Chapter 52

Mu Nan didn't feel pressured about asking Qin Huai to help him bathe. When they were children, they used to bathe together in the same tub. It was only later, when Qin Huai grew up and hit puberty, that he refused to bathe with him. At that time, Mu Nan, who was still very young and had no concept of puberty, felt hurt and thought that Qin Huai no longer liked him or wanted to be his older brother.

However, this sadness was brief. Even though Qin Huai no longer bathed with him, he still helped with washing his back and hair. Mu Nan, as he grew up, naturally started to handle these things himself, though even now, when Qin Huai offered to help with his back, he didn't find it odd. If his back was too dirty to reach, having someone help was naturally better.

But once they were in the bathroom, as Mu Nan took off his shirt and began to remove his pants, a reflexive sense of embarrassment returned. He was shy about pulling down his pants and awkwardly looked at Qin Huai, saying, "You can just help me with my back. I'll wash the rest myself."

Qin Huai seemed to chuckle lightly and said, "Is this what growing up means, being distant from me? When we were younger, you'd be unhappy if I didn't bathe you, and here you are, naked before even entering the bathroom."

Mu Nan's gaze wandered around: "Well, you might say I'm grown up now. I should be past that stage." He still had some pride.

Qin Huai scooped a ladle of water from a nearby bucket and slowly poured it over Mu Nan's body. Watching the water cascade over his back, which was so white it seemed to glow, Qin Huai's voice grew a bit hushed, "With so many people in the dorm, didn't you end up sharing showers with other guys? During military training, weren't you all in the same shower room?"

Mu Nan, feeling Qin Huai begin to scrub his back, splashed some water on himself and started lathering soap: "No, the conditions during military training in college were quite good. We stayed in a unit with four people per room, and each had its own bathroom, so there was no need to share. During college, I didn't spend much time in the dorm, I usually went there just to nap if I didn't have classes. It was close to home, so I didn't need to transfer buses."

Just as Mu Nan finished speaking, Qin Huai suddenly reached out and seemed to brush his hand against Mu Nan's shoulder blades. When Mu Nan felt Qin Huai's fingers, which had become cold from the water, he instinctively shivered. It wasn't from the cold, as the temperature was sweltering, but it felt as though Qin Huai's fingertips carried a faint electric current.

Mu Nan turned instinctively and asked, "What, what's wrong?"

Qin Huai blocked his movement and kept him from turning around, speaking in a calm and normal tone, "It's a bit dirty. Let me clean it for you."

Mu Nan responded with a simple "Okay" and rinsed the soap, handing it back to Qin Huai: "Here, using some soap should clean it up."

Qin Huai took the soap and gently applied it to Mu Nan's back, using a bath brush to scrub slowly. Mu Nan felt that Qin Huai was being too gentle, so he said, "Apply a bit more pressure. It's not clean with such a light touch."

Qin Huai tapped his back lightly: "It's all bone, so it feels like touching a rib. I'm afraid if I press too hard, you might fall apart. You eat meat at every meal; where does it all go?"

Mu Nan felt a bit proud: "I don't gain weight easily. A lot of people envy that."

Qin Huai frowned slightly: "You think not gaining weight is such a great thing? It means your body isn't absorbing nutrients properly."

If not for the current situation, Qin Huai would definitely find a traditional Chinese medicine doctor to help adjust Mu Nan's body. Despite eating plenty, Mu Nan didn't gain weight, which might be due to poor digestion or absorption. When Mu Nan was young, he was picky with food and sometimes had trouble digesting if he ate too much.

He recalled when Mu Nan was very young, just starting elementary school. One morning, Mu Nan was still asleep when his uncle, Mu Shu, picked him up from bed and carried him to a traditional Chinese medicine clinic near their kindergarten. The old doctor examined Mu Nan and said there was nothing serious but then used a long needle to prick Mu Nan's small hand, causing blood to appear. The doctor was very experienced, and though Mu Nan didn't cry, he woke up as if nothing had happened.

He remembered that after that treatment, Mu Nan's appetite improved remarkably. Previously, they always ate the same bowl of noodles for breakfast, but that day, Mu Nan finished a whole bowl, which surprised him. Later, Mu Shu said they were treating a condition that affected appetite and digestion, and it worked quickly.

Because of experiences like these, Qin Huai trusted traditional medicine more than Western medicine, especially for conditions like Mu Nan's, where Western tests might not reveal any issues but still resulted in poor weight gain. He wished he could find a good traditional medicine doctor to help Mu Nan.

Feeling that Qin Huai was taking too long, Mu Nan couldn't help but ask, "Is it still not clean? Is it that dirty?"

