Xu Nian stood frozen in place, imprisoned by an invisible force.

Something unseen was lingering on my cheek, caressing me with a sense of reluctance.

“Brother, she really is just like you said, so special. I liked her the moment I saw her. I suddenly understand your actions back then.” Li Chen, who looked exactly like Yan Ze, had a smile on his lips, but his eyes were exceptionally ardent as he looked at the person he had imprisoned. Only he knew the turmoil in his heart.

Li Chen thought, no wonder his brother couldn't control himself and did such a thing. If it were him, he probably would have gone even further.

"You want to compete with me?" Yan Ze stood up from the ground, dusted off his knees, and gave Li Chen, who walked up to him, a look.

"Brother, she's not your girlfriend, nor your wife. It's my right to like her and pursue her." Li Chen's smiling face made Yan Ze want to punch him.

Knowing full well that she's already his woman, he still shamelessly says such things. It seems he really intends to fight him to the end.

But now is not the time to talk about this, there are so many people watching!

This kind of thing is best discussed behind closed doors.

"Take her back to base first, lest she run away again." Yan Ze picked up Xu Nian in his arms, displaying a possessive attitude.

Seeing that Xu Nian was about to be taken away, the little boy stepped forward despite his mother's objections and asked, "Where are you taking my sister?"

"She's not your sister, she's my wife." Yan Ze's face darkened; he was displeased with anyone who would try to take Xu Nian away.

"You're not my sister's lover, she doesn't even like you."

"Let go of my sister! She's such a gentle person, you can't treat her like this."

The little boy wasn't stupid. Having witnessed his mother being bullied, he understood that if his sister were taken away, she would suffer the same fate as his mother.

He couldn't bear to think that his gentle older sister could be bullied like that.

"Can't you talk like a child? I've already told you she's my wife." Yan Ze's face darkened. Saying that Xu Nian didn't like him was like hitting a sore spot.

He can't argue with the child, but he can scare him a little.

"Take all of them back, leave no one alive."

Yan Ze tied the little boy up to prevent him from saying anything that might upset him, and also gagged him.

The little boy silently shed tears as he watched his sister being carried away by that man, and he lowered his head in self-reproach.

It's all his fault for being useless and unable to protect his sister.

Li Chen did not stop Yan Ze from taking Xu Nian away, but instead told the people hiding in the shadows to come out.

A group of about a hundred men, armed with weapons, threatened dozens of women and children, telling them to leave immediately.

When they arrived at the parking spot, Xu Nian, who was placed in the passenger seat, closed her eyes, her rapidly heaving chest proving that she was furious.

Yan Ze sat in the driver's seat and touched Xu Nian's cheek. He knew she was angry, but he really couldn't let her go.

After Li Chen got into the car, Yan Ze asked, "Where are those people?"

"They're in the car behind. Don't worry, none of them ran away." Li Chen's words made Xu Nian's eyes widen.

“Your name is Xu Nian, right? Then I’ll call you Nian Nian too. Nian Nian, don’t misunderstand, there are already zombies outside that have started to evolve. It’s not safe for a group of women and children to live here alone.” Li Chen’s explanation calmed Xu Nian down a lot.

"Li Chen, how dare you call Niannian that?" Yan Ze was annoyed. His younger brother had taken a liking to his woman and was even trying to steal her away right in front of him.

"Brother, you should just focus on driving!" Li Chen said nonchalantly.

"Yan Ze, my pet hasn't come back yet," Xu Nian finally said.

"What does Niannian's pet look like? I'll have someone keep an eye out for it." Li Chen didn't miss the chance to show off.

"A little fat pig went out to find food." To be precise, Yuanbao went out to gather supplies.

Seeing that Xu Nian was saving more and more people, it worried that there wouldn't be enough supplies and often went out to collect them.

Yuanbao said it would find more food and bring it back, even if Xu Nian wanted to save as many people as possible.

"A little fat pig ran out to find food, are you sure it wasn't going to deliver vegetables?" Li Chen's expression was strange.

"No, it's not an ordinary pig." Xu Nian thought of Yuanbao's ability to grow bigger and smaller. If someone really wanted to catch it and eat it, it would just sit on them and kill them.

"Is Niannian trying to stall for time until my powers are exhausted?" Li Chen's words woke Yan Ze up.

He also felt that Xu Nian was more likely to stall for time.

As for that pet, if it's gone, we can find another one.

Yan Ze started the car and drove back the way he came. Since he had cleared out the zombies on the way here, the drive was smooth this time.

Xu Nian had no choice but to give up waiting for Yuanbao. She believed that if Yuanbao didn't see her when he came back, he would come looking for her himself.

Xu Nian closed her eyes to rest, and after an unknown amount of time, she felt something moving over her body. The movements went from tentative at first to becoming bolder and more unrestrained.

She opened her mouth to reprimand, but was horrified to find that she couldn't open her mouth. She silently endured it all, tears streaming down her face.

Yan Ze didn't notice Xu Nian's unusual behavior while driving, and even if he did, he would only assume that Xu Nian was feeling sad.

Li Chen sat in the back seat with his eyes closed, a slight smile playing on his lips. Apart from the person involved, no one knew what outrageous thing he was doing.

When they arrived at the base, Yan Ze carried Xu Nian out of the car. Her slightly trembling body prompted Yan Ze to pat her head and say, "Nian Nian, don't be afraid. I won't hurt you this time."

Xu Nian glanced at Yan Ze strangely but didn't say anything. She lowered her head and cursed Yan Ze and Li Chen in her heart.

Neither of these two brothers is any good.

"Niannian, this will be our home from now on. Is there anything you don't like? I'll go change it right away." Yan Ze carried Xu Nian into a detached villa and showed her around inside and out.

"I want to take a shower." The force that had been restraining Xu Nian disappeared after she entered the villa. The reason she had Yan Ze hold her was because she didn't want to reveal anything unusual.

"There's hot water in every room, Nian Nian can choose whichever room she wants to stay in," Yan Ze said enthusiastically to Xu Nian.

Li Chen came out of the shower, dressed in his pajamas, and leaned lazily against the doorframe, looking at Xu Nian in Yan Ze's arms with a half-smile. "Brother, you still can't bear to let go!"

Yan Ze reluctantly put Xu Nian down. As he passed Li Chen, Xu Nian suddenly jumped up and slapped him across the face. Then she went up to the third floor with a cold expression.

"Why did Niannian hit you?" Yan Ze narrowed his eyes as he looked at the slap mark on Li Chen's face.

"She probably didn't run away because of me, she's angry!" Li Chen shrugged, his indifferent attitude planting a seed of doubt in Yan Ze's heart.

Xu Nian doesn't have a bad temper. She won't lay a hand on someone she's just met unless that person does something that really angers her.

Yan Ze questioned, "Li Chen, what did you do to her?"

"Brother, how could you doubt me? You saw it yourself, I didn't do anything along the way!" Li Chen calmly protested his innocence.

"That would be for the best." Yan Ze didn't trust Li Chen; as black-hearted as Yan Ze was, so too was Li Chen's heart.