When Que Lan’s identity was exposed once again by the same person, it wasn't just Que Lan who was shocked; Que Tang was also in utter disbelief.
It was impossible. She had searched everywhere and found no trace of that plant. Why was it him again? And why did it have to be now, just when she had finally managed to make her sister trust her...
After the boy ran out screaming, Que Lan immediately bolted toward the outskirts of the sanctuary.
"Sister—!" Que Tang reached out to grab her, but only the hem of a coat slipped through her fingers. She watched helplessly as her sister ran further and further away, finally vanishing beyond the walls.
It was just like the previous life... Que Tang covered her face, but tears continued to seep through the gaps between her fingers, dripping onto the ground and staining the concrete dark.
No, that wasn't right. She had to get out there and find her sister before Ouyang Aotian did. In their last life, even when they shared the bond of comrades who had faced death together, Ouyang Aotian had been able to convince her to help him kill her sister using a pile of specious arguments. In this life, even if her sister was currently involved in an ambiguous flirtation with him, he would undoubtedly still be able to strike. He was that kind of unscrupulous man.
At that thought, Que Tang wiped her face, picked up her iron rod, tucked the gun they had scavenged earlier into her waistband, threw on her backpack, and walked out of the safe zone.
She chose a route less traveled by people to search for her sister. However, fewer people also meant more zombies. She had to constantly dodge and use clever tactics to strike them down. Although she had plenty of experience killing zombies, she was still human. Without a safe place to rest, she could only grit her teeth and kill the zombies appearing before her eyes one after another.
But this time, she encountered a horde.
Que Tang was surrounded. There were only two bullets left in her magazine, and she was already exhausted. Even if she could break through the gap, she wouldn't be able to run far.
She knelt on the ground, her strength spent, her clothes filthy and tattered.
Perhaps this was for the best. If she became a zombie like her sister, maybe her sister would finally believe her.
She quietly closed her eyes and stopped resisting, allowing the nearest zombie to lunge forward to bite her.
"..." She waited for a long time, but felt nothing. Confused, she opened her eyes only to find that all the zombies were gone, and her sister was standing right in front of her. Overjoyed, she tried to reach out.
Que Lan took a large step back, looking at her guardedly. "What are you doing here? Don't think I'll fall for a self-harm ruse. I was fooled by you all once in my last life; I won't be that stupid again in this one."
Que Tang froze. So... she wasn't the only one who had been reborn. Tears quickly welled up and fell, a continuous stream. "Sister... I'm sorry for what I did to you in the last life. You were always protecting me, even as a zombie. Yet, for the sake of a pointless human status, I agreed to let Ouyang kill you... I'm sorry..." She choked out the words, her head hanging low as she sobbed uncontrollably, her hands braced against the ground.
"...You... you were reborn too?" Que Lan looked at her sister in shock. "So you knew my identity from the very beginning? Then why didn't you expose me?" A tiny spark of hope flickered in her heart, but she commanded herself not to overthink it.
"Because you are my sister. Even after being infected, you stayed by my side and took care of me. You never did anything to hurt anyone. So what if you're a zombie?" She was so emotional she could barely sign or speak, but she forced the words out through her tears. "If others can't accept you, I'll leave this place with you. It'll be just the two of us sisters, so you won't have to be afraid anymore."
Que Lan had thought her heart was dead and would never beat again. But seeing her sister crying in such agony, hearing her say she would stay by her side forever and never leave, it began to throb at an inopportune moment. However... she was still afraid. What if this was just another trap?
"Xiao Tang, go back. It's getting dark; the roads are dangerous." Finally, she stopped her from speaking further, wanting to drive her away. Although she didn't dare trust her sister, she couldn't bring herself to hurt her either...
"Sis—" Que Tang saw Ouyang Aotian appear behind Que Lan, gesturing for silence while holding a pot of Pea Shooters. Her eyes widened in horror. She lunged toward Que Lan, pulling her into an embrace and spinning around to put her own back toward Ouyang Aotian.
