A Fake Holy Mother in the Zombie Apocalypse

Bei Nuan and Lu Xingchi walked back together.

It was the hottest time of the day. The sun was scorching, red dust swirled in the air, and the few trees by the roadside drooped listlessly.

The two walked side-by-side, very close. His hand brushed against hers, almost imperceptibly.

He seemed to want to hold her hand but hesitated, unlike his usual decisive manner.

Normally, he would just take her hand without asking.

Today, for some reason, he was suddenly shy. Perhaps because there were so many people on the road?

"I wonder what kind of place that Taiping Gate is," Lu Xingchi casually chatted with Bei Nuan.

Bei Nuan could feel his hand reaching out again as he spoke, the back of his hand lightly brushing against her wrist, a touch and go, a subtle dance of nearness and distance.

A delicate ambiguity flowed between them.

"A place that Captain Zheng is so desperate to find might be special. We'll find out when we go," Bei Nuan replied, trying to match his casual and indifferent tone.

They were nearing their apartment building, almost home.

A strange restlessness stirred within Bei Nuan.

She quietly hooked her pinky finger, touching the tip of Lu Xingchi's finger.

Her hand was instantly grasped.

Like a little rabbit daring to peek its head out, she was successfully captured by the hunter who had been laying bait at the entrance of the burrow.

Lu Xingchi looked down at her, his face filled with the triumphant smile of a successful scheme.

It was a seductive trap, and he was the villain.

Bei Nuan struggled to free her hand.

Lu Xingchi didn't insist, releasing her hand. He took off his bag, handed it to her, and bent down in front of her.

"Hop on. I'll carry you upstairs."

Bei Nuan was puzzled, unsure of his intentions.

Lu Xingchi insisted, "Come on."

Fine, she'd let him carry her.

Bei Nuan jumped onto his back, clinging to him, her arms wrapped around his neck.

Lu Xingchi stood up effortlessly, supporting her legs, and carried her into the building.

The old-fashioned stairwell was dimly lit, and the faint sounds of people from other apartments created a dreamlike atmosphere.

Six floors was not a short climb, but Lu Xingchi ascended with brisk steps, carrying her as if she weighed nothing.

Except for being carried by her father when she was very young, Bei Nuan hadn't been carried like this for many, many years.

It wasn't tiring at all; she didn't have to worry about a thing.

His back was broad and comfortable; she could almost fall asleep.

Bei Nuan rested on his back, quietly obedient.

The six floors seemed to pass by in a blink of an eye.

As Lu Xingchi opened the door, Bei Nuan jumped down from his back and shouted, "Du Ruo! Du Ruo! Look what we brought back for you!"

The large sofa in the living room was now Du Ruo's territory. He emerged from its depths, poking his head out, sleepy-eyed. "Is there anything good to eat?"

Food was always his primary concern.

Bei Nuan said excitedly, "Not food, but your viral suppressant!"

This brought out Jiang Fei and Tang Tang as well. "Viral suppressant? Really?"

Bei Nuan carefully retrieved the small glass vial and the piece of paper from her space, placing them preciously in the center of the dining table.

Everyone was allowed to look but not touch.

They gathered around, examining the hard-won, magical little bottle.

Lu Xingchi recounted the events in detail, ensuring he didn't miss a single point.

Jiang Fei stared at the vial, pondering. "Is it reliable?"

Du Ruo said with certainty, "I think it is. This should be the suppressant. I have a feeling about that person; I don't think he would harm me."

Then, he touched his head in confusion. "But is my fur curly?"

Bei Nuan burst out laughing. Looking closely, the tips of Du Ruo's soft fur were indeed a bit curled.

"Should you inject it now?" Tang Tang asked.

Du Ruo considered for a moment. "I think I can inject it now. If it wasn't meant for now, he would have left a message telling me."

He asked Bei Nuan to fetch the medical kit, took out a disposable needle, and surveyed the onlookers.

Finally, he sighed. No one looked particularly reliable, so Dr. Du ended up giving himself the injection.

Everyone held their breath as the needle went in.

After a long while, Du Ruo still seemed fine, clear-headed and alert. Everyone finally relaxed.

They didn't know how much longer this extra injection would give Du Ruo.

Jiang Fei paced back and forth, keeping a close eye on Du Ruo's eyes. Suddenly, he asked, "What do you want to eat for lunch?"

Bei Nuan couldn't help but smile.

