Chapter Fifteen: Peeking at Girls in the Bath?

"This room is tidied up now. You can live here from now on," Qin Sheng said as she led Lin Xing and Chu Xingyu through a quick cleanup of the neighboring dormitory. It was roughly ready for habitation.

Lin Xing and Chu Xingyu exchanged glances, surveying the dormitory. In all their lives, this was the first time either had stayed in a girls’ dorm, and the feeling was undeniably different.

They were especially surprised to see new bedsheets and duvet covers.

"Sheng, are these bedsheets and covers yours too?" Chu Xingyu asked, claiming the bed to the right upon entering. The sheets, covers, and even the quilt were clearly new, as if Qin Sheng had foreseen they would be needed.

Qin Sheng pressed her lips together in slight embarrassment. She had bought these bedding sets online as add-ons to reach free shipping, never expecting they’d come in handy one day.

Yet even as add-ons, she had bought quite a few.

"I bought them at the start of the semester. They’ve never been used. You’ll have to make do," she replied with a light smile.

"This is hardly ‘making do’!" Lin Xing exclaimed, already wandering about the room, delighted at the thought of staying here.

Chu Xingyu shook his head, helpless at Lin Xing’s excitement.

"Back in the cafeteria we just slept sitting up. Now, sharing a room with Xingyu is a world apart from what we had before," Lin Xing recalled, thinking of the times he’d slept on the floor and gotten an upset stomach from the cold.

His face betrayed his resentment.

Hearing this, Qin Sheng felt her decision to leave the cafeteria today was absolutely right. She had no interest in enduring such hardships.

"Staying here is so much better. I won’t get an upset stomach anymore," Lin Xing said, scratching his head sheepishly.

Qin Sheng nodded and, with her hands behind her back, discreetly brought out some medicine for stomach trouble from her storage space.

"I still have some left from before. This will make you feel better," she said, handing the medicine to Lin Xing.

Lin Xing's eyes widened in astonishment, staring at the unopened box in disbelief. "You’re like a real-life Doraemon!"

He turned to Chu Xingyu, who looked just as surprised.

"I’m just next door. Call me if you need anything," Qin Sheng said with a smile, intending to return to her own room.

"Wait, Sheng," Chu Xingyu stood up and called after her. "With both of us here, your food supplies will probably run out faster. So, if you ever need to find more, please ask us—we have plenty of strength to spare."

"Exactly!" Lin Xing chimed in.

Qin Sheng blinked, then nodded. In truth, with her current stockpile, she could feed ten more people for eighty or ninety years. But agreeing would at least ease their minds.

She gazed at Lin Xing for a moment, leaving behind a meaningful smile before turning to leave.

Qin Sheng had her own reasons for taking them in—one of which was that Lin Xing was a future ability user, something she knew. Better he be under her care than exploited by Li Chengbin, and besides, she found Lin Xing and Chu Xingyu both likable.

Rather endearing, in fact.

"Sheng, all settled in?" Jiang Miaomiao asked, returning to the dorm after tidying up. As she finished, Qin Sheng returned as well.

Qin Sheng nodded, taking a bottle of mineral water from the desk before settling on the bed.

"I never imagined we’d gain two more companions in the apocalypse," Jiang Miaomiao said, sitting beside her.

Qin Sheng took a sip of water, reflecting that she too hadn’t expected to have so many people around her in this life, even as the world ended.

"More hands mean more strength. And we gained two," Jiang Miaomiao added, flashing a peace sign.

Qin Sheng smiled faintly, saying nothing more.

"Are we training again tomorrow?" Jiang Miaomiao asked, her large eyes blinking expectantly.

"Of course," Qin Sheng replied matter-of-factly. "And it’ll be even harder."

If Lin Xing and Chu Xingyu hadn’t arrived in time yesterday, Jiang Miaomiao would have been in trouble. It proved she hadn’t trained enough—there would be more, and it would be tougher.

Jiang Miaomiao pouted. "Alright, then I’ll go to bed. We have to get up early for training."

Qin Sheng nodded, watching as Jiang Miaomiao lay down, peeling off her zombie-stained clothes to reveal pale skin, the sharpness of the day fading away.

"Oh, Sheng, when I got back I found the tap was running, so I filled several basins for you. You can take a bath," Jiang Miaomiao murmured, eyes closed.

"Okay."

