Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Extreme Heat, White Tiger

Big White paused, and its dark, mysterious eyes sent a chill down her spine.

’He couldn’t still be mad, could he?!’

Jiang Si instinctively tried to placate him, hugging his neck and nuzzling him. "I was just kidding, don’t take it seriously!"

She moved closer, but Big White simply turned his head away with a disdainful and slightly repulsed expression, refusing to acknowledge her.

Jiang Si was suddenly reminded of Qin Shen. Their proud, standoffish demeanor was uncannily similar.

It was unbearably hot. Jiang Si, who usually slept soundly, tossed and turned restlessly. Like a snail, she would subconsciously inch away from the blazing heat source beside her. But it never lasted; soon enough, the giant, soft furnace would shift, leaving not a single gap between them.

Drenched in sweat from the heat, Jiang Si subconsciously stripped off her shirt and pants.

His plush fur absorbed her sweat, and she finally felt a bit more comfortable.

Big White looked at her awkward, sprawling posture and sniffed the scent she had left on his fur, his brow deeply furrowed.

The night was quiet. The bloody hue on the horizon gradually faded, revealing a round moon like a white jade disc.

Big White suddenly stood up, shaking Jiang Si off his back. As he was about to leave, he paused, then turned back, picked up Jiang Si’s outer clothes in his mouth, and draped them over her.

In her sleep, Jiang Si felt the space beside her go empty. The sudden chill on her bare skin was a shock, and her eyes flew open.

There was no sign of the White Tiger in the room.

Jiang Si got dressed, raised her mushroom umbrella, and went to the rooftop to look for him, but he was nowhere to be found.

Last night felt like a strange dream.

Jiang Si turned and saw the crack in the wall, the bullet still lodged inside.

’It wasn’t a dream!’

’Will he come back?’

’Maybe he just went off to hunt.’

Just as Jiang Si was about to head back inside, she saw Qin Shen emerging from the forest. He was holding up a large mushroom, walking at a leisurely pace. The harsh sunlight seemed to soften as it fell on him, creating a gentle filter that made him stand in stark contrast to the desolate surroundings.

Jiang Si waved to greet him. "Qin Shen, have you seen a big white tiger?"

Qin Shen’s expression faltered for a moment before he shook his head. "No."

A flicker of disappointment crossed Jiang Si’s eyes. She added, "If you see him, as long as he doesn’t attack you first, please don’t kill him. He’s very intelligent and can understand people."

A strange look crossed Qin Shen’s face, but he agreed nonetheless. "Okay."

Only then did Jiang Si ask, "You went to the forest again?"

Qin Shen lifted the basket in his other hand. "I went to pick some things. Want some? We can trade."

Jiang Si couldn’t see clearly from so far away, and she couldn’t just pull out her binoculars, so she shouted, "What is it?"

Qin Shen walked up to the wall of their courtyard. Only then could Jiang Si see clearly that he had picked some cactus fruits from somewhere.

The space wasn’t static. They hadn’t stored much fresh food in the refrigerator to begin with, and they’d already eaten most of it. The strawberries and tomatoes she’d planted hadn’t ripened yet. To be able to eat Cactus Fruit right now was an unimaginable luxury.

Jiang Si’s eyes lit up. "What do you want to trade for?"

Qin Shen paused. "Do you have instant noodles?"

’Instant noodles! No problem at all!’

Jiang Si agreed at once. "We happen to have two cups of instant noodles left. You can give me some, and I’ll come down now."

"Okay."

When Jiang Si grabbed the instant noodles to meet Qin Shen, her whole family gave her meaningful looks.

Jiang Si couldn’t help but laugh. "What are you all thinking? I’m just trading for some things."

Jiang Linhai drew out his voice, "Ohhh—"

As soon as Jiang Si went out, he immediately climbed up to the third floor to observe carefully.

For two cups of pickled cabbage noodles, Qin Shen gave her the entire basket of Cactus Fruit.

Jiang Si tried to refuse. "This is too much. Just a few is enough."

It was dangerous to go into the forest; it must not have been easy for Qin Shen to pick the fruits.

Qin Shen shook his head. "It’s fine. There were a lot more there." Without another word, he simply put the basket on the ground, took the instant noodles, and left.

Jiang Si returned with the basket, and everyone gathered around. "Cactus Fruit! Wow, they’re huge!"

"He gave you so many, and you only gave him two cups of instant noodles?"

Jiang Si was speechless. "Giving him too much would look suspicious! It’s not like we’re that close yet."

"But he really did give us a lot of cactus fruit. We can make some jam and give some to him."

The only ones left around were Qin Shen and the Lu Zhifeng father-daughter pair. They weren’t a threat, so they could get along like good neighbors.

Everyone laughed. "Okay."

Shen Baoying looked upstairs cautiously. "Where’s the tiger?"

Jiang Si sighed. "He’s gone."

Big White was so powerful in a fight; everyone felt a little disappointed to hear he had left.

Suddenly, Big Black started barking.

It was Lu Zhifeng and Niu Niu.

Seeing they were safe, Lu Zhifeng breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I heard screams last night, so I came to check on you."

Jiang Si said, "The problem’s been dealt with. The hunting rifle was the same model. It was probably Zhang Xianchao’s gang. Were you guys okay last night?"

Lu Zhifeng shook his head. "We were on guard all night, but there was no activity. It was probably because I removed the ladder, so they didn’t dare approach."

"Mm, that’s good."

Jiang Si also mentioned Big White to Lu Zhifeng, and as they were leaving, she gave Niu Niu a few Cactus Fruit.

「Several days passed, but Big White never reappeared.」

At night, Jiang Si stood on the rooftop and saw Qin Shen repairing his doors and windows. She asked, "Did you go logging in the forest today?"

Qin Shen nodded.

"Did you see Big White then?"

Qin Shen had a strange look on his face. "No."

Jiang Si sighed. "He really is a beautiful white tiger." ’A perfect mount.’

"Mm."

Qin Shen’s replies were really perfunctory, but his straightforwardness was also nice. Jiang Si actually quite enjoyed talking to him.

With the mushroom umbrella to shield them from the sun’s radiation, the effects of the apocalypse suddenly seemed to have lessened.

Jiang Si didn’t let her guard down. Every day, she would spend a few hours teaching everyone survival skills like rock climbing, starting a fire quickly, and diving.

In their remaining time, her grandmother planted sweet potatoes, potatoes, mushrooms, peas, and cucumbers in sacks at home.

Her grandfather diligently studied medicine. Jiang Si would go into her space specifically to use the photocopier to print out relevant information for him to read. Since she couldn’t understand it and couldn’t help, her grandfather would sometimes go ask Qin Shen.

Her father was constantly doing physical training and practicing combat techniques. Whenever he learned a new move, he would also go find Qin Shen to practice.

Over time, Qin Shen became quite familiar with her family.

Jiang Si also used the excuse that she had found some chemistry lab equipment in one of the village houses and asked Qin Shen if he could figure out how to create a sunscreen from the mushrooms.

The peaceful days did not last long and were shattered one night.

Jiang Si was on her usual patrol in the attic when she suddenly saw a long, orderly procession of torches in the distance.

Jiang Si immediately notified her family and also shouted out to Qin Shen.

Jiang Linhai asked urgently, "Do we need to leave?"

Jiang Si nodded. "It looks like they’re coming for us. There are too many of them. Our best bet is to leave."

"Okay."

Everyone quickly got dressed and geared up, grabbing Big Black and Little Black before retreating into the forest.

They had just stepped out the door when they ran into Qin Shen. Before Jiang Si could speak, his expression turned sharp and he said in a low voice, "They’re here."