The Zombie I Flirted With After Losing My Memory, Who Was Pretending to be an Alpha, Is Actually My Ex - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: They Are All Dead

Teng Xi walked into the adjacent building without a hitch. There were no guards at the entrance, only a few doctors moving in and out. They glanced at her and hurried away; no one stopped her.

Maintaining an outward calm, she pushed her wheelchair toward the elevators, ignoring the gazes of those around her. The wait for the elevator felt like a century. As the clanking sound echoed from the shaft, Teng Xi’s heart raced faster. She had never anticipated anything this much; she only wanted to see Xie Jinbing as soon as possible.

Stepping into the elevator, the doors slowly closed, revealing a striking red house logo pasted on the inside.

“Wait! Wait!” Just as the doors were closing, a hand blocked them. A pained “Ow!” followed, and the sensor triggered the doors to slide open again.

Behind the doors was a group of doctors pushing a cart laden with instruments and equipment Teng Xi didn’t recognize. She retreated into the corner with her wheelchair to make room for them. The space became cramped once everyone was inside, but the doctors kindly left her a small clearing.

“Which floor?”

The voice came from the direction of the control panel. Teng Xi realized she hadn’t had the chance to press a button before being crowded into the corner.

“Ninth floor, thank you.”

Teng Xi’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for everyone in the elevator to hear. Without exception, the doctors turned to stare at her.

“Ninth floor?” someone asked in confusion.

Teng Xi looked back, puzzled, only to hear another person say, “Then please give me your ID card. I don’t have authorization for the ninth floor.”

Teng Xi realized something was wrong. She frantically recalled Shi Yun’s movements in the elevator earlier, but no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t remember a “swipe card” step.

“Miss?” A doctor waved a hand in front of her eyes.

The elevator rose slowly and stopped at the third floor. Seeing they had reached their destination, the doctor asked again, “Miss, do you need us to help you press the button?” They began the difficult task of maneuvering the cart out.

“No, thank you. You go ahead, I can manage,” Teng Xi replied, looking up with a flawless smile.

The doctor in front of her frowned. Just as Teng Xi thought she was about to be caught, the doctor nodded and pointed to a button at the bottom of the panel: “This is the call bell. Press it if you need help.”

Once the doors closed, Teng Xi let out a breath. She moved to the panel and pressed “9.”

“Please swipe card. Please swipe card,” a mechanical voice intoned heartlessly.

Helpless, Teng Xi pulled her ID card from her pocket and touched it to the square protrusion at the bottom. A “beep” sounded. She pressed “9” again.

“Access denied!”

Teng Xi frowned and looked around, her eyes catching the security camera in the top corner of the car. She pressed “8.” This time, there was no mechanical voice, and the elevator began its ascent.

When the doors opened on the eighth floor, Teng Xi pushed herself out. There were few people here; everyone was in a hurry and showed zero interest in her. She slowly circled the floor, trying to find a service stairwell, but her brow furrowed deeper with every step.

First lap: no stairs. Second lap: found a descending staircase in an obscure corner. Third lap: she was certain she had searched everywhere, but there were no ascending stairs. It was as if the ninth floor didn’t exist physically from this level.

However, she did find someone unexpected.

Watching the person leaning against the triage desk, engrossed in documents, Teng Xi felt it was more accurate to say that person had found her.

“There are no upward stairs on this floor.” The person set down the documents and stated the fact calmly as Teng Xi approached.

“Is Doctor Shi just passing by, or are you so omnipotent that you caught me the moment I arrived to drag me back to my ward?” Teng Xi’s voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Shi Yun remained unfazed. “I came specifically for you,” she said bluntly. “You aren’t fully recovered yet; you shouldn’t be out this long.”

She reached out and pressed Teng Xi back into the wheelchair. Teng Xi didn’t struggle; she sat down and felt Shi Yun begin pushing her toward the elevator.

“You knew I was here a long time ago,” Teng Xi stated with absolute certainty as they waited. In this place, she was like a mouse that had wandered into private territory, being toyed with by the cat lord.

Shi Yun neither admitted nor denied it. She leaned toward Teng Xi’s ear and whispered, “There are cameras everywhere. How do you think I get to the ninth floor? Facial recognition, of course.”

The moist, hot breath hit Teng Xi’s ear. She dodged away with a scowl, putting distance between them. “I’m a married woman, Doctor Shi. Don’t get so close.”

At this, Shi Yun’s gaze shifted. She moved toward Teng Xi again. Teng Xi leaned her neck back to avoid her until Shi Yun gripped her carotid artery from behind. Teng Xi clearly felt a sharp needle tip pressed against her lifeblood. Danger screamed in her heart, awakening the beast trapped in her inner cage.

