Que Tang pulled her along, weaving cautiously through the cluttered, disarrayed shelves. Expecting that the remaining food and water would be limited, she gathered whatever she could find. Finally, her eyes lit up when she spotted a shelf stocked with a row of items that almost no one had bothered to loot.
Que Lan, who had been silently following and watching her sister, couldn't maintain her stoic expression when she was pulled toward this particular shelf. "Sister, while these things are important, we can't carry many of them. You should still prioritize food and water."
Que Tang turned around, taking her sister’s other hand and squeezing it tightly in her palms before letting go.
「Sister… I have something to tell you.」 She picked up a pack of sanitary pads from the shelf, holding it in both hands. Suddenly, the pack vanished.
Que Lan’s pupils dilated instantly.
「I don’t know why, but I can somehow move these things into another space and take them out whenever I need them. This way, we don’t have to worry about supplies.」 Que Tang lied. She was misleading Que Lan into thinking she had awakened a "spatial ability," a common trope in post-apocalyptic novels. In reality, it was simply the storage ring. 「Sister needs these things too, and toilet paper—these are far too important.」 After her performance, she immediately swept all the sanitary pads and toilet paper off the shelves. Then, as if fearing it wasn't enough, she pulled her sister toward the supermarket warehouse.
Just as she was about to step into the warehouse, Que Lan suddenly yanked her back. A zombie lunged out from within, throwing itself toward Que Lan.
「Sis—」 Que Tang started to shout, only to remember she had no voice. She was so frustrated she wanted to drag Little Mushroom out for a posthumous flogging. However, she didn't have time to dwell on it; she whipped out her iron rod, pulled Que Lan behind her, and swung. Like a professional ballplayer hitting a home run, she sent the zombie flying a hundred meters, crashing through several walls.
“...”
「...」 Que Tang calmly put the rod away. She turned back, nervously checking Que Lan from head to toe. 「Is Sister hurt?」
“I’m fine, Tangtang.”
「That’s good… I only have you, Sister.」 She looked at Que Lan earnestly, then smiled. 「Look, Sister, I can knock a zombie away with one swing now. I’ll protect you.」
Que Lan looked away. Although the hatred in her heart seemed to soften slightly at those words, the scene of being killed by this very sister—the one she had always held in the palm of her hand—in her previous life was still vivid in her mind. She couldn't help but sneer inwardly. *If she knew her sister was a zombie in this life, would she still say she’d protect me?*
*Absolutely not.*
Therefore, she would stick to her original plan: she would pamper this sister to the heavens, and then, once she knew the truth, let her fall cruelly to the depths.
Que Tang knew her sister must be plotting some form of revenge, but she didn't care about her internal monologues. You couldn't expect much more from a female lead whose blackening level was already at maximum. Regardless, her current goal was to raise the favorability to a positive value, and then, after meeting the male lead, make her sister fall for him.
Since the first zombie had appeared, Que Tang kept her iron rod ready and had her sister follow behind her. The two of them slowly entered the warehouse. The first wave of refugees had already looted much of the stock; all that remained were a few scattered bottles of mineral water and some high-calorie chocolate bars. She put a bottle of water and some chocolate in her backpack and stashed the rest in her storage ring. She didn't forget to take some daily necessities either—things others ignored because they took up too much space, but which Que Tang happily collected with her "cheat" ability.
Que Lan watched her sister’s behavior coldly. A flicker of doubt crossed her mind, but she dismissed it as overthinking. Yet, she thought, if she herself could be reborn, could her sister have been replaced by someone else?
No, if it were someone else, they wouldn't have recognized her at a glance. So, it must still be her sister. Perhaps she was just exceptionally happy to see a relative in a time of spreading terror.
A smirk played on the corners of her lips.
*Enjoy your happiness for now. The happier Que Tang is now, the more I will enjoy myself later.*
Que Tang’s hand paused while picking up food, then she resumed as if nothing had happened. 「Sister, let’s find a place to rest. Then we can have a good talk.」
Que Lan nodded and led the way out.
Just as they reached the entrance, they heard the sound of a group of people talking outside. The sisters exchanged a look.
「Sister… should we go out?」 Que Tang played the role of the dependent younger sister with practiced ease.
“Wait.” Que Lan pulled her back, hiding in a dark corner where the lights were broken. She observed the group walking in—five young men, roughly twenty-one or twenty-two years old. Judging by their appearance, they weren't the type to inspire a sense of security. “Que Tang, don't make a sound later…” Her heart tightened after she spoke, but her sister merely squeezed her hand and tapped twice with her thumb to indicate she understood. She turned her attention back to the five men.
The five men held clubs and bats, knocking over empty shelves with loud crashes as they scanned for food.
