Chapter 194 The Fifteenth of January (1/3)

Yan Yu didn't speak, but simply raised his broad palm and gently placed it on the little girl's hair in his arms, stroking it gently.

His gaze fell on Tao Yuming. His eyes weren't oppressive, but they made Tao Yuming feel that his thoughts had been seen through.

"Understood." Yan Yu's voice was indifferent. "Thank you for your hard work."

Two words, no more, no less.

Tao Yuming opened his mouth, but the rest of his words stuck in his throat. He understood that this big shot didn't need his analysis, he just needed a result.

Ruan Tang lifted her face from Yan Yu's warm embrace, revealing two sweet dimples, and said in a soft, sweet voice, "Tao Zhiqing, it's windy outside, you should go back quickly and avoid getting cold."

As she spoke, she took two roasted sweet potatoes, their skins golden brown and sizzling with sugary oil, from the bamboo basket on the kang table, quickly wrapped them in oil paper, and stuffed them into Tao Yuming's hand.

"Take this, keep your hands warm on the road, and you can even nibble on it if you get hungry."

The scalding heat traveled through the oil paper to his frozen palms, and the warmth traveled up his arm and into his heart. The gloom and fear that had lingered in Tao Yuming's heart for many days were largely dispelled by these two sweet potatoes.

He nodded vigorously, said nothing more, turned around, opened the door, and quickly disappeared into the wind and snow outside.

The door creaked shut, shutting out the chill from the room.

As soon as Tao Yuming left, the peaceful atmosphere in the room instantly turned sharp.

Yan Yu lowered his eyes, looking at Ruan Tang, who was as obedient as a kitten with her hands tucked in her arms. He lowered his voice, which carried a cold hardness that seemed to want to crush the threat: "Tonight, I'm going to the educated youth settlement."

He never waits for others to make a move; he strikes first to nip any danger in the bud. This is a survival rule ingrained in his bones during the apocalypse.

Don't go.

Ruan Tang shook her head and grabbed his arm as he was about to get up.

She tilted her small, palm-sized face up, a hint of cunning flashing in her watery almond-shaped eyes.

"Brother, it's no fun to alert the enemy by stirring up trouble."

She paused, then slowly analyzed, "This person is using sleeping potion in secret, which means he doesn't want anyone to know what he's doing. I guess he's definitely preparing to replace the talisman on the mountain."

"So, he's definitely the 'maintenance worker'."

At this point, Ruan Tang stretched out her fair fingers and, through Yan Yu's thick cotton clothes, drew circles on his strong, taut forearm with neither too light nor too heavy a touch.

"But his actions are too cautious, as if he's guarding against someone. Maybe he has other plans. Let's stay put and see what he's up to."

Yan Yu did not insist further.

He believed her.

Since we've decided to wait and see, the most important thing right now is to sharpen our own blade.

Forget all the schemes and tricks; as long as the knife is fast enough, one strike will cut everything in two.