The night faded, and those two eerie Red Moons finally sank slowly below the horizon, replaced by the pale light of dawn.
In this Wasteland World filled with Weirdness, although the sunlight was no longer warm, it remained the only signal of safety.
In the corner of an abandoned hut, Little Frost curled up on the cold concrete floor. Her hands tightly gripped the rusty Vintage 28-inch Bicycle.
Her posture was uncomfortable, yet she had unexpectedly fallen into a deep sleep.
The brain-sucking Long-tongued Monster outside the door seemingly could not disturb the peace she felt while holding White Night.
“Mm…”
Little Frost’s eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes. The sight of a rusty bike frame met her eyes, and the air was thick with the smell of dust.
She was dazed for a moment before remembering her current situation.
“Is it daylight?”
She let go of the frame she had held all night and rubbed her aching waist. Sleeping on the floor left her feeling a bit sore.
“Good morning, Auntie Frost. You drooled on my crossbar last night.”
White Night’s voice echoed faintly in Little Frost’s mind, carrying a hint of lingering sleepiness and a trace of disgust.
Little Frost blushed and subconsciously reached out to wipe the crossbar, only to find it covered in dust.
She then realized she was being teased.
“You child, teasing your auntie first thing in the morning.”
Little Frost gave the seat a playful, reproachful pat, but her expression immediately tensed. She lowered her voice and asked, “The… the thing outside…”
“It’s gone,” White Night’s voice became serious. “They scatter once the sun comes out. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you go take a look?”
After the scare from the previous night, Little Frost’s courage had indeed grown quite a bit.
She smoothed out her wrinkled professional pencil skirt, took a deep breath, and tiptoed to the door to peer through the peephole.
The wilderness was empty. Desiccated black weeds swayed in the wind, with no sign of that terrifying Female Ghost.
“Whew…”
Little Frost let out a long breath, finally allowing herself to truly relax. Now that the crisis had temporarily passed, feelings of hunger and thirst immediately surged.
She clutched her growling stomach and looked around the dilapidated hut.
“White Night, wait for me here a moment. I’ll see if there’s anything useful in this room.”
“Go ahead. Be careful, and try not to dig up any rats or cockroaches.”
White Night could not move right now and could only remain in place as a decoration.
The hut had clearly been abandoned for a long time. Most of the furniture was rotted, and the floor was covered in a thick layer of dust. Little Frost ignored her appearance as she rummaged through cupboards and drawers, even crawling on the floor to check under the bed.
Ten minutes later, she returned to White Night’s side looking disheveled, clutching two pieces of loot in her hands.
One was a bottle of soy sauce with only a bit left at the bottom, its mouth covered in green mold.
The other was half a bucket of long-expired cooking oil. The liquid was murky, with unidentified impurities settled at the bottom.
“That’s it?” White Night looked at the two items.
“That’s all,” Little Frost replied with a bitter smile, tossing the soy sauce bottle aside. “This soy sauce definitely isn’t edible. I’d probably get gastroenteritis if I ate it, and that would be the end of me in this Doomsday.”
She shook the half-bucket of expired cooking oil, her eyes darting between White Night’s rusty chain and bearings. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. “However, while this oil isn’t fit for humans, it might be useful for you.”
White Night suddenly had a bad feeling. “What are you planning!?”
Little Frost crouched down until her line of sight was level with the bicycle chain.
Her tone was persuasive.
“White Night, look at all this rust. When I was riding yesterday, I felt like it was extremely difficult to pedal, and it wouldn’t stop creaking. I want to use this oil to… lubricate you? Even though it’s expired cooking oil, it has to be better than grinding bone-dry, right?”
“Huh?”
White Night’s voice instantly jumped an octave.
“You want me to rub that stuff on? Look at the sediment in that oil. Is that even oil? That looks like gutter oil. It’s too filthy. I refuse.”
Although she had once slept under bridges, White Night was now a beautiful girl who valued cleanliness. Just thinking about the greasy, sticky sensation of expired cooking oil made her hair stand on end.
“But… what if we encounter danger and the chain gets stuck or breaks?” Little Frost coaxed her patiently.
“Conditions are harsh right now, so we just have to make do. Once we find professional motor oil in the future, your auntie will definitely give you a thorough cleaning first thing, okay?”
White Night fell silent.
She was disgusted, but she was even more afraid of dying. The stiff, sluggish feeling she had experienced while fleeing for her life last night had indeed been terrifying.
“Sigh — fine, fine,” White Night sighed in self-defeat.
“You’re the driver, so you call the shots. Just be careful and don’t knock the chain off. This bike is too old…”
“Don’t worry, your auntie’s technique is very good.”
Seeing that White Night had agreed, Little Frost found a slightly cleaner scrap of cloth and poured a bit of the murky cooking oil onto it.
“Bear with me. It might be a little cold for a moment.”
As she spoke, Little Frost crouched down.
Her wide, childbearing hips stretched her skirt tight as she picked up a screwdriver she had found and carefully opened the chain cover.
She wrapped the oil-soaked rag around the dry, blackened chain and gently turned the pedal with her other hand.
“Hiss…”
The moment that thick, rancid-smelling grease was applied to the bike’s body, White Night couldn’t help but gasp.
The sensation was too strange.
The slimy discomfort made her entire body feel uneasy.
“Gently… be gentle. That spot is very sensitive,” White Night couldn’t help but cry out.
“It’s just a chain, bear with it.”
Little Frost wiped with focused concentration.
With each rotation, the previously dry chain was gradually soaked in grease. The noise transitioned from a piercing screech into a muffled, rhythmic hum.
“This is really filthy…” White Night felt her greasy body and wanted to cry. “Auntie Frost, you have to keep your word. You must find me the best lubricant later and give me a bath.”
“Yes, yes, I promise,” Little Frost answered distractedly. She was so hungry her stomach was touching her spine; she just wanted to fix the bike quickly and go find food.
Finally, she had managed to lubricate the chain and bearings. Little Frost tried spinning the pedals a few times; though still somewhat heavy, it was much smoother than before.
After screwing the chain cover back on, she straightened her back.
Looking at the still-dusty bike before her, a pang of apology suddenly welled up in her heart. Little Frost hesitated for a moment before pulling a neatly folded handkerchief from her inner pocket.
This was the only clean thing she had left.
It was the last bit of dignity she had retained from her days as President Su.
It was made of pure cotton, with a delicate orchid embroidered in the corner.
She had originally intended to use it as a makeshift pad when her period arrived, but she decided to use it on White Night instead.
It was important to build a good relationship with her.
‘You…’
White Night watched her actions and was stunned for a moment. Little Frost didn’t speak.
She simply unfolded the handkerchief gently, avoiding the oily areas, and softly wiped the accumulated dust from White Night’s frame.
From the handlebars to the crossbar, and then to the slightly worn seat, her movements were gentle and meticulous.
As the handkerchief passed over, the dust vanished, revealing the mottled but sturdy steel beneath.
“Ooh… that feels good~”