"Baby, I—"
Yu Yao braced one arm against the bed and slid clear across the one-and-a-half-meter-wide bed in a single motion, so fast that Yun Ying didn't even have time to run.
Her wrist was seized. Yun Ying felt no different from being grabbed by a ghost. She cried out, fished the spray out of her pocket, and was about to spray it at Yu Yao when he snatched it away in one grab.
He held both her wrists with one hand and pushed her forward a few steps. Yun Ying's back hit the wall, and Yu Yao had her trapped between the wall and his embrace.
"Pervert! Bastard! Lunatic!"
Yun Ying only regretted that she hadn't learned any real curses back in the day.
Yu Yao held the homemade anti-pervert spray in his hand. This thing was a real novelty. He was still in the mood to laugh as he asked her, "Did you make this yourself?"
It was chili water that Yun Ying had made herself. It was useless against zombies, but it was somewhat effective against ill-intentioned people in the base—people like Yu Yao, this lecher.
"Give it back!" Yun Ying struggled to snatch it, but both her hands were gripped by Yu Yao. He was simply too strong; he could pin her down with ease.
Yu Yao had been kicked by her who knew how many times. The girl didn't hold back any strength at all, kicking him hard in the shins, but Yu Yao had thick skin and didn't feel the pain—though he was plenty angered by her.
"You really have the heart, using this thing on me? You're really fierce, baby. I'm scared to death."
Yu Yao casually tossed her anti-pervert spray onto the floor and looked down at her face. Yun Ying's eyes were round and bright, her cheeks flushed red. She hadn't cried—she was just so angry she wished she could bite him to death.
Then why not bite?
Yu Yao couldn't suppress that irritation. He clamped his hand around her jaw and gave her soft cheek a wicked squeeze.
"What am I supposed to do? I just like you to death. Tell me, what's wrong with me? Why can't you stand me? Am I ugly?" Yu Yao asked her coldly.
Yun Ying shot back out of spite, "Ugly! Ugly as hell! I don't like your type!"
"Then what type do you like?" Yu Yao laughed instead, thinking of her husband. "You like the cowardly, incompetent, selfish type? The skinny pretty boy who's all bones?"
"You're so pretty—born with your beauty stat maxed out, but forgot to put any points into eyesight?"
Whether it was Yu Yao before the amnesia or Yu Yao after the amnesia, he was the same bastard, always saying such nasty things!
Yun Ying retorted, "None of your business!"
Yu Yao really was angered badly. That sense of frustration and the jealousy toward another man that grew more obvious by the day burned through his rationality like firewood, turning him into a resentful husband—the kind he himself would have looked down on in the past.
He pinched her cheek. That soft flesh was like dough. He ground his teeth and said, "So aesthetic education missed you back in the day, huh? In looks and in ability, I beat your ex-husband in every way. What do you see in him? Did he save your life? You're so devoted to him."
From childhood to adulthood, the only uncouth freak around Yun Ying had been Yu Yao.
The class monitor who liked her in high school, the upperclassman she had a crush on in university, and Song Huai, whom she met after the apocalypse—all of them had treated her politely.
Only Yu Yao kneaded her round and flattened her out, treating her both preciously and recklessly.
His body was too hot, and his hand was still pinching her face. Yun Ying couldn't hold back anymore. She twisted her head and bit down on Yu Yao's wrist, putting in all her strength, wishing she could bite clean through.
Before the pain came a tremor that spread from her wrist all the way to the crown of her head. Yu Yao's breathing grew heavier as he stared at the person in his arms—she was biting down on him like a rabbit gnawing on a carrot.
Her small teeth couldn't leave much of a wound on a robust Ability User. Yu Yao could still feel her soft, slick tongue pressing against his wrist. He didn't want to lose his composure in front of her, but at this moment, he couldn't help it—all the blood in his body ran hot.
Veins jumped along his arm as he arched his body, resting his jaw on her shoulder, unable to restrain himself from kissing her earlobe. The intense, instinctive urge felt foreign to him, yet more than anything, it felt familiar.
As if this kind of contact, this kind of intimacy, had already happened many times before.
Yun Ying froze for a moment. The delicate kisses on her earlobe lasted only a heartbeat before turning fierce—he sucked and nibbled at her earlobe, while the hand she was biting pulled free to support her waist and lift her up.
Yu Yao's voice was urgent: "Baby, why do I like you this much?"
"Yu Yao!" Yun Ying shrieked. Before she knew it, he had pressed her down onto the bed. He knelt on the mattress, straddling her on either side, looking down at the terrified Yun Ying.
