CHAPTER 272: AFTER THE BATTLE ENDS

The cleanup took hours until the sun rose; everyone feared a second wave.

I used my dismantle skill to remove most zombies from the walls, earning items and resources, but avoiding the foul stench and disease issues. However, I kept the corpses of stronger zombies because Jiang Siwan asked me to.

The scientists at the base started examining the mutation and infection weeks ago, to see if there could one day be a cure. I wanted to give them such a chance. It felt a little dangerous to provide them with a Stage Five body.

I kept a Stage Four of each combat type; there wasn’t a Stage Four command-type.

Thank god.

"John, there is food waiting in the cafeteria." Jiang Roulan’s tired voice echoed from the ladders below. Since the battle ended, she started running around helping the wounded off the wall and rounding up any deserters.

"Will you join me?"

"Eh, I would love to, but I have to—"

Thud!

I leapt down to the floor and grabbed her by the waist. "Come with me, you’re exhausted." Then lifted her off the ground like a princess.

Everyone else went to sleep immediately after we finished, and Mu Qinglan half-collapsed after we finished cleaning up.

To be honest, I was also exhausted.

"J-John let me down!? I’m sweaty... and all wet...."

"Haha, that’s the best type of Roulan."

Although I made a crude joke, her bright red face and lovely expression were enough for me, so I let her down. Though her body smelt genuinely nice... something about women’s sweat that just makes me want to.... forget it.

If I went further, I might end up going for the next twenty hours with the twisted feelings and coiled desire lingering inside me.

Roulan huffed as I finally set her down. She smoothed her hair back, but the redness in her cheeks wasn’t going anywhere soon.

"You..." She poked my chest with one delicate finger. "You can’t just carry me off in front of everyone like that."

"They weren’t looking."

"They were."

I grinned, leaning close enough that she had to tip her head back to meet my eyes. "Then maybe it’ll remind them why they follow me."

Her lips parted, then shut again. She wanted to argue, but the words never came. Instead, she let out a soft sigh, the fight in her eyes softening into something warmer.

"Fine. But only because I’m too tired to scold you properly."

The cafeteria was half-empty by the time we reached it, the long tables littered with the remnants of hurried meals. Most soldiers had already collapsed into bunks or onto whatever flat surface they could find. A few nurses sat slumped in corners, heads pillowed on their arms, snoring lightly.

On one table, bowls of steaming rice porridge and preserved vegetables still waited. The steam carried a faint scent of sesame oil—humble, but enough to remind everyone they were alive and well.

"Let’s have some meat and a celebration tomorrow." I muttered, looking beside me.

Roulan sat opposite me, folding her hands in her lap before reaching for a bowl. Her movements were neat, refined, even now. Watching her stir the porridge slowly, I almost forgot how ruthless she’d been on the wall hours earlier.

"That sounds good, but are you sure... food is scarce."

I shrugged and tapped the table before a rack of lamb and beef appeared, something we scavenged in a freezer weeks ago. "See?"

"...." Roulan huffed, slowly spooning more of her porridge.

"You should eat more," I said, scooping into my bowl. "You burned yourself out tonight."

She glanced up, lips curving into a small smile. "Are you worried about me, Commander?"

The way she called me commander in a cheeky tone sent shivers down my back, not that I disliked it, but her foot slipped between my thighs, rubbing my crotch.

So I replied without hesitation. "Always."

Her ears reddened again as her bare foot stroked my erect shaft buried under the tight lycra, though she hid it behind another spoonful.

After that, we ate in silence, her eyes sometimes peeking at me, while she poked and prodded me every few moments as if to keep me hard. I couldn’t help but enjoy her sneaky little games as she acted innocent.

The food soon vanished, and each bite felt more like medicine than food.

A warmth spread through my exhausted limbs, replacing the hollow ache for something else...

When Roulan finally set her spoon down, she leaned back with a long exhale. "Mother will scold me for looking like this," she murmured.

"I don’t think she will...." I knew her mother was actually a sexually frustrated milf, and that she would probably do more than just stroke my cock with her foot. But the crude thoughts were something I kept to myself.

Roulan’s eyes flicked up at me, half-amused. "What if my mother scolds you?"

