Using the Heart of Trees & Mr. Chen the Sharp-eyed

"Wow, Jiang did sleep with Ye? So good to be young!"

On the table, Chu Haoling shrieked when he noticed a kiss mark on Ye Xingchen's neck. Everybody turned to him all of a sudden. Ye Xingchen winced and pulled his collar up in an awkward way. Before he went downstairs this morning, he specifically checked from his check to clavicles, making sure there were no visible marks. Nevertheless, he still got caught. Jiang the whelp not only binged on Ye last night, but also left marks on him as some sort of a proclamation.

Ye Xingchen glared at Jiang when he thought of it. Jiang, however, didn't seem to notice everybody's teasing look because the wonderful moment of Ye's ejaculation still lingered on in his mind. He picked up a steamed pork-stuffed bun with the chopsticks to feed Ye Xingchen. "Senior. Eat."

"Fortunately, he didn't say 'Eat senior' this time." Ye Xingchen considered himself lucky in secret. He opened his mouth for a bite. But before he was ready for a second bite, Jiang Shang shoved the entire bun into Ye's mouth.

"Look at that! How I wish I had a boyfriend like Jiang! Wenqing, how about you make do with me?"

Putting one arm on Yu Wenqing's shoulder, Chu Haoling teased and winked flirtatiously at him. Yu Wenqing, however, shrugged off his arm with a cold attitude. "Don't you mess around. No one can live with a glutton like you. Just stay away from me."

As Yu spoke, he also dusted off the shoulder where Chu's arm was on as if there were some sort of viruses.

"Shit, Yu Wenqing, I thought we were bros! It's hurtful."

Chu Haoling was unhappy. Yu Wenqing took a glance at him and answered, "And that's what you do to your bro?"

They try to have a relationship? It couldn't be a good deal for Yu, could it?

"Haha!"

Before Chu Haoling talked back, everybody guffawed. Even Lu's grandpa and mom joined the cheerful crowd. The breakfast continued in rackets and joy. When the breakfast was over, Chaoyang guys went back to their own squads. Before Peak left the house, Yun Yao called them to stop.

"Yehan, stay here. Zeyu, you lead the squad today. Don't take any quests, just go outside the base and kill some zombies. If anybody asks about me, just say I'm studying the files and have no time for quests lately."

Watched by everybody's confused eyes, Yun Che gave the instructions after stroking the hair of Yun Cheng who was leaning on his brother.

"All right. Let's go."

People didn't ask anything because they knew Yun Che had his own reason for telling them to do so. They all nodded and left.

"What's up?"

One thing that Leng Yehan knew was that Yun Che wouldn't have kept him here alone if there wasn't anything important.

"Well, something hit me last night. Follow me upstairs."

With a nod, Yun Che turned around and took Yun Cheng upstairs, followed by Leng Yehan who didn't hesitate at all. Yun Yao shook her head when cleaning the dining room, but she didn't intend to disturb them.

"Aunt Chen, I'm told that you and Mr. Chen are good farmers. Could you take a look at the vegetables in the greenhouse with me later?"

"Sure. We'd love to."

Lu's mom nodded as she helped Yun Yao clean the table and she worked harder and faster. She was aware that it was hard to survive the doomsday. She and her dad both refused to be freeloaders so if there was anything that they could help with, she was happy to take part.

Yun Cheng's room on the fourth floor.

"Che, where is Heiyu?"

After entering the room, Yun Cheng realized that he hadn't seen Heiyu for quite a while. Yun Che replied, "He's back in Space. Don't worry, he'll come out and hang out with you in a couple of days."

Yesterday, Heiyu came to Yun Che in private and said that he felt like he was getting better but he needed a great amount of spiritual energy, which didn't abound in the outside world, so he had to go back to Space. And Yun Che just let him.

"Oh, OK."

Yun Cheng dropped his eyes in palpable disappointment. He took a firey-red, ping pong ball-sized crystal nucleus from his pocket and started gnawing on it. It was the level-3 fire crystal nucleus that Yun Che gave Leng Yehan to level himself up but Leng gave it to Yun Cheng.

"Sit next to Cheng, please, Yehan."

Said Yun Che casually after darting a look at Leng Yehan. Holding trust in Yun Che, Leng Yehan sat next to Yun Cheng and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. Yun Cheng, engrossed in chewing the crystal nucleus, didn't notice anything. Yun Che took the pink, egg-sized heart of tree from Space and said, "Cheng, do you want this? It tastes better!"

He didn't really know how to use the heart of tree on a zombie. A human would just eat it. A tree heart wasn't like a crystal nucleus, it tasted crunchy, like chocolate. It had a sweet-and-sour flavor with a hint of the characteristic bitter of plants. If humans could eat it, so could zombies, right? After all, zombies directly put crystal nuclei in their mouth.

"Smells great!"

The strong smell of energy attracted Yun Cheng, luring him to reach out for the heart of tree. Yun Che silently made eye contact with Leng Yehan. They both held their breath and watched Yun Cheng gobble it up.

"Mmmh! Che! Che!"

Nothing happened at the beginning but less than a minute later, Yun Cheng choked himself in anguish with one hand and his other hand reached out to Yun Che for help. Flush started crawling upon his white skin. Yun Che, a zombie that wasn't supposed to have body temperature, was now as hot as someone having a fever. Luckily, Leng Yehan held him tightly at once, otherwise he'd be convulsing on the bed.

