Xue Ling casually tied up her hair, revealing a hickey on her neck: “Not continuing, I just remembered, we still have a lot of things we haven’t done.”
Wen Jiuzhe was almost angered into laughter by her: “Wasn’t it you who started first?”
And now she doesn’t want to anymore?
Xue Ling made a stop gesture: “I started it, so I’ll press pause first.”
Wen Jiuzhe walked over, slid one arm under her armpit, hooked her, and carried her toward the room.
Xue Ling struggled a little: “Wait, I want to take a shower, but look, I only have this one set of clothes on me, I don’t even have a change of clothes.”
Wen Jiuzhe: “Wear mine.”
Xue Ling: “Your clothes, because they were piled up there looking a bit old, I threw them away, now there are only a few coats and pants left.”
Wen Jiuzhe: “……”
Just as they reached the room, he again saw the bed, empty and left with only a mattress.
Xue Ling: “Earlier I threw away those tattered sheets and quilts on your bed, now there aren’t any new ones to change into.”
“In your bathroom I only saw one bottle of two-in-one shampoo and body wash, bought four years ago, it’s already expired, there’s nothing else.”
“Your towels, I also threw them away.”
Now the house is clean, it is clean, but it truly is “bare walls and nothing else.”
Half an hour later, the two arrived at the largest mall nearby.
As expected, just like when they used to live together and went shopping every time, although there was a shopping list, the things not on the list were bought more and more.
For daily necessities, a man who uses two-in-one shampoo and body wash cannot distinguish among that pile of various effects, targeted at various parts of the body, cleaning and care products.
Xue Ling looked for a while at the skincare counter, then turned back to ask Wen Jiuzhe: “Are skincare products useful for us defrosters?”
The rough man who had never used skincare products told her: “If injured, you can inject specialized repair solution, it will heal quickly.”
Xue Ling: “Is the repair solution effective for other skin problems too?”
Or rather, would she even still have skin problems now?
Wen Jiuzhe tapped the counter and transferred this question, which was outside his knowledge scope, to the mall staff: “Are the skincare products here useful for defrosters?”
The young sales assistant seemed to only then notice their red eyes, stiffly smiled a little nervously: “Sorry, perhaps these are more suitable for normal skin types, we don’t have skincare products specifically for defrosters……”
Although there are always news reports about defrosters, and it sounds like there are quite a lot, compared with the vast population base, they are extremely rare.
In daily life, aside from related workers, ordinary people rarely have the chance to come into contact with them.
At least this sales assistant had worked here for three years and had never seen a defroster come to buy skincare products.
“However, this entire wash and care set sells very well, and over here too, both are highly recommended, the fragrance is very fresh.”
“Are there any recommendations for men’s wash and care products?”
“……”
After leaving this area, Xue Ling pushed the empty cart and sighed: “Feels like it’s much more economical now than before, a lot of skincare products aren’t necessary to buy anymore.”
They walked past the food section, Xue Ling’s gaze lingered on the various foods, her steps unconsciously stopped, longing almost about to flow out from her eyes.
Wen Jiuzhe followed behind carrying two large baskets full of daily necessities, feeling that the way she stared at the snacks was far more fervent than the way she looked at him.
“If you want to eat, just take it.”
“No, we don’t need to eat now. Didn’t you say, just supplement with vitamin medication regularly. We can’t digest normal food even if we eat it, we can only throw it up.”
Although she said that, standing in the food section she simply couldn’t move her feet.
“Right now I already feel it’s very good, unlike before when I felt hungry every moment, now it’s just that my mouth is a bit craving.”
Very orderly, trying to persuade herself, but the look she unconsciously gave Wen Jiuzhe——when someone confessed to her downstairs of the dormitory and she wanted to ask someone for help, it was this kind of look.
Wen Jiuzhe picked up snacks from the shelf and threw them into her cart.
“Alright alright, not so many, it’s too wasteful of food, I’ll just taste a little bit…… that candy too.”
