33: Does it mean... I don't just want to get pregnant?

A brief silence followed.

Then Su Yuran let out a low exclamation of surprise:

"Senior, your back... why are there so many injuries?"

"Mm... it was especially cold at night..."

"I need to apply this thickly. Bear with it, it might be a bit chilly."

"Mm..."

The sounds from the room were intermittent.

Qin Lin shifted his attention and opened the System interface.

"System, is the soundproofing here too poor?"

【The RV's soundproofing is excellent. Since you are the Host, you can naturally hear movement from everywhere.】

Alright, Qin Lin had thought the RV upgrades weren't sufficient.

Turns out it was because of himself.

That was good then.

At least others wouldn't be able to hear when he was doing things.

Just as Qin Lin was thinking this, the door to room 002 opened.

Su Yuran walked out, her expression somewhat solemn.

She gently closed the door and sat down beside Qin Lin.

"Senior is asleep," she whispered. "While applying the medicine, she... cried for a while. She said these past few days have been too exhausting, and she thought she was going to die."

Qin Lin didn't speak.

"She has so many frostbites on her body, black and blue all over."

Su Yuran continued.

"It breaks my heart to see it. Such a beautiful senior, tortured like this..."

She paused and looked at Qin Lin:

"Qin Lin, it's a good thing I came to find you back then, otherwise I'm afraid I'd be in even worse shape than her."

"We can keep her with us for good, right?"

"Mm."

"Then..."

Su Yuran hesitated for a moment.

"Should we do something for her? I mean, in her current state, she definitely feels insecure. We need to make her feel needed, like she's part of the team."

Qin Lin looked at her: "What do you have in mind?"

"I want..." Su Yuran bit her lip.

"I want to help you complete the tasks."

Qin Lin's heart skipped a beat.

"What tasks?"

He feigned ignorance.

"The tasks given by the System."

Su Yuran looked at him.

"I know you have tasks to complete. When I looked at my personal information before, there was a 'Pregnancy' entry. I guessed... is it related to that?"

Qin Lin remained silent.

Su Yuran continued: "I'm not stupid. This vehicle is so miraculous—it can transform, upgrade, has a shop, and even that... scanning function."

"There must be rules to it. Do you have to complete certain tasks to upgrade the vehicle and get more supplies?"

She asked very directly.

Qin Lin couldn't deny it.

"Yes," he finally admitted, "there are some tasks."

"Are they related to pregnancy?" Su Yuran pressed.

"...They are."

Su Yuran took a deep breath, as if she had made a decision.

"Then... is it that you need me to get pregnant?"

Qin Lin looked at her.

The girl's eyes were clear, without any flinching, only seriousness.

She was truly considering this, for the sake of the team, for survival, and also... to help him.

"Not right now," Qin Lin said. "The timing isn't right. Getting pregnant in the Apocalypse is too dangerous; we don't have medical conditions or a stable environment."

"If you get pregnant, who would deliver the baby? I certainly don't know how."

He paused: "Besides... I don't want you to get pregnant for that reason."

Su Yuran was stunned for a moment.

"Then... what about the tasks?" she asked. "Will there be a penalty if they aren't completed?"

"Some tasks have penalties, some don't."

Qin Lin said vaguely: "I'll handle it."

He didn't specifically explain the matter of the Hidden Task.

The task about establishing an intimate relationship with Lin Wanwan.

Saying it now would only make things more complicated.

Su Yuran stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly leaned in and whispered:

"Qin Lin, are you still hiding something from me?"

Qin Lin's heart tightened.

"Regarding the tasks?" Su Yuran continued to ask.

"Is it... that it's not just me who needs to get pregnant? Are there others?"

She was very sharp.

Qin Lin sighed.

She had hit the mark; he couldn't hide it anymore.

"Yes," he admitted. "Some tasks require... establishing relationships with other passengers."

He didn't say "intimate relationship," but Su Yuran understood.

Her expression shifted slightly, but unexpectedly, she wasn't angry.

"I guessed as much," she said softly.

"An extra bedroom appeared as soon as Wanwan boarded the vehicle; there must be a purpose for it."

"And the easiest way to bind strangers together is... that kind of relationship."

She paused, her voice even lower:

"So, Senior Wanwan... is also within the scope of the tasks?"

Qin Lin did not deny it.

Su Yuran was silent for a long time.

In the living area, there was only the faint hum of the ventilation System.

Outside the window, the sky had turned completely dark.

The light from the snow filtered through the vehicle window, casting blurry patches of light on the floor.

"Qin Lin."

Su Yuran suddenly spoke.

"Let's shower together tonight."

Qin Lin was stunned.

"To save water."

Su Yuran stood up and pulled his hand.

"If the two of us wash together, it saves water."

The reason was far-fetched, but Qin Lin didn't refuse.

The two of them entered the bathroom in the Master Bedroom.

The shower stall wasn't large, but it was just barely enough for two people to stand in.

Su Yuran turned on the showerhead, and the warm stream of water sprayed down, quickly wetting their bodies.

She turned around to face Qin Lin.

Steam rose, making her face somewhat blurry in the mist, but her eyes were very bright.

"Qin Lin, I'm going to ask you a few questions, and you have to answer honestly," she said.

"Ask away."

"First question: is it mandatory to complete the System's tasks?"

"Not all of them. But some task rewards are very important, and the failure penalties are very heavy."

"Second question: what is the reward for the task with Senior Wanwan? And what is the penalty?"

Qin Lin hesitated for a moment but told her anyway.

"The reward is a 10% increase in the supermarket's fill rate. The penalty is a 10% deduction, including supplies already unlocked."

Su Yuran gasped.

"That much?" she said in shock. "Then... then isn't it mandatory to complete?"

"Theoretically, yes."

"Third question..."

Su Yuran bit her lip.

"What exactly is the content of the task?"

Qin Lin looked at her and slowly spoke a few words.

"First is establishing a substantive intimate relationship with her."

"And then it's the same as yours: pregnancy."

Su Yuran's face turned red, though it wasn't obvious in the steam.

She lowered her head and thought for a few seconds, as if making some sort of decision.

Then she looked up, her gaze firm.

"Qin Lin, I can help you."

Qin Lin was stunned: "Help me with what?"

"Help you complete the task," Su Yuran said.

"But not the kind of help you're thinking of. I mean... I'll help you create opportunities for Senior Wanwan to accept it voluntarily."

She paused: "I can tell that Senior is very grateful to you. And she just escaped from danger; she needs a sense of security most right now."

"If you can give her security and protection, she might..."

She didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.

Qin Lin shook his head: "That's not appropriate. It's like taking advantage of her vulnerability, and you..."

"Then don't take advantage," Su Yuran said.

"Be genuinely good to her and let her accept you sincerely. Wouldn't that work?"

"Besides, you don't have to worry about me. You know my personality. By helping you, I'm also helping myself. I can't just let you do everything alone."

She made it sound simple.

But Qin Lin knew that matters of the heart were never that simple.

"Yuran, do you really not mind?" he asked.