06

 Even after preparing themselves mentally, the group was still shocked by what they saw after rushing out.

The entire vehicle was tightly wrapped by thick, robust vines, with no gaps visible to the naked eye.

The mutated dodder was not weak; each leaf was dark green, its color strikingly bright in the dim weather.

There was no wind around, yet the leaves trembled from time to time, looking exceptionally energetic.

If it could evolve a face at this moment, one could probably see its excited expression.

"Holy crap!" Jiang Ran couldn't help but curse.

Just as he was still in shock, two figures flashed past him at an astonishing speed.

As the captain, Qin Fei was naturally the most powerful ability user in the base. He wanted to use his lightning blade to cut the vines open directly, but fearing that too much speed would injure Song Yu inside, he could only patiently cut them open one by one with his knife.

Shen Songchen on the other side did the same.

His face was grim, his aura terrifyingly low. He secretly activated his plant-based powers as he cut the vines, trying to retract them.

However, this nightmare dodder, once sentient, didn't recognize its master.

It clung to Song Yu.

About half a minute later, the severed vines at the car door withered rapidly, falling like dead grass. Shen Songchen opened the car door, his voice unsteady as he called out, "Xiao Yu!"

As if hearing someone call his name, the boy in the back seat unconsciously groaned. His wrists and waist were tightly bound, and there were marks on his neck and mouth from being rubbed. His

entire face was a mess, wet, whether from tears or something else, it was unclear.

The scene was both eerie and striking; the boy's slender, fair skin bound by rough vines, his mouth open as if trying to cry for help but being blocked, sent a jolt of excitement through everyone present.

Shen Songchen's eyelids twitched incessantly.

He immediately used his dagger to carefully cut the vines binding Song Yu, examining him thoroughly before letting out a sigh of relief.

He wasn't injured.

Of course, this was expected.

This monster, who treated Song Yu as its mate, obviously wouldn't harm him.

Air slowly entered his chest, and the terrifying feeling of suffocation gradually subsided. Song Yu opened his mouth and breathed a few times.

The blood that had been trapped inside him returned to normal, making him dizzy and disoriented. He slumped into his seat, and after about ten seconds, he struggled to open his eyes and see the person in front of him.

At this moment, Shen Songchen was undoubtedly his savior. He gripped the man's clothes tightly, his fingertips turning white from the effort.

The boy's dependent expression made Shen Songchen pause.

Seeing that Song Yu was alright, Qin Fei told Shen Songchen to stay in the car and watch over Song Yu while he and the rest of the men moved the supplies back to the vehicle.

The superhumans moved swiftly and efficiently, and fearing that Song Yu might be attacked by the monster again, no one thought the boy was in the way; instead, they all began to feel pity for him.

Soon the supplies were moved, and the group got into the car and drove back, not encountering the vine again along the way.

They had barely encountered any monsters.

Shen Songchen had already taken off his coat and given it to the boy huddled by the car window.

Song Yu was quiet, resting with his eyes closed, but his eyelashes trembled incessantly. His cheeks were smudged pink, making him look much more radiant than usual.

Realizing that the monster might have done something to Song Yu, Shen Songchen's face tightened, his lips pressed together, and he lowered his head, searching for something in his bag.

His backpack was heavy, containing mosquito repellent, tissues, water, food, and some self-defense weapons.

All of this was prepared for Song Yu.

Most people in the apocalypse only think about surviving and don't care about these things. But Song Yu's body was delicate; even a slight bump would leave his skin bruised.

Just like now, after being enveloped by the monster, he was covered in marks.

Perhaps there were many more.

The current situation wasn't suitable for asking questions, but rather for comforting Song Yu.

However, when Shen Songchen subconsciously took out a tissue from his backpack, his fingers froze.

—Taking care of Song Yu had become a conditioned reflex, a part of his life.

But this person clearly deceived his feelings, didn't they? Why care so much about him?

Isn't Song Yu's current state exactly what he wanted to see?

He should completely let go and stop being deceived by the other's pitiful appearance, letting this little liar fend

for himself. Shen Songchen frowned, silently admonishing himself. His fingers, which wanted to throw the tissue back into his bag, hesitated.

However, the next moment, his arm was touched by soft, warm fingers.

Shen Songchen's breath caught in his throat. He turned to see Song Yu looking at him with a flushed face, his voice dependent and pitiful, rubbing against his clothes like a homeless animal.

"Brother Shen, I'm not feeling well..."

Shen Songchen's breathing became erratic, and he subconsciously replied, "Where does it hurt?"

