It was already completely dark. The zombies concealed within the darkness let out excited snarls and began their own feast of slaughter.
Xiahou Shaoxuan cleared the zombies along the way, protecting Lian Qiguang and the three others as they returned to Lian Yucheng’s residence. Wherever their eyes could reach, there were severed limbs scattered across the ground, covered in fresh blood. The thick stench of blood and the pungent rot of corpses assaulted the senses.
The city had already been destroyed. Apart from the flames burning here and there, there was not a single light to be seen. The snarls coming from the distance filled people with overwhelming despair.
This world had already fallen into hell.
Xiahou Shaoxuan and Lian Qiguang stepped forward. Before they could even press the doorbell, the tightly closed door suddenly opened. Long Ying glanced behind Xiahou Shaoxuan and stepped aside.
“Quick, get inside!”
“Second Brother!”
The moment Lian Qiguang entered the room, Lian Xiaozhu ran over and threw her arms around him, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Second Brother, there were so many monsters! I was so worried about you!”
With his clothes covered in tears, Lian Qiguang expressionlessly grabbed Lian Xiaozhu by the back of her collar and moved her aside. He turned his gaze toward Lian Yucheng.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.” Lian Yucheng shook his head. “What about you? Are you holding up?”
“No problem.”
After confirming that Lian Yucheng was fine, Lian Qiguang took Xiahou Shaoxuan by the hand and walked over to sit on the sofa.
“Hello, Big Brother!”
Upon seeing Lian Yucheng, Qing Yi and the other two obediently greeted him.
“So it’s you three. Have a seat.” Lian Yucheng had a good impression of them and smiled slightly.
“Thank you, Big Brother.”
“Xiaoguang.”
After everyone had taken their seats, Lian Yucheng sat down on the sofa opposite Lian Qiguang. After pondering for a moment, he said, “Is this the disaster you were talking about?”
“It’s worse than I expected.”
The virus outbreak had caught everyone completely off guard. The zombies were evolving far too quickly, giving humanity no chance to catch its breath or adapt. Judging from the situation, the virus seemed determined to completely destroy this world.
“What should we do next?” Long Ying’s brows furrowed, something rarely seen. “District Three can no longer hold out.”
“From the looks of things, it isn’t just District Three. None of the regions are doing well. It’s possible that the situation in District One is even worse.” Xiahou Shaoxuan spoke in a low voice, his expression grim.
Lian Yucheng gave a bitter smile.
“Could it be that humanity really has to repeat the tragedy from three thousand years ago and be forced to leave Blue Star?”
“We’ll deal with the future when it comes.” Lian Qiguang took a box of small biscuits out of his spatial storage and spoke calmly. “What we need to do now is wait.”
“Wait?” Lian Yucheng was puzzled.
“Wait for the people from District One to come and get us.”
Lian Qiguang narrowed his eyes. As he looked at the biscuits in his hand, a trace of coldness passed through his voice.
“They need me right now. They won’t let me die.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan rubbed Lian Qiguang’s hair and said solemnly, “I won’t let them target you.”
Lian Qiguang looked at Xiahou Shaoxuan’s resolute features. After remaining silent for a long while, he fed a biscuit to Xiahou Shaoxuan.
“I think…”
Lian Qiguang lowered his head. His disheveled hair concealed the emotions in his eyes.
“Once we reach District One, I want to have the child removed.”
Xiahou Shaoxuan’s movements paused slightly. He lowered his gaze toward Lian Qiguang’s profile and remained silent.
“Okay.”
After a long while, Xiahou Shaoxuan nodded slightly.
“It’s better to remove it. Given the current circumstances, if the child remains in your stomach, both of you will probably be in danger.”
“Kumu.”
Feng Qingyang, who had remained silent the entire time, suddenly spoke. He looked hesitantly at Lian Qiguang.
“I… I want to go home. Although I know that after something like this happens, it’s difficult for anyone to survive, I have to go home and make sure.”
Lian Qiguang looked at the silent Feng Qingyang, then turned toward Qing Yi and Lan Qi.
“What about you two?”
“I want to go back too.”
Qing Yi leaned against the sofa, covering her face with both hands to hide the tears in her eyes.
“My parents are both at home. Maybe they’re still alive. Although the chances are very small, if I don’t go back at least once, I’ll never be able to rest easy for the rest of my life.”
“My father is already dead, but…”
Lan Qi clenched his hands, his voice heavy with suppressed emotion.
“I still have a five-year-old younger sister.”
Looking at the three people in pain and despair, Lian Qiguang remained silent for a moment before speaking calmly.
“Stay here for now. If my guess is correct, District One will send people here very soon. I’ll give you a spacecraft and some weapons. As for the rest, you’ll have to rely on your own fate.”
In chaotic times, no one could protect you for a lifetime. If you wanted to survive, you had to face it yourself.
“Okay! Thank you, Kumu!”
The three looked at Lian Qiguang with gratitude written all over their faces.
“Mi Xiaobao… didn’t make it out?”
Lian Qiguang’s voice sounded somewhat different.
Qing Yi, Feng Qingyang, and Lan Qi exchanged glances. Lan Qi silently shook his head.
“He wasn’t at the academy that day. We don’t know where he is now either.”
Lian Qiguang nodded. Nothing showed on his face, but his heart still felt somewhat empty.
Although that little fatty was a bit noisy normally, he was one of the few people who had genuinely treated him well and believed in him. If he knew where Mi Xiaobao was now, then even though he knew perfectly well that with that lousy combat ability, Mi Xiaobao probably wouldn’t have survived when the disaster first erupted, Lian Qiguang felt that he would still go and take a look for that tiny thread of hope in his heart.
“Everyone is tired today, and it’s already very late. Get some proper rest first.”