"I'm also really puzzled—have we met somewhere before?"
One hand pressed down on her shoulder, and Yun Ying couldn't get up at all. She could only kick wildly, even kicking off her shoes.
His other hand gripped her chin, rubbing it as he stared at this face that seemed made exactly to his heart's desire.
What would you call this? His ideal type?
There were plenty of people with round faces and almond eyes, and even more with fair skin. Yu Yao had seen many people others called breathtakingly beautiful, but those faces held no distinction in his eyes—he could forget them with a single glance.
Just one Yun Ying. In all this time, he'd only ever encountered one Yun Ying. He thought everything about her was beautiful—even a single strand of hair seemed to glow. The moment he saw her, it was as if a filter appeared in his eyes.
This was simply a match made in heaven.
Yun Ying lay pinned beneath him on the bed. The feeling was too familiar. In a daze, she almost thought Yu Yao hadn't lost his memory. She stared at his eyes in terror, only to find a faint trace of confusion within them.
Yu Yao had definitely lost his memory. If he hadn't, Yun Ying would have been done for the moment they first met.
She refused to admit it, biting her tongue: "I don't know you at all! You kidnapped me out of nowhere. I'm married—I have a husband!"
"Really don't know me?" Yu Yao let out a scoff. "What a shame. But Miss Yun, no more than ten people in the entire Jiangcheng Base know my name. Yet you called it out so precisely—who told you?"
Yun Ying's brain had never worked this fast, not even during the college entrance exam. She blurted out: "Captain Zhang! Captain Zhang told me!"
Yu Yao nodded, understanding dawning. "Ah, Captain Zhang Qin."
Yun Ying braced her arms against his chest, frowning as she tried to push him away.
The next moment, Yu Yao pressed down directly, his fingertip tracing and rubbing around her lips, his gaze wandering over her face with unabashed boldness.
"This little mouth isn't just pretty—it's quite good at spinning stories. A person should be honest. Tell too many lies and your nose will grow like Pinocchio's. Didn't you hear that fairy tale when you were little?"
Yun Ying knew that look in Yu Yao's eyes all too well. She hastily turned her head away. Yu Yao's lips landed on her cheek, planting a few kisses to satisfy himself. He felt the person in his arms trembling, and in the end, he forcibly suppressed his urges, pushed himself up, and pulled back.
As soon as he stepped back, Yun Ying raised her foot and kicked him in the waist and abdomen, then sat up and slapped him across the face.
Yu Yao's stray hairs fell across his forehead, obscuring his sharp brows and eyes. Yun Ying was both angry and anxious. She didn't even bother with her shoes, preparing to get out of bed in just her socks, but Yu Yao pulled her back.
Yun Ying raised her arm to block her face: "If you dare hit me, I'll grab a megaphone and tell everyone that Yu Yao hits women! Absolutely classless! Utterly low!"
Yu Yao was amused despite his anger. He pulled the person who had slid to the other side back over, crouched on one knee, and picked up the shoe she had kicked off.
"Did your ex-husband ever hit you? You're this afraid of someone hitting you."
Yun Ying stared at him blankly. Yu Yao, with the slap mark still red on his cheek, was putting shoes on her feet.
She was silent for a moment, not bothering to respond to Yu Yao. After he finished putting on her shoes, he looked up, his gaze extremely cold.
"Did he hit you?"
Yun Ying felt like Yu Yao was about to kill someone—as if she said yes, Song Huai wouldn't live past tomorrow. She shook her head like a rattle drum and hurriedly said, "N-no, he didn't."
Yun Ying had never been hit in all her life. No one dared to hit her.
Seeing that she wasn't lying, the anger and killing intent in Yu Yao's heart dissipated. He held Yun Ying's slender ankle with one hand, his palm resting on her white sock. She was too thin—her limbs were delicate, and he didn't dare use any force for fear of snapping them.
"I don't hit women. I'm not that shameless." Yu Yao emphasized stiffly. Seeing the wariness in Yun Ying's eyes, he suppressed the irritation and frustration in his heart. "Yun Ying, I don't want to force you, but I don't intend to play the magnanimous gentleman either. You can think I'm classless. Things being what they are, you can't go back to Jiangcheng Base—that's not a safe place."
Yun Ying pressed her lips tightly together, her hands clenching inside her sweater sleeves. Yu Yao glanced down at her knuckles, white from gripping so hard, and knew the girl felt wronged inside. She looked young—probably had just graduated from university before the apocalypse.
