"Does it bleed?"
"Yes."
"Then how do you deal with it?"
"When I start bleeding, I can sense it beforehand and deal with it quickly. If there isn't time, I have spare pants I can change into, then find a chance to wash the others."
"..."
Surviving in the apocalypse really was difficult.
Lu Xi'an took a close look at Yao Wei's pants. They were well-worn and seemed to have some stains left on them, though he couldn't make them out clearly.
He'd always thought they were marks left behind when Yao Wei had run into people or beasts, but he had never considered that they might be her own.
Yao Wei had always seemed so strong and capable. She was so powerful and impressive that Lu Xi'an had almost assumed the New Humans in this world were warriors who had gone through menopause.
After all, as far as he knew, the New Humans had all evolved in ways that made it easier for people to survive in the post-apocalyptic world.
The problems that came with women's bodies really were a major obstacle to surviving in a harsh world with scarce resources.
But he hadn't expected Yao Wei to tell him that those inconvenient physical traits still existed in New Human women like her.
Clearly, with no one to guide her, Yao Wei didn't understand her own condition very well. During her years of traveling alone, she'd simply figured out some patterns and come up with a few basic ways to cope.
Still, being able to predict what was going to happen to her was pretty impressive.
That was probably one of the New Humans' special abilities, too.
The air suddenly turned colder. Lu Xi'an frowned and glanced toward the tunnel.
It seemed another cold front had arrived.
Or maybe it had arrived some time ago, and they were only feeling it now. The basement had some insulation, after all.
But the weather outside was bitterly cold, and if it lasted long enough, the cold would reach them here, too.
The outside temperature could affect this underground shelter as well.
The shelter had no heating system like an air conditioner. It was a pity they couldn't bring the car's air conditioner inside and use it; there was nowhere to put the outdoor unit.
The only way to keep warm here was to wrap themselves in quilts.
Luckily, the shelter had ten dorm rooms, with eighty beds and plenty of quilts.
"The weather's getting colder again. Why don't we stay here for a few more days and leave once you're feeling better?"
He made the suggestion.
Yao Wei shook her head, her expression calm. "I'm fine. I can bear it. It won't get in the way."
Lu Xi'an said, "But what if it snows?"
"Let's see first,"
Yao Wei said. Her brows furrowed slightly as she spoke, but soon smoothed out again, as if nothing was wrong.
She really must have gotten used to it. She could endure this amount of pain.
"Then let's go take a look first. Put your coat on."
As he spoke, Lu Xi'an put on some warmer clothes, too.
"Okay."
Yao Wei replied and draped her red leather jacket over her shoulders.
Lu Xi'an glanced at her and suggested, "Do you want to wrap yourself in a quilt, too?"
Yao Wei nodded and actually did as he suggested, wrapping herself in one. There were plenty of quilts here, so she might as well use one.
The two of them left the shelter and walked through the tunnel. The air grew colder and colder. By the entrance, although it had been sealed tightly with no gaps for wind to get in, Lu Xi'an could still faintly feel the cold front passing through.
This time, they didn't call the dog over. They were only checking to see if it was snowing outside, so there was no need.
If they really did have to leave later, they could call the dog over and send out a drone to scout.
Lu Xi'an moved a stone aside and opened a small gap. A white glow from outside poured in at once, along with a damp wind that immediately struck them.
Large flakes of snow fell slantwise in the wind, quickly leaving a white layer on the stones around the entrance.
"That's it, then. Heavy snow's blocking the way, and the heavens want us to stay. We'd better wait it out."
Lu Xi'an smiled as he spoke. His breath formed a white mist in the light shining through the entrance.
"Okay."
Yao Wei didn't object. Driving in these conditions would be dangerous. They couldn't go fast, and the car would use a lot of fuel. They really couldn't leave.
Lu Xi'an sealed the entrance again and said, "Let's go back and warm up under the quilts."
They retraced their steps. Lu Xi'an said, "Who knows how long it'll stay this cold? I hope it's like last time and doesn't last too long."
But who could predict what the heavens had in store? Lu Xi'an had experienced cold spells that lasted ten days or even a whole month.
Yao Wei said, "If it lasts too long, we'll have to disconnect the wires from the battery at the front of the car."
Lu Xi'an understood what Yao Wei meant. "You mean the battery cables, right? Don't worry. We'll check again in a couple of days. If things are still like this, I'll go disconnect them. You're not feeling well, so just stay tucked under the covers."
If the car sat unused for too long in such cold weather, its battery would probably drain quickly.
If they didn't disconnect the battery cables before it ran out of charge, the car wouldn't start when they needed to drive.
"Okay."
Yao Wei didn't object and agreed.
After returning to the shelter, the two of them gathered several quilts and brought them to the dorm room they were staying in.
Lu Xi'an waited outside and said, "Take off your coat and get under the covers."
"Okay."
Yao Wei replied, took off her red leather jacket, and climbed under the quilts. She wrapped herself in several of them, and finally felt comfortable.
"All set."
She told Lu Xi'an, then turned and saw him standing in the doorway, with no intention of getting under his own covers.
"Are you not lying down?"
she asked.
Lu Xi'an said, "I'll wait a bit. You lie down. I'll be back in a moment."
"Oh."
Yao Wei was a little puzzled. She didn't know what Lu Xi'an was going to do.
After saying that, Lu Xi'an left the doorway. She could only lie still and let her mind go blank.
She felt a little uncomfortable down there, but it was all right. She was used to moments like this. She just had to endure it.
The several layers of quilts finally felt heavy enough, and it was a good feeling. They were warm, too. But her feet seemed impossible to warm up; they only got colder and colder.
She curled her legs up and drew her feet closer to her body. It seemed to help a little, but after a while, she felt cold again.
Just as she was about to draw her feet up even farther, Lu Xi'an suddenly came back. He was holding a bowl and two mineral water bottles used to store water.
The bowl was hers, and steam rose from it. For some reason, the bottles had caved in a little.
What had Lu Xi'an done?
Yao Wei was still wondering when Lu Xi'an set the bowl and one of the bottles on the table, then held up the other bottle and said to her, "I've got something for you."
"What?"
Yao Wei didn't quite understand.
It seemed like Lu Xi'an meant the bottle in his hand, but how could that thing be a treasure?
Then she watched Lu Xi'an walk over to her bed, take the pillowcase from the upper bunk, and wrap the bottle in it. He lifted the quilt at her feet slightly and slipped the bottle underneath.
A mildly scalding warmth washed over her at once, chasing the cold from her feet. Yao Wei immediately felt better.
"How is it?"
Lu Xi'an asked with a smile.
"Mm."
Yao Wei nodded emphatically.
It felt so good.
Before you continue