"A pleasure, Miss Yu. I'm Ivan, and this is Kevin."
"Hello."
Yu Yachen nodded slightly.
"Ivan, stop chatting!"
A shout suddenly came from deep within the granary. A limping old man walked out, leaning on a shovel.
He glanced at the two Ursus men crowded around Yu Yachen, a flash of impatience in his eyes.
"Comrade Doctor, didn't Alina tell you? The granary is a restricted area. Outsiders stop here."
"..."
Yu Yachen raised an eyebrow, shrugged, and took two steps back.
Just then, the young man named Ivan cupped his hand to his mouth and whispered to her, "Sorry, Old Man Sergei is just like that. He always talks so strict, and loves using fancy words... even though he's not very cultured himself. Can't even write."
"Heh, it's fine." Yu Yachen smiled lightly.
"Please leave, Comrade Doctor."
"Alright."
Yu Yachen wasn't bothered by the rude old man. She was going to find Alina now anyway.
If Alina hadn't piqued her interest, she wouldn't have cared about these people's lives at all.
Retracing her steps, Yu Yachen saw a group of children gathered around a bonfire in the distance. She quieted her footsteps. Alina was sitting on an overturned wooden box, a hand-sewn picture book open on her lap. A dozen children were gathered around her like little birds.
"Did the little prince ever meet the fox again in the end?" a little girl with pigtails asked, leaning against her.
"I'm sure he did."
Alina closed the book. She looked up and saw the white-haired woman leaning against a tree, arms crossed.
"Not bad, Teacher Alina."
Seeing her look over, Yu Yachen smiled and clapped.
"Can I sit in?" she repeated her earlier question. "Or do you need help?"
"I'm teaching the children to read. Many of them can't even write their own names," Alina replied.
Yu Yachen, of course, knew how to read Ursus. Although her parents were from Yan, she grew up in Columbia. Her parents, just like in her past life, had taught her many languages from a young age.
She walked over to the bonfire. The simple camp didn't even have spare paper or pens. However, before approaching Alina, Yu Yachen had used Killer Queen to cut a branch from a tree.
"Here, Teacher Alina."
"These children are very cute. If they ever elect a leader for an 'Infected Education Group,' I'll definitely tell Talulah to pick you first," Yu Yachen smiled.
Alina looked up at Yu Yachen's face, illuminated by the firelight, and suddenly felt her ears grow hot.
Yu Yachen was truly beautiful. Just standing there casually, it seemed her very presence could lighten the atmosphere.
After this time together, Alina had keenly sensed the special aura about her. Although she seemed cold, Alina believed she was actually a very gentle person.
"I don't have that kind of ability," the Elafia woman said, her gaze flickering away.
"I think you're very well-suited, Alina."
Yu Yachen said with a grin, "That aside, who here doesn't know how to write their name?"
"Me, I don't!"
"Me neither..."
"Sister, none of us do."
The moment she finished speaking, the children burst into a clamor.
"Then who wants to go first? Let's see... the little girl with the pigtails. What's your name?"
"Sister, sister! My name is Anna."
A dozen little "bears" gathered around Yu Yachen, watching intently as the white-haired woman half-knelt, using the branch to write letters in the snow.
"Watch closely..."
"..."
Alina stared at Yu Yachen's profile. The glow of the bonfire cast a warm color on her cheeks. The shadows from her eyelashes fluttered as she blinked, and her clear, pale cyan eyes were mesmerizing.
Yu Yachen was dressed warmly, but when she bent over, the hollow of her delicate collarbone was faintly visible, that small patch of snow-white skin sparking the imagination.
This is terrible, Alina thought. She was getting lost staring at another girl.
It's over.
Alina thought in despair, have I developed unnecessary feelings for my savior?
"..."
Time passed quickly. The bonfire gradually died down. The last spark struggled in the cold wind, flickered a few times, and finally dissipated. The night grew darker. The children reluctantly said goodbye and returned to their own tents, leaving strings of footprints in the snow.
Alina put her picture book away and looked up at Yu Yachen. The smiling expression she had for the children had faded, and she was once again expressionless.
Her pale cyan eyes reflected the dim light of the camp, appearing exceptionally cold.
"Do you like children, Miss Yu?" Alina asked softly, walking to her side.
"To be precise, I don't."
Yu Yachen replied. She hated children, hated pets. Ignorant and noisy things always repulsed her. It was just that these children were much better behaved than the boy she'd met in her apartment complex.
"More than that," Yu Yachen turned to Alina, "I've been wanting to ask you a question."
"A question?"
"Why exactly did you ask me to let those Infected go yesterday?"
Yu Yachen looked at Alina seriously.
The sudden change in topic made Alina pause. She thought for a moment.
"Miss Yu, do you know why wheat can't grow in the frozen earth?"
Alina's voice was soft but firm. "It's not because the seeds are bad. It's because there's no nourishment beneath the permafrost. Those Infected... they're like seeds thrown onto frozen earth."
"They have no food, their bodies are eroded by Oripathy, and they are alone in this tundra. When a person can't even be sure they'll be able to breathe tomorrow... I don't want to condemn their actions as immoral."
"..."
Silence fell between them.
After Alina's speech, Yu Yachen didn't respond. Alina only saw a vein throb on the white-haired woman's forehead.
Yu Yachen suddenly brought her face close to Alina's. The distance between them closed instantly, their noses almost touching. A fresh sandalwood scent washed over Alina, and Yu Yachen's warm breath ghosted across her face.
"You seem to enjoy sacrificing yourself for others. More than evil people... I hate idiots."
"Sometimes I really can't understand. What is the point of selfless dedication like yours?"
"Miss Yu, are you angry?" Alina asked, flustered.
-------
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