Xiao Muyu sat upright, her expression serious. When Shen Qingqiu lay down, she adjusted her position slightly to make Shen Qingqiu more comfortable.
Shen Qingqiu looked up at Xiao Muyu. In the moonlight, Xiao Muyu’s face was obscured by shadows, making it hard to see clearly. However, her silhouette still held a fatal attraction for Shen Qingqiu.
At first, Shen Qingqiu didn’t want to sleep alone, but now, seeing Xiao Muyu, she didn’t want to sleep at all.
She felt a bit frustrated; even lying on Xiao Muyu’s lap, the other woman remained so proper.
Just as she was thinking this, Xiao Muyu looked down at her. When their eyes met, Shen Qingqiu clearly saw a smile at the corner of Xiao Muyu’s mouth.
However, Xiao Muyu hadn’t expected to meet her gaze and immediately withdrew her smile, her expression turning stiff.
“Close your eyes and sleep,” she said firmly, covering Shen Qingqiu’s eyes with her hand.
Shen Qingqiu smiled and, without pulling her hand away, closed her eyes, lying on Xiao Muyu’s lap.
“Remember to wake me up; don’t stay up too long.”
Xiao Muyu responded with a hum, lowering her leg to make Shen Qingqiu more comfortable. Shen Qingqiu grunted and turned her head, burying it in Xiao Muyu’s waist. She murmured, “It’s already comfortable enough. Any lower and your leg will get sore.”
“Don’t worry, if my leg gets sore, I’ll just throw you off,” Xiao Muyu said seriously, as if she meant it.
Shen Qingqiu laughed, unconcerned, “If you can bear to, then throw me off.”
Xiao Muyu said nothing, just patted Shen Qingqiu’s arm, indicating it was time to sleep.
Over the past two days, Shen Qingqiu had exerted herself considerably, dealing with at least half the zombies on her own. She was exhausted.
Despite her skills, she was still human and got tired. Once her mind calmed down, lying on Xiao Muyu’s lap and inhaling her scent, she quickly fell asleep.
Xiao Muyu sat quietly for a while, then looked down at Shen Qingqiu, her gaze softer than the moonlight.
She gently brushed aside the hair sticking to Shen Qingqiu’s face, her eyes flicking to the side.
Chen Kaijie had just returned from patrolling the door. He was about to speak when he saw Shen Qingqiu lying on Xiao Muyu’s lap, swallowing his words.
Xiao Muyu didn’t avoid his gaze, instead pointing to the sofa chair. Chen Kaijie immediately understood and handed her a blanket.
Xiao Muyu whispered a thanks and covered Shen Qingqiu with it. “With the door secured, nothing should happen tonight. You should rest a bit.”
Chen Kaijie shook his head, smiling, “I’m not that tired. It’s better to stay alert and let the others rest.”
By now, he knew Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu’s relationship was special. What was once a joke seemed to have become reality, so he tactfully moved to the front hall, leaving the two alone by the window.
With Chen Kaijie gone, Xiao Muyu had no reservations. Shen Qingqiu’s position on her lap wasn’t the most comfortable, so Xiao Muyu gently lifted Shen Qingqiu’s head, letting her rest it in the crook of her arm. She then crossed her legs, allowing Shen Qingqiu’s upper body to rest more comfortably.
Later in the night, Shen Qingqiu woke up. Despite sleeping soundly, she worried about Xiao Muyu staying up too long, so she woke up earlier than the shift change.
As soon as she moved her head and opened her eyes, she felt like she was going to fall, as if her pillow had disappeared.
The fright cleared her groggy mind. She quickly sat up and turned to see Xiao Muyu calmly watching her, her right hand resting casually on the window ledge. “Did you sleep well?”
Shen Qingqiu was still dazed. Seeing Xiao Muyu’s posture, she slowly recalled what happened and understood.
She felt a mix of exasperation and amusement. Staring at Xiao Muyu’s indistinct expression, she replied seriously, “I haven’t slept enough. It felt like the bed collapsed and startled me awake.”
