The Abused Heroine Stops Pretending [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 72

Behind the grove was the school’s third cafeteria, and past the cafeteria lay the back gate of the campus.

At this hour, the cafeteria was empty, which worked in Tang Jing’s favor as she moved with her two companions.

“Ah Jing.” Zhou Tiantian, delicate and frail, rarely exercised even under normal circumstances. Now, she was panting heavily, her steps slowing down.

Tang Jing had no choice but to stop and turn back.

“Let’s help her,” Xu Yushu suggested, stepping forward.

Zhou Tiantian instinctively shied away from Xu Yushu, leaning closer to Tang Jing instead. Xu Yushu halted mid-step.

Tang Jing noticed the tension between them and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Xu Yushu shook her head with a smile. “Never mind. I’m too exhausted to help anyway. I’ll scout ahead for you.”

Tang Jing didn’t dwell on it and nodded. “Alright.”

A flicker of guilt passed through Zhou Tiantian’s eyes. She wanted to say something but, after glancing at Xu Yushu’s retreating figure, swallowed her words. Her gaze then fell on the senior’s arm, wrapped in a bedsheet, and she bit her lip.

Leaning closer to Tang Jing, Zhou Tiantian whispered, “Ah Jing, do you think everyone who gets scratched or bitten by those monsters will?” As she spoke, her eyes darted toward the senior walking ahead.

After all, the senior had been injured saving her. If the senior really turned into one of those things.

The thought filled Zhou Tiantian with overwhelming guilt. But if the senior did become a monster, those closest to her would be in the greatest danger.

Tang Jing, who knew the original plot, was well aware of the risks. Regardless of whether the senior turned into a zombie or not, she wouldn’t abandon her not just because she was her beloved senior, but because she couldn’t bear the thought of what would happen next.

Her heart ached at the thought of the senior’s impending fate, and she kept a close watch on the system prompts, ready to intervene the moment the side plot triggered to alter the outcome.

“Don’t be afraid. No matter what, the senior saved you. She’s our savior,” Tang Jing reassured her.

Zhou Tiantian nodded. “Mm.”

By the time the three of them reached the back gate, a crowd had already gathered, survivors who had fled from the dormitories.

These people hadn’t headed for the rescue team at the sports field, likely realizing it was impossible to reach, and had instead sought another way out.

They were trying to force the gate open when they spotted Tang Jing’s group approaching. Immediately, they tensed up, only relaxing when they confirmed the newcomers were human.

“Anyone injured?” a tall guy at the front asked with a frown.

Zhou Tiantian opened her mouth to answer, but Tang Jing subtly tugged at her sleeve. She knew all too well how blunt her girlfriend could be honest to a fault, often offending people without meaning to.

While many admired her sincerity, just as many disliked her tendency to speak without filter.

Whenever Zhou Tiantian was with Lou Jing, the latter would rein her in. But without Lou Jing around, her words often ran unchecked.

These weren’t peaceful times anymore. Every word had to be weighed carefully, what to say and what not to say lest a careless remark invite disaster.

“No,” Tang Jing answered firmly, shielding Zhou Tiantian and the senior behind her while maintaining a safe distance from the group.

In situations like this, there was no telling what desperate measures people might take.

“Brother Chen, it’s open!” a guy by the gate exclaimed excitedly.

Brother Chen glanced at Tang Jing and the others. Tang Jing immediately said, “We won’t be leaving with you.”

Brother Chen nodded without another word and left with his group.

Tang Jing was wary of them, and they, in turn, were cautious of the unfamiliar trio. In the current circumstances, this was for the best.

Once they had all left, Tang Jing led Zhou Tiantian and Xu Yushu out as well.

“Ah!” Xu Yushu, walking behind, suddenly gasped sharply, clutching her right arm tightly. She swayed unsteadily, on the verge of collapsing.

“Careful!” Tang Jing noticed and quickly turned to catch her. “Senior, what’s wrong?”

The back gate was illuminated by streetlights, allowing Zhou Tiantian to see Xu Yushu’s face clearly especially her eyes. Trembling, she pointed and stammered, “Ajing, her eyes, her eyes.”

Zhou Tiantian was terrified, so much so that she wanted to bolt. But Ajing was still there, and she had no idea where to run alone. Besides, the senior had gotten into this state while saving her. She hesitated, torn between fear and guilt.

“Senior?” Tang Jing also noticed the change in Xu Yushu’s eyes, they were growing paler, gradually shifting toward a cold, whitish hue, identical to the color of the zombies’ eyes. At the same time, a thin black line began creeping up from Xu Yushu’s neck toward her face.

“Junior, maybe I should.” Xu Yushu could feel her body changing, her vision blurring as if thick fog had rolled in. Yet, the figures of her junior and Zhou Tiantian stood out vividly in red amidst the haze, a sight that made her want to take a bite.

The thought horrified her. She jerked away from Tang Jing’s embrace, stumbling backward in her haste and colliding with the wall. Her fingers scraped unconsciously against the surface, peeling off a layer of plaster.

Seeing her nails turn black, Xu Yushu panicked. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to hide her grotesque hand behind her back. But the strange sensation on her neck made her reach up to touch it.

“Don’t move.” Tang Jing grabbed her wrist, her expression grave. After scanning their surroundings, she said firmly, “Let’s go!”

“Ajing, where are we going?” Zhou Tiantian hurried after her.

“Don’t speak.” Tang Jing remained vigilant, her eyes darting around.

Though their school was located in the suburbs with few nearby residents, there was no telling whether zombies lurked in the darkness. If their voices drew attention, they’d be in serious trouble.