Qin Huai snapped back to reality, rinsing Mu Nan's back with water from the bucket. The already clean back was now fragrant with soap: "All done, it's clean."

Mu Nan let out a sigh of relief and quickly said, "You can go out now."

Qin Huai raised an eyebrow, "Don't you want me to help you wash your hair?"

Mu Nan replied, "With such short hair, a few quick washes should be enough. Hurry up and leave. I'll finish quickly and then it'll be your turn."

Qin Huai was just teasing him. If he didn't leave soon, he felt like he might explode from holding back. If Mu Nan turned around, he'd see his own awkwardness, which amused him. Even now, Mu Nan was still full of romantic thoughts.

Without Qin Huai in the bathroom, Mu Nan's pace picked up. He quickly washed away the dirt from his legs, using soap for his face and rinsing his ears. After removing the debris from his body, he felt much cleaner.

After his refreshing shower, he dried himself with a disposable face towel. Looking at himself in the half-length mirror, despite the visible bones, his abs were defined from recent workouts. He pinched the flesh on his waist and muttered, "Where's the bone? There's so much flesh."

Feeling clean and refreshed, he felt his mood lighten significantly. He saw Qin Huai sitting cross-legged on the floor, drying off, and said, "Brother, I'm done. You should go wash up."

Qin Huai said, "Just put away the pool outside, and leave a bucket of water in the bathroom. Also, put a few more buckets of water in the storage cabinet against the wall, the larger ones for daily use."

Mu Nan asked, "How many buckets?"

Qin Huai replied, "Put about five or six buckets."

Mu Nan complied, placing the large buckets of water and bringing one bucket of water into the bathroom. He couldn't help but comment, "One bucket of water isn't enough for a good wash. You're dirtier than me, with all that sweat. It needs a thorough scrub." During the earthquake, Qin Huai had been pressed tightly against him, so he was likely even dirtier after blocking all that dust.

Qin Huai said, "No need. I'll just wash my face. I need to knock on the walls and go outside, so there's no need to wash too thoroughly. Just get me a black tank top and a towel."

Mu Nan wanted to suggest that they had enough water and that it wasn't necessary to be so frugal, but he knew Qin Huai's habits: "Why not take a quick wash? You'll feel better."

Qin Huai pushed him towards the fan: "No need. I'll wash properly when I come back in the morning. It'll be more comfortable for sleeping."

Mu Nan had no choice but to retrieve a clean set of clothes and a towel from his storage space for Qin Huai. While Qin Huai was washing, Mu Nan busied himself placing items around the house. Since he had packed everything up before leaving, the house was now empty and lacked any signs of daily life. He wanted to set everything up properly before Jian Chu and the others arrived. Thankfully, the living room had plenty of cabinets. Even though the house appeared empty, the cabinets provided enough cover so that it didn't look suspicious.

As he finished placing everything he could think of, he heard the iron door knock. Mu Nan hurried to open it.

As soon as he opened the door, a burst of soapy fragrance hit him. Jian Chu, having smelled only the sour odor before, instinctively took a few more sniffs and then realized, "You had a shower? You still have water to shower with here?!"

Mu Nan said, "I saved a bit. I bought a lot of water earlier. Please come in."

Mu Nan opened the door for them, but neither of them seemed comfortable entering. The house was so clean, and they were covered in dust. If Mu Nan hadn't showered, they might have been less concerned, but since he had, they felt the need to be extra cautious to avoid dirtying the clean space.

The house had only one rechargeable light on, but Qin Huai needed to install the solar panels soon for more lighting. So, Mu Nan brought out the pre-prepared lights, which were connected in a series, and plugged them into the room where the solar panels would be installed. Once turned on, the whole room brightened instantly.

Mu Nan couldn't help but remark, "Fortunately, the windows are well-sealed. If the upstairs lights were on, it would be too noticeable."

Jian Chu curiously glanced around the living room. Having never seen a solar power generator, he saw the room filled with solar panels and asked, "How does this generate electricity?"

Mu Nan explained, "These panels capture solar energy. They need to be installed, and the generator is in another room. It seems like it needs wiring, and I'm not sure if it has storage batteries or conversion equipment. As long as there's enough sunlight, it should store and generate electricity."

Just then, Qin Huai came out, looking somewhat cleaner and still damp. He hadn't used soap or body wash, probably just scrubbed with water. Seeing them, he asked, "Is the cleaning done?"

Yu Zibai replied, "There aren't many things in the house, so it's done quickly."

Qin Huai said, "If you're quick, we might finish in the first half of the night. Will you go down together or leave one person upstairs?"

Yu Zibai looked at Jian Chu and said, "Tonight, I'll go down with Qin Huai, and you stay at the house."

