Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The night wind brought a bone-chilling cold, swiftly robbing the group of their already limited body heat.

Ji Yanqing's lips were pale, and the skin beneath his goggles stung from the cold. "Hold on to me."

Without being hit and instead carried away, the child, after his initial surprise, obediently reached out to hook his arms around Ji Yanqing's neck.

His arms were too short; one wasn't enough to hold on tightly, so he had to use both.

With both arms wrapped around Ji Yanqing's neck, he finally managed to hold on, but this also pressed his entire body against Ji Yanqing. The warmth from Ji Yanqing's body, even through their clothes, made his chilled body feel warm.

He nervously glanced at Ji Yanqing, and upon seeing that he wasn't angry, he secretly sighed in relief. His eyes, like those of a kitten, stared straight at Ji Yanqing without stopping.

Ji Yanqing had a faint, sweet scent that was very pleasant.

Ji Yanqing's attention was focused on the surrounding buildings.

After leaving the previous construction site, the group moved quickly and quietly through the dark alleyways.

The night was eerily quiet, and their breathing and heartbeats became the only sounds under the cover of darkness. This tension pushed everyone to their limits, as any misstep could attract zombies.

As they proceeded, Xia Shenshu, who was at the front, suddenly stopped, and the rest of the group instantly held their breath, ready for action.

In the darkness, Xia Shenshu slowly retreated from the corner, moving to a position where he couldn't be seen from the other side. He made a retreat gesture with an unsettled look.

Everyone immediately understood: there were zombies ahead.

During the day, the temperature could be scorching, but at night, it could drop below freezing, which was far more tolerable than the daytime heat.

They should have been traveling at night and resting during the day, but they continued to move during the day because at night, the lack of light severely limited visibility. They might inadvertently stumble into a zombie nest, making the danger far greater than the heat during the day.

The group silently retreated, all the way back to the corner on the other side of the building, where they finally exhaled.

Ji Yanqing silently chose another route and led the way forward.

They continued on, changing course several times and narrowly avoiding death multiple times. It wasn't until the sky began to lighten, showing a hint of dawn, that they finally stopped.

Under the morning light, Ji Yanqing looked at the exhausted group and led them into a nearby store that sold snacks and dry goods.

This store was located near a crossroads, with its metal door forcibly pried open and glass shards scattered on the ground. The shelves were empty, except for various packaging and trash strewn about.

The store had long been looted.

Upon entering, no words were needed as the group split up to check the store. After confirming that there were no zombies inside, they sat down on the floor at the back. The store's shelves provided good cover, and as long as they didn't make too much noise, they would be relatively safe.

No one spoke, and the room was filled only with heavy breathing.

After three hours of intense travel while keeping their nerves taut, they were already drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted.

After resting for about five or six minutes, Xia Shenshu asked what had happened, and Lan Zi briefly recounted what she had seen earlier.

"He wasn't there before?" Xia Shenshu had never heard of such a thing.

Lan Zi shook her head. "It's hard to say. When I noticed him, he was already wandering around there." If not for how suspicious his behavior was, she wouldn't have spent over an hour observing him.

Ji Yanqing took out his water bottle from his backpack to drink, but upon opening it, he found that there was less than one-fifth left. Hesitating for a moment, he handed the water to the child beside him.

The child cautiously glanced at Ji Yanqing. He wanted to refuse, but he was desperately thirsty. Since the small sip he had taken last night when Ji Yanqing offered him some, he hadn't had any water for two or three days.

Knowing that Ji Yanqing didn't hurt people, the child timidly accepted the bottle and took a tiny sip before quickly returning it to Ji Yanqing.

He was easy to take care of.

Ji Yanqing's expression softened, and he gently patted the child's head.

Being touched on the head, the child's eyes shone brightly on his dirty cheeks.

Ji Yanqing unzipped his backpack to check on the other child, who was still running a fever. He gave him some water as well.

Sun Haifeng saw this and pursed his lips silently. What a waste.

"So, what do we do next?" Sun Haifeng, who had been injured previously and hadn't rested well, looked quite pale.

"Find water," said Ji Yanqing.

"Find water?" Sun Haifeng straightened his posture.

"I saw a map of the city in a Public Security Bureau nearby when I was looking for supplies yesterday. There's a reservoir in the mountains outside the city, and there might still be water there," explained Xia Shenshu.

Hearing that they might find water, the expressions on everyone's faces eased.

"What about the main group?" Sun Haifeng raised his voice.

Ji Yanqing lifted his gaze, and his clear eyes behind his goggles showed no room for refusal. "We'll find water first, then catch up."

Sun Haifeng grew anxious. "No, I don't agree! We've barely gotten close to them, and if we detour to find water now, who knows how long it will take to find them again?"

Everyone furrowed their brows; Sun Haifeng's voice was too loud.

Ji Yanqing put away the water bottle and spoke in a calm yet icy tone. "This is my team, and I make the decisions. If you can't handle it, you're free to leave at any time."

Sun Haifeng didn't expect Ji Yanqing to speak to him like that, and his face turned ashen. "You're risking our lives!"

Sun Haifeng looked at the others, seeking agreement, but no one paid him any attention.

Xia Shenshu was absolutely in favor of finding water first, as was Lan Zi, and the others, after their initial surprise, also firmly stood their ground. Not finding the main group wouldn't kill them right away, but without water, they wouldn't survive until tomorrow.

"You—" Sun Haifeng's face darkened.

Ji Yanqing held out his hand. "Give it to me."

