After breakfast, Chen Qingzhou and Gu Nuan set off once again. Shao Yang watched their motorhome disappear into the distance before Uncle Xu patted him on the shoulder.
“We’re heading in different directions. If fate allows it, perhaps we’ll meet again someday.”
Today, Chen Qingzhou and Gu Nuan had a long journey ahead of them because they were worried about the arrival of the Black Rain. Under no circumstances could anyone remain outdoors once it started. The Black Rain contained far too many harmful impurities and was dangerous to the human body.
However, something unexpected happened along the way.
Chen Qingzhou was scratched by a zombie.
After travelling for some distance, they encountered another group of survivors who were battling a large horde of zombies. The road was completely blocked, leaving them no choice. Chen Qingzhou parked the motorhome by the roadside and joined the fight.
“Brother, thanks for the help!”
A tall young man across from him expressed his gratitude as soon as he saw Chen Qingzhou step in.
It didn’t take long before the group eliminated all the zombies, but it was obvious that three people had been injured: Chen Qingzhou, the tall young man, and a young woman who was skilled in martial arts.
“Look! They’ve all been scratched by zombies!”
One of the girls shouted loudly as she hurriedly backed away from them.
Without saying anything, Chen Qingzhou turned and headed back toward the motorhome. At that moment, Gu Nuan stepped out of the vehicle as well.
Today she was wearing a white lace dress, with her long hair draped over her shoulders. She looked bright and radiant, leaving everyone who saw her momentarily stunned.
“Hello. Thank you for helping us just now. My name is Wang Gang, and I’m the leader of our team.”
“Chen Qingzhou.”
The two men shook hands.
“We’re heading to the city up ahead. What about you?”
“We’re going to Haicheng. It’s still a long way off.”
“You can join us. After all, there’s strength in numbers.”
“Thank you, but we don’t need to.”
Just then, Gu Nuan walked over to Chen Qingzhou’s side.
“You’re injured.”
“It’s nothing. Why did you come down?”
“I was worried about you.”
“Hmph. You only came out after all the zombies were dead. What exactly were you worried about?”
A young woman spoke with obvious dissatisfaction. It was already the apocalypse, and everyone else was dirty and dishevelled. Why was Gu Nuan still so clean and beautiful, and why did she have such a handsome boyfriend?
Gu Nuan glanced at the girl in confusion.
“Wang Lili, stop talking nonsense,” Wang Gang scolded.
The girl named Lili snorted unhappily before turning and walking away.
Gu Nuan found the whole situation completely baffling.
“We should get moving. There’s a town less than a kilometre ahead, and we’ll stay there tonight,” Wang Gang said to Chen Qingzhou.
“Alright! We’re heading there as well.”
The two groups continued on together.
Wang Gang’s team consisted of eight people, six men and two women.
Ahead of them was a small town. Once they arrived, they didn’t venture deeper inside but instead found a residential building on the outskirts.
Neither Gu Nuan nor Chen Qingzhou intended to leave the motorhome, as it was much safer inside. Since the sky had remained overcast all day and they were worried that the Black Rain might arrive early, they parked in the underground garage while Wang Gang’s group went upstairs.
After arranging for everyone to take turns keeping watch, Wang Gang instructed the others to tie up both himself and the injured young woman, Wen Xin, placing each of them in separate rooms with the doors locked because both had been wounded.
Inside the motorhome, Chen Qingzhou wanted Gu Nuan to tie him up as well, but she refused.
“It’s alright. Let me treat your wound first.”
She took out the medical kit and carefully cleaned and dressed the injury.
“There, I’ll go make dinner now. What would you like to eat?”
“Anything you like is fine. I’m happy with whatever you make.”
“Alright! Get some rest.”
She walked over to the kitchen counter and began preparing the ingredients.
Dinner consisted of winter melon meatball soup with sweetcorn, chilled lotus root slices, dry pot cauliflower, and flatbread. Before long, the meal was ready.
“Qingzhou, come and eat.”
“Coming.”