Qin Huai added, "We'll see if the generator can start up in the daytime tomorrow. For now, we'll use the battery to run a fan."

Jian Chu's eyes widened in surprise, clearly disagreeing. But Yu Zibai had already prepared his explanation and pulled Jian Chu to the door.

Jian Chu frowned at Yu Zibai and asked, "What's the point of leaving me here? Are you worried about theft with so little to steal, or do you think I can't handle the situation outside?"

Yu Zibai explained, "The earthquake just happened yesterday, and many people are still reacting. Instead of searching through the ruins, it's easier to go door-to-door in our building to find supplies."

Jian Chu said, "But there isn't much worth stealing in our house. The most valuable things are just some quilts and clothes, and we barely have any water. Even thieves probably wouldn't be interested."

Yu Zibai replied, "Qin Huai definitely won't let Mu Nan go down. For the next few days, the focus is on rescue and dealing with the seriously injured. There will be many casualties. Mu Nan, unlike you, hasn't been through as much in society. He's just out of university and might not fully grasp the current situation. If he's alone at home and someone comes searching floor by floor, could he really handle someone breaking in by force?"

Jian Chu asked, "So you want to leave me here?"

Yu Zibai looked at him with some helplessness, "Xu Ming has joined the medical team, which means we're down to just four people. We either move together or pair up to help each other. Do you think it's better for you to stay at home or for me? Plus, you just got an injection today. Consider it a chance to rest and regain your strength. The hard times are likely far from over. There's no rush for this. Also, I remember you've done part-time indoor renovations before. You must be more familiar with wall construction than us. After installing the solar panels and removing the walls, you and Mu Nan will need to handle the follow-up work at home, so we'll save time by splitting up."

Hearing this, Jian Chu reluctantly agreed. It made sense to him-if something went wrong and someone searched and broke into the house, the solar power generator would be a huge loss. If there was a struggle and someone got injured, it could be even worse. Mu Nan's small frame wouldn't stand a chance against an iron bar or knife. So, it was better to have someone stay at home to keep watch and assist Mu Nan, while Yu Zibai and Qin Huai could move around outside with less worry.

The two reached a temporary consensus. Back in the house, Yu Zibai instructed Jian Chu to join Mu Nan in the living room to cool off with a fan while he and Qin Huai went to install the solar panels. Although Yu Zibai had never worked with these panels before, being a science major, he quickly figured out the direction with the help of the diagrams.

Mu Nan realized that Qin Huai likely wanted Jian Chu to stay behind not just to conserve resources but to ensure there was someone to keep Mu Nan company and to help him feel less anxious. Safety might not be the primary concern right now since the earthquake had just happened and chaos hadn't fully set in. The real concern was probably about having someone around to help divert attention and reduce anxiety. Understanding this, Mu Nan decided to go along with Qin Huai's plan to reassure him.

Seeing Qin Huai and Yu Zibai busy with the solar panels, Mu Nan turned to Jian Chu and asked, "How do we demolish this wall? There's also a cabinet."

Jian Chu, having experience in this, asked, "Do you have the tools? A hammer would work, and an electric drill would be even better."

Mu Nan brought over a toolbox, and Jian Chu smiled when he saw it, "The tools are quite comprehensive. We only need to take down this wall. Start with the cabinet-it's wooden and easy to break. The wall behind it is probably thin bricks, so it should be easy."

Jian Chu got to work immediately. Mu Nan helped by holding the pieces of wood. As expected, the balcony wall was just a thin layer of brick, and they didn't even need to use the electric drill. A bit of elbow grease was enough to remove it. The room with the solar panels wasn't even finished yet, and they had already opened up the balcony.

Once the wall was down, stepping through it led from Mu Nan's balcony to theirs. The outside was pitch black, with only scattered lights and busy figures below. The tall buildings Jian Chu used to see from the balcony were now completely gone. Seeing it from above made it more striking, and Jian Chu felt a shiver.

Seeing Jian Chu lost in thought, Mu Nan brought him back to focus, "Jian Chu, is this size okay? Do you need to measure the door dimensions?"

Jian Chu snapped back to reality, took a deep breath, and nodded. He went inside to measure the door dimensions, which was a security door customized to fit the width of the balcony wall, so it was a bit large. Jian Chu and Mu Nan measured the dimensions and began working on the cement. Although Mu Nan had supervised this before, he was still unfamiliar with the actual work. Seeing Jian Chu work with ease, he asked, "Do you know how to do this?"

Jian Chu, smoothing the edges of the demolished bricks, replied, "Yes, I've done part-time renovation work before, working with construction workers on tiling, ceilings, and door installations. I might not be as steady as the experienced workers, but it's fine for a casual job."

