Mu Xiaoxiao’s heart sank when she heard the increasingly loud noises around them.
“You guys go first. Don’t worry about us, just head back the way we came.”
“Miss Mu, how can we do that? We came out together, so we should go back together.” Even if they ended up dying here today, then that was simply their fate.
“You’ll only hold us back if you stay here. Go, now,” Meng Yu said coldly, her expression serious.
The four of them thought it over and realized that she was right. Miss Mu was far stronger than they were, and Miss Meng even had an ability. Both women had reached a level they could only admire, so leaving was clearly their best option.
“Miss Mu, Miss Meng, be careful. See you back there.”
The four quickly got into their car, shut the doors, stepped on the accelerator, and drove away.
“Ah! Help!”
A woman suddenly screamed. A Level 1 zombie had already knocked her to the ground and bitten her neck. Blood spurted out, and the other zombies immediately gathered around after catching its scent. Before long, the woman’s cries fell silent.
Some people were still desperately fighting back with weapons. As long as they did not encounter a Level 1 zombie, they still had a chance of escaping.
More and more zombies were gathering in their direction.
Meng Yu and Mu Xiaoxiao fought as they moved, intending to kill the Level 1 zombie and obtain its crystal core.
After finishing its meal, the Level 1 zombie turned its attention toward Meng Yu and Mu Xiaoxiao and lunged at them. Meng Yu nimbly dodged aside and slashed at its leg, causing it to stumble and fall to the ground. She immediately activated her ability again, sending an ice spike straight through the zombie’s head before taking out its crystal core.
She then joined Mu Xiaoxiao in battle. Seeing dozens of zombies approaching from behind, the two of them were beginning to grow tired. After clearing the zombies in front of them, they ran toward a safer area, took out their car, got inside, and started the engine.
“Save me!”
“Give me a ride!”
Other survivors shouted desperately behind the car, hoping to get in, but Meng Yu did not stop. She drove straight ahead, and they quickly left the area behind, with the distant roars of zombies still faintly audible.
Mu Xiaoxiao felt a little weighed down as she watched other people die at the hands of the zombies. They had the ability to save them, but what would happen after that? In the apocalyptic world, only the strong survived. They might be able to save someone once, but what about the next time? It was better to leave things to fate. If someone was destined to die, then they would die. They could not always expect others to save them.
When they returned to the villa, they found that everyone else was waiting for them at the entrance.
“Miss Mu and Miss Meng are back!”
Everyone’s faces lit up with excited smiles.
The gates were opened, and Meng Yu drove the car inside before they were closed again behind them.
“It’s your first time going out today, so go back and get some rest early. We’re heading back too,” Meng Yu said.
“Miss Meng, Miss Mu, thank you for helping us today. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have been able to find so much food, and we might not even have made it back alive. We all discussed it and decided to give you this as payment. It’s also a small token of our appreciation.”
Meng Yu looked at the box of instant noodles and the box of bottled water on the ground. It was already quite generous.
“There’s no need. It wasn’t easy for you to bring these supplies back either, so you should keep them.”
“Miss Meng, what belongs to you is yours, and what belongs to us is ours. Please accept them, otherwise we won’t feel right about it.”
Seeing how determined they were, Mu Xiaoxiao finally said, “All right, then. Thank you. From now on, you’ll have to rely on yourselves. Now that you have food, don’t waste it. The days ahead are still long.”
“We understand. Thank you.”
Everyone thanked them once again.
Mu Xiaoxiao got out of the car and loaded the supplies into it before getting back in. She and Meng Yu then drove home while everyone watched them leave. Only after the car disappeared from sight did they return to their own homes.
Before the apocalypse, these people had mostly been white collar workers or business owners, and their moral character was still fairly decent.
Ever since the two women had left, Lu Xuan had been restless at home. He kept going to the window to check whether they had returned, and eventually, he simply carried a chair to the entrance and waited there. The moment he heard the sound of a car, he hurriedly opened the door.
“You’re back!”