Qin Sheng had planned to use her stock of alcohol wipes, but if there was water, all the better.

She put her clothes back on, grabbed a fresh towel, and walked into the bathroom.

Sure enough, several large basins of water stood ready. The previous residents must have been in the habit of daily washing—there was even a massive basin that could pass for a bathtub.

Just as she took off her clothes, a noise outside the window made her quickly dress again and draw her Tang sword from her space, peering warily outside.

Outside, someone tapped lightly on the glass. A familiar voice drifted in—a memory flashed of the mischievous, handsome boy with a white wolf’s tail.

"It’s me, Song Qing’an," the gentle, pleasant voice called.

Qin Sheng put away her sword and opened the window a bit forcefully, betraying her strength.

Song Qing’an sat on the windowsill, his long legs dangling freely outside, utterly unbothered by the height, seeming to enjoy it.

"Still as fiery as ever after a few days," Song Qing’an quipped, raising a teasing brow at the trembling glass.

Qin Sheng propped herself on the sill and hopped up. Had she known how close she’d be sitting to him, she might never have climbed up—but since she was there, she wouldn’t back down.

"You’re not bad yourself, but peeping on girls in the bath isn’t a good habit, Song Qing’an," she said, not realizing her tone had softened with a hint of coyness.

Hearing her call his name for the first time, Song Qing’an’s handsome features lit with a subtle smile. The temper was familiar, and he was hardly surprised.

"You haven’t bathed yet, have you?" he replied with a gentle laugh.

Qin Sheng thought for a moment and raised an eyebrow, saying nothing.

"Got anything to eat?" Song Qing’an asked, eyes full of hope.

She guessed he only came because he was hungry, rolled her eyes, and fished a compressed biscuit from her pocket.

"Again with the compressed biscuits?" Song Qing’an’s face fell, his white, fluffy hair reminding her of the kitten she once had—arrogant and adorable, but given away when her cousin was found to be allergic.

Since then, she’d never kept another cat.

Song Qing’an noticed her distracted expression, and for a moment, he was stunned. The girl was lost in thought, a gentle smile on her lips—a softness he’d never seen before.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, his tone gentler as he leaned closer. In daylight, he might have seen the fine down on her cheeks.

Qin Sheng snapped out of her reverie, shook her head, and caught his smile when she turned.

Had she done something? Why was he smiling like that?

"One biscuit isn’t enough. Could you spare two more?" Song Qing’an took a bite, his disdain for the food plain as day, dimples deepening in protest.

Qin Sheng froze, hopped off the sill, and said, "Wait here. I’ll get you some."

"Alright!" Song Qing’an grinned, tilting his head as he watched her go.

Back inside, Qin Sheng saw Jiang Miaomiao asleep. She quietly took out two sandwiches and a few chocolate bars from her space.

"These taste better than biscuits," she said, handing them over.

"Thank you," Song Qing’an replied, devouring the sandwiches quickly but with elegance, a testament to his upbringing.

After finishing, he wiped his mouth with a tissue and slipped the chocolate bars into his pocket.

"Thank you. I’m off now, but here’s a gift in return." He snapped his fingers with a flourish.

Qin Sheng turned to see what the gift could be, but nothing appeared. She was about to complain when she realized the boy had vanished without a trace.

"Tch," she muttered, closing the window, a wry smile on her lips.

She undressed again to check the water temperature and immediately understood what Song Qing’an’s "gift" was.

Sinking into the warm bath, she couldn’t help but smile.

Delight mingled with surprise—only a week into the apocalypse, powers shouldn’t have appeared, yet Song Qing’an had abilities remarkably similar to the gifted.

No matter how long she pondered, she couldn’t make sense of it. She shook her head and took out the shampoo, body wash, and scrub she’d stockpiled, enjoying a long, satisfying bath.

Perhaps Song Qing’an’s abilities were as mysterious and unexplainable as her own spatial one.

After everything was done, Qin Sheng slept soundly for the first time in a long while—a dreamless, peaceful night, deeper than she’d ever allowed herself before.

Maybe that, too, was Song Qing’an's gift.

For the first time, Jiang Miaomiao woke to find Qin Sheng sleeping late and guessed she must have been exhausted the day before. She got up early and dutifully went to the rooftop to train.

What surprised Qin Sheng, though, was to see Chu Xingyu and Lin Xing there as well.