Chapter 66

While everyone was celebrating, Wen Jiuze couldn’t share in the joy because Xue Ling’s condition had worsened.

It happened on a day when the two of them, along with a small team, went to a farm to look for food.

With a team of over 200, nearly 300 people, the amount of food consumed each day wasn’t small.

They had heard that the farm had a grain storage warehouse, and as long as it was well-preserved, grains like rice and wheat could last for years and still be edible. So, they drove a whole day to get there.

They found the grain warehouse, and sure enough, the food was well-preserved. Everyone was happily loading the trucks when, suddenly, Xue Ling collapsed.

Just a moment ago, she had been excitedly listing dry goods that could be stored for a long time and suggesting that they search elsewhere. She was radiating the joy of a successful harvest.

Then, she suddenly fell forward.

Wen Jiuze thought she had tripped, so he bent down to make a joke. But when he took a couple of steps toward her, he realized she was lying still, not moving at all.

A sense of unease washed over him. He dropped his tablet and hurried over to pick her up.

Xue Ling’s eyes were wide open, but her body was immobile.

Wen Jiuze helped her sit on the side, pressing her hands and legs, and asked without thinking, “What happened?”

Xue Ling nervously rolled her eyes, hearing his hoarse voice asking, “Can’t move?”

“Move a little, just a finger.”

She had just realized she couldn’t move, which made Xue Ling panic. Following his instructions, she tried to move her finger.

She intended to move just her finger, but her body wouldn’t obey. Instead, her arm jerked.

It all happened so suddenly. After a long time, Xue Ling slowly began to feel her body again and stood up stiffly.

This was her first time experiencing “failure.”

From that day onward, it happened several times, one after another.

Wen Yi had checked her, and it was still the same issue: the special Tai Sui substance disrupting the balance was fighting against the zombie virus. If this continued, she would likely be drained.

“Can the new drug you’re working on be used on her?” Wen Jiuze asked. “Didn’t you say it can suppress and fight the zombie virus?”

If it weren’t for Xue Ling, Wen Yi wouldn’t have bothered to explain.

“It’s not as simple as one virus countering another. Xue Ling is a unique case. She’s not an ordinary zombie. If we give her the drug, no one can predict what the outcome will be.”

“If the result is bad, can you accept it?”

Wen Jiuze couldn’t accept it. He held Xue Ling and left.

Fortunately, a day later, Xue Ling was able to walk again and went to see Wen Yi.

“It feels like I had a stroke and became paralyzed. Only my eyes can move.” Xue Ling recalled the experience of losing control, somewhat relieved, “At least I didn’t lose control of my bladder.”

Wen Yi commented, “Your attitude is surprisingly good.”

Xue Ling replied, “My body is already failing. If my attitude fails too, it’ll be even worse.”

Wen Yi said, “Wen Jiuze’s attitude isn’t as good as yours.”

Xue Ling replied, “Not really. If I were alone, I’d definitely be panicking, but since he’s feeling worse, I can’t panic, and that helps me stay calm.”

Wen Yi understood. “Got it. You two maintain emotional equilibrium. Only one of you can have a bad mood.”

Xue Ling rubbed her stiff face and forced a smile.

“About that drug, what do you think? Do you want to try it?” Wen Yi brought up the question Wen Jiuze had previously avoided.

“If there’s no choice, I’ll have to try it,” Xue Ling replied. “Treat the dead like the living for treatment.”

After a brief conversation, she suddenly collapsed back onto the couch.

Wen Yi: “…”

She lifted her feet onto the couch and let her lie down. “Wait for Wen Jiuze to come and pick you up.”

When Wen Jiuze came to look for her, Xue Ling was already sitting up on her own.

Wen Jiuze tapped on the tablet and asked, “Why are you still here? What are you playing?”

Although he had already revealed that he could speak in an emergency, he still communicated with the tablet as usual.

Xue Ling didn’t bring it up and cleverly answered, “Playing the game ‘One, Two, Three, Wooden Man.'”