Mu Nan asked, "So we can install the door tomorrow after smoothing it out?"

Jian Chu said, "No need to wait until tomorrow. With this temperature, the door can be installed before dawn. Once the door is in place and the gaps are sealed with glue, it will be done."

The door installation went faster than expected, though the heavy door was a struggle for just Jian Chu and Mu Nan. Qin Huai and Yu Zibai had to help install it. To protect the door from heat damage, they covered it with two layers of protective film from the room. Once the lock functioned properly, they finished up. "I left a hole here for the wiring. We don't even need to open the door. If anything happens, this will serve as an emergency exit."

Mu Nan clapped, "Impressive!" His neighbor was practically a genius.

Seeing Jian Chu still covered in dust, Mu Nan asked, "Do you have any clean clothes? If not, I have some tank tops you can wear. The clothes I picked up during the chaos can be used for going out. It's better to stay cool at home. We still have some water. You should take a shower. There's only one air conditioner fan, and it's too hot to sleep in bed. I'll set up a cooling mat on the floor, and we can sleep on that."

Jian Chu quickly said, "No need, we still have some water. I'll just wipe off a bit."

Mu Nan carried a large bucket of water to the bathroom. "Just wash quickly. Use the towel to scrub yourself. Here's a basin-you can catch the water in it, and use the dirty water to flush the toilet."

Jian Chu thought it was too extravagant to bathe with water right now, but since everyone else had bathed, he felt he would be criticized if he was too lax. So he made sure to wash off as much as possible with the least amount of water. After bathing, he indeed felt much lighter and more relaxed. When he came out, Mu Nan had already set up a cooling mat on the floor and was lying there, looking at his phone. The items removed earlier were neatly stacked in the corridor outside. Because they had put down a layer of woven bags on the floor, the ground remained relatively clean.

Qin Huai and Yu Zibai were working on wiring in the room. They weren't professionals, so it was a bit challenging, but Qin Huai had watched many videos in advance and consulted professionals when buying the solar panels. Their trial and error process was going relatively smoothly.

Jian Chu stood at the door and asked, "Do you need any help?"

Yu Zibai said, "No need. We're almost done here. You can go outside and enjoy the fan." They had also set up a fan at the door, but it was just an ordinary electric fan. Since Jian Chu had just bathed, he didn't need to work up a sweat again.

Seeing that they didn't need any help, Jian Chu didn't want to be in the way since he wasn't knowledgeable about this, so he went back to the living room and sat on the mat. The cool breeze from the fan alleviated the heat significantly. In such high temperatures, it felt like a little piece of heaven: "Can this ice crystal still be used? It's still blowing out cool air."

Mu Nan replied, "It can still be used. Although it has melted a bit, we froze quite a bit of ice before. When I checked earlier, the ice crystals were still solid. If we get through tonight, it should be fine tomorrow."

Jian Chu commented, "How did you end up preparing a solar power generator? It's such a lifesaver."

Mu Nan and Qin Huai had already coordinated their story: "There was a power outage during the pandemic, and as the temperature increased, my brother was worried about power shortages. So, he bought a set to keep at home. Even if we didn't use it now, it could be installed in a new house later. We didn't expect to use it in such a situation."

Looking at the neatly stacked boxes of food, Jian Chu wondered, "Do you think our country will recover from this? We don't know when help will arrive."

Mu Nan said, "I think it will recover. As long as humanity isn't wiped out overnight, we'll bounce back."

Jian Chu smiled, "I used to think my life was tough, seeing others only needing to focus on their studies without worrying about everything. Unlike me, where every penny had to be earned myself. Now I realize how fortunate I was back then. At least there was a goal every day. Now, I don't even know what tomorrow will be like."

Mu Nan replied, "What else can it be? Just take it one day at a time. As long as the people around you are still here, that's what matters. And don't you think you should be grateful for the hardships you've endured? Without the skills you learned from those tough times, we wouldn't have been able to install the door so smoothly today. If we had to figure it out on our own, it might have taken until tomorrow."

Jian Chu looked at him and smiled, "You're right. Every loss has its gain."

Mu Nan curiously asked, "Are you and Yu Zibai not a couple?" If they were just friends or roommates, it would seem overly intimate. It felt like, even if they weren't a couple now, they were only a step away from being one.

Jian Chu glanced instinctively toward the people in the room. Since they were speaking quietly and focusing on the solar panel installation, they clearly didn't hear. Jian Chu then asked in return, "Why do you think we're a couple?"

Mu Nan replied, "It's the vibe. The way you look at each other, there's a spark."

Jian Chu laughed, "Such a dramatic observation? In that case, I'd say you and your brother also look at each other with a spark."