Chapter 98: The Water Is Ready
Dinner came to an end in a lively, cheerful atmosphere.
Nearly every serving dish on the table had been wiped completely clean. Wang Qiang had even ladled the leftover rich glaze from the braised pork directly over his rice, devouring every last drop.
Hiccup—
Lin Xiao let out a loud, contented burp, leaning back against his chair and rubbing his swollen stomach. “Man, I’m stuffed… Sister Wang, your cooking is out of this world! I could honestly eat like this every single day.”
Wang Li chuckled softly as she cleared away the empty plates. “As long as we have enough ingredients, I’ll happily cook whatever you want every day.”
Chu Yang was so full he could barely sit up straight, the bone-deep exhaustion of the long journey catching up with him all at once. All he wanted was to collapse onto a soft mattress and sink into sleep.
Watching everyone pitch in to clear the table, Chu Yang said, “We’ve all been running on empty all day, so let’s call it an early night. This hotel has plenty of rooms, so let’s find a secure floor to settle on.”
“We scouted ahead when we brought the groceries up earlier,” Su Mubai replied. “The fourth floor is in great shape. There are several large suites with functional locks and solid window frames. We’ve also barricaded the fire exit doors at both ends of the hallway.”
Jiang Jue nodded in agreement. “The fourth floor gives us a clear vantage point over the street and makes an emergency evacuation much easier if something goes wrong.”
With no objections, the group quickly reached a consensus.
A few hands made quick work of wiping down the kitchen, and after gathering their rucksacks and weapons, they headed up to the fourth floor together.
The corridor was dead silent, save for the soft echo of their boots against the tiled floor.
Su Mubai led the way, the bright beam of his flashlight sweeping across the brass room numbers mounted on the walls.
“I checked this section thoroughly,” Su Mubai explained, pointing toward the middle of the hallway as his light paused on three doors in turn. “This one, the one next door, and the two directly across the hall are all vacant. Nothing was ransacked, and there were no signs of zombie activity.”
He kept walking until he came to a pair of carved double doors, turning the handle with a gentle push—it was unlocked, left open from their sweep earlier.
“This is the executive suite, the largest on the floor, with a separate living room and a private bathroom.” Su Mubai swung the door open, stepping aside to look at Chu Yang and Jiang Jue. “Boss, Chu Yang, why don’t you two take this one? Little Yu and I will stay right next door, so we can back each other up if anything happens.”
As the door swung wide, Chu Yang leaned forward in curiosity, sweeping his flashlight beam across the room to cut through the shadows.
It truly was a proper luxury suite.
The living room was remarkably spacious, featuring a plush leather sofa and a marble coffee table in the center. The floor was covered in a thick, dense carpet that looked like it would swallow your feet whole.
Further inside was the master bedroom, where a sprawling king-sized bed dominated the room, neatly made with clean white linens and a heavy duvet.
Even better, the bathroom door off the bedroom stood slightly ajar, revealing the gleaming white edge of a deep soaking tub.
“Holy crap! This place is incredible!” Chu Yang’s eyes lit up with excitement. He strode inside and pressed his palm firmly into the mattress, watching the memory foam slowly rebound beneath his touch. “Not bad at all. Sure, it’s not quite as comfy as my custom bed back in the RV, but for an apocalyptic safehouse, this is pure luxury!”
Glancing over at the bathroom, his eyes sparkled even brighter. “There’s actually a bathtub! And… wait, it’s already full of water?”
The tub was indeed filled to the brim, the clear surface shimmering faintly under the ambient light.
Su Mubai lingered in the doorway with a gentle smile. “Little Yu and I tidied things up while the food was simmering. We knew you’d be exhausted after fighting on the front lines, so we prepped the bathroom for you. Little Yu helped haul and warm the water; he said a hot bath would wash the road fatigue away.”
