11: Clothes one by one

After the meal, the two of them washed up.

With plenty of water today, Qin Lin even extravagantly turned on the heating System to boil some hot water.

He let Su Yuran wipe down her body.

While she hid in the bathroom to wash up, Qin Lin organized the supplies outside.

He could hear the faint sound of water and her humming a song.

It was out of tune, but cheerful.

When she came out, she had changed into clean underwear that they had found a few days ago.

She was still wearing the same down jacket on the outside, but she looked much more refreshed.

"Your turn," she said, her face flushing.

Qin Lin also wiped himself down.

The moment the hot water touched his skin, he almost sighed aloud.

A long-lost comfort.

In the Apocalypse, a little bit of cleanliness and a little bit of warmth were immense blessings.

That night, the two of them fell asleep in each other's arms once again.

Today, Su Yuran was more natural.

She took the initiative to burrow into Qin Lin's arms, wrapping her hands around his waist and pressing her face against his chest.

"Qin Lin."

"Hmm?"

"Tell me... what kind of relationship do we have now?" she asked softly. "Boyfriend and girlfriend? Or... survival partners?"

Qin Lin thought for a moment.

"Both," he said. "In the Apocalypse, these two identities don't conflict."

Su Yuran was silent for a while.

"Then... when the disaster is over, if we're still alive, will you marry me?"

The question came suddenly.

Qin Lin looked down at her.

In the darkness, he could only see the silhouette of her eyes, which were sparkling.

"If you still want to get married then," he said.

"I do," Su Yuran said. "I want to right now."

She leaned in and kissed him.

This time it was no longer a light touch, but a passionate kiss filled with a certain resolve.

Qin Lin responded to her, his hand instinctively caressing her back before slowly moving downward.

The hem of her clothes was lifted, and the moment his palm touched her skin, Su Yuran trembled slightly, but she didn't pull away.

The kiss deepened.

Their breathing became increasingly ragged.

Just as Qin Lin's hand slid to her waist and touched the edge of her waistband—

[System Notification]

[Detected that emotional energy inside the vehicle has reached the threshold]

[Triggered Hidden Quest: Form a Bond]

[Quest Content: Establish a substantive intimate relationship with the first female passenger in the vehicle]

[Quest Reward: Unlock 'Supplies Supermarket' module (approx. 10㎡ space, initial reward fill rate 10%)]

[Quest Time Limit: None]

[Accept?]

The cold mechanical voice of the System echoed in his mind.

Qin Lin's movements came to a halt.

Su Yuran felt his pause and opened her eyes in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

Qin Lin looked at the translucent interface before him, then at the girl in his arms with her flushed cheeks.

Hidden Quest.

Substantive intimate relationship.

Supplies Supermarket—10㎡ space, initial 10% fill rate.

This meant at least several cubic meters of food and daily necessities.

In the Apocalypse, these were life-saving items.

"Qin Lin?"

Su Yuran asked again.

Qin Lin took a deep breath.

He chose: [Accept].

The interface vanished.

"It's nothing." He lowered his head again and kissed her forehead. "Go to sleep."

"But you..."

Su Yuran felt the changes in his body, and her face turned even redder.

"Not tonight," Qin Lin said. "Wait until tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Because..."

Qin Lin pulled her close.

"I want to give you a better first time. Not while on the run, and not while living in fear."

If it were before the disaster, Qin Lin definitely wouldn't have considered such things.

He would have just gone for it.

But now, things were different.

Su Yuran was stunned, and her eyes slowly grew moist.

She hugged him tightly and buried her face in his chest.

"Qin Lin, you're so good."

Qin Lin didn't say anything.

He just stared at the ceiling of the vehicle in the darkness, thinking about that quest.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow night, he would complete it.

For survival, and for... more.

The night was still long.

And there would probably be more than just the first passenger for this kind of quest.

There would be more in the future.

Early the next morning, when Qin Lin woke up, Su Yuran was no longer in his arms.

He sat up and saw the girl busy by the small table.

She had found the last two packets of instant coffee in the storage cabinet and was brewing them with hot water.

The morning light filtered through the window, casting a soft golden glow on her.

"You're awake?" She turned around and smiled.

"I found some coffee."

Qin Lin got out of bed and walked to the table.

Two cups of steaming coffee were on the table, along with the leftover biscuits from last night.

"Where did the hot water come from?" he asked.

After all, without his authorization, the RV's heating System wouldn't turn on.

"I boiled it on the stove," Su Yuran said. "I saw there was a little fuel left, so I decided to splurge."

Qin Lin picked up a cup of coffee and took a sip.

It was very weak, cheap instant coffee.

But on an Apocalypse morning at thirty degrees below zero, it was a supreme luxury.

"Thank you," he said.

Su Yuran sat opposite him, sipping her coffee while her eyes remained fixed on him.

"Qin Lin, you're... a little different today."

"How so?"

"I can't really say." She tilted her head. "It's like... you're more serious? Or more nervous?"

Qin Lin smiled and didn't answer.

He was indeed thinking.

Thinking about that quest, how to do it, and how to bring it up.

Saying "The System gave me a quest, so let's do it" directly...

That would be too much of a jerk move.

But beating around the bush wasn't his style either.

"Su Yuran." He set down his cup.

"Hmm?"

"We can 'get a room' inside the vehicle now, and this time it won't cost any money."

Su Yuran's face turned slightly red.

She had been ready for a long time; she was ready even before the disaster.

It was just that Qin Lin didn't have the money for a room back then.

The coffee cup stopped at her lips.

Su Yuran looked at him, her eyes slowly widening.

The interior of the vehicle was very quiet, with only the faint sound of the ventilation System.

A few seconds later, she set down her cup, her voice soft but clear:

"Okay."

A single word, without hesitation.

Qin Lin stood up, walked over to her, and reached out to pull her up.

He couldn't wait until nightfall anymore.

They were very close, close enough to feel each other's breath.

"It might hurt," Qin Lin said. "It's my first time, I don't have much experience."

Su Yuran smiled, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes.

"It's my first time too, so we're even."

She took the initiative to stand on her tiptoes and kiss him.

This kiss was different from the ones before.

It was slow, deep, and carried a sense of promise.

Qin Lin's hand slid to her waist, gently pulling down the zipper of her clothes.

The heavy cotton coat fell, revealing the thin pajamas underneath.

Su Yuran's body trembled, but she didn't retreat.

Qin Lin picked her up and walked toward the 1.2-meter-wide single bed.

The bed was very small; when the two of them lay down, they were almost pressed tightly together.

Qin Lin propped himself up over her, looking at her.

The girl's cheeks were flushed, her eyes closed, and her eyelashes trembled nervously.

"Look at me," Qin Lin said.

Su Yuran opened her eyes.

"I want you to remember this moment."

Qin Lin lowered his head, kissing her forehead, her eyes, the tip of her nose, and finally her lips.

"Remember that it's me, here in this Apocalypse, with you."

"I will remember," Su Yuran said, her voice choking up. "I'll remember forever."

Piece by piece, their clothes were shed.