13: Chapter 13 Sisters on the verge of collapse

Early morning.

Ye Qingxue opened her eyes.

She hadn't eaten for two whole days.

The hunger was so intense she could hardly think.

Her stomach was cramping violently, as if a knife were twisting inside.

She felt dizzy, and black spots flickered before her eyes.

Her lips were cracked and bleeding, and her tongue felt as dry as a piece of wood.

But she forced herself to stay conscious.

She had to stay awake.

She had to think.

She looked at her younger sister beside her.

Ye Qingyue's condition was even worse.

Her face was as pale as paper, and her breathing was so faint it was almost inaudible.

She was curled into a ball, her lips tinged purple.

If this continued...

Her sister would die.

Ye Qingxue clenched her teeth, trying hard to suppress the panic in her heart.

Then, she turned her gaze toward Lin Yuan by the wall.

Ye Qingxue stared at him, her gaze growing colder.

She went over everything in her mind again.

Lin Yuan had said, "There might be a way, but it requires special conditions."

Then he had stared at Qingyue.

The meaning was already obvious.

He wanted Qingyue's body.

In exchange, he said he could get supplies.

Ye Qingxue took a deep breath.

This was ridiculous.

Absolute nonsense!

How could an ordinary person have such an ability?

Sleeping with someone could conjure up supplies?

What kind of bullshit logic was this?

Even in the Apocalypse, such an absurd thing was impossible.

He must be lying.

This pervert must be trying to take advantage of her sister during the Apocalypse.

Yes, that must be it.

The more Ye Qingxue thought about it, the more certain she became.

Those antidotes...

Although she didn't know where they came from, maybe he had stockpiled them beforehand?

Or obtained them through some channel?

In any case, it couldn't be some supernatural power.

Impossible.

Absolutely impossible.

Ye Qingxue made a decision.

She was going to take a gamble.

Gamble that Lin Yuan was lying.

Gamble that he had no way at all.

He was just an ordinary, sleazy pervert trying to take advantage.

"I don't believe you."

Ye Qingxue spoke.

Her voice was weak, but firm.

Lin Yuan opened his eyes and looked at her.

"I don't believe your nonsense."

Ye Qingxue stared into his eyes and said word by word:

"If you really had a way, why didn't you bring it out earlier?"

"Why wait until now?"

"You're just a pervert."

"Trying to take advantage of my sister during the Apocalypse."

She spoke directly and resolutely.

Lin Yuan's expression didn't change at all after hearing this.

He just looked at her coldly.

No explanation.

No anger.

He just watched.

That look made Ye Qingxue feel a bit uneasy.

But she couldn't back down.

She continued:

"You live in a dump like this, a single room in an Urban Village with a monthly rent of seven hundred yuan."

"Instant noodle cups are piled in the corner, and the table is covered in takeout packaging."

"You're a pauper yourself, so you surely don't have many supplies left, do you?"

"Do you think it's worth it for all three of us to starve to death together?"

Ye Qingxue tried to convince him with logic.

Trying to make him understand that continuing like this would benefit no one.

Lin Yuan still didn't speak.

He just looked at her calmly, as if watching a buffoon.

After a long time.

So long that Ye Qingxue thought he wouldn't answer.

Lin Yuan finally spoke.

"You're right."

His voice was very calm.

"I live in a dump like this; I really don't have many supplies."

"It's true that all three of us starving to death benefits no one."

Ye Qingxue's eyes lit up.

Was there hope?

Was he going to compromise?

But in the next second, Lin Yuan's words made her heart sink to the bottom.

"However..."

Lin Yuan slowly stood up and walked to the window.

"I can last longer than you; that's a fact."

He lifted a corner of the curtain and looked outside.

"On average, an adult male can survive five to seven days without eating anything."

"For females, it's only three to five days."

"What's more, you've been infected with snow poison, so your constitutions were already weak."

"Although the antidote has controlled the illness, your bodies are still in the recovery phase."

"You probably won't even last three days."

Lin Yuan turned around and looked at the two sisters.

"So, even if all three of us die together."

"You will die first."

"And I will still live for another day or two."

He spoke too calmly.

