Yu Yao was a terrible person. Back when he was her brother, he always wore a cold face around her, and later he loved to control her. And somewhere along the way, who knows what went wrong in his head, he took a fancy to her.
Yun Ying hated Yu Yao's domineering ways.
"You're shameless!"
Her arms pressed against his chest as she pushed him with all her might. Even through the cold, stiff fabric of his windbreaker, she could feel the firm lines of Yu Yao's muscles.
She resisted so fiercely that Yu Yao was actually amused into laughter. His fingertips rubbed the corners of her eyes, wiping away the grime.
"So devoted to him? Little girl, your eyes are a bit blind."
Yun Ying raised her foot and kicked his shin. "None of your business—get out of my house right now!"
Yu Yao sneered inwardly, blocking her path like a wall. The jasmine fragrance in the room was practically burning his rationality. That useless, cowardly man—what right did he have to live in a house that still carried her scent, to hold her clean, soft body as they slept, to embrace her, kiss her, even take her to bed?
"Let me out!" Trapped between Yu Yao's arms and the door, Yun Ying was surrounded by his scent. The familiar smell made her panicked.
Yu Yao wiped her face clean and saw that her eyes had gone red with anger. He finally stepped back.
"Don't use sand and charcoal dust to cover your face anymore. Your skin is too delicate—it's not good for you."
Yun Ying darted away like a rabbit, putting a dozen or so steps between them. Unconsciously, she pressed her red lips tightly together, one hand hidden behind her back as she quietly reached for the scissors on the table, watching him warily as if he were some kind of monstrous beast.
Yu Yao was actually amused into laughter by her.
"Am I really so despicable that I'd force myself on a girl?"
Yun Ying bit her lip, thinking to herself—wasn't he exactly that despicable?
He'd even made a move on his own sister, who'd lived under the same roof as him for years. Her first time with Yu Yao had been half-coaxed, half-forced. Although Yu Yao had prepared beforehand, it could hardly be called a beautiful experience. It had gone on too long, so much so that Yun Ying still dreaded rainy days.
Whenever there was a heavy storm, she'd remember that hot, stifling summer night—the air conditioning on in the room, both of them drenched in sweat. How that wicked thing had forced her to call him "brother" countless times, carrying her from the living room all the way to the bedroom, crashing into things along the way. His smooth, handsome shoulders and back were covered in marks from her scratching.
Seeing the look in her eyes, Yu Yao knew she didn't believe him.
He suddenly let out a laugh and nodded. "Still so wary. Being wary is good, though—in the apocalypse, the person you need to guard against most is men."
Yu Yao hadn't come here to tease a little girl. He stepped back a few paces and sat down on the sofa, crossing his arms and leaning back lazily. "Captain Zhang asked me to pass along a message."
Yun Ying knew who Captain Zhang was. She said nervously, "What does Captain Zhang want?"
"Your boyfriend Song Huai is suspected of concealing injuries and deceiving the inspection. He's currently being detained by the City Guard. Someone needs to go pay the fine and sign an acknowledgment. Miss Yun, as his girlfriend, you're the only candidate."
Yun Ying's eyes went wide. "How is that possible?"
Yu Yao's eyes narrowed slightly. "There's no reason for me to lie to you. Your boyfriend really was taken away by the City Guard, wasn't he? Miss Yun, that's quite a lot of Credits. Are you sure you want to pay it on his behalf?"
Yun Ying recalled what had happened earlier that night. After Song Huai was called away by the City Guard, he indeed hadn't returned.
Concealing injuries was a very serious matter in Jiangcheng Base. How dared Song Huai do such a thing?
Her long silence took on a different meaning in Yu Yao's eyes.
His throat bobbed slightly. Looking at her thin, frail figure, Yu Yao spoke very softly: "He isn't really that good to you, is he? In the apocalypse, survival comes first. Are you sure you want to fork out a thousand Credits to pay his fine for him? That's what you'd earn after going on a dozen-plus missions—true hard-earned money."
Give up on him. When disaster strikes, each flees their own way. Just break up with him outright and leave him to fend for himself.
Then she would understand that in the apocalypse, someone like Song Huai couldn't protect her—he would even drag her down. If she truly wanted to survive, she had to find another way.
Yu Yao said softly, "Miss Yun—"
"I'll pay it for him." Yun Ying raised her head, cutting Yu Yao off. "Where is he? Take me to see him."
The corner of Yu Yao's mouth, which had just curved upward, immediately fell. He narrowed his eyes, lips pressed tight. "What did you say?"
"I said I'll pay it for him." Yun Ying turned, took the Credit Card from her shoulder bag, and handed it to Yu Yao. "There are enough Credits on here. I'll pay the fine for him."
In that moment, Yu Yao felt some regret. He should have known better than to pull this stunt. When leaving Jiangcheng Base, he should have just abducted the person directly and thrown her in the car. Outside were all Zombies—what other choice would she have?
