A wooden tub?
How nice.
Lin Buyu turned her head to glance at Jiang Ran. He was sprawling lazily across the bed, staring up at the ceiling as if something fascinating were written on it.
Unable to resist the urge to tease him, she clambered onto the bed and leaned over him playfully. “My, my, Group Leader… Why the sudden act of kindness? Could it be…?”
“No,” Jiang Ran cut her off before she could even finish.
This gorgeous man-eating flower who had suddenly slithered over had her bright eyes darting around; he didn’t even need to think to know nothing sensible would come out of her mouth.
Lin Buyu felt a hand lightly cover her face to push her back, her inner thoughts whirling.
According to the novel, Jiang Ran—the story’s ultimate villain—was completely devoid of human warmth, vicious toward humans and zombies alike.
It even claimed that if his own parents died right in front of him, he wouldn’t bat an eye—a cold, ruthless zombie-slaughtering machine.
Even the System believed that reforming a man like him was an almost impossible task.
Yet, after spending time with him, Lin Buyu realized that wasn’t quite the case.
He had been utterly indifferent to her at first.
Haven’t things shifted since then?
Lin Buyu suspected the change had something to do with what happened during their scavenging run.
And what did that prove? It proved he was someone who actually remembered a favor—he wasn’t truly cold-blooded or heartless.
Catching his wrist, she pressed herself cheerfully against his chest. “Group Leader, just admit it—you’ve softened up toward me… Is it because you suddenly realized how useful I am, blocking zombies for you and all?”
She brought that up again.
Her voice was deliberately coaxing—soft, sweet, and playful.
As she held his hand, Jiang Ran felt the cool, silky smoothness of her soft fingers.
Unhurriedly pulling his hand free, he pinched her chin, offering a faint, mock smile: “Spot on. I suddenly realized just how useful you are—a great meat shield to keep me alive when it counts.”
“Tsk. Say one thing, mean another.”
Lin Buyu pushed him away. Fine, fine—this dog of a villain wasn’t going to sprout human warmth overnight.
When she accepted this mission, she knew it wouldn’t be an easy fix.
“Off to take a bath then! Wait for me, Group Leader~” Giving him a cheeky wink, she slid off the bed with effortless grace.
Seemingly passionate and deeply devoted on the surface, yet utterly unbothered beneath—she was clearly confident he wouldn’t actually lay a finger on her.
Jiang Ran watched her walk toward the bathroom, only for her to suddenly turn back at the doorway with a seductive invitation: “Care to join me?”
Another playful wink followed.
Jiang Ran closed his eyes, offering no reply.
Lin Buyu giggled to herself—messing with him was far too satisfying.
Inside the bathroom stood a wooden tub. She promptly turned on the faucet, and once it was filled, shed her clothes and slipped into the warm water.
The gentle heat enveloped her smooth skin.
Lin Buyu lifted an arm, realizing her skin had quietly grown even more delicate and flawless.
It was almost impossible to spot a single pore or stray hair—milky-white skin that looked like a freshly peeled egg.
Could this be the physical evolution from absorbing all those zombie cores?
She had scooped up and swallowed so many cores back at the hospital.
Yet her head still felt completely empty.
Who knew how long it would take to condense a new core of her own?
Whatever, stop overthinking and just wash up.
After soaking for a while, Lin Buyu retrieved the “body wash” the clerk had given her.
Pouring out the transparent liquid, a delightfully refreshing aroma filled the room, bringing a light, floaty, utterly relaxing sensation.
What a magical body wash.
She lathered herself from head to toe, sloshing nearly half the bottle all over her body, not even sparing her hair.
Meanwhile, back in the bedroom, Jiang Ran lay flat with his eyes closed, the scenes from their hospital run endlessly playing back in his mind.
When he had ordered her to act as bait back then, he had actually kept a safety net in place—if she turned out to be completely powerless and real zombies attacked, he was confident he could protect her life in an instant.
He just hadn’t expected her to agree so decisively, without showing the slightest bit of resistance to being used as live bait.
