The Zombie I Flirted With After Losing My Memory, Who Was Pretending to be an Alpha, Is Actually My Ex - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: I’m Sorry

Silence hung behind her for a long while before a helpless sigh drifted through the room: “Jinbing…”

Xie Jinbing turned around, her gaze meeting the other woman’s directly. “Is there something you need, Dean Qi, coming here so late?”

Facing Xie Jinbing’s somewhat cold attitude, Qi Yin did not get angry. Instead, she spoke in a soft, gentle voice, “I heard you woke up. I wanted to see how your body is doing.”

“Thanks to you, I’m not dead yet.” Xie Jinbing quirked the corner of her mouth into a strained smile. No one would have a pleasant expression after being injected with an overdose of anesthesia.

Qi Yin let out a bitter laugh but offered no further explanation. Her demeanor toward Xie Jinbing remained tender. “It’s too late today. Tomorrow morning, I’ll have someone take you for a comprehensive check-up, and then…”

“Where is the person who came with me?” Xie Jinbing interrupted her directly, her tone forceful.

She was no longer the little girl fresh out of school from two years ago. Having spent two years at the Red House—especially an entire year by Qi Yin’s side—she knew Qi Yin’s temperament well. Qi Yin was adept at projecting kindness to lower people’s psychological defenses, except when it came to Alphas. To be precise, she disdained even showing a pleasant face to Alphas; her “misandry/anti-Alpha” sentiments were even more deep-seated than Shi Yun’s.

And for Teng Xi, who was an Alpha, it would be difficult to even get Qi Yin to look at her properly.

As expected, upon hearing that name, Qi Yin’s face darkened visibly. “Teng Xi?”

“Where is she?” Xie Jinbing emphasized her words, supporting herself against the wall to take a step toward her.

“Not dead.”

Hearing this, Xie Jinbing finally relaxed completely. Although Qi Yin was hypocritical, she had never lied to her.

“Where is she now?”

“You care that much about that Alpha?” Qi Yin was truly beginning to feel angry, struggling to suppress the irritation in her heart.

“She is my partner,” Xie Jinbing said, enunciating every word.

Qi Yin’s thin lips pressed into a tight line, her brows knitting together. “You haven’t been fully marked!”

“…” Xie Jinbing fell silent. It was true; Teng Xi had never fully marked her. Whether legally or factually, the two had not yet reached the status of a “partner” relationship.

Seeing that Xie Jinbing didn’t refute her, and that her expression had turned sour, Qi Yin laughed out of sheer anger. “She’s unwilling?! What right does a filthy Alpha like her have to be unwilling?”

Meanwhile, the “unqualified” Alpha, Teng Xi, was still standing below the building. Her neck was sore from looking up for so long. She didn’t know how much time had passed—long enough for the people walking around to thin out, for the shops to close their doors, and for the moon to reach its zenith—before she finally moved.

Enveloped in sorrow, she took one last look at the ninth floor before slowly walking back to her ward.

The next day, their fourth day on the island, the little nurse told her she should walk around more to help her bodily functions recover faster. Teng Xi responded absentmindedly, not forgetting to ask about her future arrangements.

“I’m not sure, but since you’re one of Doctor Shi’s people, she should be the one arranging things for you,” the nurse reminded her before leaving. “You can enjoy the scenery on the island, but whatever you do, don’t go to the lighthouse. Even if you go, you won’t get in, and if the hospital finds out, you’ll be expelled from the island.”

But Teng Xi’s attention was not on the island’s sights. She didn’t care what was on this island or where was off-limits; her mind was completely filled with Xie Jinbing.

That day, she stayed in bed for the entire day, returning to the state she was in when she first opened her eyes—staring at the ceiling while two little versions of herself fought in her head. One shouted that she was a monster who didn’t deserve Xie Jinbing; the other tempted her to go find Xie Jinbing, pull her into her arms, and merge her into her very soul.