Jiang Fei was resorting to his ultimate move, planning to sustain Du Ruo with delicious food again.

Du Ruo pondered seriously for a while before saying, "I haven't had spicy food in a long time. I suddenly crave Kou Shui Ji (Mouth-Watering Chicken)."

This wasn't Jiang Fei's specialty. He thought for a moment. "I'll have to figure out how to make it…"

Bei Nuan looked at Lu Xingchi, thinking that he had been reading so many cookbooks; there must be a recipe in there.

Before Lu Xingchi could speak, Tang Tang jumped in. "Kou Shui Ji? I know how to make it; it's my dad's specialty dish. I used to eat it all the time."

The first thing Tang Tang, now in charge of cooking, did was ask Bei Nuan for ice, saying that the chicken had to be chilled in ice water for the skin to be firm and the meat tender.

Bei Nuan didn't actually have ice cubes, so she contributed her precious popsicles, putting them in a bag to cool down the chicken.

Lu Xingchi came over to observe, saying expertly, "Similar to Bai Zhan Ji (Poached Chicken), it's essential to chill it in ice water. Otherwise, why don't we make more ice for later use?"

Boss Lu's reading hadn't been in vain.

He had been diligently studying, and although he still wasn't very good at cooking, his theoretical knowledge had greatly improved.

Bei Nuan simply took out the generator, connected it to the refrigerator, and started making ice cubes with Lu Xingchi.

Du Ruo suddenly remembered something.

"Lu Xingchi, stop making ice and come help me with something that demonstrates your irreplaceable value."

Lu Xingchi raised an eyebrow, waiting to hear what he had to say.

Du Ruo said, "Yesterday, when I joined the search team, they all looked down on my Minghong Saber. Can you embed that ruby Bei Nuan gave me on the handle to make it look more impressive?"

Bei Nuan thought silently: The reason they look down on your saber isn't because it's missing a ruby on the handle.

Lu Xingchi said bluntly, "I can control metal, not plastic."

"How do you know if you don't try?"

Du Ruo persisted, instructing Bei Nuan to take out the saber and the ruby. He examined them, placed the beautiful, translucent ruby squarely on the handle, and said to Lu Xingchi, "Go ahead."

Lu Xingchi glanced at it and said, "No."

Du Ruo was dissatisfied. "You didn't even try seriously."

Lu Xingchi focused his gaze on it again, but after a moment, he still said, "It really won't work."

If the boss couldn't control it, the saber was definitely plastic.

While making ice cubes, Bei Nuan offered Du Ruo a suggestion. "Why don't you use a small knife to carve a hole in the handle and then glue the ruby on? Wouldn't that work?"

Du Ruo refused. "No. Gluing it on would make it look like a cosplay prop."

Everyone thought simultaneously: Isn't it?

Du Ruo dejectedly asked Bei Nuan to put the saber and the ruby back into her space.

Bei Nuan comforted him. "I'll find you a real good saber in the future, the kind that's razor-sharp and can cut iron like mud." She added, "Definitely sharpened."

Tang Tang's Kou Shui Ji was quickly ready. In addition to the chicken, he also made a table full of dishes from his hometown, all with bright red chili peppers, both spicy and numbing, perfectly meeting Du Ruo's requirements.

Tang Tang had made the chili oil himself, with plenty of Sichuan peppercorns and just the right seasonings. The chicken was tender, and the other dishes weren't as popular as the Kou Shui Ji.

Everyone was vying for the chicken, with Du Ruo being the fastest. Even though Tang Tang had made two chickens, it didn't seem to be enough.

Moreover, every time, Du Ruo and Bei Nuan would target the same piece of meat, like natural rivals.

Lu Xingchi seemed preoccupied, lost in thought.

As Bei Nuan and Du Ruo were in the midst of their heated battle, she suddenly noticed that Lu Xingchi had joined the fray.

Every time Bei Nuan and Du Ruo reached for the same piece of meat simultaneously, Lu Xingchi would always snatch it first.

Then, he would put the captured meat into Bei Nuan's bowl.

With Boss Lu's help, Bei Nuan immediately gained the upper hand, feeling triumphant.

"What Song Ce said should be true," Lu Xingchi said out of the blue as he helped her grab meat.

So that's what he was thinking about.

Bei Nuan thought to herself, of course, it was true. Using the "Obedience" ability to make Song Ce tell the truth meant that what he said must be true.

