In those days of Plants vs. Zombies

Chapter 589 A Sudden Awakening

Feng Ye remained silent at the table, watching Nuonuo not far away.

His keen intuition as a martial artist made him sense the strange aura emanating from Nuonuo.

It wasn't just exhaustion, but a numbness and aversion bordering on self-destruction.

Disgusted with oneself, disgusted with life.

The negative impact of the mind-controlling master on her was greater than we initially anticipated.

Recalling the villain they had met once, a ruthless glint flashed in Feng Ye's eyes.

Next time we meet, I'll definitely test my knife on you.

After saying what she wanted to say, Nono ignored the spearheads and bullet casings in front of her and tried to squeeze through the gap between them to reach the corner of the tavern.

Her steps were somewhat unsteady, like a wisp of a ghost about to be blown away by the wind.

"Nono!"

Spear tip instinctively reached out, wanting to grab her, but his fingertips only touched the cold fabric of the cloak.

Just as Nuonuo was about to pass through them, Fengye, who had been silent all along, suddenly moved.

"stop!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it exploded in Nuonuo's ears like a thunderclap.

The Heavy Armor mercenaries present fell silent and looked at Feng Ye, their vice-captain, who was walking quickly to Nuonuo.

Nono stopped walking. She kept her head down, but her slightly trembling shoulders betrayed the unsettled state of her heart.

Feng Ye looked down at Nuonuo, the child he and Glaus had rescued together.

His eyes were sharp, like a dagger, as if he wanted to cut Nuonuo open and see her clearly.

"Looked up."

Feng Ye looked down at Nuonuo, his tone commanding and irresistible.

Nono stood frozen in place, and finally, very slowly, she raised her head.

She lifted her hood, revealing a pale, childlike face, and her golden eyes reflected no one's image.

"Look at yourself now, what do you look like?"

Feng Ye's voice was low and cold, filled with pure scrutiny and a hint of barely perceptible heartache.

Nono opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

"Do you consider yourself a burden to Chongfeng? Do you think you don't deserve the concern of everyone here? Do you believe that only dying alone is your rightful destiny?"

Feng Ye's words were like a sharp needle, precisely piercing the most vulnerable spot in Nuonuo's heart.

Nono suddenly closed her eyes, and two lines of clear tears silently slid down her cheeks, dripping onto her cloak.

"I···"

She finally managed to squeeze out a single word, her voice broken, like a fragment in the wind.

"Open your eyes!"

Feng Ye shouted sternly, "Look at me! Answer my question!"

Startled by his shout, Nono was forced to open her eyes.

"Tell me, isn't your life a life too? The people you saved, and the companions you healed, they owe you their lives. How do you expect them to repay that debt?"

Feng Ye took a step closer and grabbed Nuonuo's collar: "You said you didn't want to trouble us, but you are our biggest problem right now! What right does a coward who despises himself and even wants to die have to say he doesn't want to trouble others? Don't forget, you are not just yourself, you are also our Chongfeng's most important team doctor!"

"Deputy Head!"

Maojian couldn't help but speak up, trying to stop his deputy commander's almost cruel verbal attack.

"Shut up!"

Without turning his head, Feng Ye retorted to Mao Jian, his gaze still fixed on Nuonuo: "Let her hear the truth!"

Nono's body swayed precariously, as if she might collapse at any moment, but a flicker of emotion seemed to appear in her empty eyes.

"You think you're not good enough?"

Feng Ye let out a cold laugh: "Then tell me, what makes you think you're unworthy? Is it that mind-controlling master? Or your heart that's long since rotted away?"

He reached out, not to touch Nuonuo, but through the cloak, pointing to the latter's heart: "What beats in your chest is a warm heart, a vibrant life that your parents protected with their lives, not a pool of self-loathing mud!"

"Deputy Commander..."

This time it was Tan Jia who spoke; his eyes were slightly red.

Inside the tavern, the Heavy Edge mercenaries held their breath, watching the scene unfold between the vice-captain and the captains. They had never seen Feng Ye so out of control.

Nono's face was even paler than before, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

"I...I'm not..."

She choked up, wanting to say something, but found that she couldn't even utter a complete sentence.

“We at Chongfeng don’t need a team doctor who can’t even take care of himself. Think about it carefully.”

Feng Ye withdrew his hand, walked straight past Nuonuo, and headed towards the tavern's door.

"Stop using your escapism and weakness to push those who care about you into the abyss of despair."

He left those words behind, pushed open the door, and his figure disappeared into the twilight outside the tavern.

The spearhead and the bullet casing stared at each other, sensing the anger at Feng Ye's lack of ambition in his words, and hearing the deep anxiety and heartache hidden beneath his stern rebuke.

The deputy commander never gets angry easily, especially towards her, Nono, whom they rescued and cared for like a daughter.

Nono stood there, dejected, her body still trembling beneath her cloak.

Every word Feng Ye said was like a heavy hammer, striking her already overburdened heart.

Yet, miraculously, this heavy hammer managed to smash open a few tiny cracks in that protective shell filled with self-loathing.

"The deputy commander..."

Shell looked at Nono's retreating figure and said with some concern.

Before he could finish speaking, the spearhead suddenly covered the mouth of the bullet casing and gently shook his head.

He stared at Nono and was surprised to find that the child's lowered head seemed to have been raised a few inches.

Nono didn't look back at the direction Feng Ye had left; her empty golden eyes were filled with complex emotions.

There is the excruciating pain of having one's wounds ripped open, the shame of feeling utterly ashamed, and the bewildered will to survive forcibly awakened by cruel words.

"Nono, don't take it too seriously."

Maojian approached Nuonuo hesitantly, speaking softly for fear of disturbing her: "The deputy commander... is just too worried about you."

Nono didn't respond. She simply raised her hand and used the wide sleeve of her cloak to roughly wipe away the tears on her face, leaving deep marks on her skin.

Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, Nono did not walk towards the corner table, but instead headed towards the back door of the tavern.

"Nono!"

"I'm going to get some fresh air."

As soon as she finished speaking, she pushed open the back door and quickly disappeared behind it.

Tan Jia looked at the spearhead beside him, seemingly at a loss: "What should we do? Should we chase after them?"

“Give that child some time. The deputy commander is right. Nono’s path can only be walked by herself.”

Spearhead took a deep breath, patted the bullet casing on the shoulder, and whispered words of comfort.

He returned to the table, poured himself a full glass of strong liquor, and drank it all in one gulp. The spicy liquid burned his throat, but it also calmed his chaotic thoughts a little.

All we can do is wait.