On the fifth day, she was still lying in bed with a conflicted expression until the rounding nurse couldn’t stand it anymore. The nurse forcibly pulled her up and pushed her out of the hospital building.

Teng Xi walked aimlessly across the island, yet she couldn’t muster any interest in the novelties around her. She was like a walking corpse without a soul. She walked through every street and alley, under the coconut groves and over the steaming asphalt roads, stepping onto the beaches and into the cool sea. Every scene here was exceptionally romantic, which only made Teng Xi, walking alone, appear more solitary.

As she walked, she even began to hallucinate, seeing everyone as Xie Jinbing. Frustrated, she left the busy area and headed toward the beach, where the surrounding noise faded, granting her a moment of peace.

Unknowingly, she reached the stretch of beach where Shi Yun had brought her—the place where the surveillance was unclear. Teng Xi walked slowly onto the sand, emptying her mind in an attempt to let that person leave her thoughts. Her eyes drifted across the beach, where four people were standing.

To be precise, one was standing, one was in a wheelchair, and two others stood far away from them. The person in the wheelchair looked more familiar the longer she looked.

Teng Xi frowned, thinking she was truly suffering from a sickness of longing, seeing Sister Xie’s silhouette everywhere. But when that figure turned her head slightly, Teng Xi froze in her tracks.

The sound of surging waves was in her ears, the hot sun was overhead, and a passing crab scurried by her feet, but her eyes held only one person—Xie Jinbing.

The two people, one standing and one sitting, seemed to have been there for a long time. Xie Jinbing looked up with a very poor complexion and said a few words to Qi Yin. Then, she waved her hand to the people behind her. Two medical staff immediately stepped forward, lifting her wheelchair from both sides, preparing to return.

Teng Xi was startled. She saw Qi Yin’s face clearly, and the words Shi Yun had said to her echoed in her ears. The feet that wanted to dash toward Xie Jinbing stopped abruptly. In a panic, she ran toward a nearby coconut tree. Just then, a tricycle happened to pass by; she dodged behind it and followed the tricycle as it turned into an alley.

By the beach, the medical staff carrying Xie Jinbing’s wheelchair cried out in shock, their hands slipping so that the chair almost tipped over. “Doctor Xie, what’s wrong?”

Qi Yin, who had been standing by the beach with her arms crossed, looked over at the sound. After a moment’s hesitation, she moved toward Xie Jinbing. Upon seeing the other woman’s expression, the cold hardness on her face instantly shattered. She motioned for the staff to set the wheelchair down and half-squatted in front of Xie Jinbing. She reached out, curling her index finger toward the other’s cheek, her voice gentle: “Why are you crying?”

Only then did Xie Jinbing, who had been staring in one direction, slowly turn her head. She subconsciously tilted her head to avoid Qi Yin’s finger and mechanically touched her own cheek. It was wet. Her voice was slightly hoarse: “I can agree to your cooperation, but promise me one condition.”

Qi Yin looked at her finger suspended in the air and withdrew it with some disappointment, reverting to a business-like tone: “What condition?”

“Bring Teng Xi to see me first.”

It had to be said that Qi Yin was very efficient. She personally sought out Teng Xi that afternoon. By the time Shi Yun learned the news, Qi Yin had already taken her away.

“Dean Qi, where are you taking me?”

“Doesn’t Captain Teng want to see your partner?” The word “partner” was emphasized, dripping with irony.

Teng Xi, however, stopped in her tracks. After not hearing footsteps behind her for a while, Qi Yin stopped and saw Teng Xi standing still. “Does Captain Teng not want to?”

Teng Xi laughed bitterly. How could she not want to? She wanted it in her dreams; she was simply afraid.

“Regardless of whether you want to or not, I promised Jinbing I would bring you to see her. Therefore, Captain Teng, you have no right to refuse.” Qi Yin stood with her fingers interlaced in front of her chest, maintaining the posture of a superior.