She pushed half a cart of snacks, feeling her steps become light.
Passing by the beverage section, she stopped again, turned back and asked eagerly: “Wen Jiuzhe, can we drink beverages?”
Wen Jiuzhe didn’t answer, directly took beverages and threw them into the cart.
They stored the two carts and several large baskets of items, then went to buy clothes.
This time when Wen Jiuzhe picked up clothes hanging and threw them into the shopping basket, he was stopped by Xue Ling.
She took out that purple gradient dress and hung it back: “Too ugly, I won’t wear it.”
Some old matters about Wen Jiuzhe’s terrible matching and dogshit fashion sense resurfaced.
“You can pick clothes for me, but I can’t pick for you?” Wen Jiuzhe held a pink bodycon skirt and a goose-yellow women’s shirt, expressing dissatisfaction.
Xue Ling didn’t dare look more than once at the eye-burning outfit in his hands: “Think it through, you can only choose one outfit for me.”
Wen Jiuzhe hung the clothes in his hands back and came back with a high-saturation visual-pollution dress.
Xue Ling: I said you can choose, but I didn’t say I would wear it.
“Wen Jiuzhe, thank you for not preparing clothes for me in advance, really thank you.”
“I thought about buying for you in advance, was afraid you’d wake up too late, the trendy clothes would all be out of season.”
Xue Ling: With your taste, even trendy zombies would get rheumatism, and you’re worried about out of season?
Wake up, the clothes you pick, even in another hundred years would still be too avant-garde!
After buying clothes for the two of them, Wen Jiuzhe looked at the time: “Almost time, we should go back.”
Xue Ling pointed at the mall on the other side: “That side seems to sell furniture, since we’re already here, the house is empty, let’s conveniently go buy some furniture.”
“Come again tomorrow.” Wen Jiuzhe dragged her to leave.
Xue Ling: “We need to buy a new bed, one that’s more comfortable to lie on. And buy a bigger sofa, the one at home now is too small, you can’t even turn over, what do you think?”
That old sofa was indeed too narrow, once he moved Xue Ling worried about falling off.
Two sentences from Xue Ling successfully dragged Wen Jiuzhe into the home furnishing mall next door.
Once here, everything was no longer up to Wen Jiuzhe.
“The lights at home aren’t several of them broken, you don’t fix them, let’s buy this new lighting fixture, this one looks nice.”
“Didn’t you say buy a new bed?”
“We’ll talk about that later, let’s first look at this balcony chair, it’s really comfortable to sit on.”
“……”
“Wow this floor lamp is really nice.”
“……”
After wandering around for a few more hours, finally finishing the purchase arrangements and scheduling delivery, when they walked out of the home furnishing mall entrance, Wen Jiuzhe crossed his arms: “Now we should go back, right?”
Xue Ling looked at him and said: “Since we’re already out, where do we collect that ‘Heart of History’ medal, can we conveniently go collect it now?”
Wen Jiuzhe smiled without smiling: “‘Conveniently’ collect it?”
“Quick, you take me there, otherwise I’ll check the route myself and go by myself!” Xue Ling shook the newly bought communicator in her hand.
Medals and the like are all collected at the A District Administration Bureau, there is a specialized institution responsible for issuing these certificates and medals, as well as some preferential conditions and welfare distributions, all handled by them.
The General Administration Bureau is very large, and it manages many matters. As soon as Xue Ling followed Wen Jiuzhe into the lobby, she felt quite a few uniformed staff members look over.
They all seemed to know Wen Jiuzhe, and were very attentive to him, wanting to look yet not daring to look too much, secretly glancing.
Xue Ling remembered that the people she met after waking up all had this attitude toward Wen Jiuzhe, and quietly asked him: “Why do so many people know you, are we very famous in history?”
“Don’t misunderstand.” Wen Jiuzhe turned a blind eye to those unusual gazes, “The historical records about us only include a simple mission record left by Beizheng Base, we don’t have fame. They all know me only because after I woke up I kept causing trouble.”