Lu Xingchi, with his keen observation skills, could also tell that Song Ce wasn't lying.

Du Ruo, while searching for the best-looking piece of chicken with his eyes, said, "That Song Ce has a way to make a vaccine. How can we help him?"

Jiang Fei chuckled. "He doesn't trust us. Otherwise, he could come with us."

Lu Xingchi replied calmly, "It doesn't matter if he doesn't come with us. At least we can clear the obstacles for him so he can move forward smoothly."

Bei Nuan thought to herself: Huo Ren, you're in trouble.

Lu Xingchi had clearly raised the priority of killing Huo Ren significantly.

When Lu Xingchi stood up to get more rice, the chicken plate was empty, with only one piece left.

Bei Nuan was quick, pressing down on it with her chopsticks.

Du Ruo was just as fast, clamping down on the other end of the chicken.

For a moment, it was a standoff between experts, neither willing to yield.

Their gazes met, sparks flying.

Not to mention Du Ruo's strength, his chopstick skills alone were far superior to Bei Nuan's. The chicken was inching its way towards him, bit by bit.

Without Boss Lu's help, Bei Nuan was at a disadvantage.

Bei Nuan thought to herself, it seemed she had to unleash her ultimate move.

She silently recited in her mind: Good boy, be obedient.

"Du Ruo, let go!" Bei Nuan stared at Du Ruo, her face serious, like a martial arts master delivering a final blow.

As if struck by lightning, Du Ruo's hand holding the chopsticks froze, his grip loosening, and his chopsticks stopping in mid-air.

Bei Nuan swiftly snatched the last precious piece of chicken.

Lu Xingchi returned with the rice and sat down again.

He had been preoccupied and hadn't eaten much, so Bei Nuan put the chicken in his bowl.

Lu Xingchi looked up from his thoughts and smiled at Bei Nuan, then put the chicken back in her bowl.

"The last piece, you eat it."

Bei Nuan gave it back to him. "You eat it. I've already had a lot."

Lu Xingchi thought for a moment. "How about we share it?"

He deftly divided the chicken in half with his chopsticks, putting the larger portion into Bei Nuan's bowl.

The two lovingly shared their spoils of war. Du Ruo watched silently from across the table, looking a bit aggrieved. Suddenly, he said, "I've discovered that being in a relationship isn't entirely without its benefits."

Bei Nuan, chewing on the spicy, tender chicken, thought to herself that the ability to make Du Ruo let go of food was incredibly powerful.

She had to use it while she could. Such a useful ability would be wasted if she didn't use it now.

After lunch, Bei Nuan returned to her room and lay on the bed, reading a novel. After a short while, Lu Xingchi came in.

He also had a book in hand and sat down on the chair at Bei Nuan's desk.

"Tang Tang and the others are too noisy outside. I'll sit here for a while," he explained.

Bei Nuan thought to herself: Boss Lu, do you have to be so proactive about presenting yourself?

It was like he was asking to be teased.

Bei Nuan looked him over.

His OCD was hopeless. Having returned from outside, he had already washed up and changed his clothes, looking neat, refreshed, and pleasing to the eye.

The wicked thoughts in Bei Nuan's mind bobbed up and down like buoys on the water, suppressed and then resurfacing, stubbornly persistent.

She could do anything to him, and he would forget everything after a while.

There was no one else here, not even anyone to tell him what had happened.

It was a golden opportunity, never to be repeated.

Bei Nuan cautiously checked the countdown for "Obedience" first. The numbers were still steadily ticking down, not stopped.

Bei Nuan glanced at the little bear alarm clock on the bedside table, making a mental note of the time.

Then, she solemnly recited in her mind: Good boy, be obedient.

Within five minutes, the spell only needed to be cast once.

Bei Nuan recited it clearly in her mind, word by word, ensuring it would take effect.

Then, she knelt up on the bed, took a deep breath, and called to him in the tone of the Big Bad Wolf luring Little Red Riding Hood: "Lu Xingchi?"

Lu Xingchi looked up from his book and towards Bei Nuan.

Bei Nuan gazed into his eyes. "Come here, stand here."

Lu Xingchi hesitated for a moment, then stood up and walked to the bedside.

Bei Nuan extended a finger and poked his chest.

His chest muscles were thick and elastic; Bei Nuan had wanted to poke them for a long time.