According to Wen Yi’s prediction, at this stage, Xue Ling would suddenly experience brief “failure” without warning.

As her condition worsened, she would gradually lose consciousness.

Zombies do lose consciousness, like Wen Yi’s boyfriend, Zeng Yitong. That poor guy.

He was in a different situation from Xue Ling because Wen Yi had conducted so many experiments on him. His mental state would eventually collapse from exhaustion.

This time, they came to the Northwest on a critical mission, with personnel kept to a minimum, so they didn’t bring Zeng Yitong, who was no longer urgently needed.

Otherwise, they could have used him for an experiment.

Even though Xue Ling’s emotions and vital signs were “stable,” her condition was still deteriorating.

Finally, after one collapse, she completely lost consciousness.

Wen Jiuze pinched her face and hands, shook her, and even lifted her eyelids, but there was no response.

She lay quietly, her skin cold and pale, her breath gone.

He stayed with her for a whole day and night, but she still hadn’t woken up.

Every moment, he wondered if she was truly gone.

“Give her the drug,” Wen Jiuze said. “No matter the result, I won’t cause trouble.”

During this time, Wen Yi had also been working on improving the new drug for Xue Ling’s situation.

But she still wasn’t confident.

The small injection would take no more than three seconds, but the wait that followed would be agonizing.

It should be fine, he told himself. After all, he had become a zombie with his mind intact thanks to Wen Yi’s Tai Sui medicine.

Wen Jiuze lay beside Xue Ling, his leg on top of hers, trying to reassure himself.

Wen Yi had worked with Zeng Yitong for so long and had experience. Xue Ling would wake up soon, and her condition would improve.

Xue Ling was lucky. She had always been fortunate. In the past, at a supermarket raffle, while others only won tissue paper, she had won small appliances.

About an hour after the injection, changes began to appear on Xue Ling’s body.

Her nails fell off and were replaced by new ones—sharp, hard nails.

Wen Jiuze carefully held her hand, guessing this might be a positive change.

Then, under her pale skin, distinct, crisscrossing dark red lines appeared, like veins imprinted beneath her skin.

Wen Yi came to check and remained silent for a moment before delivering the bad news like the coldest of doctors: “This is not a good change. You need to prepare yourself.”

Prepare for what?

“To put it simply, the Re virus that entered her body didn’t fight against the original zombie virus. Instead, it enhanced it and started to battle the Tai Sui. This is something I didn’t anticipate.”

What will happen to her?

Wen Yi didn’t say, but suggested that Wen Jiuze bind Xue Ling.

Wen Jiuze didn’t listen.

He didn’t look at the time, but it felt like he had waited forever. Finally, he saw Xue Ling move.

Wen Jiuze immediately got up and leaned over her head.

“Xue… Ling.”

She opened her eyes, revealing a pair of red eyes, the dark red from before now slightly translucent. At first glance, they resembled the red gemstone necklace around her neck.

Xue Ling stared at him sluggishly, as if she couldn’t grasp what was happening.

Seeing her so docile, Wen Jiuze gently touched her face before handing her the tablet placed nearby. However, Xue Ling didn’t take it.

Suddenly, she turned her head sharply toward the door. As it was pushed open, she let out a feral growl, akin to that of a zombie attacking its prey.

Wen Yi, who had just entered, froze in the doorway. She saw Wen Jiuze’s tall figure being violently shoved aside by Xue Ling.

He hit the wall, quickly regaining his footing and rushing forward to pull Xue Ling back, trapping her firmly in his arms.

The room was filled with Xue Ling’s wild, zombie-like growls. She no longer recognized Wen Jiuze, her only instinct was to attack any human she saw.

“She’s failed. She’s completely turned into a zombie,” Wen Yi said, releasing the doorknob.

Wen Jiuze covered Xue Ling’s mouth.

Her old teeth fell out at the slightest touch, replaced by two rows of sharp, shark-like fangs. Even an accidental graze against Wen Jiuze’s hand left visible scratches.

