“No, I want to stay with him.”
Qiu Tong pointed at Jin Yang, not the least bit shy or bashful.
Her experience in the post-apocalyptic era told her that as a personal bodyguard, she should be with her employer at all times. Otherwise, if zombies attacked at night, they would break into the bedroom through the window, and she would not be able to protect her employer!
Contrary to her calm attitude, countless thoughts flashed through Shao An’s mind as he looked at Qiu Tong with a complicated expression.
Gao De quietly sized up Jin Yang. Surprisingly, he did not reject Qiu Tong’s request. Instead, his thin lips curled into a smile.
Shao An narrowed his eyes and sized up Qiu Tong’s appearance and figure. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that something was amiss. He suspected that she had some ulterior motive and was deliberately trying to get close to Jin Yang!
Qiu Tong understood what Shao An and Gao De were worried about. She walked upstairs with her backpack, calling out in a mocking tone.
“I have no intention of finding a stepfather for my children for the time being… Hey, which room do you live in?”
Gao De, “!!!”
Shao An, “…”
Gao De could not hide his shock and secretly quietly calmed his anxious heart when he heard that Qiu Tong had children.
Jin Yang took out two bottles of fine red wine from the wine cellar and poured them into the decanter, gently swirling it as he admired the dense bubbles…
Gao De understood his tacit approval and took the initiative to lead Qiu Tong to Jin Yang’s spacious suite-style room.
Shao An looked at Qiu Tong’s increasingly outrageous behavior and wanted to stop her. “Sir, her identity is suspicious. You can’t let her behave so wantonly…”
Jin Yang’s voice was cold and carried a commanding tone that could not be refuted. “Just do your own part well.”
“You have no right to interfere with my decision!”
Shao An stood rooted to the ground. His expression changed slightly before he lowered his head and replied, “Yes, I understand.”
At night, Jin Yang had already fallen asleep. Qiu Tong changed into a set of casual sportswear and sat cross-legged on the sofa outside, flipping through the small sketchbook she carried with her.
This contained the drawings which Qiu Xingyu had done in the kindergarten’s drawing class. The lines were crooked and the colors were mixed haphazardly, such that it was impossible to tell what she was drawing. Nevertheless, Qiu Tong still admired it endlessly, as if she was holding Picasso’s own sketches…
The clock on the clock pointed to one in the morning. Muted knocking noises could be heard inside Jin Yang’s house.
Qiu Tong picked up a baseball bat and quietly pushed the door open. She checked that the doors and windows were all tightly shut and no strangers had sneaked in.
On his Morandi-colored bed, Jin Yang was frowning as if he was deep in the throes of a nightmare. There seemed to be an intense chase in his dream. He kept waving his hands, which knocked against the bedside table several times, creating the noise which Qiu Tong heard.
Qiu Tong watched him from the end of the bed. She had found the source of the sounds.
She was a little conflicted. Protecting her employer shouldn’t include helping him chase away nightmares, right?
“…Don’t go!”
Jin Yang muttered, his cold and handsome face revealing a hint of helplessness. From time to time, he would raise his hand, as if wanting to grab something.
Qiu Tong’s heart softened. She walked to the bed and used her fingertips to gently smooth his furrowed brows.
“He looks strong and stubborn. I didn’t expect him to be so fragile in his dreams… what is he dreaming about? Zombies?”
She mumbled to herself as she patted Jin Yang’s shoulder half-heartedly.
In the next second, Jin Yang seemed to have sensed something. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto the bed. He leaned over and wrapped his arms and legs around her in an embrace, before burying his head in her neck as if seeking warmth and comfort.
Qiu Tong’s body stiffened. She wanted to push him away, but realized that Jin Yang’s strength in this dream-like state was astonishing!
Jin Yang murmured in a daze, craving the warmth of her body. He kept asking, “Where did you go? Why… did you leave me behind!”
Qiu Tong couldn’t understand him. She frowned and waved her hand in front of his eyes, confirming that he was still asleep.
“Let go of me!”
Qiu Tong wanted to break free from his restraint, but every time she tried to pry his fingers away, Jin Yang would hug her even more tightly…
Qiu Tong had to face up to reality and resign herself to fate. She lightly patted Jin Yang back and hummed a lullaby which she used to coax Little Yu to sleep…
“I won’t leave you behind, I promise.”
Gradually, she could not keep her eyes open any longer and also fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Qiu Tong and Jin Yang woke up at the same time. They looked at each other in their embrace, before jumping apart as if they had been electrocuted!
Qiu Tong explained, “You were the one who held onto me last night and forbade me from leaving.”
Jin Yang couldn’t remember anything at all. Every once in a while, he would have the same nightmare, chasing after the back of a woman he would never be able to touch. He rubbed his aching temples and was about to say something when the door was pushed open…
Shao An held some documents in his hand and wanted to report to Jin Yang about important matters, but he saw them sitting on the bed together!
“Sir?!”