C68 He Was Furious and Tried to Persuade Her.

Qin Mengli and Lin Leyan, along with her daughter, chatted for quite some time until Mengli felt a twinge of pain from her wound. Realizing she needed to rest and couldn't stay on her feet for much longer, she addressed Lin Leyan, "Teacher Lin, the journey here must have been incredibly stressful. You all must be exhausted, right? A good night's sleep will do wonders for your spirits after such an ordeal."

"Absolutely!" Lin Leyan agreed, nodding. "We've hardly slept or eaten well these past few days, and the trip was quite frightening. A comfortable room would be amazing!"

"There's no shortage of rooms here," Qin Mengli responded, taking Lin Leyan's hand and turning to lead her. "How about you stay in the dorm next to mine? It's fully equipped with beds, blankets, and all the essentials!"

"Really? That would be fantastic!" Lin Leyan beamed. "The past few nights, I've been sleeping in the shopping mall office, with just a cloth curtain for warmth. It was far from comfortable."

"We've also got plenty of clean water for you to enjoy a nice bath," Qin Mengli added. "And since this is a garment factory, finding clothes that fit won't be a problem. Just let me know what you need!"

"I'm so grateful we found you!" Lin Leyan said, holding Mengli's hand, her face visibly relaxing.

"Follow me!" Qin Mengli was equally delighted. Teacher Lin had become a dear friend, and with their arrival, she no longer felt the pangs of solitude.

As Qin Mengli was leading Lin Leyan and Liang Hui up the stairs, Sun Meng and Zhao Dagang suddenly appeared, blocking their path.

"Mengli, Teacher Lin and Huihui need to rest, don't they?" Sun Meng asked, smiling.

"Yes," Qin Mengli nodded, "I'm taking them up to the room next to mine."

"Do you really need to bother with such a small task?" Sun Meng chuckled as she descended the stairs and took Liang Hui's hand. "Leave it to me!"

"Is it really that much trouble?" Qin Mengli laughed, shaking her head. "It's only a few steps away."

"It's not just a few steps. We need to tidy up the room for Teacher Lin and move the beds down," Sun Meng insisted cheerfully. "Mengli, you and Zhao are both recovering from injuries and need to rest. Let me handle this with Teacher Lin and the others!"

At first, Qin Mengli didn't catch on, but then something felt off. "Move it downstairs? To where?"

"Bing asked me to help Teacher Lin and Huihui find a larger, more comfortable room on the office floor below. I'll tidy it up and move the beds in," Sun Meng replied with a smile. "The offices down there are way bigger than our dorms. It's going to be so much more comfortable to sleep in!"

"An office? Why go through all that hassle?" Qin Mengli questioned with a frown. "Just sleeping in the dorm is fine. No need for all this fuss!"

"Mengli, you don't have to worry about this," Sun Meng reassured her with a smile. "You need to rest and heal. Go back to your room and relax! I've got this covered. I promise Teacher Lin and Huihui will be well taken care of."

"I've already said that Teacher Lin and Huihui can stay in the room next to mine!" Qin Mengli said, clearly annoyed. "Why make things so complicated? They're both exhausted, and you're not exactly the strongest, so let's not make it more difficult than it needs to be!"

"It's okay!" Sun Meng assured her, still smiling. "I can handle it."

"What are you trying to say?" Qin Mengli wasn't fooled. Sun Meng might be all smiles, but her stance was unwavering. Clearly, this wasn't a negotiation.

"Mengli, I just want to get a nice place set up for Teacher Lin and the others!" Sun Meng said, still smiling as she turned to Lin Leyan and Liang Hui. "Let's go downstairs and pick out a room you both like. Once you've chosen, we'll move the furniture in together."

"Sun Meng!" Qin Mengli couldn't contain her frustration any longer and grabbed her hand angrily. "What are you up to? I've already told you, Teacher Lin and Huihui can stay in the room next to mine!"

"Mengli, Bing has given his orders," Sun Meng replied, her smile unwavering. "Teacher Lin and Huihui are to stay in a larger room downstairs."

"What's the meaning of this?" Qin Mengli's grip tightened on Sun Meng's wrist.

"Mengli, ease up! You're hurting me!" Sun Meng cried out softly.

With a huff, Qin Mengli released Sun Meng's hand and, with a frown, took hold of Lin Leyan. "Ignore her! Teacher Lin, you're coming with me!"

"Stop right there!" Zhao Dagang, who had been quiet until now, stepped forward with clear reluctance and blocked the path. "Bing made it clear we're staying downstairs, so that's where we'll be. Miss Qin, you're free to head upstairs if you wish, but Teacher Lin, you and Ms. Meng will need to come downstairs, please."

Lin Leyan sensed the tension. Not knowing the details but eager to avoid a confrontation, she gently patted Qin Mengli's hand and offered a reassuring smile. "Mengli, if Tang Bing insists on it, he must have his reasons. After all, he's the one who saved our lives. He's our hero! Does it really matter whether we're upstairs or downstairs? It's a minor issue, not worth fretting over."

"Exactly! We're all together, so what difference does it make if we're on different floors?" Liang Hui chimed in cheerfully, not overthinking the situation.

"Mengli, you see, even Teacher Lin and Huihui are on board," Sun Meng said with a light laugh, "Why don't I show them downstairs? The sooner we settle in, the sooner you both can rest."

"Let's do that," Teacher Lin agreed, decisively turning to Sun Meng.