"What's so bad about following me? Am I very fierce to you? Or is there something about me that doesn't suit you?" Yu Yao's heart ached for her after all, and his voice softened. He held her hand through her sweater. The girl tugged a few times but couldn't pull free, and tears of frustration welled up in her eyes.
"Stop being angry. You'll give yourself nodules from all this anger, and there's no one here to treat you." Yu Yao raised his hand and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with his calloused fingertip. Yun Ying turned her head away and kicked him again.
Yu Yao casually brushed off the footprint on his leg and said mildly, "You're a promising taekwondo prospect. If the apocalypse ever ends, I'll send you to compete in taekwondo—you'd be a shoo-in for the league."
Yu Yao's mouth had always been this sharp-tongued, and amnesia hadn't changed that. Yun Ying put on her shoes and prepared to head out.
"Yun Ying." Yu Yao called her back, picked up the homemade pepper spray from the ground, and pressed it into her hand. "I'll teach you self-defense. When I get the chance, I'll find you some real pepper spray. In the apocalypse, you really do need to guard against more than just zombies."
And also against bad men like him.
Yun Ying looked at him warily: "Aren't you afraid I'll learn and use it on you?"
Yu Yao was amused by her: "If you can beat me up, that's your skill."
Yun Ying turned to leave. Yu Yao grabbed her hand. She hurriedly shook it off and looked at him like he was a thief.
"What now? Why are you so much trouble?"
Yu Yao's thin lips pressed together slightly. He lowered his voice: "It's not safe here. Don't run around. Come back with us. I won't mistreat you, and I won't abandon you."
Yun Ying broke free from his hand, opened the door, and ran outside.
After the commotion that night, He Fangchen and the others couldn't sleep. They waited at the stairwell and saw Yun Ying come running down safe and sound. Apart from slightly messy hair and somewhat red eyes, she seemed fine.
Lu Yao quickly asked, "Sister, are you okay?"
"N-no, I'm fine."
Getting caught running away in the middle of the night was a bit embarrassing. Yun Ying hurriedly dodged away and ran toward the room.
The others stared at her retreating figure, somewhat unsure of the current situation.
Footsteps came from upstairs. They looked up and saw the slap mark on Yu Yao's face, nearly crying out in shock.
Yu Yao said nothing, walked past them, and said calmly, "I'll keep watch tonight. You all go sleep."
He walked toward the living room. In the open-ceiling living room with no lights on, the second floor was visible. Yu Yao grabbed a chair and sat down, staring fixedly at the door panel of Yun Ying's room.
Yun Ying ran into the room, lifted the blanket, and lay down. Not long after, she heard Lu Yao and Lin Xizhi come in. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she pulled the blanket over her head.
Lu Yao glanced at Lin Xizhi, who shrugged at her and consciously walked to the sofa, lying down with her hands behind her head.
Lu Yao sighed, lifted the blanket on the other side of Yun Ying, and lay down. The room was very quiet. None of them could sleep.
After a while, Lu Yao patted Yun Ying's shoulder and felt the girl tremble.
Lu Yao said, "Actually, Captain Yu isn't fierce."
Yun Ying didn't speak, thinking that they had a teammate filter. Yu Yao was clearly very fierce.
Lu Yao thought about what Yu Yao had done. Okay, there really was no way to defend him. Who tries to poach someone the moment they meet?
"Some things should be told to you by Captain Yu himself, but your boyfriend is not a good person, and there are people in Jiangcheng Base plotting against you. You'll eventually get into trouble there. It's better to leave with us."
Lin Xizhi stared at the ceiling and said coldly, "Captain Yu isn't a flirtatious person. You're an exception. You can rest assured. To make things easier for yourself, accepting him is fine too. Think of it as finding yourself a fighter. You can order him around for anything you want. He should be one of the strongest known Ability Users in human bases today."
Yun Ying said sullenly, "You guys are really open-minded. How can you be with someone you don't like?"
She really was a young girl who hadn't experienced much of the world. Half a year into the apocalypse, they had seen too many people turn against each other. Even family members bound by blood betrayed one another. Survival was the most important thing. The principles humanity deliberately followed in civilized society were being erased bit by bit by the cruelty of the apocalypse.
Lu Yao and Lin Xizhi could tell that Yun Ying must have lived well before the apocalypse. Her family had raised her to be very obedient, so much so that half a year into the apocalypse, she still held onto her principles and showed pure goodwill toward many people.
