Apocalypse: Last Traveler

This breakfast was eaten by Lu Xi'an and Yao Wei in the shelter.

Lu Xi'an went outside and found a couple of straight branches with the right thickness and hardness, broke them off, got a screwdriver from the car, took four ears of corn, and returned to the shelter.

Then he poked a hole at the ends of two ears of corn with the screwdriver, inserted the branches in, and could then roast them over the fireplace fire.

Unfortunately, there were no chopsticks in Yao Wei's car, nor were any found in the shelter at the time.

Otherwise, using chopsticks to pierce the corn kernels would be much handier than the branches.

Lu Xi'an couldn't quite understand why there were no chopsticks in the shelter at Tan Village.

Not to mention chopsticks, there weren't even spoons or forks. If people had actually lived there, what tools would they have used to eat?

There were two small spoons in Yao Wei's car, which they used when eating rice.

But the small spoons weren't any good for roasting corn, so they had to use the branches.

"Leave it to me."

Lu Xi'an had the branches ready, the corn extended into the fireplace when suddenly Yao Wei spoke.

She had been sitting next to Lu Xi'an, watching him work, and naturally understood what to do without Lu Xi'an having to say.

"Let me roast it. You're all soaked to the skin, take off your clothes and dry them by the fire."

She said to Lu Xi'an.

"Uh…"

Lu Xi'an hesitated a little and asked, "Is that appropriate?"

Yao Wei didn't understand, and retorted, "Your clothes are wet, dry them off, and dry yourself quickly to avoid getting sick, what's inappropriate about that?"

Lu Xi'an: "…"

Forget it, since Yao Wei didn't mind, why should he be so concerned?

Lu Xi'an promptly took off his top.

The clothes were wet and uncomfortable hanging on him.

However, he did not hang them near the fire, but laid them flat against the wall.

Seeing Yao Wei turn her head in confusion to look at him, he smiled slightly and explained, "There's floor heating here, laying them on the ground will dry them too, don't need to purposely hang them near the fire and hold them, it's troublesome."

"Mm."

Yao Wei nodded and took her gaze back.

Lu Xi'an couldn't tell if it was just a feeling, but he always thought when Yao Wei looked back, her gaze deliberately avoided him and fell entirely on the clothes on the floor.

So, is she still a little embarrassed?

Guessing it's the mischievous comic book at play again?

Could Yao Wei be thinking about that comic?

Lu Xi'an speculated in his mind, then heard Yao Wei say, "Not taking off your pants?"

????!!!!

Lu Xi'an glanced at Yao Wei, seeing Yao Wei without turning her head, only showing him the back of her head while speaking, couldn't help but mentally complain: just turn around and say it to my face!

"No need."

He said, "I'm wearing pants, sitting here can dry them too. There's floor heating beneath."

Yao Wei nodded, said "Mm.", still only giving him the back of her head without turning around to speak.

Lu Xi'an then sat next to Yao Wei and reached out, "Give me one, let's roast together."

Yao Wei kept quiet, silently handed over an ear of corn, passed the branch to Lu Xi'an, her movements becoming somewhat stiff.

When they exchanged the branch, their fingers inevitably touched, Yao Wei instantly withdrew her hand. That instant withdrawal was far from stiff.

Lu Xi'an glanced at Yao Wei, seeing her sitting upright, staring at the fireplace, in her eyes reflected flickering flames and the corn thrust into the fire.

This woman, at this moment, even sitting quietly seemed to exude an intense stiffness.

"Hoo…"

Lu Xi'an couldn't help but let out a slight sigh through his nose.

But somehow that faint sigh seemed to touch a nerve with Yao Wei.

"Why are you sighing?!"

Yao Wei reacted as if provoked, said aloud, still sitting upright, eyes fixed on the fireplace.

Lu Xi'an knew she was tense, so shifted the topic, "Nothing, just suddenly remembered the past."

"The past?"

Yao Wei heard his words which had nothing to do with her, and finally relaxed, but inexplicably felt a bit disappointed.

Luckily Lu Xi'an's story grabbed her attention, she still felt shy to look at him, only focusing on the flames in the fireplace, but listened attentively with ears perked.

Lu Xi'an said, "Yeah, I roasted corn like this as a kid.

"It was pure boredom back then, finding weeds in a deserted place, starting a fire, could keep me entertained for ages.

"Then sneak some corn from the fields, steal a pot to boil an egg, or catch grasshoppers to roast and eat their legs… though not much meat, they didn't have much taste.

"Some even tried to shoot birds down with slingshots to roast and eat. But they weren't skilled, never hitting anything…"

Yao Wei listened quietly, suddenly feeling Lu Xi'an's childhood days sounded cozy, like leisurely playing around, unlike her own, always rushing, striving tirelessly to survive.

Yet, just listening now, it felt nice.

Imagining Lu Xi'an's childhood scene with his words, felt as though her own childhood became serene and beautiful.

She thought and smiled, saying, "Then why didn't you throw something directly to hit the bird?"

Lu Xi'an shook his head, "I wasn't capable of that as a kid. Tried using a slingshot but never hit anything."

Yao Wei misunderstood, chuckled, "You always think of using a gun before realizing you can just throw stuff directly."

Lu Xi'an didn't explain.

Outside, the wind and rain continued raging, the fire crackled in the fireplace, the surface of the corn gradually blackened, the aroma began wafting out.

Neither spoke further, quietly watching the flames, occasionally turning the corn.

When the corn was blackened all around, Lu Xi'an took it out, tested it, "It's done."

So Yao Wei took her corn out of the fire.

But it was scorching, fresh out of the fire, couldn't eat it yet, they held it, letting it cool for a bit.

The two sat holding the corn waiting, it seemed ridiculous, their gazes inadvertently meeting, somehow couldn't help but laugh.

"Are you dried off?"

Yao Wei, surprisingly, forgot the awkwardness and tension from earlier, looked at Lu Xi'an's muscular body, subconsciously reached out to touch, checking if he was dry.

But quickly she realized something, withdrew her hand as if shocked.

"Dry now."

Lu Xi'an said, the warmth dissipating quickly, left him a bit dazed.

"Mm."

Yao Wei didn't say more, retreated to a corner to eat her corn.

Lu Xi'an also sat by his clothes, munching away.