Xue Ling: “……”
Lower your voice, is that something glorious?
Why can you say causing trouble so lightly and confidently.
“Wen Jiuzhe, you wouldn’t have been taken into the police station because of causing trouble, right?” Xue Ling tugged at Wen Jiuzhe’s clothes and asked in a low voice.
“I helped the Security Bureau catch criminals who were causing trouble.” Wen Jiuzhe hooked her by the neck, familiarly leading her into an office.
As soon as he entered the office he went to open a cabinet, took out a tea cake, fetched cups, brewed tea, more familiar than at his own home.
Smoothly finishing the process, he placed the teacup in front of Xue Ling, then sat down on the reception sofa in the office, and introduced to the elderly man sitting behind the desk: “She is Xue Ling, here to receive the medal.”
Xue Ling: “……” If there weren’t someone still sitting behind the desk, I would really have thought this was your office, Wen Jiuzhe.
The owner of the office looked distressed: “……That is my tea, not fungus, how can you brew it like that!”
Wen Jiuzhe: “What do you know, this is the ancient method of brewing tea, we ancients brewed it this way.”
The elderly man seemed slightly shaken by this sentence.
Xue Ling: “Wen Jiuzhe don’t spread rumors! We didn’t brew tea like this!”
It could be seen that Wen Jiuzhe was truly very familiar with this place.
“Haha, of course, Mr. Wen is the person who has received the most medals in the past ten years, we are all very familiar with him. You must be the Ms. Xue Ling he has been looking for all along?” The smiling elderly man proactively came over to shake hands with Xue Ling.
Being addressed as “you” with honorific by an elderly man was truly embarrassing, Xue Ling hurriedly stood up: “Sorry to trouble you, and there’s no need for honorifics.”
“Not trouble at all, being able to personally witness history of the past appear alive before my eyes is also my honor, I am very happy to present the honorary medal to you.”
“If you are willing, we can arrange a small ceremony……”
“No need, no need, for me this is only a commemoration, simple is fine.” Xue Ling hurriedly stopped him.
The elderly man laughed: “You and Mr. Wen truly are a pair, he also refuses the ceremony every time, takes the medal and leaves, saving us a lot of event funds.”
So ruining his tea, he endured it.
“Originally, the Heart of History medals all require a production period. Generally, once a defroster’s information is uploaded into the database and we receive notification here, after verifying identity we will begin production.”
“But yours was made long ago, it has been stored in the warehouse, now it can be directly handed to you.”
Xue Ling glanced at Wen Jiuzhe sitting on the sofa, guessing it was another request he made back then.
“All Heart of History medals are made from meteorites left behind during the Great Catastrophe. This piece and Mr. Wen’s piece come from the same meteorite.”
“You are the forty-fifth person to receive the Heart of History medal. Thank you for your contributions in the past, and we also hope that in the present and the future you can live happily and blissfully.”
The old man spoke sincerely and solemnly.
Xue Ling’s eyes felt a little warm, she smiled and said: “Thank you, I will.”
“Don’t rush to be moved, he says that to everyone.” Wen Jiuzhe interjected, “Last time when I came to receive the City Defender medal, he also said this, even remembered the words wrong, said half and then flipped open his notebook to say it again.”
The other two present: “……”
“You’re already this old, and your memory is this poor, why aren’t you retired yet?” Wen Jiuzhe asked.
Xue Ling rushed over to cover Wen Jiuzhe’s mouth, dragging him up: “We’ll take our leave for today, thank you.”
After leaving the Administration Bureau gate, Wen Jiuzhe said: “Say it, where else do you want to ‘conveniently’ go? Go sweep Wen Yi’s grave or want to see her diary?”
Xue Ling looked at him, in her red eyes carrying a smile, and said: “Since we’re already here, then let’s conveniently go get a certificate as well.”
