Tang Nai sat beside him, carefully closing the car window.
"He's the driver…"
Jin Xiao retracted his gaze and shook the map. "He hasn't come out since he changed his clothes… but he never wastes time."
"Oh."
She glanced at the silent Jin Xiao and didn't dare make a sound. Mr. Xi had said that after Meng Siyao abandoned him, Jin Xiao joined the army. His specific unit was unknown; all anyone knew was that news of him vanished after that. When he reappeared, it was at Taoyuan Base. At that time, he hadn't yet awakened a superpower, but he was still able to hold his own against those supernatural ability users, leading a team of them to break through a zombie encirclement.
Back then, when those haughty supernatural ability users saw the scars on his body, it wasn't hard to guess his background was extraordinary, and they were instantly cowed. Once he actually awakened his superpower, no one dared to breathe a word against him.
In the original story, before reaching the official base, they encountered a zombie tide. By then, Meng Siyao had become the target of public scorn. Watching the relationship between the male and female protagonists improve, she flew into a rage and pushed Gu Qing toward the zombie horde. Of course, given Meng Siyao's skills, she couldn't possibly succeed, and she ended up being torn apart by Jin Xiao’s superpower.
That was why Mr. Xi said that when facing the male protagonist alone, she shouldn't act rashly before it issued a clear mission. Otherwise, if he killed her ahead of schedule, her mission would fail.
She tightened her collar as she had before, idly picking at the seat with her fingernails.
The interior of the car was very quiet. The air was filled with the sweet fragrance she couldn't help but emit, as well as the metallic scent of blood from Jin Xiao's arm.
"Haven't you changed your perfume yet?"
Tang Nai looked up. "Huh?"
Jin Xiao put down the map, opened the window a crack, and frowned at her. Just as he was about to say something, there was a knock on the window.
Tang Nai opened the window and looked down slightly. It was actually Zhou Ping.
Zhou Ping could usually banter with Wang Ya, but he struggled to communicate whenever he encountered outsiders. Seeing Tang Nai looking down at him now, his cheeks instantly turned red.
"Miss… Miss Meng, I came to deliver a message from Brother Hong to Captain Jin."
Hearing Hong Zhengyuan’s name, Jin Xiao glanced sideways.
Zhou Ping said, "Brother Hong says he’s tired of driving and is going to the roof of the car to catch some air."
Jin Xiao: "…"
He let out a breath. "Where is he?"
Jin Xiao possessed a natural, commanding presence. Zhou Ping’s face immediately turned from red to pale. "He—he's in our car now. Gu Qing asked me to tell you that there are plenty of seats in the back. If no one is available to drive your vehicle, you can all move to the back seat."
[In the original text, Hong Zhengyuan was supposed to mock Meng Siyao in this segment,] the system reminded her hesitantly.
Tang Nai thought that perhaps she had angered Hong Zhengyuan so much that he simply didn't want to see her at all.
Jin Xiao: "Leading the way is extremely important; there must be at least two supernatural ability users in the lead car. Go back and tell Hong Zhengyuan not to bother catching air on the roof—he can go catch exhaust fumes under the car instead. And tell Chi Jing to come over."
Zhou Ping: "…"
A moment later, a voice tinged with amusement drifted over: "I heard you penalized Yuan-zi to eat exhaust fumes. It seems it’s my honor to drive today."
Chi Jing boarded the car. He had changed into a new jacket, revealing a dress shirt at the collar, making him look a bit more refined than before. As soon as he got in, he flashed a smile at the rearview mirror.
Jin Xiao closed the window. "I wouldn't have made you drive if my arm wasn't injured."
Chi Jing said, "My driving skills aren't much worse than you two, are they?"
He replied with a smile, his gaze colliding with Tang Nai's in the rearview mirror before pulling away. "At the very least, I guarantee there won't be a single problem before we reach the official base."
Jin Xiao looked at the map. "It won't be much longer. We'll stop at the next provincial capital. They haven't had a break in a long time; it's about time those guys had a chance to relax."
The system said: [The provincial capital is the destination for the next mission. At that time, you need to enter a shopping mall while the male protagonist and the others are on their mission, and then refuse to leave because you're looking for cosmetics and clothes. This will cause the male protagonist to waste time searching for you, making his dislike for you reach a new level.]
Tang Nai nodded. The next task seemed a bit dangerous, but she believed that with Mr. Xi's guidance, she would complete it successfully.
The convoy set off again. All the windows were tightly shut, making the car cabin feel like a mobile sealed tin can.
At noon, the sunlight was piercing. Sweat broke out on Tang Nai's neck. She wrapped her jacket tightly around herself and leaned her face toward the window to secretly exhale a breath.
Silence returned to the car. Chi Jing's fingertips tapped on the steering wheel, and the dilapidated scenery on both sides of the road flickered across his glasses. Suddenly, his nose twitched, and he shook his head with a laugh:
"Boss, you should pay attention too. The bloody smell from your wound is so strong I thought I was still at the scene of a zombie slaughter."