"What?"

"The cookies."

Sun Haifeng paused, feeling a momentary pang of guilt. "What cookies?"

"The cookies I left for them yesterday," Ji Yanqing pointed out.

The supplies they found during their searches belonged to the group, but once distributed, they became personal property. Those cookies were something he had saved and secretly stashed away.

Sun Haifeng's expression changed rapidly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Sun Haifeng tried to maintain his composure, but everyone else had already figured out what was happening. This made their gazes towards Sun Haifeng turn hostile.

It was taboo for teammates to scheme against each other over supplies. After all, every time they went out to search for supplies, they risked their lives in dangerous situations. Who could tolerate having someone like him around?

Xia Shenshu's face turned cold. "Give them back." He had never really liked Sun Haifeng.

And did Sun Haifeng misunderstand something? With his injuries, he was just a burden. What made him think that they would side with him against Ji Yanqing?

Was he even worthy?

Lan Zi also frowned.

Sun Haifeng looked around. He had intended to say that Ji Yanqing was slandering him, but when he met everyone's icy gazes, he swallowed his words.

A muscle twitched on Sun Haifeng's face. He walked over to his backpack, opened it, and retrieved the cookies before tossing them to Ji Yanqing.

After doing this, he kicked a shelf in frustration.

"Crack."

An acrylic shelf panel fell off entirely, and the sound echoed through the silence like a sudden thunderclap.

Startled by the unexpected noise, the next moment, everyone scrambled to their feet, their hearts pounding.

Xia Shenshu glared fiercely at Sun Haifeng, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

Sun Haifeng knew he had caused trouble, his face turning pale. "Who knew it would be so easy—"

Before Sun Haifeng could finish his defense, several figures darted into the room from the entrance.

"Zombies!"

"F*ck!"

"Run!" As Ji Yanqing growled, he swung his axe, and despite its dull blade, the sheer force severed the neck of the zombie lunging at Lan Zi.

Lan Zi ignored the foul-smelling liquid splattering on him and, with a pale face, grabbed two backpacks and ran out the door.

Xia Shenshu took another child with him, allowing Ji Yanqing to act without hesitation. Ji Yanqing possessed speed and strength that belied his pretty and adorable appearance.

He pulled the axe out of the wall and kicked a shelf, using it to pin down the zombies chasing after the others.

Having done this, Ji Yanqing followed and ran towards the door.

Just as he reached the entrance, several figures collided with him suddenly.

Instinctively, Ji Yanqing sidestepped and swung his axe, knocking one of them away. At the same time, he realized what was happening: three zombies were pouncing on Sun Haifeng, tearing and scratching him frantically.

Sun Haifeng had been standing and, knowing he had caused trouble, was the first to dash out the door and flee. However, he forgot that the commotion he created would attract zombies, making him the first target.

There were male and female zombies among the three. Their clothes were tattered, and so were their skin and bodies, covered in bite marks and scratches. One of them was so severely injured that their internal organs were visible.

They growled excitedly, greenish, foul-smelling liquid dripping from their mouths, causing revulsion.

"Get away! Don't come near me!" Sun Haifeng, who had fallen to the ground, wildly flailed his arms in an attempt to push them away, only to have a zombie bite his hand.

"Aaah!" Sun Haifeng screamed in pain.

"Ji Yanqing!" Xia Shenshu bellowed. He had already reached the corner, and Sun Haifeng was beyond saving.

Ji Yanqing looked at Sun Haifeng, whose facial veins were visibly turning green. Realizing his dire situation, panic, fear, and resentment filled Sun Haifeng's eyes as he looked at Ji Yanqing. "Save me, please... don't leave me behind..."

Ji Yanqing's pupils suddenly contracted sharply as memories flooded his mind, making his heart feel as if it were being tightly gripped, unable to beat.

"Ji Yanqing..." Sun Haifeng reached out, trying to grab Ji Yanqing's foot. How could Ji Yanqing abandon him? How could he... If death was inevitable, then they should all die together!

Held by Xia Shenshu, the child, who was awake, saw the approaching zombies and witnessed Ji Yanqing being grabbed by Sun Haifeng. His small face turned ghastly white. "No—"

His dark pupils transformed into golden vertical slits, and a faint golden light appeared. In the next instant, he fainted.

Feeling the force on his ankle, Ji Yanqing didn't give Sun Haifeng a chance to grab hold. He stepped back and broke free, no longer hesitating as he ran towards Xia Shenshu.

In just a moment, more than twenty zombies had gathered around them. Some were drawn to Sun Haifeng's screams and curses, while others charged towards them.

Their movements were eerie and incredibly fast. Their pale, decaying eyes were filled with madness, resembling crazed, starving dogs with saliva constantly dripping from their chins.

"This way!" Xia Shenshu led the way down one of the paths, where there were fewer zombies.

At the construction site,

Feng Yimo's dark eyes lowered slightly as he looked at the pile of miscellaneous items in front of him. For a moment, he felt confused. Had he remembered the location incorrectly?

This city was strange. He had only left for a short while, but upon returning, he found himself unable to retrace his steps. The surroundings were filled with strangely familiar buildings, like a vast maze...

Without waiting for Feng Yimo to understand, he suddenly lifted his head and looked in the direction where Ji Yanqing was. In the next moment, he transformed into a bolt of lightning and rushed out of the construction site, heading towards Ji Yanqing.

As he moved forward swiftly, Feng Yimo continued to ponder what was going on.

First, there was definitely nothing wrong with him.