Chapter 98 - 96: Midnight Convoy

Chapter 98: Chapter 96: Midnight Convoy

She had just opened the copy of *Towards the Sun* in her hands when a short poem on the title page caught her eye.

"The sun casts its feathered arrows of light upon its clear and tender corolla..."

She paused, then stood up, grabbed her solar lamp, and walked over to the Rose Corridor.

Under the bright glow of the lamp, faint outlines of flying insects buzzed over the leaves and flowers, only to drop silently into the dirt and become part of the soil. The pinkish-white petals swayed, tranquil and beautiful in the night.

Huai Yu hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "If any vehicles leave the camp tonight... like, a lot of them... could you find a way to wake me up?"

In truth, Zhou Qian hadn’t said a word, and the sentries hadn’t breathed a single syllable about it. Huai Yu didn’t even know if he had already left during the day. Yet, she still felt the need to ask.

The lamplight illuminated the side of her face. The healthy, rosy flush she wore during the day was gone, replaced by a lingering pallor. A trace of sorrow flickered in her dark eyes.

In the dead of night, the Rose petals in front of her opened and closed, swaying gently as if making a promise to her.

A smile broke across Huai Yu’s face, and for some reason, she felt much more at ease. "Then... thank you. I’m going to sleep." She gently stroked the leaves and turned back inside.

The silent night was no different from any other. The petals and leaves fluttered faintly, and a light, lingering scent of Roses permeated the air.

In the early hours of the morning, Huai Yu opened her eyes. The floral scent in the room had grown remarkably intense. On the long table, the three vases of varying sizes were practically brimming with vibrant life. As if sensing something, she put on her shoes, grabbed her solar lamp, and rushed outside.

Never before had the wilderness surrounding the Rose Mansion felt so vast and rolling. The green grass had grown knee-high; as she trampled over it, verdant sap splashed onto her white shoes.

Huai Yu sprinted with her lamp until she reached the edge of the Rose Mansion’s grounds, right beside the road. Standing there and panting heavily, she watched as bright headlights pierced through the darkness from afar.

The trucks were like giant beasts of the night, driving along the road one after another. Their lights were so blindingly radiant that the lamp in her hand was reduced to a mere firefly’s glow in comparison.

Meanwhile, Zhou Qian was sitting in one of the vehicles with his team when someone suddenly asked, "Captain Zhou, is that girl... Little Yu? The one who brought the bamboo shoots?"

"What? Where? Those bamboo shoots were delicious! Let me see what kind of person is brave enough to live out here."

"I want to see too! She’s a bit far... Oh, I see her, I see her! Huh, why is she wearing pajamas? Pastel blue? Wow, so cute! She looks so sweet!"

"Her hair is so fluffy, I really want to pat it..."

"No wonder you said she looked like a little sister. She really doesn’t look very old. How could her family bear to leave such a young girl all alone at the Rose Corridor?"

"Right, right? I told you she gives off a really sweet vibe..."

Zhou Qian had been resting with his eyes closed, but the moment he heard the chatter, he jolted up without a word and pressed his face against the window on the far side of the vehicle.

To allow the team to stay alert for mutated plants during the journey, their transport wasn’t completely sealed; it was designed for easy observation in all directions. Now, through the heavy glass, as the bright headlights flashed past row by row in the distance, he could see a frail young girl standing by the roadside, wearing pastel blue pajamas and holding a small lamp as she watched them.

The vehicles gradually slowed down. As they passed her one by one, numerous unfamiliar faces peered out from the windows. Yet, as if by prior agreement, every face behind the hazy nighttime glass unconsciously softened into a gentle expression.

She stood there, looking back at each of them like a helpless hatchling waiting by the nest for its mother’s return. It wasn’t until another vehicle passed that her eyes widened. She jumped up and waved her hands frantically.

"Captain! Captain Zhou! Zhou Qian!"

Zhou Qian instinctively pressed his hand against the glass, leaning his entire body closer to the window as his gaze locked onto her. For some reason, his eyes had turned red.

Huai Yu’s gaze chased after the transport.

In truth, Zhou Qian didn’t know if she could even see him clearly in the dead of night. All he knew was that the young girl stood there with her lamp, the headlights of the trailing vehicles washing over her until she seemed to melt entirely into the halo of light.

Her facial features and expressions were no longer visible.

"Come back alive!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

Over the rumbling engines, Zhou Qian could only faintly guess her words from the shape of her lips as she grew further and further away.