Living with My Aloof Ex-Wife After the Apocalypse - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Your Wife is Here Looking for You.

“How do I have a superpower?”

The system explained: “This is an ability bestowed by the system. When the host kills an evolved zombie and absorbs its crystal nucleus, there is a chance to awaken a superpower related to that entity’s ability.”

In other words, killing evolved zombies not only granted superpowers, but it was possible to possess more than one. Although she hadn’t yet figured out the pattern of the system’s appearance or its ultimate goal, one could never have too many life-saving methods.

The system continued: “The ability of this Level 1 zombie was ‘Lure.’ In simple terms, it transfers the hatred of zombies onto a specific carrier, making that carrier the primary target for zombies within a certain range.”

Xing He had just been worrying about the horde blocking the exits and how she would get out; in the blink of an eye, a solution had been delivered right to her hand. Before she could breathe a sigh of relief, however, the elevator moved without warning.

Xing He immediately went on high alert. Zombies didn’t know how to use elevators; it was likely that someone on another floor had pressed the button. But the “zombies don’t know” rule only applied to ordinary zombies. After her recent encounter, Xing He wasn’t sure what level of evolution they had reached.

I just hope it’s a human behind that door.

The elevator ascended. Upon reaching the 23rd floor, it let out a crisp Ding! indicating it had arrived at its destination. Xing He gripped her kitchen knife, leaning against the button panel next to the door frame, tensing her muscles to prepare for a vicious fight at a moment’s notice. If a zombie stepped in instead of a human, she would strike immediately to sever its neck.

But before the doors even opened, Xing He heard the sound of an argument.

“It’s too dangerous outside! Going out is just seeking death!”

“If we stay here without supplies, aren’t we just waiting to die anyway?”

Xing He kept her guard up, ears straining to catch the voices.

“I’ve observed them. If we go down the stairs, there aren’t many zombies on this side. There are many of us; we aren’t helpless against them. If we can’t escape, at the very least we can scavenge for food on other floors.” This was a woman speaking.

“You can go seek death if you want, but going out will only lead the zombies here. I don’t agree!” This was a man’s voice.

Noticing the elevator had arrived, the two stopped talking. The doors slid open slowly. Xing He waited, but they didn’t enter, likely still locked in their confrontation. Just as the doors were about to close again, footsteps approached.

“There’s a zombie… it looks dead.”

A woman in a white lab coat appeared at the elevator door. Seeing Xing He covered in blood, the woman gasped, “There’s something else here!”

Xing He needed these people’s help to find Qing Meng. To avoid a misunderstanding, she proactively identified herself. “I’m human. Don’t be nervous.”

Discovering another survivor seemed to surprise the woman. “Did you come from the outside?”

Xing He nodded. She stepped over the zombie’s corpse, intending to walk forward and talk to them.

“Don’t move! Do you have any wounds on you?” A man in a suit stepped forward, looking at Xing He with eyes full of suspicion. He didn’t look at her like a fellow human, but rather like a predatory beast. Anyone else would have been uncomfortable with such an attitude, but Xing He had seen it all in her previous life. Compared to people who would shoot on sight, this man was practically polite.

She followed protocol, raising her hands and turning in a circle to show herself to them. “No wounds. Can I come over?”

The man in the suit said nothing. He clearly didn’t want to accept Xing He into their group but couldn’t find a valid reason to turn her away. After all, the apocalypse had just begun, and the moral order of humanity hadn’t yet collapsed. Finally, he gave her a cursory glance and turned back to the room behind them, clearly unwilling to have much contact with her.

The woman in the lab coat was different. She didn’t seem afraid that Xing He would turn into one of those monsters, nor did she mind the blood on her. Instead, she took a step forward and reached out a friendly hand.

“Hello, I’m Jiang Ping’an.”

“Hello.”

Compared to Jiang Ping’an’s warmth, Xing He’s response was somewhat cold. Having survived the apocalypse for so long, Xing He had her own principles: never side with those who show immediate malice, but always keep a sliver of doubt even for those who greet you with a smile.

Jiang Ping’an noticed the wariness but was clearly more interested in something else. “How did you get up here?”

There was no harm in sharing this. Xing He knew how to show goodwill within safe boundaries. “I took the stairs to the fourth floor, then took the direct elevator.”

Guessing that Xing He had already searched other buildings in the hospital, Jiang Ping’an looked at the muscle definition in Xing He’s arms and the blood-dripping knife with a hint of admiration. “Your skills are quite good.”

Xing He replied noncommittally, “I’m just physically fit.” Not letting Jiang Ping’an control the conversation, she asked, “Where did everyone in the hospital go?”

