“Those things outside aren’t monsters, they’re zombies. The moment you hear that word, you should understand that the world has already collapsed into an apocalypse,” Lin Mingmei said calmly, her tone so matter-of-fact that it sent a chill through the air.
Qin Yueming fell silent for a long moment before giving a grim nod.
“That fever you had earlier was caused by your ability awakening. If my guess is correct, you awakened a fire ability, didn’t you?”
Qin Yueming looked at her in shock. “How do you know that?”
He could not shake the feeling that this young girl understood far too much about what was happening to the world.
“Just a guess,” Lin Mingmei replied shortly, offering no further explanation.
She pointed toward the unconscious toddler lying on the mattress.
“His condition right now is almost identical to what yours was earlier. If his body manages to survive the virus, he’ll probably awaken an ability too. If he doesn’t survive the fever, then that’s simply his fate.”
Such a young child… becoming an ability user?
Qin Yueming found it hard to believe. Then he remembered the orders his superior had given over the phone earlier. If this child survived, he would bring him back to the military base no matter what.
With that thought in mind, he suddenly found himself with a proper reason to stay beside Lin Mingmei.
Lin Mingmei was exhausted beyond words. Seeing Qin Yueming still standing there silently with no intention of leaving, she finally spoke.
“Watch over him for a while. I’m going to wash up.”
The foul smell clinging to her body had become unbearable even to herself.
When Qin Yueming gave no objection, she headed straight into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water echoed through the tiny apartment.
Qin Yueming paced restlessly around the room.
The apartment was extremely small, only a single bedroom with a cramped kitchen and bathroom. The bathroom door stood only a few steps away from him. Every splash of water reached his ears clearly, and before he realized it, his mind had already begun imagining her movements behind the door.
Heat rushed to his face.
But the moment his gaze landed on the men’s clothes hanging neatly inside the wardrobe, along with the framed photo of a young man sitting on the desk, his thoughts instantly cooled.
He knew exactly what he had done to this girl.
And she knew it too.
Yet she showed no anger or resentment at all. Was it because she wanted to bury the incident forever? Or perhaps because she did not want the owner of this apartment to ever find out?
Qin Yueming let out a long breath and forced himself to focus on the child again. He dipped the towel into water and continued wiping down the toddler’s burning body to reduce the fever.
He truly wanted this child to survive, but the situation looked bleak. The little boy had remained unconscious for hours without any sign of waking.
Under normal circumstances, taking him to a hospital might still offer a chance of survival.
But now…
Qin Yueming carefully fed the child a few drops of water before taking several gulps himself.
Even though it was already autumn, today’s temperature felt more like the height of summer. The oppressive heat felt unnatural.
A click sounded as the bathroom door opened.
Qin Yueming instinctively looked up.
Lin Mingmei walked out while drying her damp hair with a towel.
Her black hair was cut neatly at ear length. Wearing a clean white T-shirt and loose athletic pants, she looked exactly like an ordinary high school girl.
Qin Yueming’s eyes fell onto the scratches along her exposed arms, and his expression immediately tightened.
“Your injuries…”
“They’re fine.” Lin Mingmei glanced at them indifferently. “It’s already been a while since I was scratched. Since I haven’t turned into a zombie yet, I probably won’t.”
Qin Yueming’s eyes lit up with hope.
“Does that mean you’re immune to the zombie virus?”
If even one immune person existed, then there could be more. If the military gathered those people together, perhaps scientists could develop a cure or vaccine.
Unfortunately, Lin Mingmei shattered that hope immediately.
“No. It was just an accident.”
Even she could not explain why she survived.
But based on everything she experienced in her previous life, ability users had absolutely no immunity to the virus. If they were infected by mutated zombies, they would transform into even more terrifying evolved zombies.
“Master, I must remind you that you only have eight lives remaining.”
Heiqiu’s voice echoed inside her head.
Lin Mingmei’s expression instantly darkened.
The apocalypse had only begun for one day, and she had already wasted an entire life.
At this rate, she would truly die permanently in less than ten days.