"Then she can scold us together," I said, reaching across the table to tap her hand. "I don’t mind."

"Hmph! Men... you just want one thing."

"Haha, what are you saying." I slid around the table, my lips touching her soft ear. "You’re the one who was touching me under the table, pervert."

"Kyah!?"

A lovely squeal escaped her tender lips as she hit my chest with the softest punches.

When we left the cafeteria, the first rays of morning light were cutting across the base.

The air smelled of ash and smoke, but also of steamed rice and boiled tea. Soldiers shuffled toward their barracks, some leaning on each other, others half asleep as they walked.

Roulan walked close at my side, her shoulder brushing mine every few steps. Despite her complaints earlier, she didn’t pull away and instead touched my hand with hers, clearly hinting at what she wanted.

And when the gates of the main mansion came into view, her expression shifted.

A strange tension returned to her eyes, but taking advantage of that moment, I hugged her waist and once again, carried her into the mansion in a bridal carry, with her kicking and squealing.

***

The mansion doors groaned shut behind us, muffling the bustle of the courtyard. The world outside still smelled of smoke and iron, but in here, the air carried a faint perfume of sandalwood and polished wood, a relic of the Jiang family’s old wealth.

Roulan squirmed in my arms, face hot, fists pressing against my chest. "John, put me down already! If Mother sees—"

"Too late."

Her eyes went wide just as mine shifted up. Jiang Siwan stood at the far end of the hall, her robes pristine despite the long night, her black hair tied back with the dignity of a matriarch. Her gaze dropped to Roulan in my arms, then slid to me.

Silence lingered for a few moments as she watched me with eyes like a hawk.

Then, her glossy red lips curled into a smile. "So, you’re going to take my daughter to bed like this, you rogue?"

"Mother!" Roulan squealed, thrashing against me until I reluctantly set her down. Her cheeks burned crimson as she smoothed her tunic. "It’s not like that, I was just—"

"She was exhausted," I said smoothly, stepping forward with Roulan at my side. "I didn’t want her to collapse in the halls."

"Bullshit, you’re going to fuck her and we both know it." Siwan’s sharp tone and crude language stunned Jiang Roulan.

The corner of her lips was tilting in a way that Roulan didn’t notice. "Hmm. You’ve grown bold, John. Carrying my daughter through the front gates like a bride you’re going to ravish, what if it starts rumours?"

"Pretty sure they know we’re sleeping together already though."

"Hmph!"

Roulan made a slight sound, caught between a groan and a whine, before tugging my sleeve and muttering, "John don’t..."

Honestly, I didn’t think she was serious. Because if Siwan wanted to cause trouble, she’d mention me going down on her and making her squirt.

To my surprise, she stopped smiling and suddenly took out a bottle of expensive whiskey from the cupboard and sat on the sofa, where I enjoyed her taste.

"Well, don’t be so serious, You fought well tonight," she said, her voice low, smooth. "The walls still stand because of you. The people owe this dawn to you and your allies, really... I can’t believe we survived."

"Not just me," I replied, forcing my gaze not to drop lower as her robe shifted, clinging to her figure. "Your daughter, your soldiers... without them, I’d be the one lying in the dirt."

Her laugh was quiet, but she glared at me with passionate eyes. "Modest, strong and huge. No wonder our Lan’er is obsessed with you like this..."

"Mother!" Roulan’s ears flamed, her eyes darting between us.

I couldn’t resist. I leaned down slightly, my lips brushing Roulan’s ear. "She’s not wrong, though. You’ve been staring at me all night."

Roulan jolted, smacking my arm with a mortified gasp, but her mother’s gaze never wavered. If anything, Jiang Siwan’s eyes gleamed faintly, like a predator testing the water.

"Both of you should rest," she finally said, though her words lingered in the air with double meaning. "Tomorrow will bring more burdens. Tonight, let yourselves... recover."

Roulan tugged at my sleeve again, half hiding behind me, though her hand still held tight to mine.

I smiled faintly, bowing my head just enough to be polite. "Thank you. We’ll rest."

But as we walked past her, I felt Siwan’s eyes follow me, tracing my back like a weight and a strange piece of paper in my palm.

— Come back to me after she falls asleep.

Siwan.