Xiao Muyu pressed her lips together, not responding. She supported herself on the window sill to stand up and whispered, “You can sleep a bit longer on the sofa chair.”
Xiao Muyu’s movements were visibly off as she got up; it was no wonder she felt uncomfortable after being used as a pillow for so long.
Shen Qingqiu sat up straight and grabbed Xiao Muyu’s arm, causing her to lose her balance and fall into Shen Qingqiu’s waiting arms. Shen Qingqiu held her securely and said with a smile, “I’ll be your pillow. Just sleep here.”
Xiao Muyu tried to struggle, but Shen Qingqiu didn’t let go, instead guiding her to lie down in her lap. Shen Qingqiu leaned in and whispered, “It’s already past midnight, you must be tired. Get some sleep, I’m here, you don’t need to worry.”
Xiao Muyu stayed silent, their noses almost touching, their breaths mingling. She heard Shen Qingqiu’s soft, teasing laugh, “Don’t worry, I’ll hold still and won’t pull away when you wake up.”
Blushing, Xiao Muyu closed her eyes, not wanting to look at Shen Qingqiu’s bright eyes even in the darkness.
“Keep it down, there are still people around,” she mumbled.
“Mm-hmm,” responded Shen Qingqiu with a laugh, gently rocking her. As Xiao Muyu drifted off, she wondered if Shen Qingqiu thought of her as a child.
The night passed without incident, with the two groups taking turns resting. Everyone was in good spirits. Except for Xiao Muyu, who felt they had been too indulgent under the moonlight, everything went well.
Su Jin, Zuo Tiantian, and Chen Kaijie pretended not to notice the intimacy between their two team leaders the night before.
The five of them searched the three kilometers around them but found nothing as the day wore on.
In the afternoon, Shen Qingqiu sat on the building’s balcony, hastily eating instant noodles. She set the empty container aside and pulled out her binoculars to scan the area repeatedly.
Xiao Muyu glanced at Shen Qingqiu outside. She wore a black tank top and jeans that accentuated her long, slender legs. Her long, curly hair hung loose behind her, and her arms, holding the binoculars, were lean and muscular, with no extra fat on her toned abdomen. Though her physique didn’t look robust, it exuded power, and her beautiful waistline was mesmerizing.
Initially following her gaze, Xiao Muyu found herself distracted and quickly refocused on the task at hand, letting out a breath.
In this residential area, several survivors would occasionally team up to search for food. Unfortunately, some ended up as zombie prey.
Though it was harsh, Shen Qingqiu knew the zombie wouldn’t miss a hunting opportunity. They chose this high-visibility building to observe and follow any scavenging teams, hoping to find the zombie.
Indeed, another small group emerged from a nearby community. Shen Qingqiu put away the binoculars and moved to throw out the trash, but Xiao Muyu had already taken it.
“Change your clothes and get ready to go,” Xiao Muyu said, glancing at Shen Qingqiu’s arms before walking away, leaving Shen Qingqiu smiling brightly.
Xiao Muyu and the others hurried downstairs, trailing the group from a distance. By the third day of the apocalypse, conditions had worsened. Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu had already stocked up on food and water several times, but every supermarket and convenience store around had been looted.
Those who had initially hoped for rescue had their hopes shattered by fear and started hoarding food, leading to a terrifying reality where there was only consumption with no production.
They followed the group for three streets before finding a small shop, where the scavengers found half a bag of rice left by the owner.
Watching through the binoculars, Shen Qingqiu noticed there weren’t many zombies around due to their previous clearing efforts. Any zombies present had likely wandered over from elsewhere.
However, the mutant zombie, despite its weakness, was strong and cunning, unlikely to hunt like ordinary zombies.
Their surveillance had already been ongoing, and no one knew if it would be fruitful this time.
After scanning the area, Shen Qingqiu shook her head, signaling no abnormalities.
Xiao Muyu sighed, “We might have to return empty-handed again. We need to go back tonight; I’m worried about Lin Jian alone at home, and Sun Xi and the others, we don’t know if they’ve left.”
