One step, two steps, three steps, four steps... up to one hundred and twenty-eight steps...
Tang Ye walked at a leisurely pace, his legs neither too far apart nor too close together. He counted each step until he reached the number 128. Having walked through the darkness, he could finally see everything in the light.
What appeared before him was a row of pale blue fences overgrown with ivy, displaying beautiful purple flowers. Exiting the alleyway, Tang Ye’s feet no longer tread on the "grey" concrete, but a heartwarming cobblestone path instead.
This small "L" shaped path had a wall on the left, painted with a vibrant sunflower, blue sky, white clouds, and a warm, smiling sun.
The path was short, with only five or six steps to the end. Aside from the fence facing the alleyway, there was another on the left, similarly covered in ivy.
The bright sunlight overhead fell into the courtyard behind the fence, providing a limitless sense of tranquility.
The courtyard, less than ten square ters, held a vibrant Poplar tree. The tree stood tall and lush, its leaves blocking the sunlight. Below the tree were a stone table and two stone stools, upon the table was an open book, with a pen resting on it.
Behind was a small building, only two stories tall, the second floor had a small floor-to-ceiling window. From Tang Ye’s angle, he could see everything inside. It was adorned with crystal pendants, a couch, a writing desk, a stool, and heartwarming children’s paintings.
Everything inside looked wonderful. Unconsciously, Tang Ye felt so of his agitation dissipate. The place felt like a completely different world from the outside. Outside everything was grey, but here, it was filled with all sorts of colors, truly enchanting.
Even the sunlight that dappled this place was filled with surreal hues, like a puddle reflecting a rainbow.
Red birds perched on the branches of the Poplar tree, chirping rrily. Occasionally, so of the bolder ones would circle around Tang Ye before returning to the tree.
He noticed a broom by the door of the small building, clearly soone had been keeping the place tidy.
"Soone actually lives here, and they have quite the refined taste." Tang Ye chuckled. In the chaos of the Qinshan Base, soone took the ti to beautify this place. He surmised that this person must have been truly exceptional.
Moreover, they were also strong. Who would bother keeping their surroundings beautiful without the strength to protect it?
Tang Ye walked forward and was about to push the gate open when he hesitated.
This place was peaceful and beautiful, while he felt like a dirty demon who might taint everything inside...
Taking another look at the quaint courtyard, Tang Ye let out a sigh. He was sowhat curious about the resident here, but decided not to disturb them.
"Actually, I too, yearn for the light."
Tang Ye muttered sarcastically to himself. But then, what could he do? The world was like a tree. So people were the leaves, basking in the sunlight’s warmth.
And he was the root, deeply planted in the soil. The more he yearned for the light, the deeper he had to burrow!
The sunlight was as bright as spring. Here the east was a residential building and the west a wall. The other two sides were collapsed buildings, blocking other possible entrances. It seed that the little alleyway was the only access point to this place.
Withdrawing his hand from the gate door, Tang Ye decided to leave. But just as he turned around, he saw a young girl standing at the entrance of the alleyway, looking at him in a daze.
It was actually Chen Bieli!
...
"How did you find this place?"
"I stumbled upon it." Tang Ye replied nonchalantly, while examining the hamburger shop.
A hamburger shop inside the Qinshan Base? It was an odd sight. However, Tang Ye would not reject a free al and decided to try the food he had always wanted to eat.
Even after the Apocalypse, Tang Ye had hardly tasted a hamburger. In fact, he had barely tasted it before the Apocalypse.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to eat one, but rather because it was too expensive!
A hamburger cost more than ten yuan, enough for his daily als. Only an idiot would buy it.
"Really?" Chen Bieli looked suspecting.
Tang Ye did not respond. All he could sense was the delicious aroma of grilled at. He found it strange that this hamburger shop was located here, and more strangely, no one seed to co in. The survivors who passed by didn’t even spare a glance. It made him quite puzzled.
"You live there?" Tang Ye asked, changing the subject.
Chen Bieli nodded, and Tang Ye narrowed his eyes before continuing: "An ordinary person like you dares to live there? Your boyfriend must treat you well."
Chen Bieli’s eyes flickered, she remained silent for a while before finally saying: "It’s not him. No one knows where I live, you’re the first."
"Oh?"
Tang Ye was taken aback but also found it curious. He randomly wandered into the place where Chen Bieli lived, it seed quite a coincidence.
"You didn’t bring here just to treat to a al, did you?"
"No, you will find out soon, but don’t get angry."
"What could possibly make angry?"
"Sigh, I hope you’re not that narrow-minded."
Chen Bieli chuckled lightly. Tang Ye took another glance around. He, too, found sothing peculiar. Couldn’t these survivors see this place? Usually, they fought like mad dogs over a piece of rotten food. Here there was grilled at!
He was curious to catch soone and ask about the hamburger shop, but seeing Chen Bieli, he held back.
"Can you tell your na?" Chen Bieli asked.
Tang Ye looked at her in bewildernt: "A lot of people should know my na; you shouldn’t be..."
"No! I don’t know."
"Li Henian." Tang Ye replied almost reflexively, as if his true na were sothing distant.
"Oh..." Chen Bieli’s eyes glinted with disappointnt, but she hid it well, and Tang Ye paid no attention.
"You created a group called the Peace Party, emm why is it called the Peace Party?"
"Huh, you know about the Peace Party but you don’t know my na?"
"I truly don’t know." Chen Bieli shook her head.
Upon seeing this, Tang Ye was reminded of Qiongli and himself, how she didn’t even know what a credit card was, yet claid to go to the Chenyang 169 Base. Her explanation was inconsistent with her actions - and now he felt the sa way about Chen Bieli’s words and actions towards him.
He wasn’t sure if it was because of his impression of her living quarters, but he didn’t hold any killing intent towards her.
"Eh, what does the Peace Party do? You didn’t just take the na for fun, right?"
"None of your damn business!" Tang Ye snapped back imdiately. He was obviously displeased with her evasive answers earlier. At the sa ti, it made him wonder.
If she knew his na and was pretending not to, what was her aim?
That was a suspicion. But even after thinking about it for a while, Tang Ye still could not figure out her motives.
At that mont, a waiter brought two hamburgers to their table.
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