She’s Fiercer Than Zombies - Chapter 38

The question caught Tang Jiu slightly off guard, especially with such a gossipy expression, it hardly seemed like an innocent inquiry.

She remained silent for a long moment before murmuring softly, “We grew up together.”

“The reason she treats me so well is merely out of gratitude.”

“Gratitude?” Qiao Gaogao and Yinxi exchanged glances, not quite understanding what she meant.

Stirring the porridge in the pot, Tang Jiu looked at them and, after a moment’s thought, decided to tell the truth. “Her family had some issues, so she’s been living with my family since she was little.”

With that explanation, they understood was it about repaying the kindness of being taken in?

Both Qiao Gaogao and Yinxi felt a little disappointed. They wondered if they were reading too much into it, but there seemed to be a strange dynamic between Tang Jiu and her seemingly close yet distant, a complicated feeling overall.

Yinxi finished the porridge in her bowl and ate a lobster before shaking her head to indicate she didn’t want any more.

Watching Yinxi eat, Tang Jiu was momentarily stunned. Forgive her limited experience, but she had never seen a zombie consume normal food.

However, she soon lost the energy to dwell on it. Seeing that the porridge was ready, she bid farewell to Yinxi and the others, picked up the pot, and went upstairs to find Song Qingxu.

Qiao Gaogao watched her retreating figure and said to Yinxi, “Will she never develop any abilities?”

Logically speaking, it had been so long those with abilities should have awakened them by now. If she hadn’t awakened any by this point, it was likely she never would.

Yinxi shook her head, indicating she didn’t know either. After all, who could be sure about such things?

Meanwhile, Tang Jiu carried the pot back to the room and found Song Qingxu meditating with her eyes closed. “Have something to eat before you rest,” she said.

Song Qingxu opened her eyes, and as the aroma wafted through the air, her stomach rumbled, causing her to flush with slight embarrassment.

Tang Jiu clearly heard the sound. Her tense expression softened slightly, and a faint smile touched her lips as she helped Song Qingxu sit up against the headboard. She ladled a bowl of porridge and prepared to feed her.

Looking at Tang Jiu’s thin face, Song Qingxu felt a pang of guilt, thinking she hadn’t taken good enough care of Tang Jiu, allowing such a vibrant and spirited person to be weighed down by hardship.

“I can manage on my own.”

“Don’t move. You’ve just started to recover, don’t strain your wounds.”

The aroma made Tang Jiu’s stomach growl as well, but she insisted on feeding Song Qingxu first.

Since she planned to find more nutritious food for Song Qingxu later, neither of them had touched the supplies given by Qiao Gaogao and the others, saving the preserved items for future use.

Song Qingxu silently ate the seafood porridge Tang Jiu fed her. The taste wasn’t great, but it was palatable. Seeing there was still plenty left in the pot, she didn’t hold back and drank three bowls, her complexion noticeably improving afterward.

Only after Song Qingxu had finished eating did Tang Jiu start on the leftovers, swallowing large mouthfuls. Both of them had gone without food for a long time, and on such a cold day, the warmth of the porridge stirred an almost overwhelming urge to cry.

Song Qingxu watched her silently eating the porridge, a faint trace of heartache flickering in his eyes. Before the apocalypse, she would never have touched such unpalatable food, yet now she could eat it without even a change in expression.

“Was the rice also given by Miss Qiao and the others?”

“Yes, and these seafood items were gathered by me following them to the beach,” Tang Jiu replied. Without them clearing the way, reaching the beach would have been an extremely difficult task given her circumstances.

“Alright, once my injuries heal, I’ll go out to find supplies and repay them,” Song Qingxu said.

Tang Jiu frowned slightly. “I’ll go with you.”

Song Qingxu paused, his gaze lingering on Tang Jiu for a long moment before he softly agreed, “Okay.”

Looking back now, he realized that during the entire time he was injured, it was Tang Jiu who had been taking care of him. She had managed to survive in this apocalyptic world while carrying someone as severely wounded as him, and for so long at that. The hardships she must have endured were beyond words.

Sometimes, even Song Qingxu himself wondered how she had managed to keep them both alive, especially during the period when he was unconscious.

Qiao Gaogao packed the pots, pans, and utensils, pretending to stuff them into her backpack before stretching lazily. She turned to Yinxi and asked, “Senior, where would you like to go next?”

Since the two had decided to stay here for a while, they didn’t want to spend all day cooped up indoors.

“Roar, roar!”

Yinxi pointed toward the sea. Earlier, they had been too focused on gathering seafood to properly enjoy the ocean view.