Teng Xi turned as if to leave, lost in thought. The next second, she fell straight to the ground.

Qi Yin withdrew the syringe in her hand and summoned two passing medical staff to lift her into a wheelchair. When Xie Jinbing saw Teng Xi again, it was two wheelchairs facing each other.

“What’s wrong with her?” Looking at the tightly closed eyes of Teng Xi, Xie Jinbing glared at Qi Yin.

“Not dead.” It was the same laconic answer. Having spoken, Qi Yin left, leaving the two of them in the room.

Xie Jinbing reached out to stroke that face, her fingers trembling slightly. She didn’t understand what had happened; Teng Xi’s every movement that afternoon had clearly told her she was avoiding her. Since waking up on the island, she hadn’t slept a single night peacefully or felt truly at ease. Yet, miraculously, when this person sat quietly beside her, she felt an inexplicable sense of comfort, as if she finally had a safe house.

She struggled to move her wheelchair to the window. The two wheelchairs were lined up side-by-side, feeling the warmth of the sun on their bodies.

After an unknown amount of time, Teng Xi let out a low moan and slowly opened her eyes. The stinging sunlight made her eyes ache; she subconsciously reached out to block the light, but a shadow fell over her just in time. She turned her head and looked into a pair of deep peach-blossom eyes that were staring at her intently, with love that was completely undisguised. The other’s hand hovered a palm’s width from her eyes, blocking out the infinite glow from outside.

“Sister Xie.” Teng Xi’s throat felt dry; it was exceptionally difficult to utter those three words.

“Do you want to eat some fruit?” Xie Jinbing spoke of an irrelevant topic casually, as if she knew nothing. Without waiting for Teng Xi to answer, she reached out for the knife and an apple on the table.

“…”

Neither of them spoke. For a moment, the only sound in the air was the crisp noise of the knife peeling the fruit. To Teng Xi, however, each stroke of the blade felt more like it was carving into her own heart.

Teng Xi stared blankly at Xie Jinbing’s beautiful profile. In this moment, she only wanted to abandon everything else and make time stand still, to stay in this very second forever.

“Ssh—”

A cry of pain snapped Teng Xi back to her senses. She hurriedly grabbed Xie Jinbing’s finger. The sharp blade had sliced through the delicate skin, and bright red blood surged out. She snatched the knife and threw it far away, her heart aching. “Does it hurt?”

The cut was deep, and combined with her poor blood coagulation, the blood wouldn’t stop flowing; soon, half her palm was covered in red. Teng Xi lowered her head and took the finger into her mouth. The metallic, sweet taste of blood instantly filled her oral cavity.

When she looked up, she saw Xie Jinbing’s eyes brimming with tears, which began to fall like golden beans. She looked utterly pitiful.

“What is it, what is it? It doesn’t hurt, I’ll blow on it, Sister…” Teng Xi was at a loss, stunned for a moment by the tears, not knowing what to do.

Whether the tears were from pain or grievance, they blurred her vision. Her shoulders shook with sobs. The words that came out were clearly a reproach, yet they felt like a kitten scratching at Teng Xi’s heart: “Why… why did you run away…”

Teng Xi cupped her face, her palms moistened by the tears. In an instant, she understood. She had thought Xie Jinbing hadn’t seen her, but in reality, she had broken her heart.

She leaned in slowly until her forehead rested against the other’s. Her voice possessed a seriousness it had never held before: “I’m sorry. I should have run toward you.”

Their breaths intertwined. Teng Xi moved closer and kissed her lips. The lingering metallic taste of blood spread through their mouths, making Teng Xi kiss her even deeper.

The setting sun hung on the sea horizon, bathing the two of them in a fiery red glow through the window.

Teng Xi thought that perhaps she was born violent, yet she still wanted to reach out with her stained hands from the mire to wrap herself in the moon’s pure light and merge it into her very blood.