Lu Yao pulled the blanket up for her. Yun Ying was about the same age as her younger sister, who had died in the early days of the apocalypse. Lu Yao always wanted to take care of her a little.
"It's the apocalypse. Surviving is what matters most. If one day the apocalypse ends and civilized society is rebuilt, you can dump him then."
Badmouthing their own captain like this seemed to be something this squad did often. Lu Yao and Lin Xizhi spoke with complete openness.
"He's really so annoying!"
Yun Ying turned over and joined their complaining squad. The three girls spent the whole night cursing Yu Yao.
After cursing a certain bad dog for an entire night, Yun Ying had only slept three hours, but when she got up in the morning, her mood had improved considerably.
But the moment she laid eyes on Yu Yao in the living room, her just-cleared mood clouded over again.
Yu Yao had changed into a navy blue windbreaker paired with black tactical pants. Seeing her come downstairs, he walked over and naturally took her hand, heading toward the dining table. Yun Ying shook him off fiercely several times but couldn't break free.
The squad members pretended not to notice—those who were wiping the table kept wiping, those who were serving food kept serving.
Yu Yao placed the warmed milk and bread in front of Yun Ying, then set down an egg as well. "Eat something simple. We'll be on the road soon."
Yun Ying looked at the bread and milk before her and thought, This isn't simple at all. In the apocalypse, this was the kind of food only High-tier Ability Users in the inner city's core district could eat.
Cheng Zainan chuckled and spoke up to ease the atmosphere: "Just hold on two more days. Once we reach the base, we'll have hot pot."
Her favorite—hot pot…
Yun Ying blinked and instinctively asked, "We can still have hot pot?"
Hearing the faint excitement in her voice, the others were startled—so there really was something this pretty girl was interested in.
"We can." Yu Yao pulled out a chair and sat down beside Yun Ying, obvious amusement in his voice. "If you want Australian lobster, I can find that for you too."
The corner of Yun Ying's mouth that had just curved upward immediately flattened. She lowered her head and took a bite of bread. If anyone else had said something like that, she'd have thought they were bragging—but it was Yu Yao.
The strong could survive anywhere. Even in the apocalypse, he lived no differently than before.
Right after the meal, Yu Yao and the others prepared to set off. Cheng Zainan went to the driver's seat.
"I'll drive, Captain. Go catch up on sleep."
"Mm." Yu Yao acknowledged, but pulled the reluctant Yun Ying into the vehicle, as if he hadn't noticed her gaze toward the villa to the east.
Lin Xizhi voluntarily went to the compartment at the back of the RV to rest. She would switch with Cheng Zainan for driving in the latter half of the trip, freeing up a seat. Yu Yao sat by the window and pulled Yun Ying down beside him.
Across the aisle sat Lu Yao and He Fangchen. The two of them coughed, drew the curtain across the middle of the aisle, and hastily said, "We'll rest a bit too."
Yun Ying's pleading gaze found no takers. She struggled, but her hand was held fast by Yu Yao. He seemed very tired, leaning back against the seat with his eyes closed, the weariness on his face rather evident.
Cheng Zainan drove. As the RV passed the Jiangcheng Base vehicles, Yun Ying looked outside and happened to catch sight of a woman walking out of that villa—dressed in crisp combat gear, a high ponytail, looking valiant and dashing.
Yun Ying nearly couldn't resist calling out to her, but no one gave her the chance. The RV drove straight on. Yun Ying could only watch as the Jiangcheng Base vehicles disappeared behind them, until they could no longer be seen.
She sat back down, unable to put her feelings into words.
Yu Yao opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Yun Ying beside him. She hadn't tied her hair up today; her shoulder-length black hair fell softly, a strand tucked behind her ear revealing a translucent white earlobe.
From Yu Yao's angle, the young woman sat with her head lowered as if sulking. Her thick, long lashes rested over her eyelids, fluttering like a fan. The more he looked, the more endearing she seemed.
He looked down at the hand held in his palm—delicate, fair, and slender. Yu Yao had indeed gotten darker since the early days of the apocalypse. Out on missions day after day, exposed to wind and sun, he had long since tanned to a healthy wheat color. But he had never thought of himself as particularly dark before. Now, compared to her, he suddenly felt like a lump of charcoal.
He squeezed Yun Ying's hand, and she shot him a vicious glare. If there were no one else around, she probably would have lunged over and bitten him—and if not bitten, then at least kicked him.
Yu Yao genuinely thought Yun Ying was a promising talent for taekwondo. With a bit more training, those legs of hers could probably shatter wooden boards.
