The Young Mistress Turned Into a Zombie - Chapter 8

So, zombies could dream of unscrupulous humans too.

“Wake up,” Shen Que said, gently patting Meng Lin’s cheek. “Take a shower before you go back to sleep.”

Meng Lin opened her eyes, wrapped in a blanket, feeling completely disoriented. For a moment, she didn’t even know where she was.

“Shen Que,” she tried to call out, but all that came out was a hoarse, guttural croak: “Guh…”

Shen Que’s pupils constricted, and she seemed to freeze for a second.

“…”

“—Hrr!” “Awooo!”

In that moment of hesitation, Meng Lin finally remembered what she was. Zombies had no consciousness, let alone the ability to speak. If she actually started talking, she’d be dissected like a mille-feuille cake in some lab!

The terrified zombie suddenly burst into a frenzy, flailing and howling.

Shen Que didn’t stop her, letting her thrash away.

As she struggled, Meng Lin caught a whiff of a foul stench.

The smell was like fermented dead rat soup, a stench so potent it struck her right in the gut.

Meng Lin was floored. She spun around, searching for the source.

While she slept, Shen Que had already cleaned the first floor. The tables and chairs were neatly arranged, and the counters were spotless, making it look like an ordinary cafe getting ready for business. Shen Que had even sprayed some floral cologne, which mingled with the scent of rain-washed fields.

What could possibly smell this bad?

Meng Lin searched from far to near, ruling out one spot after another. Finally, as she looked down, she found the source.

The blanket. Underneath it, the corpse… seemed to have rotted.

Aaaaah! Mud soup! Poop soup! She… Aaaaah!

The zombie clutched the blanket, her pupils shaking violently. She froze on the spot, her hip-hop performance cut short as she crashed.

“Done venting?” Shen Que tossed the blanket aside and calmly helped her up. “Come on. Let me help you wash up.”

****

This cafe had originally been a private residence. The interior had been renovated, but the layout remained largely unchanged, and the master bathroom on the second floor still had a shower. However, the running water had long since been cut off. Bottled water was too precious to waste, so Shen Que had collected several large buckets of rainwater from the courtyard to use for cleaning.

Meng Lin sat numbly on the toilet, letting Shen Que undress her.

I’m done. There’s no coming back from this.

Once a person fell into a cesspool, their life could never be the same. The same was true for zombies. She had once been a fastidious, germaphobic heiress to a wealthy family, but now she was just a corpse devoid of emotion.

Yes, just forget it. Forget everything.

Goodbye, mortal world. Goodbye, my purity.

Water mixed with shampoo was poured over Meng Lin’s long hair from a plastic dipper. “I couldn’t heat the water, so it’ll be a bit cold,” Shen Que said.

The shampoo was a common, mint-scented brand left behind in the bathroom. Shen Que’s fingers massaged Meng Lin’s scalp with a practiced, gentle touch.

In the past, Meng Lin used to constantly beg Shen Que to bathe her, always inventing new excuses. She’d claim she had a fever, was too drunk, had sprained her wrist, or suffered from back pain. She would find every possible way to cause trouble, and whenever she managed to make Shen Que angry, Meng Lin would feel immensely satisfied.

She always seemed to act like a spoiled brat around Shen Que, the kind of kid who was just asking to be spanked.

But Shen Que never indulged her. The woman was aloof, cold, and held grudges. Beneath her icy exterior, she was full of mischief. Since Meng Lin couldn’t openly rebel against her patron, she resorted to petty pranks. Over time, she grew even bolder, eventually dropping any pretense of subtlety.

“Does it hurt?” Shen Que asked, crouching down to apply body wash to Meng Lin’s leg.

Meng Lin’s calf was thin and bruised, with a clear misalignment in the middle of her left leg. The bone had broken and healed crookedly, leaving it permanently deformed.

Ah, no wonder Shen Que just carried me up the stairs earlier, Meng Lin thought. It wasn’t just to show off her muscles.

Had she known all along?

For zombies, losing an arm or a leg was common. After all, they were relentless when they chased people, completely forgetting their own lives in the process.

“When did you get injured?” Shen Que’s voice was low and husky.

Meng Lin jumped, only to realize Shen Que was talking to herself.

“The wound shows no signs of healing,” she murmured after a moment. “It happened… after you.”

She paused, then added softly, “It’s a good thing you’re so afraid of pain.”

Dusk fell again outside. The sunset was fading, and the bathroom was dim. Meng Lin kept her head down as the water trickled.

