"No, I went fishing this afternoon, how could I be looking in the mirror?"

It's really strange, there are usually a lot of people fishing, but today there wasn't a single one.

If there's nothing to say, then so be it. After all, the sun is quite strong, and it's normal that they don't want to go out.

But it was already quite late when I got back, and I hadn't encountered a single guard along the way. I finally met a little girl at the bottom of the building, but she just glanced at me and yelled "zombie!"

"Don't you think I'm being wronged? People are calling me a zombie! Am I really that ugly?"

Xiang Yichang just wanted to vent his grievances to someone, but he didn't realize that a group of people in front of him were all suppressing their laughter.

After he finished speaking, someone finally couldn't resist and handed him a mirror from their pocket: "Here, take a look at yourself before you speak."

Xiang Yichang was puzzled. He opened the mirror and saw a face covered in pus and sores. He was so shocked that he almost smashed the mirror.

"Holy crap, is this...is it me?" Sweat beaded on his forehead as he stared wide-eyed at everyone, asking, "Me...I've turned into a zombie? Are you all zombies too? Are we now the same kind?"

"Pfft, hahaha~"

"Dude, you have quite the imagination! We were not only the same kind of people before, but we are now and we will always be the same kind of people in the future!"

"Yeah, buddy, this world is all about science. You'd better forget about zombies, which only exist in novels and movies. Don't let them corrupt your mind."

"Exactly! Just because that little girl screamed in fright, does that make you change your self-perception? That won't do! You need to stand firm!"

After listening for so long, Xiang Yichang finally started to understand. He asked, "You mean I'm still human, and haven't turned into a zombie?"

Seeing everyone nod, he asked again, "Then what happened to my face, and why did you all look like this? I've only been gone for three hours, how come the world has changed so much?"

"Hey, is this the time to talk about this? The girl in your arms is still unconscious, isn't she? Shouldn't you get her to the hospital right away?"

"Oh, right!" Xiang Yichang glanced at the group of people gathered in front and asked, "Can you come with me and tell me what happened?"

The guards at the front exchanged glances and nodded: "Okay, we don't have anything else to do right now, so we'll go with you."

So, the group helped Fan Yueyue walk toward the medical team, telling Xiang Yichang about the abscess disease, which amazed Xiang Yichang.

"Dude, you've been outside for hours, didn't you notice you have pustules on your face?" The man glanced at Xiang Yichang and noticed that he was well protected; apart from his face, almost the rest of his body was covered in cloth.

"Otherwise what? If I had found out, would I have been so surprised?" Xiang Yichang said, rolling his eyes.

"What about your face? Doesn't it hurt or itch?"

Xiang Yichang thought for a moment, "Yes, but it's not very obvious. As you know, there are a lot of mosquitoes near the pond, and it's quite normal to get bitten and get a bump, so I didn't pay much attention to it."

"Oh, you didn't run into anyone on the way? If you had bumped into someone, it wouldn't have been so awkward."

Xiang Yichang was a little embarrassed. "I... I was afraid someone would come and ask me for fish, so I deliberately chose to take the back paths to avoid people."

"Okay, I see. No wonder you looked like you just came back from another world. By the way, where's your fish?"

Xiang Yichang was taken aback. "Where's my fish? Oh, I left it at the dormitory entrance and forgot to take it!"

Then, looking resentfully at the girl he was helping, he said, "It's all her fault. If she hadn't made such a fuss, I wouldn't have thrown the fish aside to catch her."

Not only were there fish, but also my fishing gear. I hope they won't be lost when I get back.

"Alright, stop complaining. No matter what, you're the one who scared her into fainting, so it's your duty to take her to the hospital."

But don't worry too much, our captain is still over there, he'll definitely help you pack your things.

Xiang Yichang nodded, "Alright then, let's go and come back quickly!"

The group quickened their pace and escorted Fan Yueyue to the medical team. After explaining the situation to the doctor, they noticed that the doctor's gaze was a complex mix of sympathy and schadenfreude.

"Alright, leave her here and you can go back. She's fine, just a little frightened. She'll be alright when she wakes up." The doctor smiled.

The others had no objections and nodded, preparing to leave.

Only Xiang Yichang hesitated, and after several attempts, he finally made up his mind to ask, "Doctor, can my face be cured? I... I haven't gotten married yet, I can't be disfigured!"

The doctor who received them paused for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't know. This disease has only been around for a few hours. There are still many things we don't understand."

But don't put too much pressure on yourself. If it can't be cured, everyone will be in the same boat; no one is better than anyone else!

Xiang Yichang was on the verge of crying. He knew everyone was the same, but he just felt ugly!

A guy who came to the hospital with him nudged him. Xiang Yichang turned around, looking completely puzzled, and asked, "What's wrong?"

This guy raised his chin and pointed at Fan Yueyue on the hospital bed, "The opportunity is right in front of you, it just depends on whether you know how to cherish it!"

Xiang Yichang glanced at Fan Yueyue; the girl was quite pretty. Oval face, almond-shaped eyes, cherry lips, fair skin—completely to his liking. But then again, "Would she even agree? I scared her half to death."

"That depends on your sincerity. Anyway, everyone's got pus-filled faces now, so let's all be ugly together. As long as the girl doesn't have a boyfriend, you'll have a chance."

The man raised an eyebrow and said with a wicked smile, "You'd better think this through. There are so many people with impetigo these days, but there aren't many with skin as clean as hers. If you don't hurry, I'm sure plenty of people will want to take advantage of you."

Xiang Yichang was tempted. Although he wasn't obsessed with looks, he did like pretty women. Given a choice between a woman with normal skin and a woman with pus-filled skin, he would definitely choose the former.

So he nodded, "Okay, I'll do my best. I'll stay here and take good care of her. Thanks, buddy!"

The man smiled and waved his hand, "No need to thank me. I just like seeing people in pairs. It would be a good thing if you could catch up with them."

After saying that, he left without looking back. The others followed suit and said goodbye to Xiang Yichang.

Xiang Yichang, who stayed in the ward, thought that his spring had finally arrived, but he did not expect that what awaited him was the coldest winter.

Because, not long after Fan Yueyue woke up, she found that pustules had started to grow on her face, arms, and even calves, which was even more serious than Xiang Yichang's case.

After learning that she had contracted impetigo from sun exposure, Fan Yueyue developed a deep hatred for Xiang Yichang.