Across from the school was a rural homestay. The owner usually took his wife and children home at night, leaving the place empty. The original host, Lou Jing, had visited many times sometimes with Zhou Tiantian, other times with Xu Yushu so she was familiar with the layout.

This was no time to worry about rules. Tang Jing picked the lock and ushered Xu Yushu and Zhou Tiantian inside, instructing Zhou Tiantian to close the door behind them.

“Junior, let me go.” Xu Yushu’s consciousness was slipping. She could turn into a zombie at any moment, and the thought of biting her junior without realizing it made her heart ache so much she could barely breathe.

Tang Jing didn’t respond. With a grim expression, she searched the room until she found a length of rope and dragged a chair from the corner. Without hesitation, she forced Xu Yushu to sit and tied her securely to the chair.

Throughout this, Xu Yushu didn’t resist at all. Instead, she obediently let herself be tied up, her gaze following Tang Jing the entire time even though she could no longer see clearly, even if all she could make out was a blurry red silhouette.

Her consciousness slowly faded. Just before it dissipated completely, as Tang Jing leaned in to tie the rope behind her back, her ear happened to brush against Xu Yushu’s lips. In a whisper, Xu Yushu murmured, “Xiao Jing, I like you.”

Tang Jing froze, pulling back slightly. But by the time she looked at Xu Yushu’s face, her senior’s eyes had already turned a cold, lifeless white, with black tendrils creeping across her pale skin, creating an eerie yet haunting beauty. As Tang Jing stared at those dark veins, Xu Yushu suddenly lunged to bite her.

Tang Jing jerked backward, narrowly avoiding the attack.

A low growl rumbled from Xu Yushu’s throat as she struggled against the ropes binding her, thrashing helplessly in frustration. Strangely enough, there was a hint of grievance in her muffled snarls.

“Ajing, Senior is.” Zhou Tiantian, who had just finished securing the door, nearly screamed at the sight. She clapped a hand over her mouth in terror, standing frozen several meters away, too afraid to come closer.

“Go keep watch by the door. Make sure no one comes near,” Tang Jing instructed.

“O-okay.” Zhou Tiantian was more than eager to leave, the sight of their senior turned into a zombie was too horrifying.

Now alone with Xu Yushu, Tang Jing gently stroked her head and whispered, “Be good.”

The system was about to issue a warning when Tang Jing calmly reasoned, “No one saw. It doesn’t count as OOC.”

Before Xu Yushu had fully turned, Tang Jing had noticed a modifiable “branch trigger” in the system. But before she could alter it, the option vanished.

The system’s response was: This branch trigger has been deactivated.

That alone told Tang Jing who had deactivated it and instantly clarified her mentor’s intentions.

Once her senior became a zombie, she lost all consciousness. That meant Tang Jing could act as out-of-character as she wanted without breaking any rules. So when the system alarm sounded, she remained completely unfazed.

The system: “…”

Thanks to her mentor’s guidance, Tang Jing had already figured out the system’s bugs. She began to look forward to the upcoming plot and the worlds that lay ahead.

That night, the three of them stayed at the farmhouse. Around midnight, footsteps echoed outside. Peering out, Tang Jing spotted a lone zombie wandering aimlessly.

It was too dark to act, so she waited until dawn to deal with it.

By eight in the morning, a dreary drizzle hung over the area.

The road outside was teeming with zombies, all of them having spilled out from the school.

Zhou Tiantian cowered by the door, tears streaming down her face. “Ajing, what do we do? We can’t escape.”

“Mmm… mmm…” Xu Yushu, still bound to the chair with tape over her mouth, writhed in agitation.

Seeing their senior like this only made Zhou Tiantian cry harder.

But Tang Jing was busy studying the terrain and zombie distribution through the door crack, her brow furrowed in thought. “We can’t stay here long. We need to leave soon.”

It wasn’t just a matter of supplies, the zombie virus outbreak was still in its early stages. The zombies were low-level, and their threat was manageable for now.

But as time passed, stronger ones would emerge.

Just as mentioned in the system-provided plot, Senior Xu Yushu would later become a Zombie King capable of controlling over a hundred thousand zombies, and there were likely even higher levels above the Zombie King.

If they didn’t hurry to the human base and instead scattered in the wilderness, they would be easy targets for zombie attacks. Forget about resting, they’d have to live in constant fear every moment.

“Leave?” Zhou Tiantian was terrified at the thought. The farmhouse had been relatively safe, and who knew what dangers awaited them outside. Hesitantly, she said, “Ajing, maybe we should just stay here.”

“No,” Tang Jing replied. “Right now, the zombies are few and slow-moving. We need to leave before they evolve.”

“Evolve?” Zhou Tiantian had never heard of such a thing and asked in confusion, “Ajing, how do you know the zombies will evolve?”

“Just a guess,” Tang Jing said, unable to admit she’d learned it from the system.

“Oh.” The naive Zhou Tiantian believed her. Wiping her tears, she asked, “Do we really have to leave? Can’t we wait a couple more days?”

She still hadn’t recovered from the horrors of the previous night, let alone the sight of their senior tied to a chair. Hesitating, she asked, “Ajing, are we taking Senior with us?”

Tang Jing nodded. “Senior saved your life, and now she’s saved mine too. Besides, she was always kind to me before. We can’t abandon her.”

“Oh, okay.” Zhou Tiantian nodded, then stole a glance in Senior’s direction. The moment she met those cold, pale pupils, she shuddered and quickly looked away.

“Let’s go. Pack up and leave while it’s still daylight.”

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