So calmly it was as if he were stating an objective fact.

Without any emotional fluctuation.

Ye Qingxue clenched her teeth.

She found she couldn't refute him.

Because what Lin Yuan said was indeed the truth.

She had been observing over the past two days.

Although Lin Yuan was also weak, his condition was indeed better than theirs.

He could still move around.

He could still talk.

He even had the strength to stand by the window and observe the outside.

Meanwhile, she and her sister were so weak they couldn't even get out of bed.

Could it be...

Could it be that he really had some kind of...

No!

Ye Qingxue frantically denied the thought in her mind.

Impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

His constitution was just a bit better than theirs.

That was all.

There was no supernatural power.

There were no mysterious abilities.

He was just an ordinary person.

A pervert wanting to take advantage.

Ye Qingxue told herself this.

But...

But her speculation was wavering.

Because the reality was right before her eyes.

Her sister was dying.

She herself was about to reach her limit.

Yet Lin Yuan could still stand and talk.

This gap...

Was it really just a difference in constitution?

Ye Qingxue didn't know.

She wasn't sure anymore.

But she couldn't admit defeat.

She couldn't compromise.

Absolutely not!

She closed her eyes, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

Silence fell over the room.

Time passed bit by bit.

Day turned into night.

Night.

No moonlight, no lamplight.

The entire world was plunged into darkness.

Ye Qingyue woke up in a daze.

She felt as if she were dreaming.

A very, very long nightmare.

In the dream, there was snow, cold, and hunger.

And... fear.

She struggled to open her eyes.

In the darkness, she could vaguely see the outline of her sister.

Her sister was crying.

She could hear faint sobbing.

"Sis..."

Ye Qingyue called out weakly.

Ye Qingxue turned around abruptly and grabbed her sister's hand.

"Qingyue? You're awake?"

"Sis... are... are you crying?"

Ye Qingxue didn't answer.

She just held her sister's hand tightly.

Tears wouldn't stop flowing.

"Sis... what... what's wrong..."

Ye Qingyue sensed something was wrong.

Her sister wasn't the type to cry easily.

Since they were young, her sister had always been the strongest one.

No matter what difficulties they faced, her sister could always handle them calmly.

But now...

Her sister was crying.

And crying very sorrowfully.

"Sister..."

Ye Qingyue struggled to raise her hand, wanting to wipe away her sister's tears.

But she was too weak.

As soon as her hand was raised, it fell back down powerlessly.

"I'm sorry..."

Ye Qingxue finally spoke.

Her voice was thick with sobs.

"Qingyue... Sis... Sis can't protect you..."

"What?"

Ye Qingyue didn't hear clearly.

"Sis... is useless..."

Ye Qingxue said through her tears.

"Sis... might... not be able to protect you anymore..."

These words were spoken haltingly.

Every word felt as if it were squeezed out of her throat.

Ye Qingyue was stunned.

Although she was weak, her mind was still functioning.

Her sister said she couldn't protect her...

That man, Lin Yuan...

Yesterday's atmosphere...

Her sister's tears...

Ye Qingyue slowly pieced together the truth.

Her eyes snapped wide open.

"Sis... is it... is it that man..."

Ye Qingxue didn't speak.

She just held her sister even more tightly.

Tears fell like beads from a broken string.

Ye Qingyue understood.

She understood everything.

Lin Yuan wanted her.

In exchange... he might give supplies.

But her sister didn't believe him.

Her sister thought he was lying.

So her sister refused.

But...

But they were dying.

If they didn't eat something soon, they really would die.

Countless emotions surged in Ye Qingyue's heart.

Shock, anger, fear, shame... but the strongest was heartache.

Heartache for her sister.

Heartache for the sister who was willing to do anything to protect her.

"Sis... don't cry..."

Ye Qingyue said weakly.

"It's... it's not your fault..."

"It's me... I'm too useless..."

The two sisters held each other and wept bitterly in the darkness.

By the wall, Lin Yuan listened quietly.

He didn't speak.

He just closed his eyes and waited.

Time was still passing.

Despair was still spreading.

And he was still waiting.

Waiting for the moment they completely broke down.