Yet he had to go and take the soft approach, making her willingly choose him.
Yu Yao let out a laugh. Beneath the fury, he even felt a trace of excitement, his breathing growing hot.
"You're this good to him? You'd even give this up?" Yu Yao stood up, his tall figure completely overshadowing Yun Ying as he watched her stagger back two steps.
"Fine then. Let's see just how deep the love between Miss Yun and Mr. Song really is."
He turned and walked out. Only after Yu Yao had left did Yun Ying exhale heavily, patting her chest, her lower back against the dining table, her mind full of the look Yu Yao had given her at the end.
Too much like the Yu Yao of the past.
Agreeing to pay the Credits for Song Huai wasn't out of any romantic sentiment—it was simply convenient for cutting things off cleanly.
Song Huai had brought her into Jiangcheng Base, and for the past few months it had been Song Huai looking after her, shielding her from plenty of covert covetousness. Even if he perhaps had other motives, the help was real.
Since Yun Ying had decided to move to the outer district and cut ties with him completely, she didn't want to owe him even the slightest debt of gratitude.
After paying this fine, her debt to Song Huai would be repaid. She wouldn't contact him again, and Song Huai would have no reason to come looking for her.
She followed Yu Yao downstairs. He had driven here—the military vehicle was parked right below the building.
Yun Ying pulled open the rear door. The back seat was piled full of documents and miscellaneous items. She looked toward Yu Yao in the driver's seat and, through the rearview mirror, saw a pair of sharply contoured eyes.
Yu Yao was watching her.
Reluctantly, Yun Ying closed the rear door, opened the passenger door, and got in. She buckled her seatbelt, cursing Yu Yao several times over in her head.
He was doing this on purpose. There were so many vehicles at the general hall, yet he just had to drive one stuffed with junk.
But on the way to the general hall, Yu Yao didn't speak to her, as if he were holding in his anger. Yun Ying didn't dare speak either. She gripped the cuffs of her hoodie, stared straight ahead, pretended to be air, and tried hard to make her presence as small as possible.
When the car stopped at the entrance of the general hall, she immediately unbuckled her seatbelt and jumped out, standing a dozen or so steps away from the vehicle.
Yu Yao felt like laughing. He didn't know exactly how fierce he was, but from the very first moment the girl saw his face, she looked like she'd seen a ghost.
The cold-faced "ghost" got out of the car and headed toward the main hall: "Come with me."
Yun Ying followed behind him. After entering the main hall, she stayed close behind him. Yu Yao took her to pay the fine and sign her name.
Once all the paperwork was done, they walked to a place where no one was around. She looked at Yu Yao: "Um… can I go see Song Huai?"
Yu Yao lowered his eyes to look at her: "What do you want to see him for? Miss him, or worried the base will do something to him?"
He'd guessed right. Yun Ying was indeed worried the base would do something to Song Huai. She'd heard that survivors who concealed their injuries in the past all ended up mysteriously disappearing during missions outside.
She forced a smile and said, "I'm just worried about him. My boyfriend isn't in good health. Could you find a way to let me see him?"
Suddenly a large shadow fell over her. In the blink of an eye, someone was blocking Yun Ying's path. She looked at him nervously.
Yu Yao raised his hand and pinched her face, the web of his hand pressing against her jaw. He said with a hint of malice, "Not in good health? That frail? Miss Yun, you're so young—being with him is really too much of a waste."
Yun Ying's eyes went wide. She raised her hands to grab his wrist and pushed hard. With her face pinched, her words came out muffled: "You—let go! Bastard!"
The only curses she had were those two—dog, bastard. It really made a man want to get hard.
Yu Yao mischievously pinched her cheek, which didn't have much flesh. He watched her fair, tender face flush red, and behind those red lips were frost-white teeth. One look and he knew how good it would feel to be bitten.
"Miss Yun, your boyfriend and I don't get along. You'd better mention him less in front of me."
Yun Ying twisted her face away with effort, shaking off his hand. Yu Yao reluctantly withdrew it, and as he lowered his hand, his fingertips curled.
…So soft.
The anger in Yu Yao's heart subsided a little. A sharp pain shot through his calf. He looked down and saw the furious girl had kicked his leg—with great force. After the kick, as if afraid he'd make trouble for her, she turned and ran.
Kind of cute, actually.
Yu Yao casually brushed the footprint off his pant leg and strode outside. When he reached the area outside the main hall, two people caught up to him.
Cheng Zainan raised a hand to block the blazing sun and said with narrowed eyes, "Lu Yao and Lin Xizhi went to the outer city. I heard they ran into that girl and helped her out of some trouble."
Yu Yao stopped and turned to look at him: "What did she go to the outer city for?"
"Seemed like she had some business to take care of." Cheng Zainan shrugged and recounted everything that happened in the outer city in full detail.