Song Yu sniffed his red nose: "My wrist, my waist, my mouth, it's all uncomfortable." He was

really delicate.

Of course, Shen Songchen knew what fate awaited such a delicate and beautiful person in this apocalypse. In the end, he still took out the tissue from his bag and carefully wiped the boy's face clean, bit by bit.

Despite his struggles, he couldn't resist the other's sweet talk.

Shen Songchen probably felt incompetent too, his handsome face growing increasingly cold.

Song Yu sensed the man's emotions, thinking he was being blamed for holding him back, and pressed his lips tightly together, not daring to speak.

He didn't know if it was the scar or callus on Shen Songchen's palm brushing against his face, but it hurt and itched. He didn't dare move away, obediently sitting there.

The car was quiet, occasionally punctuated by the boy's soft breathing.

At first, it felt heartbreaking, but as it continued, it took on a different meaning; those sounds were like hooks piercing his heart.

Qin Fei, sitting in the driver's seat, occasionally saw Song Yu's unguarded demeanor towards Shen Songchen in the rearview mirror, his face growing even colder.

The others could all sense the oppressive atmosphere between the two. Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Jiang Ran took a bottle of water from his seat and handed it to Song Yu, asking if he wanted a drink.

"I'm not thirsty,"

Song Yu shook his head. He remembered that before the vine appeared, he had been thirsty and needed to drink water.

But now he wasn't thirsty at all.

"Why didn't you drink?" Shen Songchen looked at the overturned empty bottle and the water stains on the ground, his voice devoid of warmth. "Did it feed you something else?"

Song Yu felt a chill run down his spine.

The monster had indeed fed him a sweet water, and after feeding him, it had wrapped around his wrist and rubbed against it. At first, it was very tight, making it hard for him to breathe, but it seemed to loosen its grip after hearing him say "it hurts."

The monster seemed to understand human expression.

Song Yu could sense that the mutated plant didn't intend to harm him.

The pressure on his face increased, as if to remind the boy to come to his senses.

Intuition told Song Yu that if he admitted it, the man's expression would only worsen. He immediately shook his head: "No..."

Shen Songchen didn't expose Song Yu's lie. After carefully wiping his face, he began to examine the wound.

They had arrived in time; the vine hadn't had time to do anything, only wrapping around Song Yu's hands and feet.

Shen Songchen gently touched the red marks with gauze, his voice softening unconsciously: "Does it hurt?"

"No, it doesn't hurt." Song Yu lowered his eyes, looking somewhat aggrieved. "It's a little numb, and uncomfortable."

There were only some hemostatic drugs in the bag, which wouldn't be effective for this type of wound. The group had no choice but to return to the base. Along the way, Song Yu was covered by Shen Songchen's large coat, his fingers occasionally peeking out, all pink.

The other team members caught a glimpse and immediately turned red in the face, averting their gaze.

*

After returning to the base, just as Song Yu was about to get out of the car, Shen Songchen picked him up in his arms.

Being watched by so many people, he felt a little embarrassed by the princess carry. He shook the man's neck and said, "Let me get down and walk myself."

"We'll be there soon."

Shen Songchen covered all of Song Yu's exposed skin and carried him to the infirmary.

Many plants in the post-apocalyptic world have been mutated and contaminated, and most are ferocious. If an ordinary person encounters them, they will either die or be maimed. Therefore, there are no cases like Song Yu's, who only suffered minor injuries, at the base.

The doctor examined him and found that apart from abrasions on his skin that were not exactly wounds, there were no other problems.

Song Yu was indeed not injured, just overly frightened. Now that he had rested and recovered, he didn't waste the doctor's time: "I still have some ointment, no need to prescribe anything else."

The doctor was taken aback.

He rarely interacted with Song Yu and had only heard about him from others. But seeing him today, this rich second-generation seemed quite well-behaved, and his relationship with Shen Songchen seemed quite good. He didn't seem like the type to seduce men.

So, the rumors were unreliable.

"Dr. Zhou."

A deep voice brought the doctor wearing black-rimmed glasses back to his senses, and he glanced at the man who had spoken earlier next to the boy.

"Will there be any problems if I come into contact with the juice of this contaminant?"

"Well... so far there don't seem to be any signs of poisoning, so the contaminant should be non-toxic. But we don't know if there are any other effects." The doctor paused and asked Song Yu, "After it wrapped itself around you, did it pierce your skin? Or did it do anything else?"

