CH 186

Villainous Zombie King (5)

The next morning, Song Xu Yi woke up feeling hungry.

Outside, the rain seemed to have lessened a bit, but it hadn’t stopped completely. It continued to drizzle lightly.

As Song Xu Yi woke up, for a fleeting moment, she faintly caught a whiff of the scent of blood. However, when she opened her eyes, the only aroma in the air was the earthy smell that follows a rainfall.

With a radiant smile, Ye Shuiyu looked over and raised her voice, “Good morning, Xu Yi! I have something I want to give you!”

Ye Shuiyu’s complexion had recovered, and her eyes once again filled with joyful light as she looked at Song Xu Yi.

Despite knowing she shouldn’t, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but be infected by Ye Shuiyu’s happiness, causing her lips to curl into a smile. Her voice involuntarily softened as she asked, “What gift—”

Ye Shuiyu approached with a smile, taking two steps closer.

She was remarkably beautiful, and the morning light further enhanced her attractiveness, giving her an irresistible allure. As Song Xu Yi looked at Ye Shuiyu’s face, which was now within arm’s reach, she suddenly felt a hint of unease and instinctively took a step back.

However, Ye Shuiyu didn’t notice Song Xu Yi’s retreat.

She took Song Xu Yi’s hand and, as if presenting a treasure, placed something in the palm of her hand.

“—Xu Yi, eat this!”

Song Xu Yi looked at the red, translucent crystal in her palm.

This crystal was like a crystal yet not quite, and Song Xu Yi didn’t know how to describe it. When her hand touched this crystal, Song Xu Yi felt an incredible warmth. For a moment, she even thought that this crystal might have a delightful taste…

But… how could you eat something like this crystal?

Song Xu Yi shook her head, feeling as though Ye Shuiyu had led her astray, and let out a sigh. “Shuiyu, you can’t just eat random things!”

She was reminded of Ye Shuiyu’s memories, which were only of a four-year-old child, and couldn’t help but express her concern, “Shuiyu, most four-year-old kids are already in preschool, so you should know not to eat unfamiliar things, right?”

“Xu Yi, you got it wrong!” Ye Shuiyu frowned with a touch of sadness, looking at Song Xu Yi. “I’m five years old now!”

“And, when I was five, I had already skipped a grade and was in second grade!”

Song Xu Yi widened her eyes, carefully observing Ye Shuiyu’s expression, and then it dawned on her. Ye Shuiyu’s memories seemed to be gradually returning, growing one year older each day…

With this realization, Song Xu Yi felt a sense of relief. At this rate, in about two weeks, Ye Shuiyu would likely regain all her memories.

“Alright, put down that stone for now. If you’re hungry, I’ll go make some soup for you to drink.”

Song Xu Yi decided to change the subject.

Thinking that there might be an induction cooker in the kitchen, Song Xu Yi was planning to cook something warm to eat. However, she noticed Ye Shuiyu looking at her thoughtfully and said, “Xu Yi, do you not know how to eat?”

Ye Shuiyu took a red crystal from Song Xu Yi’s hand, her face turning serious. She seemed incredibly focused as she said, “Xu Yi, watch closely! Pay attention to how I eat it. If you don’t learn it properly, I’ll be upset!”

Ye Shuiyu held the crystal in her hand, tightly closed her fist, and closed her eyes…

Originally, Song Xu Yi had been watching Ye Shuiyu’s actions with a playful mindset. However, as she observed Ye Shuiyu’s movements and saw the empty palm when she opened her hand again, the curve of Song Xu Yi’s lips gradually diminished. It suddenly occurred to her: Could this red crystal be a nucleus?

At the beginning, Song Xu Yi hadn’t even considered that possibility, as it was unlikely for nuclei to exist during the early stages of the apocalypse. But according to the plot synopsis, it had been mentioned that ability users could extract nuclei from mutated zombies or beasts to replenish their energy…

Thinking back to the eyeless corpses they had discovered in the house last night, Song Xu Yi had a rough guess in her mind: There must be mutated beasts hidden in this villa. These beasts consumed the eyes of humans and turned them into zombies.

So, mutated beasts had existed this early?