“Idiots. Zombies are extremely sensitive to sound; they can hear a needle drop. With all this noise they’re making, the zombies will be at the door in no time,” Que Lan cursed under her breath. Turning back, she met her sister’s worried, frowning gaze. She suppressed the urge to push her sister into the zombie horde along with these men and said seriously, “I’ll make some noise to lure them away. You hide in the warehouse immediately and lock the door, understand?”
「No.」 Que Tang refused without hesitation. *What a joke.* Even though the female lead was a Zombie Queen and couldn't die, anyone would know that nodding "yes" here was the wrong dialogue choice for a favorability route. 「Sister, I’m very strong; I can deal with them. You go inside first.」 After a thought, she took off her backpack and handed it to her. 「Take this. It doesn't really match your 'cool older sister' look or your stylish trench coat, but use it for now.」 She smiled at Que Lan. Before Que Lan could speak, she added: 「Don't refuse me, Sister.」
Que Lan stared deeply at Que Tang, but she found no hint of retreat in her eyes—only overflowing fear and forced courage. She looked away. “I understand.” She would see just how far this girl would go for her.
Having secured her sister’s agreement, Que Tang left Que Lan in the shadows and dashed toward the entrance, banging on shelves with her iron rod to create noise. The five men were indeed lured over, heading toward her position, while Que Tang quickly circled to the other side.
Seeing from a distance that Que Lan had moved away and that the five men had started fighting the arriving zombies, she immediately ran toward the warehouse. However, she accidentally kicked a fallen shelf, making a loud clatter. Que Tang cursed inwardly and continued to run despite her aching leg, but someone had already noticed her.
“Old A, there’s a chick here!” Old B shouted.
“What? A chick? It’s been ages since I’ve had a taste. Catch her, quick! Once I finish off this zombie, I’m going to have a good meal,” Old A said, distracted.
The others seemed even more motivated by his words, swinging their clubs at the zombies with renewed vigor.
“Stop running! You won’t get far anyway. And where could you even go? You’re better off following us; at least you’ll stay alive,” Old B said, eyeing her up and down.
Que Tang really didn't want to kill anyone, so she simply backed away step by step. She didn't head for the warehouse but led them in a different direction.
Old B seemed to lose patience with the stalemate, thinking a girl couldn't pose much of a threat. He strode forward and grabbed Que Tang by the collar, dragging her toward the exit. But after only two steps, a sharp pain shot through his hand. He let go in agony, and Que Tang seized the opportunity to strike both of his shins with her rod. Old B collapsed, cursing in pain.
Que Tang immediately sprinted to the warehouse. Seeing Que Lan waiting at the door, she rushed inside, locked it, and slumped to the floor. Once she relaxed, the pain in her lower leg flared up. She rolled up her pant leg to check her left leg; as expected, there was a large bruise.
It wasn't a major injury, so she decided to ignore it. However, just as she slid down and closed her eyes, she felt a hand touch the bruised area.
“If you don’t massage the blood stasis away, it will turn into a fibroma,” Que Lan explained flatly. She pulled a jar of multi-purpose ointment from the backpack and applied it to her sister’s leg. “Don’t do that again. You only have one sister, and likewise, I only have one of you.”
Learning that this sister—whose blackening level had been maxed out from the start—finally had a favorability of zero toward her, Que Tang realized she didn't have to worry about being thrown to the zombies immediately. She relaxed and lay back on the floor. After her sister finished the massage, she pulled Que Lan down to sit beside her and rested her head on her lap.
To Que Tang, the most dangerous yet safest place in the world was likely by Que Lan’s side. She knew this reborn female lead wanted revenge, but as the powerful Zombie Queen, she could also effortlessly KO any enemy.
Que Tang analyzed her current situation as temporarily safe. Que Lan probably wouldn't let her die so easily; she surely had many ways planned to torment her later. Confirmed that her sister would still protect her for now, she fell asleep peacefully.
Unaware that she was being analyzed so clinically, Que Lan looked down at her sleeping face, her brow furrowing in increasing confusion.
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
异能 | Special ability / Superpower | Common term in Chinese apocalypse/sci-fi web novels.
储物戒 | Storage ring | A common cultivation/fantasy trope for a portable spatial dimension.
黑化值 | Blackening level / Corruption level | A measure of a character's descent into darkness or vengeance.
好感值 | Favorability / Affection level | A common game-like mechanic in "system" novels.
丧尸王 | Zombie Queen / Zombie King | The highest-tier, sentient leader of the zombies.
卫生巾 | Sanitary pads | Mentioned as a vital but often overlooked supply in the apocalypse.
万能药膏 | Multi-purpose ointment / Universal salve | A general healing cream.
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Transmigrated as the Mary Sue: The Villainess's Revenge System | Chapter 14 | Scavenging and Schemes | Novela.app | Novela.app
