Su Ling said nothing about Xu Lin giving the gun to Li Yunlong. Her eyes, cold as ice, fixed on him, "Think it through."
"I have," Xu Lin, being tall, lowered his head to look at her. "I will work hard to pass your assessment."
Su Ling said nothing more and left, with the three of them following closely behind.
As they watched them go, Jiang Zhimin still wanted to say something, but Chen Jiakai covered her mouth to stop her.
Only after the four had completely disappeared from sight did Jiang Zhimin completely explode, hysterical, "Why didn't you let me speak?"
"Did I say anything wrong? It was she who angered those people and forced them away. Given their nature, they will never give up. They will definitely come back for revenge."
Swallowing, Jiang Zhimin became a little agitated. "What was wrong with me asking Su Ling to stay and protect us? And Xu Lin, what is he thinking? He's your comrade! We've known each other longer than Su Ling. But he, without hesitation, chose Su Ling and betrayed us... *cough cough*..."
Her voice choked on her own saliva and she began to cough uncontrollably as she got more emotional.
Li Yunlong put the gun away and looked at Chen Jiakai and Jiang Zhimin. "Ah Lin has already done enough as a brother. He rushed to save us as soon as he heard the gunshots and even left us his gun. He doesn't owe us anything. He's a free agent, he can come and go as he pleases. We have no right to morally obligate him."
"And Su Ling, she has no relation to us whatsoever, yet she stepped in to help in our time of need. We should repay kindness with kindness." After saying this, Li Yunlong sighed and continued, "From the moment we separated from Ah Lin this morning, we should have known that our time with Ah Lin had come to an end. He's not wrong to choose Su Ling; she's very worthy, isn't she?"
Such a capable and astonishing person, it would be hard to find another if missed.
With Li Yunlong having spoken, Chen Jiakai and Jiang Zhimin could only swallow their dissatisfaction.
Li Yunlong couldn't be bothered to say more. He hugged Zhang Miaomiao, his voice gentle, "Don't be scared. Get some good sleep. I'll be watching over you."
Meanwhile, Jiang Zhimin looked at Chen Jiakai, her meaning evident in her eyes.
That gun, they had to keep it for themselves no matter what!
This night, some people changed, while others remained the same.
The apocalypse's test of human nature was far from over; it had merely torn open a barely perceptible crack.
...
When Su Ling and the other three returned to the rooftop with the bag of items, it was late at night.
The four said nothing about what had happened downstairs. Instead, they bid each other goodnight and returned to their tents to sleep.
As the sun's light shone through the tent, illuminating their surroundings, Su Ling, who had slept soundly, opened her eyes.
Sitting in the tent, she stretched, then unzipped the tent and stepped out.
The sunlight outside was just right, warm on her skin. Golden rays shone through the gaps in her fingers onto her face, bright and dazzling.
Xu Lin and the other two were still asleep. Su Ling didn't wake them and went downstairs to wash up.
By the time she finished washing and returned upstairs, the three had already woken up.
There was a simple room on the rooftop, small but complete in every way.
The three had already finished washing up and were using a portable stove to cook instant noodles.
Xu Lin was responsible for frying eggs and sausages, Skinny was in charge of boiling the noodles, and Fatty was setting up the table, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks.
The division of labor was clear and orderly. No one was overworked, and no one was slacking off.
Su Ling said nothing. She simply carried four bottles of strawberry milk from her space and walked over to sit down.
Leaning back in her chair, she opened a bottle of milk and drank it down in gulps.
Xu Lin brought over the fried eggs and sausages, and his gaze fell upon Su Ling bathed in sunlight.
Though seemingly amidst the light, she carried an air of coolness and fragility.