Chapter 117: Fresh Fragrance
After dinner, the group relaxed.
Xia Lu Nong, rubbing his eyes, was feeling drowsy. He had overexerted his ability, and now his eyes were struggling to stay open.
Xia Huo Qu said, “You two go ahead and sleep. We’ll take the first watch and wake you up for the second half.”
Yawning, Xia Lu Nong replied, “Alright, just don’t forget to wake us up, okay?”
Xia Huo Qu waved him off, urging him to sleep.
Xia Lu Nong climbed into the truck bed, found his sleeping bag, and crawled inside. It was autumn, and the sleeping bag was a bit thin, not warm enough. Xia Lu Nong, being quite slender, curled up tightly, but his feet were still cold.
Lying next to him, Kong Zhi quietly asked, “Want to share my sleeping bag?”
Kong Zhi was tall and had a large sleeping bag, so it could just barely fit both of them.
Xia Lu Nong was tempted to snuggle into his boyfriend’s sleeping bag, but with his brother outside, getting caught cuddling would be too embarrassing.
After some thought, he painfully declined. “Better not, it wouldn’t look right.”
Lying on his side, face-to-face with him, Kong Zhi smiled. He gently touched Xia Lu Nong’s cheek, then opened his warm sleeping bag and suggested, “How about turning into a cat and coming in?”
That was more acceptable.
Xia Lu Nong’s eyes lit up. “Alright, I’ll transform.”
“Go ahead,” Kong Zhi agreed.
In an instant, Xia Lu Nong transformed into a sleek, shiny cat and looked up at Kong Zhi with a sweet “meow.”
Kong Zhi scooped up the smooth, soft cat, gently tucked him into the sleeping bag, and held him close to his chest. He bent down and gave the cat’s head a soft kiss. “Sleep tight.”
The fluffy cat, warm and soft, snuggled against Kong Zhi’s side, rubbing his head against him, making Kong Zhi’s neck tingle with warmth.
Though it might have been a tight squeeze for two men in one sleeping bag, for one man and one cat, it was just right.
Xia the Cat nestled his head by Kong Zhi’s neck, and before long, his breathing became slow and steady as he drifted into a warm, peaceful sleep.
At 2 a.m., Xia Huo Qu returned to the truck bed to wake them. Seeing one man and one cat cuddled up together, he gently tapped Kong Zhi on the shoulder. When Kong Zhi opened his eyes, Xia Huo Qu whispered, “Why did Xia Lu Nong turn back into his beast form?”
Kong Zhi replied, “The sleeping bag wasn’t warm enough, so it was easier for him to sleep this way with me.”
Kong Zhi carefully crawled out of the sleeping bag and put on his jacket. “Huo Qu, I can take the night watch by myself. You guys can sleep.”
Xia Huo Qu picked up the fluffy cat and placed him in Kong Zhi’s arms. “We agreed to take the watch together, so we will. Bring him outside with you—once he wakes up, you can talk.”
Xia the Cat twitched his ears, moving from one familiar embrace to another, still fast asleep.
Kong Zhi, holding the cat, nodded to Xia Huo Qu and headed outside.
It was cold and damp, with a chilly wind blowing outside.
The wind rustled through Xia the Cat’s fur, making it shiver all the way down to the skin.
Xia the Cat opened his eyes, flicked his tail, and glanced up at the sky, then at Kong Zhi. He kicked off from Kong Zhi’s hands and leapt onto the ground.
Despite being a large cat, he moved lightly, running a few steps on all fours before vanishing into the truck.
Kong Zhi looked down at his empty hands and watched as the cat disappeared.
Xia the Cat dashed into the truck, unable to stop in time, bumping into his brother’s legs. His brother gently stopped him with his hand.
Xia Huo Qu had just taken off his coat and shoes to sleep. He looked down at the cat under his hand. “What’s up?”
Xia the Cat stepped back a couple of paces and transformed back into human form. He pulled out his clothes from the sleeping bag and started getting dressed. “It’s hard to talk in beast form.”
