35: Chapter 35 The Return Journey and Su Qingqian's Confession

The massive steel body of Black Iron cast a long shadow under the sunset's afterglow, resembling a giant beast that had just returned from a hunt, covered in dust and the smoke of battle, slowly docking in the pre-designated hidden canyon.

"Quick! A stretcher! Shen Man! Get the operating table ready!"

As soon as it stopped and the doors opened, Liu Ruyan's anxious shout, tinged with a sob, shattered the silence of the canyon.

Zhao Xiaotang, who had been waiting anxiously at the carriage door, froze the moment she saw Lin Xiao rush down holding the blood-covered Su Qingqian. Her face, usually full of sunshine and vitality, turned deathly pale in an instant, and the alloy steel pipe in her hand clattered to the ground.

"Qing... Qing Qian?! Squad Leader! What happened?!"

Zhao Xiaotang's voice trembled; she had never seen Su Qingqian, who was as powerful as a female warrior god, suffer such a severe injury.

"Stop talking nonsense! Move!"

Lin Xiao's face was terrifyingly grim. His eyes, which usually carried a hint of playful amusement, were now bloodshot and radiated a predatory, man-eating ferocity.

He didn't explain, but rushed into the carriage with Su Qingqian like a whirlwind, heading straight for Carriage No. 2—that was the converted infirmary and also Shen Man's domain.

"All unauthorized personnel, get back to your own carriages! Whoever dares to cause trouble at this time, I'll throw her out to feed the zombies!"

Lin Xiao's roar echoed throughout the train via the broadcast system.

The girls, who had been ready to cheer and celebrate seeing the Squad Leader return with a full load, were instantly terrified into silence by this oppressive atmosphere. They obediently shrank back into their dorms, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Inside the infirmary, the pale light of the shadowless lamp shone onto the operating table.

Su Qingqian lay there quietly. Her cold, stunningly beautiful face was now pale to the point of transparency, and the dried blood at the corner of her mouth was as shocking as a withered red plum in the snow.

Her breathing was weak and rapid, each rise and fall accompanied by a painful furrowing of her brows.

"Scissors."

Shen Man displayed extreme professionalism as the head of the logistics and medical team. Although her eyes were red with heartache, her hands were as steady as a rock.

"Snip, snip."

The sharp medical scissors cut through the tattered dark combat uniform Su Qingqian was wearing.

As the clothing was peeled away, the perfect body—enough to drive any man crazy and make any woman jealous—was exposed to the air.

Her skin was whiter than snow, her collarbones were deeply defined, and her breathtaking S-shaped curves shimmered with an ivory luster under the lights.

However, no one had the heart to appreciate this beauty at the moment.

On her left ribs, a large, shocking bruise and swelling marred this perfection—the mark left by a strike from the Tyrant's claw. If not for the cushioning of her soft armor, this blow would have been enough to shatter her internal organs.

"Three ribs are broken, but the broken ends haven't pierced the lung lobes; it's the best of a bad situation."

Shen Man's fingers gently pressed on the injury, and a soft, milky white halo emanated from her palm—this was her ability, "Healing Hands."

"There is a concussion injury to the internal organs, accompanied by slight internal bleeding. However... her physical constitution has been genetically enhanced, and it is already self-repairing."

Lin Xiao stood to the side, staring fixedly at Su Qingqian's closed eyes, his fists clenched so tightly they creaked.

Self-reproach.

Deep self-reproach gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake.

If he had been a little stronger, if his reaction had been a little faster, if he hadn't taken her down there...

This woman, who usually stood silently behind him, guarding him like a shadow, would not have had to suffer like this.

"Squad Leader, you should go out first."

Shen Man said softly while treating the wound, "I need to perform a full-body purification and bone realignment for her; the process will be a bit... inconvenient."

Although everyone was on the same team, and Lin Xiao, as the only man, had already seen everything (in his mind), this type of treatment process involved privacy after all.

"I'm not leaving."

Lin Xiao's voice was hoarse and stubborn.

"I'll just watch here. I'm not going anywhere."

He pulled over a chair, sat down right beside the operating table, reached out, and gently held Su Qingqian's cold little hand.

"I'm not looking at anything else; I'm just waiting for her to wake up."

Shen Man looked at him, sighed, and didn't insist further.

She knew that although this man usually looked like a playboy and never had anything serious to say, once he truly fell in love, he was more persistent than anyone.

