“Sister Lan about this matter, I have to talk to you for a bit.” Yun Shuiyao put down her chopsticks, unusually serious and without her usual flirtatiousness. “Let’s not talk about what happened before, but over this period of time, working together from dawn to dusk—don’t you think we’ve built some trust and bond? We’re a team now, whether poor or rich, living or dying, we stick together. I don’t know how you feel, but I consider you both my lifelong companions. Unless I die, we won’t be separating. You’ve heard how chaotic the entertainment industry is—full of people who can act, but I have no real friends. I finally have two, and I’m not letting them go.”

“Mm-hmm, me too.” Miao Miao added. “Don’t be fooled by how I look or act like I have a lot of friends. In reality, they’re just acquaintances, the kind you can’t really trust. Sis, you promised you’d give me big, strong thighs. You can’t go back on your word. How would I live without you? Sis, wherever you go, I go. If you go to die, I’ll follow.”

Lan Shiru twitched her lips slightly wondering if these two were turning into drama queens. “I never said we weren’t friends, and I didn’t say I’d abandon you. I just want to respect your choices. After all, B City is becoming more dangerous, and staying here could mean death. The person who established N City’s safe zone was the leader before the apocalypse, and while he’s a bit of a snob, he’s capable. As long as nothing goes wrong, we can live well there. Le Bao’s father told me to wait for him, and I don’t want to break my promise.” She paused, thinking of the past. “Breaking a promise… last time, that’s how we ended up separated forever. I’m afraid.”

“Who knows what’s good or not.” Yun Shuiyao muttered, nonchalantly picking up her chopsticks. “But I’m not leaving. Whatever happens, we’ll stick together. Whether it’s life or death, we face it together. In this world, you can’t trust anyone. One wrong step and someone’s behind you with a knife. I don’t want to die without knowing why.”

“Exactly.” Miao Miao agreed. “You don’t know how scary those people are. One day, you could be thrown out to feed the zombies in your sleep and not even know it. Life’s hard, but it’s easier when you’re with people you trust.”

“Alright, if you ever have something on your mind, tell me. I don’t like keeping things bottled up. It causes problems later. If I’m doing something wrong, tell me right away. Living alone for so long, I might have lost some of the ability to live with others.” Lan Shiru said, her tone soft but serious.

“Don’t worry, Sis with me around, we’ll have a great time.” Miao Miao promised, patting her chest.

Lan Shiru smiled, and Yun Shuiyao immediately tossed a meatball into her mouth. “Little girl, stop praising yourself so much. You’ll fall flat on your face one of these days.”

Miao Miao rolled her eyes, both frustrated and angry, wishing she could tear Yun Shuiyao apart.

Jiang Xiang tilted his head and glanced around before looking at his master. “Woof woof.” I’m full now.

Lan Shiru rubbed her head. “Should we rest in the space or outside?”

“Woof woof.” Jiang Xiang responded, eager for the space. It’s more comfortable there.

“Alright, go ahead and rest. You’ve all worked hard these past days.” Lan Shiru was a bit heartbroken, seeing how much her companions had slimmed down.

Jiang Xiang rubbed up against his master and then entered the space.

After they finished eating, they cleaned up, and Lan Shiru set up two beds for Miao Miao and Yun Shuiyao. Then she took out several iron racks and arranged them around the room. “Unless we tear the place apart, nothing’s getting in. Rest easy. It’s still morning, we won’t head out until tonight.”

The two women nodded, and Lan Shiru took Le Bao into the space.

The little guy seemed to prefer the atmosphere of the space. His eyes were constantly darting around, all traces of sleepiness vanishing.

Lan Shiru didn’t rush to sleep either, spending more time with her son felt right.

“Le Bao, do you miss your daddy?”

Daddy? Where’s daddy? His big eyes blinked, looking adorably clueless.

Lan Shiru smiled and kissed her son. “Mommy misses Daddy, so much.” In her quieter moments, she often wondered about him. What does he look like? Was his embrace as warm as she’d imagined? His voice was so soothing, every time she hears it, it sends a shiver down her spine. During the five long years apart, she had heard many voices but none moved her as much as the two words. “Wait for me.”

What was he doing now? Was he on his way here? How much longer until they can meet? What will she say to him when they finally reunite? Will he be surprised to know they have a son, such a cute one?

In her past life, from the moment her soul gained consciousness, all she saw were his anger and grief. She never saw whether he would be happy to learn about their son.

“Come quickly, we all miss you.”

What’s Le Bao’s daddy doing right now? Battling Zombies.

Originally, the journey was supposed to take just ten days but they ended up taking a whole month. They had underestimated the horrors of the apocalypse and suffered many losses along the way. The desert was filled with evolved and corrupted creatures making it nearly impossible to defend themselves. Even the deadliest weeds seemed to strike at them when they least expected it.

After their frustration, what else could they do?

Run.

So, it took a month to reach Q country’s military base, and by then, it was overrun with the zombies. The place had become infested with mutated toxins as well.

To make matters worse, Ao Chengyi and his team had been fighting for more than half a month, and they still hadn’t secured the area.

He was tempted to give up, but if he turned back and walked on foot, he had no idea how long it would take to get back. His ammunition was almost depleted, and food was running out. Without supplies, he would die along the way, and he couldn’t afford to die yet.

“Jin Long, how’s it going?” Ao Chengyi asked over the radio.

Lu Chaoyang’s fingers flew over the keyboard. The network here was a separate local one, and the quality wasn’t great, but at least it worked. “Give me one more minute.”

After a silent minute, he spoke again. “Done. I’ll guide you. There’s a laboratory three floors below the base, filled with a large quantity of chemicals.”

“Understood. Shui Long, you’re with me to clear the way. Mu Long and Tu Long will hold the rear. Huo Long, stay on alert. We’ll head straight for the lab. Jin Long, stay vigilant for any surrounding threats and be ready to assist.”

“Roger.”

The Wing Dragon Squad, in the midst of their operation, exuded a deadly aura. The strong scent of blood began to spread quickly as the monsters lurking in the shadows stirred.

After expending all their ammo, they resorted to the most primitive form of combat—fists. A single punch could crush a skull, and they weren’t spared either. Their bodies were so battered it was hard to recognize them as human.

“Shui Long, watch the side corridors. Set off the explosives—there are too many of them.”

“Tu Long, keep an eye on the ceiling creatures. Use wind blades.”

“Mu Long, use the fog. It won’t work on the monsters, but it’ll help with the evolved toxic creatures. They’re coming out soon.”

Jin Long, Lu Chaoyang gave directions through the screen. “Where’s Big Brother?”

“I’m fine.” Ao Chengyi, the Wing Dragon, emerged from the shadows, pulling two mutated giant scorpions into his space storage.

“Whoa, Big Brother, leave those for me!” Huo Long said eagerly, his eyes shining. “Not to mention the venom, but the size of those things has a lot of research value.”

Ao Chengyi swung his gun and smashed the skull of a corrupted corpse. “They’re all yours, Jin Long. How much farther?”

>>>