Chapter 23:

Lu Jiayao said: "It is indeed a fluke to live like this."
"...I don't know her past, I haven't seen it, what she was like before." Xiao Xiao lowered her head again, tied the bandage to the raccoon dog, and pushed it to signal it away, "But now she is definitely not, you Speculation."
Lu Jiayao turned his face and looked at her as sharply as her knife.
"Are you so sure?"
"Some things can only be known if they are closer."
Lu Jiayao smiled, the smile was very thin: "The monopoly is really strong. Are you... this relationship?"
Xiao Xiao washes her hands: "What?" She doesn't object to monopolization.
Isn't it? Lu Jiayao was a little surprised to feel the confusion on Xiao Xiao's face.
No matter how you look at it, the kind of intimacy, the line of sight following each other, and the explicit attachment are beyond the ordinary peer relationship...Is the person not aware of it yet?
"It doesn't matter if you don't understand."
Lu Jiayao had no intention of assisting the annoying people.
But is this really okay? She looked at Xiao Xiao, and many characteristics changed after the zombie, but the facial features profile was indeed the person she knew: "You don't remember anything."
Xiao Xiao pursed her lips slightly: "...you know me."
When she appeared in front of Lu Jiayao, the subtle look on Lu Jiayao's face might not be noticed by Lin You, but she could see it clearly.
"It's not a relationship worth mentioning." Lu Jiayao said, "Since you have forgotten, I have no obligation to tell you."
"I don't need you to say anything. It doesn't matter what my past is..." Xiao Xiao carefully washed his hands and dried them, turned to look at Lu Jiayao, with a faint warning in his eyes, "Don't bother her."
Lu Jiayao sneered: "How can I be bothered?"
The two stared at each other from a distance, and the atmosphere of tension in the air reached its peak.
"Xiao Xiao--"
Linyou pushed the door in.
"..."
Zuo Siyou thought that it was not appropriate to keep the two of them together. Linyou, who came out and called for help, received the two people's eyes at the same time, and froze for a moment.
She coughed and pretended not to notice the stiff atmosphere: "Xiao Xiao, come here to help."
Dinner ended in this strange atmosphere. Linyou helped Lu Jiayao tidy up the rooms, preparing for their own rest.
She came out and yawned after bathing. She always felt very tired today... Lin You pushed Xiao Xiao to take a bath and wanted to go to bed early, but when she saw the clothes rail in the yard through the window, she found that the clothes were confiscated.
As usual, even if she forgot, Xiao Xiao will remember... Today, it is rare that neither of them thought.
Linyou grinned helplessly and went out to collect her clothes. When I walked to the eaves, I just met Lu Jiayao pushing the door out.
"Sister?" Linyou greeted her. "Is there anything wrong?"
"...Well," Lu Jiayao didn't expect to meet her and paused a little, "I came out to boil water."
"Then let me help." Linyou smiled at her.
It happened to be lucky at home, she found it and set it on fire. In the quiet night, the wood burned gradually and steadily, and Mars crackled slightly.
The swaying fire shone on Lu Jiayao's face leaning against the door, her green-gold eyes disappeared.
It seems that there have been times like this before.
Silent night, warm fire, only two people's vigil.
Linyou looked at the orange-red flame slightly fascinated. Probably because of seeing an old friend who had been in conflict for many years, she remembered things that happened long ago.
I thought that the forgotten memory was still clear at this moment.
"Before...I have had this time."
"Eh?" Suddenly hearing Lu Jiayao's voice, Linyou was surprised at the synchronization of her and her thoughts, and he responded hesitantly, "Ah... yes."
It's incredible. She wouldn't be surprised to change to someone else, but Lu Jiayao was an extremely brave and decisive person in Linyou's memory, always walking forward and stopping to recall the past, unlike her style.
It's been almost seven years since the last meeting... It's normal to change.
Lin You sighed in her heart that time flies. Lu Jiayao quietly looked at the fire, his expression was dull, and I wondered what he was thinking.
"How are you doing?"
Suddenly, she asked.
How is it now? Lin Yu thought for a while and unconsciously put a soft smile on his face: "That's what you see, Sister, you're doing pretty well."
"Living in this environment, you can still say good things."
In Lu Jiayao's eyes, Linyou crossed the kitchen window and saw the little red curled up resting in the corner of the courtyard.
Lin Yu understood what she meant: "It used to be impossible...but now they won't hurt me."
Lu Jiayao said: "Do you think mutants can be trusted?"
"……I do not know."
Linyou told the truth: "Don't talk about getting along peacefully. I haven't known how many times I have almost been killed by mutants in the past eight years. To talk about trust is still far away... But, I want to believe Xiao Xiao."
I believe Xiao Xiao will protect her promise.
"..."
"Sister? How's it going to be after that?" Lin You chased the subject.