Jin Xiao moved his right arm, his brow twitching imperceptibly. Since the injury, it had only been bandaged once. A supernatural ability user’s self-healing ability was stronger than a normal person’s, but inflammation was inevitable.
"It's fine."
"You wouldn't listen when I told you to rest properly. You're fine, but it’s choking me…"
Before Chi Jing could finish his sentence, his leisurely tapping fingertips unconsciously slowed down. The smile at the corner of his mouth gradually faded as he gripped the steering wheel, controlling his breathing slightly, as if afraid of something entering his chest.
Because a sweet fragrance was drifting faintly toward his nose. It came from behind him, like a sharp breeze slicing through the stifling smell of blood to invade his territory.
He was very familiar with this scent. He had smelled it when Tang Nai got out of the car yesterday, when she put on the jacket, and when she approached Hong Zhengyuan… It was the perfume scent he had ignored and pointedly loathed several times.
Chi Jing instinctively placed his hand on the window button, but after glancing at Jin Xiao in the rearview mirror, he lowered his hand.
He finally understood why Hong Zhengyuan's expression was so strange when he mentioned the smell on her. It was clearly a faint, elusive sweetness, yet it seemed to be a pervasive wind filling every inch of the air. If he were outside, he could ignore it entirely. However, in such a confined space, amidst the headache-inducing smell of blood, this wisp of sweet fragrance was like a willow branch reaching deep into his chest, drawing out all the foul air and leaving behind fresh green sprouts that tickled his every alveolus.
It turned out that even breathing had become a struggle against instinct.
Deep breaths became a loss of control, yet holding his breath felt insufficient. He tugged at his collar, let out a breath, and glanced at the rearview mirror with almost a hint of annoyance.
The woman didn't seem to realize the trouble she had caused. She was pressed against the window, her cheeks dampened by strands of hair like a milk bottle soaking in hot water. Her long lashes were wet and stuck together. Sensing his gaze, she looked up somewhat blankly.
Chi Jing instantly retracted his gaze, and the car swayed.
Jin Xiao frowned and put down the map. "What's… wrong with you? Why are you sweating so much?"
Chi Jing's fingertips twitched. "Nothing… just, I think the sun is a bit hot."
"Open the window then." Jin Xiao glanced at his arm. "This stretch of road is deserted. Even with the smell of blood, it won't attract many zombies."
Chi Jing closed his eyes and opened the window a crack. The blood and sweet fragrance inside the car were instantly drawn out, and his heartbeat finally returned to normal.
Without the illusion brought by the scent, Chi Jing regained his usual composure.
He looked at the handgun Hong Zhengyuan had left on the center console, its presence marked by the haste of his departure—a haste that seemed to mirror his own momentary panic just now. He suppressed such a ridiculous thought and said with forced lightness:
"Boss, since the last time you straightened him out, this is the first time Yuan-zi has messed up. That kid is prone to being muddle-headed, so don't take it to heart."
When Jin Xiao first arrived at the base and became the leader through his own ability, the first troublemaker he encountered was Hong Zhengyuan. After being soundly beaten once by the then-powerless Jin Xiao, Hong Zhengyuan never dared to be disobedient again. Although his personality was still brash, this was the first time he had done something like wasting water.
As Jin Xiao's most trusted brother, it was no different from a backstab.
The cool breeze made the air in the car slightly chilly, but that sweet fragrance actually became refreshing. Jin Xiao casually scanned the scenery outside the window and caught sight of Tang Nai sitting upright and dazed. The corners of his mouth pressed down. "Didn't you say his brain was eaten by a dog?"
Chi Jing said, "I wish that were the case. That dog brain of his sometimes acts without thinking… I'm sure he'll change once he realizes it."
Jin Xiao looked up. "Don't worry, I know my own brother. Although he's impulsive, he doesn't have a bad character. I'll just assume he's been suppressed for too long this time; I won't take it to heart."
Chi Jing’s smile lightened considerably. "Right, we're all brothers… No matter the conflict, we'll understand each other. I always say that nothing can affect the bond between us brothers."
The car was traveling fast. Just as they hit a sharp turn, the drowsy Tang Nai instinctively tumbled to the left. Seeing that her head was about to slam straight into the glass, Chi Jing subconsciously wanted to turn back and reach out.
However, a hand instantly grabbed Tang Nai’s arm. Jin Xiao frowned as he pulled her over, his gaze lifting toward the driver's seat almost imperceptibly.
Bang! The vehicle hit a zombie that had lunged out of nowhere. The car began to skid on the road. Branches and leaves frantically sprouted from the driver’s seat to stabilize the vehicle, finally bringing it to a stop.
Tang Nai’s eyes snapped open. Chi Jing and Jin Xiao’s faces were as cold as water, and the car was terrifyingly silent.
Half of the zombie’s body had been crushed, but it still used its rotting remnants to claw at the window. When the wipers swiped, it turned into a blurred mess of flesh and blood.
"Sorry, Boss." Chi Jing’s voice was raspy with forced composure. "I was distracted just now."
"It's fine," Jin Xiao’s voice was as steady as ever. "Be more careful next time."
Only Tang Nai stared motionless at the smear of blood, her face turning pale bit by bit.
