Huaicheng Earth Evil

That night, Liu Meili and I discussed things at length. When we came out, Zhou Yi was already fast asleep on the sofa. I heard Han Bo talking quietly to someone on the rooftop, and I knew he had gone to get people to keep watch at night. I was very satisfied that this saved me the trouble, so I went upstairs to take a shower and go to bed. I didn't even have a dream and slept soundly until dawn.

I was still half asleep when I heard my mother's voice nagging in my ear: "You sleep like that, you've squeezed all the beauty out of the bed, I wonder how you'll ever get married!"

I was so annoyed that I rolled over and pulled the covers over myself: "What are you doing so early in the morning? Can't you let me get some sleep?"

My mom yanked the blanket off me: "Sleep, sleep, sleep! The power's out and you're still sleeping!"

Although I don't know the causal relationship between the power outage and not being able to sleep, I still felt melancholy for a while upon hearing the news. On the twelfth day of the zombie outbreak, the power supply was cut off, bringing us one step closer to regressing to a primitive society.

When I went downstairs, I saw Han Bo sitting on the sofa fiddling with his gun. He unloaded the bullets, disassembled the parts, and slowly wiped it with a soft cloth, humming a tuneless little tune. He seemed to be in a very good mood.

I didn't brush my teeth or wash my face. I sat down next to him, scratching my messy hair, and stared blankly for a while.

Han Bo chuckled mischievously: "Your mom still remembers about your ex-boyfriend. Look how scared she was yesterday, she even took precautions against mentally ill people."

I rolled my eyes at him, not wanting to get into the conversation, and said, "Why aren't you worried at all about the power outage? We need to change today's itinerary. Let's skip the grain depot and go raid the supermarkets and shopping malls first. Let's get lots of candles, batteries, and lighting equipment. I think those big shopping malls should have generators. Let's get a big truck and haul everything we can back."

Han Bo's sly grin didn't diminish: "I never intended for you guys to pass this meeting from the very beginning. What's so great about that kid? How could someone as free-spirited as you be so heartbroken over a relationship? You must have drunk enough bottles of alcohol to circle the earth when you broke up with him."

I lowered my eyes, pretending not to hear: "Solar power is probably hard to get, diesel will do, but don't forget we still need to get oil. We need to find some big oil drums to store it, there will be many places where we need oil in the future. We need to plan ahead, lest someone else beat us to it like yesterday."

Han Bo's sly laughter was particularly grating: "I can laugh for a year just thinking about how pathetic you were back then. Do you know what Qiangzi said? He said if he had known that a weakling like Wu Bainian could win you over, he shouldn't have waited for years without daring to confess. That kid was ruined by your rough and tumble style, and he's always afraid you'll beat him up, hahaha!"

I stood up and did two chest expansions, looking around calmly: "Eat early and get going. Bring all the guns today, let's go out and practice our marksmanship on some zombies. Hey, where are Zhou Yi and that guy surnamed Yu?"

Han Bo finally gave in to my indifference and chuckled dryly twice: "They're on guard upstairs."

"You were on guard duty last night? Why didn't you get some sleep?"

Han Bo put down his gun and pointed to the rooftop: "Yu Zhongjian was on guard duty last night. Let me tell you, that kid is much more energetic than Yu Dandan. He stood there all night without even blinking. Did you see that? He taught me how to disassemble and reassemble a gun. His technique is incredibly fast, amazing. Right now, he's teaching Zhou Yi how to snipe, like a retired soldier. I wonder what his background is."

I frowned: "His background is all fake. Don't get too close to him. After all, he's a mental patient. I need to observe his character more closely."

Han Bo gestured behind me with his chin. I turned around, and before I could even feel embarrassed about being caught talking behind someone's back, my eyes widened involuntarily. The man coming down the stairs was...

Yu Zhongjian's hair, which had been long enough to reach his earlobes and eyelids, had been shaved into a buzz cut. He looked as if he had instantly stepped out of the shadows and into the sunlight, his features suddenly becoming brighter. He had a straight nose, thin lips, and a smooth forehead. His eyes no longer held the sinister glint of Yu Yu or the shrewd cunning of Yu Dandan; instead, they held a calm, unwavering quality. His skin was still pale, but with the change in hairstyle, his demeanor was completely different. While not exceptionally handsome, he was still quite good-looking. Most importantly, his thick, dark eyebrows were now visible, adding a touch of masculinity.

