Chapter 32: I Want Qu Yan So Badly

At eight o'clock sharp, the squad gathered.

Qin Ji led the group, totaling eight people, including Yan Zhuo. According to the plan, the target area for clearance today was the North District. Qin Ji finished checking the equipment and headcount, then turned to Wen Xi and said, "Leave the rest to you."

Wen Xi stood on a step one pace away from him and gave a slight nod. The sunlight turned his soft, fluffy hair into gold, and his skin was so fair it appeared almost translucent. Qin Ji paused for two seconds, staring at a face that seemed too perfect for a mortal, before slowly pulling his gaze away.

Yan Zhuo followed at the end of the line. As he passed by Wen Xi, he was suddenly grabbed. Wen Xi blinked and asked with an ambiguous smile, "How was last night?"

After a night had passed, even the dullest person could guess what Wen Xi’s actions implied. Yan Zhuo pulled his hand away with an expressionless face and warned, "Don't let there be a second time."

Wen Xi was indifferent to the warning and scoffed, "Don't pretend. You actually liked it, didn't you?"

Yan Zhuo didn't even look back.

Wen Xi folded his arms and turned around. Qu Yan was right behind him, though it was unclear if he had heard the exchange between him and Yan Zhuo. It didn't matter if he had; Wen Xi greeted him, "How did you sleep last night?"

"It was alright," Qu Yan replied. This was no lie. After so many days, finally sleeping on a bed with Yan Zhuo as a "sleeping aid" by his side, he had indeed slept well, and his complexion had improved significantly.

Sitting in his wheelchair, he usually had to look up at others, yet he never appeared pitiful. Instead, he carried the air of a master chess player in control of the board—entirely the demeanor of someone accustomed to being in a position of power.

Wen Xi smiled, "That’s good. If you need anything else, just come find me."

"I don't really need anything," Qu Yan said, lowering his eyes as his fingers slid across his knees. "I only hope Mr. Wen will stop meddling in other people's business."

With that, he maneuvered his wheelchair away, leaving Wen Xi where he stood. Early in the morning, one after another, they came to warn him. Wen Xi frowned and rubbed his temples, feeling truly distressed; he had clearly done a good deed.

The pickup truck drove along the road, maintaining a slow speed to observe the number of zombies in the vicinity. The driver and Qin Ji sat in the front, while the rest were in the cargo bed. The space was dim, and since Yan Zhuo sat in a corner, he remained inconspicuous.

Chen Yuning was playing Tetris on a palm-sized game console. She played it whenever she was bored, and having played it hundreds of times, she changed the batteries frequently. There were only two sets left, but she had no intention of saving them and continued playing with gusto.

As her fingers moved an "L" block into a gap, she was so focused that she didn't even look up when a head leaned over her shoulder. "What is it?"

A sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, chewing on a lollipop, glanced at Yan Zhuo in the corner and whispered, "Sister Ning, is he very strong?"

Chen Yuning swatted his head down. "Go ask the boss."

The boy pouted, chewing his lollipop with a loud crunching sound. "He's so fierce; I’d have asked already if I dared."

The game console emitted a "Game Over" sound. Chen Yuning looked down and saw she had broken her record again. In a great mood, she ruffled the boy's hair. "You’re the only one in the whole squad who thinks the boss is fierce. He’s your own brother, what are you afraid of?"

"It’s precisely because he’s my brother that I’m afraid of him," the boy muttered, his interest shifting back to Yan Zhuo. "He’s not much older than me, right? Do you know what his ability is?"

Chen Yuning shoved the game console into her pocket. "Want to know?"

The boy nodded like a chick pecking at rice. "Yeah, yeah!"

Chen Yuning teased, "Then go ask him yourself. Unless you don't dare?"

The boy: "...You don't know either, do you?"

Chen Yuning nodded. "I’ll tell you in advance: this is Brother Wen's friend, so don't go offending him."

"Brother Wen's friend..." The boy’s expression grew serious. "Didn't Brother Wen say he was a lone wolf? Where would he have friends?"

Chen Yuning was speechless. "Who said a lone wolf can't have friends? Don't say that in front of Brother Wen, or he'll be sad."

Wen Xi rarely mentioned his past, so they had always assumed his family had died in the mouths of zombies, and thus rarely brought up the topic.

"Don't worry, my emotional intelligence isn't that low," the boy said confidently.

Yan Zhuo's hearing was better than an average person's; he heard every word Chen Yuning and the boy said. He didn't interrupt, simply closing his eyes to rest.

Half an hour later, the truck stopped, and the cargo bed was rapped on from the outside. Chen Yuning called for help to open the door, and they jumped out one by one.

Once everyone was down, Qin Ji scanned the area, his brow furrowing. "Where is Qin Li?"

"Huh?" Chen Yuning looked around, bewildered. "He was just here."

Beneath the truck, a semi-green, semi-black head shifted cautiously. Yan Zhuo paused before speaking, "Under there."

He pointed a finger downward.

The group bent over to look. Qin Ji said in a stern tone, "Come out, now."

A grumbling boy crawled out from under the truck. He was thin-limbed, his hair half-green and half-black, wearing a T-shirt with an exaggerated, giant white skull, and several thick chains hanging around his neck. He gave a thumbs-down gesture toward Yan Zhuo and spat viciously, "You just wait!"