The peas struck her back, and Que Lan, startled by the sudden movement, accidentally lashed out and gashed Que Tang's thigh.
Only then did Que Lan see Ouyang Aotian. She realized in an instant that her sister had moved to protect her, but she had also harmed her sister in the process...
An unbearable rage took hold. Her dark pupils were replaced by deep crimson, and she let out a furious roar. A massive horde of zombies suddenly surged out from the surroundings, swarming Ouyang Aotian.
"Xiao... Xiao Tang..." Que Lan picked her up, frantic and at a loss. But Que Tang smiled and reached out to touch her sister's face.
"I'm fine, Sister. Don't worry."
Que Lan frowned and ran swiftly out of the area, heading all the way to the luxury villa district on the outskirts of B City. This area had originally been inhabited by the powerful and wealthy, but after the apocalypse broke out and everyone fled to shelters, it was completely deserted.
She chose a secluded house, went inside, and nervously rummaged through a medical kit to bandage her sister. Her hands shook so much that she kept dropping the bandages.
"Sister, really, don't worry. I'm fine."
But Que Lan didn't let out a breath of relief until the bandages were secure, pulling her into a tight embrace and weeping. "You idiot. What if I hadn't held back? Thank goodness it's only a light injury."
Que Tang gently pushed her back. "Sister, in the last life, I lived in constant regret for being so foolish as to hurt the person who loved me most. So this little injury is nothing. You must have suffered much more than me; this is my punishment..."
"...Xiao Tang, why were you reborn too?" Que Lan asked with difficulty.
"I had intended to follow you right after I killed you. I couldn't bear to let you be alone," Que Tang said with a smile. She unbuttoned her shirt, shedding her undergarments to reveal her well-protected, unblemished body. She then took Que Lan's hand and placed it over her left breast. "Sister, can you feel my heartbeat? It only beats for you. If it weren't for you, I might have died long ago. How else could I have lived until now? Sister..." She reached out with both hands to pull Que Lan closer. She mouthed the words: "I love you." Then, with the same spoiled playfulness she used when asking for hugs and kisses, she initiated a kiss, prying open her sister's lips to entwine their breaths.
Ever since their parents died, her life had been provided for by her sister. Her sister was her everything. Without Que Lan, she didn't know what meaning her life would have. She only wanted to give her everything to her.
This time, they didn't stop with the usual ambiguous smiles. They cast off their restraints and delved deep into one another, branding each other with their everything.
"Xiao Tang, I love you too." Until the very last moment, Que Lan held her in a tight embrace.
***
**Extra:**
"Sister, come and stand here." Wearing an apron, Que Tang pointed to a small space enclosed by netting, signaling for Que Lan to stand inside.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming." Que Lan, protected from head to toe, stepped into the netted area.
"Are you ready? I'm going to pull the cloth now," Que Tang asked, gripping a black cloth that covered something unknown.
"Ready. Go ahead."
Que Tang pulled the cloth, revealing the items beneath: a pot of Pea Shooters, a Cabbage-pult, a Kernel-pult, and a Melon-pult. They immediately began firing their seeds and produce at Que Lan. Once enough ingredients had been collected, Que Tang covered the plants back up with the black cloth. Together, they gathered the food, and after tidying up, Que Tang went to cook.
Since they had gone into seclusion here, they lived a shameless life, sometimes once, sometimes twice, sometimes three times a day. When their food supplies ran low, Que Tang had a flash of inspiration and came up with this method, solving their food problem. Occasionally, Que Lan would also go out to catch animals.
The two of them happily cooked together. Ever since the misunderstanding was cleared, Que Lan had returned to her old self, doting on her sister.
"Sister, don't do that, it's annoying!" Que Tang dodged Que Lan's wandering hands while washing vegetables.
"Let's eat a bit later." Que Lan pulled Que Tang into her arms, locking her in a tight embrace.