And...

Shen Man looked at Lin Xiao's focused and pained expression, and unexpectedly felt a faint sense of envy for Su Qingqian lying on the table.

In this doomsday where life was precarious, to have a man risk his life for you and wait for you like this, suffering a little injury like this seemed worth it.

Three hours later.

Night fell, and the lights inside Black Iron became soft.

The treatment was finished.

Under the dual effects of Shen Man's ability and the special ointment produced by the system, Su Qingqian's injuries had stabilized, and her broken ribs had been perfectly reset.

To let her rest better, Lin Xiao didn't let her stay in the infirmary but carried her straight back to his own luxury suite as Conductor.

This was the most comfortable, quiet, and safe place on the entire train.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows was a sky full of stars, the room was covered with thick Persian carpets, and the air was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood.

Su Qingqian lay on that large king-size bed, covered by a soft silk quilt, her long hair spread out on the pillow like a sleeping beauty.

Lin Xiao sat by the bed, holding a glass of warm water, just watching her quietly for a full hour.

It seemed she felt the scorching gaze beside her.

Su Qingqian's long eyelashes flickered slightly, and then, she slowly opened her eyes.

Those eyes, usually as cold as a frozen pool, now carried the confusion of just waking up and a hint of imperceptible fragility.

"Awake?"

Lin Xiao's voice was very soft, fearing he might disturb her.

He hurriedly supported her back, helping her lean slightly against the headboard, and then brought the water glass to her lips.

"Drink some water to moisten your throat."

Su Qingqian obediently took a few sips, the cool liquid sliding down her parched throat, finally allowing her chaotic consciousness to slowly return.

Memories surged in like a tide.

The Tyrant's terrifying strike, the intense pain of her body being sent flying, and... that figure who had thrown himself at the monster regardless of danger to save her.

She turned her head, looking at Lin Xiao who was within arm's reach.

The man's face still had unwashed dust, blue stubble had sprouted on his chin, and those eyes that were always full of spirit were bloodshot, filled with undisguised worry and concern.

In that instant.

The castle built of solid ice in Su Qingqian's heart collapsed with a crash.

"Why did you rush up?"

Before Su Qingqian could speak, Lin Xiao spoke first.

His tone carried a hint of reproach, but more of lingering fear.

"You are an assassin, a mage, not a meat shield! Blocking attacks is for Zhao Xiaotang or me! When did it ever become your turn, a fragile character, to go up and take the hit?"

"Do you know what would have happened if you hadn't dodged the vital spot from that hit? You would have died! You would have turned into a pile of meat paste!"

By the end, Lin Xiao's voice was even trembling.

Su Qingqian looked at his fierce expression, but didn't feel afraid at all.

On the contrary, she felt warm inside, as if wrapped in winter sunshine.

She wanted to smile, but it tugged at her wound, making her frown slightly in pain, yet the corners of her mouth still curved into a very faint, yet extremely beautiful arc.

She didn't speak, just laboriously reached out from under the quilt.

That hand was slender and fair, with thin calluses from years of practicing with the blade.

She gently grasped Lin Xiao's large hand, which was resting on his knee, clenched into a fist.

Then, pulling his hand, she slowly pressed it against her slightly feverish cheek.

Lin Xiao's body stiffened abruptly.

The delicate, smooth touch of her skin came through his palm; it was real warmth, the proof of being alive.

"Because..."

Su Qingqian's voice was very weak, but exceptionally firm.

She looked into Lin Xiao's eyes; that pool of cold water had now turned into a pond of spring water.

"Because you are the Conductor. You are the soul of Black Iron and the hope of all of us."

"If Zhao Xiaotang dies, we just lose a shield; if I die, it's just one less blade."

"But if you die... this train stops. Everyone... won't survive."

Lin Xiao's heart felt as if it had been hit hard by something.

Is this her logic?

Rational, cold, yet foolish enough to make one's heart ache.

"Bullshit!"

Lin Xiao gripped her hand back, his thumb gently stroking her cheek, his eyes domineering yet affectionate.

"Who said you are a blade? Who said you are a tool?"

"In my eyes, you are Su Qingqian. You are that crazy woman who dared to hold a knife to my throat on the first day, the comrade who fought out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood with me."

"If there's no you, what's the point of me being this damn Conductor?"