Seeing the exhaustion in everyone’s eyes, Lian Yucheng stood up.
“We’re all trapped here right now. There’s no use thinking too much about it. Whatever happens, we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
“Xiaoguang, you and Xiahou Shaoxuan can stay in your room. You three, I’ll have KE78 take you to the guest rooms.”
“Okay!”
“Thank you, Big Brother!”
“Why are you here?”
Xiahou Luoyu leaned against a corner on the top floor of a building, looking coldly at Gui Ling, who stood opposite her.
“I came to find you.”
Gui Ling’s blue eyes stared straight at Xiahou Luoyu, devoid of the slightest trace of emotion.
“Heh!”
Xiahou Luoyu seemed to have heard some kind of joke and gave a cold laugh.
“Find me?”
“You are my wife. I came this time to take you home.”
“Gui Ling!!”
Xiahou Luoyu shouted angrily. She glared fiercely at the man opposite her, her heart filled with anger and helpless humiliation.
After a long while, Xiahou Luoyu took a deep breath and said calmly, “Gui Ling, leave! Just consider me dead. I am Xiahou Luoyu, the third young lady of the Xiahou family. You and I have nothing to do with each other anymore, and we never will again.”
“You want to get rid of me!”
Xiahou Luoyu’s vision blurred, and Gui Ling was already right in front of her. Gui Ling grabbed her wrist with one hand, the force seeming as though he wanted to crush it. His blue eyes churned with terrifying brutality, making her tremble with fear.
“Is there any point?”
Xiahou Luoyu endured the pain in her wrist and looked coldly at Gui Ling.
“Our relationship was a transaction from the beginning. It has no meaning whatsoever.”
“You say it has no meaning?”
Gui Ling’s blue eyes turned red. A violent storm seemed to surge within him, and his savage killing intent made Xiahou Luoyu’s entire body grow cold.
“You say it has no meaning!!!”
Gui Ling forcefully pinned Xiahou Luoyu to the ground. With one hand, he frantically tore open her clothes.
“You actually tell me it has no meaning!!”
“Gui Ling! What are you doing! Let me go!!”
Xiahou Luoyu’s eyes widened in terror as she struggled desperately.
“Wu, you are mine. In life, you are mine; in death, you are mine. Even if you turn to ashes, you will still be swallowed by me!”
“You lunatic!”
The clothes on her body had already been almost completely torn away. Xiahou Luoyu screamed hoarsely, kicking and striking Gui Ling with both hands and feet. But whether in terms of combat ability or physical strength, Xiahou Luoyu had absolutely no ability to resist Gui Ling.
Gui Ling tore apart Xiahou Luoyu’s clothes and violently abused her. Marks were left all over Xiahou Luoyu’s body, giving Gui Ling a twisted sense of satisfaction.
The pain throughout her body brought tears to Xiahou Luoyu’s eyes. Gui Ling was like a vicious beast, continuously biting and tearing at her body, leaving bloody marks everywhere.
In her dazed state, Xiahou Luoyu seemed to have returned once again to those desperate and terrifying days and nights.
When Gui Ling entered her body, the tearing pain made her cry out involuntarily. Gui Ling wanted Xiahou Luoyu to make those beautiful sounds for him, but Xiahou Luoyu bit down hard on her lips, using silence to resist him and mock him at the same time.
The look in Xiahou Luoyu’s eyes enraged Gui Ling, and even made him hate her.
He did not like Xiahou Luoyu looking at him this way.
Not at all.
Gui Ling reached out with one hand and covered Xiahou Luoyu’s eyes, continuously increasing the pressure.
Xiahou Luoyu did not know how long this absurd madness lasted. When she opened her eyes again, she collided with Gui Ling’s terrifying blue gaze.
Xiahou Luoyu lowered her head and, as expected, saw the injuries covering her body.
Gui Ling’s cold fingers slowly rubbed across Xiahou Luoyu’s brows. The mercilessness and gloom in his eyes made Xiahou Luoyu shiver all over.
Xiahou Luoyu closed her eyes and silently shed tears.
“Gui Ling, let me go. I’ll let you go too. Wouldn’t that be better?”
“No!!”
Gui Ling roared angrily.
She actually still wanted to leave him!
Damn it! Damn it!!
Xiahou Luoyu became angry as well. She opened her eyes and shouted furiously.
“Why!! What exactly are you so obsessed with!!”
“I want you!”
“You don’t even love me. What meaning is there in forcibly keeping me by your side?”
“Who said I don’t love you!”
“!!!”
Xiahou Luoyu froze.
What had she just heard?
“Don’t leave me!”
Gui Ling gripped Xiahou Luoyu’s chin, his gaze burning fiercely as he spoke with a savage intensity.
“You are mine. In life, you are my woman; in death, you are my ghost!”
“You…”
Xiahou Luoyu looked at Gui Ling and, for once, actually stammered.
“Did you just say… you love me??”
“Yes.”
“L-liar!”
“I married you.”
If he didn’t love you, he wouldn’t have married you.
“Then why… why didn’t you say so before?”
Xiahou Luoyu held her neck stiffly, her face flushing red.
“You were always thinking about running away.”
Thinking of Xiahou Luoyu’s resistance toward him, Gui Ling’s expression turned cold.
“I won’t let you leave me. Even if you don’t love me, even if you hate me, I will keep you by my side. Even if all that remains is a corpse.”
Xiahou Luoyu was dumbfounded.
She felt as though her entire head was buzzing, her whole person completely stunned. Amid the buzzing in her mind, four words kept floating around:
You brought this upon yourself.
So, in the end, had the two of them actually been tricked by each other?
“…Gui Ling, you pervert!!”
“……”
Gui Ling.