She’s Fiercer Than Zombies - Chapter 23

“Don’t be afraid, Senior. It’s nothing serious,” Qiao Gaogao reassured Yinxi in a soft voice.

“Grrr~” But you’re injured.

Qiao Gaogao assessed her own condition. “It looks bad, but it’s really not. Nothing vital was harmed!”

Yinxi: “…” If something vital had been harmed, it would’ve been too late.

As if remembering something, Qiao Gaogao reached into her pocket but found it empty.

“…” Why am I completely undressed?

She glanced at her dazed senior and asked after a moment of silence, “Senior, did you take off my clothes?”

Yinxi nodded, proudly raising her hand to show off her nails.

Qiao Gaogao breathed a sigh of relief. It was fine if her senior had undressed her after all, she’d seen her naked plenty of times before.

“Then where are the things from my pockets?”

Yinxi tilted her head and pointed to the two cleaned crystal cores on the bedside table.

Relieved to see the cores were still there, Qiao Gaogao picked them up and held them out to Yinxi, her eyes sparkling. “Senior, swallow these!”

If zombie crystal cores were so useful for ability users, shouldn’t they be even more effective for zombies themselves?!

“!”

Yinxi stared at the two crystal cores.

Swallow them?

She immediately shook her head. The mere thought that these were dug out of zombies’ brains made her instinctively recoil.

Seeing her refusal, Qiao Gaogao sighed deeply but understood. After all, she herself had been reluctant to consume them directly, let alone her senior, who had always been particular about cleanliness.

“Then try holding them in your hands and see if you can absorb the energy with your mind.”

If her senior could absorb energy through mental focus, she’d probably be the first zombie to do so. Other zombies just gnawed on things mindlessly.

Yinxi shook her head at the crystal cores, tucking her hands behind her back and growling at Qiao Gaogao.

For a moment, Qiao Gaogao looked stunned, then she pressed her lips together and smiled sweetly.

It felt so good to be cared for and cherished!

Although she’d never lacked affection growing up, Yinxi’s concern felt uniquely special.

“I don’t need them for now!” Qiao Gaogao herself was a bit puzzled. “I feel like my abilities have improved significantly after this injury.”

“If I faced that zombie again now, I definitely wouldn’t be so helpless!”

This wasn’t a lie to comfort Yinxi. After being injured and falling unconscious, she’d felt her entire body burning up. Once she endured through it, she sensed her abilities had grown stronger and more substantial.

Yinxi kept her hands behind her back, clearly unconvinced.

“Senior, if you won’t do it yourself, be careful, I might just shove them into your mouth,” Qiao Gaogao said in a low, teasing tone when she saw Yinxi’s resistance.

“!”

Yinxi’s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Qiao Gaogao.

Qiao Gaogao toyed with the crystal cores and cast a sidelong glance at Yinxi.

If she weren’t injured and confined to bed, her teasing would’ve been even more effective.

Yinxi immediately looked wronged, fixing Qiao Gaogao with an accusatory gaze. Was it because Qiao Gaogao had already “had her” that she no longer cared?

Under her senior’s intense stare, Qiao Gaogao almost caved immediately. But reason prevailed, and she maintained a stern expression. This matter was serious she couldn’t indulge her senior’s whims any longer.

Seeing that Qiao Gaogao showed no sign of compromise, Yinxi felt even more aggrieved. She let out a heavy huff, turned on her heel, and headed for the door.

Qiao Gaogao was stunned. If she didn’t want to, she didn’t want to but why was she leaving?

“Senior!” Qiao Gaogao softened her voice, drawing out the word in a pleading tone.

The only response she received was the loud slam of the door.

Qiao Gaogao: “…”

Once outside the room, Yinxi was still fuming. Those crystal cores were something Qiao Gaogao had risked her life to obtain, how could she just give them away without a second thought? She should keep them herself to boost her own strength! That would be the best course of action.

Qi Miao, who had been waiting outside, noticed something off about Yinxi’s expression and scratched her head in confusion.

What’s going on?

“Grrr!” Yinxi growled at Qi Miao, then pointed toward the room’s door, signaling her to go inside.

Baffled, Qi Miao opened the door. When she saw Qiao Gaogao staring eagerly toward the entrance, she immediately rushed in, grabbed Qiao Gaogao’s hands, and tearfully exclaimed, “Gaogao, you scared me to death! I almost thought you were going to turn into a zombie too.”

Given the state Qiao Gaogao had been in, if she had turned into a zombie, she definitely wouldn’t have been as neat and intact as Yinxi. She would’ve ended up as just another ghastly member of the zombie horde!

And with Yinxi’s cleanliness obsession, Qi Miao had been afraid that Gaogao would be utterly despised if that happened.

Qiao Gaogao looked up at Qi Miao and let out a sorrowful sigh.

Why is there no one reliable around here?

–

Since it was already late at night, Qiao Gaogao didn’t want to burden her exhausted parents any further and told Qi Miao to wait until morning to inform them.

That night, Yinxi seemed to be avoiding Qiao Gaogao, stubbornly refusing to set foot in the room even once. Qiao Gaogao felt both annoyed and amused.

Why is she acting like I’m trying to poison her?

The next day, when Qiao’s parents came to see her and found her fully conscious, Qiao Muyi remained relatively composed, but Qiao’s father nearly burst into tears again. He held Qiao Gaogao’s hand and rambled on, insisting that she be more careful in the future and remember to run if she couldn’t win a fight.

Qiao Gaogao absentmindedly responded with a series of “uh-huhs,” her eyes constantly darting toward the door.

Qiao Muyi noticed her behavior and, after a quick glance around, understood what she was looking for. She stepped forward and ruffled Qiao Gaogao’s hair. “How did you manage to make little Yinxi angry right after waking up?”

Qiao Gaogao felt as if a huge accusation had been unfairly dumped on her head. She was utterly wronged.

“I didn’t do anything! I just wanted her to try out the crystal cores and see how effective they are for her.” Qiao Gaogao raised her hand to show the crystal cores in her palm.

Seeing the cores and considering what she knew about Yinxi, Qiao Muyi sighed softly and looked at her daughter with a mix of disappointment and frustration.

She took one of the crystal cores from Qiao Gaogao’s hand. “Watch your mom handle this.”

Qiao Gaogao was puzzled. Did her mother have some kind of plan?

Qiao Muyi didn’t explain. Seeing that Qiao Gaogao was awake and in stable condition, she felt reassured and left with the crystal core.

Not long after, Qiao Muyi returned and informed Qiao Gaogao that the matter had been resolved.

“Huh?!”

Shortly after, an oppressive aura familiar to everyone present emanated from outside the door. However, it lasted only for a moment before vanishing completely.

Qiao Gaogao ‘s eyes were filled with confusion.

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