“Master, your fighting style is far too reckless. You absolutely cannot continue fighting like that. The injuries you suffered earlier were enough to kill you eight times over. If the Spiritual Spring hadn’t protected your core vitality, all nine of your lives would’ve been gone already,” Heiqiu sighed helplessly.
Lin Mingmei’s face darkened even further.
Her instincts still operated according to the brutal habits from her previous life. She had forgotten that after her rebirth, her body was no longer the same.
Without warning, she suddenly slapped herself hard across the face.
The sharp sound startled the room.
Only after the sting spread across her cheek did she remember Qin Yueming was still there.
When she raised her head, she met his deeply furrowed gaze.
Lin Mingmei smiled awkwardly.
“I was getting sleepy. Just needed something to wake myself up.”
Qin Yueming did not question her further.
“The fact that you survived after being injured by zombies, does that mean you’ve awakened an ability too?”
What a perfect excuse.
Lin Mingmei nodded immediately.
“Yes.”
“What type?”
Lin Mingmei glanced around before her eyes landed on an iron ornament sitting on the desk.
She grabbed it casually and squeezed.
With only two effortless motions, the solid metal ornament crumpled into a distorted iron ball.
Qin Yueming’s eyes widened in shock.
“A strength ability?”
Lin Mingmei nodded again.
Qin Yueming hesitated before asking another question.
“Does everyone who survives awaken abilities?”
Lin Mingmei gave him a strange look.
“How would I know?”
Qin Yueming froze.
“We entered the apocalypse at the exact same time. Why would I know things that you don’t?” she asked calmly.
Her reasoning made perfect sense.
She was just a young girl. How could she possibly know everything?
Qin Yueming smiled bitterly at himself. His anxiety had clearly begun clouding his judgment.
Lin Mingmei had no desire to continue the conversation. The more she spoke, the easier it would be to accidentally reveal something she should not know.
“I’ll make something to eat.”
She stood and headed into the tiny kitchen.
The space was so narrow that Qin Yueming could not even fit inside to help, so he remained beside the mattress.
Lin Mingmei quickly cooked two bowls of noodles and added an egg to each one before carrying them outside.
“Thank you,” Qin Yueming said quietly.
He immediately started eating.
Ever since the city descended into chaos yesterday afternoon, he had not eaten a single thing. He was starving.
Lin Mingmei, however, had secretly eaten snacks from her storage space throughout the day, so she barely had any appetite left.
She had only taken a few bites when she looked up and discovered Qin Yueming’s bowl was already completely empty.
Lin Mingmei stared at him in shock.
That speed was practically identical to the desperate survivors from her previous life fighting over food.
Noticing her gaze, Qin Yueming looked slightly embarrassed.
“Military habit. We learn to eat quickly.”
Lin Mingmei paused briefly before sliding her untouched bowl toward him.
Qin Yueming immediately pushed it back.
“No need. I’m already full.”
“Eat it,” Lin Mingmei said calmly. “I already found food while I was outside earlier.”
“You should eat it.” Qin Yueming frowned slightly. “You’re far too thin. You need more nutrition.”
Lin Mingmei pushed the bowl back toward him again.
“You’re a grown man. Your body consumes far more energy than mine. That one bowl couldn’t possibly be enough.”
At the same time, she quietly calculated in her heart.
If she treated him well enough now, then when he eventually returned to the military base, she could smoothly suggest going with him. At that point, refusing her would become difficult.
Just as she was thinking that through, Qin Yueming pushed the bowl back toward her once again.
How troublesome.
Irritation instantly rose inside Lin Mingmei.
“I told you to eat it, so just eat it! Can’t you understand simple words?!”
Food was still available right now, so he should stop talking and eat while he still could. In just a few days, even a bowl of instant noodles would become an impossible luxury.
Qin Yueming froze completely at her sudden outburst.
Under Lin Mingmei’s fierce glare, he silently pulled the bowl back toward himself and obediently started eating.
As he ate, a complicated thought quietly surfaced in his mind.
This was a bowl she had already eaten from… and chopsticks she had already used…
Was it really appropriate for him to be doing this?