Yan Zhuo’s expression remained unchanged.

Qin Li turned to Qin Ji. "Brother, you're my own brother, just let me come with you guys this time, okay?"

Qin Ji ordered, refusing to be argued with, "Get on."

At that age, boys have thin skins and are eager to prove themselves. Although he was afraid of Qin Ji, Qin Li straightened his posture. "He’s not that much older than me, why can he go and I can't!"

He looked at Yan Zhuo provocatively and sought help from Chen Yuning, "Sister Ning, don't you agree?"

Chen Yuning remained silent and moved two steps to the side.

Qin Li: "Fine! Just bully me then, I'll grow up someday!"

Qin Li climbed onto the truck eventually. Once the door was shut, his voice drifted out: "There aren't many zombies in the mall on the right; be careful on the street to the left, that's where the most zombies are."

After saying this, he struck the side of the truck hard as if venting his anger.

"Head to the left street," Qin Ji said briefly. No one objected; everyone nodded in agreement.

"Qin Li's ability is to detect the number of zombies in the vicinity within a certain range, but it consumes a lot of stamina. He almost got bitten when he followed us before, and ever since then, the boss hasn't let him tag along," Chen Yuning explained to Yan Zhuo. "He's still a kid and doesn't mean any harm, so don't take what he said to heart."

After saying it, she realized that Yan Zhuo looked only eighteen or nineteen, not much older than Qin Li, and her words seemed a bit excessive. She was about to apologize when she heard Yan Zhuo say, "I know."

Qin Li's attitude was arrogant, but he hadn't sensed any malice.

Excluding Qin Li, there were seven people left in the squad. Only three had abilities: Qin Ji, Chen Yuning, and Yan Zhuo. The others held weapons, all looking cautious and alert. Abilities were a gift from the heavens to a select few; other ordinary people had to work much harder just to survive.

Because they didn't hide, zombies soon discovered them, rushing over with roars. Eventually, more and more sounds joined in, attracting even the zombies hiding in the corners.

Qin Ji stopped the others and turned to Yan Zhuo, "Let him handle it." He was still very interested in Yan Zhuo's abilities.

Yan Zhuo slowly clenched his fist, then relaxed it, charging forward like an arrow released from a string. He was incredibly fast, only raising his hand at the very moment he reached the zombies.

*Thump—*

A zombie's head rolled away. His movements were clean and efficient, yet undeniably violent, devoid of any aesthetic grace.

"Strengthened physical capabilities..." Qin Ji muttered to himself.

The others were also stunned. Compared to other abilities, the power to crush a zombie's skull with bare hands was hard not to fear.

Yan Zhuo turned around after clearing a few zombies, his cheeks splattered with blood. He raised his eyelids, "Are there any extra weapons? This is too dirty."

Someone nearby immediately handed him a long blade.

At any time, those who possess absolute power will be met with awe.

The rest proceeded according to plan. Yan Zhuo, Qin Ji, and Chen Yuning took the lead, while the others were responsible for clearing the perimeter and picking off stragglers. Chen Yuning's ability was wind control; countless wind blades formed a wall around her, tearing apart any zombie that got close.

Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion. Aside from the clawing roars of the zombies, all one could hear were the crackling sounds of electricity and the sharp whistling of wind blades.

Using abilities incessantly severely drained one's mental and physical strength. An hour later, the zombies on this street were cleared. Everyone was panting, Qin Ji and Chen Yuning included.

Yan Zhuo leaned against a wall, his face flushed red. He didn't know what was wrong with him; he only felt his body suddenly starting to burn, and a wave of dizziness made the world blur.

Chen Yuning was the first to notice something was wrong. Yan Zhuo's reaction was too abnormal, as if he had been bitten by a zombie. But after looking him over, she saw no bite marks on him.

Finally, Qin Ji made the decision to have Yan Zhuo return to the truck first, while the others continued to clear the mall.

Yan Zhuo was half-supported back to the vehicle. Qin Li, who had been bored, bristled like a cat, "Was he bitten?"

Chen Yuning glared at him. "Don't talk nonsense. Yan Zhuo is in your care now. If anything happens to him, I'm holding you accountable."

Qin Li muttered sulkily, "Just bully me, why don't you."

Qin Ji and the others headed for the mall, leaving only Yan Zhuo and Qin Li in the truck.

Yan Zhuo curled up, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his heavy, ragged breathing sounding exceptionally clear.

Qin Li extended a finger and poked him. "Hey, you okay?"

Receiving no answer, he assumed Yan Zhuo was ignoring him on purpose. He scoffed, "Fine, don't answer then, see if I care!"

*Qu Yan...*

A tingling itch, accompanied by pain, forced Yan Zhuo to bite his own wrist, his teeth sinking into his flesh. He let out a muffled groan, his eyes turning even redder.

A massive sense of emptiness swept through his entire body. He clutched his arms around himself, hallucinating that Qu Yan was right beside him.

But it wasn't enough. Yan Zhuo felt like he was going mad. His body was screaming for Qu Yan, and his brain issued commands, desperate to run back to him this instant.

*Qu Yan... I miss Qu Yan so much... I want Qu Yan so much...*