“A refuge has been established in City B?” Ouyang Aotian asked, his voice a mix of doubt and burgeoning hope.
Que Lan nodded. “On my way here from City A, I encountered a group of people heading in the same direction. They told me they were passing through here to reach City B. The government and the military have set up a temporary emergency base there.” As she recounted the story, she kept her eyes lowered, staring at the back of the motionless figure in her arms.
She wasn't lying, but she was omitting certain facts. The military and government had indeed established a base there, but it was incredibly unstable. Rather than a base, it was more like a refugee slum. It lacked planning and order; it was a place of chaos, madness, and terror. Every extreme and filthy aspect of human nature imaginable could be found there, while the seeds of human kindness were often trampled out the moment they sprouted.
When the zombie tide eventually struck and the military retreated along with the high-ranking officials, the base—already a heap of loose sand—was easily overrun.
“I plan to take Que Tang there first before deciding on our next move. What about you, Aotian?” Her tone carried a subtle hint of worry and fear. An ordinary man might have overlooked it, but Ouyang Aotian was a man who was exceptionally attentive and gentle toward women. He noticed.
“Indeed. Rather than sitting here waiting for our food and water to run out—waiting for death with our hands tied—it’s better to go out and see. However…” Ouyang Aotian frowned. “First, we have to deal with the zombies surrounding the building.”
“Right, I haven't asked yet—what exactly did you all run into?”
Ouyang Aotian suddenly pulled an unopened bottle of water and two chocolate bars from his backpack and handed them to Que Lan. “Look at me, I completely forgot. You two must haven't had anything to eat or drink. Let’s sit down and talk slowly.”
Que Lan accepted them with a complicated expression. Ouyang Aotian was just that kind of person; even in a situation like this, he would think of the two sisters and do his best to look after them. She had once been so fond of this boy next door. Even when he chose her sister, she hadn't minded, because her sister was a good girl too.
But why did these two people treat her that way in her past life?
She took a deep breath and lightly patted Que Tang’s back. “Tangtang, let’s sit and rest for a bit.”
Que Tang slowly pulled away from her embrace, but she refused to look at anyone but her sister. Once they sat on the floor, she immediately clung to Que Lan’s arm again, burying her head in her shoulder. Her hot breath brushed against Que Lan’s neck, stirring a strange sensation in the elder sister's heart.
“Tangtang, have some water, okay?” She coaxed Que Tang with immense patience, just as she had years ago when she stayed by her sister’s side after Que Tang became withdrawn following their parents' death.
Que Tang shook her head.
“Then eat something. If you don't eat, how is Sister supposed to take you away from here? Tangtang, be good.”
Que Tang slowly raised her head, her eyes red and swollen as she looked at Que Lan. She opened her mouth to say "Sister," but after the first syllable, she fell silent. She took the water and chocolate bars and turned her back to them.
This sight made Que Lan’s heart skip a heavy beat.
It was just like years ago, when she had finally managed to get her sister to look at her and open her mouth, only to discover at that moment that she couldn't speak.
*“Meow~ Male Lead’s affection for the Female Supporting Character +10, current affection level: 70. Female Supporting Character’s affection for the Host +10, current affection level: 20.”*
*“My melodramatic performance actually worked. I even managed to help Sister grind some affection points from the Male Lead while I was at it.”*
*“Host is back to normal~ Meow~”*
*“…Do you have any MIB gadgets that can wipe my memory? Otherwise, I’m going to need a psychiatrist.”* Que Tang still couldn't shake off the heavy mood.
*“Don’t worry, Host. Once the mission is over, you will completely forget everything about this system. No need to worry. Meow~”*
*“Can I really trust you? You unreliable knock-off system.”*
*“Meow~ Bite me.”*
*“…”*
Ouyang Aotian watched them with great sympathy. He had been neighbors with the Que family since childhood. He knew what had happened back then, and he knew how hard the two sisters had struggled—especially how hard Que Lan had worked.
Even though Que Lan wasn't the Que family’s biological daughter.
As he gazed at Que Lan’s resolute profile, remembering her strength, independence, and the pride that refused to yield even in the face of so much suffering, his heart ached for a moment—and then it stirred.
