☆ Reunion, destined for death
Ye Xi didn't want to linger with that man for too long. After all, she didn't know if there were any ambushes nearby, and the man was very strong; continuing would only result in mutual destruction. The vehicles acting as obstacles could conveniently block the man's view, while the knee-high weeds on both sides of the road provided Ye Xi with excellent cover. Although it hurt—despite the T-virus treating Ye Xi's back, she would never forget that burning pain—if she could escape that bastard's pursuit, Ye Xi didn't care about this injury. She should have known that Wesker would inflict far greater direct or indirect harm on Ye Xi, both physically and emotionally.
Lying in the grass, Ye Xi gazed up at the sky, which had turned fiery red. Orange, blue, and deep blue—nature, like the most perfect painter, had blended these three colors together so naturally, it was truly magical. The world without humans revealed its purest beauty. Only in moments like this could Ye Xi forget the troubles that had been troubling her. From rest to daydreaming to appreciating the beauty, Ye Xi longed to capture this breathtaking sight, something rarely seen in the human world. Unfortunately, she didn't have a DSLR camera.
"If this were before, taking these photos and submitting them would definitely have earned me a pretty good fee..." Ye Xi thought, then chuckled and shook her head. "What are you thinking, Ye Xi? That's so unrealistic. The world is getting more and more beautiful, but also more and more cruel. You can't have too many fantasies about it—if you're still hoping for the life you had before you transmigrated."
Ye Xi finally sat up from the grass. The man was long gone; a world without zombies was unrealistically peaceful. She cast aside those illusory beautiful scenes and began to feel lost again about the future. Escaping Wesker's surveillance and the so-called "A-Circle" left her bewildered about her future. It felt like a void had been left in her heart. She was already tired of this nomadic life, yet she had no choice. Now, a mysterious person was interested in her—or rather, the virus within her—but this didn't faze Ye Xi. In fact, she felt it didn't matter, as long as it wasn't Umbrella…
Unless it's Albert Wesker.
Clearly, Ye Xi excluded that person from Umbrella—based on his attitude towards Wesker. But she also forgot that this "Wesker" was not that "Wesker." She might know enough about the villainous boss in the game, but she absolutely did not know Wesker as a living, breathing person, no, a biological being. He didn't belong to the movie, nor to the game; he was a flesh-and-blood individual with thoughts, and still possessed Wesker's way of thinking.
If Ye Xi had thought of this and connected it to the game information, she would have slapped her thigh in realization and truly become wary of that man. Unfortunately, Ye Xi, who was still in a state of confusion, only had one thought in mind: how/where to find a deserted island to safely survive this deadly storm and avoid all the conspiracies and tricks. As for questions like why that man knew her location, why he understood the O virus, why he hated Wesker, and why he felt so familiar to her, she didn't need to care. (Looking into the distance)
↑You, a girl who can be so shameless and devoid of any sense of propriety at times, are truly awe-inspiring and magnificent OJZ...
Okay, the car's out of gas, and it's so late we can't go any further. I might as well spend the night in the car. Ye Xi sighed. She started to miss her black horse—convenient, fuel-efficient, and easy to care for. But finding a live horse now might be quite difficult. After all, there are fewer and fewer humans, and they're becoming increasingly indiscriminate in their food choices. As for why she didn't leave quickly—wasn't she afraid the guy would come back? Oh, didn't Ye Xi say not to worry about that?
Sometimes, even a loving mother like Dust can take good care of her child. Sure enough, just as Ye Xi predicted, the man didn't return. Having slept in the car all night, Ye Xi climbed out early in the morning, stretched, reorganized her things, ate a few biscuits, and then set off with her bag.
The longer it drags on, the fewer survivors there will be. Ye Xi thought she had gotten used to traveling alone, after all, she had walked "alone" for three years, but a few days later she realized she was wrong. The so-called getting used to being alone was just getting used to having someone to accompany her. Although Ye Xi had hardly encountered any living people in the past three years, there was always a bland, machine-processed voice by her side, which helped her get through the three years.
I didn't realize it when I was there, but after I left, I realized it had become a habit, a habit that had slowly grown and become deeply ingrained without me even noticing, a bad habit that was like a disaster for Ye Xi—"Hey, A-Quan, I'm talking to you..."
Ye Xi was stunned. This wasn't the first time she had called out that name so naturally and reflexively, entirely out of instinct. Then, she realized that what she needed to do was no longer just simply survive, but live independently, truly as a person.
Habits are hard to break, but she had to change. Ye Xi didn't know what this state meant, but her intuition told her it was dangerous, it would panic her, it would leave her bewildered, it would make her vulnerable. In this world full of death and rebirth, what's needed isn't just strength, but also independence!
Looking up at the starry sky, Ye Xi sighed with mixed feelings. A week had passed in the blink of an eye. A week wasn't long, but for Ye Xi, whose days consisted of nothing but fighting zombies and foraging for food, it felt like years. Ye Xi even felt that three years would have passed faster than this week. The monotony of each day made Ye Xi begin to doubt whether this was the life she wanted; more accurately, what was the point of living like this?
Actually, Ye Xi is just bored because she's lonely, empty, and cold-hearted. Her zombie brothers can no longer satisfy her desires. (picking nose)
So, the kind-hearted Dust decided to throw her a guy (Get lost). Sometimes fate is just that strange. Just as Ye Xi was lying on the tattered rag that served as her bed, feeling lost about life, a gunshot suddenly rang out. Ye Xi was startled and immediately jumped up from the blanket, crouching down to hide herself in the weeds, pulling out her pistol and gripping it tightly with both hands, alertly looking around through the gaps.
