The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 517: Mystery Machine

Chapter 517: Mystery Machine

The crowd of people surrounding the gates of Aran Base had grown restless. Cars idled, exhaust fumes filled the air, and a chorus of frustrated murmurs and muttered curses rippled through the line.

At first, the crowd looked at Xu Feng with puzzlement. His clothes were relatively clean compared to theirs, his posture calm, standing off to the side in ignorance of their irritation. Soon, the confusion that swept the crowd had turned to annoyance.

Zhang Wei and Li Hao, the two men Xu Feng had been traveling with, had unabashedly driven up to the gates, bypassing much of the line with little thought for the glares thrown their way. The pair had spent what felt like an eternity talking with the guards, trying to gain access, much to the growing frustration of those still stuck in line.

It almost felt like a fight might erupt at any moment, but for some reason, the crowd kept itself in check. It was as though, they were on their best behavior in order to gain access to Aran Base.

When Zhang Wei and Li Hao were finally let through, the gate swinging open just wide enough to admit their beat-up sedan, the people in line seethed. It was like pouring fuel on a smoldering fire, and now, the anger that had been brewing was looking for a new target.

And why not hate the one left behind?

But when they turned their attention to Xu Feng, he was gone. The spot in line where he had stood, seemingly out of place among the dirt-streaked faces and tired bodies and vehicles, was now empty. He had vanished from sight, slipping away in the commotion.

Xu Feng, however, hadn’t gone far.

He’d moved with ease, making his way toward the shorter, less crowded line. Now, he stood in the blind spot of the off-white van, shielded from the eyes of the crowd and the guards.

His mind raced as he glanced at the van’s back door, his fingers itching to knock. But should he?

He hesitated, unsure of his next move. Knocking on a stranger’s van door, even in normal times, would’ve felt odd, if not downright suspicious. But this was the apocalypse. People had changed—he’d seen it.

The desperation and fear that came with survival twisted people into something unpredictable. Who knew what kind of people might be inside?

Stranger danger had reached a whole new level for the van owner and for himself too.

Xu Feng sighed and looked up at the sky. It was approaching noon, but the sun hung low, its warmth barely cutting through the brisk air. Winter was coming, and it was going to be harsh. It was too cold already for this time of year.

He needed to move fast before the chill became unbearable and find his way back home. It would be lonely staying alone for an entire winter.

Before he could decide on a course of action, the window of the passenger door of the van wound open, and a small head poked out.

"Mom—" a young voice began, but a small hand quickly clamped over the boy’s mouth, yanking him back into the vehicle. The scene unfolded so fast that Xu Feng blinked, surprised. A moment later, another face appeared in the boy’s place, but this one was different.

Where the first child had a mischievous grin, the second had the serious expression of a little old man, eyes narrowed as if he were analyzing Xu Feng, weighing the pros and cons of his existence.

The second child had the same curly brown hair as the first, but his face was much sterner, like he was born to be in charge. He seemed like he had spent much time keeping the mischievous boy in check.

For a second, Xu Feng was frozen. His mind struggled to piece together what he was seeing—two small children, maybe no older than six or seven, poking their heads out of a van in a post-apocalyptic world.

He didn’t know them, but something about their faces felt familiar, as though he’d seen them before... no, he’d never seen them before yet, he felt like he knew both children. A strange sense of déjà vu crept over him.

The serious boy kept scrutinizing Xu Feng, the moment stretching on far longer than it should. Then, without a word, the boy turned back toward the interior of the van, nodding to someone unseen inside. After a pause, the boy looked back at Xu Feng and said, "The door is open."

Xu Feng’s eyes widened in surprise. The door is open?

He continued to stare at the serious little face, and in that moment, his mind wandered to a different thought altogether. ’What would our children look like?’

Would they take after him, with his calm... lazy tendencies, or would they resemble Xuan Jian, with a strong warrior’s aura? Maybe they’d have Xuan Yang’s scholar’s charm or the bright wisdom of his younger brother, Xu Zeng.

He could see them now—bright eyes, strong spirits, and full of life, no matter whose they took after, his children would be lovable in their own way.

A wide grin stretched across Xu Feng’s face, his heart swelling with warmth at the thought. He’d raise them well, love them fiercely, no matter who they took after. He could already picture their laughter, the sound of tiny footsteps running through the halls of their home.

But he had to be practical too. He had a lot to prepare for before his children could hatch. Diapers, formula, supplies—it was all on his growing mental checklist.

They wouldn’t be as big and healthy as the two boys in the van right away. There was still time, still many steps before they’d reach that stage. He’d need to gather everything he could now before—

"Are you not getting in?" the serious boy asked again, snapping Xu Feng out of his thoughts.

Xu Feng blinked, realizing he had been lost in the sauce, standing outside the van with no clear decision. Now, both boys were staring at him, identical looks of confusion on their cherubic faces. One looked more impatient than the other, but both seemed to be wondering why he was still standing there, stuck in indecision.

Without another thought, Xu Feng opened the door to the back of the van, but the moment he did, something felt off. A strange sensation washed over him, like walking through a veil of shadow. The interior of the van was dark, too dark, and for a moment, Xu Feng hesitated. Was it a trick of the light? A shadow cast by the van’s walls?

But the darkness wasn’t normal.

Whether it was normal or not didn’t matter—Xu Feng had no intention of waiting in that other line. It had already doubled in length since he’d arrived with Zhang Wei and Li Hao, and he wasn’t about to waste an entire day standing around. Patience had its limits.

The shorter line wasn’t growing as quickly, but neither line was moving at the pace Xu Feng had hoped. The sun wasn’t particularly hot, but even so, he didn’t want to wait outside, exposed to the elements longer than necessary.

Once inside the van with the door closed, Xu Feng realized that the back was isolated from the front where the two boys and their "mother" sat. For a brief moment, the van was engulfed in darkness, but it didn’t last. A door from the front cab swung open, and the darkness faded away, revealing its true nature—a screen.

With the screen shifted and the doorway between the cab and the back of the van opened, Xu Feng got his first real look inside. What he had assumed was just an ordinary white utility van had been completely transformed.

For a moment, Xu Feng was distracted, awed by the ingenuity of the setup, forgetting the strangers he’d just enclosed himself with. The van had been converted into a camper, of sorts.

Now, with the screen gone, an enclosed room came into view, followed by a small kitchenette and several sleeping areas. There was a full-sized bed below and a smaller hammock-like twin bed suspended above it.

The van had been outfitted with plenty of built-in storage, and while the kitchen wasn’t large, it was more than enough for a family surviving on the move during an apocalypse.

’This woman is a genius,’ Xu Feng thought, impressed. It was no wonder she could travel safely with her two young sons in such dangerous times. She had hacked her way through the apocalypse with two children in tow, finding clever ways to make things work.

"This is amazing!" The words slipped out before Xu Feng even realized it, but he didn’t mind. He could and would give credit where credit was due.

Despite all the amenities, the space still felt empty, and Xu Feng could see why.

Even if someone got past the screen and coveted the van, there wasn’t much visible to steal. Still, Xu Feng was certain this was by design.