Su Qingqian's eyes turned red.

A layer of mist welled up in her eyes, making them look even more captivating.

She bit her lip, seemingly using all her strength to muster the courage to say those words that had been hidden in her heart for a long time.

"And..."

She paused, her eyes becoming gentle and lingering—an expression Lin Xiao had never seen before.

"And, it's not just because of reliance, not just because you are the Conductor..."

"It's because... you are Lin Xiao."

"I like you."

Four simple words.

On this night in the post-apocalyptic wasteland, in this room filled with the smell of medicine and gunpowder.

Like a clap of thunder, it exploded in Lin Xiao's ears.

This was the confession of the aloof school beauty, Su Qingqian.

No flowers, no romantic candlelight dinner, only two hearts that had wandered on the edge of life and death, pressed tightly together.

Lin Xiao was stunned.

He had imagined countless possibilities, like getting her drunk, like using force (crossed out), but he had never thought that this ice-cold goddess who always kept people at arm's length would open up her heart so directly and so sincerely.

Looking at her eyes, filled with expectation and a hint of shyness.

Lin Xiao felt that if he didn't do something now, he really wouldn't be a man.

"Silly girl."

Lin Xiao cursed softly, but his voice was so tender it could drip water.

He slowly leaned down, and under her surprised and joyful gaze, kissed her slightly pale lips.

"Mmm..."

Su Qingqian's eyelashes trembled violently, and then she slowly closed her eyes.

This was not a kiss that just tasted and stopped.

This was a kiss that had been suppressed for a long time, containing too many emotions.

Lin Xiao kissed deeply and heavily, carrying a possessiveness as if declaring ownership, and also the cherishing of something lost and found.

He tasted the lingering medicine on her lips and teeth, as well as her unique, cold aura.

Su Qingqian's body was trembling slightly, but she didn't shrink back.

She stretched out her arms, and although still a bit weak, she firmly wrapped them around Lin Xiao's neck, responding to him clumsily and passionately.

At this moment, she was no longer that aloof school beauty, no longer that cold-blooded assassin.

She was just a little woman in love, wanting only to melt into a puddle in this man's arms.

After a long time, their lips parted.

Both were somewhat breathless.

Su Qingqian's originally pale cheeks were now flushed with a moving rosy hue, her eyes misty, as if she were drunk.

"Lin Xiao..." She whispered his name, her voice as soft and sweet as a kitten's.

"Call me Hubby."

Lin Xiao smirked, his fingers lightly tracing her delicate collarbone, causing her to shudder.

"I won't... it sounds terrible." Su Qingqian glared at him coquettishly, but there was no lethality in her eyes; it was clearly flirting.

"You won't?"

Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow, his hand mischievously sliding inside along the edge of the quilt.

"If you don't call me that, the Conductor will have to enforce family law."

"Ah..."

Su Qingqian let out a small cry, her body tensing instantly before going limp again.

That electric tingling sensation spread through her whole body, making her unable to help but let out a shameful moan.

"Don't... don't mess around... I'm injured..."

She tried to use her injury as a shield, but her tone was weak and powerless.

"Don't worry, I know my limits."

Lin Xiao didn't actually do anything excessive; he was just enjoying this rare moment of tenderness.

He knew that tonight was not the best time.

There is plenty of time in the future.

In this doomsday, she was his; she couldn't run away.

He just held her like that, letting her lean against his chest.

"Qing Qian."

"Hmm?"

"Don't do anything stupid again in the future."

Lin Xiao rested his chin on the top of her head, looking out at the endless dark wasteland outside the window, his eyes becoming incredibly firm.

"This time we got the micro-nuclear fusion reactor, and the formula for that genetic potion."

"Soon, I will be able to turn Black Iron into a true mobile fortress, letting you, Xiao Tang, and everyone become stronger."

"In the future, it's my turn to block the blades for you."

Su Qingqian listened to his promise, the corners of her mouth curling into a happy smile.

She snuggled deeper into Lin Xiao's arms, finding a more comfortable position.

"Mm, I believe you."

"However... if there is a next time, I will still rush up."

She added silently in her heart.

That night, Black Iron stopped quietly in the canyon.

And in the Conductor's bedroom, two hearts kept each other warm in this cold world, clinging tightly together.

For Lin Xiao, tonight's gain was ten thousand times more precious than that SSS-class nuclear reactor.