Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 927: Chapter 171: I Have a Girlfriend

No idea where the shoes went, and neither are the pants.

By the edge of the creek, Song Ying only found her blouse—for now, she could only hastily put it on, still stumbling as she followed Luo Qiu’s pace.

Walking while carrying someone is a hassle, so not long after, Luo Qiu began to carry Gan Hong on his back.

Gan Hong had a strong will, holding on without fainting from pain, though she didn’t have the strength to speak, her face pale as paper.

The grass on the ground was quite sharp, and before long, Song Ying’s legs were covered in tiny cuts from the sharp grass—along with the sprained ankle from fighting the wild man, severely hindering her mobility.

But she didn’t utter a word along the way, didn’t cry out in pain…because she feared that stopping would delay Luo Qiu’s pace, putting Gan Hong in even greater danger.

She hadn’t had the chance to ask Luo Qiu how he survived, and he was holding a hunting rifle—the kind of person who, unless asked directly, would treat himself like a mute.

They walked for a while…it was probably only ten minutes, but to Song Ying, it felt like half a century.

Suddenly, Luo Qiu stopped, “Here we are, this is it.”

Song Ying and Gan Hong were stunned and looked ahead. As Luo Qiu continued forward a few steps, they saw a house appear before them.

Made mostly of wood, situated on flat ground. The surroundings had been cleared to create an open area enclosed by a fence, but it was overgrown with weeds, as if no one had lived here for a long time.

Luo Qiu carried Gan Hong inside first—after opening the door, he found the cabin even more rudimentary than expected.

The place didn’t have electricity, using firewood for lighting.

In the center of the cabin’s floor was a pit with a blazing fire. Above it, an old iron pot emitted steam, cooking something.

Luo Qiu laid Gan Hong down, spreading some dry grass on the ground. Then, he found some branches and wooden boards, using ropes found in the cabin to secure Gan Hong’s spine.

“A simple temporary fix,” Luo Qiu said softly to Gan Hong.

Gan Hong blinked, signaling she understood—it was clear the conditions were basic, yet stabilizing her spine was already fortunate.

“Don’t just stand there, come near the fire.” Luo Qiu turned to Song Ying, “Even though it’s warm, it’s damp, best to dry off or you’ll catch a cold.”

Song Ying nodded instinctively—she suddenly realized something.

She wasn’t wearing pants, and her blouse was actually quite short, so she awkwardly tugged at her shirt, trying to pull it down to her thighs.

It still felt inadequate… Song Ying gritted her teeth, but noticed Luo Qiu wasn’t looking at her, instead uncovering the pot’s lid.

Inside was boiled water, which Luo Qiu now began to pour out. The container resembled a clay pot, likely found in the wooden cabin.

“Use the warm water to clean the wounds.” Luo Qiu moved a pottery jar of hot water to Song Ying, pointing to the cuts on her legs.

“Th…thank you.” Song Ying struggled to say the words.

“Thank me for what?” Luo Qiu smiled slightly.

Song Ying bit her lip, struggling to say more, “Thank you… for saving us.”

Luo Qiu replied, “If it were me, would you save me?”

“We…we would.” Gan Hong’s weak voice came from behind.

Luo Qiu glanced back, then looked at Song Ying, who this time simply nodded instead of answering.

Luo Qiu concluded, “Then there’s no need to thank me.”

Song Ying sighed, admitting—Luo Qiu was the hardest type to deal with. The Song Family had a rough background, and most people Song Ying grew up around were brutish.

Though Song Haoran was polite and gentle, he was different from Luo Qiu…comparatively, Song Haoran was more of a rogue, albeit with an elegant demeanor, possibly described as debonair.

Can’t think about it… Song Ying sighed inwardly, then glanced around the cabin, opting to change topics directly, “Anyway, what’s up? This cabin… and your hunting rifle?”

Luo Qiu blinked and said, “Me? Seems like I got lucky, got caught by branches when I fell, didn’t get hurt. Though coming down did take some effort.”

“Quite a survivor…” Song Ying frowned, thinking Luo Qiu likely got thrown out of the car when it went over the cliff, landing elsewhere.

Though… this would mean he didn’t fall far from where she and Gan Hong were…the damned fog came at just the right time.

“As for the cabin, I stumbled upon it.” Luo Qiu surveyed the surroundings, “Seems it was already here, convenient, so I decided to use it temporarily.”

Song Ying didn’t detect anything amiss in his words…but felt something was off.

“This cabin was probably a Hunter’s residence?” Luo Qiu guessed, “There’s hunting gear here, and a hunting rifle looks usable. Earlier, I heard strange noises outside, took it along… what did you guys encounter? What I saw seemed pretty big, was it a bear?”

“You didn’t know what it was and still fired?” Song Ying was taken aback.

Luo Qiu curiously replied, “Shouldn’t I have fired?”

“This…” Song Ying shook her head, “Never mind. But I don’t think you’d want to know what it was…you probably wouldn’t believe if I told you.”

Luo Qiu chuckled, “Given the existence of zombies, and a Flying Sword-wielding Mr. Blind, I think I’d accept it.”

Song Ying said, “It’s a wild man, with long hair, carrying a big club, incredibly strong!”

“I see…” Luo Qiu nodded, then fell silent, a while later, Gan Hong’s eyes suddenly closed.

Song Ying nervously crawled to Gan Hong’s side, her hand trembling as she checked Gan Hong’s breathing.

“Forcing it is worse than passing out temporarily; at least it’s relaxing for the brain.” Luo Qiu softly said beside her, holding a cloth soaked in warm water.

“Let me do it.” Song Ying abruptly took the wet cloth from Luo Qiu’s hand, carefully wiping Gan Hong’s cheeks.

“Hungry? I made some food.” Luo Qiu suddenly said.