*“Meow~ Male Lead’s affection for the Female Supporting Character has reached 100.”*
Que Tang, who was currently drinking water, spat it all out and began coughing uncontrollably. Such a wasteful display drew side-eyes from the others, but Que Lan, whose attention never left her, simply patted her back with a persistent frown.
*“Is the Male Lead of this world a man straight out of a romance novel? What on earth did he just imagine to make his affection jump thirty points in an instant?”*
*“The Male Lead of this world has known the Host and the Female Supporting Character since childhood and understands the Que sisters very well. He originally had feelings for both, but since the circumstances have changed, the object of his heart has also changed. Meow~”*
*“…So even though the background of this world sounds so complicated, the mission is unexpectedly easy to achieve.”* Que Tang really didn't know what to say. *“So can I just run out later, find a random zombie, and let it bite me to end the mission?”*
*“That’s a no, Meow~ Because the Host triggered the ‘Find the Cure’ mission, you must complete that mission before you can finish.”*
*“I only asked one question! You triggered this mission without even notifying me!”*
*“Meow~”*
Seeing that her sister had calmed down, Que Lan continued discussing their departure with Ouyang Aotian. In the end, they decided to rest for the night and head out tomorrow morning when the zombies' activity was at its weakest.
Ouyang Aotian returned to his companions and stood at the front. “Everyone, Miss Que told me that the government and military have established a refuge base in City B, so we plan to head there tomorrow. If there are no objections, we’ll set off early in the morning. Everyone should get some rest early tonight.”
“Wait a minute,” a man interrupted him. “If they’ve built a base in City B, they’ll definitely send search and rescue teams to the nearby towns. I’m staying here to wait.”
“We can’t be sure if they’ll send anyone for rescue. The only thing we know for certain is that there is a base in City B. Rather than staying here hoping for a rescue that we don't know when—or if—will come, isn't it more hopeful to take the initiative and go there?” Ouyang Aotian tried to persuade him good-naturedly.
“There are so many zombies on the road. You saw it too—how are we supposed to run from that massive horde yesterday? Besides, we don't have a vehicle. It’s a day’s walk from here to City B, and there’s nowhere to hide along the way. What if we run into zombies? Anyway, I’m not going. I’m staying here to wait for rescue.” After the man spoke, others nodded in agreement.
“Everyone, please listen to me. We don't have much food or water left. Are you really willing to just sit here and wait for death?” He pleaded earnestly, but no one paid him any mind. Finally, he tried saying, “We will be leaving tomorrow morning. Those willing to follow us should get some rest tonight.” He turned back with a helpless, wry smile toward Que Lan, who was watching coldly from the side. He shook his head and walked to an empty spot by the wall to close his eyes and rest.
Que Lan let out a cold sneer, watching the group of people who were just as foolish as they had been in her past life.
“Sister.” Que Tang looked up and tugged at her sleeve.
Que Lan looked down, habitually giving her sister a gentle smile. “What is it?”
Que Tang silently handed her the water and a piece of bread she had taken from her own bag. “You should eat some too, Sister. Then get some rest. I’ll take the night watch.”
Que Lan’s smile stiffened slightly. Since being infected, she had almost no need for these things; they tasted like chewing wax to her. But under her sister’s focused gaze, she tore open the bread bag and swallowed it down with some water. Then, she was half-forced to lie down behind her sister.
She stared at Que Tang’s exhausted but upright back as she stood guard in front of her, and for a moment, her heart was a whirlwind of complex emotions.
This was her sister—the sister she had pampered and protected since they were small, the sister she had spent all her energy accompanying through that darkest year, the sister she had been with her entire life.
But her sister, upon discovering she was infected, had decided to kill her without a moment's hesitation.
Thinking of the resolute expression on Que Tang’s face as she drove the knife into her chest, her heart still ached with pain.
No, that’s not right. She was here for revenge. Even if this version of her sister stood firmly by her side now, bravely trying to protect her, once she discovered the truth of the infection, she would surely kill her just as ruthlessly as in the previous life.
She could not afford to be soft-hearted.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 味如嚼蜡 | Like chewing wax | Idiom meaning something is completely tasteless or uninteresting. |
| 避难基地 | Refuge base | A temporary emergency shelter or base. |
| 巧克力棒 | Chocolate bars | |
| 搜救 | Search and rescue | |
| 感染者 | Infected | Refers to those turned into zombies or in the process of turning. |