Song Yu loosened his slightly bitten lower lip, and he couldn't hide it from the doctor any longer: "It fed me a very sweet water."

Considering that he had just lied to Shen Songchen, he glanced at Shen Songchen guiltily: "I just remembered." Shen Songchen

composed himself and didn't mention it: "How's your stomach?"

Song Yu was slow to react: "What?"

"After drinking all that, does your stomach hurt now?"

Sensing the other's concern, Song Yu's voice softened: "No, I don't feel uncomfortable now."

After he finished speaking, a voice suddenly came from the doorway: "Didn't you just say you didn't feed it?"

Song Yu looked behind him, and Qin Fei had also come to the infirmary at some point. The man walked over and leaned down to look at his face: "Did it force you to drink it?"

"..."

Song Yu was a little confused. Could it be that he would willingly drink the monster's stuff?

Realizing the other person probably thought he was stupid, Song Yu turned his face away unhappily.

Receiving no response from the boy, Qin Fei's expression froze. Suppressing his disappointment, he asked the doctor, "What's wrong? Is something wrong?"

The doctor had never encountered this situation before and hesitated, "This..."

The two tall men in the room frowned. He felt pressured, as if he were being forced to ask Song Yu who the father of the child was.

"Let's observe for a while." Compared to Shen Songchen and Qin Fei, the boy was clearly more approachable, and the doctor's voice became gentler. "Come see me if there are any problems."

*

This little incident prevented Song Yu from completing this crucial task.

There were still half a month left in the deadline; there was no rush.

In the following days, Song Yu's wounds gradually faded, though he occasionally felt feverish. He thought it was just from lack of rest and didn't pay much attention.

Until one night, he was entangled in his dream again.

It was still that rough vine.

In the dream, Song Yu felt powerless; his movements and reactions were sluggish. Even though the other creature had already entangled him, he couldn't resist.

His fair wrists appeared even more slender and delicate beneath the dark green vines.

Song Yu was drowsy, feeling the creature teasing his face with branches.

His ankles were also entangled, and he was gradually hoisted into the air.

Compared to Song Yu's terror, the monster was excited.

Song Yu felt a branch brush against his lips.

It seemed to be trying to feed him plant sap, just like last time.

"No..."

Song Yu cried, his voice trembling with fear. He instinctively refused, but the creature actually withdrew the branch and instead pressed it against his cheek.

The leaves trembled incessantly, as if excited to meet a lover. Exhausted from

being entangled, Song Yu let it cling to him and closed his eyes, falling asleep.

...

He slept soundly, waking up the next day at noon.

Many nightmares he hadn't experienced before occurred to him; Song Yu felt a layer of cold sweat clinging to his skin. His throat was dry, and he subconsciously licked his lips.

Just as he was about to get out of bed, the door was pushed open.

Shen Songchen held a lunchbox in his hand. He glanced at Song Yu, who was sitting on the edge of the bed: "You slept very soundly this morning, so I didn't wake you. Are you hungry?"

Song Yu's head was a little dizzy, and the shivering sensation from being brushed against by the branches still lingered on his skin. His voice trembled as he spoke: "I need to wash up first..."

Shen Songchen put the lunchbox on the table: "I'll go get you some water."

Before Song Yu could react, Shen Songchen picked up the basin from the corner and left.

Song Yu watched his back: [009, am I going to be turned into a useless person?]

009: [It's more in line with your character if you let him serve you.]

Song Yu: [But he doesn't seem to hate me at all, and he doesn't seem to be planning to take revenge on me.]

009 didn't quite understand this either.

On the day he was reborn, negative emotions could still be detected, but after doing these things for his host, such as serving him tea and water, these negative emotions disappeared.

Besides "masochist," 009 couldn't think of any other word to describe Shen Songchen.

The progress bar was still stuck at 30%, thankfully it wasn't regressing. Taking advantage of the absence of others, Song Yu quickly changed out of his pajamas.

He didn't wait for Shen Songchen to return and went straight to the washroom.

The other person was still standing there getting hot water, and upon seeing the familiar face, asked, "Why are you here?"

"I don't want to brush my teeth or wash my face in the room." Song Yu made up an excuse, filled a cup with water, and took a small sip. He was still a bit groggy from last night's dream, and slowly put the toothbrush in his mouth.

Fine foam quickly filled his mouth, and some even got on Song Yu's lips, making them look rosy.

Halfway through brushing, he felt Shen Songchen push a basin in front of him, indicating that he should wash his face with hot water.

"Hmm..."

he mumbled, indicating that he understood.