Two hostile gazes met in mid-air, sparking with fire.

At that moment, the elevator arrived. Shi Yun withdrew the needle, and the hatred in her eyes faded, though her voice remained icy: “It’s lucky you didn’t fully mark Doctor Xie. Otherwise, I would kill you and perform the surgery on her myself.”

The chilling tone would have terrified anyone, but Teng Xi acted as if she hadn’t heard. Her expression shifted rapidly until she wore a mask of extreme hypocrisy: “Is that so? But I don’t think you’ll get the chance.”

Shi Yun sneered and pushed Teng Xi into the elevator, saying with disgust, “Alpha pheromones really are stinky and foul.”

Teng Xi: … How deep is this woman’s hatred for Alphas? Or is it just for me?

Outside the building, Shi Yun didn’t take her back to the ward immediately. Despite her claims of wanting to kill Teng Xi, she pushed her toward the residential area without complaint.

The midday sun of early spring was strong, and the damp sea breeze made one drowsy. Outside the hospital were residential areas and markets; the three weren’t strictly separated. The shouts of vendors and the sounds of children playing reached Teng Xi. It was a peaceful scene, but she couldn’t feel happy, especially with Shi Yun—a woman who harbored deep enmity toward her—pushing the chair.

“Where are we going?” Teng Xi asked.

She didn’t expect an answer, but Shi Yun spoke: “To the seaside.”

The coastline was beautiful. The water shimmered like jewels carelessly tossed by God, undulating with the waves. Shi Yun pushed her to the end of the road and walked toward the beach on her own, seemingly certain Teng Xi would follow.

And Teng Xi did. She wanted to roll her eyes at Shi Yun’s back, but she needed this woman’s help on this strange island. Teng Xi sighed and stood up under the shocked gazes of bystanders, walking toward Shi Yun.

The waves crashed against the shore, bringing shells and sand. Teng Xi poked a passing crab with her foot, flipping it onto its back. “Why are we here? Don’t tell me you’re going to confess to me. I’m really not interested.”

Shi Yun: “Are all you Alphas this sentimental and conceited?”

“Not all.”

“?”

“I’m just particularly confident.”

“…”

After a long silence, Teng Xi—whose body was still recovering—felt tired of standing. “If there’s nothing else, I’m going back. I’m hungry.”

“There are cameras everywhere,” Shi Yun said out of the blue, making Teng Xi stop.

“This island is under constant surveillance. However, the coverage in this specific spot is far away; they can only see a blurry silhouette.”

Teng Xi’s heart skipped a beat. She glanced around and indeed saw a camera on a nearby pole. She walked back to Shi Yun. “What do you want from me? Fight zombies? Save people? Retrieve something like a mercenary?”

Shi Yun gave her a strange look. “What would I need you for? Though I hate to admit it, you are part of the Red House Psychiatric Hospital’s Emergency Response Team 3. As the head of this hospital, I am responsible for you. I don’t want you to die, so you’d better not cause trouble.”

“Is that why you saved me and Sister Xie?”

Shi Yun nodded, her gaze telling Teng Xi not to say anything stupid like “I’ve fallen for you.”

“And the outside world? We just hide here? What about Yao Zhi and the others who came with me?” For three days, Shi Yun hadn’t mentioned them, and Teng Xi hadn’t asked—not because she didn’t want to, but because she was afraid to.

“Dead.” Whether intentional or accidental, Shi Yun bypassed the first questions and spoke directly. Her voice was cold, as if she were talking about the day’s catch of fish.

“Dead?!” Teng Xi shouted, grabbing Shi Yun’s collar in a surge of rage.

“Yes, all three are dead. Why be angry over two filthy Alphas? It’s a pity about the Beta, though. She was given an overdose of anesthesia; without a zombie-like constitution like Doctor Xie’s, she simply couldn’t survive it.”

Teng Xi clenched her fist, trying to suppress her fury, but seeing Shi Yun’s calm, merciless face, she finally lost it and threw a punch.

The punch was heavy, knocking Shi Yun to the ground. Her curly hair veiled her face. She wiped the corner of her mouth and looked up at Teng Xi. Her lip was bleeding and her cheek was swelling, but she wasn’t angry. She was smiling—a hollow, mirthless smile.

Shi Yun: “What right do you have to be angry? Didn’t you kill my person first? Let me remind you: that boy you shot in the head was barely twenty. Do you know how many people he rescued from the zombies? He died before he could find his mother and sister because of you. He could have survived the apocalypse, but he died in a dark age because of your shot. Your two Alphas were tortured to death by his friends.”