Her crazed demeanor made her seem like a stranger, utterly unlike the harmless, petite zombie she had once been.

“You should leave,” Wen Jiuze said.

After Wen Yi left, Xue Ling calmed slightly but still remained agitated, sensitive to the human presence around her.

There were too many people nearby, and she became visibly excited.

Wen Jiuze held her tightly, observing her expression and movements. He asked, “Are you… trying to scare me on purpose again?”

Xue Ling gave no response.

….

“I heard that Xue Ling from your group has lost her rationality and fully turned into a zombie?” Yang Luo commented casually as he carried a tray to sit beside Wen Yi. Feigning a sympathetic tone, he continued, “Who would’ve thought? The new drug you specifically applied for ended up causing this.”

“Honestly, although she’s been helpful before, she’s now a dangerous zombie. Shouldn’t she be dealt with quickly? Keeping her here puts all of us at risk.”

“Dangerous zombies should be eliminated. She’s been quick to kill zombies before. Perhaps it’s time for her to set an example herself…”

As Yang Luo smugly shared his opinions, a sudden force knocked him over, sending his tray and himself sprawling on the ground.

He looked up, only to see that it was a soldier who had bumped into him.

“Oops, didn’t mean to,” the soldier said, completely unapologetic. His disdainful gaze made it obvious the act was intentional.

Yang Luo wanted to curse but noticed the same look of contempt on the faces of nearby soldiers, some of whom glared at him intensely.

The small cafeteria fell silent, and almost everyone turned to look. Under the weight of the soldiers’ displeased stares, Yang Luo finally realized he had angered the crowd. Swallowing his retort, he chose to stay quiet.

At that moment, he felt a sharp pain in his hand, which was supporting him on the ground. Wen Yi had stepped on it as she walked past with her tray, not sparing him a glance or offering any apology.

Humiliated, Yang Luo had no choice but to step out of the cafeteria.

“Is there a way to fix this?” Wen Jiuze later asked Wen Yi in private.

“Tai Sui, perhaps it’s worth a try,” Wen Yi replied.

“Extract it from me.”

Wen Yi gave him a pointed look. “If you want to commit suicide for love, just tell me.”

“Zeng Yitong,” Wen Jiuze replied simply.

Wen Yi understood immediately. “Zeng Yitong is at the Beizheng Base, but Xue Ling’s condition is worsening by the day. The longer you delay, the less chance there is to save her. By the time you get there, it might be too late.”

Wen Jiuze stared at her silently.

Sighing, Wen Yi picked up a pen and paper, writing something down. She folded the note and handed it to him. “Give this letter to my junior sister, Xu Zhihua. She knows how to extract it. Take Xue Ling back to the Beizheng Base.”

When news spread that Wen Jiuze was taking Xue Ling to the Beizheng Base, many soldiers offered to escort them, but he declined every one of them.

He wrapped Xue Ling tightly, ensuring no one from the squad saw her current appearance. She wouldn’t want anyone to see her like this.

If those she had helped before were now afraid of her, she would be devastated.

That same day, Wen Jiuze left with her alone.

Once they were away from the crowd, Xue Ling became less agitated, growing eerily quiet—quieter than when she still had her rationality.

She no longer turned to look out the window, poked at the tablet, or curiously touched things out of boredom. She didn’t even glance at Wen Jiuze in the driver’s seat.

Now, even a simple seatbelt could restrain her.

Wen Jiuze glanced sideways at her, as though he had been transported back to the beginning when they first reunited.

Back then, not knowing she had retained her rationality, he had driven with her like this, traveling down the road.

In moments of distraction, Wen Jiuze found himself questioning whether all of this was real.

Had the rational thinking Xue Ling he’d known for over a year merely been a figment of his imagination?

Could it be that, from start to finish, he had only been traveling with a true zombie?

Wen Jiuze pulled out their Polaroid photo together and a picture of her holding a “Don’t be angry” sign. He stuck them to the car window.