31: Chapter 22 A Beautiful Day (Part 2) - If Story

(Severe warning: This chapter contains elements of mind control and brainwashing. If any viewers cannot accept this, please skip it. Skipping will not affect the reading of the main text.)

After lunch, sleepiness came on very quickly.

Kaiwen returned to her room and collapsed onto the bed without even taking off her coat.

In a daze, she did not know how much time had passed.

The quilt was lifted from behind.

Someone pressed close against her.

First, a knee pressed against the back of her knees, then thighs, fitting seamlessly against her curled-up posture.

Finally, the lower abdomen and chest, separated only by the thin material of their pajamas, embedding the whole person into the arc of her body from behind.

Mei's arm reached over from her waist, not resting on the outside of her clothes, but sliding into the gap where the coat was lifted. Her palm pressed against Kaiwen's belly, her five fingers slightly splayed, as if trying to warm this small patch of temperature.

Kaiwen was not fully awake, but she could no longer sleep. Mei's palm rested on her lower abdomen, rising and falling slightly with her breathing, feeling as though someone was drawing circles on her skin with a feather.

"...Why did you crawl in again."

Mei did not answer, only burying her face into her hair, her nose brushing away a few stray strands of hair and gently pressing against the back of her neck.

Her breathing hit her neck, beat by beat, as if counting heartbeats.

Kaiwen instantly got a layer of goosebumps, so she shrank forward a little.

But Mei quickly followed close behind.

The hand resting on her lower abdomen tightened a bit, her fingertips lightly scraping across the skin through the fabric. That small area immediately felt as if it had been ignited, warmth spreading from her abdomen to both sides.

"Don't move." Mei's voice came from the back of her neck, the airflow slipping into the gaps of her hair. "Let me lean on you for a while."

Kaiwen could feel the soft mounds of Mei's chest pressing against her back, bumping against her body beat by beat.

And Mei's legs, intertwined between her legs, ankles resting against ankles, skin touching skin.

The sleepiness was actually gone long ago.

But she did not turn over, nor did she push Mei away.

She simply closed her eyes, gradually sinking into the sound of breathing from the person behind her.

This actually doesn't seem bad?

She thought.

...

In the afternoon, the sunlight still did not appear, and pitch-black clouds covered the entire world tightly.

When Kaiwen was standing at the doorway changing her shoes, Mei poked half her body out from the room.

"I won't go today."

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"It seems some bugs got into the house. I saw a few in the corner of the kitchen last night." Mei frowned, a look of disgust crossing her face. "If we don't deal with them, I won't feel quite at ease cooking dinner tonight."

Kaiwen squatted on the ground tying her shoelaces, not paying much attention.

"Then be careful, don't get bitten."

"Mhm, you guys come back early too."

Mei leaned against the door frame, watching Kaiwen tie her shoelaces and stand up.

"Right, what do you want for dinner?"

"Anything is fine, whatever you make is delicious."

Mei showed a very gentle smile.

"Then go ahead, come back early!"

...

The ruins outside were still so shocking to the eye. Kaiwen no longer remembered why things had turned out this way, but searching and rescuing survivors was still very necessary.

Kaiwen walked in front, with Kiana and Bronya following behind.

The three of them walked north along the street, stopping at every building that was still somewhat intact to call out a couple of times, knock on the door, and listen to see if there was any movement inside.

There was nothing.

The entire street was extremely quiet, with only the footsteps of the three people.

Kiana walked half a step behind Kaiwen, all along not speaking a word.

Kaiwen really wanted to walk over and chat with Kiana, but her reaction always gave Kaiwen a chilling sensation down her spine.

After searching two more streets, they still found nothing.

Just as Kaiwen was about to suggest changing direction,

Boom——!!

A loud crash came from the opposite direction, as if something huge had smashed down from a high place.

Kaiwen whipped her head around.

The sound came from the direction of their stronghold.

"Mei is still at home—"

Kaiwen's heart tightened abruptly, and without even having time to think carefully, she turned around and ran back.

Kiana and Bronya silently followed behind.

Crossing the last street corner, the stronghold's sign finally came into view.

Pushing open the door,

there was no collapse as imagined, nor any trace of tragedy.

Under the warm yellow light, Raiden Mei was lying completely unharmed on the soft sofa in the living room.

She was covered with a thin blanket, her hair slightly curled, seemingly having just woken up from a nap.

Hearing the door push open, Mei rubbed her somewhat sleepy eyes, turning her head to look at the panting group at the door, a trace of curiosity welling up in her eyes:

"Hm? Why did you come back so soon... Are you not going to continue looking for survivors?"

Seeing Mei lying there safe and sound, the heart that Kaiwen had suppressed in her throat finally crashed down safely.

Kaiwen looked at the Mei in front of her and blurted out:

"Because... I was so worried about you."

She took two steps forward, her voice softening, carrying a trace of attachment she hadn't even noticed herself:

"I missed you so much... so I wanted to come back and see you."

Mei was slightly startled.

Immediately, a layer of unresolvable possessiveness rippled within those purple eyes.

She curved the corners of her mouth, lifted the thin blanket, and stood up, walking straight up to pull Kaiwen's arm and smoothly pulling her entire body tightly into her embrace.

Under the shocked and watching gazes of Kiana and Bronya behind them, Mei did not hesitate at all, cupping Kaiwen's face, and directly kissed her passionately right in front of everyone, holding nothing back.

Their soft lips pressed tightly together, and the warm breath instantly swept through all of Kaiwen's senses.

Kaiwen was stunned for a moment, then her tense body completely relaxed. She closed her eyes somewhat shyly, submissively wrapping her arms around Mei's waist, drowning in this kiss that was so sweet it was almost suffocating.

On the side, Kiana bit her lower lip hard, her face so pale there wasn't a trace of color, her fingers digging deep into her flesh, yet she could only watch the heartwarming scene before her in despair.

...

The wind of Changkong City was still blowing silently.

The warmth inside the house continuously spread into the gloomy sky.

The line of sight slowly pulled far upward, passing through the cold roof and rising into the overcast sky.

Crossing this seemingly cozy sanctuary stronghold, crossing layers of overlapping collapsed high-rises.

On a piece of land at the edge of the city billowing with thick smoke lay a metallic wreckage pierced by a giant black-and-white spear.

The once incomparably glorious red paint on the hull had been scorched pitch-black and mottled by roaring flames, and a few faint fuselage markings were vaguely visible amidst the embers.

That was—the hyperion.

Unfortunately, it had long since turned into a voiceless steel corpse, sleeping quietly outside the city.