Chapter 137: Yuan Yi’s smile
When Zhang Xiao Qiang spat out the mouth of blood, his chest felt numb. The feeling wasn’t pain, and he knew it was a serious injury. After a while, the pain would definitely hit him. He tried to stand, but the moment he moved, the dull feeling in his chest prevented him from doing so. He muttered: “I’m finished…”
He could not move and gritted his teeth. Since he couldn’t walk, he wouldn’t walk. He crawled towards the exit. His palms came down on the grain-covered ground, and dragged himself, as his legs pushed from behind him.
He couldn’t even care about what’s going on with the D2 any longer. His eyes stared at the door, from time to time, a sack would fly over his head. The dislodged sacks from above him would crash down, some behind him, some in front, but it was like he had lost all feeling. He did not even bother to look up.
He just continued to crawl forwards, his eyes fixed at the granary door. As long as he had a breath left, he would crawl out. He didn’t even know why he bothered. There were no other thoughts in his mind, nor any emotion. He just knew if he wanted to live, he had to crawl out first. As to what happens then? Why think so far ahead?
He was covered in bruises and scratches, and dirt and earth. As he crawled out the door, he lifted his head and saw the countless bodies, shattered glass and the blackened parts of the exploded vehicles. He caught sight of the huge gate about 50m away, and his pupils narrowed in resolution. That was the next goal. As long as he was not dead yet, as long as he had a breath left, he would crawl out. If he could see Yang Ke’er once more, or Yuan Yi, or even the blue skies outside of this damned place, it would be all good.
He crawled past the various bodies and their twisted shapes, his palms bleeding from the shattered glass on the ground. He crawled past a black part of a vehicle, and he continued to crawl silently. He did not know how much time had passed, his blood continued to flow from his palm, his body leaving a trail on the ground with bloody handprints.
An enraged howl sounded from the granary, and soon, a towering frame walked out the door. It lifted its head to sniff, and without hesitation, it walked towards Zhang Xiao Qiang. Its footsteps caused the ground to tremble, and the main characters of this chase had returned to their original starting point. Except that, this time, Zhang Xiao Qiang was already out of energy to fight against the D2. As for the D2, it was almost fine, save for the bleeding eye.
He could feel the tremors beneath his body and did not respond. He just stared fixedly at the gate in front of him, crawling slowly towards there. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a silhouette. It was Chen Yi, who was clutching his chest while laying beside a Land Rover. He was frothing at the mouth, blood flowing from his lips, and his gaze towards Zhang Xiao Qiang was full of hope. Until he turned to see the D2 behind Zhang Xiao Qiang, and the hope turned to despair. He looked at Zhang Xiao Qiang and smiled bitterly. Everyone was the same now, they were about to become the D2’s meal.
Zhang Xiao Qiang’s eyes swept past Chen Yi, and he continued to stare at the gate, his limbs dragging himself towards there. He did not know why he was trying so hard for. Maybe it was just to see the world outside once more. Other than the gate, there was nothing else on his mind. He would keep crawling until he was torn apart by the D2.
The heavy footsteps got closer and closer. It was the impending arrival of the Grim Reaper. The D2 was the messenger of Death sent by the Grim Reaper. Zhang Xiao Qiang crawled past the corpse of the S2 that had its head decapitated by him, and saw that there was still half of the distance left to the gate. He decided to increase his speed.
A bright red dump truck burst through the large gates, horning wildly like some beast. Through the windshield, Yuan Yi could be seen behind the steering wheel, her eyes fixed on Zhang Xiao Qiang crawling on the ground. She had never seen him in such a pitiful state before, and the only things that could prove that it was him, was the old-fashioned satchel and military canteen by his waist. After the struggle with the D2, there was not a part of him that wasn’t untouched, and her tears flowed.
Seeing Zhang Xiao Qiang looking at her, Yuan Yi smiled sadly, this was her man. This was her man that had told her: “From now on, you’re my woman!”
Even if he was overbearing, and did not care about her thoughts, and was unreasonable.
Even if he was so hard to approach, and she had to exhaust all means to get close to him.
He could be so gentle and loving and would treasure her, allowing her to feel the happiness as a woman, and help her to regain her pride. This was her man, the first to enter her heart and allow her to escape while facing the D2 on his own. That terrifying existence that caused her to be frozen in fear, and was even scarier than a demon, he had faced it alone.
Seeing Zhang Xiao Qiang, she smiled, her tears flowed profusely. She didn’t want him to see her crying, it was too ugly. However, her tears would not stop flowing. Hence, she wanted to smile, she wanted Zhang Xiao Qiang to see her smile, and remember her for all his life. Even if she could not chase after him again, or look at his back, her smile would remain in his heart forever to accompany him.
Zhang Xiao Qiang caught sight of Yuan Yi, and he smiled as well. He had tried his best to crawl out, wasn’t it just to see her once more as well? Even though it was a pity he couldn’t see Yang Ke’er, but at least there was Yuan Yi.
That prideful girl, who could be so frail and beautiful, her courage that could burst out in moments of despair, and her cool and collected face that would watch him from behind.
This girl who had cried and asked if he minded that she was no longer clean, no longer a virgin, who had told him that she wouldn’t live without him.
He could feel a strong sense of warmth in his heart, it was the sort of safety and comfort that she had brought to him. It came strong this time, like the gushing waters of a hot spring, submerging his entire being. He felt his soul cleansed, as though there wasn’t a single speck of dirt or dust in his heart. He could truly die without regrets now.
Yuan Yi burned the image of Zhang Xiao Qiang deeply into her mind and stepped down on the pedal. The dump truck roared and surged forwards, brushing past Zhang Xiao Qiang and slamming into the D2.
Zhang Xiao Qiang opened his mouth in horror as he watched the dump truck smoking past him. He wanted to scream, but his throat wouldn’t make a sound, and his eyes followed the truck as it slammed into the D2.
“PENG…” The dump truck’s frame was as red as blood, and it slammed into the D2, causing it to tilt backward. Yuan Yi looked at the D2 on the other side of the windshield and gritted her teeth to drive the pedal further in. The D2 was sent backward by the dump truck, and it grabbed either side of the vehicle with its claws. However, it could not stabilize itself due to the frame, and it was forced backward again.
It roared out in madness, it was afraid, it could feel that this thing that had slammed into it had more strength than it.
“BENG…” The dump truck drove the D2 and slammed into the iron doors of the granary, driving it against the wall. Its huge tires continued to squeal from the friction of the ground, and the burning rubber caused smoke to rise. Yuan Yi sat in the driver’s seat and stared fixedly at the D2. There was no hint of her calmness, instead, her pearl-like eyes were bloodshot.
The D2 began to struggle wildly, its head slamming onto the windshield. Cracks appeared like a spiderweb, and the second time it did so, the glass started to shatter, spilling all over the driver compartment. The windshield slammed into Yuan Yi, causing her to spit a mouthful of blood all over the glass as well, while the shattered glass cut into her in various places. She didn’t even bother about her injuries, as she continued to step on the pedal until her breathing became hard, and her consciousness began to ebb away. She slumped onto the steering wheel, her feet still firmly stepping on the pedal.