He didn't mind. After doing something so underhanded, he supposed he had to let her vent her anger.
They would still encounter zombies on the road today. Yu Yao needed to conserve his energy for combat. Now that he had a precious treasure to protect, he couldn't allow any mishaps to occur.
With a muffled chuckle, Yu Yao leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes, but his hand still gripped Yun Ying's. She struggled for quite a while without managing to break free, only exhausting herself in the process, limp as a half-dead salted fish.
Yun Ying decided out of sight, out of mind. She turned slightly and closed her eyes. Amid the jolting of the vehicle, perhaps because the people around her gave her a sense of security—surrounded by a group of powerful Ability Users, even outside the base it didn't seem so dangerous—she dozed off before long.
The RV was quiet. Cheng Zainan turned on the sound system and played a soothing song. Lu Yao climbed over to the passenger seat, occasionally taking out a few scattered zombies.
Yu Yao opened his eyes and pulled Yun Ying—whose head was bobbing up and down—over to him. She slept leaning against his shoulder. Perhaps he had frightened her; she hadn't slept long last night, and now she was deep asleep.
The October weather was still somewhat cold. Yu Yao draped his windbreaker over her. Winter would arrive soon, and he thought that when they passed a shopping mall, he would search for some clothes and daily necessities for her.
Raising a treasure wasn't just about food and drink. Since he had abducted her to his side, he had to raise her meticulously, so she would completely forget that useless husband of hers.
A girl needed skincare products, soft and warm clothing, and an ample supply of sanitary items. Yun Ying showed classic signs of malnutrition and was probably anemic too—he would need to find nutritional supplements.
There was a lot to prepare, and he might not be able to buy everything in the base. The team's supplies had also been depleted too much. Yu Yao glanced at the map and picked a suitable place.
Jiangcheng Base.
On the way to the Comprehensive Hall, escorted by the City Guard, Song Huai felt uneasy. He had asked questions the entire way, but no one paid him any attention. He thought they were going to assign him a Rank A mission, which scared him so badly that his face turned pale. By the time he reached the Comprehensive Hall, his forehead was drenched in sweat.
There were still traces of battle in the Comprehensive Hall. Song Huai had heard that yesterday an Ability User squad had attacked the Comprehensive Hall. Jiangcheng Base's official statement was—the other party had been sent by other bases to steal Jiangcheng Base's secrets.
Song Huai thought of that tall Ability User—broad shoulders, narrow waist, a straight and upright figure. He had seen that man fight, and he could guess that the one behind this incident was his team.
And Yun Ying's disappearance might be connected to him.
The Comprehensive Hall had seven underground floors and twelve above ground. The City Guard brought Song Huai to the top floor.
The entire floor had been opened up into an office as spacious as a small parade ground. Several computers sat on a massive desk, and a huge display screen hung on the wall.
Song Huai met the lord of Jiangcheng Base, whose name was Gu Changqing.
He stood beside the table, his demeanor respectful, while the one seated in the city lord's position—
was an extremely young man.
His black hair was combed into a meticulous slicked-back style. He wore rimless glasses, and his face could be called handsome and refined. A well-tailored black suit added much gravitas to his bearing, making it clear at a single glance that this person was no ordinary figure, but of lofty status.
Otherwise, why would the city lord be standing?
Ever since Song Huai had entered, the man in the suit had been watching him with an easy, unhurried air.
Gu Changqing cleared his throat and said, "I'm going to ask you some questions. You must answer truthfully."
Song Huai nodded hurriedly. "Yes."
"Is your girlfriend really your girlfriend?"
Since he had been asked that way, Song Huai did not dare lie at all. "No! A-Ying and I attended the same university before the apocalypse. I was one year ahead of her. We only met again after the apocalypse. We are only pretending to be a couple."
Gu Changqing asked, "You like her, and you wanted to use this chance to quietly monopolize her."
Song Huai raised his head. "I didn't. I only—"
Before he could finish, he saw the person sitting behind the office desk. The Mr. Chen Gu Changqing had mentioned was watching him quietly. His eyes clearly still held a smile, yet they gave Song Huai the chilling feeling of being stared at by a venomous snake.
Song Huai gritted his teeth and said, "I did have such a thought. Before the apocalypse, A-Ying's family was very well-off. Whenever she went out, her brother or the housekeeper would drive her. I liked her even back then. Besides, it is the apocalypse now. She lives in the house I exchanged for using my identity as an Ability User and accepts my protection. Shouldn't she give me something in return?"
