The wind had stopped.
Chu Ling woke up early, stepping outside to survey the aftermath of the sandstorm. The air was still heavy with dust, but the wind had calmed significantly. It wouldn't be long before everything settled completely.
The surroundings were covered with layers of sand, as if nature had wrapped everything in a blanket of golden powder. Thankfully, with Qian Li around, clearing it all would be a breeze—quite literally.
Across the way, the Gu family team had already started inspecting their equipment. Chu Ling spotted the bustling activity and noted that they, too, would likely be ready to depart soon.
A shout rang out from nearby.
"Damn it! Who forgot to close the window yesterday? The whole car's full of sand!" Ah Hu exclaimed in frustration.
Ah Yi, glaring at him, responded sharply, "Weren't you the last one out of the car? Didn't you check?"
"Was it me?" Ah Hu asked innocently, scratching his head.
As the two bickered, the sand piled up inside the vehicle suddenly floated into the air, hovering for a moment before rushing outside. In an instant, the car was spotless. Startled, the two men turned to see Qian Li standing behind them.
Dressed in desert camouflage that covered her from head to toe, including a face mask and sunglasses, it was impossible to see any trace of emotion on her face. This outfit was standard for everyone in their group—practical for shielding against both the sun and the sand.
Chu Ling, too, was dressed in a similar outfit, though she stood out with her deep crimson scarf wrapped loosely around her neck. The scarf fluttered behind her in the morning breeze, giving her a bold, dynamic appearance.
She glanced at the two men and chuckled lightly, as if such situations were too familiar to be surprising. There was something strangely comforting about these mundane moments of banter and camaraderie in a world otherwise consumed by chaos.
Lifting her gaze, she caught sight of Gu Xiyan.
Gu Xiyan had evidently recovered from her fever and was standing outside the Gu family's base, accompanied by Gu Jingbo as they assessed the weather.
Even now, Gu Xiyan was dressed in her usual thin white blouse. Though the fever had broken, her body still seemed weak—her complexion carried a faint flush of blood, but her pale lips betrayed her lingering frailty.
Gu Jingbo, ever the caring fiancé, draped his coat over her shoulders.
"Xiyan, you've just recovered. Why are you outside already? You need more rest. Don't worry about the planning"
What a thoughtful man—his words were full of care and concern. Gu Xiyan's lips curved slightly, but the expression resembled more of a cold sneer than a genuine smile. It was fleeting, gone before anyone could notice.
If only I hadn't heard his inner thoughts, I might have believed him.
[Thank you for your concern, dear brother. But are you truly worried about me? If my fever hadn't broken by today, wouldn't you have left me behind to fend for myself?]
Brother?
Gu Jingbo's eyes flickered with unease. Gu Xiyan hadn't called him 'brother' since their childhood. She was now his fiancée, after all. Referring to him as her brother was bound to invite mockery from others—what kind of man marries his adopted sister?
Each word of her inner monologue cut deep, exposing Gu Jingbo's thoughts as if they were laid bare for all to see. Yet Gu Xiyan's expression remained composed, her smile soft and distant, as though she had said nothing of consequence.
Gu Jingbo grew visibly tense, quickly offering an explanation. "Of course not. Xiyan, you must be delirious from your illness."
{What's going on? This girl has always been so meek and obedient. Why does it feel like she's a completely different person after just one fever?}
Gu Xiyan stared at him, watching his nervous expression shift. After a moment, she offered him one of her familiar, gentle smiles. Slowly, she began typing on her tablet, deliberately drawing out the moment, leaving Gu Jingbo in suspense.
When she finally turned the screen toward him, it read:
[It was my mistake to doubt you. Brother loves me so much—how could you possibly leave me behind? Especially now that we're so close to our wedding. If Grandfather knew about such a thing, he wouldn't be pleased, would he?]
Gu Jingbo froze, caught off guard by her words. He struggled to find a response but ultimately managed to stammer, "It's good that you think so. After all, we're family."
He placed a hand on her shoulder, brushing off the sand that had settled on her clothes, before turning to check on his team.
As he walked away, Gu Xiyan's expression turned cold. She brushed at the spot where his hand had rested on her shoulder, as though trying to rid herself of something dirty. She then removed his coat and held it loosely in her hand, clearly unwilling to wear it.
This newfound ability to read minds was still unfamiliar to her. It seemed that unless she focused on someone directly, she couldn't hear their thoughts. The sudden flood of memories and this strange new power were slowly transforming her.
The timid, naïve girl who once trusted blindly was gone. In her place stood a woman who had endured betrayal, manipulation, and death—a woman reborn from the ashes of her former self.
Hope? It had once been her only light, but now she knew it was nothing but an illusion.
Though her memories of her previous life remained fragmented, one thing was clear: this time, she would live for herself. And she would settle the debts of the past.
But...
A voice pulled her from her thoughts.
"Miss Gu, you're feeling better!"
