The Ger's Contract Marriage [BL]
Chapter 534: Seeds of Understanding Pt.1

Chapter 534: Seeds of Understanding Pt.1

The roof of the van felt so far away like it was a hundred miles up instead of a few inches from Xu Feng’s face. He blinked, his eyes adjusting slowly to the dim interior of the van, his mind still reeling from the intensity of his dream.

For a few moments, he lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to ground himself in the present and remember where he was.

The van had stopped.

The air inside was still, peaceful even. They must have found a place to rest for the night. Xu Feng could feel the faint presence of his three companions in the front, their quiet whispers barely audible.

Yujie’s calm voice hummed through the stillness, answering her boys’ questions with soothing, patient words.

Mingjun and Mingyue were murmuring softly, their voices full of curiosity. They had no idea that Xu Feng had woken up and that he had returned from the strange, vivid dream that had left him shaken and questioning everything.

Xu Feng remained still, his chest rising and falling with each breath, his heart pounding from the intensity of what he’d just experienced. It had felt long. Too long, but also too short, like he’d been gone for an eternity but returned in the blink of an eye.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that something significant had happened, something real. But had he really found a way home? Or was it just a trick his mind had played on him?

He closed his eyes again, feeling the steady thrum of his heart. ’There’s no way that dream of Xuan Yang was just a dream.’

The way it had felt, the desperation, the coldness of the room, the subtle expressions on Xuan Yang’s face—all of it had been so real. He could still feel the weight of that room, the hollowness of it, as if it had seeped into his very bones. He hadn’t just imagined it. He couldn’t have.

Xu Feng exhaled a shaky breath, his eyes fluttering open again to stare into the dimness. ’It had to be real.’

The group was within walking distance of the agricultural school compound. In normal conditions, it would take less than an hour to walk there. But with the road conditions, the detours, and the constant threat of zombies lurking in the night, it would take much longer.

Hours, perhaps. That is if they even made it through the dense parts of the city.

Tonight’s resting place was a two-story bank, a sturdy structure that offered decent protection from both zombies and people. And in this world, humans could be far more terrifying than the walking dead.

Even though the zombie tide near Aran Base could be nearing a siege, they couldn’t afford to let their guard down. An infection from one of the scattered zombies couldn’t be cured. Not yet, anyway.

There had been a few stragglers in the building when they arrived, but they were easily dispatched.

After parking the van out of sight from the front of the building, they barricaded the entrances and exits on the first floor, leaving only a clear passageway to the back door in case they needed to make a quick escape.

The second floor had been barricaded too, a second layer of protection in case anyone or anything tried to break in.

Dinner was a quick affair, as usual—hot meat and vegetable buns and egg drop soup, heated up by Mingjun. For a world in ruins, it was a rare luxury.

Most people wouldn’t dream of having a hot, fresh meal like that, but with Mingjun around, they managed easily. As long as there were no prying eyes around, they didn’t have to hide the fact that they could have such luxuries.

Xu Feng, too, had added to the feast. Using the seeds from an apple the boys had shared earlier in the day, he then germinated a fresh, crisp apple for each of them.

It was a small thing, but fresh unmutated fruit was nearly impossible to find in this world. His ability to produce endless fresh fruits and vegetables made him an invaluable asset to all luxury squads.

He might not be the best fighter, but he was a walking, breathing logistics expert in the apocalypse—a luxury most people couldn’t afford.

With dinner done and the two boys getting ready for bed, Xu Feng took his place as the night watchman. The boys were more responsible than most adults Xu Feng had known before this world had fallen apart—more responsible than most of the original staff at Nanshan Estate, for that matter.

Mingjun, without even being asked, took his place beside Xu Feng, prepared to keep watch for the first half of the night. Despite Xu Feng’s protests and pleas, the boys always took part in their group’s security, and they took their jobs seriously.

It was strange to think that two four-year-old boys were more reliable than many adults.

At first, Xu Feng insisted that they should sleep at night and that they shouldn’t have to take on such heavy responsibilities. But the boys had been firm in their decision.

They would take their turns at watch, just like everyone else—not counting their driver, Yujie. Mingjun took the first shift, while Mingyue would wake to take the second. As time passed, Xu Feng found that he didn’t mind their company during these quiet hours.

It was a way to keep his mind from wandering into dark, unwanted places. He was an overthinker by nature, and in his current situation, it was easy to get lost in negative thoughts.

But the boys helped anchor him. If he couldn’t be positive, it was best not to let his mind wander where it had no need to wander.

Mingjun was mostly quiet, content to sit beside Xu Feng and keep watch in silence. But Mingyue was different. During his shifts, he would whisper secrets to Xu Feng—little stories of how he and his brother had dealt with "bad guys" who tried to harm their family.

The boy was proud of his accomplishments, and of how he had protected his loved ones, and Xu Feng couldn’t help but smile at the joy Mingyue took in protecting others.

The boys also spoke of dreams. They frequently saw a "dragon tree" during their dreams, and openly shared this with an intrigued Xu Feng.

Then, there were discussions about the "goodies" Xu Feng had given them—fruits and jams he had germinated and nurtured, treats that held more meaning than he had originally thought.

The fruits he germinated were loved by the twins, but the jam was loved more.

Not all jams were equal.

Through these small conversations, Xu Feng began to understand the patterns in his powers more clearly. The fruits he germinated in quick spurts were special to the boys, but the jams—especially those he made from fruits he had nurtured over long periods—were their favorites.

The energy in those jams was higher, more potent. The boys could feel it.

Xu Feng had started to see the pattern. The jams he made with his hands, with fruits he had nurtured, were top-tier. The jams he had made with quickly germinated fruits were second best. And the jams made by others, even Xu Hu Zhe, were still enjoyed but not as loved by the boys.

Somewhere down the list, Xu Feng also found that the boys liked fruits and vegetables that he propagated quickly with bursts of energy—like the apples they had after dinner. There was energy in these things, but not as concentrated.

It was a small but important realization.

Xu Feng hadn’t done so in the past, but during his time in Dongmen, he was more attentive to the flow of energy. It was something he didn’t have to work hard to be in tune with, something the two young dragon-born worked hard to utilize.

It was a skill he decided he should spend more time utilizing.

The energy in the food Xu Feng nurtured had a different quality, something smoother, more nourishing. And it wasn’t just the boys who benefitted from it—Xu Feng remembered how Xuan Jian and Xuan Yang had almost immediately been addicted to his cooking, especially when it came from the produce in his greenhouse.

If he thought back with more clearly, it seemed like Xu Hu Zhe, Momo, Xuan Jian, and Xuan Yang all seemed to have more and more "immortal bloodline traits" appear over time. All after eating his food and drinking his tea.

Had his food been influencing the immortal bloodline traits in his family? Was he somehow responsible for enhancing those traits without even realizing it?

Xu Feng’s mind raced with the possibilities. He had always attributed the strength of their bloodlines to special plants, like the Dragon Chrysanthemum. But maybe it wasn’t just the plants. Maybe he, too, played a part in it.

If it was true he was like some sort of elixir for demon beasts and their descendants, he would have to change up his plans for his life in Dongzhou—WHEN he got back.