Tomb Raider: What the hell is this strange commission?

Chapter 128 Intermission

Xie Yuchen was quiet for a moment, wrapped in the loose black coat.

When he wants to answer a question but doesn't know how to answer it, Xie Yuchen has another choice besides passive silence - to fight back with questions.

So when Chi Yu asked, "Do you feel warmer now?", he answered, "Aren't you cold?"

"not cold."

The answer to Xie Yuchen was two words that were more concise than his rhetorical question.

The person who gave this answer is now only wearing a high-necked single piece of clothing, and a small vest on the outside that looks very thin and does not provide any protection against the cold.

——Will you really not feel cold wearing this?

Chi Yu seemed to see through Yu Chen's doubts. While he buttoned up the outermost layer of his clothes slowly and leisurely, he said:

"You should have noticed that the temperature around me and my own body temperature are lower than normal."

"This is my own characteristic, and it also makes me less sensitive to temperature changes."

Chi Yu looked at the boy, who looked a little awkward in his ill-fitting coat, smiled gently, and brushed away the dust on his shoulders.

"So I won't be cold or hot. You should pay more attention to your own physical condition—"

"——For example, are you 1.7 meters tall now, little Xie Yuchen?"

Xie Yuchen was completely silent.

He glanced at the evil-minded guy without saying anything, pulled the black coat with a cold face, and walked past Chi Yu aggressively.

Until they left the small hill of gravel and returned to where the vehicle was parked.

They didn't have to wait long in the car. Soon, the surveyor who had finished sampling returned to the parking point with the others. After a quick preparation, they headed towards the next survey point.

They crossed a river that had been dry for many years.

The riverbed has been eroded by wind and sand, and there is no trace of its former prosperity. Now only circles of white salt crusts are left on the roadside, which is the only trace that proves the existence of the river.

"Drive through the gap in the river bank ahead." Chi Yu held the walkie-talkie and gave instructions to the driver and the field team in the convoy behind.

"After landing, keep going forward. You will reach the second survey point in about ten minutes. There is not much time left. Please complete the task as soon as possible."

After hearing a few crisp "Received"s from the other end of the intercom, Chi Yu put the communicator aside.

Xie Yuchen was somewhat attracted by the term "remaining time".

He looked at Chi Yu, wanting to ask about the details, but noticed that Chi Yu gently pressed his forehead and looked a little unwell, so he immediately retracted the question.

But Chi Yu was more perceptive than he thought. Almost the moment Xie Yuchen wanted to look away, she turned his gaze over.

"You have doubts in your heart." Chi Yu asked him, "What answer do you want to seek from me?"

So Xie Yuchen told him the question truthfully: "If we encounter an unexpected situation at this survey point, which causes delays, then where will we camp in the end?"

"Do you want to hear the truth?" Chi Yu asked again.

"If you're willing to talk about it," Xie Yuchen said, "Of course."

"In fact, I have reserved enough time for 'dealing with unexpected events' for each of our actions." Chi Yu said, "And I just need to ensure that those accidents will not cause them to stay in the same place for too long."

"So, actually, we are still following your plan and walking on the path you set, and there is nothing beyond our expectations," Xie Yuchen concluded.

"Yes."

Chi Yu smiled and said, "No matter what happens next, we will eventually reach the camping spot I planned before dark."

"Everything is going according to my plan. You don't need to worry about it."

Xie Yuchen also gave him a perfect smile: "It is always reassuring to hear the answer 'the plan is proceeding as usual'. It is very much your style and does not surprise me at all."

During this brief conversation, the vulnerability that Chi Yu had inadvertently felt before had completely disappeared.

He turned back into the chess player that Li Yuchen knew, the one who had every direction of events under control.

But this does not mean that the scene that Xie Yuchen just saw was false.

——Chi Yu is having a headache.

This shows that his physique is not as good as he describes.

Of course, there is another possibility: this pain does not affect his body, but is a kind of mental torture.

As a result, when Chi Yu encountered the same situation, he would unconsciously soothe himself.

Or maybe it's both - that's even worse. Because no matter which situation it is, it doesn't sound good, Xie Yuchen thought.

Chi Yu always reminds him to take care of his health, but in fact he can't even guarantee his own condition.

The environment of Lop Nur is full of dangers, and the real location recorded in the Warring States silk book has not been found by them yet. Under such circumstances, Chi Yu must not get into trouble.

He needs to rest.

Xie Yuchen looked at Chi Yu quietly.

After realizing that Xie Yuchen had nothing else to say, Chi Yu turned his face away, closed his eyes, and ignored his gaze.

No one spoke anymore.

The small space became quiet.

So in these short ten minutes, Chi Yu fell asleep.