Li pointed at the pink bunny blanket and gave Shi Xianyu a shy smile. She vaguely sensed that Shi Xianyu liked her to smile, because every time she did, Shi Xianyu would gently pat her head.

Just as she expected, Shi Xianyu smiled and patted her head. "Alright, you get the pink bunny, I'll use the dinosaur one~"

Shi Xianyu climbed up to make the beds, then brought out a pile of blocks, puzzles, coloring books, and the promised bubble machine, setting them all on the table along with milk and bread.

"You play for now. I'll be up front driving. If you need anything, just call me, okay?"

Lu Li gazed at the treasure trove before her, surprised and delighted as if in a dream.

She pinched her cheek. It hurt.

She wasn't dreaming.

Lu Li picked up the bubble machine, pressed the switch, and cheerful music filled the air as a stream of colorful bubbles floated through the RV.

Her eyes widened in amazement.

It was a common children's toy, but since the world had already run out of fresh water when she was born, using water for bubbles was a rare luxury. She had never seen anything so beautiful and magical.

Hearing the music, Shi Xianyu couldn’t help but smile as she gripped the steering wheel. "Setting out, time to hit the road~"

The RV slowly turned and headed out of the city. As the sandstorm faded, the scenery on either side of the road became clearer.

Far ahead, Shi Xianyu spotted something lying across the road.

She narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What is that? A bear?"