Chapter 132 - 113: I Will Keep Your Secret

Chapter 132: Chapter 113: I Will Keep Your Secret

Zhou Qian only managed to laugh for a moment before he was forced to tense his face in restraint. His entire body, from his head down to his hands, was in absolute agony.

Moreover...

"Why am I tied up?" he asked.

"Oh, right!" Huai Yu snapped back to reality and hurriedly untied the ropes around his wrists. She explained, "The spider’s neurotoxin amplifies pain. I was afraid you might hurt yourself while you were delirious, so not only were your hands tied, but your mouth was also gagged at first."

That being said, his mind was completely clear now, proving that the neurotoxin had subsided. And while the severe pain all over his body was unbearable, it wasn’t enough to make him delirious, right? Why did she keep him tied up?

Huai Yu lowered her head and pretended to tidy up the ropes, not daring to make a sound.

Why, indeed?

It was because every part of Zhou Qian’s body had been sliced open, except for the boxer shorts she had left on him. To make matters worse, the eggshell knife was incredibly sharp. The neurotoxin in those wounds had been thoroughly drained, but his flesh was left flayed and gaping open. Now that the bleeding had stopped and he was soaking in the medicinal bath, the wounds looked pale and ghastly. Later on... there was a good chance the scars would remain permanently.

Zhou Qian hadn’t noticed this yet because it was late at night. The solar lamp hadn’t been charged in the sun for the past two days, so its light was quite dim. But all he had to do was feel around...

"Little Yu, where are my clothes?"

Huai Yu was speechless. She tried to sound as calm as possible. "You’re soaking in a medicinal bath for treatment, so of course you’re not wearing clothes. Brother Zhou Qian, are you tired? Do you want to sleep for a while?

"You can’t eat anything just yet, either. I don’t know if your stomach can handle food right now, so bear with it a little longer."

Zhou Qian raised an eyebrow. HISS! Just that small movement made him feel like his face was going to split open again.

In the dim light, Huai Yu couldn’t see his discomfort. She only heard his composed voice. "I clearly remember that I was on the brink of death when we met, yet I’m still alive now... Little Yu, you were the one who saved me, weren’t you?

"You saved me, but instead of acting arrogant or smug about it, you’re sweet-talking me by calling me Brother Zhou Qian. How exactly did you save me? Your methods are a secret to others, aren’t they?"

In the darkness, Zhou Qian bared his teeth in a grimace. Even speaking made the torn flesh on his face sting. Just what on earth had been carved into his face? A turtle?!

Huai Yu was speechless. She puffed out her cheeks.

The dimly lit room fell into silence. As Zhou Qian gradually adapted to the darkness, he could make out the messy silhouettes within the house. The floor was covered in water, and the air was thick with a strong medicinal scent. The bed in the corner was perfectly neat, showing no signs of having been slept in, while a trail of wet marks spread from the kettle and cup on the table. There was also the still-warm medicinal liquid in the bathtub, the hot water kept warm by the residual heat of the stove, and the towel floating on the water’s surface that had been covering his face. Not to mention Huai Yu’s wrinkled clothes, her messy hair, and the pale face and bloodshot eyes he had seen when she leaned in earlier.

Zhou Qian silently slowed his breathing. Instead of pressing her on his previous questions, he asked softly, "How long have I been asleep?"

Huai Yu thought for a moment. "From the time we met at the medical pod until now, it should be a day and a... no, two days and two nights. It’s the early morning of the second day—" She checked her watch. "It’s 3:30 AM right now."

Zhou Qian slowly relaxed his body and carefully moved his curled limbs. A sharp pain struck him again, but he was able to grit his teeth and endure it this time. The only thing he couldn’t stand was the stiff, numb, and aching sensation that came from maintaining that curled-up posture for too long. It felt like thousands of ants were biting him.

"Little Yu," Zhou Qian said softly as he quietly adjusted his posture. "Go get some sleep.

"Even though I don’t have a Superpower, I survived the cataclysm. My physique is actually far superior to that of a normal person. For example, soaking in cold water in this weather won’t make me sick.

"So, go get some sleep.

"We can talk about everything else when it’s light out. I will come up with a reason and an excuse. I won’t reveal your secret."

After all, he wasn’t exactly a qualified member of the Defense Army to begin with. Back then, he had injured two of his comrades for the sake of the already deceased Zhou Ning. Even though Little Yu wasn’t Zhou Ning... she was a young girl all alone in the world. Since she had dared to risk everything to save him, who was to say she hadn’t gambled her future on it?

In the dead of night, Zhou Qian stared at the ceiling and silently closed his eyes.

Huai Yu sat in a daze as well. After a long while, she let out a heavy sigh, as if a crushing weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Then, she whispered, "Okay. Thank you, Brother Zhou Qian."

Zhou Qian chuckled silently in his heart. After all the trouble she went through to save his life, he was the one who should be saying thank you.

Both of them were truly exhausted. Zhou Qian was drained from severe blood loss and critical injuries, compounded by his body being forced into a dormant state for repairs during the treatment. As for Huai Yu, she was purely exhausted from overwork.