Chen Qingzhou sat down at the dining table and looked over the dishes.
“This is quite a feast today.”
“Hurry and eat.”
After dinner, Chen Qingzhou was about to wash the dishes, but Gu Nuan stopped him.
“Your arm is injured. I’ll do it. I remembered that I collected a dishwasher before. I’ll take it out and install it beneath the sink. I think it’ll fit perfectly.”
With a wave of her hand, a dishwasher appeared inside the motorhome.
Chen Qingzhou checked the dimensions and found that it fit perfectly beneath the sink. All it needed was a water pipe connection.
That way, Gu Nuan would no longer have to wash dishes by hand. They simply placed the dishes inside, started the machine, and it washed, dried, and sterilised everything automatically.
Originally, Gu Nuan could have simply thrown away the disposable bowls and chopsticks after every meal since she had stocked up on plenty of them in her System Space. Still, wasting supplies wasn’t a good habit. Waste was shameful.
There weren’t many vehicles in the underground garage, only their motorhome and the three vehicles belonging to Wang Gang’s team.
Chen Qingzhou’s condition worsened in the middle of the night.
Gu Nuan was sleeping when she gradually felt hotter and hotter, as though she were lying on top of an electric blanket. She groggily woke up and reached out to touch Chen Qingzhou, only to discover that he was burning with fever.
She immediately switched on the light.
“Qingzhou! Qingzhou!”
What should she do?
In her previous life, she had heard that anyone injured by zombies would awaken an ability if they managed to survive the fever. Chen Qingzhou would definitely make it through, wouldn’t he? He was destined to become one of the strongest people in the future.
She gave him fever medicine and helped him drink some stream water from the System Space.
It has to help, even if only a little…
To her surprise, his fever only continued to rise.
The medicine had no effect at all.
His entire body was so red that he looked like a blazing sun, and his clothes were soaked with sweat. Gu Nuan became so anxious that she had no idea what to do.
“Master, put him into the stream inside the System Space.”
Unable to watch any longer, 066 finally spoke up to remind her.
“Right! Right!”
Gu Nuan immediately carried Chen Qingzhou into the System Space, placing most of his body into the stream while resting his head on a stone by the bank as a pillow.
After making sure he was settled, she took out a reclining chair and a blanket, then lay down beside the stream and fell asleep while keeping him company.
Wang Gang and the others were not nearly as fortunate.
Both Wang Gang and Wen Xin struggled through the entire night. Their fevers left them delirious, and eventually both lost consciousness.
When Chen Qingzhou opened his eyes in the stream, he immediately felt refreshed.
The wound on his arm had completely disappeared without leaving the slightest trace.
He carefully sensed the changes within his body.
Sure enough, a warm current filled his dantian, glowing with light.
He had awakened his abilities.
Just like in his previous life, he possessed both the Psychic Ability and the Lightning Ability. Even the mysterious grey ability remained exactly the same as before.
However, his Lightning Ability felt even stronger than it had been in his previous life. He could instantly unleash three bolts of lightning at once.
Could it be because of the stream?
When he looked up, he saw Gu Nuan asleep beside the water.
Chen Qingzhou climbed out of the stream, entered the villa inside the System Space to change into clean clothes, and quietly waited. Although he could move around and retrieve items inside the System Space, he couldn’t control it himself. He decided to let Gu Nuan sleep a little longer before asking her to take them back outside.
Unexpectedly, Gu Nuan woke up on her own.
“You’re alright! Did you awaken your abilities?”
“Mhm! The Psychic Ability and the Lightning Ability.”
“That’s wonderful! Let’s go back outside.”
With a single thought, Gu Nuan brought both of them back into the motorhome.
Using his Psychic Ability, Chen Qingzhou scanned the surrounding area.
“The Black Rain has already started falling outside.”
“What? That soon? It looks like the butterfly effect has changed the timeline. Then we’ll just stay here and wait.”
They had no idea what time it was anymore.
Gu Nuan made spaghetti and pan fried steaks, and the two of them sat down to eat.