My ex-boyfriend still has feelings for me.

Fortunately, those guys were pretty good at fighting. By the time I returned to Tianhong exhausted, there were almost no zombies left on the first floor. The few that remained had fallen from the second floor or above. They couldn't go down the escalator and couldn't resist the lure of living people, so some of the fearless ones climbed over the railing. Most of them broke their necks and legs, and a few were able to get up, but I easily dealt with them.

There were short shouts and muffled gunshots from the supermarket on the basement level; they had already gone down.

I was originally holding back a lot of pent-up anger and wanted to curse him a few more times when we met, but when I heard that noise, I became worried again, afraid that there were still many zombies in the supermarket that they couldn't handle. I decisively rushed down the dark escalator and automatically decided to do another round as Yu Zhongjian instructed.

The supermarket entrance faced directly into the underground parking garage entrance. Because it was so dark, I couldn't see the way and kept tripping over zombie corpses lying on the ground. I could only carefully feel my way towards the garage, twirling a kitchen knife as I went to prevent any from escaping. The ground, which had once been teeming with zombies, was sticky.

As I reached the entrance frame, clearing my slightly hoarse voice, preparing to belt out another song, "Saliva," a clattering sound suddenly came from the garage. It didn't sound like zombie footsteps, but rather like wheels rolling over a speed bump.

"Who?" I whispered.

"It's me, you're back? Don't move, I'm driving a forklift, it's too dark to see clearly." It was Han Bo's voice.

I frantically rummaged in my shirt pocket and felt a hard object. I was overjoyed and pulled it out, then smacked it. "You dare to barge in in this pitch black? Are you out of your mind?! Come here right now!"

Although I've quit smoking, I haven't thrown away my lighter.

"I also had a lighter when I came, but I don't know where I dropped it when I was chopping down a zombie." Han Bo drove an electric forklift this way. The lighter's light was dim, but you could still see that his head and face were covered in dirt and his hair was messy, as if he had just been through a fierce battle.

Where's the gun?

"You can't shoot while looking for a car with a lighter. There weren't many, so I took them all out. The majority are in the supermarket."

All my resentment vanished instantly. They had it tough too, fighting zombies in the dark. They really left me with the easiest job.

But he still complained, "Yu Zhongjian doesn't know how to divide tasks. Of course, he should kill the zombies first before thinking about transporting the goods. He just sent you to brave this dark warehouse by yourself. I don't think he has good intentions."

The forklift drove into the supermarket. Han Bo jumped down, raised his gun, and looked around. He lowered his voice and said, "It's all thanks to you. You lured most of them away. There aren't many left in the basement. Xiao Yu didn't mean any harm. Do you know how many zombies he killed? It'll scare you to death! Now he's clearing the way in the dark, which is very dangerous. I'd feel bad if you gave me this easy job of moving goods. But Xiao Yu is right, we can't put all our eggs in one basket. We should move one truckload at a time to save time. Come on, let's find a flashlight!"

Of course, I'll wait until I'm safely home before arguing. Hearing the faint sounds of zombies being slashed coming from the huge supermarket, even if I had a little bit of an opinion, I wouldn't say another word at this moment. Holding the scalding lighter, I groped my way deeper into the supermarket.

From carrying a bundle of batteries, a flashlight, and an emergency light, running back and forth with utmost care, to suddenly pulling a shopping cart and dumping goods into it, the entire process took no more than ten minutes. This was all because Zhou Yi would occasionally burst into unrestrained cursing or laughter from some corner, letting us know that the three of them were unharmed and that the zombies should have been mostly wiped out.

This was truly a perfect warehouse supermarket, with as many goods as it would be during normal business hours. Although corpses were scattered haphazardly throughout every area, this did not dampen our enthusiasm or speed.

I was running around the supermarket, a flashlight in my mouth and a shopping cart in each hand; Han Bo, wearing a headlamp, was hauling cart after cart of stuff from the basement to the surface. I practically emptied the grain and oil section, piled canned goods, dried goods, and seasonings into my cart, and didn't even leave out toiletries, underwear, or outerwear—I packed everything, whether it was usable or not. After killing a zombie, Li Tonggu started yelling at me, "Chocolate, chocolate!" So I wreaked havoc on the snack section too.

After confirming the supermarket was safe, he and Zhou Yi joined in loading the goods. Armed with flashlights, they ransacked the place, breaking into the warehouse, smashing the liquor and tobacco cabinets, and even raiding the stinking frozen fruit and vegetable section. They didn't leave until Han Bo said the truck couldn't hold any more, and they each carried a large bag of bedding before finally leaving the supermarket.