Although the red crystal was the lowest-tier first-order nucleus, considering it was still the early stage of the apocalypse, these beasts that had started as first-order already possessed astonishing potential. If left to develop unchecked, they could become a significant threat.

Ye Shuiyu’s actions inadvertently helped rid the people of trouble.

Ye Shuiyu must have absorbed the nucleus, which is why her complexion recovered so quickly.

While these first-order nuclei may not be significant in the later stages of the apocalypse, they are still precious treasures in the current early stage of the apocalypse.

Song Xu Yi took a deep breath. Despite getting accustomed to the shocks brought by Ye Shuiyu, it still took her a few seconds to understand the situation. She looked back at Ye Shuiyu and sincerely thanked her, “Thank you, Shuiyu.” Song Xu Yi’s tone couldn’t help but carry a touch of genuine gratitude. After all, without Ye Shuiyu accompanying her, she would have encountered both ability users and mutated beasts along the way. It would have been difficult to escape calamity. “However, I am not an ability user. Although this nucleus is valuable, it is of no use to me. I cannot absorb its energy…”

As she spoke, Song Xu Yi reached out her hand, intending to return the nucleus to Ye Shuiyu.

But Ye Shuiyu held onto Song Xu Yi’s hand and tightly wrapped her own hand around it.

“Xu Yi, please give it a try! I have a feeling that you can consume it…”

Ye Shuiyu’s beautiful eyes were filled with pleading, and she gazed at Song Xu Yi with a charming and determined look. She firmly held Song Xu Yi’s hand, as if she wouldn’t let go unless Song Xu Yi tried.

“Fine!” Song Xu Yi couldn’t resist Ye Shuiyu’s coaxing. Sighing with a headache, she adopted a mentality of appeasing a child. She picked up a nucleus and held it in her palm, following Ye Shuiyu’s instructions, “Close your eyes, meditate, and clear your mind.”

It was a peculiar sensation, one that Song Xu Yi felt as if she were immersed in warm water, an indescribable comfort.

Something warm and cozy flowed through Song Xu Yi’s body from the nucleus in her hand, gradually spreading a sense of incredible comfort throughout her entire being. It felt as if every pore was opening up, filling her with immense satisfaction, akin to the pleasure of indulging in her favorite food.

When Song Xu Yi opened her eyes again, the stone in her hand had disappeared.

What is this?!

Wasn’t it only the superhumans who could absorb the nuclei?

After coming back to her senses, Song Xu Yi widened her eyes. The original body fell into a coma after being infected with the zombie virus, and then Song Xu Yi found herself in this world. Initially, when Song Xu Yi woke up, she had considered the possibility that the original body might have awakened superhuman abilities. After all, those infected with the virus either turned into zombies or became superhumans. However, it didn’t take long for Song Xu Yi to dismiss the thought. Throughout her journey, she hadn’t noticed anything unusual about herself compared to ordinary people.

However, now she could absorb the nuclei…

Song Xu Yi bit her lip tightly.

In the apocalypse, some people awakened useless and insignificant abilities, such as becoming extremely flexible or having a large appetite… Perhaps she had awakened one of these trivial abilities as well.

Originally, Song Xu Yi didn’t want the remaining nuclei. After all, it would be more beneficial for both her and Ye Shuiyu if Ye Shuiyu increased her own abilities rather than Song Xu Yi, who didn’t even know what ability she had awakened.

However, Ye Shuiyu insisted that Song Xu Yi take the remaining nuclei. She didn’t say anything like “kiss-kiss” anymore, considering that Ye Shuiyu was now a five-year-old second-grade student who had skipped a grade. But Ye Shuiyu somehow pulled out a small notebook and a pen and earnestly wrote in it: “On such-and-such year, month, and day, Xu Yi made me very angry by refusing my gift, deducting one point.”

Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but ask Ye Shuiyu curiously, “How many points do I have in total, and what happens when they’re all deducted?”

Ye Shuiyu glanced at Song Xu Yi, biting the end of her pen, and pouted as she replied, “Ten points.” However, she didn’t answer Song Xu Yi’s other question.