After slipping on a T-shirt and stifling a yawn, he added, “I’m heading out to take the night watch.”
Xia Huo Qu replied, “Go ahead, and be careful.”
Yawning again, Xia Lu Nong reminded, “Cover yourself with an extra blanket. It’s chilly tonight.”
Xia Huo Qu waved, acknowledging his advice.
As Xia Lu Nong stepped outside, he saw Yan Xi Nian and Kong Zhi chatting quietly by the fire.
When Yan Xi Nian noticed him, he stood up and said, “I’ll leave the watch to you two. I’m heading back to sleep.”
Still yawning, Xia Lu Nong said, “Don’t worry, brother Xi Nian.”
After briefly swapping places, Yan Xi Nian headed back to the truck bed, while Xia Lu Nong sat down beside Kong Zhi.
Kong Zhi stoked the fire, making it burn brighter, and asked, “Why not stay in beast form?”
“Because we wouldn’t be able to chat,” Xia Lu Nong replied with another yawn. “Honestly, I’ve slept enough. I napped a lot during the day.”
Seeing his sleepy, tear-filled eyes, Kong Zhi let out a vague “Hmm.”
Xia Lu Nong could tell what Kong Zhi was thinking and slapped him playfully on the thigh. “I’m just not fully awake yet.”
Kong Zhi asked, “Do you want to lean on me and sleep a bit more?”
Tempted by the sight of Kong Zhi’s shoulder, Xia Lu Nong thought about it but ultimately declined with a sigh. “Better not. If just one person stands watch, it’s too risky.”
He shook his head to clear the drowsiness, glancing around to stay alert.
Their campfire became the only bright spot nearby, like a flower blooming in the pitch-black night.
Xia Lu Nong took a deep breath of the chilly air.
As the cold air filled his lungs, he felt a bit more awake, instantly refreshed.
Xia Lu Nong asked, “The air feels quite damp. Is there a body of water nearby?”
“According to the map, there should be. About a few hundred meters away is the Changhe Swamp,” Kong Zhi replied, watching him look around. “At night, the wind is usually a bit more humid compared to the daytime.”
Xia Lu Nong sniffed, “It’s not just water. I think I caught a faint, clean fragrance.”
Kong Zhi took a sniff too. His sense of smell wasn’t as sharp, so after a while, he still couldn’t detect anything. “Could it be the scent of flowers?”
“No, flower scents are usually more concentrated and rich. This fragrance feels lighter, more refreshing.”
Xia Lu Nong sniffed again, but only the cool, moist air entered his nose and lungs. The faint scent was gone.
He shook his head. “Maybe I was wrong.”
Kong Zhi said, “We’ll check it out when it’s daylight.”
The autumn equinox hadn’t passed yet, so the days were still longer than the nights. It would start getting light around 4 a.m.
Xia Lu Nong rinsed the rice to make breakfast: bamboo seed porridge and bird meat buns with diced bamboo shoots, all freshly prepared.
While chatting and making the buns, they found it surprisingly easy.
Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian had slept for over four hours. Before 6:30, they were already up, freshening up and grabbing some buns while sipping porridge.
Above them, the sky was painted with the hues of dawn.
The autumn breeze swept through, rustling the nearby plants.
Sitting by the fire, they enjoyed the soft, thin-skinned, juicy meat buns, occasionally sipping porridge, enough to make their foreheads glisten with a light sweat.
“This is the life!” Yan Xi Nian said after finishing his last bite of the bun. “Around this time last year, I could hardly imagine we’d be living like this.”
Xia Lu Nong, full of confidence, said, “This is just the beginning. We might even return to the pre-disaster standard of living one day.”
Kong Zhi finished his porridge, saying, “I’m full. I’ll take Xia Lu Nong out later to see where that missing truck is.”
Xia Huo Qu nodded, “Be careful, try to stay high, and avoid provoking the bird flocks.”
“I know,” Kong Zhi replied, picking up Xia Lu Nong’s empty bowl to wash.
