Quick Travel: Save the poor little villain

Chapter 2896 Town Infrastructure Construction in Full Swing 15

Faced with Huo Zhaoye's questioning gaze, Yan Genggu recounted the situation as it had been, which was largely the same as the description given by the survivors of Nanzhen.

I was kidnapped by a shadowy figure on the outskirts of town, and when I woke up I was in a cave.

After Yan Genggu finished speaking, Jin Chen nodded to Huo Zhaoye and agreed, "That's right."

His face was still covered in ash, and in the flickering firelight, he looked dirty and dusty.

Huo Zhaoye looked at him, who should have looked disheveled, but for some reason, he chuckled.

He wiped the dust off Jin Chen's face with his sleeve.

"It's dirty."

Jin Chen let him wipe her, and when he withdrew his hand, she leaned back on Huo Zhaoye's shoulder.

Huo Zhaoye's body stiffened slightly. "It's alright now."

Jin Chen leaned on his shoulder, her eyes half-closed, and asked in return.

"Can't I lean on you when there's nothing wrong?"

"……Can."

of course can.

After saying that, Huo Zhaoye couldn't help but turn his head to the side, his tongue touching his cheek, a secret joy surging in his chest.

As night fell, the thunder faded into the distance, but the rain continued to fall in a light drizzle.

The group began making arrangements for the night.

Two small tents were unfurled and set up in a relatively flat and dry place, while tarpaulins were used to cover the wounded and those who were weaker.

Keeping watch is essential; in this desolate forest, no one dares to be careless.

The two lords quickly arranged the shifts, two people per group, rotating every few hours.

As for Jin Chen and Yan Genggu, everyone tacitly agreed that they did not need to participate in the night watch.

One was a frail teacher who was terrified, and the other was an agronomist who had just been injured and was bleeding; both needed rest.

Huo Zhaoye squatted on the ground, deftly arranging the tent frame and tarpaulin, while Jin Chen lazily followed behind him, her gaze occasionally drifting to the other side.

Over there, Lu Jun took the initiative to invite Yan Genggu to share a tent, and Yan Genggu nodded without refusing.

Jin Chen raised an eyebrow, pondering to himself.

I wonder if Lu Jun has any extra points left.

If you don't have those, you can exchange them with rare materials or other precious resources.

Just then, Lu Jun, who was bending over and tidying up the tent not far away, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine for no reason.

He subconsciously turned around and met Jin Chen's gaze.

Amidst the flickering firelight, Jin Chen gave him a barely perceptible smile.

Lu Jun: "??"

He touched the back of his neck, then turned back, puzzled.

Why does Teacher Jin look at people with such a strange gaze?

“Teacher Jin.” Huo Zhaoye’s voice came through, his tone stiff.

He finished setting up the tent, lifted a corner, and turned to look at Jin Chen.

How come I couldn't keep an eye on him? Jin Chen was flirting with someone else again. What's so interesting about that kid Lu Jun?

“…Oh.” Jin Chen responded, walked to the tent, bent down and crawled inside.

The tent was small and had a moisture-proof mat laid out. Jin Chen sat down in the innermost part of the tent, and Huo Zhaoye followed him in and lowered the tent flap.

The two sat side by side, very close to each other.

Huo Zhaoye didn't speak, his brows furrowed slightly, still bothered by that glance earlier, and blaming himself for not being able to protect Jin Chen.

Jin Chen turned her head to the side and gently stroked Huo Zhaoye's furrowed brows with her fingertips. The movement was very gentle.

"what happened?"

Huo Zhaoye looked up at him, his eyes meeting those that appeared exceptionally gentle in the dim light.

His eyes reflected the small lamplight and his own somewhat disheveled shadow.

"It's my fault for not protecting you well," Huo Zhaoye said softly.

He always believed that as long as he was there, he could protect the people he wanted to protect, but this time, Jin Chen got into trouble right under his nose.

Jin Chen's palm traced along his brow bone and slowly moved to his cheek.

When their skin touched, Huo Zhaoye's breath hitched for a moment.

Jin Chen rubbed his cheek with her knuckles again, a seemingly casual display of affection, yet her eyes were so tender they could drown a person.

Huo Zhaoye stared back at him, somewhat bewildered.

His usual wild and unruly nature was gradually tamed by this gaze. He lowered his eyes and pressed his cheek against Jin Chen's palm.

Outside the tent, the wind and rain raged; inside, all was silent, their breaths and heartbeats mingling.

After a long while, Jin Chen answered his question softly.

