She’s Fiercer Than Zombies - Chapter 1

“Senior, I like you!”

The midday sun was blindingly intense, yet what felt even more scorching than the sunlight were the blazingly bright eyes of the girl standing before her.

The fervent, straightforward confession made Yinxi feel as if she’d been burned, a delicate blush spreading across her fair, translucent cheeks. In an instant, the girl was completely mesmerized.

Her senior was so beautiful!

Qiao Gaogao thought dazedly, unconsciously pulling back the bouquet she had just offered and clutching it tightly to her chest, as if she were embracing the senior in front of her.

How she wished she could just hug her tightly and plant a bunch of kisses on her!

The little figure in Qiao Gaogao’s heart was rolling around wildly. Her round, bright almond eyes gazed eagerly at Yinxi as she asked with hopeful anticipation, “Senior, will you be my girlfriend?”

“Don’t worry! I’m super loyal! I’m definitely not the type to play with people’s feelings!”

Yinxi had just stepped out of the classroom building after class when Qiao Gaogao intercepted her and pulled her into this secluded corner. Now, hearing the hopeful tone in Qiao Gaogao’s sweet, soft voice, Yinxi’s gaze drifted away, too shy to look at her directly.

She couldn’t believe she was feeling shy because of a girl!

But, but she really was happy about it. She had liked Qiao Gaogao for quite a while, ever since their first meeting during freshman orientation. She had been drawn to Qiao Gaogao’s sunny, adorable energy.

How could someone look so sweet and radiate such a positive, sunny aura? It was as if she didn’t even know what gloom was.

Yinxi often found her eyes unconsciously searching for Qiao Gaogao’s figure.

Biting her lip, Yinxi lowered her gaze to the bouquet in Qiao Gaogao’s arms. Her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as she asked with a hint of disappointment, “Wasn’t this bouquet meant for me? Why did you take it back?”

The air was filled with the delicate fragrance of the lilies in Qiao Gaogao’s arms. Yinxi’s fingers, hanging at her sides, twitched slightly.

She wanted to take it!

“Huh?” Qiao Gaogao’s eyes widened, her cute, doll-like face unable to conceal her delight. “Senior, you’re saying yes!”

Yinxi averted her gaze and said shyly, “Then why aren’t you giving it to me?”

“!!!”

Instead of handing over the flowers right away, Qiao Gaogao boldly threw herself into a big hug, so overjoyed she was stomping her feet.

“Senior! Hehe, you like me too!” She was starting to get a little full of herself.

Startled by the sudden embrace, Yinxi froze for a moment before wrapping her arms around the petite girl in her embrace. She lowered her eyes bashfully and stammered softly, “I do like you.”

“Hehe!” Qiao Gaogao giggled foolishly at Yinxi’s confession. Standing half a head shorter, she tilted her head up in Yinxi’s embrace, her large almond eyes crinkling into happy crescents. “Then, Senior, can you give me a kiss?”

The bold request sent a tremor straight to Yinxi’s heart. Her hand resting on Qiao Gaogao’s waist stiffened slightly as she whispered, embarrassed, “A kiss so soon after getting together? Isn’t that a little too fast.”

“It’s not fast at all! I’ve dreamed so many times of you kissing me!” Qiao Gaogao hurriedly retorted, but after saying it, her face turned strangely red.

Actually, her dreams weren’t exactly pure.

At that thought, Qiao Gaogao giggled again. Now that they were girlfriends, did that mean all those bold things from her dreams could become a reality?

Listening to Qiao Gaogao’s sudden, soft chuckle, for some reason, Yinxi couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine. Yet, as she watched the person in front of her tilt her head up and gaze at her expectantly, her bleached long hair styled into two pigtails resting on her chest, Yinxi thought that despite the hair color being something a mother would scold her for, it only made her look even more youthful and adorable.

“Then, just one kiss.” Yinxi whispered, as if afraid someone might overhear.

“Okay, just one.” Qiao Gaogao replied in an equally hushed tone, her eyes fixed intently on Yinxi without blinking.

Seeing Qiao Gaogao’s cooperative demeanor, Yinxi’s eyes grew moist. She shyly lowered her gaze, meeting Qiao Gaogao’s eyes for a brief moment before quickly shifting her focus to Qiao Gaogao’s lips.

They were pink and tender, looking as if they might break and release moisture with the slightest bite.

Those lips had appeared in her dreams countless times, and today, she would finally touch them.

Slowly, she leaned closer to Qiao Gaogao.

Qiao Gaogao immediately rose onto her tiptoes to increase her height, bringing her lips even closer to Yinxi’s.

Their breaths intertwined. Qiao Gaogao’s hands, wrapped around Yinxi’s neck, tightened unconsciously. She could faintly catch the delicate fragrance of Yinxi’s scent, mingling with the floral aroma, making her want to bury herself in Yinxi’s embrace and nuzzle closer.

