Reborn One Week Before the Apocalypse

Chapter 49: Chapter 43: Seeing Professor Tian Again

”Wenqing!” Tang Mo’s voice was filled with a rare fury.

When Wenqing had shut her out before, she hadn’t thought much of it, let alone gotten angry.

But now, with Professor Tian on the verge of death, the fact that Wenqing was hoarding so much medicine and simply refusing to help instantly ignited Tang Mo’s fury.

Wenqing could ignore other people, but Professor Tian was different. He was a man to whom she owed a great debt of gratitude.

Back then, Wenqing had begged Professor Tian for the chance to work in his lab.

In the lab, Professor Tian had taken great care of her, thinking it must be difficult for a young woman who seemed so fragile to be on her own.

Even after Wenqing revealed she had a Space, Professor Tian never asked her for handouts. On the contrary, he warned all the senior researchers in the lab not to contact her privately to ask for supplies.

’How could she be so heartless toward an elderly man who had shown her such kindness!’

Sensing Tang Mo’s intense emotional turmoil, Qin Ling stepped to her side and took her hand.

”Here, I’ll contact someone to send over some medicine right now.” Qin Ling tried to find a solution. He could tell this Professor Tian was very important to Tang Mo.

”It’s fine, I have medicine. I just feel... Never mind.”

Tang Mo slung her backpack off, reached inside, and pulled some cold medicine and anti-inflammatories from her Space.

She also took out two bottles of mineral water, some blocks of instant noodles, and crackers, handing them to Tian Shishi.

”Here’s the medicine, and some food. Give some to Professor Tian, and you and Teacher Tian can share the rest.” By Teacher Tian, she of course meant Tian Zhen.

”Okay... thank you.” Tian Shishi hesitated, biting her lip. She didn’t ask any questions, simply lowering her head as she accepted the items.

Though her expression was placid, the trembling of her hands as she took the supplies revealed she was anything but calm.

’Father can be saved!’

Tian Shishi was only a twenty-year-old girl, after all. The weight of the past few days had been suffocating her, and she hadn’t even dared to cry.

She was afraid that if she cried, if she let herself fall, she would never be able to get back up.

When Tian Zhen saw the supplies Tang Mo offered, his eyes reddened, and he dropped to his knees before her.

He knew what that food and medicine meant in these times, and just how precious they were.

”Tang Mo, we will never forget what you’ve done for our family. I don’t know how we can possibly repay you right now, but if there’s ever a day you need anything from us, we would lay down our lives for you!”

Tian Zhen’s vow was so solemn it startled Tang Mo.

She quickly helped him to his feet and offered a few words of comfort before the matter was settled.

’She was only doing this to repay a past kindness, not for any reward.’

With Professor Tian’s family in the warehouse, it became inconvenient for Tang Mo to use her Space.

Although her Space would be revealed sooner or later, the fog was clearing tomorrow and everyone would be going their separate ways. She didn’t want to create any needless complications.

Using her backpack for cover, she took out two small blankets.

She tossed one to Tian Shishi, telling her to place it under Professor Tian.

She folded the other one, and she and Qin Ling sat on it, huddling close together.

’I know we can get out tomorrow, so we can make do for now.’

’Besides...’

His arm was quite warm. Tang Mo hugged it tightly, feeling her own heart grow warm as well.

”Can you contact anyone from the Alliance’s research institutes? Professor Tian is studying the radical changes in the soil and animals of this famine era. He’s already made some progress, and there should be future breakthroughs in cultivation and meal replacements.”

Tang Mo didn’t know how arduous a journey Professor Tian had endured in her past life to get into a research institute and make his great contributions.

In this life, she wanted to make that path a little easier for him.

”Cultivation and meal replacements?” After hearing Tang Mo’s words, Qin Ling glanced at the books and instruments beside Professor Tian, and his eyes lit up.

Just because he was trapped here didn’t mean he was ignorant of the situation outside. His family was currently offering a fortune to find valuable and dedicated researchers.

Anyone could understand how valuable such research was in an age of famine.

”Don’t worry, leave it to me. I guarantee that the day the fog clears, their family of three will be taken directly to a base where they won’t have to worry about food or drink.”

If he pulled this off, it wouldn’t be him helping Tang Mo, but Tang Mo helping him.

He had been away for too long. Making a contribution like this to his family would give him some leverage when he returned.

Qin Ling activated his watch and immediately began contacting the relevant people.

He wasn’t surprised that Tang Mo assumed he had connections within the Alliance. He never said anything, and she never asked.

But it was as if they had this tacit understanding, as if it was only natural for Tang Mo to know.

That evening, Professor Tian’s family received their food ration from An Yang: a quarter of a steamed bun and a finger-sized sweet potato each.

’Looking at the size of the sweet potato, Tang Mo understood. Wenqing must be just barely hanging on; her Space was probably on the verge of being completely depleted.’

With others around, Tang Mo and Qin Ling couldn’t very well take out the snake meat to eat. They had to make do with crackers and mineral water.

Qin Ling pouted unhappily, so Tang Mo gave his head a placating pat.

Ever since they had gotten together, Qin Ling’s demeanor had grown softer, and he would often act clingy and affectionate with Tang Mo.

Tang Mo didn’t find it strange in the slightest. In fact, she was happy and enjoyed it.

She had a cool temperament and was so used to being alone that she had no idea how to act that way herself.

Qin Ling’s behavior gave her a warm feeling. She even began to imagine what it would be like to have a family, to spend a lifetime being so lovey-dovey... it was a happiness she couldn’t dare to fully picture.

Besides, she had seen in newspapers what Qin Ling had become in her past life.

Compared to that cold and ruthless Qin Ling, she much preferred for him to remain her boy, even if it was only for a fleeting moment in her presence, relaxing and being himself.

The night passed quickly. It was too cold and everyone had been hungry for too long, so they’d long since lost the energy to make a fuss.

A dead silence fell over them, as if no one living were there at all.

Tang Mo slept peacefully, her arms wrapped tightly around Qin Ling’s and her head resting on his shoulder.

The padded jacket they were sharing was draped mostly over Tang Mo. Qin Ling’s long legs were curled up against the cold, but a happy smile played on his lips.

The next morning, Qin Ling and Tang Mo were woken by a clamor of voices.

Qin Ling slowly opened his bleary eyes. His first instinct was to look at the person beside him. Seeing that Tang Mo was also awake, he leaned over and gently kissed her forehead.

”Sleep well?”

His voice, husky from sleep, was incredibly pleasant to the ear.

”What’s going on?” Tang Mo rubbed her eyes.

”From the sound of it, the fog has cleared.”

”Oh.”

Their calm demeanor was a stark contrast to the commotion outside.

Professor Tian’s family had already gone out, drawn by the news. They had tried to wake Qin Ling at six that morning, asking him to come discuss what to do now that the fog had cleared.

But Qin Ling had simply put a finger to his lips, shushing them, and gently shaken his head.

”Can we have wontons for breakfast? I want wontons.”

Qin Ling looked at Tang Mo with big, pleading puppy-dog eyes.

He knew she could never resist him when he was like this.

”Okay.”

Tang Mo agreed with a smile, reaching up with both hands to cup his handsome face.