Villain Boss Chapter 178
Translated by Digitalian (ko-fi)
Chapter 178: The Calm Before The Storm
South of the snowy Xiling Mountain, three miles from the base's south gate, a field of flowers adorned the sun. It used to be a famous scenic spot in Xiling City before the apocalypse.
Now, untended, the flowers and trees had withered, leaving only wild lilies poking their heads through the thin winter snow.
Jiang Ran spread out the picnic mat on the grass, glanced around to make sure there were no zombies, then unpacked the various insulated containers from her bag.
Shen Youyou ran around the grass, gathered a bunch of wild lilies, and returned to Jiang Ran, gently placing the white bouquet next to her.
Jiang Ran smiled. "Youyou, did you enjoy coming out to play?"
The little girl tilted her head, assessing Jiang Ran’s question for a long time before reaching a conclusion and nodding.
Jiang Ran beckoned Shen Youyou to sit next to her and draped the unfurled scarf around her neck to prevent her from getting dirty while eating.
After patrolling the surroundings and finding no mutant beasts or zombies, Si Xu returned to the picnic spot and happened to see Jiang Ran tidying up the clothes for the little girl with a gentle smile.
He stared at the little girl-cum-third wheel silently for a long while, regretting deeply that he agreed to Shen Bai's request.
"Si Xu." Jiang Ran took out a sushi, looked up at him, and smiled. "Come here. I made sushi with the sushi vinegar in your space today. It's my first attempt, come and taste it."
Si Xu slowly walked to her and sat down.
Jiang Ran picked up a piece, dipped it in the sauce and fed it to him. "Ah——"
Si Xu opened his mouth and ate it.
Jiang Ran looked at him expectantly. "How’s it?"
He nodded. "It tastes good."
Satisfied, Jiang Ran picked up a piece and placed it on the small plate in front of Shen Youyou. "Youyou, Si Xu said it was delicious. You should try it too."
Shen Youyou obediently picked up a piece and stuffed it into her mouth.
Watching Jiang Ran’s actions, Si Xu was silent for a moment, then smiled slightly and asked, "Jiang Ran, were you asking me to taste it for her?"
She only fed it to that puppet after he said it was delicious.
"Yes," Jiang Ran replied matter-of-factly. "I could only offer it to our guest after you felt it was delicious. Otherwise, how embarrassing it would be—you're family, so I'm not afraid of embarrassment, hehe."
Si Xu was stunned for a moment, his somewhat depressed mood strangely soothed.
He snorted, staring at the sushi container in front of Jiang Ran, his meaning clear.
Jiang Ran understood and picked up another piece of sushi and fed it to him.
After he swallowed it contentedly, Jiang Ran curiously surveyed the surrounding scenery. "Si Xu, why aren't there zombies here?"
By rights, a scenic spot should have been crowded.
Yet, this place was clean and tidy, devoid of zombies or mutant beasts.
Si Xu was in a good mood after being fed and didn't mind explaining to his girlfriend, "The winter in Xiling is very cold, and the mountain is blocked by heavy snow, making it inconvenient to come in or go out. The base took advantage of the heavy snow to arrange for the superhuman team to come out and dispose of the zombies."
"Wow, before I came to the base?"
"Yes."
"You brought people?"
"No." Si Xu said, "... it was Shen Yang."
"Oh, my cousin," Jiang Ran thought thoughtfully, biting into her sushi. "I can't believe my cousin would do such a thing."
Hearing her words hinting at praise for Shen Yang, Si Xu turned his chopsticks around and tapped her on the head. "Your cousin is a smart guy, unlike you, who's so clueless."
Speaking of Shen Yang, Si Xu made no secret of his dislike.
Wincing after being tapped, Jiang Ran mumbled, "I know he's smart, otherwise you wouldn't have handed Luo Rui over to him."
Si Xu sneered. "What do you think will happen to Luo Rui once she’s in his hands?"
His words were sinister, and Jiang Ran blinked, feeling as if she had misunderstood his intentions.