She understood Lu Jiayao's thoughts and knew that Lu Jiayao would not agree with her. An adventure-like reunion may never meet again in the future, and Linyou doesn’t want to stay in dispute.
Moreover, Linyou is also a bit concerned about Lu Jiayao's experience: "Why did you join the Pujiang Base?"
She saw the logo on Lu Jiayao's combat uniform, which was the same as the three people on that day.
"Various reasons." Lu Jiayao didn't seem to talk about the past in any way. "There are no Pujiang bases now."
The water in the kettle boiled, and the mouth made a whine.
This seemed to remind them that the conversation should come to an end. Lu Jiayao raised the kettle: "I'm back to the room. You have to rest early."
"Ah, okay... Sister, you have lost your stuff."
When Lu Jiayao turned around, a picture tucked in her pocket fell lightly, just at the foot of Linyou.
Linyou helped her pick it up, and when she saw the content above, she was stunned for a while: "This is..."
Is a group photo.
Lin You saw a long time ago, Lu Jiayao, and many familiar faces.
She remembered that this was a picture she took at Lu Jiayao's team.
At that time, the situation was not so serious, or they had not realized the seriousness of the matter. Although fighting with zombies, he still maintained an optimistic mood.
The members of the team who studied photography took photos and wanted to wash them out in a darkroom.
Unfortunately, the senior who taught her to use a gun was angry while fighting with a wave of zombies in the vicinity: "Zhu Feibai! Are you okay?! How to rub it!"
"This is not how I can decide whether it will be happy or not!"
Linyou was nervously guarding the door, and Lu Jiayao, who ate compressed biscuits as if nothing happened to her, glanced at her and said, "The position is just right, practice your gun now."
...
Linyou also has this photo, but hers has been lost in her escape.
Lu Jiayao took the photo from her and said nothing.
Linyou stood alone for a while, and when she came out of the kitchen, she found that the clothes on the clothes rail had been taken away.
She returned to the room. After taking a shower, Xiao Xiao scattered her hair and sat at the desk looking at the impatiens that was about to open. When she heard her footsteps, she raised her head and watched her reach out.
"what happened?"
Lin Yu held Xiao Xiao's hand, and the moment her cool body temperature was conveyed, she exhaled gently, and she always felt that her floating heart had settled down.
Xiao Xiao pulled her and leaned over to hug her waist: "Grapefruit, won't you leave?"
"No... why do you think so?"
Is it because of sister? So is it hostile to her? Being hugged tightly, Linyou can feel Xiao Xiao's uneasiness from the strength passed on.
At the same time she felt a little crying and laughing, she was completely filled with Xiao Xiao's attachment.
Xiao Xiao said sullenly: "Calm, calm, and give a sense of stability. Yuzu likes this kind of person? I remember."
...Alas, can this be considered jealous?
Linyou lowered her head and could only see the top of Xiao Xiao's head. The white hair was still soft and wet. She pretended to be surprised: "So Xiao Xiao, do you appreciate Sister Xiao?"
"..."
Xiao Xiao maintained her posture and lifted her face, her blue eyes stared at her momentarily.
Lin You couldn't help laughing: "Just kidding, don't look at me with this kind of eyes...I won't go with others. When it comes to these words, in fact, Xiao Xiao is quite in line?"
"Does grapefruit like me?"
"...I like it." Linyou couldn't help Xiao Xiao, who likes to confess to each other every day. His drooping eyes were very gentle. "I only like you."
"..." Xiao Xiao hesitated infrequently, "I also..."
She stopped.
"Also?" Before Lin Xiaoyou, who Xiao Xiao likes everyday, questioned with his eyes.
"..."
Linyou felt that the clothes behind her waist were tight, Xiao Xiao seemed to think of something, and there was no way to look in her expression.
"...Xiao Xiao? What's wrong, is it uncomfortable?"
Xiao Xiao shook his head and buried his face again: "I also like grapefruit."
Her voice was soft and Linyou jumped inexplicably. She just felt that this confession was a little different from the past... she couldn't tell the difference.
The room was quiet, and the two did not speak for a while.
Until the sudden night wind blows out the candles on the table, Linyou whispered, "...well, let's rest."
"Ok……"
But lying on the bed, Linyou could feel that Xiao Xiao did not close her eyes and was watching her.
She could not be seen asleep, turned over helplessly, and faced Xiao Xiao in the bed sideways: "Is there anything you want to say?"
Xiao Xiao shook his head first, stopped for a moment, then nodded and said in a small voice: "Want to know about the grapefruit."
"my business?"
"Well. What was it like before Yuzu?"
Before...
The memories emerging in the kitchen were turned over again, Linyou sighed gently, and Xiao Xiao held her hand under the quilt.
Linyou shook back and said, "Isn't it an interesting story...Do you really want to hear it?"