A wave of warmth rushed through Chu Yang’s chest, touching him so deeply his eyes grew slightly misty. He spun around, strode up to Su Mubai, and pulled him into a crushing bear hug before the healer could even react, nearly squeezing the breath right out of his lungs. “Little Bai! You are an absolute angel! How are you always so thoughtful?!”
Caught completely off guard by the sudden embrace, Su Mubai froze, instinctively raising a hand to pat Chu Yang’s back. But just as his hand lifted halfway, he felt an intensely sharp, icy gaze land squarely upon him.
Looking up, he met Jiang Jue’s fathomless black eyes.
Jiang Jue stood just behind Chu Yang, his face an unreadable mask, yet the heavy, silent pressure radiating from him was unmistakable.
Su Mubai smoothly lowered his hand as if nothing had happened, gently disengaging from the hug and taking half a step back to re-establish a polite distance. He offered an easy smile: “It’s nothing, really. You two carried the heaviest load out there today, so getting a good night’s rest is what matters most.”
Still riding the high of being so well cared for, Chu Yang missed the subtle undercurrent between the two entirely, giving Su Mubai’s shoulder an affectionate squeeze.
Su Mubai kept his warm smile and said, “Get some rest early. I’ll head back to our room next door.”
“Alright! Thanks again, Little Bai!” Chu Yang nodded vigorously.
Su Mubai turned to leave, but Chu Yang suddenly remembered something and called out after him, “Wait, Little Bai, hold on a second!”
Reaching into his spatial storage, Chu Yang produced the dark green Wood-element crystal core and offered it to him. “This is for you.”
Su Mubai looked down at the vibrant gem, a flash of surprise crossing his features. “This is… a Wood-element core?”
“Yeah, harvested from that mutant zombie we took down earlier,” Chu Yang said earnestly. “I remember reading that Wood-element energy shares a close affinity with Healing abilities; both are fundamentally rooted in life force and physical restoration.” Pausing, he asked, “Did you end up absorbing that other Wood core I gave you earlier? How did it feel?”
Su Mubai shook his head honestly. “Not yet. I was planning to absorb it tonight while meditating.”
“Perfect timing, then,” Chu Yang said, pressing the emerald core firmly into his palm. “Try absorbing both of them together; the combined resonance might give you a much bigger boost.”
Holding the cool stone, Su Mubai looked up at Chu Yang. The young man’s face was painted with open, unvarnished sincerity, his bright eyes wishing for nothing more than to see his companion grow stronger and safer in this perilous world.
“Thank you,” Su Mubai murmured softly, his throat tightening slightly.
“Come on, we’re brothers—no need to be so polite!” Chu Yang waved a hand dismissively, ushering him out with a grin. “Go on, get some sleep. We’ve got an early start tomorrow.”
Su Mubai gave a slight nod, tossed a meaningful glance toward Jiang Jue, and slipped out into the hallway, quietly pulling the heavy suite door shut behind him.
The heavy wooden door sealed out the ambient noise of the corridor, leaving the room blanketed in peaceful quiet, broken only by the soft rhythm of their breathing.
Chu Yang threw his arms over his head and let out a long, luxurious stretch, his joints popping pleasantly.
“Man, I’m completely wiped…” he muttered, wandering over to the bathroom to inspect the tub. Turning back to Jiang Jue, who was standing in the center of the living area, Chu Yang flashed him a bright, crinkly-eyed smile. “Brother Jiang, why don’t you take the first bath?”
Jiang Jue didn’t answer with words; he simply shook his head, his dark eyes resting on Chu Yang’s face with a quiet, imperceptible tenderness that signaled for the youth to go ahead.
Too exhausted to argue, Chu Yang grinned sheepishly. “Then I won’t stand on ceremony! You’re the best, Brother Jiang! Once I’m done, I’ll draw a fresh, steaming tub for you!”
Jiang Jue gave a subtle nod, turned, and settled onto the leather sofa. Leaning back, his gaze fixed quietly on the closed bathroom door, his thoughts unreadable in the dim room.