Around noon, the sky was cloudless, and the sun baked the air warm. We stood in front of two cars that were almost bursting at the seams, slightly surprised by our own fighting capacity.

The trunk of the van, including the back seat, was piled high with supplies of unknown types, reaching all the way to the roof. The rear cargo bed of the ram was opened, revealing it to be filled with various grains and salad oil, with about a hundred bottles of shampoo and shower gel crammed between them. Clothes and blankets were piled on top, forming a small mountain. The back seat was filled with cigarettes and alcohol, and even the floor mats were full.

There were some more scattered on the ground. Han Bo said with disgust, "They even took out rotten frozen food."

Zhou Yi was heartbroken: "What a pity about all that grain in the warehouse. This cart still isn't enough. Next time we'll have to get a bigger shipment."

Li Tonggu ate chocolate while gazing at the sky, his face full of happiness.

I was overjoyed: "Haha, this is what you call a shopping spree! Everyone, you've worked hard. I'll ask my mom to add some dishes for you tonight!"

Yu Zhongjian took nothing, showing no delight at such a rich haul. He simply leaned lazily against the car door, a half-smoked cigarette dangling from his lips, slowly removing the magazine to examine it, then slowly putting it back in. He took a deep drag, pinching the cigarette butt between his thumb and forefinger, squinting at the distance with a profound look in his eyes, before lowering his gaze and casually flicking the cigarette butt away, appearing quite nonchalant.

I originally wanted to go up to him and say thank you for your hard work, but seeing his expression, I silently swallowed my words and instead muttered to myself, "Pretentious."

With only four seats left between the two vehicles and five people, I volunteered to climb into the pickup truck bed. Sitting atop the high pile of supplies, pressed against the soft wool blankets, I used my hands and feet to hold the grain in place, letting the spring breeze tousle my short hair as we sped through the desolate city.

Before the apocalypse, I wasn't much of a success, and I'm not much better now. Being able to eliminate zombies and gather supplies, and thinking about my parents' smiling faces when I get home, is enough to make me happy. As for whether I'll encounter trouble later, I'll worry about that then.

I just didn't expect the trouble to come so quickly.

Upon entering the alley, one immediately notices a large pile of bricks, neatly stacked along the base of the wall. The remnants of the neighbor's walls are connected by waist-high stones and broken bricks, making the alley appear more like a complete alley.

My dad, along with Zhao Zhuobao and Binbin, worked hard, sweating profusely. One person carried bricks while the other two built the wall. Although it looked messy without cement to hold it in place, it served as a temporary enclosure. There was no need to strive for neatness; as long as it could be stacked up, that was fine.

Seeing us return laden with our loot, the three men were overjoyed and vied to help carry the things. My dad, carrying two bottles of liquor and four packs of cigarettes, listened as I described the thrilling scene of luring the corpse to retrieve the items. He first offered a few restrained compliments, then said smugly, "You can't go wrong listening to your old man. We worked all morning with all the clanging and banging, and didn't see a single zombie. This area is perfectly safe. We can do it ourselves and have plenty to eat and wear. We don't need to go anywhere; we can just wait for rescue."

I grinned noncommittally, and he continued, "Why do you have to be so carefree? Look at how much stuff you brought back from your two trips. It's clear that the situation in Huaicheng isn't that bad. Once you leave Huaicheng, you're unfamiliar with the place and its people. You don't know what people are like outside. If something happens when you get to their territory, it will be difficult to come back."

I looked at him strangely, not understanding why he suddenly brought this up: "I didn't say I had to go out. Didn't we say in the meeting that we'd see how things go? If things are good, we can stay. If things get worse, we can't stay."

My dad complained, "There's no place better than ours. There's hardly any human presence in this big open space. You're so lucky, you don't even know it! There are people who'd love to come in but can't!"

As they entered the house, I sensed something was amiss and asked in confusion, "Who do you think wants to come into our house?"

My mother stood in the yard, still looking furious, while Liu Meili was trying to calm her down. When she saw me come in, she rushed up and pinched me hard, blurting out, "Tell me, what kind of good thing have you been doing this morning?"

I gasped in pain, clutching my arm as I jumped back: "What happened? I went to move the grain, is that a good thing? Who made you angry again?"

My mom was so angry her ears turned red: "Who! Who! It's you! And that shameless Wu Bainian!"

One sentence stunned both Han Bo and me, who had just entered the hospital carrying large bags and small packages: "Wu Bainian? He's here at our house?"

My mother pointed at my nose and said angrily, "I'm telling you, Dafeng, if you get involved with that person again and end up looking like you're half-dead, come back and make my eyes pop out, then get out of here! I don't recognize you as my daughter anymore!" With that, she kicked over a small stool in the yard and strode into the kitchen.