“Before the situation completely spiraled out of control, I organized an evacuation. Some patients had mobility issues and had to stay behind temporarily. Everyone is on this floor—about two hundred people.”

Jiang Ping’an didn’t beat around the bush, but the glint in her eyes suggested she was already planning how to pull Xing He into her team. Xing He was surprised; while Jiang Ping’an clearly had professional expertise regarding the virus, being able to react instantly and organize an evacuation meant she was no ordinary person.

“How are you avoiding the zombies?”

Jiang Ping’an turned to look out the window, which provided a full view of the back gate and the front of the building. “There aren’t many zombies in other parts of the hospital, but there’s a huge swarm below this building. Did you notice?”

Xing He nodded. She had been wondering about that.

“Zombies are extremely sensitive to sound. We used megaphones to lure them all to the back gate, and the rest of the survivors used the chance to gather here.” She blinked and added one more thing: “My friend figured it out.”

When talking about her own deeds, Jiang Ping’an’s tone was flat and indifferent. But when she mentioned her friend, there was a clear note of pride in her voice. Though Xing He remained cautious, she had to admit that accomplishing all this in less than half a day meant that Jiang Ping’an and her friend possessed formidable observation and judgment skills.

Xing He didn’t know how long she would be stuck at the hospital, but she thought she could join them temporarily. Working with such people would be comfortable. Still, she kept her focus on her main goal.

“Have you seen a woman? Thin, fair-skinned, about 1.7 meters tall. Not a local—she came here for a research project.”

“A research project?” Jiang Ping’an thought for a moment. “Our hospital did have a meeting related to a project today.”

At a time like this, everyone was thinking of how to run for their lives. She had thought Xing He was just passing through; she hadn’t expected her to be looking for a young woman. Jiang Ping’an stroked her chin, her inner gossip-monger stirring. “Tell me her name. I might actually know her.”

“Her name is Qing Meng.”

This was the only clue to finding her, so Xing He’s voice wavered slightly with emotion. Upon hearing the name, Jiang Ping’an’s expression turned very strange. She looked Xing He up and down.

“What’s your name?”

Xing He felt awkward under the scrutiny. But she was the one asking for a favor, so she managed a strained smile. “Xing He. Xing as in Xingtai, He as in seedlings.”

“You’re Xing He?”

“You know me?”

Jiang Ping’an had been gone for a long time, and Qing Meng, waiting alone in the room, couldn’t help but feel worried. The group led by Chen Sheng had never been happy with Jiang Ping’an’s temporary leadership, and she feared they might try something behind her back.

Hearing Jiang Ping’an talking to someone, Qing Meng opened the door carefully. Through the gap, she saw a person standing opposite Jiang Ping’an—covered in blood and holding a kitchen knife. Qing Meng grew tense. Although she wasn’t good at fighting, she opened the door and hurried forward to help.

“Ping’an, what’s wrong?”

Seeing Qing Meng come out, Jiang Ping’an raised an eyebrow and gestured toward the person in front of her.

“Your wife is here looking for you.”

Wife?

Jiang Ping’an clearly wasn’t in a state of tension; she even had a teasing look on her face. Qing Meng was confused and followed her gaze to the person in front of her.

Xing He’s lazy hair had become a literal bird’s nest after her fight with the zombies. Her arm was wrapped in a ragged piece of cardboard, and she held a blood-stained knife, looking as if she had just raided a chicken coop. Although her face was a mixture of blood and dust, Qing Meng could still recognize those incredibly familiar features.

Who else could it be but Xing He?

Aside from her only close friend, Jiang Ping’an, few people knew that Qing Meng had harbored a vague, special feeling for Xing He since her college days. Back then, her father had just retired to the “second line” and frequently invited Xing He to their home. Over time, the interactions between Qing Meng and Xing He inevitably grew.

Sometimes, on her way to visit, Xing He would drive her Wrangler to the school to pick Qing Meng up and take her home. Although her father valued Xing He, he didn’t always force her to sit and chat with an old man; more often, he let the two young women spend time together.

Xing He was a talker, but Qing Meng was habitually awkward and rarely spoke. Sensing Qing Meng’s discomfort, Xing He eventually stopped trying to force small talk. It evolved into the two of them sitting in a room, each reading their own books.

It was like this every time, but Qing Meng never found the atmosphere awkward. She just gradually realized—starting from some unknown day—that Xing He was very good-looking. After that, in every meeting, Qing Meng could find a new “sparkling point” in this person.

Sunny, optimistic, steady, a bit old-fashioned… she didn’t know fashion or follow trends, but she could whistle using a leaf…

Before Qing Meng could figure out what kind of feelings she was harboring, she had found herself, somewhat muddled, married to Xing He.

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