As expected, Lu Xingchi obediently stood still, letting her poke him, only asking, "Why are you poking me?"

"It's fun," Bei Nuan replied, then reached out and squeezed his arm. "Your muscles are really firm."

Lu Xingchi smiled. "Do you like them?"

Bei Nuan, fearless now, seriously hummed in agreement, poked him a few more times, and then directly commanded, "Then hug me."

As if receiving an order, Lu Xingchi immediately pulled Bei Nuan tightly into his arms.

Bei Nuan snuggled comfortably against him, then looked up into his eyes. "Why don't you… kiss me?"

Without hesitation, Lu Xingchi reached out and cupped the back of her head.

But Bei Nuan said, "Wait."

She took a lychee-flavored candy from her space, put it in her mouth, looked up at Lu Xingchi expectantly, and asked softly, "Do you want some candy?"

Lu Xingchi's eyes instantly darkened, and he said hoarsely, "Yes."

Then, he kissed her deeply.

Bei Nuan had always thought she had seen his passionate side, but she never imagined he could be like this.

As if he intended to devour her and the candy together.

He swept over her like a storm, destroying everything, and soon pressed her down on the small bed.

They were so close that Bei Nuan could hear his heart pounding like a drum.

He asked in her ear, "What else do you want? I can give you anything."

The situation was getting out of control.

"No more," Bei Nuan quickly said. "That's enough. Let me up now."

Lu Xingchi didn't move. He paused for a moment, as if taking a deep breath, before releasing her and rolling over to sit up.

Bei Nuan felt something was wrong.

She glanced at the little bear alarm clock. Five minutes hadn't passed yet.

If it hadn't been five minutes, why did he hesitate for a moment after receiving the command instead of executing it immediately?

Lu Xingchi was sitting up, still holding Bei Nuan's hand, gazing at her with lingering affection.

A terrifying thought popped into Bei Nuan's head.

She opened the task panel and clicked on the small triangle icon after "Obedience."

The list of names had grown longer.

From Lu Xingchi to Du Ruo, there were now five names in total.

Everyone Bei Nuan had controlled with her ability was listed.

Bei Nuan pulled her hand away, jumped off the bed, rushed to the door, and opened it.

"Du Ruo!" she called.

Du Ruo, who was playing on his phone, poked his head out from the sofa. "What's up?"

Bei Nuan quickly recited "Good boy, be obedient" in her mind, then stared into Du Ruo's eyes and said, "Next time we have hot pot, let's make it clear: all the yellow throat belongs to me!"

Du Ruo immediately scoffed, "You're dreaming!"

Then, he flopped back onto the sofa and continued playing his game.

The ability had no effect on him.

The "Obedience" countdown was still ticking, but the ability didn't work on him, which could only mean one thing—

Du Ruo was now immune to the ability.

The most reasonable explanation was that "Obedience" could only be used once on the same person.

So that list might be an immunity list, and everyone listed on it was now immune to Bei Nuan's ability.

Bei Nuan wanted to die.

Leaning against the door, she carefully recalled how she had used the ability on Lu Xingchi today.

The earliest use was probably when she instructed him to agree to Captain Zheng's request to retrieve the item, and he later showed signs of amnesia regarding that event.

What about after that?

From making him sing, make faces, and imitate a puppy in the morning, to just now touching and hugging him…

If she could only use "Obedience" on him once, then all the rest was done while he was completely normal?

And he wouldn't forget any of it?

Bei Nuan turned to look at Lu Xingchi in despair.

Lu Xingchi was still sitting on her small bed, relaxed and comfortable, as if he had been observing her expression the entire time.

He didn't seem surprised by her sudden jump off the bed and her declaration at the door about claiming the yellow throat from the hot pot.

He even seemed quite amused.

Bei Nuan struggled to find her voice and asked, "Lu Xingchi, what's the name of the song you sang to me this morning?"

Bei Nuan thought she saw the corners of Lu Xingchi's mouth curve upwards.

His tone was calm. "It's a lullaby I heard when I was little. I don't know what it's called."

He! Remembered! Everything!

Teasing him like that in the morning was one thing, but just now, she had touched and hugged him, even putting a candy in her mouth and inviting him to have a taste.

It was utterly mortifying.

Like a ghost, Bei Nuan said faintly, "Lu Xingchi… I need to go out for some air. You… absolutely cannot follow me."

Then, she drifted out the door.

ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ

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