Yun Huacen had originally come just to check whether Yue Zirui was dead or alive, never expecting an unexpected gain, subduing two vegetables that had become sentient. Although their abilities were somewhat inelegant, they were highly practical, especially in the current situation, making them super useful.
Yun Huacen looked at Yue Zirui lying on the hood of the car, a satisfied smile curling at the corner of his mouth, but his words were sharp: “I didn’t touch the food in the cellar, I’ve already done more than enough. What more do you want?”
Yue Zirui pointed to his mouth and made muffled sounds.
Yun Huacen was taken aback for a moment, then said impatiently, “If you have something to say, say it. Don’t waste my time.”
Yue Zirui finally opened his mouth and said, “I’ll go with you.”
“You think you can just come and go as you please? Who do you think you are? Get out of the way now, or face the consequences!”
Yue Zirui’s body moved uncontrollably, clearing the space in front of the car. Yun Huacen shifted into reverse, and the car began to slowly back up.
Unable to control himself, Yue Zirui shouted, “What exactly are you planning?”
Yun Huacen ignored him, continuing to reverse the car.
As the sound of the engine grew fainter, Yue Zirui couldn’t help but feel a pang of panic. He shouted, “Don’t go! I have something you want!”
Yun Huacen’s smile widened. He gently tapped the brakes and leaned out to ask, “You’re an orphan with no parents, and now you’re infected with the zombie virus, at risk of turning at any moment. What could you possibly have that I want?”
Yue Zirui couldn’t see now, and the cellar door was destroyed, leaving him with nowhere to hide. If he encountered another zombie horde, he’d be nothing but food. There were still many things he hadn’t figured out, he couldn’t die in such an unclear way. Even if he was unwilling, he had no choice but to turn to Yun Huacen for help.
“I was bitten last night, and I still haven’t turned. You’re a medical student, you should know what that means.”
“What are you implying?” Yun Huacen pretended not to understand. He needed Yue Zirui to spell it out clearly; otherwise, leaving things ambiguous could lead to being bitten back later.
“I can cooperate with your research. But I have one condition: you can’t lock me in a cage.” Yue Zirui had no choice but to do this, he had to fight for better terms.
“Forget it.” Yun Huacen knew exactly what he was thinking. Keeping such a dangerous person around required extreme caution. Yue Zirui could make demands, but Yun Huacen didn’t have to agree. After all, the initiative was in his hands. “You’re hostile toward me. Keeping you around is too risky. I’d rather find someone else.”
“No one is more suitable than me!” Yue Zirui tried to regain the upper hand. “I was bitten by a zombie yesterday and still haven’t turned today. That means I have antibodies in my body. Using me for research will save you a lot of time and effort. You should know that better than anyone.”
“If what you say is true, it would indeed save a lot of trouble. But you’ve tried to kill me twice in a row, I remember that clearly. If I lose my life just to save a little time, that’s like dropping a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed. Stupid.”
Yun Huacen started the car and continued reversing.
Yue Zirui felt both frustrated and anxious. Just as he was hesitating, he suddenly heard the low growls of zombies, followed by Yun Huacen’s voice: “The zombie horde is coming. If you don’t want to die, run now.”
“Save me!” Yue Zirui sprinted toward Yun Huacen’s direction. “As long as you save me, I’ll do anything you ask!”
That was exactly what Yun Huacen wanted to hear. He flung open the car door and ran toward Yue Zirui. When he reached him, he grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward, saying, “If it weren’t for Qiqi and the others talking about you every day, I wouldn’t bother saving you.”
Yun Huacen shoved him into the car, then took the driver’s seat, reversing at top speed before turning around and heading up the mountain. The zombies had been lured by the cat, all to prevent the two from continuing their standoff. Of course, the act had to be convincing, and Yun Huacen and the zombies coordinated perfectly. Over the short distance of twenty or thirty meters, zombies had caught up several times, grabbing at Yue Zirui, only to be shot down by Yun Huacen, who narrowly managed to rescue him.
Yun Huacen even deliberately swerved the car left and right, creating the illusion of being chased by zombies. After all, Yue Zirui couldn’t see. As for his hearing, there were indeed zombies running nearby, but Yue Zirui couldn’t tell whether they were chasing or just running.
Yun Huacen grumbled, “What did I do to deserve such a nuisance like you?”
Yue Zirui didn’t respond, gripping the overhead handle tightly. His emotions were complicated. Though he couldn’t see, his hearing was sharp, and he could clearly hear the low growls and footsteps of zombies nearby. Before getting into the car, he had been grabbed by zombies several times, and each time, Yun Huacen had shot them down. He really was saving him.
After driving for about ten minutes, the car finally steadied, and the surroundings grew quiet. Yun Huacen let out a long sigh, audible to Yue Zirui, who turned toward him, seeing only a blurry silhouette.
Sensing Yue Zirui’s gaze, Yun Huacen said warily, “What are you looking at? I’m warning you, I’m driving right now. Don’t try anything funny, or we’ll both end up dead.”