He conveniently omitted Yun Ying's help to him, the rent she paid him every month, and the fact that she had voluntarily taken on the cooking and cleaning at home.
Gu Changqing did not care about the emotional entanglements of young people and asked again, "How much do you know about that fire-elemental superpower user?"
"I have not even met him a few times. The first time he saw her, he seemed to take a fancy to A-Ying. Maybe people like that just love pure little white flowers like her." Song Huai sneered, thinking that no matter how powerful a man was, he was still just a man who lusted after beauty.
Gu Changqing asked again, "The first time he saw her? You mean he did not know Miss Yun?"
Song Huai nodded. "He did not know her. He was only attracted by her looks."
"He did not know her." A low voice spoke up, and it was not Gu Changqing.
Song Huai looked at the man behind the office desk. He seemed to have heard something very interesting. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he repeated in a low voice, "You are saying he did not know Miss Yun?"
Song Huai's heart tightened. He hesitated for a moment, then remembered Yu Yao's reaction at the time… He really had not known her.
"I am certain. He did not know her." Just after Song Huai answered, he thought of something and asked cautiously, "Could that Ability User have some kind of relationship with A-Ying?"
Gu Changqing glanced at him. "Mr. Song had better not ask questions carelessly."
Song Huai quickly shut his mouth and said no more.
The man behind the office desk gave Gu Changqing a look. The latter understood and said solemnly, "Mr. Song, go back first."
It was obvious that the one surnamed Chen was the one in power at the Jiangcheng Base. Song Huai summoned his courage and said, "Mr. Chen, whatever you want to know about A-Ying, I can tell you everything I know. Breaking the base rules was my fault, but as a Second-Tier Ability User, I cannot take Rank A missions. Could you please make an exception? I can pay a fine or do anything at all!"
He really was as timid as a mouse. A trace of disdain flashed through Gu Changqing's eyes.
"Go back first. We will consider this matter."
Song Huai still wanted to speak, but the door was pushed open from outside, and several people in City Guard uniforms walked in and gestured for him to leave.
This was clearly driving him out. Song Huai was somewhat afraid of that man dressed all in black and did not dare cause trouble, so he had no choice but to give up.
As soon as he left, the office door was closed.
Gu Changqing asked for instructions, "Sir, this Ability User can provide a lot of information. How should he be dealt with?"
Mr. Chen tilted his head, propping his forehead with his index finger, and said in a calm voice, "Since a mistake has been made, we should handle it according to the base's regulations."
Gu Changqing asked again, "That team of Ability Users nearly killed all of our experimental subjects, even that Sixth-rank zombie is dead. Their captain should have been Seventh-rank for a long time, close to Eighth-tier. When registering abilities, that young woman surnamed Lin registered as having no ability attribute—no one knew she had a space-type ability. This is Jiangcheng Base's oversight."
The person seated in the main position remained silent for a long while, his other hand lightly tapping the table. He seemed to be pondering something, so Gu Changqing dared not speak.
Gu Changqing felt that although that team of Ability Users would be difficult to stop, if this gentleman truly resolved to intercept them, there might still be a few slivers of possibility.
…It seemed he had deliberately let them go, as if confirming something.
Mr. Chen did not respond to Gu Changqing's earlier words. His thin lips parted slightly as he murmured to himself, "He doesn't recognize Yun Ying. She's his heart and soul—how could he not recognize her?"
As for the anomalies at Jiangcheng Base, Yu Yao had sensed them from the very beginning.
The journey had been too smooth. Though they had indeed sustained some injuries, compared to previous missions, this level of damage was already extremely minor.
Yun Ying was still asleep, but Yu Yao was already awake, head lowered as he played with her slender fingers, his mind occupied with thoughts of Jiangcheng Base.
It was He Fangchen's turn to drive at the moment, and up ahead was the small county town they needed to pass through, which had a small daily necessities department store.
"Captain, I'm not sure whether the supplies there have been taken, but most survivors probably wouldn't bother with daily necessities."
Winter was approaching. Once they returned to the base this time, they likely wouldn't go out for about two months. Although the base had most supplies in stock, the prices would be exorbitant, and there was a good chance of getting goods that didn't match what was advertised.
Therefore, whenever they went out on missions and had to pass by a mall, they would go in and take a look, searching through it. It had only been half a year into the apocalypse, so zombies hadn't evolved significantly yet, and supplies were still relatively abundant.
If they waited any longer—if the zombies evolved and supplies were all snatched up in a frenzy—finding anything would become difficult.
