Hot.
So hot, that sweat soaked her back.
Xia Yanluo felt as if she was wrapped in a quilt, stiflingly hot.
She frowned slightly, faintly hearing snippets of a conversation.
"What happened to this little girl?"
"She was deceived on the road. Apart from her proof, all her other things were swindled away."
Swindled?
What happened?
Confused, Xia Yanluo opened her eyes and lifted her head. Two people were standing with their backs to her, leisurely sipping tea and chatting.
She was also thirsty.
She swallowed her saliva enviously.
To be able to drink water like this in an apocalypse, one must likely be a leader of some base.
Which base was this? They had plenty resources, she wanted to join!
DONG DONG DONG.
Before she could take a closer look at her surroundings, there came a clear and crisp sound of knocking. Xia Yanluo's gaze shifted in that direction, her eyes instantly glittering with anticipation.
The man in a green uniform was standing upright at the door. His skin was dark and his features were resolute. Those black eyes were exceptionally sharp.
Even though he didn't utter a word, his imposing demeanor made the two individuals drinking water also straighten their backs.
"May I ask where Comrade Xia Yanluo is?"
His voice was deep and his pronunciation was clear.
Huh.
Was this sturdy man looking for her?
Xia Yanluo crisply responded, "Present!"
Suddenly, the room quieted down, all eyes turned to look her way.
And Xia Yanluo also noticed the man looking towards her, his black eyes slightly squinted and his eyebrows furrowed.
A flash of some emotion seemed to pass through his expression, but it quickly disappeared.
Subconsciously, Xia Yanluo wanted to straighten her clothes to leave a good impression. But when she looked down, she was instantly petrified.
This wasn't her body!
Her slender, jade-like hands had become round fat paws with dimples.
Her thighs were fat, and the spare tire on her stomach was so huge that even the red flowery cotton-padded jacket she was wearing couldn't hide it.
What's more, everyone in the room was wearing short-sleeved shirts, while she was wrapped in a big cotton jacket. No wonder she had been woken up by the heat.
Xia Yanluo was still in shock...
The man, however, stepped forward with firm strides and greeted her, "Comrade Xia Yanluo, I am your husband Xie Yuanjun, here to pick you up."
Xia Yanluo's eyes widened in disbelief, standing frozen on the spot.
Her husband?
Suddenly she noticed something wrong...
She quickly looked towards the tear-off calendar hanging on the table, clearly showing the year XX76 of the Hua nation.
Xia Yanluo was stunned. She abruptly pinched her thigh, causing her to hiss in pain.
It wasn't a dream.
Just minutes ago, Xia Yanluo had been struggling to survive with her teammates in the post-apocalyptic era, and in the blink of an eye, she had time-traveled to the Hua nation hundreds of years ago.
Xie Yuanjun looked at Xia Yanluo, whose expression was changing rapidly, and frowned deeply.
He had been prepared when his father wrote saying that even though he wasn't home, he arranged for him to marry a 19-year-old plump daughter-in-law and send her with the military.
Even with mental preparation, he didn't expect her to be rounder and a bit wider than his shoulders.
However, the young maiden seemed a bit thoughtless. She left her bag unattended to go to the toilet on the train, and when she came back, everything was already gone.
"I found it, I found one."
Just as the two were lost in their thoughts, a policeman dressed in a military-green uniform happily dashed in, carrying a bag. Upon seeing Xie Yuanjun, he immediately muted his expression and saluted, "Hello, officer."
Xie Yuanjun stood upright, returning the salute.
"Young lady, we've found one of your bundles. You'll need to wait for the rest. Have your family members arrived yet?"
The policeman warmly passed over the bundle.
Xia Yanluo, with no memories in her mind, could only subconsciously receive the bundle. She immediately heard Xie Yuanjun's calm reply, "I am her husband, Xie Yuanjun from the Research Institute."
This man could remain so composed in front of her plump form, a trait far from ordinary.
As Xia Yanluo pondered this, her hands eagerly unfastened the bundle, hoping to remember something from its contents.
