My Ex-Girlfriend Is a Zombie Queen - Chapter 1

The clinking of wine glasses was far from pleasant, much like the stifling tension currently thickening the air. Without anyone noticing, the decanter on the table had run dry once again.

“President Jia,” Lu Yu began as she signaled a waiter to open another bottle. She kept her gaze fixed on the drunken, stout man occupying the seat of honor while her lips curved into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “You’ve been dragging your feet on this contract for two months now. I’d love to hear a straight answer today regarding whether we actually have a deal.”

Upon hearing her bluntness, the junior employees tasked with accompanying the guest felt a sudden jolt of adrenaline that cleared the fog of their own intoxication. The man at the center of attention struggled to roll his eyes toward her, and when he finally managed to focus, his small eyes widened with undisguised lechery.

“Has it really been two months? It feels as though Manager Lu and I only met yesterday,” he stammered, reaching out a hand.

Lu Yu withdrew her hand with practiced ease, leaving him grasping at empty air. The man’s jovial facade crumbled instantly, and his expression darkened as his tone turned heavy. “I only agreed to these talks out of respect for the Lu family name. However, it seems this entire project has very little to do with the Lu family itself, so naturally, I need more time to reconsider.”

The mention of the “Lu family” nearly caused Lu Yu’s composed mask to slip.

“Since it appears President Jia would prefer to collaborate with someone else, I won’t press the matter further,” she replied. Turning her head, she issued a crisp command to her subordinates. “Make sure you see President Jia safely to his car.”

With those final words, the banquet ended on a sour note.

Lu Yu grabbed her bag and headed straight for the underground parking garage. The sheer volume of alcohol she had consumed that evening left her brain feeling floaty, and she found herself momentarily unable to recall where she had parked.

Suddenly, the sound of hushed whispering drifted from around a corner.

“Does she still think she’s the beloved eldest daughter of the Lu family? Giving a client attitude like that… hmph. The Lu family disowned her ages ago, and that fallout was public knowledge.”

“Really? But she was promoted to manager so quickly after joining. I just assumed—”

“That was only because the boss wanted to show a bit of courtesy to her background. I honestly don’t get it. Why give up the life of a wealthy heiress just to work here? Do rich people really enjoy ‘experiencing’ life this way?”

One assistant was in the middle of saying, “I heard she broke with her family over a woman,” when she caught sight of Lu Yu standing right in front of her car. The dim garage lighting hit Lu Yu’s delicate features, but instead of her usual soft elegance, she was shrouded in an unmistakable, chilling gloom.

“What are we chatting about? Why don’t you let me in on the conversation?”

She watched as the two employees lowered their heads in deep embarrassment, looking like withered plants under a sudden frost. Lu Yu tilted her chin up, a shimmering light dancing in her eyes. “I forgot to call a designated driver. Since neither of you was drinking, why don’t you step in as my chauffeurs for the night?”

*******

“Manager Lu, we’re heading out now.”

“Get home safely.”

Lu Yu watched coldly as the two scrambled away. She didn’t rush to get out of the car, instead using a spritz of perfume to mask the scent of alcohol before walking quickly toward her home.

There were no missed calls on her phone. The last message was from earlier that evening when she told Ye Qianli she had a business dinner; the other woman hadn’t pried, simply replying with a brief, Do you need me to pick you up?

It was now nearly eleven o’clock. This wasn’t the first time she had been late, but her superiors had been scheduling more and more of these drinking sessions lately. She felt stretched thin, and she had lost count of how many dates with her lover had been postponed. Guilt had begun to snowball in her heart.

As she turned the key in the door, she felt a sudden wave of apprehension.

“You’re back?”

A woman rose from the sofa with a yawn, her cool gaze softening the moment it landed on Lu Yu. “I heated up some ginger soup for you to help you sober up.”

Lu Yu stood frozen in the doorway, watching the tall figure disappear into the kitchen and return. Her physical instinct overrode her thoughts, and she threw herself into the woman’s arms, mumbling a soft, “A-Li.”

In the next second, she felt a familiar strength wrap around her waist as the woman pulled her into a tight embrace. “Work didn’t go well? Or were your colleagues gossiping behind your back again?”

“Mm… how did you know?”

Caught so easily, Lu Yu forgot to swallow the soup until she felt a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“Your thoughts are written all over your face, honey,” Ye Qianli said. She took the opportunity to peck the corner of Lu Yu’s lips, looking pleased as the beauty in her arms flushed like a peach blossom. Seeing Lu Yu leaning against her like a small cat that had tucked away its claws, Ye Qianli’s smile deepened. “Is there a reward for guessing correctly?”

“No,” Lu Yu replied, refusing to take the bait even as her fingers playfully fiddled with the buttons on the other woman’s collar. She waited until she had teased her enough before speaking again. “But the soup is good, so I suppose I can give you a small reward.”

Next week would be their tenth anniversary. Lu Yu had been rushing through her work specifically to clear her schedule for those few days. They hadn’t shared a proper meal in far too long, let alone anything else.

“Next week is…”

It seemed Ye Qianli was thinking of the exact same thing.

“Anyway, you have to follow my lead when the day comes,” Lu Yu said, hooking her arms around the woman’s neck. Her bright eyes were filled entirely with the other’s reflection.

“Of course. I’m under your command, wife.”

Ye Qianli played along smoothly, leaning down to linger against Lu Yu’s reddened lips. A flicker of something unreadable passed through her expression, though it vanished too quickly to be identified. “Do you have a wish?”

“A wish…” Lu Yu murmured the word before whispering, “Does spending the rest of my life with you count?”

“Of course it counts.” The tension in Ye Qianli’s face suddenly dissolved, and she gently pinched Lu Yu’s nose. “Anything else?”

After thinking for a moment, Lu Yu shook her head. “No. Even if I had one, it wouldn’t be important enough to waste a wish on.”

She was perfectly content with their quiet life. If only her job were a bit less demanding, she could spend every moment clinging to Ye Qianli, just like they used to.

“A-Li, you can’t just ask me. What about you?”

“Me?” The woman pulled out a tissue and gently wiped a stray drop of soup from the corner of Lu Yu’s mouth. Her voice was steady as always. “I hope you get everything you desire.”

There was a microscopic pause in her voice, but Lu Yu, currently swept up in the warmth of the moment, didn’t notice it. She lingered in the embrace for a long time before she finally remembered she smelled of alcohol and reluctantly pulled away.

“I’ll do the dishes,” Ye Qianli said, taking the bowl and spoon. “The water heater is already on.”

“Meet me in bed when you’re done,” Lu Yu whispered, tracing the woman’s palm with her finger. She stood on her tiptoes to murmur, “And remember to take everything off,” before dashing toward the bathroom.

The smile at the corners of Ye Qianli’s eyes slowly faded once Lu Yu was out of sight, and her brow furrowed into a deep frown.

While washing the dishes, her mind wandered, and she accidentally broke the bowl.

Calling it “broken” was an understatement; it looked more as if she had crushed it with her bare hands. Shards of porcelain pierced deep into her palm, and by all rights, it should have been a bloody mess. However, not a single drop of blood surfaced. The scene was chillingly eerie.

Without a word or an expression, she cleaned up the wreckage and restored the kitchen to its original state, acting as if nothing had ever happened.

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