"No way!" Qin Mengli's frustration was palpable, her brows furrowed in anger. "There are plenty of rooms upstairs, and we could simply move in there. Why should Teacher Lin and Huihui be relegated to the downstairs? That's an office, not a bedroom!"

"It'll be a bedroom once we tidy it up," Sun Meng countered, "And it's not necessarily inferior to where we're staying now."

"I won't accept that!" Qin Mengli's anger flared. "I need to speak with Tang Bing. You can't just take Teacher Lin and Huihui downstairs! Teacher Lin may not have taught him, but she's still a faculty member at the same school. How can you treat her like this?"

"Mengli," Sun Meng interjected, grasping her arm, "Bing has exhausted himself saving Teacher Lin and the others. He needs his rest and won't allow any disturbances. If you need to discuss something, it can wait until he's recovered. You should also rest and let your injuries heal properly."

Qin Mengli broke free from Sun Meng's grasp, only to find Zhao Dagang blocking her path with a stern expression. Panic set in as she demanded, "What's going on here? Wasn't everything fine just a moment ago?"

"Miss Qin, you're welcome to return to your room to rest, but please don't interfere with Bing," Zhao Dagang told her firmly.

"Mengli, Teacher Lin and the rest must be exhausted. We can't keep this up! You should rest in your room; I'll help them get settled," Sun Meng said, turning to Lin Leyan with a gesture of invitation, "Teacher Lin, after you."

"Hold on!" Qin Mengli interjected urgently, "No one's going downstairs!"

"Mengli, you're in the wrong here," Sun Meng countered, facing her again. "Teacher Lin and the others need their rest. They're truly worn out."

"Then they can rest upstairs. Just don't block my way!" Qin Mengli glared at Sun Meng. "If Tang Bing has any issues with it, I'll discuss it with him directly."

"Mengli, please don't put me in this position," Sun Meng's smile faded away.

"It's just a room, for heaven's sake. Why are you making such a fuss?" Qin Mengli argued, her frustration mounting. "Can't I even arrange a place for Teacher Lin and the others to stay?"

"Mengli, you don't run this team," Sun Meng stated coldly.

"How is this not my team? We all came together for survival; this is our team, not the property of one person!" Qin Mengli retorted, her anger flaring. "As a team member, why can't I make even a small decision?"

"Mengli, let's just drop it..." Lin Leyan, sensing the escalating tension, stepped in to mediate, hoping to prevent any conflict among the survivors.

"Teacher Lin, stay out of this," Qin Mengli insisted, her voice heated. "Why can't I arrange just one room? This is a deliberate attack on me! I need to speak with Tang Bing face-to-face. It's petty for a grown man to seek revenge over a trivial emotional issue!"

"Miss Qin, I personally have nothing against you," Zhao Dagang interjected, unable to hold back after hearing her accusations. "But I take great issue with your last statement! If Bing were petty, he wouldn't have risked his life to save your Teacher Lin. If Bing were petty, he wouldn't have stepped forward when we were encircled by zombies. You claim this team belongs to everyone, but you're mistaken. This team is Bing's. It doesn't belong to you, Ms. Meng, nor to me. We owe our survival, our food, our shelter, and our continued existence amidst the zombie onslaught to Bing. Without him, none of us would have it this easy. Bing wouldn't seek petty revenge over something so trivial. He's given his orders, and we're going to follow them."

"This is blatant discrimination!" Qin Mengli exclaimed, her emotions running high. "Making Teacher Lin and the others stay downstairs is unequal treatment!"

"We're all living under the same roof; where's the issue of equality?" Sun Meng countered. "Mengli, you're overthinking this."

"If it's not an issue, then why can't they stay upstairs? Is Tang Bing deliberately trying to drive a wedge between me and Teacher Lin? What's he up to?" Qin Mengli fumed. "I need to confront him and get some answers! If he insists on this, then I'll move downstairs and join Teacher Lin and the rest!"

"Go for it!" Sun Meng chuckled at the idea. "Mengli, it's nice of you to want to stay with Teacher Lin and the others. Need help clearing out your room?"

"Sun Meng, you..." Qin Mengli suddenly realized that Sun Meng, who had been so affectionate just two days prior, now seemed irksome.

"Mengli, need a hand with packing? You're injured and shouldn't be exerting yourself. I can help you move your bedding, clothes, and everything else!" Sun Meng offered cheerfully. "Do you want your own room, or would you prefer to share with Teacher Lin and the group?"

"You..." Qin Mengli was on the verge of lashing out, but Lin Leyan quickly took hold of her, pulling her aside gently. Frustration simmered within her. "Teacher Lin..."

"Mengli," Lin Leyan spoke softly, trying to soothe her. "It's really not the end of the world. Tang didn't mean us any harm; he wouldn't have risked his life to come to our rescue otherwise."

"But he..."

"Ah, you naive girl," Lin Leyan sighed, shaking her head. "He's showing his displeasure with you for meddling too much. He's flexing his authority to make a point. The more you react, the worse it is for Teacher, for Huihui, and for you. Do you see that?"

"Teacher Lin..." Qin Mengli understood, of course, but it didn't ease the sting. Why was Tang Bing, who had once been so compliant and always by her side, treating her this way now?

Lin Leyan noticed the turmoil in Qin Mengli's eyes and spoke gently, "Mengli, things have changed... it's not like before."