The Blood Jade Bracelet on that fair, creamy wrist stung her eyes.
Jiang Yuntan sensed someone following behind her and wasn't surprised at all.
She looked at the activity in the kitchen: Qi Ruoshui and Yu Ke were standing at the stove, stir-frying. Shen Hegui was in charge of cooking rice, while Qiao Chengming assisted them.
Lin Xuan and Xia Chujing, both uninjured and able-bodied, saw that Qiao Chengming was helping, so they felt they couldn't just sit around. They also planned to prepare some food for later. However, most of the time, Xia Chujing did the work herself, while Lin Xuan at most packed things up.
Jiang Yuntan walked toward the faucet, planning to help wash some vegetables.
Today, they were mainly making pancakes, which could keep for longer.
Then they'd decide whether to prepare box lunches for tomorrow, since they didn't know when the rain would stop.
Lin Tingxue's gaze fell on Jiang Yuntan, and she walked over to her.
Seeing this, Jiang Yuntan moved a few steps away and said bluntly, "I've told you, I don't like you. Why are you still coming close to me?"
Hearing this, everyone present looked over.
Having spent a long time in the world of power and money, they had heard many veiled barbs. Now hearing such straightforward words, it somehow felt refreshing.
It really didn't spare anyone's face.
Lin Tingxue's expression stiffened, then she said softly, "Yuntan, we're still in the same team. Why must you be so hostile towards me?"
"Wow, before, when I went out with them, zombies couldn't even get within half a meter of me, let alone touch me," Jiang Yuntan said in an exaggerated tone. "But last time, when I was with you at the hotel, I got scratched by a zombie. Lucky for me, I awakened an ability and didn't turn into one."
"And now you're asking me why I'm so hostile? How do you have the face to ask?"
Lin Tingxue, upon hearing this, let an imperceptible smile flicker across her eyes. She said in a hurt tone, "Yuntan, are you saying I deliberately led you to the zombie back then? But I was scratched by the zombie too."
Jiang Yuntan rolled her eyes. "I didn't say that. I said it's too unlucky to be around you. Stay away from me."
Then she fiddled with the jade bracelet on her wrist and said casually, "Every time I run into you, it's bad luck. And then you tried to team up with Xia Chujing to get my jade bracelet. Hasn't the Lin Family given you enough nice things? Why are you always coveting others' belongings?"
"That's not true. You've misunderstood," Lin Tingxue said, not wanting others to know she was interested in the bracelet on Jiang Yuntan's wrist. "Didn't we say this matter was done and not to bring it up again?"
Jiang Yuntan clicked her tongue.
Lin Xuan, seeing his sister at a disadvantage, felt that his own face was being rubbed into the ground. He spoke up, "Alright, we're still teammates. Jiang Yuntan, even if you don't like Tingxue, there's no need to say such harsh words. Can't we get along?"
Jiang Yuntan snorted. "As if I want to be your teammate. If Shen Hegui hadn't disagreed with splitting up, saying we all need to go back to Jing City together, I wouldn't want to be your teammate."
Lin Xuan looked displeased. "If you don't want to be teammates with us, you can leave the team."
Lin Tingxue lifted her head slightly, as if agreeing with Lin Xuan's words.
So Jiang Yuntan had suggested splitting up, but Shen Hegui refused. It seemed her efforts over the past days still held weight in Shen Hegui's heart.
Shen Hegui, who had been silent all this while, suddenly spoke up: "Enough. Yuntan is a member of the Shen family. Where she goes is not for you to decide."
"If you really have such a big issue with Yuntan, we can also go our separate ways," Shen Hegui said in a deep voice. He suddenly felt that Yuntan had a point.
He didn't need to consider every detail like before the apocalypse. Even if he had sensed the Lin Family's movements before the apocalypse, so what? In the apocalypse, strength was what mattered most.
Last night, both his Lightning and Metal Element Abilities had leveled up. Feeling the immense power from his abilities, he felt that sometimes he really didn't need to be so cautious.
Besides, he should trust the old man at home. Even with the apocalypse, he wouldn't let himself lose power or fall behind. Compared to himself, the old man was the one who had been through bullet and hail.
Lin Xuan, hearing this, looked at him incredulously. "Wait, are you this indulgent with her now? We're in the apocalypse. Why don't you control her?"
Shen Hegui said flatly, "Isn't that perfect? Now that it's the apocalypse, I don't have to worry about her being arrogant and getting sent to jail for hurting or killing people."
"What if she gets beaten up?" Lin Xuan asked, finding his words ridiculous.
Was the world gone mad? Was Shen Hegui also crazy?
Shen Hegui's expression didn't change. "As long as she doesn't court death where I can't see her, she shouldn't end up in such a situation."
Then he looked at Jiang Yuntan. "You understand?"
Jiang Yuntan uttered an "Ah" and then nodded. "I understand, of course I understand."
But her face still showed shock.
Hadn't Shen Hegui told her not to provoke them before? Had she brainwashed him too much during this time, changing his view?
Lin Xuan didn't know if Shen Hegui had gone mad, but he was about to go mad with anger.
In the current situation, no one debated the earlier matter anymore.
Qiao Chengming whispered in Shen Hegui's ear, "This young miss from your family, she probably never internalizes stress, right?"
"She probably only ever goes crazy and takes it out on others."
Shen Hegui understood his implication and suppressed the urge to smirk. "Seems like it."
Jiang Yuntan was washing the vegetables and turned to see the cutting board free.
An idea struck her, and she walked over.
In her hands was a medium-sized pumpkin, found in the coffee shop's kitchen. Since the kitchen also had flour, sugar, and such, they planned to make some pumpkin cakes to take along.
Though it was a bit troublesome, they probably wouldn't have such leisurely opportunities to cook before reaching Jing City.
Lin Tingxue, seeing her walk to the cutting board and start peeling with a fruit knife, felt her right eyelid twitching and a headache coming on.
Lin Tingxue slowed her movements, keeping her peripheral vision fixed on Jiang Yuntan.
Watching Jiang Yuntan become more adept after peeling a third of it, Lin Tingxue's heart, which had been in her throat, finally relaxed a bit.
A flicker of deep intent flashed quickly through Jiang Yuntan's eyes. Her hand trembled, and with an "Oh no," the fruit knife cut her arm, the wound less than five centimeters from the bracelet.