The rustling of grass reached her ears. The person was moving slowly, and Ye Xi could feel his heavy breathing, as if he were injured. And… it seemed he was being chased by something? As the person drew closer, Ye Xi couldn't help but curse him inwardly. The clouds obscured the starlight, making his figure blurry and shifty. Ye Xi couldn't see his face clearly, but she could clearly see the two or three red figures behind him, as well as his orange left leg and waist! Being bitten was bad enough, but he even attracted zombies—what a nuisance!
Ye Xi spat out a mouthful of saliva, still keeping her body low, and moved quickly. She wasn't about to be so kind as to save someone; who knew if the person was good or bad? Saving them would only bring trouble, which would be like pulling her hand out. She didn't have much luggage; she slung her bag over her shoulder, grabbed a blanket, and quickly left. As for her craving for the T-virus, Ye Xi, who had just received a blood transfusion that morning, felt that impulse wasn't enough to make her rush in irrationally.
The highway was lined with tall weeds, offering not only protection from the zombie-infested city but also numerous hiding spots, which was why Ye Xi had been following the highway. However, driven by instinct or long-accumulated experience, the man, realizing he couldn't shake off the zombies behind him, immediately turned and ran into the depths of the grass, the direction Ye Xi was heading.
"I'm screaming! Are you kidding me?!" Seeing that guy blindly running towards her again, Ye Xi couldn't help but curse and give him the middle finger, cursing his entire family. In her rage, the seemingly gentle (but actually soft) Ye Xi suddenly stood up, raised her gun, and without caring about the man's safety, fired. Ye Xi would never admit that she genuinely wanted to "accidentally" kill this blind bastard.
Unfortunately, despite being severely injured, the man still had a strong reflex to danger. With the help of the starlight, he barely saw a person suddenly appearing with a gun. He immediately lay down, and almost instantly, a bullet grazed his hair and headed straight for the zombies behind him.
“God bless, thank you for your help,” the man said, struggling to his feet. Looking at the slender figure backlit by the sun, he suddenly felt the outline was strangely familiar. “It would have been better if you had said something before firing. You know, people who can lie down instantly aren’t as common as the weeds here.” He added earnestly.
"Oh dear, I'm so sorry, but I really wanted to kill you while I was at it!" Ye Xi thought to herself, glancing at him coldly in the light. But she was surprised—although he looked disheveled, Ye Xi could still tell who he was from his blond hair and golden eyes—Ethan! Ye Xi was backlit, so Ethan couldn't see her clearly, but Ye Xi, with her good night vision and the light following her, could see his face clearly.
He'd fallen on such a sorry state, even gotten bitten… But he was lucky to escape from Umbrella in Alaska. Ye Xi pursed her lips. She wasn't very close to Ethan, largely due to her rather cold nature, so she felt no sympathy for his current situation. Before she could speak, Ethan, who had been observing her, suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Ye Xi?!" Then, his excited eyes dimmed again, "It's so good to see you're alright."
"Uh...don't make me feel awkward..." Ye Xi looked at his disappointed and pained expression with a slightly embarrassed expression, as if she had done something to wrong him. "Hmm...long time no see, Ethan, but you look...you know I can see." Ye Xi tried her best to be tactful, but she didn't seem to be very good at it, and Ethan's expression looked even more sorrowful. Where was the sunny and energetic person he was at the beginning?
“Yes, I don’t look good at all. Not only did I fail to protect my companions…” He smiled bitterly, trying to show Ye Xi a strong version of himself, but it backfired. “And I won’t live much longer.” He forced a smile and added, “But I can see you one last time before I commit suicide, which will fulfill one of my wishes.”
"Ugh, this sounds like a suicide note..." Ye Xi scratched her head awkwardly, just in time to see him raise his pistol. It turned out Ethan had been saving a bullet for when he was being chased by zombies. Knowing he was doomed, and now seeing the person he'd been longing for, he naturally stopped struggling. However, whether he committed suicide or not was his own business. As long as it wasn't in front of Ye Xi, she wouldn't complain. But if it was in front of Ye Xi... damn it, Ye Xi, who was exceptionally attached to life, couldn't stand seeing others so easily commit suicide!
"What the hell?!" Ye Xi grabbed the gun from Ethan's hand with a speed invisible to the naked eye and raised it upwards, sending it hurtling into the sky with a "bang." "Why did you give up so quickly? The Ethan I know isn't some sissy who doesn't value his own life!" Ye Xi forcefully pulled the gun from Ethan's hand, genuinely annoyed by his lifeless eyes, and slapped him across the face.
"Die, die, die, die your sister! Do you even know how many people want to live but it's just wishful thinking? No one in this world has the right to commit suicide! Carlos got bitten, but I still managed to fix him! If you want to commit suicide, you'd better find a place where I can't see you. I can't stand anyone taking their own life in front of me!" Ye Xi then reloaded the gun that had run out of bullets and threw it at Ethan's feet.
Ethan didn't pick up the gun. His dark eyes suddenly lit up as he stared intently at Ye Xi's face, his voice trembling slightly as he said, "You... what did you say?..."
Ye Xi paused slightly, pursing her lips. She knew what Ethan wanted to ask, but she had only said it casually. Ye Xi knew perfectly well that telling him that she could make antibodies required complete experimental equipment, but looking into Ethan's golden eyes, she couldn't bring herself to speak. "I mean," Ye Xi took a deep breath, "I can make antibodies, as long as I can find the things needed to make them, as long as you don't give up."
As soon as Ye Xi said those words, seeing Ethan's wide grin return to its energetic state, she regretted it. Because for Ethan, he was beyond saving.
Author's Note: Should I tell you I'm having writer's block? (picking nose) Should I tell you I'm planning to revise another story to ease things up? (picking nose) ↑ Just pretend you didn't see this (picking nose) Ethan, are you kidding me...? I'm not telling you, hmph (smug face)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
