Tonight’s moon was exceptionally bright.

Ironically, while the human world grew worse day by day, nature’s scenery became increasingly beautiful. No smog, no polluted water or waste gas—every day brought blue skies, white clouds, bright moons and brilliant stars.

Bai Youwei closed her eyes then opened them, opened them then closed them. Scenes from today floated through her mind, preventing peaceful sleep.

“Aren’t you sleeping?” she asked Shen Mo in a small voice.

“After you fall asleep, I’ll sleep,” Shen Mo said flatly.

He wasn’t tired yet, and besides, two people lying side by side was truly awkward. After all, they’d only met for the first time today.

Bai Youwei said: “If you wait for me to sleep, it’ll be too late.”

Shen Mo didn’t mind. “During training, I only slept 4 hours a day. That’s enough.”

Bai Youwei thought about it and had to admit this man’s stamina was truly formidable. In the game, he’d carried her running for three rounds, only breaking a sweat without even panting once.

She closed her eyes again, still unable to sleep. After lying a while, she propped herself up on one elbow, saying: “I’ll look at the map with you.”

Shen Mo shared half the map with her.

A soft warmth suddenly pressed against his right arm. He paused.

“How do I look at it?” Bai Youwei asked, stretching her head over.

Her lower body was weak—when sitting, she needed to lean against something, rest against something. Asking her to sit ramrod straight was difficult.

Shen Mo’s slightly tensed arm quickly relaxed. Using his finger, he taught her to read the map.

Since smartphone satellite maps became widespread, few people could read paper maps anymore. Usually they were only bought during travels as souvenirs.

“This is the Shanghai-Shaanxi Expressway. We’re currently approximately at this location… Starting from this position, the latter half has dolls, so tomorrow we’ll switch to the Shanghai-Chengdu Expressway, led by the people who scouted today, going from Zhenjiang in a detour to Yangzhou…”

Bai Youwei looked at the densely packed routes and place names tiny as mosquitoes, starting to feel dizzy.

Forcing herself to listen a while, her attention drifted increasingly.

Her gaze unconsciously shifted to the man’s fingers.

Shen Mo had a pair of very beautiful hands.

Long fingers, distinct knuckles—from his solid forearms to his fingertips, the lines were smooth and powerful. Every faintly protruding tendon surged with strength. They were the type she most envied.

Her gaze followed his hand upward. She saw his collarbone, saw his Adam’s apple… Black bangs cast hazy shadows over his eyes, only his nose bridge’s contours high and clear. He quietly recited unfamiliar place names, his extremely low voice making Bai Youwei involuntarily think of the cello in her father’s collection.

Now the “cello” looked over, asking in a low voice: “What is it?”

“I’m tired.” She lay down, pulling the plush rabbit as a pillow, going to sleep.

Shen Mo: “…”

After a silent moment, he put away the map and asked: “Are you cold?”

Bai Youwei seemed to have already fallen deeply asleep, not responding.

Shen Mo watched her quietly. After a moment, he stood and walked out.

After he left, Bai Youwei opened her eyes.

Her gaze was calm as still water.

Late at night, a man and woman alone—this was no big deal, but it couldn’t stop people from overthinking. Think too much and the heart grows chaotic. Once chaotic, things often spiral out of control.

Bai Youwei had also dreamed girlish dreams of heroes rescuing princesses, but that was before her legs became paralyzed.

After paralysis, living with dignity became life’s top priority. Far more important than love.

Besides, this couldn’t even be called love. Just coincidentally encountering danger, coincidentally having a man nearby, coincidentally him treating her decently.

She’d heard that men and women who experience life and death together easily develop attraction—whether true or false didn’t matter. Anyway… once they reached Yangzhou, everything would end.

She closed her eyes, forcing herself to fall asleep quickly.

Footsteps came from the doorway—both slow and chaotic, more than one person.

Bai Youwei turned her head to look, seeing three slovenly young men walking toward her.

Precisely the ones who’d gone out scouting.