Yun Ying had been shaken unconscious.
The RV swerved left and right through the zombie horde, crashing and careening. Gunshots mixed with the sounds of supernatural abilities exploding filled her ears, along with the bone-chilling roars of zombies. She had always been prone to motion sickness. Even though Yu Yao held her in his arms, it only kept her from being thrown out.
The moment she passed out, Yu Yao noticed. He glanced down at the person in his arms—thin and small. That boyfriend of hers was utterly useless; he probably never even let her eat her fill.
Yu Yao shifted her higher against his chest. Yun Ying's head rested against his collarbone. He locked her against him and continued firing, clearing out zombies.
"Turn at the intersection ahead. Take the small road—it connects through."
He had studied the terrain map of this area before coming. His exceptional memory knew every alley.
"Got it!" He Fangchen slammed the accelerator, skillfully swerving past zombies leaping down from buildings on the side. The group coordinated their combat, supernatural abilities mixed with gunfire clearing the path ahead.
The RV made a sharp turn at the fork, charging into a narrow alley on one side. The truck behind them also veered sharply, squeezing into the lane that barely accommodated its width. The zombie horde surging forward like ants crammed at the alley entrance—only a small batch made it in. Most crashed into the walls at the intersection, then were crushed into pulp by the zombies pushing from behind.
After taking the small road, they could only shake off the large horde chasing behind them, but still couldn't avoid zombies rushing or jumping down from buildings on both sides. The vehicles could only rely on swerving left and right to throw them off. Yu Yao's vehicle was fine—the top was sealed tight—but the survivors clinging to the base's truck suffered. Many who had barely climbed up were pounced on by zombies, then kicked off by panicked companions beside them.
In the apocalypse, humanity had long since all but vanished. Half a year was enough to erode the order that existed before the end.
Song Huai was a Water-type Ability User. He could barely condense some water escape to shield himself, but his ability couldn't sustain it for long. In the end, he had to kick and struggle frantically to avoid the zombies, all while gripping the railing tightly to keep from being thrown off.
The truck veered sharply right again, following the RV ahead into an even narrower alley, plowing through pre-apocalypse shelves and vehicles lining both sides of the street. Song Huai looked forward in terror, having no idea where Yu Yao and the others were leading them.
Through the blood-smeared window on the back of the RV, he saw Yun Ying leaning against that fire-elemental superpower user's chest. At a time like this, she was actually… asleep?!
The further they drove, the fewer zombies there were. After a harrowing half hour of heavy casualties, the armored RV burst out of the alley, and the small truck behind it followed.
Yu Yao aimed his gun at the tall building behind them. Under Song Huai's horrified gaze, he suddenly pulled the trigger. The bullets from the machine gun, wrapped in powerful fireballs, grazed past the base's truck amid a chorus of screams and shot toward the three-story building like artillery shells.
The building collapsed. Yu Yao fired several more shots. The bullets infused with supernatural ability were absolute impact cannons, blasting apart several buildings.
The collapsing structures buried the zombie horde trailing them. The scattered zombies that chased out were quickly dealt with by the Ability Users on the truck.
The armored RV and truck drove along a wide, desolate road. Occasionally, zombies chased after them from the roadside.
Cheng Zainan sat back down, collapsing into the leather seat. He raised a hand to wipe his forehead—it was covered in sweat.
He let out a breath and shook his head. "This is living too excitingly."
Lu Yao sat down beside him, closed the window, and tossed a packet of syrup toward the seat behind her.
"She might have been hungry for too long—lacking sugar and water. Low blood sugar."
"Yeah." Yu Yao caught it, rolled the window up, set his gun aside, pulled off the glove on his right hand, tore open the syrup packet, and fed it to Yun Ying's lips.
She was sitting on his lap, her much smaller body leaning against his chest. Yu Yao had never seen anyone so soft. He stared at her dirt-smudged face, noticing that before the apocalypse, this girl must have had a round face and big eyes. But now she was thinner, so thin that her features had sharpened, making her eyes look even larger.
Her lips were pale—a result of prolonged low blood sugar. Yu Yao gently pried her lips open and squeezed the syrup into her mouth. Her survival instinct forced her to swallow unconsciously.
The girl with a bun hairstyle finished off the last zombie, holstered her gun, and sat back down. Turning her head, she caught sight of Yun Ying curled up in Yu Yao's arms. The lollipop in her mouth rolled from one side to the other as she let out a "tsk."
So cute, like a little rabbit.
Too bad she'd been targeted by a mad dog.
Yu Yao really was a mad dog.
Yun Ying had always thought so.
Her parents had died in a car accident when she was thirteen. No relative was willing to take her in. Just as Yun Ying was about to be sent to an orphanage, that was when Yu Yao appeared.
A sixteen-year-old boy was at the age of being full of thorns, and Yu Yao was no exception. His grades were at the top of his class, but that was all he had—his character was practically nonexistent.
The day Yu Yao came to pick her up, he had just gotten out of school. His uniform jacket was draped over his arm, and a simple white t-shirt couldn't hide his tall, broad frame. He took off his shoes at the door and stepped onto the tiled floor of Yun Ying's home in just his socks.
At sixteen, Yu Yao was already 185 centimeters tall, more than a head taller than Yun Ying. When he squeezed into the house, Yun Ying thought he was a thug and backed away in fear.
"You live here?" Yu Yao seemed to have never seen such a small place. He acted as if he were in his own home, looking through every room without any hesitation, and finally stared at Yun Ying standing in the living room with a look of disdain. "My dad told me to come pick you up. Pack your things and come with me."
Yu Yao's father was a close friend Yun Ying's parents had made in their youth. Later, Yu Yao's father went south to start a business, while Yun Ying's parents stayed local as teachers, so the two families didn't see each other often. Yun Ying had met Uncle Yu a few times.
