The Chef Rules the Last Days
Chapter 186 - 184: Setting Sail

Chapter 186: Chapter 184: Setting Sail

She held his hand and came to the counter where meals were served, using her personal name to request another bowl of dough drop soup.

She was led by the boy to a small corner on the first floor, an area partitioned off by some fishing nets.

Su Mo handed the bowl to the boy, who cherished the soup as he crawled into the netting area, and rustling sounds emerged from within.

"Grandma,"

"Yangyang, where did you get the food from? Did you steal it?" The elderly woman’s voice inside sounded somewhat panicked.

The boy kept explaining, and just in time, Su Mo spoke up, "I gave it to him."

She squatted in front of the curtain; the space inside was very small, so she didn’t enter.

The woman turned around, saw Su Mo, and knowing it was another adult who had come from City B, she quickly handed the bowl back, "Miss, my grandson doesn’t know any better, don’t..."

Before she could finish saying "mind," Su Mo pushed the bowl back, "I said it’s for you."

The woman in front of her had hollow cheeks, covered only by a tattered quilt, her complexion truly unsightly.

"Grandma, please eat a little," the boy pleaded through tears.

"Then...thank you," the elderly woman shakily sat up, yet handed the bowl to her grandson, "Grandma’s not hungry, our Yangyang must be hungry, you eat."

"Sister already fed me, you eat, Grandma," as if afraid she wouldn’t believe him, the boy lifted his shirt to show skin over his ribs that was so thin it made his stomach appear abnormally swollen.

Only then did the woman believe him and began to eat the dough drop soup in small sips.

Su Mo actually couldn’t bear to see a child starve like this, but she didn’t have the power to change anything.

She stepped back a few paces and stood up; the boy also crawled out following her closely. He came in front of Su Mo, his eyes red, "Sister, could I ask for your help again?"

Su Mo patted his head, "If it’s within my power, I’ll help you."

"Could you, please... protect Grandpa as much as you can?" The boy clutched the corner of his clothes tightly; the sweat in his palm was almost soaking that piece of fabric. This was something he had worked up the courage to say after observing her for a long time.

As if afraid Su Mo would disagree, his voice took on a pleading tone, "I only have Grandpa and Grandma left."

Su Mo sighed, crouched down, and pinched his cheek, "I don’t know what will happen, but I’ll do my best."

"That’s enough, that’s enough," the boy gratefully tried to kneel to her. Having survived the apocalypse for quite a while, he had already understood a set of survival rules belonging uniquely to the weak: to obey commands and to be grateful.

Su Mo half-hugged him, feeling a bit saddened. She led the boy out of the building and sat down on the open space by the iron fence. Opposite to them was the sea blending into the night sky, adorned with twinkling stars.

She looked up and said softly, "After the apocalypse, it’s only the sky that has become more and more beautiful."

The boy sat beside her, also looking up at the starry sky, and unwittingly tears fell, "Sister, the uncle who went to Southern Island, he’s never come back."

Su Mo turned to look at him and smiled slightly, "Maybe we’re the exception, huh?"

She gently wiped away his tears, "Even if you don’t have Grandpa and Grandma, try to keep living, make the effort to survive."

The boy turned his head to look at her and sniffled, "I’ll try my best."

Su Mo couldn’t help but laugh; those were her words he was echoing. She ruffled his head.

Su Mo felt the cool sea breeze, and the small figure next to her, dressed too thinly, shivered slightly. She took out a sleeping bag from her System Bag and tossed it to him, "Go back, consider this a meeting gift."

The boy looked at the sleeping bag in his hands, then kissed her on the face earnestly and said, "Sister, my name is Yang Yichu. If I manage to survive in the future, I will definitely come to find you."

He finished speaking and ran off, leaving Su Mo startled. The warm kiss from the child’s face made her smile.

Lu Chen stood by the conference room window, watching the small figure downstairs until he saw that little brat kiss his woman’s face, which darkened his expression as he strode outside.

When Yang Yichu, carrying a sleeping bag, walked past Lu Chen, the man’s somber gaze startled him into carefully avoiding any contact and hurried into the netting-crafted Space.

Su Mo, transfixed by the starry sky, suddenly found herself lifted by her legs from behind and hoisted up.

Feeling that familiar breath, she panicked for a moment before becoming still.

Sitting cross-legged, Lu Chen pulled her into his arms, his voice tinged with sourness, "What were you just doing?"

She rubbed the back of her head against his chest, certain that he had seen the child kiss her, "Don’t you think the night sky is especially beautiful tonight?"

Discontentedly wiping her face, Lu Chen finally looked up at the starry sky exposing the Milky Way, "Tomorrow will be good weather."

The star-filled night sky reflected in both of their eyes.

Su Mo took one of his hands into her own, their fingers intertwining, as the two red bean bracelets clashed together, "We have to come back alive."

"We will," the man tightened his grip on her hand.

Su Mo quietly leaned into his embrace, wishing this brief moment could last a lifetime.

Deep into the night, the couple returned to their arranged room, which was specially reserved for leaders, albeit simply consisting of two wire beds pushed together, it was still quite nice.

Jianxiong was already snoring thunderously in the next room.

The two cleaned up briefly before falling asleep in each other’s arms.

They had to get up at dawn, as they were to set off early.

Due to the good weather today, everyone hoped the ship could sail farther.

After securing all the equipment, all the cars they had driven, except for Lu Chen’s which he took back, were parked outside the building, merging with other vehicles.

Counting roughly, Su Mo noted the countless number of people headed to Southern Island on what seemed like a doomed expedition.

Before they set off, Yang Yichu hid behind the building, taking one last look at his grandfather and Su Mo, then, with tears in his eyes, he ran back.

Everyone gathered on the beach, their gear loaded onto the sailing boat. The superpower users might not understand sailing, but these soldiers with rich combat experience knew the procedures.

Under Yang Jianguo’s command, they hoisted the sails, and the anchor was slowly removed from the sea.

It was Su Mo’s first time sailing far, and she leaned on the railing, looking at the dark waters below with a mix of feelings.

Standing at the bow, Yang Jianguo held a compass and shouted loudly, "Weigh anchor! Set sail!"

The anchor was retracted and the sails were hoisted proudly like wings. Yang Jianguo steered the helm as the wind slowly carried the ship away from the beach, stirring up waves.

Su Mo’s entire body swayed in rhythm with the movement of the sea, clenching the railing as the rising and falling sensation made her heart flutter like a rollercoaster.

The initial feeling was manageable, but as the waves grew larger, her stomach began to churn tumultuously.

Lu Chen walked over to her and supported her, "Feeling seasick?"

Looking unwell, Su Mo nodded her head, "It’s my first time, feeling a bit queasy."