Yu Yao observed the road conditions. They had passed through this county town on their way here, and the zombies inside had been cleared out. Though there were zombie hordes, they weren't as absurd as the ones outside Jiangcheng Base.
"Turn into the mall and take a look. Winter's coming soon—we have to stock up. Once we go back this time, we won't be coming out again."
This was the first winter since the apocalypse began, and perhaps many people would freeze to death.
The RV drove into the county town, and the further in they went, the more zombies there were. Yu Yao had to act now. He propped his gun on the car window, supernatural ability wrapping around the bullets as they flew toward the zombie horde.
The gunfire suddenly startled Yun Ying awake. Lin Xizhi and Lu Yao, who had been resting with their eyes closed, also opened theirs. Cheng Zainan walked out from behind the partition, covering his mouth as he yawned.
"Time to fight zombies?" he mumbled, looking like he hadn't fully woken up, but he had already taken his seat, rolled down the window, and swept the area with his machine gun.
Yun Ying sat up, and seeing that everyone had their own roles, quickly snapped out of her sleep and dealt with the zombies in an orderly manner.
She pressed her lips together and gripped the cuff of her sweatshirt.
"Didn't I teach you how to use a gun?" came a low, amused voice from beside her.
"Perfect chance to practice. And like I always say—in the apocalypse, the only one you can truly trust is yourself."
Yun Ying hesitated. "My aim isn't very good."
Yu Yao's thin lips curved slightly. "No worries, we've got plenty of ammo."
Yun Ying noticed Lin Xizhi giving her a look, and felt a little happy inside. She decisively abandoned Yu Yao and ran over to Lin Xizhi's side, guarding a window together with her.
Lin Xizhi, with a lollipop in her mouth, pulled out a machine gun and handed it to her. The heavy weapon landed in her hands, and Yun Ying was taken aback. "Isn't it a bit wasteful for me to use this?"
"Large zombie hordes need to be suppressed with supernatural abilities plus firepower. Medium-sized hordes can be handled with firepower alone. For small scattered groups of zombies, your handgun is enough." Lin Xizhi blew a zombie's head off with one shot and patiently explained to her.
Yun Ying mimicked the way she fired, propping the gun barrel on the car window. Just as she was about to shoot, Yu Yao snatched away the machine gun and stuffed a handgun and two magazines into her hands instead.
Having held the big gun, she now looked down on this little thing. Yun Ying glared at him discontentedly. "What are you doing?!"
Caught off guard by her snapping at him, Yu Yao was momentarily stunned before the corner of his lips curled up. He continued firing his own gun while responding to her words: "You haven't been trained. The machine gun's recoil would shatter your shoulder blades."
Lin Xizhi clicked her tongue and said belatedly, "Oh right, I forgot about that. I'll teach you once we get to the base."
Yun Ying had experienced the recoil of a machine gun before, so she had nothing to say. She could only resign herself to gripping her little handgun.
Yu Yao was taking down zombies, but most of his attention was on Yun Ying. Perhaps the people around her gave her some sense of security—she wasn't as afraid of zombies anymore. Though her shots were all grazing hits, she could now open her eyes while firing and look straight at the zombies.
No longer being so terrified of zombies was a big step forward. She looked frail and delicate, but she had more backbone than most people. Yu Yao genuinely felt he'd found himself a treasure.
He hadn't even wanted to come on this mission, planning to stay at the base through the winter before venturing out. Now he was glad he'd come.
The RV pulled up in front of the mall. Lin Xizhi opened the door and got out, ready to clear out the zombies. Yun Ying had gotten excited from all the shooting along the way—she'd counted that she'd killed sixteen zombies herself—and with her blood pumping, she wanted to follow her down. Yu Yao grabbed her.
It was this troublemaker again. Yun Ying glared at him. "What are you doing this time?"
She had quite the temper. Yu Yao grabbed her hand and pulled her to his side. "They're going to scout ahead. What are you going to do?"
Yun Ying struggled against his grip. "I'm going to scout too! I have hands and feet. Are you going to keep me as a caged canary again? I'm a person!"
"Again?" Yu Yao sharply caught the slip in her words, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Yun Ying wished she could slap herself. She hurriedly covered up, "I misspoke, okay! Anyway, you know what I mean!"
As long as she played shameless, Yu Yao could never do anything about her.
"I didn't say you couldn't. Whatever you say, I listen."
Yu Yao raised an eyebrow, took her hand and got off the car. Noticing Yun Ying trying to make a run for it, he got ahead of her and scared her, "Stay by my side. Do you know what happens if a zombie drags you away? They love fresh meat. One bite each, and in half an hour you'd just be a skeleton—not even a chance to become a zombie yourself."
