LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 142: Just a Hug
"Mengxi? What are you doing here?" Just as the group was about to continue chatting, a weary voice came from the side.
They turned around to see Chen Shicheng looking at them from the darkness, his expression slightly aged and worn.
"Shicheng-ge." Yun Mengxi quickly scrambled to her feet, standing in front of Chen Shicheng with her head lowered.
Chen Shicheng opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but then he turned his head and saw Kiana and Mei both looking at him with strange expressions.
Indeed, sometimes knowing something and not knowing something makes a huge difference in how you perceive the same person.
Chen Shicheng swallowed back his words, his gaze slowly moving upwards, landing on Yun Mengxi's face.
Ah, he probably understood what was going on…
"Go back to sleep. Yun Feng… he won't be back until around dawn."
Chen Shicheng was intimately familiar with the food scavenging routes. He had been calculating daily, in the almost half-month they couldn't go outside, how long it would take to gather a certain amount of food.
After Shu and the others left to deal with the Chariot-class Honkai Beast, Chen Shicheng, while waiting, also shared these plans and timings he had summarized with Yun Feng.
So he knew exactly when Yun Feng would return, calculated down to the minute.
The reason he was still waiting was simply because he couldn't sleep, pure and simple.
Yes, just couldn't sleep, absolutely no other ulterior motives.
Yun Mengxi, feeling a little ashamed under Chen Shicheng's gaze, quickly took the offered exit, turning her head to say goodbye to the two before running off into the distance with her head down.
Chen Shicheng watched Yun Mengxi leave, then looked at Kiana and Mei, who had already stood up. He sighed lightly and bowed slightly to them.
"I'm sorry for what I said this afternoon. I shouldn't have said those things without considering your feelings." Chen Shicheng's second apology was very sincere. After saying this, Chen Shicheng remained bowed, silent.
Kiana huffed, muttering softly, "Even though I know you were in a hurry, what you said was still a bit much…"
Mei gave a wry smile, saying nothing.
Chen Shicheng remained in his bow, still silent.
A second passed, and now Kiana started to feel like her own conscience was being pricked.
"Okay, it's… not a big deal, really, just get up!" Kiana said awkwardly, more or less accepting the apology.
Chen Shicheng sighed softly, finally straightening up. "You probably still have things to discuss… go back and rest. If Yun Feng hasn't returned by dawn, then come talk to me again."
The two exchanged a look, then said good night to Chen Shicheng before picking up their bags and turning to leave.
Just a few steps away, they saw Bronya leaning against the wall, staring at them with deadpan eyes.
"Mei-nee…" Bronya looked at the two, her gaze, especially towards Mei, a bit off. She was just about to say something when Kiana quickly walked over, throwing an arm around the petite Bronya and starting to vigorously rub her face.
Bronya: ?
"Bronya, you were the one who threw this bag out just now, right? Confess honestly, how long have you been eavesdropping on us!"
"Mmph… Just got here!" Bronya instinctively grabbed Kiana's wrist to retaliate, but only managed to grab it, not taking any further action.
"Just got here?! Seriously, do you think I'm a three-year-old!" Not only was she not confessing honestly, she even dared to lie to me.
Kiana, feeling resentful, increased the force of her rub.
Unable to fight back, and unable to break free, Bronya could only turn her pleading gaze to Mei-nee for help.
Mei silently averted her eyes.
Bronya: "..."
She was getting payback for pushing her out just now, wasn't she! Damn it, she was clearly trying to help Mei-nee out of kindness…
Bronya chose silence.
Luckily, Kiana didn't bother her for too long before letting Bronya go, then yawned, covering her mouth.
Just during their conversation, she had eaten at least seven bags of biscuits and drunk two bottles of water. Kiana was now feeling waves of drowsiness washing over her brain.
Normally, Mei would already be supporting Kiana, who was about to fall asleep, but this time, Mei, who had also been pushed from behind by Bronya again, didn't intend to do so.
"Kiana!" Mei's voice was unusually firm. Kiana's swaying body jolted, snapping to attention.
"Huh, Mei?" Kiana turned her head sheepishly, a flattering smile on her face.
She was very familiar with this tone of Mei's.
When she fell asleep while reading, or secretly ate the food Mei had prepared, Mei would always call her like this.
It felt like… what the class president said about when parents suddenly call out your full name…
In short, just hearing Mei call her like this made Kiana's heart involuntarily skip a beat.
"Kiana, if you have something on your mind, you can tell me everything!" Mei said to Kiana firmly, gritting her teeth slightly.
"Eh?" Kiana suddenly felt like she was hallucinating, then she realized what was happening.
Immediately, Kiana felt a little awkward.
"Mei, you actually… saw everything?"
Mei nodded firmly. Bronya behind Mei sighed almost imperceptibly.
Mei had indeed seen everything, she had watched Mei see everything.
"Well… Mei, could you maybe…" Kiana's words were a bit hesitant.
"Kiana! Please don't keep brushing me off! I can help too!" But Kiana's hesitation was interpreted as something else by Mei.
As expected, Kiana still didn't want to let her know about these things…
"No, no, no, I didn't mean that!" Kiana's eyes widened, quickly waving her hands in denial. "Mei, listen to my explanation!"
Mei didn't speak, but her gaze clearly indicated she wanted Kiana to continue.
Kiana hesitated for another moment, then sighed.
She understood, Mei definitely knew everything already. After all, sometimes, Kiana felt like Mei understood her even better than she understood herself.
So Mei definitely knew why she acted the way she did tonight.
"Mei, I'm just… a little scared." Kiana's toes were drawing circles on the ground, her voice very soft.
"Because I can't do anything right now… I'm just afraid… that you guys might not want me anymore…"
Before she could finish speaking, Kiana was pulled into Mei's embrace.
Instantly, all words between them ceased, everything was perfectly understood in that moment.
…
Bronya, as an observer, twitched her eye slightly.
Seriously?
Mei, who likes you that much, would not want you? Shu, who met you first, would not want you? I, who you saved from the zombies' mouths, would not want you?
Are you kidding me?!
If anything, shouldn't I be the one worried about being left behind by you guys?
Bronya watched this "deeply moving" scene speechlessly, finally unable to resist letting out a soft "tch."