Chapter 279 - 232: The Critical State of Crystallization

Chapter 279: Chapter 232: The Critical State of Crystallization

"Hey! That’s completely different!"

Ye Qingniao tried to salvage her pride, spouting things like, "Firearms are the pinnacle of modern technology," "the apex of killing ingenuity," and, "Do you even know the muzzle velocity of a rifle bullet?" All the while, she shuffled down the narrow aisle to the back of the vehicle, looking like a misbehaving kitten.

Her incessant mumbling echoed through the vehicle’s cabin.

She went from aerodynamics to Newton’s third law, from modern firearm craftsmanship to ergonomic design. She even cooked up some bullshit about how "the gunman must have been a hidden Awakened One."

Lin Fan’s mouth twitched as he listened. He didn’t argue, just quietly let the "tactical master" try to salvage her dignity.

He watched as she picked something up from a corner of the cabin and held it out to him, her rambling finally ceasing. Lin Fan looked down. It was the one-handed sword.

"I didn’t lose this one..."

Ye Qingniao’s eyes were downcast, her voice tinged with a sense of grievance.

"Here, take it back."

"Keep it. Stop putting on an act..."

Lin Fan glanced at her, amused, and took the sword. His fingers slid over the cold spine of the blade. The system showed its durability was still full; there wasn’t a single nick on its edge.

He looked up, just in time to meet Ye Qingniao’s mismatched eyes.

Although she’d said she was returning it, her eyes clearly flickered with a glimmer of hope.

So, with a flick of his wrist, Lin Fan turned the sword around and pushed the hilt back into her hand.

As Ye Qingniao took the sword, Lin Fan’s long arm shot out and gently pulled.

"Ah..."

Her soft cry was lost in the light patter of rain.

Ye Qingniao felt her body lighten, and she found herself falling involuntarily into a broad, warm embrace. Before she could struggle, Lin Fan’s arms wrapped around her waist. With a gentle tug, he settled her securely on his lap, sitting sideways.

"When we get back to the main group, I’ll have our craftsman make a scabbard for you."

Lin Fan’s voice, reassuringly steady, sounded by her ear.

"You can carry it on your back then. That’s when you’ll really look like a swordswoman..."

As he spoke, Lin Fan shifted his position. He casually propped his legs up on the opposite seat, creating a makeshift "human sofa" in the cramped cabin.

Ye Qingniao’s top had been cut away and was ruined, leaving her upper body nearly bare save for the thick bandages wrapped around her chest. Her rain-soaked skin, though slowly warming, was still chilly to the touch. She suddenly became much more docile. Curling up in Lin Fan’s arms and absorbing the heat from his body, her tense frame gradually relaxed.

With a mere thought, an irregularly shaped piece of leather appeared in Lin Fan’s hand, and he draped it over her.

Although the leather was coarse, it was fairly soft and incredibly warm. It also carried a faint, unidentifiable scent. Lin Fan wrapped the large piece of leather around her like a burrito, snugly covering her bare back and shoulders until only her small head poked out.

Ye Qingniao was very cooperative. She took the chance to prop her treasured longsword in the gap by the seat, then found a comfortable position and rested her cheek against Lin Fan’s chest.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP. The powerful, steady, and rhythmic beat of his heart sounded through his chest, like the most soothing lullaby.

Although Lin Fan’s clothes were also soaked with rain, he wasn’t injured. The surging vitality in his body gave off a startling amount of heat, half-drying his clothes in moments. Leaning against him wasn’t a damp, clammy experience; instead, it was just warm and solid.

Compared to the cold military-style seats of the armored vehicle, this warm embrace was far more comfortable.

"...Mmm." Ye Qingniao let out a contented hum. The prickly defensiveness she felt from her injury and embarrassment was completely smoothed away.

The cabin grew quiet, filled only with the sound of soft breathing and the slight rustle of Cheng Qi occasionally shifting in his seat.

The pattering of the rain outside seemed to quiet down on cue, growing fainter and fainter.

From the driver’s seat, Cheng Qi glanced into the rear cabin. By the light of a flashlight, he saw the usually defiant and indignant Ye Qingniao now curled obediently in Lin Fan’s arms, wrapped in a piece of leather with only the serene profile of her face showing.

’Tsk... I guess everyone meets their match.’ Cheng Qi felt a sourness in his jaw, as if he’d been force-fed a mouthful of lemons. Still, he was sensible enough not to make a scene and instead whispered quietly to Lin Fan,

"Brother Lin, what’s the plan?"

"We’ll rest a bit. Wait for the rain to stop."

With one arm around Ye Qingniao to keep her from sliding off, Lin Fan used his other hand to pull a hard drive from the briefcase on the seat next to him. He examined it through its anti-static bag.

"Aren’t you two curious about what’s on this?"

Lin Fan fiddled with the hard drive as he looked at Cheng Qi peeking back from the driver’s seat, then glanced down at the drowsy, half-lidded Ye Qingniao in his arms.

"The bad guy’s evil files, of course..."

"...Porn?"

"..."

Lin Fan decided not to ask them again and just examined the hard drive himself.

’A Western Digital Purple, 6TB. Not worth much. It’s probably just a surveillance drive from the factory.’

’But for the "boss" to guard it so carefully, even taking it with him on the run, it must be what Cheng Qi said it was: some kind of "evil files." And it’s probably related to the factory surveillance.’

’It couldn’t be footage of me, could it...’ he thought with a touch of narcissism.