At night, the two girls slept in the same bed, bidding farewell to their last peaceful night.
But it was far from calm upstairs and downstairs. At night, the zombies became unusually agile. Roars and fighting sounds came from upstairs, while downstairs the iron gate was being smashed open, accompanied by human screams inside the rooms and faint, rustling footsteps in the hallway…
Although their door had been specially reinforced and ordinary zombies at this stage couldn’t possibly break it open, sleep was clearly impossible.
Neither of them got up. They curled under the blankets, as if silently saying goodbye to their timid selves. What they would face tomorrow would not allow even the slightest fear.
At 6 a.m. the next morning, they woke up. Zombies were sluggish in the early morning—this was the best time to leave.
They put on long sportswear they had specially bought: breathable, but not easy to tear. Although the chance of an ability user turning into a zombie after being scratched was only about 30%, if there were multiple wounds, the outcome was uncertain.
Short blades were strapped at their waists, and baseball bats were secured on their backs. Their abilities were limited and not yet powerful enough—it was faster and more effective to fight physically.
With their outfits and striking appearances, even Shi Ran—sweet-looking as she was—with a faint smile carried a full aura that no one dared to underestimate. Her short black clavicle-length hair curled slightly at her shoulders, giving off an obedient contrast that made her beauty even more striking.
Ye Shuyao had long, straight legs and her voluminous wavy hair was casually tied back, revealing a sharp, elegant, and glamorous face—completely queen-like.
After packing up, they opened the apartment door with a soft “click” and cautiously stepped out. When closing it, they saw bloodstains and dents on the door—zombies had clearly come knocking last night.
Just as they were about to head downstairs, it happened in an instant.
A “little boy” suddenly rushed out from the apartment next door on the same floor.
He looked about three or four years old, but his head was dark purple. He had broken out of his own home and was now charging toward them with an unnaturally wide-open mouth.
Although it was their first time facing zombies, they remained relatively calm thanks to their previous experience with mutated animals. Shi Ran pulled out her dagger, sidestepping quickly. If the zombie came any closer, she could sever its head instantly.
Just as she was about to strike, the zombie suddenly struggled in place and didn’t advance further.
They looked closer and realized there was an iron chain around its neck. The other end was tied inside the apartment to a metal railing.
“Don’t kill him!”
“He’s sick… I’m sorry, I didn’t take care of him properly and let him out…”
A woman’s panicked, tearful voice came from inside.
She looked exhausted, likely having not slept all night. This was Ye Shuyao’s neighbor, Aunt Huang, who lived there with her family of three and usually got along well with them.
“Aunt Huang, you probably already understand the situation outside. Xiaowang he…” Ye Shuyao hesitated, but still tried to make her face reality so she would escape sooner.
“No! Shuyao, you don’t understand! He wasn’t bitten! He was fine two days ago—he even said he wanted to go to the amusement park for Children’s Day! He must just be too excited… he’s sick!”
The woman desperately tried to deny reality, unable to accept the loss of her child, clinging to delusion instead.
“Good boy, Xiaowang… Sister went out to play. Come home with Mommy. When the vaccine is developed, everything will be fine again. Mommy will take you to the amusement park…”
She spoke gently, trying to persuade the child, but she couldn’t even get close. In her mind, this was still just an illness—once a vaccine was developed, the world would return to normal.
This was the desperate mindset of ordinary people. They didn’t realize that in this world, resources had to be fought for. Only the weak waited to be allocated things. But strength or weakness was no longer something one could simply choose.
“Aunt Huang, we’re going downstairs. Staying here will only get overwhelmed eventually. You and Uncle Liang can take weapons and follow us. We’ll get out of the building together, then you should quickly drive away,” Ye Shuyao said after glancing at Shi Ran, who nodded in agreement.
It’s easy to say harsh things—but hard to do them.
After living as humans for so long, if kindness was a mistake, then they might never be able to be completely “correct.”
But this was all they could do. Once they left this building, they could only protect themselves.
The woman was about to refuse when the apartment door suddenly opened again.
“Uncle Liang” walked out.
He looked in terrible condition—skin purplish, pupils pale, eyes sunken. On his neck was a deep bite wound exposing bone.
“Ah Shu… you should go with them… I might not make it…”
He walked over to Xiaowang and gently patted his head. Surprisingly, the child didn’t attack him—he seemed to already recognize him as one of his own kind.
“I’ll take care of Xiaowang. Didn’t you always say I was lazy? You can’t say that anymore…”
Seeing this scene, even Shi Ran couldn’t help but feel shaken. This damned apocalypse…
“Two young ladies, thank you for your kindness. But my home is here. My child is sick—I will stay and take care of him. Please leave.”
The woman’s expression was firm, without hesitation. She closed the door.
Adults weren’t good at saying love—but actions spoke louder than words. Deep affection didn’t need explanation.
Shi Ran thought of her own parents.
That was exactly how they loved her.
Seventeen years old—a brilliant age. Raised in love, she had grown bold, free, and resilient.
But that year, she fell seriously ill, draining the family’s savings just to keep her alive for three more years.
In those years, she longed for rebirth, yet also for release. She had never made them proud, yet she was still their treasure.
So she thought—just a little longer… live a little longer. Her death would be the final straw that broke them.
She didn’t know how her parents were now, but she knew they wanted her to live well. Living was the best repayment she could give them.
She didn’t dwell on it for long.
Shi Ran and Ye Shuyao ran downstairs. The elevator was already useless, but fortunately the building wasn’t high.
Taking advantage of the terrain, they ambushed zombies on the way down, killing them instantly with precise strikes. Only the sound of blades piercing flesh and light footsteps echoed through the hallway.
More zombies gathered on the first floor.
They had to leave quickly.
They fought their way forward. Shi Ran wielded two daggers with lethal precision, each strike a headshot.
Ye Shuyao swung her baseball bat, knocking down several at once—but her battlefield was far messier, leaving a trail of gore behind.
They fought while running toward an open area.
Shi Ran quickly summoned the Hummer from her space. They got in fast, and with a sharp drift, she threw off the surrounding zombies.
In one smooth motion, she pulled the passenger door open from inside, turned it toward Ye Shuyao, then returned to the driver’s seat and kicked the door fully open.
As more zombies swarmed in, Ye Shuyao swept a half-circle kick to clear them, then jumped into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut.
With a roar of the engine, they sped away.