"Ms. Ning, what was that video you just showed Annie?" Xiao Huang Mao asked while driving, a curious look still on his face.
Annie, who had been screaming and acting erratically, had suddenly started trembling and hugging herself tightly after seeing the video from Ms. Ning. She hadnât made a peep since.
"I was just helping her remember how she pushed her own boyfriend out to feed the zombies." Xie Ningâs expression was exceptionally cold as she spoke.
That was why Xie Ning didnât buy the claim that she was harmless.
A person who could push her own beloved boyfriend out to dieâwho knew what kind of twisted schemes she was capable of?
Her grandmotherâs little yard was stocked with potatoes, yams, napa cabbage, carrots, and other food for the winter. Even though they had reinforced the defenses, they wouldnât hold up if someone with ill intent set their sights on them.
They had never wanted to harm anyone, but taking precautions was still necessary.
Xiao Huang Mao froze for a moment. âSo Annie actually pushed her own boyfriend out to be fed to the zombies?â
No wonder she had seemed so out of it after they got back, like sheâd lost her soul.
"You can know a personâs face, but not their heart," Xiao Huang Mao lamented.
It was just like before, when he never would have imagined his cousin, Wang Han, could be so insane.
For his own safety, Wang Han had beheaded and bled his own feverish, unconscious sister to death.
Then, in a fit of madness, he had tied up the young wife from Unit 98 and assaulted her with Guangzi.
A society without order was a terrifying thing, and this was only the beginning. Xiao Huang Mao gripped the steering wheel, overwhelmed by a flood of emotions.
In reality, Su City was adjacent to their home in West City. On a normal day, the drive would only take an hour or two.
Xie Ning had budgeted one to two days for the trip mainly because road conditions were now uncertain, and there was no telling how long they might be delayed.
She was starting to feel drowsy, so Song Youâai grabbed two pillows and tucked them behind her back to make her more comfortable.
"Get some sleep. You barely closed your eyes at all last night."
Last night, Xie Ning had been busy reinforcing the walls until midnight. After returning to her room, she felt a strange, bloating sensation in her chest and abdomen that just wouldnât go away.
âCould it be because I ate too much last night?â
âGrandmaâs steamed buns were especially delicious, and Iâd been craving them for so long... so I ate three in one go...â
She had eventually drifted into a groggy sleep, but she was plagued by one nightmare after another. This morning, the moment she got in the car, she could barely keep her eyes open.
For now, with Gu Chenâs group clearing the path up ahead and Xiao Huang Mao following closely behind, the ride was fairly smooth.
Xie Ning drifted into a groggy nap. Something felt strange in her dream, as if things were flashing before her eyes.
ăIn a flash.ă
A two-story supermarket named Tianrun flashed before her eyes, the light suddenly falling on the faces of over a hundred zombies at the entrance.
The rate of decay seemed to have sped up considerably.
These zombies looked even more disgusting than the ones from yesterday.
As the light flickered, Xie Ningâs gaze locked onto the supermarketâs roof.
A zombie in rags sat cross-legged on the platform like some kind of cultivator, as if it were absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. It suddenly snapped its eyes open and let out a furious howl to the east.
A wave of dizziness instantly washed over her.
With a start, Xie Ningâs own clear eyes snapped open, and she shot upright.
"Youâre awake?" Song Youâai, startled by her sudden movement, quickly turned to her daughter. "Whatâs wrong?"
"A zombie," Xie Ning murmured, her expression growing grave. "I think itâs a mutated zombie."
TAP, TAP. Someone tapped lightly on the car window.