He had changed into an old training uniform sometime during the day, collar open, sleeves rolled up, hands in his pockets, and he walked downstairs unhurriedly, his toes barely touching the ground, exuding an inexplicable air of nonchalance. He was nothing like Yu Yu, much less Yu Dandan; he had become a completely different person.

I was a little stunned when I heard Han Bo say proudly, "The skills you learned while working when you were a teenager will benefit you for a lifetime. How about it, this buzz cut is pretty good, isn't it? Look how energetic Xiao Yu looks."

Yu Zhongjian nodded to him: "Thank you."

"Don't mention it, I still need you to teach me how to use a gun."

I never imagined that hairstyle could have such a big impact on a person. Once Yu Zhongjian walked out, there was no trace of a mental patient left. I stared at him intently and realized that I had never really seen Yu Yu's face clearly before. What remained in my memory were mostly his ferocity, scheming, and arrogant expression. When he shed these disguises and revealed his calm and indifferent face, the impact of his unfamiliar features was considerable.

Yu Zhongjian showed no sign of awkwardness, readily accepting my unabashed scrutiny. This nonchalance continued until after breakfast—his new appearance also shocked my parents and Liu Meili, who also scrutinized him without restraint.

So much so that before we left, my mom kept holding Yu Zhongjian's hand and praising him: "Oh my, Dandan is so handsome! I knew you were afraid of getting pimples with your long hair covering your forehead. You should have cut your hair a long time ago. Now you look like such a neat young man. Your appearance is almost as good as your uncle's back then."

My dad and I both curled our lip in disdain. My dad probably thought Yu Zhongjian wasn't as good as he was in his youth; I, on the other hand, secretly felt like I'd stumbled upon some incredible secret about Yu Yu. The older woman, the child, the woman—perhaps all represented some unattainable emotion deep within Yu Yu's heart. But what aspect of Yu Yu's life did this cold, handsome man represent?

After entrusting my dad with the important task of collecting bricks for future use, our five-person team began our second mission.

Sitting in the car, my eyes were still glued to Yu Zhongjian, never leaving her. Han Bo looked back at me several times, and finally couldn't help but say, "Dafeng, you're a girl, at least tone it down a bit."

"What?" I asked, completely baffled.

"You're captivated by Xiao Yu's beauty, fine, but could you please refrain from making such wicked laughs?"

"Bullshit!" I punched him in a fit of rage. "When did I laugh?"

"I can testify!" Zhou Yi joined in the fun, grinning wickedly, "His laughter is so wicked and lecherous."

Han Bo added, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, why be hung up on Wu Bai Nian? Seeing you move on from heartbreak and fall in love with someone else, I'm happy for you too."

Zhou Yi immediately consulted the Eight Trigrams: "Who is Wu Bainian?"

"Ah! I'll fight you to the death!"

I jumped up and grabbed Han Bo by the neck, strangling him until his eyes rolled back and his tongue lolled out, but he still managed to answer Zhou Yi: "It's... a strong wind... my ex-boyfriend... a pretty boy... uh, you're choking me."

Amidst the playful fighting, shouting, and laughter, the car began to sway from side to side. Suddenly, Yu Zhongjian patted my arm: "Be careful."

I let go in a fit of anger and shoved Han Bo on the head: "I'm not playing with you anymore, you big mouth."

Han Bo turned around and challenged me, "When you can take a joke, that's when you'll let go of that kid."

"Who the hell hasn't let go? Han Bo, don't push me to the edge." I was speechless. It was something that happened eight hundred years ago. It was someone I had no connection with long ago, someone whose bones had scattered to who knows where now. Today, Han Bo kept bringing it up, which made me feel really upset. He knows my temper, but he still keeps talking like he's possessed.

Han Bo and Zhou Yi were still laughing and joking, but they didn't mention me anymore. To show my magnanimity, I could only glare at the back of their heads.