Suddenly, a pair of soft lips pressed against hers. Qiao Gaogao’s eyes widened slowly, and she couldn’t resist giving a light lick. A tingling sensation immediately shot up from the base of her spine.

Before she could fully savor the feeling, the lips, soft as clouds, swiftly pulled away.

“Ah!”

“Get away! Get away!!”

Chaotic screams suddenly erupted from the distance. But Qiao Gaogao, still dazed, remained completely absorbed in the lingering sensation of that gentle kiss. She licked her lips unsatisfied, craving more of the fading touch.

“Mm…”

Yinxi’s body went limp, collapsing directly into Qiao Gaogao’s arms. Her already flushed cheeks now burned an abnormal shade of red, and not just her face her neck and body were also flushed crimson.

Startled, Qiao Gaogao quickly steadied Yinxi, placing the flowers she had been holding onto a nearby stone table.

“Senior! Senior, what’s wrong?” Qiao Gaogao anxiously asked about Yinxi’s condition. They were in a pavilion, and she carefully lifted Yinxi and laid her on a bench. Seeing Yinxi’s entire body burning up as if with a high fever, she was terrified.

Just moments ago, her senior had been fine, she had even kissed her. How could she suddenly become like this?

“Mmm… it hurts so hot.”

Yinxi lay curled up on the bench with her eyes closed, her body burning as if her mind had turned to mush. Her once elegant and beautiful face was now contorted in pain, and the lips that had just kissed Qiao Gaogao were now deathly pale.

“Don’t be scared, I’m calling an ambulance right now!” Qiao Gaogao, equally frantic, pulled out her phone and dialed 120. As she waited for the call to connect, she finally noticed the chaotic commotion in the distance people screaming, cries for help, and the strange, eerie roars of what sounded like wild beasts.

The emergency call went through, but no one answered. Qiao Gaogao grew increasingly uneasy, torn between the strange noises in the distance and her worry for Yinxi. The continuous dial tone on the phone only heightened her anxiety to its peak.

“Damn it!”

Qiao Gaogao put down her phone and cursed under her breath, quickly turning to check on Yinxi. She hadn’t expected the sight that greeted her.

In the mere ten or so seconds she had been distracted by the commotion outside, the flush on Yinxi’s skin had completely faded, replaced by a dull, ashen gray. Her eyes were now wide open, fixed intently on Qiao Gaogao.

“Ah!”

Qiao Gaogao let out a small gasp, stumbling backward in fright and landing unsteadily on the ground. She stared in disbelief at the scene before her.

Her startled reaction seemed to startle Yinxi as well, who flinched and shrank back against the railing behind her. But with the railing there, where could she go? All she could do was stare blankly at Qiao Gaogao with her slightly clouded eyes.

“S-senior, what’s wrong with you?” Qiao Gaogao stammered, her voice trembling as she looked into Yinxi’s murky eyes. How had her senior’s deep, pool-like dark eyes turned into this?

The person in front of her tilted her head slightly, opened her mouth, and let out a guttural: “Roar!”

“!”

Qiao Gaogao stared wide-eyed at her senior, who seemed just as shocked by the sound she had made. Yinxi’s eyes widened even further, almost matching Qiao Gaogao’s own stunned expression.

Her senior, always so gentle and composed, had never made such an exaggerated expression or movement before at least, not in Qiao Gaogao’s memory. Seeing it now felt both bizarre and oddly endearing.

Before Qiao Gaogao could figure out why Yinxi had suddenly changed like this, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from nearby. Turning her head, she saw a group of men and women running toward them in a panic, their eyes lighting up at the sight of them.

“Help! Save me! Please save me!”

Their voices grew louder and more desperate. Qiao Gaogao noticed the figures chasing them, if they could even be called people anymore. They looked exactly like zombies from movies, with bluish-black skin, clouded eyes, and the lower halves of their faces smeared with crimson blood. The creatures grew even more frenzied upon hearing the voices, quickening their pace.

Seeing this, Qiao Gaogao could no longer dwell on Yinxi’s strange behavior. She hurriedly pulled Yinxi to her feet, ignoring the pleas for help from the fleeing group, and urged, “Senior, we need to get out of here now!”

She had chosen this secluded spot to confess her feelings precisely because it was rarely frequented. But now, in their desperation to escape, those people had led the zombies straight to them.

“Roar!” Yinxi let out another hoarse cry.

She tried to take a step.

Thud!

Yinxi fell stiffly to the ground, then lay there with a dazed expression, as if unable to comprehend why she had suddenly collapsed.

Qiao Gaogao’s eyes widened again, but with the approaching horde, she had no time to hesitate. Bending down, she scooped Yinxi up, tucking her under one arm. Before running, she even remembered to snatch the bouquet she had brought for her confession. Then, she broke into a frantic sprint.

She ran so hard that her usually cute, doll-like face twisted into a grimace of exertion.

Clutched under her arm, Yinxi stared in shock with her clouded eyes wide open.

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