As soon as the bundle was opened, huge corn buns made with white flour tumbled out.
Xia Yanluo froze in surprise, reaching her hand in to rummage around. The entire bundle was filled with large buns.
As she held the precious grains in her hands, she wondered if she would get robbed for them.
A snicker.
One of the policemen couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Who would bring so many huge buns when they go out?
Xia Yanluo innocently looked up at him, not understanding why he was laughing, thinking about how many nutrient fluids so many buns could be traded for.
Xie Yuanjun noticed her puzzled expression, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
He bent over to pick up one of the buns, peeled off the dusty outer layer, and placed it back into her bundle. His fingers nimbly fastened the bundle tighter, carrying it in his hand and looking at Xia Yanluo.
"It's getting late, we need to catch our train," said Xia Yanluo as she quickly stood up. She didn't quite know what was going on at the moment, so she decided to just follow her husband in name for now.
As they stepped outside, they were met with the entrance to the train station. Xia Yanluo curiously watched as Xie Yuanjun gave their train tickets and proof of identity to a ticket collector who, as per protocol, promptly handed them back.
Xie Yuanjun nodded in thanks, then led her into the station. As they descended the stairs, they saw a long, green train.
Xia Yanluo let out a cry of surprise and immediately ran over to touch the green exterior, marveling that this was a real, physical object, not just a virtual projection seen in the post-apocalyptic era.
"What are you staring at, you bumpkin?" came the disdainful comment of a middle-aged woman in a nearby window, munching sunflower seeds. She tossed out a handful of shells and shut the window.
Undeterred, Xia Yanluo shrugged and continued to examine the train, running her fingers over the cold metal. She silently wondered if a forceful strike could possibly make a dent.
Xie Yuanjun stood silently by the door of carriage number six for a long while, watching her, before letting out a deep sigh and pulling down his hat a little further. She was young and naive, and not worldly-wise. Was he taking a bride, or was he escorting a daughter?
"Let's get inside," he called.
Upon hearing Xie Yuanjun's words, Xia Yanluo gave a small smile and followed him onto the train.
The carriage was divided into two rows of seats, with the buzz of chatter filling the air. People were carrying bundles of belongings, some even pulled out small stools and sat directly on the floor.
Xia Yanluo sighed, wishing she could capture all of this on camera. The weapons and nourishment she could exchange for these scenes would be shocking.
She didn’t need to worry about her things being stolen, and she didn't have to worry about encountering zombies or zombie beasts.
They could go out and in safely, live and work in peace.
The two of them took their seats. Opposite them sat a couple. Seeing Xie Yuanjun in his uniform, they were very enthusiastic. But when Xia Yanluo, clad in a big cotton-padded jacket, captured their gaze, they felt as though they had jumped into another world.
“Are you hot?” Xie Yuanjun asked. He saw the curious, shining eyes of the girl filled with curiosity, her pale forehead beaded with sweat. He couldn't help but tug at her large floral jacket.
This innocent girl.
“Yes, I'm hot,” Xia Yanluo chuckled, quickly unbuttoning her cotton jacket.
The weather changes unpredictably in this post-apocalyptic era. Today it’s cold, tomorrow it could be extremely hot. She had already become accustomed, nearly forgetting about the large floral jacket she wore.
The moment they sat down, silence ensued. Compared to the affectionate couple across from them, Xie Yuanjun and Xia Yanluo were only a couple in name. In reality, this was their first meeting.
The vehicle slowly started to move away from the station, and Xia Yanluo's stomach started growling embarrassingly. She covered it with her hands. Xie Yuanjun glanced at her action, then stood up, took a package, and handed it to her quietly. "Would you like some water?" he asked.
Surprised eyes shone in Xia Yanluo's. She shook her head and picked up a steamed bun, taking a bite carefully.
It was loose and soft, incomparable to any nutrition liquid.
Seeing her eating with such relish, Xie Yuanjun's thin lips pursed slightly, a hint of helplessness flashing through his eyes.
One, three, six. Xia Yanluo devoured six steamed buns before she reluctantly stopped.