Perhaps for Uncle Yu, raising Yun Ying was nothing more than adding another pair of chopsticks to the table—no pressure at all, and it repaid the help Yun Ying's parents had given him in the past.
Yun Ying was very grateful for Uncle Yu's care. He helped transfer her to a better school, had Yu Yao tutor her personally, and raised her as if she were his own daughter.
The only thing that made Yun Ying uncomfortable in the Yu household was the family's only son.
At first, Yu Yao really didn't like Yun Ying. She was too well-behaved, like a flower in a greenhouse, with no ability to survive on her own—weak and helpless.
Yu Yao wouldn't go so far as to bully her; bullying a girl would be too low of him. He just basically didn't talk to her at home. When his father forced him to tutor her, it was only because his father had promised that for every rank Yun Ying improved in her grades, he would get another limited-edition figurine.
A rebellious teenager spent a few years like this with his adopted sister. Yu Yao went from high school to university, studying financial management, and would take over the company after graduating.
Yun Ying gradually moved up through high school and eventually got into university.
When exactly did the nature of their brother-sister relationship change? Yun Ying thought about it for a long time afterward. Perhaps the signs had been there very early on.
Yu Yao stopped ignoring her. When she came home late from outings, he would personally drive to pick her up, and he began to inquire about her friendships.
And after she entered university, Father Yu went to manage a branch company, leaving the main company in Yu Yao's hands. Yu Yao had essentially become Yun Ying's guardian, taking on the responsibility of caring for her himself.
It happened during her freshman year, on the day of a club gathering. She'd had some drinks, and the senior she secretly liked had brought her home.
It was already winter by then. Yu Yao wore thin black loungewear, watching her faintly as she reeked of alcohol.
The man who had already entered the corporate world was no longer the rebellious youth of the past. His frame had grown broader, and the pressure that had settled into him after taking power was enough to intimidate Yun Ying, a young kid who had just started university. In this household, Yu Yao was the one she feared most.
Yun Ying slid off the senior's back and wobbled into a bow toward Yu Yao. "Bro! I—I came back late."
The senior hurriedly said, "Hello, I'm—"
"Thanks. You can go now."
Before he could introduce himself, Yu Yao stepped forward, scooped Yun Ying up in his arms, and carried her drunken self back inside.
What happened after that…
Yun Ying really didn't want to remember.
She had never seen Yu Yao that angry. His deep-set eyes and high nose bridge made him handsome, yet terrifying. He sat on the sofa in the double-height living room, where a mural spanning the entire wall hung overhead. The lights weren't on, and the household aunties had all gone home for the day.
Yu Yao's shadow pooled in the darkness as he looked at Yun Ying, whose shoulders were hunched and trembling. "Are you blind? Falling for a pretty boy like that? Yun Ying, do you think I raised you out of charity? Out of the goodness of my heart?"
The flower he had watered with care, nurtured meticulously, watched sprout from a tiny bud and grow more outstanding and confident over the years—she had always been so obedient. Though she feared him, she would still sweetly call him brother.
Such a flower—no one but him had the right to pluck it.
From the moment Yun Ying learned of her brother's feelings for her to being coerced and enticed into being with him, Yu Yao had only needed half a year.
The Yu Yao who had entered the company had to deal with those old things trying to seize power, and he was full of ruthlessness and dominance. He restrained himself considerably when dealing with Yun Ying, but she still found him frightening.
Especially in bed.
Bullying a girl was truly low—Yu Yao had always thought so. He never expected that all his badness would end up being used on his little sister. It really wasn't anything honorable.
Yu Yao had never been in a relationship. Nearly six foot two and all muscle, once he'd tasted the pleasure of such things, he became addicted beyond breaking.
Brother, brother—such an obedient person calling out such soft words. The moment he heard them, he couldn't control himself. Yu Yao loved holding her in his arms. When she had no support to lean on, the only one she could rely on was him. In those moments she would cling to him, press her face against his shoulder, and call for him with a tearful voice.
In these matters, he was always too cruel.
"Say you love me. Say it once, and I'll let you sleep?"
She would say she loved him many times over.
But in the end, Yun Ying still ran away without looking back, kicking that bastard aside.
Just as she was about to turn off her phone and throw it away, she saw the message Yu Yao had sent.
"Little sister, you'd better hide well. Don't let me find you."
…
Yun Ying suddenly opened her eyes, catching a familiar scent of pine. A figure was leaning down to pick her up, his sharp features striking—the kind of face that turned heads wherever it went.
As if she'd seen a ghost, Yun Ying let out a shriek and slapped Yu Yao across the face.
She hit too hard—a crisp, resounding smack. The people who had just gotten out of the car looked over in utter shock.
Yu Yao had shed his windbreaker jacket, which was now draped over Yun Ying. He wore only a loose black short-sleeve shirt, his toned arms exposed with a healthy wheat complexion. He had been bending down to carry her.
The faint sting in her palm snapped Yun Ying back to reality, jolting her awake from the dream.
She blinked. Yu Yao loomed over her, his tousled bangs shadowing his eyes, leaving only his thick lashes visible. But…
Who could possibly be happy after getting slapped?
That wicked dog Yu Yao definitely wouldn't let her off the hook.
Yun Ying kicked him in the waist, slipping out of his arms like a rabbit, and bolted forward without looking back. She hadn't made it more than a few steps when an arm shot out from behind, locking around her waist and hoisting her clean off the ground.
"Let go! Let me go, you bastard!"
Yu Yao lifted her with one arm, pulling her against him from behind. He lowered his head to her ear, catching a faint scent of jasmine, and spoke through nearly gritted teeth.
"Who were you dreaming about? Who were you calling 'brother' just now?"