34: Come on, Brother Lin—

Su Yuran smiled, her expression a bit bitter:

"Mind? Of course I mind. But it's the Apocalypse now; we're lucky just to be alive. And..."

She reached out and gently caressed Qin Lin's face.

"I know what kind of person you are. You're not the type to be careless."

"If you accept Senior Wanwan, you'll definitely treat her well."

"And Senior is a good person; she won't hurt us."

She paused, her voice growing even softer:

"I just hope... you don't treat feelings carelessly just because of the mission."

"And don't ignore me because of the mission either."

She whispered that last sentence very quietly, but Qin Lin heard it.

He reached out and pulled her into his arms.

The water washed over the two of them.

"I won't."

Qin Lin said in her ear.

"Never."

Su Yuran hugged him tightly.

The two of them stood in the shower for a long time.

Qin Lin also explained the Many Children, Many Blessings mission to Su Yuran.

She was smart and knew it was only a matter of time.

So it was better to let her know early on to save a lot of trouble.

"It's time to go out."

Qin Lin turned off the faucet.

The two dried themselves off, changed into pajamas, and returned to the bedroom.

Lying in bed, Su Yuran curled up in Qin Lin's arms and suddenly asked:

"Qin Lin, that permanent mission... 'Many Children, Many Blessings', does it require many people to get pregnant and have children?"

"Yeah."

"Then... will there be many children on the RV in the future?"

"Possibly."

Qin Lin was puzzled; shouldn't she be asking if there would be many women in the future?

Why was she asking about having many children instead?

This thought was truly unique.

"That would be so lively..."

Su Yuran murmured to herself.

"In the Apocalypse, a whole RV of children, crying and making a fuss..."

As she spoke, she laughed.

Qin Lin laughed too.

That scene was indeed a bit absurd to think about, but also... a bit warm.

"Qin Lin."

"What is it?"

"I want to be the first to get pregnant."

"That will probably depend on Opportunity, and the current conditions don't allow for it."

The conditions he spoke of were naturally medical ones.

Either wait until the RV is upgraded to see if there are medical facilities.

Or wait and see if he could pick up a female doctor later.

"I don't care, I want to be the first to get pregnant anyway."

"Alright, alright, I promise you."

"Heehee! You can't go back on your word."

"Whoever goes back on their word is a puppy, but you'll have to work hard."

"Then come on, Brother Lin—"

Su Yuran flipped over and got up,

..."Go to sleep," he said softly, "we have to hit the road tomorrow."

"Mhm."

Su Yuran closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.

Qin Lin, however, was still awake.

He thought about Su Yuran's words, about Lin Wanwan, and about the mission.

The road ahead was long.

But at least, he wasn't alone anymore... For the next three days, the RV remained parked within the walls of an Abandoned industrial park, like a dormant steel beast.

Qin Lin was in no hurry to set out in search of crystal stones.

He needed time.

For Lin Wanwan's frostbite to recover and for this newly formed team to get used to each other.

And for him to carefully consider the path ahead.

After all, in his past life, he had just gone with the flow.

The first day was mainly for recuperation.

The frostbite on Lin Wanwan's body was more serious than it looked.

Besides her hands, feet, and cheeks, there were large areas of bruising and swelling on her back, waist, and thighs; some spots had even begun to ulcerate.

Su Yuran helped her apply medicine twice a day, her movements as gentle as if she were handling fragile porcelain.

This pampered Young Miss had already learned how to take care of others in just a few short days.

"Senior, tell me if it hurts."

Su Yuran would say this every time before applying the medicine.

Lin Wanwan always shook her head: "It doesn't hurt. It's cool and very comfortable."

It really was comfortable.

The Anti-frostbite gel had a sedative and analgesic effect; the burning sting would noticeably subside after application.

More importantly, the feeling of being cared for warmed her heart.

Qin Lin wasn't idle either.

He checked the various Systems of the RV:

Energy reserves: 2200/∞.

Ever since obtaining the five crystal stone fragments, each one had been converted into energy.

However, half of the energy had been consumed for the RV's upgrade.

The three water purification tanks were also full.

The food reserves were fairly sufficient.

The 20% of supplies from the supermarket were enough for the three of them for at least a month.

Not to mention, things could be purchased from the System Store.

However, the survival points weren't increasing, which started to make Qin Lin anxious.

No survival points meant no money, and no money meant no living supplies.

Therefore, the mission really needed to be carried out quickly.

He also reinforced the vehicle's concealment.

Using old canvas and scrap metal found in the factory, he made a simple disguise around the carport; from a distance, it looked like a pile of discarded building materials.

On the second day, Lin Wanwan's frostbite showed significant improvement.

The swelling subsided, blisters began to scab over, and her skin was no longer as sensitive or painful.

She also began to move around freely, no longer as cautious as when she first boarded the RV.

She would take the initiative to help.

When Su Yuran cooked in the morning, she would stand nearby to learn.

How to use the induction cooker, how to control the heat.

Although her movements were still clumsy, she was very serious.

"Senior, you didn't use to cook, did you?" Su Yuran asked with a smile.

Lin Wanwan nodded sheepishly:

"My mom did all the cooking at home, and I ate at the cafeteria at school... At most, I'd cook some Instant Noodles."

"Then now is the perfect time to learn." Su Yuran handed her the spatula.

"Try flipping this egg."

"I don't really know how either; I've just been learning from Qin Lin these past few days."

Lin Wanwan took it and carefully flipped the fried egg in the pan.

It was a bit broken, but not burnt.

"I did it!"

Her eyes lit up as if she had accomplished something major.

Qin Lin sat in the living room, watching the backs of the two girls in the kitchen, feeling an indescribable sense of peace.

In the Apocalypse, this kind of daily warmth was more precious than anything else.

In the afternoon, Qin Lin taught them some basic self-preservation skills.

"If you encounter danger, the first rule is to run."

He used the Entrenching Shovel for a demonstration.

"Don't think about reasoning with them; run back to the RV, lock the door, and wait for me to handle it."

Although they generally wouldn't act separately, it was always good to talk to them just in case of special circumstances.

Lin Wanwan listened intently, without blinking.

"Second, learn to use simple weapons."

Qin Lin handed her a steel pipe he had found in the factory.

"You don't need to be amazing, but you need to know how to hold it, how to swing it, and how to protect yourself."

Lin Wanwan took the steel pipe; it was very heavy, and she could barely lift it with both hands.

"Try it," Qin Lin said.

She swung it hard, her movement clumsy, nearly losing her balance.

Qin Lin steadied her: "Keep your center of gravity low and stand firm. It's not about arm strength; use your waist, use your whole body."

He stood behind her, holding her hands and guiding her through a few standard swinging motions.

Lin Wanwan's body stiffened for a moment.

She could feel the warmth of Qin Lin's chest and smell his clean scent.

That feeling of being protected and guided made her heart race for some reason.

"Did you get it?" Qin Lin let go.

"I-I got it."

Lin Wanwan lowered her head, her face flushing slightly.

Su Yuran watched from the side, her gaze subtle.

She noticed the change in Lin Wanwan's expression.