It wasn't that they hadn't hit zombies while driving before, but this time Chi Jing was the one driving. It was well known that he was always the most cautious; forget hitting a zombie, he wouldn't even hit a bird. Facing everyone’s confusion, he simply pushed up his glasses. "I just dozed off, that’s all."
The sky was gloomy, and a storm was brewing.
The group continued their journey, and the heavy rain finally began to fall. To avoid a zombie horde, the convoy had no choice but to take small roads, which inevitably caused a few days' delay.
Everyone sheltered from the rain under the wooden shelter Chi Jing had conjured, taking the opportunity to collect rainwater for their future use. A group of supernatural ability users holding pots and pans to catch rain like ancient people praying for water was both pathetic and comical.
"This is too miserable. Why didn't any of us awaken a water superpower?"
"Water supernatural ability users are living the high life back at the base. Who would want to come out here and eat dust with us?"
These men laughed and cursed, but they weren't really complaining. After all, when they followed Jin Xiao out of the base, it was because they couldn't stand those idiots who used their abilities to categorize people into different ranks. Even supernatural ability users were being suppressed, let alone ordinary people.
This was also the main reason they intended to head to the official base and deliver Gu Qing and the other two there.
Tang Nai held a small basin, stretching her hand out from under the shelter. Icy raindrops hit the back of her hand, flowing down her fingertips to her arm, tracing winding lines on her fair skin before falling into small pits on the ground. She blinked, her expression somewhat dazed.
Suddenly, she realized that only the sound of rain remained; all the voices had vanished. She turned her head to see several of Jin Xiao’s rebellious subordinates abruptly turning away, their boisterous laughter and joking erupting with exaggerated intensity.
Tang Nai let out a breath and fell back into her daze.
After the sky cleared, the team set off again with enough water. At noon, everyone rested by the roadside. Because they had utility water, drinking water was plentiful, and the dry biscuits could finally be boiled into porridge. However, the person who had built the fire several times had changed from Hong Zhengyuan to Gu Qing.
Since getting back in the car, that guy had been nowhere to be seen during rest breaks.
"Maybe he was scolded by Captain Jin and felt he lost face, so he doesn't want to be around those people," Zhou Ping guessed.
"You're overthinking it." Wang Ya wagged her finger. "If it were really about losing face, it's been two or three days now, and they see each other in the car all the time. How could he still be hiding? I bet…"
She narrowed her eyes. "He’s punishing himself by not eating for three days, so he doesn't want to watch us eat."
Zhou Ping: "…"
"Hey! What’s with that look? Is my guess wrong?"
Zhou Ping’s face was steamed by the heat, and he let out a sigh. "No one likes eating this stuff. It pricks your mouth when it’s dry and coats your throat when it’s wet." If not for survival and their gratitude to Jin Xiao’s team for saving their lives, they wouldn't like eating this either.
"As the saying goes, food is the first necessity. Even as a supernatural ability user, he can't hold out without eating or drinking. Gu Qing, stop being so busy with the porridge. What do you think?"
Gu Qing stirred the thick porridge in the pot and curled her lips. "Who knows…"
Before her voice could fade, she looked up. "He's here…"
Here? Who's here?
Since food was rationed, anyone who wanted to turn their biscuits into porridge only had to put their dry rations into the pot to get a bowl. Tang Nai approached Gu Qing, intending to hand over her biscuit, but she suddenly saw the viscous liquid in the pot. As if remembering something, her expression changed abruptly.
"I… I won't eat for now."
She gripped the biscuit in her palm and quickly left the area.
"Eh?" Wang Ya and Zhou Ping were puzzled, and Gu Qing also frowned slightly.
Tang Nai walked quickly, only daring to breathe once she reached a tree. She knew she couldn't stray too far from the convoy, so she slowly sat down within sight of the lead car.
Fallen leaves were beneath her feet; they shattered into pieces with a light press—just like the zombie that had smashed into the car window that day.
[Are you afraid of zombies?]
Tang Nai nodded slightly.
It wasn't that she hadn't seen real human bodies on TV, but while she had been scared behind a screen, it didn't feel real. Not until she saw that blurred mess of flesh and blood.
No wonder when she woke up, the car window was covered in blood. It turned out a zombie had already hit the car before she arrived in this world.
"I'm afraid, and yet I'm not. Zombies used to be people, but… they're different from the person I want to become."
Tang Nai wanted to become a real human, but after seeing "real" humans, she felt they were completely outside her imagination. It was like a delicious cake revealing a core made of scraps. She didn't know what to do for a moment.
[Humans are just like that, with a beautiful exterior and a bloody interior. You still have missions to do; you must overcome this.]
Right, there was still the mission. Tang Nai took out the biscuit, forced herself to think of that day's scene, and took a small bite.
The biscuit crumbs shattered in her mouth. In an instant, her expression changed. After barely swallowing a mouthful, she was about to put the biscuit away when a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.
"Dammit, you're not thinking of throwing it away again, are you?!"
Tang Nai’s mouth hung open slightly as she looked at Hong Zhengyuan in surprise.