Teng Xi stared in disbelief, but quickly retorted: “Lies! You lot shot first! Was I supposed to wait for you to put a knife to my throat?”

“And did we harm a single one of you? Did we scratch even a patch of skin? We only wanted to confirm if you were infected. Instead, you cut my man with a knife and killed that boy,” Shi Yun continued. Seeing Teng Xi’s resolve waver, she played her final card: “Does Doctor Xie know your hands are stained with the blood of the living?”

Xie Jinbing was the final pebble that crushed Teng Xi’s inner fortress. She recoiled half a step, looking broken.

“Someone like you doesn’t deserve to be with Doctor Xie. Or perhaps, you kill while she saves—truly a match made in heaven?” Shi Yun chuckled, her body trembling with the laugh.

Despite the warmth of the day, Teng Xi felt a sudden chill. Unable to withstand the eerie laughter, she turned and fled. The laughter followed her. She ran faster, eventually sprinting toward the hospital, leaving the wheelchair behind.

Watching Teng Xi’s panicked retreat, Shi Yun’s lips curled into a smirk. She murmured, “You don’t need friends, nor a lover. Only by being pushed to the brink of death can one truly be reborn.”

During lunch, the nurse grumbled about Teng Xi returning late but silenced herself upon seeing the woman’s grim face. As the nurse prepared to leave with the cart, Teng Xi stopped her.

“Do you know Doctor Xie? Xie Jinbing.”

In the afternoon, the little nurse came to Teng Xi’s room as promised after her shift ended. Aside from her sharp tongue and bad attitude, Shi Yun’s medical care for Teng Xi was excellent—a private room with 24-hour care.

The nurse sat by the bed and pulled several magazines from her bag. “This is Doctor Xie at nineteen, following her mentor on a project and accidentally discovering major scientific conclusions. This is Doctor Xie at twenty-one, publishing her thesis. This is Doctor Xie at twenty-five, graduating with her PhD…”

The pile confirmed the nurse was a die-hard fan.

“Is Doctor Xie that famous?”

“Duh,” the nurse rolled her eyes. “She’s beautiful and kind-hearted. She worked on this island for a year before; we spent every day together.” The nurse puffed out her chest proudly. “The first time she came to the island, she saved a patient on the boat who had been impaled by a steel bar during a storm. She had just graduated, but her technique was perfect. When we reached the island, there were better doctors available, but Doctor Qi let her perform the surgery. It was a success. She’s like a female lead in a novel with a ‘cheat code’—a young girl fresh out of school performing surgery of that level perfectly.”

“Because of that, Doctor Qi took her under her wing. A year later, for some reason, she was sent to the branch office, and we never saw her again.” The nurse looked down sadly but then remembered: “Wait, Doctor Xie has been working at the Red House Psychiatric Hospital since last year. You must have seen her.”

Teng Xi nodded slowly. “I have.”

“She’s wonderful, isn’t she? Like a reincarnation of the God of Medicine.”

The nurse talked more about Xie Jinbing’s countless heroic deeds and classic cases—how she had a heart for saving people, how she was a kind and innocent girl.

Teng Xi felt increasingly ashamed as she listened. Xie Jinbing was like the bright moon in the sky, cold and pure, lighting the way for travelers in the dark. Teng Xi was merely the dust in a swamp, stained with blood and filth.

No matter how much she disliked Shi Yun, she felt one thing she said was right: Teng Xi did not deserve Xie Jinbing.

Only Teng Xi knew that when she pulled the trigger in that room, it was a physical reflex—targeting the enemy’s lethal weakness without mercy so the bullet would pierce the skull. She knew Shi Yun had said those things at noon specifically to provoke her, but she still couldn’t control her emotions.

The nurse left, leaving Teng Xi alone by the window. The sky darkened. Night came late here. The salty sea breeze reached every inch of the island, and the chirping of insects was distracting. Her window faced the street; she could see people walking leisurely below. A scene of peace.

Night eventually fell, but humans are clever; they invented lights to dispel the darkness. Teng Xi followed the light out of the building. By the time she realized it, she was standing under the other building. She looked up vacantly. The glass was transparent, yet she couldn’t see through it. She couldn’t tell which window belonged to Xie Jinbing. It felt as though she shouldn’t even be here; everything was in vain.

Behind a window on the ninth floor, a tall woman slowly moved to the glass, resting her hands on the sill to support her weight.

“Jinbing, you should rest.” A voice came from behind, followed by the sound of a closing door.

For a moment, Xie Jinbing’s spine stiffened, but she quickly relaxed. She let out a sarcastic smile and spoke in a soft, melodic voice: “Then you should tell Shi Yun not to inject me with so much anesthesia next time.”