“Hm? Why did you come out?” Mu Xiaoxiao asked as she got out of the car and walked over.
“Hehe, I heard your car and came out.”
Mu Xiaoxiao glanced at the chair by the door and immediately guessed what had happened.
“Don’t tell me you’ve been waiting for us out here the whole time.”
“No, I only came out here later,” Lu Xuan said, rubbing his nose awkwardly with a grin.
“You didn’t run into any danger, did you?”
Mu Xiaoxiao told Lu Xuan about everything that had happened that day.
After listening, Lu Xuan sighed. “Life is getting harder and harder in this world. The government isn’t taking care of us either. Those people who have no way to defend themselves will either starve or die at the hands of zombies. All they can do is accept their fate.”
Right now, he was simply living one day at a time.
“Come on, let me change your bandage,” Mu Xiaoxiao said.
After changing his bandage, the three of them went to wash up. They were completely exhausted after such a long day.
A week had passed since the water and electricity had been cut off, and Lu Xuan’s leg had almost completely healed. He had no problem walking slowly on his own, and whenever he had nothing to do, he would wash the dishes or clean the house. He was extremely diligent.
However, whenever he thought about how he would have to leave once his injury was fully healed, he could not help feeling sad.
Mu Xiaoxiao had already noticed that Lu Xuan was unhappy, and secretly found it amusing. After observing him over the past week, she had decided that he was a good person. Every day, she and Meng Yu went out to kill zombies and gather supplies while Lu Xuan stayed behind to watch the house. He eagerly took care of all the household chores and never asked questions about the food they brought out, so she had decided to let him stay.
They did not go out that day. After lunch, Mu Xiaoxiao took out a cup of milk tea for each of them, and the three sat together on the sofa.
“Thank you, Xiaoxiao. This is really good!”
Lu Xuan held the cup of milk tea in his hands and drank it with great enjoyment, looking completely satisfied. Every meal he had here felt like the best meal of his life.
Still, his injury was almost healed. Even if they did not say anything, he could not shamelessly continue staying there.
“Xiaoxiao, Sister Yu, thank you for taking care of me these past few days. My injury has almost healed, so I’ll go home later.”
“Oh, really? But we never told you to leave,” Mu Xiaoxiao said teasingly.
“I know you two are too polite to say it directly. I’ve been eating and drinking well here every day, so how could I keep imposing on you?”
As he spoke, Lu Xuan suddenly realized what she meant. His eyes widened in disbelief.
“Xiaoxiao, are you saying that you’re planning to let me stay and join your team?”
Mu Xiaoxiao took a sip of her milk tea and nodded.
“Mm. From now on, you’re our partner. You’ll have to work hard and make good use of your strengths. We don’t need anyone on the team who will hold us back.”
“D Don’t worry! I definitely won’t hold you back! Once my leg is completely healed, I’ll go out and kill zombies with you. Even while I’m at home, I’ll make sure to train myself every day.”
Lu Xuan was so excited that he could barely speak clearly.
Lu Xuan went home to pack his things. He had not returned in more than a week, and a layer of dust had already settled everywhere. With the power out, there was no food left in the refrigerator anyway. He only needed to bring over his rice, flour, and water.
That evening, Mu Xiaoxiao took out the spiritual spring water Meng Yu had given her.
“This is from Sister Yu. Now that you’re part of our team, of course we should share good things with you. Drink this. It’s good for your body and can help strengthen you.”
“Thank you, Sister Yu!”
Lu Xuan accepted the water and thanked her. Even if it had been poison, he would still have drunk it without hesitation.
“No need to thank me,” Meng Yu replied calmly.
Lu Xuan drank the entire cup in one gulp.
“I thought it would taste bitter, but I didn’t expect it to be a little sweet. It’s actually pretty good.”
Soon afterward, Lu Xuan began to sweat, and an unpleasant smell started coming from his body.
“Ugh, why does it smell so bad? Where is that smell coming from?”
“What do you think?” Mu Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes at him.