35: Su Yuran assists

By the third day, the atmosphere within the team had become more natural.

Lin Wanwan had fully adapted to life in the RV.

She knew where the water purification System drew water from and how to sort the trash into different bins.

She knew to dim the lights after 10 PM to conserve energy.

She also began to observe Qin Lin.

This young man who had saved her didn't speak much, but he was incredibly steady in everything he did.

Every day, he would spend an hour checking the vehicle's status and recording temperature changes.

He would organize their limited supplies meticulously and remain vigilant even after they fell asleep.

Once, in the middle of the night, Lin Wanwan woke up from a nightmare and got up to drink water, only to see Qin Lin still sitting in the driver's seat, looking at a map by the faint glow of the dashboard.

His back was straight and tall, like a mountain that would never collapse.

At that moment, a complex emotion welled up in her heart.

It was gratitude—he had saved her and given her a chance to live.

It was reliance—in this broken world, he was the most reliable pillar of support.

And there was also... an indescribable flutter of the heart.

She remembered how Qin Lin had used a dagger to force back those two men in the Library.

She remembered the warmth of his palm when he guided her out of the darkness.

She remembered his focused profile when he taught her how to use a weapon.

In her twenty-two years of life, she had never felt this way about any boy.

But she knew that the relationship between Qin Lin and Su Yuran was not ordinary.

She saw Su Yuran naturally take Qin Lin's arm, put food she couldn't finish into his bowl, and walk into the Master Bedroom naturally at night, closing the door behind her.

That kind of intimacy was not that of ordinary friends.

Once, while Su Yuran was cutting fruit in the kitchen, Qin Lin walked over and hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder and whispering something.

Su Yuran had laughed and nudged him gently with her elbow, yet she leaned back into his embrace.

Lin Wanwan happened to come out of her room and saw that scene.

She froze on the spot, then silently retreated and closed the door.

Her heart felt a little sour, a little bitter.

But mostly, it was envy.

She envied how Su Yuran could be so naturally close to him, sharing that kind of understanding and intimacy.

She wanted that too.

But as soon as the thought surfaced, she suppressed it.

"Don't let your thoughts wander," she told herself. "Qin Lin saved you and took you in; that's already a huge kindness. You can't ask for more."

But emotions are such things; the more they are suppressed, the more they grow.

The three-day rest period ended.

On the morning of the fourth day, Qin Lin decided to set out.

"We can't stay here forever," he said during breakfast. "We have enough food, but we still need to find crystal stones."

Su Yuran nodded. "So where are we going?"

"First, we'll search Su City thoroughly." Qin Lin spread out the map. "The city isn't large, but there are many key locations: the Weather Station, the Substation, the Water Plant, the Communication Base Stations... these places might all have temperature anomalies."

He pointed to the markings on the map. "We'll sweep from west to east, zone by zone. We'll stay in each place for two days at most; if we don't find anything, we move to the next."

"What if they aren't in Su City?" Lin Wanwan asked softly.

"Then we go to the next city," Qin Lin said. "But this vehicle is still level 2; long-distance travel is risky. It's best if we can find enough crystal stones in Su City to upgrade to level 3 or even level 4 before considering leaving."

He folded the map. "Today's objective is the West City Meteorological Station. We leave after breakfast."

The two girls quickly cleared the dishes and tidied up the rooms.

Qin Lin started the vehicle and slowly drove out of the abandoned factory building.

The morning light was faint, and the snow-covered plains were vast.

The RV traveled along the snow-covered road like a lone boat sailing on a white ocean.

Inside the vehicle, it was as warm as spring.

Lin Wanwan sat on the sofa in the living area, watching the scenes passing by outside the window.

Abandoned vehicles, collapsed signs, frozen corpses... she was already starting to get used to these images.

She turned her head to look at the driver's seat.

Qin Lin was focused on the steering wheel, his profile sharp and firm.

The faint daylight slanted in through the window, coating him in a soft halo.

She watched him, somewhat lost in thought.

Su Yuran came out of the kitchen, carrying two cups of hot water.

Seeing Lin Wanwan's gaze, her footsteps paused for a moment before she walked over as if nothing was wrong.

"Senior, have some water."

She handed a cup of water to Lin Wanwan.

"Thank you."

Lin Wanwan took it, her face reddening slightly as if she had been caught doing something wrong.

Su Yuran sat down beside her and also looked toward Qin Lin in the driver's seat.

The two were silent for a while.

"Senior," Su Yuran suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?"

"What do you think of Qin Lin?"

Lin Wanwan was taken aback and said subconsciously,

"He's... very good. He saved me, he's capable, and he's handsome..."

As she spoke, her voice grew smaller and smaller.

Su Yuran smiled. "Yes, he is very good."

She paused, then turned to look at Lin Wanwan.

"Senior, if... I mean if, Qin Lin needed your help to accomplish some things, would you be willing?"

Lin Wanwan nodded without hesitation.

"Of course I would. He saved me; as long as it's something I can do, I'll definitely do it."

"Even if..."

Su Yuran hesitated.

"Even if those things are a bit... beyond common sense?"

Lin Wanwan fell silent.

She vaguely guessed what Su Yuran was hinting at.

Over these three days, she hadn't failed to notice certain details.

Qin Lin would occasionally operate something in the air.

As if there were an invisible screen.

Supplies in the supermarket would increase out of thin air.

The vehicle's functions also far exceeded those of a normal RV.

She knew this vehicle had secrets.

She also knew that Qin Lin might have to carry out some special tasks to obtain these things.

Just like how he needed to find crystal stones to upgrade the RV.

"Yuran," Lin Wanwan said softly, "I don't know what Qin Lin needs me to do. But I know that without him, I might already be dead. So... I'm willing to help him."

She spoke very seriously.

Su Yuran looked at her with a complex expression.

There was relief, hesitation, and a trace of... an indescribable emotion.

"Senior," she finally said, "if one day Qin Lin really needs your help, and that help might make you... uncomfortable, you can refuse. Qin Lin won't force you."

Lin Wanwan nodded, but in her heart, she thought:

If that day really comes, she probably... would not refuse.

The vehicle continued forward.

The snowy scenery outside remained unchanged.

But inside the vehicle, the relationship between the three was undergoing a subtle change.

Like undercurrents beginning to surge beneath a calm lake surface.

Qin Lin glanced at the living area through the rearview mirror.

The two girls were leaning together, talking in low voices, with sunlight spilling over them—it was a beautiful scene.

But he knew that behind the beauty were unsolved problems.

The Hidden Task was still there.

The time limit was unclear.

And he hadn't yet figured out how to handle it.

He could only move forward for now.

Find crystal stones, upgrade the RV, and survive.

The rest... he would leave to time...