Yu Yao's eyes darkened. Cheng Zainan quietly stood together with He Fangchen, and the two exchanged a glance.
The captain was about to blow up again. Those two survivors probably wouldn't get off easy.
Yu Yao suppressed his anger and strode off, boarding his RV. Cheng Zainan and He Fangchen opened the door and got in.
"Talk," Yu Yao said coldly.
Cheng Zainan said, "While you were handling business, Old He and I quietly followed them underground. Old He used his supernatural ability to temporarily block the surveillance. Captain, it was the right call coming here this time."
He Fangchen leaned back in his chair, cracking sunflower seeds as he spoke casually: "That high-rank Zombie that was previously spotted around Huai City was indeed captured by the Jiangcheng Base. But Old He and I only made it down to the fifth underground level. There's another level below that, but the security's too tight—we couldn't get in. That Zombie should be down there."
Yu Yao twisted open a bottle of mineral water with one hand, took two sips, and said calmly, "Did you find the topographic map?"
Cheng Zainan scratched his head. "Ah, that's a bit difficult. After all, there are so many of them—"
Before he could finish, Yu Yao looked over. Cheng Zainan immediately turned serious. "A strong person is one who creates conditions when there are none. And I am terrifyingly strong. Don't worry, Captain. My children have already scouted the terrain for me!"
His children were the plants that could sprout from cracks in stone.
Cheng Zainan presented a hand-drawn topographic map with both hands, having circled the suspicious spots in red pen.
Those were the places his vines could not reach.
He Fangchen pressed a hand to his forehead and shot Cheng Zainan a fierce glare.
Yu Yao glanced at the map, which was drawn so poorly it was barely recognizable, frowned, folded it up, and stuffed it into his windbreaker pocket. He swung into the driver's seat and started the car.
Cheng Zainan, who had been sitting there waiting for praise from his captain, blinked his eyes. Only after the RV started did he poke his head through the gap by the driver's seat. "That's it? Aren't you going to say something, like 'Thank you, Little Cheng and your children, for your great contribution. You've worked hard'—that kind of polite talk?"
"If you know it's just polite talk, why say it?" Yu Yao said coldly.
Cheng Zainan glared at him fiercely. "I really can't work like this. Before the apocalypse, you must have been a cold-blooded, heartless, unloved, evil boss!"
Just as he finished speaking, He Fangchen jabbed him with an elbow. Cheng Zainan realized he'd spoken out of turn and immediately shut up.
Yu Yao said nothing.
No one knew what he had been doing before the apocalypse. In any case, he had woken up already in the apocalypse—opening the door to an era overrun by zombies. But fortunately, Yu Yao had awakened a supernatural ability, and a powerful one at that.
As for his amnesia, they said it might be a side effect of awakening his ability.
Yu Yao felt as though he was supposed to find someone—more like family. He vaguely remembered that he seemed to have a younger sister.
The reason he had come to Jiangcheng Base on this mission was also because that person had promised him that if the mission went smoothly, they would help him find his family.
That person was the only one with any leads.
Yu Yao's brows were tightly furrowed. The atmosphere inside the car was not relaxed.
He Fangchen caught a glimpse of someone through the car window from the corner of his eye. "Hey, isn't that the pretty girl?"
Yu Yao looked through the rearview mirror. Yun Ying was walking down the street with her head lowered, both hands tightly gripping the strap of her shoulder bag, as listless as a frostbitten eggplant.
Cheng Zainan perked up, leaning against the window to look outside. "Captain, did you bully her again? Oh wait, no—you went to bully her in the first place. Otherwise, why would you have her boyfriend locked up?"
He Fangchen cleared his throat and caught Yu Yao's eyes in the rearview mirror. He was looking out the window.
"Captain, aren't you going to stop and give her a ride?"
Yu Yao withdrew his gaze and kept driving. "I don't want to anger her to death."
The girl wouldn't get into his car on her own initiative. And with so many people around, if she got into a man's car while carrying the reputation of being Song Huai's girlfriend, word would spread through the base in no time.
Yu Yao didn't care much about his reputation. He wished everyone knew Yun Ying was connected to him. But she would probably cry from anger.
Watching this bitter couple in real time, Cheng Zainan said excitedly, "Looks like the girl hasn't given up on her boyfriend. Captain, your attempt to steal her away has failed. Once we finish the mission, we'll have to head back. Just let the girl go."
Yu Yao let out a cold laugh. Yun Ying's figure was almost out of sight in the rearview mirror now.
"Is that so? That's not necessarily true."
Yun Ying not giving up on her end didn't mean Song Huai would hold firm on his.
Time was running short. This pair of "lovebirds"—he had to break them apart.
Yu Yao withdrew his gaze, turned the car at the intersection, and dialed the radio.
The person on the other end picked up: "Brother Yu?"
Yu Yao said coldly, "There's a matter I need to ask Captain Zhang to help with."