Night fell once again, a never-ending sheet of darkness that wrapped around Jianyu's life. He stared through the cracks of the cavern at a sky devoid of stars.
Time had long since lost meaning to him. What day is it? What month? What year? None of it mattered anymore. The only thing that mattered is survival.
He sighed softly and turned his gaze toward Zhenfeng, who lay passed out in the corner of the room. After spending the rest of the day distributing stone weapons to the survivors, the man had finally collapsed.
Jianyu couldn't remember the last time Zhenfeng had truly slept. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, but even in sleep, his features remained resolute, a quiet strength etched into his face.
"System," Jianyu called out in a hushed tone, his voice barely a whisper. His eyes lingered on Zhenfeng's resting figure. "Are you there, System?"
"Of course, I'm here. How are you doing, Player Jianyu?" The familiar voice responded instantly, its tone as flat and impersonal as ever.
"What's my current point count? It's a thousand, right?" Jianyu asked as he stretched his stiff body, the remnants of his injuries still lingering. "I haven't gotten any points from planting those turnips, have I?"
"Hmm, let me check… Correct, it's a thousand. Still zero points for the turnips, unfortunately. You haven't harvested them yet."
Jianyu blinked in disbelief. "Wait, what? So I don't get points until I harvest them?"
"Well, obviously, Player Jianyu. Life isn't that easy," System replied with a deadpan tone that somehow felt smug.
"Unbelievable," Jianyu muttered, his lips curving into a frustrated pout. "Planting those things was already hard enough. Now my effort doesn't even count?"
"It will be counted after it's done. Welcome to reality," System said bluntly.
Jianyu opened his mouth to argue, but the sound of approaching footsteps cut him off. Qi Qi and Chengxin appeared at the makeshift doorway of what had become his and Zhenfeng's shared space.
"Gege, can we come in?" Qi Qi asked, her voice gentle yet carrying her signature cheerful energy.
"Come in," Jianyu replied, scooting over to make space.
The two stepped inside, each holding something in their hands—small cups that they had repurposed for meals. Jianyu took one look and couldn't help but laugh bitterly to himself. My life has come to this—eating out of these tiny cups.
But then the smell hit him. The rich aroma of roasted meat filled the cavern, and his mouth watered instinctively. The scent stirred memories of lavish steaks he used to savor in high-end restaurants.
"Steak?" Jianyu asked, his eyes lighting up in disbelief.
Qi Qi smiled faintly. "Well… something like steak. But, you know, as good as we can make it."
Chengxin handed Jianyu one of the cups, adding, "It's from the calf monster you fought earlier. But don't worry, I checked—it's safe."
Jianyu hesitated for a moment, staring at the makeshift steak. On one hand, he had no appetite for the creature that had injured him. On the other hand, he wanted some form of revenge for what it had done.
"Hah. In the end, you're going into my stomach, huh?" Jianyu thought to himself as he studied the cup.
He glanced up to see Qi Qi and Chengxin watching him expectantly, waiting for his verdict. Finally, he took a cautious bite.
"It's good," Jianyu said after chewing the tender piece.
To his surprise, it was good. Despite the limited tools and spices, Chengxin had managed to make the steak not only edible but genuinely enjoyable. The guy clearly had some talent.
"Qi Qi, thanks for treating me earlier," Jianyu said after swallowing another bite. "What exactly was that liquid you used on me?"
Qi Qi nodded. "It's a solution I made from Black Bloom's blood, ge. Back when I stayed at a refugee camp not far from here, I worked with scientists. We discovered that Black Bloom's blood contains a weak virus that can be dangerous in poorly ventilated spaces."
"You know about that too?" Jianyu asked, genuinely surprised. He had only just learned about it from the System the previous day.
Qi Qi nodded again. "I think other groups have figured it out as well, ge." She hesitated, as though debating whether to share more. After a moment, she shrugged off the thought. "Anyway," she continued, "the liquid I gave you is purified Black Bloom blood. It works as a remedy for all sorts of things."
Jianyu mulled over Qi Qi's explanation, his brow furrowing slightly. "So, you're saying you purified something that could've killed me… and used it to save me?"
Qi Qi smiled cheekily, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Pretty much. I'm kind of a genius, ge. You should've known that by now."
Jianyu huffed a laugh, shaking his head. "Guess I owe you one. Again."
Chengxin suddenly chirped, "I'll go check on the others," he said, "Some of the survivors probably haven't eaten yet."
Jianyu nodded. "Thanks for helping out, Chengxin."
Qi Qi stayed behind, her eyes lingering on Zhenfeng, who was still fast asleep in the corner. She shifted closer to Jianyu, lowering her voice so as not to wake him. "Ge," she began hesitantly, "can I ask you something?"
"Sure," Jianyu replied, setting his now-empty cup down. "What is it?"
Qi Qi tilted her head slightly toward Zhenfeng. "Who is he? He seems… different from the others."
Jianyu followed her gaze, his expression unreadable. "I found him at one of the hideouts I used to stay at," he said after a moment. "I don't know much about him—where he came from, who he was before all this. He's not exactly chatty about his past."
Qi Qi raised an eyebrow. "And you just decided to trust him?"
Jianyu let out a dry laugh. "Trust isn't really the right word. But he's good in combat—as you can already see—and he's never done anything suspicious. As far as I'm concerned, that's enough to keep him around."
Qi Qi leaned back slightly, her gaze softening. "He seems like he carries a lot of weight on his shoulders. Like you."
Jianyu didn't respond immediately, his eyes fixed on the flickering light of fire that Qi Qi brought with herself. Finally, he turned back to her, his voice quiet but sincere. "I'm sorry for your loss, Qi Qi."
Her breath hitched for a moment, and she looked away, blinking rapidly. "Thank you, ge," she said softly, a faint smile gracing her lips. "It's been… hard. But I guess we all have our losses, don't we?"
Jianyu nodded, his expression somber. "We do. But that doesn't make yours any less painful."