Yu Zhongjian looked out the window quietly, a faint smile playing on his lips. I felt like he was mocking me. It was really embarrassing to be dragged into talking about my ex-boyfriend in front of strangers.

My mother often says, "Speak less, or you'll be cursed in Huaicheng."

When a man hugged me tightly, tears streaming down his face, and cried on my shoulder as if his ancestral graves had been dug up, all I felt was admiration for my mother's life experience, and also a feeling of having been struck by lightning hundreds of times and still failing to survive the tribulation.

"Wu...Wu Bainian?" Han Bo was so surprised that he stammered.

Seeing his expression, as if he'd defiled a dog, I felt a little better. Serves you right for your foul mouth.

I've felt something was off since yesterday. My mom mentioned it, Han Bo mentioned it, and now I've actually run into someone who was already dead in my heart. Huaicheng is a strange place, it's giving me the creeps.

Half an hour ago, we saw a black Ram pickup truck on the roadside. It was spacious, imposing, and had a cargo bed. Zhou Yi couldn't take his eyes off it; the minivan he used to praise so highly suddenly became a pile of shit in his mouth. And when we saw the minivan, covered in zombie blood and flesh, filthy, with its bumpers and fenders deformed, parked next to the Ram, whose imposing presence couldn't be hidden by the dust, it did indeed look like a pile of shit. So everyone agreed to pick it up.

The car owner was lying on the driver's seat like a dried-up piece of cured meat, which took quite a while to separate the part of him that was stuck to the leather seat.

Later I thought, if we hadn't picked up the car and wasted time, I might not have run into Wu Bainian. If I hadn't run into Wu Bainian, I wouldn't have put myself in such an extremely embarrassing situation.

Is this fate?

Driving our imposing new car, we arrived at Baolong Ace, the largest commercial plaza in Huaicheng. Besides cinemas, restaurants, and various shops, this area also includes two large department stores and a warehouse-style supermarket. Our objective was clear: to find power equipment and loot everything we could.

To prevent any accidents, we parked the car at the entrance to the underground parking lot outside the square. Looking at the dried-up fountain in the square, we discussed our route. A few of us got out of the car, carrying our guns, and were about to slip into the square when we heard a joyful shout from across the street: "Han Bo, Ai Feng!"

When Wu Bainian's figure appeared before me, I was completely stunned. My old eyes blurred, and I even forgot to push him away when he shamelessly pounced on me and hugged me.

"Aifeng, it really is you, Aifeng, I thought I would never see you again in this life! You are still alive, that's so good."

My mind was reeling. This guy wasn't dead? How could that be? So many heroes in the city had fallen prey to the zombies, and this cowardly man was still alive? Who did he latch onto?

That's right. This person was able to survive in the dead city and among the corpses because he must have latched onto a powerful figure. No one knows his character better than me.

Wu Bainian leaned on my shoulder, tears streaming down his face, calling my name again and again with deep emotion. I shuddered, goosebumps rising all over my body. I forcefully pried Wu Bainian's hands off, shoved him hard in the chest, raised my chin, and frowned: "What are you doing? Are you being a pervert?"

Behind him stood three people, two men and a woman, all unfamiliar faces. The two men, who looked to be in their twenties or thirties, were carrying pointed iron rods; one was tall and thin, the other short and stout. They looked around impatiently, their gazes towards Wu Bainian filled with impatience. The woman was younger, wearing a blue down jacket, her long hair braided and draped over her shoulders. She was petite, with fair skin and a pretty face, though her down jacket was somewhat dirty and her face had a few specks of grime. She was cautiously sizing us up, her almond-shaped eyes blinking innocently.

I pushed Wu Bainian away, and he wiped away his tears somewhat awkwardly. "Aifeng, don't be angry. I was just so surprised and delighted to see you. I thought I was seeing things." Then he turned to Han Bo: "Xiao Bo, it's been so long. I'm so happy to see you all again. Are you all doing well?"

He was still tall and thin, looking exactly the same. After his momentary loss of composure, he quickly regained his refined demeanor. Although he looked a bit haggard and disheveled, his skin was still so fair that I envied it, and his eyes were still so tender that I found disgusting.

