Pushed by Yun Huacen, Yue Zirui stumbled forward a couple of steps, then instinctively reached out to feel his way. The first thing his hands touched was a metal door, its surface cold to the touch. Once inside, he found a bed about two meters ahead, covered with soft bedding. Beside the bed stood a table and a stool. Further in was a clothes rack, and about a meter beyond that, a small bathroom equipped with a toilet and a shower.
“This used to be my place. Now it’s yours.” Yun Huacen said. This single room had originally served as his resting spot, small but complete with all the essentials.
As Yue Zirui groped his way toward the bed, Yun Huacen stopped him, his tone laced with disdain. “You’re filthy. How can you even think of sitting on my bed? I’ll fetch you some clean clothes. Clean yourself up first, then we’ll talk.”
Listening to the fading footsteps, Yue Zirui lifted his arm and sniffed. A putrid odor, reminiscent of decaying flesh, the scent of zombies, clung to him. Soon, footsteps approached again. Yue Zirui turned toward the doorway, where a blurry silhouette gradually drew nearer. A set of clothes was thrust into his hands, accompanied by the faint, clean fragrance of laundry detergent.
“These are my clothes, freshly washed. You can wear them.”
Yue Zirui gave a soft acknowledgment and felt his way to the bathroom. Closing the door, he turned on the shower and extended a hand to test the water temperature, savoring the sensation of the cold water gradually warming. Since leaving the villa, he hadn’t even had a sip of hot water, let alone a proper bath. Tilting his head back, he opened his mouth, allowing the warm water to flow into his mouth and down his throat. A comforting warmth spread through his body, easing some of the pain. He scrubbed himself meticulously from head to toe before finally changing into the clean clothes.
When he emerged, he looked completely refreshed. Yun Huacen raised an eyebrow and said, “I need to draw some blood now. After that, you can rest.”
Yue Zirui groped his way to the bed and sat down. “I haven’t eaten anything all day.”
“First, the blood draw. I’ll have Qiqi bring breakfast over later.”
Yue Zirui nodded and proactively rolled up his sleeve, revealing the bite wound, a distinct mark with a dark green hue on the surface. Yun Huacen brought over the blood-drawing equipment and collected two hundred milliliters of blood, carefully storing it in a refrigeration box.
“Let me treat your wound,” Yun Huacen said, unable to ignore the injury despite knowing it might be futile. He cleaned and bandaged it with care.
Yun Huacen then handed him a walkie-talkie. “For safety reasons, I’ll need to lock the door. If you need anything or notice any changes in your condition, use this to contact me.”
Yue Zirui fumbled with the device and asked, “How does this work?”
“It’s already set up. Just press this button to talk to me,” Yun Huacen patiently explained how to use it.
Yue Zirui pressed the button but remained silent, unsure of what to say.
Seeing this, Yun Huacen stood up. “Alright, I have work to do. Get some rest.”
The door opened and closed. Yue Zirui watched the blurry figure disappear, then leaned back and sank into the soft bedding, curling up. The questions that troubled him resurfaced in his mind once more, why was it different? Why had that extra memory suddenly appeared? What was real, and what was false? After what felt like an eternity, he finally drifted into a fitful sleep, only to be awakened by the sound of the door opening again.
“Breakfast is here. Eat before you go back to sleep.”
Yue Zirui pushed himself up and sat. Yun Huacen placed a bowl and chopsticks into his hands.
“Since you can’t see, I asked Qiqi to make you a special tomato and egg noodle dish. The vegetables and noodles are mixed together, so it’s less hassle.”
Yue Zirui hadn’t expected him to be so considerate. Holding the warm bowl, his emotions grew complicated. He pursed his lips, and after a long pause, whispered softly, “Thank you.”
Yun Huacen was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. “It’s rare to hear a ‘thank you’ from you. I poured you some water, it’s on the table. Be careful when you reach for it.”
After giving his instructions, Yun Huacen turned and left the room.
Yue Zirui held the steaming bowl of noodles, the echo of Yun Huacen’s words lingering in his ears. He couldn’t help but feel dazed again. This warm, caring person was completely different from the cold, distant figure in his memories. Was it all an act, or had that truly been nothing more than a dream?
Having finally obtained what he wanted, Yun Huacen threw himself back into work mode. He remained busy for over a month, and after repeated failures, he finally succeeded in concocting the potion that the original owner had spent three years developing. Throughout this month, he barely ate or drank, wholly focused on brewing the potion. While others ate three meals a day, he was lucky to manage one. There was even a stretch where he went three days with just a single meal. On top of that, he slept no more than five hours a day, and in the final few days, less than three. In just one short month, he had withered away to skin and bones.
Yue Zirui suffered alongside him. Since no one else could enter the laboratory, his meals depended entirely on Yun Huacen’s deliveries, whether he ate or not hinged on whether Yun Huacen remembered. At first, Yue Zirui would use the intercom to remind him at mealtimes, at least ensuring he got some cold leftovers. Later, Yun Huacen found him annoying and turned off the intercom, making even a bite of cold food a luxury.