Her face twisted, and her body involuntarily twitched. Stop rubbing! I’m gonna die of itchiness!

She couldn’t feel pain, but that didn’t mean she lacked sensation.

“Don’t move,” Shen Que said, looking up and pinning down Meng Lin’s thrashing hand. “I’ll be gentle. I’m almost done washing you.”

It’s only because you’re being gentle that it’s so itchy! The zombie wanted to kick her, but she couldn’t speak.

Shen Que held her ankle and washed her carefully. Murky water flowed over the tiles, streaks of blood mixing with the soap suds as they drained away.

“All done. I’ll change your clothes in a moment. Just wait for me, it’ll be quick.”

Shen Que wouldn’t let her leave. She quickly stripped off her own clothes and took a brief, efficient shower with the remaining water.

Meng Lin had never hidden her desire for Shen Que’s body. In the past, she had tried every trick to see it, while Shen Que had done everything she could to hide. Shen Que was tall and slender, with proportions that were rare even among Asians. After three years, her figure had become even better, though it was now covered in more scars.

The dim light enhanced the zombie’s vision, allowing her to stare openly and without restraint.

Then, she silently turned her head away.

Looks like Shen Que hasn’t been doing too well these past three years either, she thought. Serves her right!

People who ghost their partners and break up on a cliff never end up happy. Hmph.

“These clothes are all old. Wear mine for now,” Shen Que said, helping Meng Lin into her spare camouflage uniform. “We’ll find you something new later.”

She had taken the clothes out of a separate compartment in her backpack, wrapped in a waterproof bag. They smelled faintly of soap. Shen Que herself had just thrown on a random set from the staff changing room.

Meng Lin looked at herself in the mirror. The grass-green camouflage that looked so heroic on Shen Que made her look like a child playing dress-up. It was ugly and didn’t fit right. The zombie’s small face fell. But then she looked at what Shen Que was wearing a T-shirt and jeans left behind by some unknown employee, and felt a wave of relief. Not only was it tacky, but it also reeked of old mildew.

After she finished bathing, Shen Que carried her back down to the first floor and cleaned the sofa she had slept on.

Freshly bathed, the zombie curled up lazily in the single chair by the window. Shen Que seemed like a Snail Girl with infinite stamina.

People who are this good at enduring hardship will just be given more hardship to endure, the Eldest Young Lady silently commented.

Her hair was still damp, draping over the back of the chair. Shen Que cracked open the window a sliver to let the breeze in.

Outside, the wind howled, and the trees by the fields rustled. The air carried that earthy scent unique to rainy days, and the damp pressure made it easy to drift off. The zombie was no exception. Meng Lin’s eyes fluttered as she dozed off.

Clink.

The sound jolted her awake.

A bone china cup on a saucer now sat before her. A sweet aroma wafted from the liquid, making it seem like the honey-sweetened tea she had ordered. But it was clearly not tea. Tea wouldn’t be this thick or this dark.

Meng Lin swallowed hard and looked up. Shen Que’s figure was merged with the shadows. Behind her, the glass window reflected a fierce rainstorm. Muffled thunder rumbled over the distant mountain peaks, and a flash of lightning illuminated Shen Que’s dark, intense eyes.

“You must be hungry,” she said softly, her tone coaxing. “Eat something.”

Damn it, why is Shen Que acting like a ghost? Meng Lin thought, terrified.

Seeing her frozen and shrinking back, Shen Que’s handsome brows furrowed. She sighed and sat down beside her, pushing the cup closer. “How are you still such a picky eater, even as a zombie?”

“The Research Institute’s report says the main energy source for zombies is fresh human blood. Drinking it will benefit your health, so stop being stubborn.”

Aaaah, help! Could she stop talking like she was just trying to get me to eat a few more bites of green peppers?

Meng Lin knew exactly how good that blood was. The sweet aroma was practically pulling her soul out of her body. It was like putting a full-sugar bubble tea in front of someone who had been on a three-year carb-free diet! Why did Shen Que have to test her like this?

But I can’t drink it. I absolutely cannot drink it!

She didn’t know why she had kept her human consciousness, nor did she know how far the Research Institute had gotten with their zombie studies. But she was certain of one thing: biting people was an addiction. If she drank that blood, she would probably become just like all the other zombies before she knew it. She had finally won her freedom and hadn’t even enjoyed it for two days yet. She couldn’t let all her efforts go to waste now.

Seeing that Shen Que was still trying to sell her on the idea of drinking her blood, Meng Lin kicked the table over in desperation.