Even less expected was her sheer strength, which far exceeded his wildest imagination.
Yet he still couldn’t fathom her true objective in getting close to him.
As he was lost in thought, a strange scent suddenly drifted into his nostrils.
Opening his eyes, he glanced toward the bathroom—the fragrance was emanating from there.
Body wash?
At first, Jiang Ran didn’t pay it any mind, but as time dragged on, he felt an unusual, simmering heat rising within his body.
He couldn’t help unbuttoning his shirt.
Under his slender fingers, the black buttons popped open one after another.
Jiang Ran fixed his dark eyes on the bathroom door once more. He wasn’t just hot; something deep within his blood was surging with unnatural agitation.
Is she playing tricks on me?
Jiang Ran stood up and strode toward the bathroom with a dark, heavy expression.
Inside, Lin Buyu was floating in the wooden tub, her entire body and the surrounding water covered in dense white bubbles.
Mmm, this smells so good. The more I smell it, the nicer it gets.
As she was humming a soft tune, a faint noise echoed behind her—the sound of the door latch turning.
She turned her head in confusion.
Jiang Ran twisted the handle, stepped inside, and shut the door behind him. A trace of icy sharpness lingered in his dark eyes, accompanied by an abnormal, feverish flush.
Lin Buyu froze for a second. Blinking, she asked without panicking: “What are you doing?”
“Drugging me?” Having already stepped inside and closed the door behind him, Jiang Ran closed the distance step by step.
The bathroom was small; two strides brought him right beside her tub. Placing both hands on the wooden rim, he leaned down close to her: “Are you really that desperate to sleep with me?”
He had almost believed that she truly fell for him at first sight.
A dangerous aura emanated from him, and even his hot breath brushed against her skin like fire.
Lin Buyu took a closer look and noticed the veins bulging along his neck.
Lacking any sense of danger whatsoever, she extended a fair, jade-like arm from the water and lightly poked one of the swollen veins on his neck.
“Did you get hit with an aphrodisiac?”
His reaction looked remarkably like someone under the influence of an aphrodisiac—a potent substance whose effects she had the fortune of witnessing before.
Jiang Ran instantly snatched her wrist, looking down to stare at her.
She stared back with wide, glistening eyes, looking at him with complete innocence—and even a hint of curiosity.
Jiang Ran closed his eyes and gritted his teeth: “This is your handy work, and you’re asking me?”
Her handy work?
Lin Buyu looked thoroughly baffled. Jiang Ran picked up the white bottle from the counter, unscrewed the cap, and took a sniff. Confirming it was the source, he held the bottle right in front of her face.
“Do you have any idea what this is?”
Lin Buyu was no fool. Seeing his condition and his series of aggressive reactions, the realization hit her in an instant.
Snatching the bottle away, she gasped in shock: “This stuff is an aphrodisiac?! Didn’t the registration clerk say it was body wash?!”
Wait… She suddenly recalled all the gossipy questions the clerk had asked her along the way.
No way… She didn’t think she was doing her and Jiang Ran a favor, did she?!
A wave of guilt washed over Lin Buyu. She looked up at Jiang Ran, who was staring down at her with dark, abyss-like eyes. For a second, she felt as if she had strayed directly into his inner world.
“Are… are you okay?” She gave a forced, sheepish laugh and tried to explain: “The clerk gave this to me… She really said it was body wash…”
Her voice trailed off, betraying her growing guilt.
Jiang Ran scrutinized her carefully.
He was absolute certain the bottle contained a potent aphrodisiac. Judging by the thick layer of suds in the tub, she had likely slathered it all over herself.
Yet she showed no abnormal reaction whatsoever.
She was completely unaffected by the drug.
Who on earth is she? Flawless, godlike marksmanship, and a complete immunity to drugs…
After a long silence, Jiang Ran suddenly spoke up: “I need to flush this out.”
His sudden declaration startled Lin Buyu.
She stared at him with wide, shocked eyes: “And how exactly do you plan on solving that?”
He wouldn’t actually try to sleep with her right now, would he?!