Seeing Yinxi’s excitement, Qiao Gaogao nodded enthusiastically. Even though the cold wind stung their cheeks, if her senior wanted to go, how could she refuse?

The two made their way to the seaside. The sun had finally broken through the clouds, casting a warm glow that gilded the ocean with a golden edge. The seawater shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight.

It all seemed like an ordinary winter scene, but who could have imagined that this winter had abruptly descended after temperatures plummeted from over 30 degrees Celsius?

This sudden environmental shift had caught many off guard, and no one knew how many would perish as a result.

Qiao Gaogao and Yinxi were also worried about whether their parents were dressed warmly enough and whether the people in the base had sufficient cold-weather supplies.

But despite their concerns, they had no way of returning to check. They could only bury their worries deep inside and carry on as if nothing was wrong.

The two strolled slowly along the shoreline. If one ignored the dilapidated buildings around them, it almost felt like a leisurely pre-apocalypse walk.

“Senior, your birthday is coming up soon. What kind of gift would you like?” Qiao Gaogao asked cheerfully, walking beside Yinxi with her hands clasped behind her back.

Yinxi thought for a moment and replied, “Roar, roar!”

Hearing this, Qiao Gaogao immediately grew troubled. What would her senior want as a gift? She had to figure it out herself.

Yinxi hummed lightly, paying no mind to her distress. She quickened her pace and gazed out at the horizon, a new idea forming in her mind.

Nowadays, compared to land, the sea was probably the least dangerous place, right? After all, without guidance, zombies wouldn’t venture into the ocean. Would the authorities be out at sea?

But with so many people, how many ships would be needed to accommodate everyone?

Yinxi shared her thoughts with Gaogao, but upon hearing her words, Qiao Gaogao’s expression turned serious.

It was true they had always focused their search on land, completely overlooking the sea.

It wasn’t impossible for them to have gone out to sea.

Thinking this, Qiao Gaogao grew even more troubled. The ocean was so vast, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack! It seemed even more challenging than searching on land.

Clearly, Yinxi had realized this too and couldn’t help but feel disheartened. She leaned against the railing, gazing at the distant sea, feeling frustrated.

Qiao Gaogao took a deep breath. “If they really are at sea, it’s beyond our ability to find them.”

Not only did they not know how to sail a boat, but even if they found someone who did, which sea route would they take? What if they got lost at sea?

It was difficult, more difficult than clearing all the zombies in Haicheng right now.

Yinxi lowered her gaze slightly, lost in thought about where her parents might be. Were they really with the people from Taian Biotech?

Judging by the state of their home, it seemed they had left voluntarily. If they truly wanted to hide, finding them would be incredibly difficult.

“Why is this so hard!” Qiao Gaogao wailed. She no longer thought learning a foreign language before the apocalypse was difficult!

Hearing her lament, Yinxi suddenly burst out laughing.

Qiao Gaogao shot her a resentful look. Why was she laughing all of a sudden?

Yinxi felt much more relaxed. Since there was nothing she could change at the moment, she didn’t want to waste too much energy worrying. Still, seeing Gaogao’s aggrieved expression was undeniably amusing.

The two continued their stroll, and when they found nothing else worth seeing, they made their way back to the hotel. As soon as they returned, they saw Tang Jiu running up and down the stairs with rigid movements, leaving them stunned.

“What are you?” Qiao Gaogao asked hesitantly. At a time like this, was she still trying to lose weight?

What was there to lose? She was already skin and bones!

Seeing them, Tang Jiu slowed her pace and explained, “I’m training my physical fitness.”

Even without any special abilities, she wanted to make herself as strong as possible, so as not to become a burden to Song Qingxu.

Hearing this, Qiao Gaogao thought for a moment. Since she and Yinxi would be staying here for a while, she said, “My family runs a martial arts school. Would you like me to teach you some self-defense moves?”

Tang Jiu paused. “Really?”

“Of course. We can start right away.” Qiao Gaogao scratched her cheek. Although she hadn’t taught much before, since she knew the moves, she should be able to teach them, right?

“Okay! Thank you!” Tang Jiu expressed her gratitude sincerely and followed Qiao Gaogao to the rooftop of the hotel, where a large open space was perfect for their practice.

While Qiao Gaogao and Tang Jiu trained, Yinxi sat to the side, leisurely sipping a blood bag as she watched them. She looked so relaxed she might as well have been swinging her legs.

The moment Tang Jiu saw Yinxi drinking blood, only one thought crossed her mind:

Finally, she seemed a bit more like a zombie.

Completely unaware of what Tang Jiu was thinking, Yinxi suddenly felt a strange sensation as she finished the blood bag.

It was as if something was about to be restored.

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