Han Bo glanced at me and said insincerely, "Well, you're doing well too?"

Wu Bainian lowered his head as if in pain: "No, I'm not okay. My parents and brother are dead. I barely managed to escape from the neighborhood. I was almost caught by zombies several times. Luckily, Brother Hei and the others saved me... By the way, let me introduce you," he pointed to the three people, "This is Brother Hei and Xiao Luo, that's Chen Ruonan, and we have another member, Qin Yun, who stayed at the residence."

He looked at me expectantly after saying that, and I rolled my eyes at the sky. He sighed and looked at Han Bo again, who couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Oh, it's just the few of us."

The two men's visibly dismissive attitude displeased them. Wu Bainian's eyes dimmed slightly, and he said with a wry smile, "We're finally together now. There will be plenty of opportunities to get to know each other in the future. We just moved to that neighborhood across the street the day before yesterday. It's a new place that hasn't been handed over yet, so there are very few zombies. Plus, it's near Baolong Ace, so we should be able to hold out for a while. Are you going to the supermarket too? We were here yesterday, to Tianhong Mall. There were still quite a few zombies inside. The supermarket is on the basement level, but it's hard to get down there; the zombies are right below the elevator..."

"Can we go now?"

Yu Zhongjian, who had been standing a few steps away from our group, suddenly interrupted Wu Bainian. I had thought that Zhou Yi would be in charge of this important task, but the kid remained silent, his eyes gleaming with gossip as he listened intently.

Wu Bainian was taken aback. I tilted my head and said, "Let's go."

Li Tonggu had long been impatient, and as soon as I spoke, he turned and left, with Yu Zhongjian following behind. Han Bo gave Wu Bainian a fake smile and nodded, then pulled Zhou Yi away as well.

I walked at the back because I knew Wu Bainian would definitely call out to me.

"Aifeng, aren't you coming with us? It's too dangerous here..."

I turned around and swiftly raised my gun, the muzzle pointing directly at his handsome face. Wu Bainian stumbled back two steps, his eyes filled with disbelief. The little girl named Chen Ruonan gasped and covered her mouth, while the other two men quickly raised their sticks, glaring at me fiercely.

“I won’t hold it against you for getting my clothes dirty with your tears, Wu Bainian,” I said expressionlessly. “Do you remember what I told you?”

He stood there, pursing his lips, his face slowly turning red.

"Don't let me see you again, or I'll beat you every time I see you. I'm letting you go today because I have something to do, but try coming near me again next time."

The tall man, fearless, sneered, "I'll beat you every time I see you. Little girl, you've got quite the nerve. We were here first, it's not your place to mark our territory."

Han Bo stopped and waited for me, but didn't come over. He just winked and said something to Zhou Yizheng.

My index finger clicked the safety off. The man clearly knew what that meant; he grabbed the girl behind him and angrily said, "I don't believe you dare to kill someone!"

I said with a forced smile, "Baolong Ace is neither my territory nor yours. Since I don't want to see this person, you can come back tomorrow."

"On what grounds?"

"I have a gun, you only have a stick; I have five men, you only have four. Are you stupid?" I blatantly flaunted my strength and mocked you directly.

The tall man fell silent, his eyes practically spitting fire. Wu Bainian stood motionless, as if stunned. I didn't think he was shocked by my words and actions, because he knew exactly what kind of person I was.

I lowered the muzzle of my gun, gave him a disdainful look, and turned to leave.

Sure enough, Wu Bainian's voice sounded softly behind me: "I was really happy to see you. I didn't expect you to still hate me. I was so naive. I thought that in the face of chaos, romance was nothing but fleeting clouds. I thought that with your straightforward personality, you would definitely let go of your grudges and continue to be my friend, helping each other through the difficulties. Heh, Aifeng, you are so heartless."

I paused, looked back, and saw Wu Bainian, who seemed heartbroken, staring at me with a bright light in his eyes.

"Idiot," I said.

Seeing the glitter instantly turn into a pile of ash, I shook my head and strode away.

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Come on, come on, come play!