Chapter 277: How Is the Child?
Chapter 277: How Is the Child?
Anran tilts her head to look at Little Mint, who is sitting on the small sofa, nodding off. She is clearly exhausted. Then, she glances at Zhan Lian, who is seated in the chair, but she can’t quite figure out what he’s thinking. So, she gently shakes Little Mint to wake her up a little.
"Mint, go sleep in the car."
Little Mint opens her eyes groggily, only to realize there’s someone else in the room. She tenses immediately, her expression turning wary as she grabs onto Anran’s hand. She looks at Zhan Lian as if he were a sworn enemy.
"It’s okay. Go sleep in the car first. He won’t hurt me. Don’t worry."
Anran isn’t sure why, but despite her lingering fear, a voice inside her keeps insisting that Zhan Lian won’t harm her. Maybe it’s a subconscious confidence built after having slept with him several times?
Brushing aside the thought, she pulls the reluctant Little Mint up and ushers her out the door. Then, turning back, she holds Doll in her arms and faces Zhan Lian, ready to ask if he can let Yun Tao go.
But before she can speak, she notices something.
Zhan Lian seems thinner than she remembers. His skin is still as dark as before, but his features have become sharper, his frame leaner. He wears a green jungle combat suit, fastened at the waist with just a belt. No weapons—no knives or guns—just a simple headscarf tied around his head, giving him an unruly, almost roguish appearance.
No—he is roguish.
Zhan Lian sits there in silence, staring at her so directly that Anran suddenly feels self-conscious. His gaze is too intense, making her uncomfortable for some reason.
She hesitates, then decides that if she wants to get Yun Tao out, she needs to keep the conversation going. Awkward or not, it has to continue. So, she sits back down on the sofa with Doll in her arms, lowers her head, and thinks about how to properly talk to her ex-husband.
Zhan Lian, sensing the tension, wants to ease the awkwardness. He leans forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees, and reaches out toward Doll in Anran’s arms.
He smells fresh—he must have taken a bath recently. His whole body is clean, not a single trace of blood on him.
But before his hand can touch the child, Anran instinctively swats it away.
She raises her head abruptly, transforming from a timid little bird into a fierce tigress guarding her cub. Her eyes burn with hostility as she glares at Zhan Lian.
What is he trying to do? What does he want with Doll?
Zhan Lian freezes. His dark face turns slightly ashen. Awkwardly, he withdraws his hand and, feeling a lump in his throat, clears it before asking,
"How is the child?"
Anran lowers her gaze, clutching Doll tightly. Her whole body is tense.
"Did you take the child’s temperature earlier?" Zhan Lian asks again.
"I did. It’s within the normal range."
A heavy silence falls between them.
Zhan Lian takes a deep breath. He can feel Anran’s wariness, her unspoken resistance. And it makes his heart ache.
This is his woman—his wife—yet she treats him no differently from the men outside. As if she has to be on guard against him, as if she thinks he will break her the moment they are alone.
Guilt settles deep in his chest. He can’t even blame her.
More than three months have passed since the world fell apart. And in all that time, has he ever killed a zombie for her? Has he ever found her a proper meal?
After a long pause, he finally speaks. "Let’s stay in Tiesi Village for now. When things settle, we’ll look for a better place. If you don’t like it there, I’ll take you somewhere else."
But before he can say more, Anran lifts her head and cuts him off. "Zhan Lian, can you make that woman let Brother Tao go?"
She has no patience for talk of the future.
Tang Siluo has nearly killed Yun Tao earlier. And Hengheng is with him. The thought of what might happen to them sends a wave of anxiety through Anran.
She can’t think about anything else—not safety, not relocation, not even Zhan Lian’s words. Right now, all that matters is ensuring Yun Tao and Hengheng’s survival.