After Song Yu finished washing up, he realized that the man was still standing next to him.

He looked at him in confusion.

Shen Songchen was tall and had his back to the window, so his expression was not visible: "You had a dream last night."

Song Yu was stunned for a moment, his eyes widening with nervousness.

"You were breathing very fast last night, your mouth was open, and sweat was dripping from your nose. Your legs were bent, constantly rubbing against the sheets, and your back was arched."

Whether it was because his body was already hot or because of the man's words, Song Yu blushed with shame, but his mouth remained open for a long time, unable to find the words to explain his strange behavior.

"You were talking in your sleep, you know that?" Shen Songchen leaned down, his hot breath almost hitting the boy's earlobe, noticing the boy's thin shoulders visibly tremble.

He continued maliciously, "You said—"

"No." "It

's too full."

The heat on his earlobe made Song Yu's lower back go weak, and he took two steps back.

Although it wasn't that kind of dream, judging from Shen Songchen's description, the other man had probably misunderstood.

Song Yu would bite his lower lip when embarrassed; his mind was blank. After a moment, he could only pretend not to care: "Isn't it normal for men to have those kinds of dreams?"

However, his blushing eyes and trembling eyelashes betrayed him.

Song Yu lowered his eyes, hurriedly gathering his toothbrush and washbasin before leaving the washroom.

He was incredibly embarrassed and didn't want to see Shen Songchen, but the man followed him closely, occasionally brushing against his arm as they walked side by side.

His warmth and scent were both emanating from him.

He wondered if it was because they slept in the same bed, but Shen Songchen also carried that vine-like scent. Annoyed, Song Yu asked, "Why are you following me?"

Shen Songchen's eyes were dark. "I want to know who you dreamed about last night."

"Me?"

Song Yu hesitated.

"Looks like it wasn't me." Shen Songchen's expression was hurt. "I'm not good enough; Xiao Yu doesn't even dream about me."

"No..." Song Yu couldn't bear to argue with him anymore. "I didn't dream about anyone."

Then, he told him about his dream of vines from the previous night.

Shen Songchen's expression grew increasingly serious: "Maybe it fed you its sap, and there's something in it that can give you nightmares. How have you been feeling these past few days? Have you felt unwell anywhere?"

Only then did Song Yu remember: "Sometimes my body feels very hot... like I'm about to catch a fever."

Shen Songchen hesitated for a moment.

Seeing his silence, Song Yu grew increasingly anxious, tugging at his sleeve: "Am I... am I poisoned?"

"That possibility can't be ruled out." Shen Songchen looked at him and suddenly said, "Xiao Yu, do you know that plant-type ability users can heal others?"

Song Yu nodded; the information mentioned this, and Shen Songchen had secretly treated him when he applied medicine before.

"But this method..." Shen Songchen paused, looking troubled.

Song Yu panicked immediately: "W-what method? Is it difficult?"

"It's not difficult." Shen Songchen's gaze lingered on Song Yu's beautiful, somewhat oblivious face. He hesitated for a moment before speaking, "The saliva of a plant-type ability user has healing properties."

What…

"There are two methods now. The first is for me to lick all my wounds and let the saliva touch your skin." Shen Songchen stared at the boy's suddenly flushed face and said seriously, "But your wounds have almost healed, so the reason for your nightmares is most likely not that." Song

Yu looked so embarrassed that he might hide under the covers at any moment, biting his lower lip, his cheeks burning.

Shen Songchen continued, "We can only try the second method." Song Yu waited for a while, but the man didn't speak again, so he had to release his lips and ask him with a stiff upper lip, "What is it?" He subconsciously felt that it wasn't a proper method. Sure enough. The man's deep eyes stared at him, saying each word

slowly and deliberately , "Just eat the saliva." * 

Qin Fei had been searching for the whereabouts of that dodder vine for the past few days. He didn't find the monster, but he did find a small yellow wildflower. 

Unpolluted plants like this are rare in the apocalypse, so he went to great lengths to bring the wildflower back, roots and all, and put it in a small flowerpot, intending to give it to Song Yu. 

Song Yu had rarely left his room since that day, so seeing flowers now would surely make him happy. 

Imagining the boy's relaxed expression, Qin Fei's lips curled into a smile. 

The tall, imposing man holding a small pot of flowers looked utterly out of place, drawing stares and whispers from passersby. 

"What's wrong with Captain Qin? Why is he holding flowers?" 