Turning, she found herself face-to-face with Chu Ling, her radiant smile rivaling the sun.
Chu Ling.
That name didn't exist in any of her memories. This person wasn't supposed to be part of her life. And yet, here she was.
Is this the heavens' way of testing me again? Are they trying to make me fall for Chu Ling, just as I once fell for Liang Liang? Only to suffer betrayal once more?
Gu Xiyan refused to gamble on such a possibility. She wouldn't let herself sink into the warmth of Chu Ling's gentle gaze.
{How does someone look so beautiful even when they're recovering from an illness? Is this what they mean by sickly beauty?}
If it weren't for her newfound ability to hear inner thoughts, just looking at Chu Ling's face would only reveal a faint smile—calm, warm, and understated. Who would have guessed that behind that tranquil expression was such a lively inner monologue? To Gu Xiyan's surprise, this outwardly composed person was, in fact, a chatterbox in her heart.
Gu Xiyan had received countless compliments throughout her life, but most of them were hollow flattery. Chu Ling's unfiltered, direct thoughts, however, caught her off guard. Feeling a little self-conscious, she turned her head away, gazing out at the distant sand dunes to avoid hearing more of Chu Ling's inner musings.
Was it her imagination, or were her ears turning red? Surely it was just the sun.
Chu Ling noticed this and glanced up at the sun herself. It was indeed much stronger now compared to earlier. Then her eyes shifted to Gu Xiyan's attire—a thin, white blouse and a jacket she merely held in her hand instead of wearing. Concerned, Chu Ling asked, "Miss Gu, this kind of clothing won't protect you from the sun. Why don't you wear my jacket instead?"
Before Gu Xiyan could react, Chu Ling was already shrugging off her own jacket. Her jacket, unlike Gu Jingbo's formal coat, was practical—designed to shield against both sun and sand, and light enough not to restrict movement.
Gu Xiyan turned her head back, just in time to see Chu Ling halfway through taking off her jacket. Alarmed, she quickly waved her hand in refusal, unable to even write a response on her tablet before Chu Ling was already halfway through her gesture.
Seeing Gu Xiyan's clear rejection, Chu Ling froze for a moment before realization dawned on her.
{Right, Gu Xiyan is from the upper city. How could she wear something so shabby as my jacket? Their base must have better protective gear anyway}
Gu Xiyan frowned slightly. She hadn't refused because of the jacket's condition but because she didn't want Chu Ling to show such excessive care for her. She thought about writing an explanation, but doing so might expose her ability to read minds. In the end, she chose to remain silent—perhaps letting Chu Ling give up on her wasn't such a bad thing.
Chu Ling, now 'understanding', quickly stopped and adjusted her jacket back into place. "I was being presumptuous, Miss Gu."
Gu Xiyan turned and continued to look into the distance, keeping a distance from Chu Ling.
[Miss Chu, didn't you understand what I said to you last night?] Thinking of Chu Ling's unchanged enthusiasm, could it be that she didn't understand clearly when she rejected her yesterday?
Last night? Oh, is this about the instant noodles? She doesn't like instant noodles? That's such a shame; they're so delicious
"I understand Miss Gu's feelings. But just because Miss Gu doesn't like something now doesn't mean I can't like it. I'm confident that, with time, as we spend more time together, you'll come to like it too."
Chu Ling's tone was so sincere and hopeful that it left Gu Xiyan momentarily stunned. Did she… really not give up after being rejected? Gu Xiyan had no intention of arguing further. She couldn't bring herself to say something harsh, especially knowing they'd have to continue working together for some time.
[Suit yourself] she wrote on her tablet dismissively.
Chu Ling, undeterred, took a deep breath and glanced at the clearing sky. "Miss Gu, there's no need to worry. As they say, after every disaster comes a rainbow. Everything will eventually get better."
The simple phrase caught Gu Xiyan's attention. [Rainbow?]
Chu Ling noticed her curiosity and smiled warmly. "Miss Gu, you don't know what a rainbow is? A rainbow is a symbol of hope."
Of course, Gu Xiyan knew the word 'rainbow'. It was something she had read about in books, but in this desolate, post-apocalyptic world, rainbows were little more than a distant memory, an image preserved in words alone. No one alive had ever seen one in person.
Gu Xiyan shook her head.
Seeing the faint glimmer of interest in her eyes, Chu Ling's expression brightened. She leaned closer, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. "Then let me make you a rainbow."
Before Gu Xiyan could fully process her words, Chu Ling spun around and dashed off toward her base, moving with such urgency that it left Gu Xiyan both amused and confused.
This woman really was a whirlwind—coming and going in a rush.
But deep down, something in Gu Xiyan stirred. For a fleeting moment, a feeling she thought long dead bubbled to the surface.
She's making me a rainbow?
For reasons she couldn't quite understand, Gu Xiyan found herself anticipating what Chu Ling might come up with.