Xia Lu Nong, with greasy hands, asked, “Should I change into my beast form?”
“Stay human. It’ll be easier to communicate when you’re riding on my back.”
“Got it,” Xia Lu Nong said, washing his hands in the water. “I’ll grab the rope.”
“Yeah, we’ll also check out the direction where you smelled that fragrance.”
Yan Xi Nian looked at them, confused. “What fragrance?”
As Xia Lu Nong grabbed the rope from the back of the truck, he casually explained, “Last night, I smelled a faint, clean fragrance in the breeze. I’m not sure if it was real, so we’ll go check it out.”
Yan Xi Nian nodded knowingly. “It’s probably another instinct of yours. If you caught that scent, there’s likely something out there.”
With the rope slung over his shoulder and a large backpack, Xia Lu Nong said, “We’ll find out soon enough. Brother Yan, you and my brother can pack up the camp while we’re out.”
Xia Huo Qu waved, “Go ahead, stay safe.”
Kong Zhi washed the dishes and shifted into his beast form in an open area.
Xia Lu Nong gathered Kong Zhi’s scattered clothes, stuffed them into his backpack, and tied a safety rope to him in a well-practiced manner. Within moments, he had secured the rope and climbed onto Kong Zhi’s back, shouting to Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian, “We’re heading out!”
“Caw—”
The golden eagle ran a few steps, flapping its wings, and soared into the sky with Xia Lu Nong on its back.
The visibility was especially high in the autumn air, and as soon as they ascended, Xia Lu Nong could see far into the distance.
Once Kong Zhi flew higher, Xia Lu Nong immediately spotted the missing truck from Lu Shi Yi’s group.
The truck was stuck on a riverbank.
Xia Lu Nong, with sharp eyes, saw it clearly.
The windshield was shattered, covered with bird droppings and bloodstains, as was the hood.
He then noticed that the riverbank and the island in the middle of the river were filled with large birds resting.
It was obvious that Lu Shi Yi’s group had disturbed the bird flock.
Faced with relentless bird attacks, they must have panicked and fled, abandoning the truck.
Xia Lu Nong thought that even if he were in their shoes, he might have done the same. These birds were omnivorous, and if they weren’t careful, the entire group could have been devoured by the flock.
“Caw—”
The golden eagle cried out.
Xia Lu Nong snapped out of his thoughts, knowing Kong Zhi was asking where the fragrance had come from.
Xia Lu Nong scanned the horizon, using the sunrise as a reference, and shouted into the wind, “Southeast! Head southeast!”
“Caw!” The golden eagle cawed again and flapped its wings toward the southeast.
Along the way, they startled the bird flock.
Many birds took flight, ready to attack, but upon seeing the giant golden eagle above them, they shrieked in terror and scattered.
The golden eagle was a natural predator of birds. Not a single bird dared to approach.
However, the startled birds flew up one after another, eventually covering the sky like a swarm of insects, darkening the horizon.
For a while, the sky was filled with chaotic bird cries, feathers flying, and the overwhelming smell of feathers and bird droppings filled the air.
Xia Lu Nong could neither see nor smell anything. Worried about being overwhelmed by the birds, he clung tightly to Kong Zhi’s neck, waiting for him to fly out of the swarm.
The birds flapped about for a good while, and after five or six minutes, Kong Zhi finally left them behind.
Once they were out of the bird swarm, the air was much fresher. Xia Lu Nong spat out a small feather from his mouth, wiped his nose with difficulty, and shouted, “I think I can smell it! Fly a bit further!”
The golden eagle obeyed and continued flying.
Xia Lu Nong kept a close watch on the ground below and quickly spotted a large expanse of lotus fields stretching out endlessly.
At this time, the lotus flowers were withering, and the leaves had turned yellow, revealing the water below.
Xia Lu Nong immediately realized, “I found it! The fragrance I smelled was from the lotus flowers and leaves! Kong Zhi, let’s fly down and take a look.”
“Caw!” The golden eagle flew toward the lotus fields.