She assumed Si Xu had handed Luo Rui over to Shen Yang to put the Shen family in a difficult position. The Shen family wouldn’t be able to absolve themselves from Wei Yage's murder, and a wedge would be driven between the Shen family and the members of the sixth team... It turned out that Si Xu had other plans.
Si Xu sighed at Jiang Ran’s bewildered expression. "You'll understand when you see Luo Rui next time."
He didn't want to say more, and Jiang Ran didn't ask further. "Oh." Glancing at the little girl beside her, Jiang Ran noticed that she was staring intently at the other thermoses. Jiang Ran smiled and opened the remaining containers.
"Youyou, here, help yourself." She poured the little girl a bowl of soup. "Corn and pork rib soup. It's nutritious and good for growth."
Observing Jiang Ran’s actions, Si Xu gave a sinister smile. "She won't grow anymore, so it's a waste to eat that."
Shen Youyou didn't react. Jiang Ran glared at him and lectured him, "Si Xu, don't bully Shen Youyou."
Si Xu pouted, unrepentant. "I'm telling the truth."
Jiang Ran poured the soup into a bowl and shoved it at him. "Have the soup."
This guy... why did he always pick on Shen Youyou?
He didn't treat the other women around her—Qi Yao, Shen Yao—with such hostility, so why did he single out Shen Youyou?
Just as Jiang Ran couldn't understand Si Xu's hostility, he also couldn't comprehend Jiang Ran's preference for Shen Youyou.
He seemed to be sipping his soup obediently, but in his mind, he was trying to find an excuse to return the puppet to the Shen family.
Shen Yang seemed quite free lately, so it was fitting that A117 be handed over to him for training.
After enjoying lunch in the warm sunshine, Jiang Ran lay on the grass, squinting at the azure sky.
"Si Xu, if we just stay here, maybe we'll forget the disaster we're going through—beautiful things have the power to heal the soul."
Si Xu sat beside her in a very lazy posture, with one leg curled up and the other stretched out, his head tilted to listen to her.
"Si Xu, after the disaster is over, let’s find a deserted place, preferably by the lake, and build a cabin with a fireplace, a large kitchen, and a balcony. I'll hang wind chimes under the eaves so we can catch the sound of the wind's footsteps..."
If, by the end of the disaster, we were still alive.
Her voice trailed off.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She shifted, resting her head on his lap. "I'm sleepy."
"Jiang Ran."
"Hmm?"
"When I'm by your side, you can rest with peace of mind." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I'll protect you." You didn’t have to worry about conspiracies or crises. You could trust me with everything.
Jiang Ran closed her eyes, unable to hide the smile that crossed her lips. "I know."
In the distance, Shen Youyou, who had been running around in the grass chasing a butterfly, stopped and looked back at Si Xu and Jiang Ran not far away.
She hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked back to the two of them. Under Si Xu’s cold, scrutinizing gaze, she imitated Jiang Ran's position and lay down, curling up next to him.
For once, Si Xu just stared at her for a moment, saying nothing.
……
After a night of examinations and treatments, in the morning, the doctor emerged from the room, removing his mask and gloves, a look of weariness on his face.
Zheng Li frowned and looked at the closed door. "Doctor, how’s the girl?"
"She has two broken ribs and a wound on her head from a blunt object. We’ll have to wait until she wakes up and observe her to follow up on her condition. The rest are superficial injuries and have been tended to."
How could such a thin and petite girl have so many injuries on her body? Zheng Li felt a little distressed and asked again, "Are there any other problems?"
The doctor shook his head.
"Well..." Zheng Li hesitated, moved closer to the doctor, and lowered his voice. "Is she pregnant?"
Shen Yang suddenly brought someone back, and the only thing Zheng Li could think of was that the girl was pregnant.
The doctor looked at Zheng Li in surprise and shook his head firmly. "No."
Zheng Li heaved a sigh of relief. "I’m glad, I’m glad."
Then he sent the doctor out with a smile on his face.
