Chapter 259
Suzy tilted her head curiously.
"Who was that?"
The man had seemed vaguely familiar, as though she had seen him somewhere before.
Liam cleared his throat.
"He’s one of the people living downstairs."
After a brief pause, he added, "The group I warned you about before. The four of them."
Realization dawned on Suzy’s face.
So it was them. No wonder he had looked familiar. She remembered now.
She had seen all four men before, albeit from a distance while observing them from above. Even so, she had gotten a decent look at their faces.
The man who had just left was one of the twins.
As for whether he was the older brother or the younger one, she had no idea.
"How did you end up getting involved with them?" she asked.
When the four men had first arrived, Liam had warned her to be cautious. Yet during the weeks that followed, everyone had coexisted peacefully.
The newcomers seemed aware that people lived upstairs, but they had never attempted to rob anyone or force their way into the upper floors.
A fragile peace had settled over the building.
Suzy herself had barely left the apartment lately. Aside from occasionally spotting them from the windows, she had never interacted with them directly.
Liam smiled awkwardly.
"It’s a long story."
After scratching his cheek, he continued.
"A few days ago, I went downstairs to look for supplies and ran into some trouble. They helped me."
Suzy arched her brows. "Why didn’t you tell me?"
She had visited Liam’s apartment several times over the past few weeks, sometimes bringing supplies, sometimes stopping by to spend time with Liam’s younger brother. Yet he had never mentioned any of this.
"It only happened recently."
Liam spoke quickly, almost hurriedly.
"And I wasn’t sure what kind of people they really were. I’m still figuring that out myself, so I didn’t want to say anything too soon."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he seemed to realize how defensive he sounded.
His lips pressed together awkwardly.
"I didn’t mean..."
His reaction made Suzy feel a little embarrassed as well.
Quickly changing the subject, she asked, "So what kind of trouble did you run into?"
As Liam explained, Suzy gradually pieced together the story.
Several days earlier, he had gone searching for supplies and happened to encounter the four men downstairs.
They had not been hostile. One of them had simply studied him for a moment before asking whether he lived upstairs. Sensing no ill intent, Liam had answered honestly. The conversation ended there, and they went their separate ways.
Later, while searching through one of the apartments in the complex, Liam stumbled upon a hidden cache of supplies that somehow hadn’t been discovered yet.
The haul wasn’t large, but it was enough to attract attention. That was when he learned that some of the survivors in the residential complex had formed their own organization.
At first, they had tried to recruit him. Liam refused. The moment he declined, their friendliness vanished. They immediately attempted to seize his supplies by force.
There were several of them, while he was alone. The situation quickly became dangerous.
Then, at the height of the standoff, the four men from downstairs appeared.
Their sudden arrival changed everything.
The group threatening Liam backed down instantly and no longer dared to make a move.
Afterward, Liam had offered to share some of his supplies with them as thanks.
They refused. Instead, they simply told him that neighbors should help one another.
Suzy listened quietly before nodding in thought.
Liam glanced at her, forcing a smile. "They’re actually pretty decent people."
His opinion of the four men had gradually improved after getting to know them.
At first, he had been every bit as wary as everyone else.
"What was he here for today?" Suzy asked.
"He came to trade."
Liam pointed toward a small bag resting on the table. Inside were two packets of compressed biscuits.
Suzy raised an eyebrow. "What did he trade for?"
"Water."
"I see."
She paused before adding seriously, "Still, you should be careful. It’s always wise to stay cautious."
Her gaze settled on Liam’s pale, strikingly handsome face.
For some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was too trusting.
What if the group was simply probing him?
What if they were trying to determine how many supplies he had before eventually coming to take them?
"If anything happens, contact me immediately. I gave you a walkie-talkie for a reason."
Under her scrutiny, Liam looked slightly uncomfortable.
His lashes lowered. "I know."
The obedient way he lowered his eyes made him look unexpectedly gentle.
"Right." Suzy suddenly remembered why she had come. "I’m actually here to bring you something. We made dumplings today."
She pushed the insulated bag toward him.
"Dumplings?" Liam flinched. "What brought that on?"
"It’s New Year’s Eve." Suzy smiled. "And we happened to have some flour."
"New Year’s Eve..."
The words struck him like a distant memory. Since the apocalypse began, he had completely lost track of time.
Every day felt identical. Survival had become the only thing that mattered.
"That’s right." Suzy nodded. "It’s New Year’s Eve. I brought some for you and your brother."
Then she glanced around.
"Speaking of him, where is he?"
"He’s in his room."
Liam’s expression softened.
"It’s cold, and he doesn’t move around much these days. He’s mostly been staying in bed."
"Make sure you wake him up later." She tapped the insulated container. "Dumplings are best eaten while they’re hot."
"Okay." Warmth flickered across Liam’s face. "Thank you."
Suzy laughed.
"I’ve told you before, you don’t have to be so formal with me. Look at our relationship."
Unexpectedly, Liam looked up.
"Our relationship?"
His eyes met hers directly. "What exactly are we?"
Suzy froze. "You’re asking me?"
"Who else would I be asking?"
A small smile tugged at her lips. "We’re friends, of course."
Silence followed.
Liam lowered his head. A faint smile appeared on his face. There was bitterness hidden within it, though Suzy failed to notice.
"I suppose we are."
Glancing at her watch, Suzy realized it was getting late.
She stood to leave. The moment she rose, Liam caught her wrist. She looked back in confusion.
"What is it?"
After a moment of hesitation, he asked quietly, "Would you like to stay and eat with us?"
Suzy shook her head with an apologetic smile.
"I can’t. Everyone’s waiting for me at home."
The answer dimmed the light in his eyes. Disappointment settled heavily in his chest.
Of course. She had her own family. Her own people.
Why would she spend New Year’s Eve with him?
Swallowing the unpleasant ache inside, Liam slowly released her hand.
"Alright."
"You and your brother enjoy the dumplings."
Then Suzy remembered something else.
"By the way, do you still have enough heat packs? The ones I brought before."
Not long ago, she had delivered various cold-weather supplies to the brothers. She figured they were probably running low by now.
"We still have enough."
"Good." Relieved, she nodded. "Then I’ll head back."
She had barely taken a step before Liam spoke again.
"Aren’t you going to see him?"
Suzy stopped. "Your brother?"
She hesitated. "Maybe not. I’d rather let him stay warm and rest."
Unlike her apartment, Liam’s home had no heating system.
The doors and windows were sealed as tightly as possible, with only a narrow gap left open for ventilation.
Although it was slightly warmer inside than outside, the difference wasn’t significant.
Dressed as lightly as she was, Suzy had already begun to feel the cold creeping into her bones.
Liam looked at her for a moment before speaking softly.
"If he finds out you came all the way here and didn’t even stop to see him..."
His voice trailed off.
"He’ll be heartbroken."