Crash!

Porcelain shards flew everywhere, and the blood splattered across the floor.

Meng Lin scrambled behind the bar, leaning against the wall and keeping a wary eye on her.

She made a silent vow: if Shen Que tried to force her again, she would fight her with the espresso machine!

Fortunately, Shen Que just sat there, staring at the floor in silence for a long time.

After a while, she stood up and quietly cleaned up the mess. She threw the blood-stained rag into a trash bag, tied it shut, and carried it in her hand.

Closing the window and opening the door, she said softly, “Get some rest. I’ll wait outside.”

The front door shut, followed by the sound of the lock turning.

Meng Lin peeked from behind the bar, cautiously observing. Shen Que was gone, but not far. She must be right outside the door.

Meng Lin dragged her feet, pacing around the cafe twice, her mood sour.

Shen Que wasn’t normal. She was clearly a little crazy. Meng Lin wondered what she had gone through over the last three years. She was unlike anyone Meng Lin had ever met. She had her own way of doing things and a clear goal. All the wealth and luxury in the world hadn’t corrupted her; she was just incredibly stubborn.

She was the type to keep hitting a brick wall until it gave way. In fact, she had probably hit it so many times that she’d knocked her own brain loose.

The lingering scent of blood in the air only made Meng Lin more frustrated.

Meng Lin used to think she knew Shen Que well. After all, they’d been together for three whole years. Whether she’d clung to Shen Que or thrown money at her, it was still three solid years. Shen Que had gone from being impatient at first to eventually getting along with her, just like any other couple. At least, that’s how Meng Lin saw it. They held hands, ate together, and chatted. Sometimes, Shen Que would even wear that kind of expression.

The kind of expression you’d have while sitting on the riverbank steps at sunset, with the person you love by your side.

Until she suddenly vanished, leaving behind nothing but a bank card and not a single word.

For a long time, Meng Lin hated her so much it made her teeth ache. In fact, during her first year as a zombie, she’d survived purely on the obsession of finding Shen Que and demanding to know why she’d run away.

She had never wronged her.

Sure, she’d been a handful. She’d been a little dramatic, a little difficult, and a little passive-aggressive. But didn’t the internet always say that “money is hard to earn and shit is hard to eat”? She’d done her research. Thirty thousand a month was way more than Shen Que could earn working a regular job. It allowed her to focus on her studies, help her family, and still save some money.

At first, she had really just wanted to pass the time and play around. But later… at least regarding that one question, she had been serious.

She knew Shen Que was proud. She knew how awful it felt to have your choices controlled. She just wanted to know if Shen Que planned to stay in this city after graduation or leave. No matter which city or country she chose, whether she continued her studies or started working, Meng Lin could have gone with her.

She just wanted to tell Shen Que that in the future she imagined, Shen Que was there.

But Shen Que clearly didn’t feel the same way.

She probably really hates me…

Fortunately, time could smooth over a lot. The current Meng Lin no longer cared to dwell on it. After all, she could never beat Shen Que in a fight anyway, haha.

The wind howled outside. The zombie tilted her head and looked out the window.

The rain fell harder, and the wind blew fiercer, feeling more like a typhoon.

To maintain its old-fashioned charm, the cafe still used the same old-style casement windows. Meng Lin tried to pry them open a few times. The handles made a harsh, grinding noise. The zombie looked completely confused. She tried several more windows, only to find they were all broken and impossible to open.

Meng Lin froze.

How did Shen Que open them?

Wait, was she being held prisoner now?

A cafe for hiding a mistress?

A cafe… of tears?!

Meng Lin finally realized the truth and ground her teeth in fury. Shen Que had never meant well. She wasn’t guarding the door; she was acting as a jailer. She was just waiting for those people from the Research Institute to arrive and take Meng Lin away for dissection.

And feeding her blood? That had to be some new experiment.

Meng Lin had even been touched by how patiently the woman had bathed her. It turned out she was just cleaning the pig before sending it to slaughter!

As she seethed with anger, a dark shadow flashed past the window.

Meng Lin’s eyes widened as a pink paw slapped against the glass.

Hulu!

The black cat stood outside, its long tail swaying, the tip still damp. Meng Lin had no idea how it had followed her all this way. The cat looked more presentable than she did, clean and sleek, as if it hadn’t gone hungry at all.

I guess… my rebellious child still loves me after all.

The wind howled and rain lashed the window. Meng Lin steeled her resolve, her gaze turning fierce.

I have to run. I have to escape tonight!

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