TFRLTOP Chapter 82 Part 1

Chapter 82 – The Captain’s Little Widow 

◎ The Curious Uses of Tentacles (Part Three) ◎

Li Hua buried his face against An Ning’s shoulder, sobbing pitifully, tears streaking his cheeks like rain on blossoms. Between hiccups, he jabbed a finger toward the group across from them and shouted, “You shameless brutes!”

An Ning gently patted his back, murmuring, “It’s okay, it’s okay,” though the twitch at the corner of her mouth betrayed her deep embarrassment.

Ming Ming shifted her gaze to the few burly men standing nearby. They were talking among themselves in low tones while watching Li Hua, their expressions a mix of curiosity and… hunger?

Ming Ming froze, a dreadful realization dawning on her.
Good heavens, it really was the apocalypse—no law, no morality. Poor Li Hua!

“What’s wrong with him?” Guan Yi asked the man beside him. “Why’s he crying like that? Did Dr. An lose control or something?”

Ming Ming shot him a glare. How could he not see what was going on? And to blame Dr. An, of all people!

Oh, Captain—under your mighty leadership, such a thing happening in your camp… It’s outrageous! Will you stand for justice? Will you restore order and defend the weak? Your decision here will define your legacy!

Poor Li Hua, thought Ming Ming mournfully. How would he recover from this?

The man beside them snorted with laughter. “Relax. Everyone just took too much from him. He’s all dried out now.”

Ming Ming blinked. “What… what do you mean, dried out?”

“Literally. No water left,” the man said. “Some of the guys thought maybe he could produce more if he rested, but he refused.”

“Oh.”
Ming Ming and Guan Yi exchanged uneasy looks.

Ming Ming’s thoughts spiraled. Why was my first assumption so… questionable? Maybe she’d read too many adult novels in the past. Maybe her mind had just become corrupted by the apocalypse.
I need to purify my soul, she decided.

Meanwhile, Guan Yi silently remembered that he had been the first one to ask Li Hua for water earlier—and had collected quite a bit. Enough to last. But that was a secret he wasn’t planning to share.

“Look at him cry,” one man said with a teasing smirk. “Bet he’s just using it as an excuse to lean on Dr. An. Come on, we all know how guys think.”

Sometimes male camaraderie was fragile. The moment someone else got attention from a woman, jealousy took root. The teasing continued mercilessly.

“Alright, enough,” Guan Yi said, clearing his throat to end the mockery. “Tonight’s rations—give Li Hua a little extra. He needs to regain his strength.”

Li Hua shot to his feet, shouting, “Even if I recover, I’m not sharing with you!”

“Yes, Li Hua.”
“As you command, Li Hua.”
“How are you, Li Hua?”

“I’m not fine!” Li Hua barked.

The group burst out laughing.
Everyone—except Li Hua.

Poor, poor Li Hua.

After the chaos, the night grew calm. The mutant creatures in the forest had all been cleared out, leaving the area unusually safe. The team decided to camp there for the night before heading toward the military base at dawn.

After a quick meal, everyone settled down to rest. Ming Ming pulled an old blanket from her pack to spread on the ground, but Guan Yi tugged her sleeve and tilted his head, gesturing for her to follow.

“What is it?” she mouthed.

He slipped an arm around her waist and whispered, “Found you a better spot to sleep.”

Suspicious but curious, Ming Ming followed. They walked for ten minutes, moving farther from the group. She couldn’t help glancing back.
“Where are you taking me? Don’t tell me—like this afternoon—you’re planning something weird again?”

She crossed her arms, glaring.
No more surprises, no more mischief—especially when there was no water left to clean up afterward!

When she refused to take another step, Guan Yi chuckled softly and caught her hand. “What’s the matter? Nervous? Don’t worry, even if you scream out here, no one will hear—”

Ming Ming’s eyes widened in horror. I knew it! The man was in trouble!

She spun around to bolt, but something wrapped around her waist and lifted her clean off the ground. Before she could shout, Guan Yi was already there, catching her easily in his arms as if she weighed nothing.

“Let me go!” she demanded, wriggling furiously.

He only laughed. “Calm down. You’ll see.”

After a few minutes of struggling, Ming Ming gave up. And then she saw it.

Between two sturdy trees, hanging gently in the moonlight, was a hammock.

“I told you I’d find you a comfortable place to sleep,” Guan Yi said, smiling. He rubbed his cheek against hers playfully.

Ming Ming’s irritation vanished. “You actually made this?”

It wasn’t exactly normal—thick cords of some kind woven together—but in a world like this, who was going to complain about the material? A hammock was a hammock.

Excited, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Sorry for doubting you! Let me try it!”

He set her down carefully, and she climbed onto the hammock, laughing as it swayed gently beneath her.

“This is amazing!” she said, lying back with a satisfied sigh. “Come on, there’s plenty of room.”

Guan Yi only smiled and shook his head. “In a bit.”

Ming Ming didn’t understand—until the hammock shifted slightly under her. Something beneath the weave stirred, curling lightly around her waist and legs.

She froze.
“Wait a second…”

The cords twitched again—alive.