"Have you considered… separating from him?"
The base had a fixed water supply, but it required Credits and was extremely expensive, so many people wouldn't use water resources on such trivial matters.
Like taking a shower, for instance.
Yun Ying didn't live as meticulously as she had before the apocalypse, but she still couldn't stand going without a shower for long periods, especially after returning from a mission.
She used Credits to buy a bucket of water, carried it to the bathroom, and while Song Huai was out, locked all the doors in the house and gave herself a quick wash in the bathroom.
By the time Song Huai returned, the bathroom had already been cleaned up, and Yun Ying's bedroom door was tightly shut, not a sliver of light escaping through.
He was a Water-type Ability User and could easily condense some water. Pushing open the bathroom door, the thick fragrance inside had yet to dissipate—a jasmine scent, from the shampoo Yun Ying had spent Credits on at the market.
Song Huai's throat bobbed with difficulty as he swallowed. The dryness made it hard for him to stay calm. He washed up hastily and stepped out of the bathroom, standing in the empty living room.
The things at home had always been kept neat and orderly. Yun Ying was someone who loved cleanliness and had a strong sense of boundaries. Aside from the sofa where he slept, which she wouldn't touch, she kept everything else meticulously organized.
But now she was moving out.
Song Huai stared at her door, his mind filled with the image of her curled up in that Ability User's arms today. The tall fire-elemental superpower user had healthy wheat-colored skin, and his frame—far broader than hers—had wrapped around her, able to shield her completely. In that life-or-death moment, while everyone was fleeing, only she was safely protected.
Was she in such a hurry to move out because she'd latched onto a stronger Ability User?
Song Huai couldn't quite say what he was thinking. As if possessed, he approached her door and called softly, "A-Ying, are you asleep?"
Yun Ying didn't answer him.
Song Huai called several times, but there was no sound from inside.
His hand came to rest on the doorknob. His throat worked frantically as he swallowed. He gripped the handle and was just about to quietly twist it—
—Knock.
It was the sound of a door being knocked on.
The door that was knocked was the front door.
Song Huai whipped his head around, brows furrowed tightly, his face full of irritation at being interrupted.
He walked over and opened the door, thinking it was that couple from upstairs coming to borrow a mop again. He started cursing the moment he opened it: "I already told you two to buy your own—"
The unfinished words died in his throat.
Standing outside the door wasn't the couple, but people from the City Guard.
"Mr. Song, please come with us."
Hearing the front door open and then close, Yun Ying waited a long time. The house was quiet and still. After confirming no one was there, her tense shoulders finally relaxed, and she let out a long breath.
Yun Ying climbed down from the bed, confirmed the door was locked, and still feeling uneasy, pushed the table against the door as well.
In the past, Song Huai had never tried to twist her doorknob. Yun Ying knew he was acting off today and didn't dare sleep at all, nor did she dare answer him. She'd thought that by pretending to be asleep, Song Huai would take the hint and back off.
But he was twisting her doorknob.
Yun Ying turned on the rechargeable desk lamp and sat at the desk to start writing her application report.
The moment dawn broke, she would go look for a place immediately.
As a Second-Tier Ability User, Song Huai was not qualified to enter the Inner City Comprehensive Hall.
The City Guard was under the jurisdiction of the Comprehensive Hall. The captain of the City Guard was surnamed Zhang, named Zhang Qin—a Fifth-Tier Lightning-type Ability User.
Song Huai was anxious the entire way, unsure what mistake he had made that would warrant a personal summons from the City Guard captain. He asked around on the road, but the several people who had come to escort him didn't say a single word, which only made him more panicked.
Stepping into the main hall, they took the elevator down to the third basement level.
Song Huai was led into a room. The moment he entered, several people in protective suits emerged from behind a partition and pinned him down without a word.
"What are you doing! What's going on!"
The men forced Song Huai onto an examination bed. A masked doctor rolled up his sleeve and said, "Mr. Song, you have wounds on your body. Please cooperate with the examination."
Song Huai's face went pale. He hurriedly said, "These weren't from zombies, and before entering the base, I already went through quarantine!"
The doctor had already pushed the anesthetic into his vein, his eyes behind the protective goggles calm and indifferent.
"Please cooperate with the examination."
The anesthetic quickly knocked Song Huai unconscious.
Behind the one-way window stood several people. One wore a City Guard uniform—a burly man with rough features, arms crossed over his chest, watching the medical staff behind the glass take samples.