"You came quickly, and you protected me well."

Jin Chen's fingertips slid down and pressed against Huo Zhaoye's lips.

Those were small, intimate gestures, even suggestive ones.

Huo Zhaoye felt numb all over and lowered his head to adjust his expression.

“However… next time, it would be better if we didn’t separate.” Jin Chen looked down at him, touched Huo Zhaoye’s lips with her fingertips, and rubbed them. Her voice was very soft, weak and gentle.

Huo Zhaoye's heart softened terribly, and his wildness transformed into a brief moment of docility. "I think so too."

"It's better to keep an eye on you."

Jin Chen gave an almost inaudible "hmm," withdrew his hand, leaned back, and lay down to rest.

Huo Zhaoye was still sitting beside him. Seeing Jin Chen's sleeping face, he vaguely recalled that sweltering night.

In the attic, Jin Chen was fast asleep, her head resting on his hand.

how so.

Huo Zhaoye was somewhat confused.

Unspoken thoughts also subtly grew within the strange atmosphere of the tent.

He turned his head and coughed very lightly to calm the unfamiliar, burning emotions in his chest, then slowly lay down next to Jin Chen.

The blanket wasn't big, so the two inevitably got closer together. Huo Zhaoye hesitated for a moment, then wrapped his arm around Jin Chen's waist and gently pulled him close.

Huo Zhaoye touched the soft, stray hairs on Jin Chen's forehead, his fingertips brushing against the corners of Jin Chen's slightly closed eyes, his knuckles tensing and flexing.

Then, he held his breath and placed a kiss on Jin Chen's hair.

A kiss on the hair is hard to notice, as light as a butterfly's wings; only those who want to know can feel the affection that falls upon it.

Huo Zhaoye buried his face closer, inhaling the faint fragrance of her hair, and closed his eyes.

-

In the early hours of the morning, the rain gradually subsided.

Sounds came from outside the tent: two short and one long—the agreed-upon signal for the shift change.

Huo Zhaoye immediately opened his eyes, a habit he had developed over many years in crisis environments.

He shifted, trying to pull his arm away from Jin Chen's pillow and get up.

However, Jin Chen, seemingly sensing something in her sleep, hugged her even tighter.

Huo Zhaoye froze, too afraid to move.

He remained in that awkward position for a few seconds, and only when he felt Jin Chen's breathing become long and even again did he slowly pull away from Jin Chen's embrace and put Jin Chen's hand back into the blanket.

After doing all this, I felt even more tired than after fighting a battle.

Having finally managed to free his hand, Huo Zhaoye propped himself up and, using the faint light filtering through the tent's gaps, leaned down again as if possessed, this time planting a kiss on Jin Chen's forehead.

Huo Zhaoye lifted the tent flap, slipped out, and then carefully closed the flap again.

Outside the tent, the damp, cool air rushed in, instantly invigorating the senses.

The monkey that was guarding with Huo Zhaoye yawned and greeted him vaguely when he came out, "Boss."

Huo Zhaoye nodded, walked to the fire, sat down, and added a few more pieces of firewood.

The monkey sat down, hugged his knees, and looked at Huo Zhaoye's somewhat gloomy profile in the firelight. He couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? You look so worried. Are you worried about Teacher Jin? He's fine, isn't he?"

"Are you still worried that the road will be difficult to travel in daylight?"

Huo Zhaoye stared at the flickering flames without saying a word.

After a long while, he seemed to finally make up his mind, turned his head, and asked, "Monkey, you... liked A-Juan before, how did you pursue her?"

monkey:"??"

His sleepy mind couldn't quite process what was happening. He blinked and stared blankly at his boss.

It's the middle of the night, I'm keeping watch, why are you suddenly asking this?

The monkey glanced at the tent behind Huo Zhaoye, but dared not show it too obviously, and scratched its head.

"Nothing special, it's just... whatever she likes, I try to get her some, hang around her a lot, help her with chores, and say nice things to her..."

The monkey tried hard to recall his meager dating experience, "But, Brother Huo, to be honest, if I didn't really like her, I wouldn't have bothered to do all those things. It was such a hassle."

Huo Zhaoye seemed to be deep in thought, his fingers twirling the charred branch.

Seeing that he didn't speak, the monkey assumed he was sleepy, so it stopped asking and, with its arms crossed, began to nod its head and soon began to doze off again.

Huo Zhaoye guarded the faint light alone, listening to the gradually pattering rain outside the cave, and stayed up for the rest of the night.