"I've never heard of him having such a dangerous hobby as finding flowers." "Why is he smiling? Damn, I'm getting goosebumps." 

... Only Jiang Ran, standing nearby, knew what was going on. It turned out that when the man was so engrossed—he didn't even realize he was being used as a backup plan. * As he stepped onto the last step, Qin Fei's face froze. 

He had just returned from a mission, his supernatural abilities still active, and his hearing was much sharper than usual. For example, at this moment, a pitiful, soft voice came from room 314, catching him completely off guard. 

"How long will it take..." Then, it was Shen Songchen's voice. 

"It depends on the situation." 

"Don't worry, I'll stop if you don't want to." Qin Fei's breath hitched, and he stopped walking. 

The strength in his hands involuntarily tightened, and the veins bulged. A moment later. Another very soft "hmm" came from the other end. 

Qin Fei's hands stiffened. Soft, continuous sobs and short breaths slowly came from that room. Even if he had never been in a relationship, any man could guess what was going on. 

Kissing between lovers is normal. It's okay, after all this is over, once he knows that Shen Songchen isn't anything special, Song Yu will naturally get tired of it. 

Qin Fei convinced himself of this. He shouldn't be standing there eavesdropping, but his body was stiff, and he couldn't move an inch.

Suddenly snapping out of it, he looked down and noticed the flowerpot in his hand was deformed, so he immediately released his grip.

*

Water Room.

Song Yu washed his face, but the burning sensation in his mouth lingered.

He didn't know if it was the treatment method, but this time his mouth was especially sore, and he couldn't even open his eyes because of the suction.

Shen Songchen looked refined, but he was very strong, and he couldn't budge him no matter how hard he pushed.

When he finally let go, Song Yu's chin and lips were wet. Feeling embarrassed, he wouldn't let the other person follow him and ran to the water room to wash his face himself.

[009?]

Soon, a voice sounded in his mind: [Host, I'm here.]

Song Yu frowned, his expression not very happy, but his face was still vividly captivating.

[Is Shen Songchen's method real?]

009: [Healing ability users does indeed require—requires—hiss hiss hiss—]

Song Yu: "..."

Was he blocked again?

009: ...

If AI could choose its own program, 009 decided it would definitely install a Zaun program in the future.

It had been trying to tell its host that Shen Songchen was lying, but the fragment hadn't been retrieved yet, and its power was too strong to suppress.

The fragments in the void had already turned one of the small buildings into ruins.

Turning off the small stream of water, Song Yu licked his tired lips, no longer dwelling on it.

He turned to leave, just as he saw a figure standing by the wall.

Qin Fei was tall, his head almost touching the roof, and his deep-set features made him look particularly imposing.

Song Yu subconsciously took a small step back.

He could sense that Qin Fei wasn't in a good mood and didn't want to walk into a trap.

So he lowered his head and deliberately walked around him.

However, Qin Fei's long legs casually took a step, blocking his way completely.

Song Yu almost bumped into his chest.

His lips were already uncomfortable from the kiss, and Qin Fei's provocation made him even more irritable

. He looked up at the other man with his wet, soft face and asked, "What are you doing?" His voice was muffled, coming from his nose.

Qin Fei stared intently at the lingering lust in his eyes and brows. "You let him kiss you? What about the others? Did you give them all to him too?"

Before Song Yu could react, he questioned again, "Didn't you say before that you would only do this kind of thing with someone you like?"

"Didn't you say you would only do this with me?"

Song Yu's eyes widened.

His spine went numb from the words, and the heat that had finally subsided on his face rose again.

"I..."

009: [Host, be careful of OOC.]

Song Yu frowned, trying to appear calm. "I kiss whoever I want. Aren't you a straight man? I can't exactly kiss you, can I?"

Qin Fei's expression froze, as if he wanted to say something, but Song Yu had already found a gap to slip away from him and quickly returned to his room.

Qin Fei stopped in his tracks, not following.

As if waiting for someone.

A moment later.

Footsteps sounded.

Shen Songchen walked past Qin Fei, went to the sink, and slowly washed his hands.

The sound of running water echoed in the empty washroom, making the surroundings seem even quieter.

After washing his hands, Shen Songchen turned on the faucet with his slender fingers before glancing at Qin Fei standing in the doorway.

Qin Fei knew he was nearby.

Those words were naturally meant for him.

So what?

Shen Songchen chuckled lightly, his expression even bordering on friendly: "The past is the past. Now, I'm Xiao Yu's boyfriend."

He glanced at the impatient man. 

"And I will be in the future."

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