My dad smiled and tore open a pack of cigarettes, tossing two packs to Han Bo, not caring much: "What's there to be angry about? They came to apologize, you're just chasing them away. It's not worth getting angry."

Liu Meili pulled me aside, who was completely dumbfounded, and explained what had happened. It turned out that Wu Bainian had come to our door just half an hour before we returned.

He burst into tears the moment he saw my mother, offering no further words but repeated apologies. He said he knew he had made a huge mistake, incurring my mother's resentment, but it was all his own fault and he didn't deserve any sympathy. He had been too ashamed to see me and my family, but today, by sheer coincidence and fate, he encountered us at Baolong Ace. Because he was so immersed in the joy of our reunion, he let me leave without immediately admitting his mistake and seeking my forgiveness. Back home, he couldn't sit still any longer, thinking about how his entire family was gone, leaving him alone, hiding and starving, living a miserable life, and fearing he wouldn't live much longer if things continued this way. He had never done anything bad in his life, except for the harm he caused me and my family in a moment of impulsiveness. He was always uneasy but lacked the courage to face it. Now, facing the end of the world, he felt more and more that if this knot in his heart could not be untied, he would not be able to die in peace. So he shamelessly came to my door with only one purpose: to let my family do whatever they wanted, whether it was beatings, being treated like a slave, or even taking his life. He firmly expressed that he wanted to atone for his sins and ease his guilt.

Liu Meili, a bystander, expressed some sympathy: "That Mr. Wu was crying very sadly, and he seemed quite sincere, but he was kicked out by the auntie."

People were moving things in and out, and almost everyone overheard it. Apart from Zhao Zhuobao, who kept looking like he was about to cry but had no tears, everyone else remained calm and went about their business.

I stood there expressionless, my feelings indescribable. If there were a hole in the ground, I think I would crawl into it immediately. How could such a bizarre man be my ex-boyfriend, Qi Aifeng? Hurt, atonement, being treated like a slave, I've utterly disgraced him. What's wrong with his brain? How could he be so low, so vulgar, so awful?

Even if I kill him now, he'll still be my ex-boyfriend. That's a fait accompli, unchangeable, and everyone knows it. I'm the one who's heartbroken and has nothing to cry about!

What's even more terrifying is that if one day I meet a man I like, and he finds out that I have such an ex-boyfriend, and then looks down on my taste, doubts my judgment, and thinks that accepting me would lower my standards, and then I miss out... what should I do?

Wu Bainian appeared briefly, and I was horrified to think about how my lifelong happiness had been ruined. Once again, I deeply regretted my youthful blindness.

"Hello."

Yu Zhongjian appeared before me and snapped his fingers twice, snapping me out of my daze. "Huh? What is it?"

"What are the plans for the afternoon?" he asked.

I was in such a mess that I didn't have time to think about what was going to happen in the afternoon, so I casually replied, "Let's rest this afternoon."

Smoking is not allowed for patients in the hospital, so I've never seen Yu Yu smoke. Even after Yu Zhongjian appeared, he never asked for cigarettes, but since he started having cigarettes, I've noticed he seems to be a heavy smoker.

He had just stubbed out his cigarette butt when he put another one in his mouth. He smoked without looking at me. "We couldn't find the generator, the two cars only have half a tank of gas left, the outer wall isn't sturdy, and the water supply might stop at any time. Are you planning to rest this afternoon?"

The tone was harsh, but the intention was good: "You worry more than I do. You're all exhausted this morning, wouldn't it be better to take a half-day off?"

He snorted, "If you don't have strong offensive capabilities, you must have sufficient defensive capabilities; otherwise, you'll just become meat on a chopping board."

"Okay, okay, you guys go ahead," I said, not really paying attention, my mind racing with how to explain Wu Bainian's situation to my mom. "I'll rest first, you guys go out and find something, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed, but didn't leave. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Why do you think your ex-boyfriend would come here?"

Hearing something I didn't want to hear, my face darkened: "None of your business!"

He smiled: "You're quite smart. Of course you don't think he still has feelings for you. So, he's really admitting his mistake?"

I was surprised to hear those words from him; they seemed completely out of character for his aloof demeanor. Discussing my ex-boyfriend's bizarre behavior with this person made me feel embarrassed, but subconsciously I felt he wouldn't say those things for no reason, and if I overreacted, it would seem like I was genuinely conflicted or guilty.

So I suppressed my displeasure and said calmly, "He can't make a living anymore and wants us to take him in, but that's impossible."

Yu Zhongjian, with a cigarette between his fingers, tapped his temple: "Why don't you think he's here to scout ahead?"