Yue Zirui had been complaining, but when he saw Yun Huacen, emaciated, unshaven, with cracked lips, laughing hysterically while clutching the potion, his resentment suddenly vanished. Though his meals were irregular, at least he could sleep soundly and drink water whenever he wanted. Yun Huacen, on the other hand, had become so absorbed in his research that he forgot himself entirely. What right did Yue Zirui have to complain?
Overwhelmed by excitement, Yun Huacen’s vision suddenly went black, and his body went limp as he collapsed backward. Fortunately, Yue Zirui reacted quickly and caught him, or the freshly brewed potion would have been lost. Yun Huacen forced himself to hand the potion to Yue Zirui before passing out completely.
Yue Zirui carefully set the potion aside, then scooped Yun Huacen up in his arms and laid him on the nearby bed. After a month of struggle, the antibodies in his body had successfully defeated the zombie virus, and his health was gradually recovering. Though his strength hadn’t fully returned, his vision had cleared enough to see. This small room had become his home, stocked with all kinds of daily necessities. Recently, he had even taken to washing Yun Huacen’s discarded clothes.
Looking at the fallen Yun Huacen, Yue Zirui’s emotions were complex. He reached toward Yun’s vulnerable neck, a firm grip would end his life soon enough. This was arguably the best moment to kill him. Yet, feeling the pulsing blood vessels beneath his fingertips, Yue found himself unable to act. With a helpless sigh, he gently lifted Yun Huacen’s head, adjusted the pillow, removed his shoes, and tucked him in before sitting down on the stool beside the bed.
In the shadows outside the door, Potato’s tender sprout retracted to its original state. The cat, responsible for the villa’s security, had sent Potato to protect Yun Huacen and prevent Yue Zirui from harming him. Had Yue Zirui dared to act just now, he would have already turned into a porcupine. Seizing the moment when Yue Zirui was distracted, Potato stealthily entered the room and hid under the bed. The sprout on its head slowly extended, concealed within the bedding, ensuring better protection for Yun Huacen.
Yun Huacen slept for a full day and night. When he regained consciousness, he found himself lying in Yue Zirui’s bed, with Yue Zirui slumped beside it, fast asleep. Sensing movement beneath the pillow, Yun Huacen tried to prop himself up, but Yue Zirui woke just then.
“You’re awake.” Yue Zirui said, straightening up and stretching his sore limbs.
“I…” Yun Huacen’s throat itched as soon as he spoke, and he couldn’t help but cough a few times. “How long have I been asleep?”
“A day and a night.” Yue Zirui got up to pour him a glass of water.
Yun Huacen reached out to take the cup but paused, suddenly realizing something. “Where’s my mask?”
“I took it off,” Yue Zirui replied smugly. “You’ve been in the same room with me for a day and night. You might already be infected with the zombie virus.”
“I knew you were up to no good!” Yun Huacen picked up the cup and drank.
Yue Zirui was taken aback for a moment before understanding. “So you’re just giving up?”
“What do you think?” Yun Huacen shot him a glare, placed the cup on the table, and threw off the covers to get out of bed.
Yue Zirui instinctively asked, “Where are you going?”
“Haven’t eaten in two days. Aren’t you hungry?” Yun Huacen picked up the medicine on the table. “If I really am infected, I’ll drink this. It’ll be a perfect clinical trial.”
“You’re testing it on yourself? Are you insane?”
“What else?” Yun Huacen turned to look at him. “I don’t have antibodies in my body. Should I just let myself turn into a zombie?”
Yue Zirui fell silent. Yun Huacen smiled, took the medicine, and walked out. While Yue Zirui was distracted, Potato quietly left the room and followed Yun Huacen out of the lab.
Yun Huacen entered the disinfection room, removed his protective suit, and after sanitizing, walked out. He looked at Potato by the door and asked, “What happened after I passed out?”
Potato extended its sprout, wrapped it around its body, then released it, flopping onto the ground and gesturing animatedly.
Yun Huacen tried to decipher its meaning. “Are you saying he tried to strangle me?”
Potato’s sprout moved up and down, then side to side.
“You mean he grabbed my neck but didn’t apply pressure, then let go, right?”
Potato’s sprout moved up and down.
“That brat, he knew better!” Yun Huacen praised. “Well done. Go find your Cabbage.”
Upon hearing this, Potato’s tender sprouts immediately perked up, and it hopped and skipped its way toward the first floor. Under the cat’s oppressive rule, it hadn’t seen Cabbage for a long time. Yun Huacen couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight, who would have thought Potato and Cabbage were a pair? When they reached the first floor, they found the children pressed against the glass, watching outside with tense expressions.
Yun Huacen sensed something was off and quickly walked over to look outside as well. A group of people, both men and women, stood in the courtyard, huddled together and talking about something.
Sun Qi noticed someone approaching and turned to see Yun Huacen. Just as she was about to speak, he raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.