Just as she finished speaking, Shen Qingqiu made a hand gesture. Everyone turned simultaneously, their expressions tense.
“Bang!” A loud noise came from the fourth shop the small team was scavenging. A shadow crashed through the second-floor window, leaping down at an incredible speed. Before Xiao Muyu could warn them, one of the men was pounced on and had his neck bitten off.
Blood sprayed as the man struggled and soon fell silent. The zombie, with bloodied face, looked at the four stunned survivors before viciously tearing into its prey.
Though familiar with such scenes, Xiao Muyu and her team still found it hard to watch.
Shen Qingqiu remained unaffected, knowing the apocalypse was about death and destruction, with death by zombies being common.
“Stick to our plan, get ready!” Xiao Muyu commanded, her expression unchanged. As she raised her hand, Su Jin and Chen Kaijie quickly moved. The baby zombie was gone, which puzzled Xiao Muyu.
Xiao Muyu, Shen Qingqiu, and Zuo Tiantian crouched and approached quietly using the roadside shops for cover.
The zombie ignored Chen Kaijie and Su Jin, its eyes locked on them as it devoured its prey. It leaped at them, but Chen Kaijie swung his sword, forcing it back. Su Jin guarded closely, eyes vigilant.
The female zombie quickly assessed the weaker targets, turning sharply towards a young girl in the team.
With bulging eyes and blood-streaked, decayed skin, the zombie lunged. The girl screamed and collapsed in fear.
Just as the zombie was about to claim another victim, gunshots rang out, hitting the zombie three times. The impact halted its movement, and it let out an enraged howl.
Chen Kaijie pulled Su Jin aside to avoid friendly fire. The shots hadn’t come from Xiao Muyu’s direction.
As the gunfire ceased, three jeeps roared onto the scene, ramming aside several cars to corner the zombie.
Nine uniformed, muscular men jumped out, saying nothing. One crew set up a black cannon-like weapon, firing a metal chain at the zombie. The chain embedded into the zombie’s back with barbed hooks.
The zombie roared in fury, pulling at the chain, but it was lodged too deep.
Another chain shot out, but Shen Qingqiu rolled forward, grabbed the chain, and pulled the zombie a meter away, avoiding the second chain.
The unexpected move stunned the newcomers, who turned their attention warily to Shen Qingqiu and her group.
Sensing something amiss, the zombie contorted its body unnaturally, dropping to all fours and rapidly crawling towards Shen Qingqiu.
A man aimed his gun at Shen Qingqiu, but Xiao Muyu was faster, shooting his weapon and causing it to explode in his hand.
He screamed in pain, his right hand mangled, and snarled, “We need to take this zombie. Kill anyone who gets in our way!”
After making the zombie dodge the second chain, Shen Qingqiu yanked the first chain, forcing one man to let go. Using the leverage, she pulled back, avoiding the zombie’s attack.
“Zuo Tiantian, Su Jin, now!” Shen Qingqiu shouted, knowing they had no time to plan a new strategy.
Zuo Tiantian used her right hand to create a wall, blocking the men from their left. Her left hand shot out a red rope, binding the zombie tightly with Shen Qingqiu’s help.
The rope could only hold for 30 seconds and wasn’t very strong. Su Jin followed by tossing a bolt of cloth, a B-level card item with no special properties.
Chen Kaijie grabbed it, and they wrapped the zombie like a mummy.
The newcomers were too shocked to act, and when one tried to intervene, Xiao Muyu fired a warning shot at his feet.
“Let’s see if you’re faster, or my gun is,” Xiao Muyu said coldly.
Her precise shooting intimidated the group. The leader, clutching his wounded hand, glared angrily but helplessly.
They watched as Shen Qingqiu’s team wrapped the zombie and dragged it back to their vehicle.
Author’s Note: This arc is almost over, probably in four chapters. Shen Qingqiu is happy to have slept with her lover. Haha, the team is getting more coordinated.