Sure enough, Yun Ying was frightened by his words. Even though Lin Xizhi had already walked far ahead, she didn't dare follow.
Yu Yao ruffled her head. "Good girl."
Yun Ying kicked him again and turned her head away, pulling her hand from his grasp.
Yu Yao got kicked eight hundred times a day; he was long used to it. He just treated it as part of the fun.
The team quickly cleared the surrounding zombies. When they reached the mall entrance, He Fangchen said in surprise, "The lock shows no signs of being broken. No one should have come to clear this place yet."
There might be zombies inside, but probably not many—likely just the staff who had been on duty when the apocalypse broke out.
Cheng Zainan grinned. "Finally, we can grab a few more clothes. I don't have a single winter outfit. The captain's fine though—fire-elemental superpower users aren't afraid of the cold."
Yu Yao indeed wasn't afraid of the cold. While everyone else was bundled up in thick coats, Yu Yao only wore a thin windbreaker and short sleeves when going out.
He melted the door lock, and without looking back, grabbed Yun Ying, who was about to slip over to Lin Xizhi and Lu Yao's side. He said, "Still, be careful. The car can't hold too much. Pick only the essentials."
"Got it. Same as always."
He Fangchen and Lu Yao teamed up, Cheng Zainan and Lin Xizhi teamed up, while Yu Yao used to work alone as a third team. All three groups searched for supplies simultaneously.
This time there was an extra person—Yun Ying. Yu Yao held her hand, and Yun Ying was forced to be bound as his teammate.
Being led inside by Yu Yao, she couldn't say anything. She knew she had no combat ability, and staying by Yu Yao's side was the safest option.
There were indeed scattered zombies inside. Zombies that hadn't eaten anyone were low-tier zombies—easy to deal with, no trouble at all. Even Yun Ying could kill a few herself.
Yu Yao pried open the door of a shop, grabbed a woven bag, and packed two thick quilts. Then he pried open other shops, gathering down jackets and sweaters.
Yu Yao's hands were full, and Yun Ying dragged a woven bag behind her. She watched as Yu Yao found the mall's small supermarket—the only supermarket in the entire mall.
He took Yun Ying's woven bag and went to the hygiene products shelf. Yu Yao couldn't make sense of these—didn't know the difference between pure cotton and mesh, could barely understand day-use and night-use. He turned to look at Yun Ying.
Yun Ying pursed her lips and said, "It's the apocalypse. As long as it works, it's fine. If it's not expired, it's usable… forget it, even if it's expired, we'll make do. Look at the times we're in."
There were three girls in the team, so Yu Yao simply took everything, filling an entire bag. Yun Ying carried it herself—it wasn't heavy anyway.
She asked Yu Yao, "Aren't you taking food?"
Yu Yao was prying open the lingerie and homewear shop next door. He said, "If you want to eat something, you can pack some. Try to take high-energy supplements like chocolate. We're not short on food."
Yun Ying had mostly been hauling ingredients on base missions. Gathering supplies had long become a habit. She packed high-calorie items like chocolate, her hands completely full.
Just as she was about to leave, Yun Ying spotted a bucket of lollipops on the checkout counter. Lin Xizhi seemed to love candy.
She walked over and hugged the bucket of candy to her chest. This bucket would go to Lin Xizhi when they got back.
Yun Ying headed toward the door, about to go next door to find Yu Yao. Just as she stepped out of the shop, a white thread dangled down in front of her eyes. She frowned and looked up.
Yun Ying wondered if she hadn't woken up properly, or if the place had been abandoned so long it was covered in mold and she was hallucinating.
A giant spider covered in tentacles hung suspended from the mall's semicircular glass ceiling, slowly descending along a trailing web strand, preparing to ambush. Caught off guard, it met Yun Ying's gaze. The spider's enormous pupils swiveled.
This was far more terrifying than zombies.
In extreme terror, Yun Ying instinctively called out the title she hadn't used in a long time—one she used to despise, but which belonged to the person who could make her feel safe.
"Brother!!"
Yun Ying bolted, and silk threads shot toward her from the ceiling.
A burst of flame engulfed the spider as Yu Yao charged out of the shop, grabbing Yun Ying's hand and pulling her behind him.
Cheng Zainan's voice came through the earpiece: "Captain, what's going on?"
Yu Yao stared at the giant spider and said in a low voice, "The animal has mutated. Dr. Zhang's guess was right."