Rotting Land: Survive

Chapter 592 - 581: Sudden Aberration (12)

"Long night stretches ahead, and sleep eludes me. Isn't it boring for a lady to sit alone under the moon? Let this monk keep you company and chat about life and ideals, shall we?"

Wang Qiang's playful opening line immediately had Yang Xue chuckling, and she shuffled a bit to the side on the stone bench, gesturing at Wang Qiang, "Come on, take a seat and let's chat! Reverend."

"Oh! Alright... alright, sure!" Yang Xue's "generosity" actually made Wang Qiang feel a bit embarrassed.

To be honest, this was the first time Wang Qiang, other than with his mother, sat alone with a woman under the moon late at night, and that too at such a close distance. This inexperience made Wang Qiang very uneasy. He kept reminding himself, "This is not a date! This is definitely not a date!"

"The moon is really round tonight!"

"Yeah, the moon is really round tonight!" In a daze, Wang Qiang echoed her. But the moment he spoke, he felt that the dialogue sounded incredibly familiar. After thinking it over, he realized, damn, this is exactly a line from Pan Changjiang's sketch from a past Spring Festival Gala.

Damn, I'm such an idiot to say something this stupid in this setting. I deserve a kick for it. So, Wang Qiang quickly tried to regain his composure and said:

"Uh... so, why do you seem so troubled under such a gentle moonlight, m'lady? If you don't mind, why not share it with this monk?"

Wang Qiang assumed the other person must be troubled by love, so he stubbornly wanted to help Yang Xue see the light.

But Yang Xue just shook her head slightly and then replied softly, "Hehe, nothing like that, I just think too much about certain things."

Habitually, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes from her jacket pocket, expertly drew one out, and held it in her hand, "Mind if I smoke one?"

Slightly taken aback, Wang Qiang shrugged his shoulders, "Go ahead, doesn't bother me!"

"How about you? Want one too?" Casually tossing the pack to Wang Qiang, he glanced at the brand and eventually shook his head, "Thanks, but my throat's a bit sore today, so I'll pass."

"Oh dear, you're not a smoker, are you?" Feigning surprise, her big eyes stared at Wang Qiang like he was a rare animal, making him uncomfortable.

It's no wonder, Yang Xue was clearly an old hand at smoking. You could tell from her adept and nonchalant manner.

With no other choice, for the sake of male pride, Wang Qiang had to take a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and then exhale the smoke.

Seeing this, Yang Xue finally relaxed her amazed expression, then naturally pouted, "See, I told you. How could a guy not smoke?"

The next second, she changed the topic:

"But, guys who don't smoke are also quite nice. Too bad I've never met one."

After saying this meaningful line, Yang Xue fell silent, just blowing smoke circles, not speaking for quite some time.

Watching Yang Xue continuously puffing out smoke circles without pause, Wang Qiang felt inexplicably tense, "Um, I suggest you smoke less, it's not good for your health!"

However, to Wang Qiang's shock, his concerned words actually made Yang Xue, who had been silent, suddenly turn her head and straightforwardly asked, "Why are you so concerned about me? Do you have feelings for me? Be honest, do you?"

This forceful questioning, the face coming closer, Wang Qiang, who'd never been in this kind of predicament, was immediately a little flustered.

The feeling of helplessness was more apparent than when he faced a zombie threat.

Seeing Wang Qiang's flustered look, Yang Xue's tense face suddenly relaxed, and then the curve of her lips grew wider, finally breaking into hearty laughter.

"Haha, scared you, didn't I? I was just teasing you. Actually, about smoking, it's because after I graduated, I started working in a factory. The job pressure is pretty high, so I like to gather with friends now and then, smoke one to relax and unwind. Over time, it became a habit. As for now, the cigarette has become my companion, trying to quit isn't easy, besides, it has accompanied me through many sleepless nights."

Yang Xue spoke lightly, but within her words was a sense of weariness not quite suited to her age.

"So, do you usually sleep very late? You need cigarettes to pass the time?"

"Yeah, quite late, usually until dawn."

"WOW, you're really a true night owl!" Wang Qiang couldn't help but admire her ability to stay up late, knowing that even at the peak of his infatuation with computer games, he never stayed up past midnight.

"That habit is really unhealthy, especially for women, frequently staying up late can cause hormonal imbalances." Wang Qiang took on the tone of an expert scholar.

"I know, but what can I do? Maybe when I find a good husband to keep me in check, it'll get better."

After saying this, Yang Xue forcefully threw a punch into the air, then pointed at the sky and shouted loudly, "Better to have none than settle, I will find my true love!"

She's really a straightforward girl!

The longer Wang Qiang spent with Yang Xue, the more he felt himself liking this candid, say-it-all girl.

The two chatted well into the night, and if it weren't for Old Xu showing up later, they might have continued chatting the whole night away.

The next day, Wang Qiang got up early, but as soon as he stepped out of his room, a big foot blocked his path.

"Hello! Qiangzi, morning!"

Talk about haunted!

"I said, Xiao Wen, are you a fly or something, always buzzing around me, aren't you annoying!" The somewhat pleasant mood Wang Qiang had was completely disrupted by Wen Quanxin's antics.

"Oh, oh, oh, Qiangzi, why so grumpy, looks like you worked hard last night. So, how was it? Doesn't your first experience feel... hehehe!"

Wen Quanxin's ** laughter made black lines appear on Wang Qiang's forehead, and he immediately raised his fist, "Damn! What nonsense are you talking about, first experience and all that, if you keep spouting this BS, don't blame me for flipping out!"

Seeing Wang Qiang really angry, Wen Quanxin didn't dare provoke further, slightly contained himself, but his clownish nature still made him gossip, "No way! Last night's beautiful scenery, such a good opportunity, don't tell me you two didn't... you know, do something?"

"I'll do something to your big head!" This time, Wang Qiang didn't hold back, and slapped Wen Quanxin on the back.

Who would've thought, Wen Quanxin just let out a yelp, then immediately continued in a sarcastic tone... (To be continued. If you like this work, you're welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly votes at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)