At first, Song Xu Yi refused to accept Ye Shuiyu’s nuclei. It wasn’t until Ye Shuiyu got angry and threatened to throw them away that Song Xu Yi reluctantly took them, seeing the determination in Ye Shuiyu’s eyes.

However, Song Xu Yi had no intention of using these nuclei. After all, Ye Shuiyu would likely regain her memories in just over ten days, and these nuclei were extremely valuable in the early stages of the apocalypse. Song Xu Yi unintentionally absorbed one already, so she didn’t intend to keep the rest for herself.

Ye Shuiyu was unaware of Song Xu Yi’s thoughts. Seeing that Song Xu Yi accepted the nuclei, Ye Shuiyu’s mood changed quickly. She happily embraced Song Xu Yi’s neck and smiled, saying, “That’s the kind of Xu Yi I like!”

Ye Shuiyu’s smile was incredibly radiant. Seeing her dazzling smile up close, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but feel her heart race even faster. For a moment, her mind drifted away: If Ye Shuiyu were truly a five-year-old girl, Song Xu Yi felt that she would gladly let her get close. Probably no one would refuse such an angelic girl. But now, Ye Shuiyu was a stunningly beautiful woman, and allowing her to get close without caution seemed to take advantage of the situation.

Coming back to her senses, Song Xu Yi composed her face and discreetly pushed away Ye Shuiyu’s arms that were embracing her neck, trying not to hurt her innocent five-year-old heart. “Shuiyu, you’re a big girl now. You can’t be so clingy. You should act more like a grown-up.”

“But the girl in the next class, Mei Mei, is eight years old and still clings to her mother!” However, it seemed that Song Xu Yi still managed to hurt Ye Shuiyu. Ye Shuiyu puffed up her cheeks and gave Song Xu Yi a resentful look, once again taking out her little notebook…

Subsequently, Song Xu Yi was marked down for various reasons, such as “not bringing Ye Shuiyu into the kitchen,” “not feeding Ye Shuiyu water,” “not holding Ye Shuiyu’s hand,” “not helping Ye Shuiyu bathe,” and many more.

Song Xu Yi contemplated that she had probably been deducted more than ten points already, but judging by Ye Shuiyu’s demeanor, she estimated that the deductions would continue…

Letting out a sigh, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but admire how beautiful Ye Shuiyu looked even without makeup after taking a bath. With her puffed cheeks, humming while scribbling on her notebook, Ye Shuiyu once again showcased her adorable side. In that moment, Song Xu Yi felt a tinge of curiosity about what kind of personality Ye Shuiyu would have when she grew up. She probably would become a charismatic charmer who could captivate anyone.

Considering that Ye Shuiyu was, after all, her lifesaver, Song Xu Yi realized that she had been somewhat distant towards her throughout the day to avoid suspicion. Looking at Ye Shuiyu’s damp hair that hadn’t been dried, even though she knew that ability users generally had robust health and were unlikely to fall ill, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but speak up. “Shuiyu, should I blow-dry your hair for you?”

Ye Shuiyu’s eyes immediately lit up!

She quickly wrote something in her notebook and eagerly fetched the hairdryer. Happily squatting in front of Song Xu Yi, although her demeanor was far from graceful, seeing Ye Shuiyu in this state reminded Song Xu Yi of an adorable little puppy, loyal and devoted, squatting in front of her with eyes begging for a bone.

“Shuiyu, I’ll blow-dry your hair. Does that earn me an extra point?” As she met Ye Shuiyu’s wet gaze, Song Xu Yi’s face inexplicably grew warm. She cleared her throat and awkwardly changed the subject.

She casually made the remark without expecting Ye Shuiyu to take it seriously. However, to her surprise, Ye Shuiyu responded earnestly, “Of course! I will definitely give Xu Yi extra points!”

Ye Shuiyu raised her chin and pulled out her little notebook, handing it to Song Xu Yi. At the bottom of the page, a line of words was written as if proclaiming a grand decree:

“Xu Yi drying my hair! Happy twirls, +10000 points!”

The author has something to say:

I didn’t emphasize it repeatedly, no, a serious author wouldn’t repeatedly emphasize their identity. All over my body, there are five big words written: I am a serious person!