"It's OK, Cheng. Just hang in there. It's the process of energy upgrading. It'll pass soon. Trust me."

Yun Che grabbed the hand coming toward him and soothed his brother. Zombies weren't technically living things, the tree heart would provide not only energy but also living cells. The anguish kicked in as expected.

"Good boy, Cheng, we're here for you. Just hang in there for a while longer."

Leng Yehan held Yun Cheng in his arms, comforting him near his ear. Struggling and perspiring, Yun Cheng nodded. "O-OK."

As time passed by, the grimace of anguish on Yun Cheng's face tormented Yun Che and Leng Yehan as well. It was their most beloved person suffering. Finally, as Yun Cheng's body started to cool off and his skin turned to white, he lolled in Leng Yehan's arms. "It's warm in my tummy."

Yun Cheng lifted his hand to feel his tummy and said feebly.

"It looks like it turns out to be rewarding. The tree heart worked well on Cheng."

After a heavy sigh, Yun Che said to Leng Yehan. Something flickered in their eyes.

"Yes. We'll collect more of this if we can."

If one thing was good for Yun Cheng, Leng Yehan would strive tooth and nail for it despite the hardship. Yun Che nodded with a smile on the face as they were on the same page.

"I'm dirty. Han, I want a bath."

As soon as Yun Cheng felt better, he loathed the wet clothes on himself. Our good educator Yun Che had raised a cultured, clean zombie.

"Ha, you clean him up and observe if there's any change on him. Xing Feng said he was going to get a zombie researching team from the capital to southwest and build a small lab of our own. I'm up for the idea. Putting other purposes aside, we gotta at least help Cheng overcome his thirst for fresh blood."

Watching Yun Cheng act like a spoiled kid, Yun Che shook his head and stood up.

"OK."

Leng understood what Yun Che meant. Even if he didn't, he knew that Yun Che would never do things that put Yun Cheng in danger.

"Take me to a bath, Han."

Yun Che increased his volume because he wasn't getting what he wanted. Yun Che felt like he was overlooked by his brother who seemed no longer clingy to his own family. He just patted on Leng Yehan's shoulder in silence, shook his head and left.

"I'm dirty, I want a bath, Han, I want a bath."

"Sure, sure, let's go."

Yun Che shut the door to block their voices and smiled before stepping downstairs.

"Yao, what are you doing?"

Asked Yun Che when he saw Yun Yao and the two older ladies carrying the hoes.

"Nothing. Mrs. Chen said I left too little space between the seeds when I sowed them, so the cabbages are huddling together. I'm going to give some to Chaoyang canteen and let the rest grow. Is Cheng OK?"

Yun Yao stopped with a bright face when she saw her brother. The cabbages had been growing for 20 days and they were looking great. They were OK to eat but just not big enough for now.

"Why would he not be OK? Take more to their canteen. Captain Xing asked me for the veges many times. Their eyes are watching our garden."

Yun Che made a joke when taking a glance at the luxuriant cabbages in the greenhouse. Yun Yao nodded and went back to her business. With nothing better to do, Yun Che intended to check Space but right before he left, Mr. Chen stopped him when he passed the lobby. Yun Che remembered what Lu Haixuan said and invited him for a chat in the living room.

"Speak out your mind, Mr. Chen."

Sitting opposite the old man, Yun Che poured herbal tea in both of their cups.

"Captain Yun, I, too, am a superfunction possessor. Please take me to your zombie-killing quests."

The old man cut to the chase right after he sat down. He didn't want to live in this family with his daughter as freeloaders anymore and he thought he still got good health. Also, as a superfunction possessor, he was sure that he could take the zombie-killer job because that was what he did every day back in Northeast Base.

"Um, Mr. Chen, I know you're a superfunction possessor but to be a zombie-killer requires more than superfunction."

Yun Che weighed his words and continued, "The levels of zombies that we meet are getting higher and higher. Apart from superfunction, we also need a strong body, a calm mind, and sharp eyes and ears. Yes, you're a superfunction possessor and your body is strengthened by superfunction, but let's face it, you're old. Just give yourself a break. I know you and your daughter don't want to be freeloaders but remember? You've got Haixuan who has done enough to balance it out. The most important thing is, we're a family and we aren't penny pinchers. Staying alive and well matters the most."

Yun Che didn't mean to discourage the old man but he had to do it for Haixuan's sake.

"I've got a calm mind and sharp senses. You know, my eyes are especially sharp."

But Mr. Chen wasn't discouraged, instead, the old man became more determined.

Yun Che doubted, "Really?"

No wonder Haixuan didn't know what to do with his grandpa, the old man was good.

"Yes."

Mr. Chen suddenly stood up and said loudly, "I found what's going on between you and Captain Xing a long time ago. Am I sharp or not?"

"Jesus Christ!"

Yun Yao was startled. He immediately looked outside the room. After making sure Yun Yao didn't hear anything, he turned back his head and put a wry smile on the face. "Please don't tell anyone, Mr. Chen."

Sharp eyes?! The old man was like a scary loudspeaker. Yun Che nearly had a heart attack.

"Take me to quests."

Mr. Chen sounded like a blackmailer. Yun Che facepalmed and replied, "Let me think about it."

"Don't you fool me around, Captain Yun."

Mr. Chen was still unsure. Yun Che stood up. He said while walking, "You've got sharp eyes, so how am I able to fool you around? Just give me a couple of days."

Yun Che vanished from the living room when he finished talking. He almost fled for he had never experienced this before.