“Are we almost there?”
Yun Huacen glanced at the villa not far away and said, “Almost.”
Yue Zirui hesitated for a moment before asking, “Are they doing okay?”
“They’re fine. What could be wrong? Their only worry is not being able to go out and play.”
When they reached the gate, Yun Huacen used his phone to open it and drove into the villa. After parking in the garage, he got out of the car just in time to see the cat swat a potato off the car. The potato rolled onto the ground and tumbled several meters before stopping. Its tender sprouts stretched out, wrapping around itself as it let out a whimpering sound, almost like crying.
Yun Huacen found it amusing and turned to the cat, saying, “Even if it’s just a potato, you shouldn’t bully it like that. From now on, we’re all family.”
The cat stretched lazily, glanced at the potato, and meowed.
The potato trembled in fear before lying still, playing dead.
Yun Huacen: “…”
The car door opened, and Yue Zirui fumbled his way out, asking, “What were you saying just now? What happened to the potato?”
“Nothing,” Yun Huacen paused briefly before continuing, “You’re infected with the zombie virus. To prevent you from suddenly turning and harming others, you’ll have to stay in the lab.”
“You can’t lock me in a cage.”
Yun Huacen could tell Yue Zirui was strongly opposed to this idea and said, “The lab has private rooms. You can stay there for now. But you have to cooperate with my experiments. Otherwise…”
“Alright.” Yue Zirui cut off Yun Huacen’s words. As long as he didn’t have to live in a cage, it was fine.
Yun Huacen hadn’t expected him to agree so readily and couldn’t help but feel suspicious. However, he didn’t say anything more, stepping forward to grab Yue Zirui’s wrist. “Let’s go then.”
Yun Huacen turned to look at the cat and said, “I’ll leave Potato and Baicai to you. Let them settle in the flowerbed for now.”
The cat meowed in response.
As soon as the villa door opened, the children gathered around. Someone must have spotted them and was waiting for them to enter.
“Stay back. He’s been bitten by a zombie. Be careful not to get infected.”
Sun Qi froze for a moment, then her eyes reddened. “Uncle, please, you have to save him!”
“Uncle, please save Brother Rui!” the others chimed in.
“I’m not sure if I can save him, but I’ll do my best. I’m taking him to the lab now. Don’t follow.” Yun Huacen dragged Yue Zirui toward the laboratory.
Shao Lan suddenly called out, “Brother Rui.”
Yue Zirui instinctively turned to look, then forced a smile to reassure her. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”
Hearing this, Shao Lan’s eyes welled up with tears.
Seeing this, Sun Qi stepped forward and pulled her into a comforting embrace. “It’s okay. Uncle will definitely save him.”
Yun Huacen led Yue Zirui down to the laboratory. When they reached the door, he said, “Wait here. Don’t go anywhere. I need to change into protective gear.”
Yue Zirui nodded.
Yun Huacen let go and tossed his gloves into the nearby trash bin. The only reason he dared to drag Yue Zirui around like that was because he was wearing gloves. Yun Huacen entered his fingerprint, went into the changing room, and put on the protective suit, it took no more than five minutes. When he came out, he saw Yue Zirui curled up by the door, his face covered in a dense layer of cold sweat.
“You… how are you?” Seeing him in such pain, Yun Huacen couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt.
“I…” Yue Zirui had originally wanted to say he was fine, but the pain in his body betrayed him, it felt exactly the same as he remembered. A surge of anger welled up inside him. “What do you think? Now you must be pleased. Without lifting a finger, you’ve got me willingly playing the ‘lab rat.’ Feeling pretty smug, aren’t you?”
“You’re out of your mind.” Yun Huacen’s heart skipped a beat. Although Yue Zirui’s words were harsh, they were undeniably true, but he absolutely couldn’t admit it. “If you had just stayed in the villa back then, would any of this have happened? You brought this on yourself. Don’t blame others.”
Back then, Yue Zirui had been convinced that Yun Huacen had ulterior motives, that he just wanted to use them as ‘lab rats.’ Before leaving, he had even declared that they would regret it. But now, all his companions were alive and well, while he was the only one who had been bitten, reduced to begging for help like a clown.
Yun Huacen wanted to say more, but seeing Yue Zirui cry, he swallowed his words. He walked to the door, entered his fingerprint and iris scan, and opened the laboratory door. Reaching out, he supported Yue Zirui’s arm. “If you were my kid, I’d beat you eight hundred times a day. Stubborn as a mule.”
Yue Zirui stood up and couldn’t resist retorting, “You think you can beat me? I could take you down with one hand tied behind my back.”
“Look at you, so full of yourself.” Yun Huacen couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “If you’re so amazing, how did you still get bitten by a zombie? And if I hadn’t saved you just now, you’d already have been eaten by one. Yet here you are, threatening to beat me up, seems like your mouth is the only tough thing about you.”
“Where did you get that gun?”
“Is that any of your business?” The two arrived at the door of the private room. Yun Huacen gave him a shove. “Stop talking nonsense and get inside.”