After Han Bo embellished my account of confronting Wu Bainian to my mother, repeatedly proving that I hadn't been entangled with him, her anger finally subsided somewhat. However, she couldn't help nagging me during dinner, mostly saying things like "a good horse doesn't turn back to eat the grass it already grazed," and "even if you can't marry someone else, you shouldn't marry that kind of person." Her words unconsciously brought up many old grievances, expressing her protectiveness towards me while criticizing how terrifying and foolish I was when I was heartbroken back then.

The usually lively dinner table was completely silent; everyone was holding their bowls, ears perked, intently listening to the gossip. At first, I was a little uneasy and tried several times to stop her from airing her dirty laundry in public, but once my mother got into a tirade, no one could stop her; she wouldn't shut up until she felt better. Eventually, I just gave up and, engrossed in my own gossip, ate two bowls of rice.

After dinner, I took two packs of cigarettes to the rooftop, squatted next to the solar water heater, and smoked three without stopping. I slowly strolled to the edge of the building and watched Yu Zhongjian and his men set off with their guns. Soon after, I heard the sound of cars starting up under the market stalls. I watched them drive north around the market until they disappeared from sight, and then stood on the rooftop basking in the sun for half an hour.

"Xiao Qi," Liu Meili peeked out from the top of the stairs, "Can I come up?"

“Come on up,” I stepped back and waved to her, “but the air upstairs isn’t much better, the stench of corpses is quite strong.”

She walked over to me, craned her neck to look downstairs, gazed into the distance for a while, and asked, "What's it like outside? Are there many zombies?"

"It's alright, anyway, you can't see them on the street during the day, they're all avoiding the sun."

Liu Meili saw the cigarette between my fingers and disapproved, saying, "You shouldn't smoke. It's bad for your lungs and blood vessels, and it's bad for your skin too."

I threw away my cigarette butt and stomped it out, saying helplessly, "I decided to quit smoking the day before yesterday, but today I feel annoyed and can't help myself. It's so hard to quit smoking."

"Is it because of that Mr. Wu?" Liu Meili smiled, "I saw you almost flipping the table while you were eating. Auntie is just doing this for your own good."

"Who does he think he is! Stop making wild guesses. I'm just annoyed because he's still alive. He's so arrogant and dares to come to my door. I'm thinking about how to deal with him."

Liu Meili stood silently with me for a long while before finally saying, "You must have been very sad back then, right? I really didn't expect someone as magnanimous as you to... I understand you. I've also encountered scumbags. It was a terrible memory, but it's all in the past now. Looking back, it's not a big deal at all."

Yes, I was very sad back then, but I'm not sad now, and I don't want to share my heart-to-heart stories about failed relationships with anyone, okay? I glanced at her speechlessly, and habitually took out another cigarette and tapped it on the back of my hand.

She didn't continue speaking, as if lost in memories, gazing into the distance for a long time, motionless and silent, her expression unreadable.

I'm not good at dealing with silence; when faced with silence, I always want to say something to break the awkwardness. I'm even less good at dealing with other people's sudden sadness, especially on a rooftop under the midday sun. Is this a suitable occasion for sadness?

"Ahem, Meili, go down and take a nap. You can also call Zhao Zhuobao and Binbin to come out and move bricks."

Liu Meili snapped out of her daze and felt embarrassed. "I'm a bit of a paranoid person. I was worried about you being here alone... Um, please don't laugh at me."

I chuckled awkwardly, "No, no, I won't commit suicide, haha."

Liu Meili was amused by me and lightly punched me: "What nonsense are you talking about? That's not what I meant. I just don't know how to talk. Okay, I know you're easygoing. I'm going downstairs."

She turned to go downstairs, but suddenly stopped, grabbed my arm, and exclaimed in surprise, "Look over there! Someone's coming!"

Several suspicious-looking people, of varying heights and genders, darted into the alleyway, carrying weapons and cautiously making their way towards my house.

I grabbed her and made her squat down, whispering, "Take my mom inside, and don't come out unless you call her."

“It’s a bad person…” Liu Meili became nervous. She stared at me blankly, and went downstairs without daring to ask any more questions.

I got up again, hid behind the solar panel tank, and waited quietly for a while. Then I heard someone outside the door say, "Knock on the door!"

Another person said, "What if we don't open it?"

Smash it!

"Won't that lead to conflict?"

What do you think we came here for?

The two of them went back and forth for more than a dozen sentences. I was getting impatient, but there was still no result. I had no choice but to come out from behind the solar panel and look down at the few heads that were faintly visible outside the door. I asked impatiently, "Have you decided yet? Are you going to knock or smash?"

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When will the turning point of the epidemic arrive?