Zhang Qin said, "Anyone with wounds on their body has to undergo a longer quarantine before entering the base, plus the corresponding examinations. It'll probably be days before he gets out. He must have slipped through by mingling with the crowd. His name wasn't on the list of injured personnel."
He turned to look at the person leaning against the desk—a broad, tall figure shrouded in shadow. Warm yellow light fell on his face but did nothing to soften his sharp contours.
Zhang Qin had been at the base a long time and rarely saw such hostility in a young man.
"How did you know he was injured, brother?"
"I saw it."
Zhang Qin: "Was it from a zombie?"
Yu Yao raised his head, the corner of his lips curving slightly. "Maybe. Didn't get a clear look."
Zhang Qin raised an eyebrow and nodded.
He wasn't young anymore, and he had long since learned to see through people. This was hardly a case of not getting a clear look—it was clearly intentional. Yu Yao and Song Huai had a grudge.
Zhang Qin turned around with his hands behind his back and said, looking through the glass, "According to base regulations, concealing injuries and failing to report them is a serious offense. A fine of one thousand Credits, half a month in detention, and next time he'll be assigned to accompany the base on an A-rank mission."
Yu Yao straightened up, his gaze falling on Song Huai behind the glass. "I remember Mr. Song has a girlfriend. If he disappears for half a month without explanation, won't she worry?"
Zhang Qin suddenly let out a laugh. He'd heard some things from the Ability Users—this Fire Element Ability User had abducted a girl.
So it was Song Huai's girlfriend.
No need for veiled words, and no need for Yu Yao to spell it out. Zhang Qin said, "I don't know if you're busy, brother, but could I ask you to go notify her?"
Yu Yao smiled. "Perfect timing. I'm not busy."
At dawn, Yun Ying was getting ready to go to the outer district to look for housing.
According to Jiangcheng Base's rules, aside from the tents for refugees, all other housing required advance application. Yun Ying calculated her Credits—she could barely afford two months' rent for now. At worst, she'd just take on more missions.
Yun Ying arrived at the housing office in the outer district, filled out the application as instructed by the staff, and asked, "How long until I get a response on my application?"
The person behind the glass window looked impatient, not even raising their head. "Go back and wait. There've been a lot of applicants lately. It'll take a while."
Yun Ying nodded. "…Alright, thank you."
She slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out. The streets were crowded, the stench heavy. Most people living in the Outer District were ordinary folk—the facilities here were nothing like the Inner District's. Water and electricity were critically scarce. Everywhere on the streets you could see people who'd been evicted because they couldn't pay their Credits, sleeping in tents or just on the bare ground.
In the apocalypse, staying alive was already no easy feat.
A few people in flip-flops walked toward her. When Yun Ying saw who it was, her brow furrowed tightly. She quickly tried to dodge to the side, but they still caught sight of her.
"Well, well—isn't that Song kid's girlfriend?" Skinny Monkey called from behind her. Yun Ying pretended not to hear, gripping her backpack and walking on.
Gangzi darted in front of her, his burly frame blocking her path. "What's the matter? Your boyfriend dumped you, so you came to the Outer District? Do you even know what kind of place this is?"
Yun Ying forced herself to stay calm. "I just came to buy some things. I should be heading back now."
"Who said you could leave?" Skinny Monkey blocked the other path, staring at Yun Ying's dust-smudged face. "I heard your boyfriend even threw you into a Zombie Horde. Tsk. Can't imagine how he had the heart—"
He reached out to hook a finger in the drawstring of her hoodie. Yun Ying stomped down on his foot, kicked him hard in the shin, and while he was doubled over in pain, pulled out a homemade pepper spray from her bag and sprayed both men wildly in the eyes. Then she turned and ran.
"You little bitch—stop right there!" Gangzi clutched his eyes, grimacing in agony.
This kind of thing happened all the time in the Outer District. Unless the fire reached your own doorstep, nobody intervened. Yun Ying sprinted desperately forward and soon heard the two thugs chasing after her.
"Just wait till I get my hands on you—I'll kill you!"
"Stop, you little wretch!"
Yun Ying veered into a narrow alley. Gangzi was too fat to squeeze in, so Skinny Monkey forced his way through.
Gangzi spat on the ground and turned to cut Yun Ying off at another intersection. But the moment he turned his head, a fist came flying and slammed hard into his eye socket.