“Food?” Song Ying was stunned and instinctively looked towards Luo Qiu.

Actually, the house still had a place similar to a kitchen. The central fire pit was probably used for heating and boiling water… Luo Qiu was now in front of a stove.

The fire inside the stove hadn’t gone out, and when the lid of the big pot was lifted, a rich aroma could be smelled.

Not long after, Luo Qiu used a wooden bowl to scoop some of the food from the pot and brought it to Song Ying. She glanced at it; it seemed to be something like stewed cabbage or borscht.

Song Ying couldn’t help but frown, oddly saying, “This place seems like it hasn’t been lived in for at least ten years… Where did you get the food?”

“Outside, there are some wild vegetables, edible ones.” Luo Qiu replied indifferently, “As for the seasoning, I found some sugar and salt inside the house… What’s wrong? Is there a problem? I certainly can’t run to the market to buy things and then come back here, right?”

That’s true…

Song Ying was really unable to resist her hunger, so she reluctantly picked up the bowl of mixed stew and took a small sip, then began to gobble it down—almost burning her tongue in the process.

It must be because she was so hungry that leftovers from the day before could taste so good… So it’s definitely not because this tastes good… Why is it so delicious?

But, in this wild mountainous area, could there really be so many edible wild vegetables? What’s with the corn kernels in this? And the onions…

Watching Luo Qiu go to the stove again to scoop another bowl, Song Ying actually admired this guy’s ability somewhat, “You seem quite skilled in wilderness survival techniques? Aren’t you afraid of picking poisonous mushrooms?”

Luo Qiu said calmly, “When I was little, there was a summer vacation when I went to a two-person summer camp with my dad, learned some skills there.”

“A two-person summer camp?” Song Ying was startled.

Luo Qiu said, “I don’t remember the details too clearly, I was quite young at the time. It was probably because a friend of my father invited him to do something; it seemed to be a unit stationed in a big forest. Then my father brought me along instead of leaving me alone for the summer. Well… it was quite an interesting experience. Speaking of which, I remember meeting a lost little girl, not sure what happened to her later.”

“This plot seems familiar…” Song Ying looked at Luo Qiu strangely and suddenly teased, “Then the little girl kept you in her heart ever since, never forgetting over the years, no matter how excellent the man, he couldn’t replace you. Then one day, she finally met the little boy from back then and began a fierce pursuit or something?”

“Do you like reading comics.” Luo Qiu suddenly asked.

Song Ying pouted and snorted coldly, “None of your business!”

“Still want more?” Luo Qiu smiled.

So Song Ying reluctantly pushed out the second empty wooden bowl.

Luo Qiu took it directly and then said, “In a while, feed Gan Hong a bit too, replenishing some strength would actually be good.”

“Got it.” Song Ying nodded.

Actually, apart from his annoying poker face, this guy is really not bad in other aspects… at least, he’s not particularly lecherous.

…

After feeding Gan Hong some food, she seemed to look a bit better, but maybe it was just an illusion, as she still hadn’t woken up.

Song Ying was mentally and physically exhausted, sitting with her knees near the fire pit, her clothes had long since dried. She rested her head on her knees, silently watching Gan Hong.

This state had already been for a while.

Outside, the thick white fog had dissipated quite a bit, leaving only a thin layer, barely allowing distant vision.

Outside the house, sounds of chopping wood could be heard—Luo Qiu mentioned planning to make a fire outside the house, generating thick smoke; if rescue arrives, they should see the smoke and come, which was quite a good idea… as to why there’s firewood in an abandoned cabin for years, Song Ying had no thoughts about it.

Not long after, Luo Qiu came in, “The fire is lit, we’ll just wait.”

“Mm.” Song Ying responded casually.

Luo Qiu brought some boiled water in a wooden cup, “Want some?”

“Mm.” Song Ying accepted it, but only held it in her hands without drinking, yet suddenly she asked, “You… really have no plans to stay long in the Song family?”

Luo Qiu asked back, “Aside from ‘Old Master Song’s legacy, isn’t your own wish for me to leave sooner?”

Song Ying was momentarily speechless… indeed, her attitude had always been lukewarm, even slightly antagonistic. But once she personally confirmed that Luo Qiu indeed had Song family’s bloodline, things became somewhat subtle.

The Song family education was strict, especially in family affection teachings. Unfortunately, Song Ying didn’t have any peers, being the sole member of her generation.

Suddenly…

“Do you know why last night I suddenly pulled you out for a street race?” Song Ying asked Luo Qiu.

“What you said in the car, I guess.” Luo Qiu thought for a while, “You suddenly wanted to keep me… why? Just for your grandfather, you’d even accept someone you disliked?”

“Don’t dislike you… actually.” Song Ying didn’t look at Luo Qiu this time, “Although not fond, it feels acceptable… don’t think too much! I just thought, if the Song family could have one more person now, at least it would be a good thing. People tend to be quite selfish, preferring to share things with family rather than outsiders. Grandpa always hoped the Song family could flourish.”

“I don’t need those things.” Luo Qiu shook his head, “Leaving or not actually wouldn’t affect my relationship with the Song family. Since these blood ties exist, whether I live here or not, what’s the difference? Historically, brothers would separate, creating their own families, no need to live together, right?”

“So you’re really not planning to stay, right?” Song Ying suddenly asked.

Luo Qiu nodded very directly.

Song Ying gritted her teeth, suddenly saying, “What if grandpa insists on marrying me to you?”

Luo Qiu opened his mouth… does Old Master Song really intend this? And seems to have already discussed this with Song Ying? Thinking back, Song Ying abruptly pulling him out for a race last night seems to have clues.

Moreover, what she said in the car seemed to have a lingering meaning… could it be about this?

“I have a girlfriend.”