Lu Yao flexed her wrist, grabbed one of his arms, and threw his two-hundred-plus-pound body over her shoulder onto the ground.
In the alley, Skinny Monkey saw Yun Ying disappear around the corner and cursed under his breath. He'd been in the Outer District long enough to know the layout. He turned to take a shortcut.
A bullet tore through his left shoulder. He let out a shrill scream and collapsed to the ground, clutching his shoulder.
In an old residential building several dozen meters away, Lin Xizhi lowered her gun and crunched down on the lollipop in her mouth. Seeing Lu Yao signal to her, she stood, holstered her weapon, and rejoined the team.
The gunshot had been silenced—Yun Ying never heard it. She burst out of the alley mouth, saw no sign of the two men chasing her, and ran full tilt toward the Inner District. Only when she saw the Inner District's city guard did she breathe a sigh of relief.
But Yun Ying still didn't dare stop. She ran all the way back to her residence—an old residential building that had already been several decades old before the apocalypse. No elevator. After running the whole way, her legs felt like jelly, trembling even as she climbed the stairs.
She made it to the sixth floor. Just as she was about to reach her door, pulling her keys from her bag, her legs gave out. Her body tipped backward into empty air. She screamed—and crashed into the arms behind her.
A body honed by years of training had not an inch of softness. Yun Ying's back ached from the impact. She heard a low, muffled laugh above her. She looked up—and nearly fainted from fright.
Yu Yao held her waist with one hand. He walked without making a sound. Yun Ying had no idea how long he'd been following her.
Yu Yao took the keys from her hand and, with a single lift, carried Yun Ying up the last step. Wrapping himself around her from behind, he brought her to the door, inserted the key into the lock, and gave it a gentle twist—the door swung open.
Yun Ying was pushed inside, and before she could stop him, he followed right behind and shut the door with one hand.
Yun Ying spun around in a panic and shoved at him with all her might. "You—get out!"
Her hand, extending from the sleeve of her sweater, was slender as a scallion—delicate, pale fingers pressed against his windbreaker, the contrast of white and black so stark. She pushed with everything she had, but to him, it felt like nothing more than a tickle.
Yu Yao's throat bobbed. Seeing the girl's eyes redden with anxiety, a mischievous streak took over. He kicked off his shoes, stepped onto the floor in his socks, and strode in as if he owned the place.
"What's the rush? Afraid your boyfriend will come back and see?"
This bandit!
Yun Ying slipped into her slippers and chased after him. "This is my home—get out!"
"So fierce. I just saved you, and you won't even offer me a cup of tea?"
Yu Yao acted as if he hadn't heard her, casually glancing around the place. It was a small one-bedroom apartment, poorly decorated—even shabby—but spotlessly clean. The furniture was arranged neatly, a warm yellow blanket draped over the sofa, and the floor polished to a shine.
In the apocalypse, it was rare to see a home this clean. Even people who had once lived glamorous lives would settle for whatever they could get when survival itself became the struggle.
"What exactly do you want?!"
Seeing him heading toward the bedroom, Yun Ying dashed over and blocked his path between him and the door.
Yu Yao looked down at the person who barely reached his shoulder. She tilted her face up at him—pale and fair, flushed pink, whether from anger or exertion, he couldn't tell.
"You live with him?"
Yun Ying glanced at the sofa. The place was too small. Whenever Song Huai wasn't sleeping in the living room, he'd fold up his bedding to free up the space.
Her silence was as good as an admission.
Yu Yao found the question almost pointless. They'd been a couple before the end of the world, and there was only one bedroom here—what would a couple have to be shy about?
A couple living together—they'd hug, they'd kiss, they'd make love. They'd do everything.
A treasure like her—anything he wanted to do to her, another man would want just the same.
Yu Yao stepped forward. Yun Ying flinched back, her spine pressing against the cold door panel.
Yu Yao stared at her face, feeling a dull fire burn in his chest. He leaned in close. "Can he satisfy you? Can he protect you, give you a better life?"
"Look—such a pretty face, and with him, you have to hide it away."
Under Yun Ying's terrified gaze, Yu Yao raised his hand and pressed it to her cheek. His thumb rubbed against her skin, wiping away the dirt she'd deliberately smeared on, gradually revealing the fair, tender flesh beneath. He spoke almost word by word.
"Baby, I'm way better than him. How about you think it over—dump him and be with me?"