Chapter 19: Escape (Part One)

"Buckle up! Here we go!"

With a single step on the gas, the pedal was pressed all the way down.

Fortunately, Lingzi and Little Bean had braced themselves in advance. Otherwise, even with the solid protective bars surrounding the vehicle, they would have been thrown out at this speed.

And this speed...

Lingzi suddenly remembered that Moyu didn't even have a driver's license! The thought flashed through her mind—this is the end—before she blacked out completely.

"M-Miss Mo, Sister Nan has fainted!" Li Jun watched as Nan Lingzi's complexion shifted from the rosy flush of running, to a sickly pallor during the drive, and now to a ghastly green as she lost consciousness. He spoke up, his voice anxious.

Moyu glanced back at them amid the chaos.

"Oh, it's nothing. She's just fallen asleep."

"Asleep?"

"Mm."

Luckily, at that moment, Qingxuan was still lost in the afterglow of that kiss, her mind filled with pink bubbles, or she would have snapped at Li Jun—You have no right to talk to my person.

From this moment on, Qingxuan's self-proclaimed "master" status was effectively muted.

Lingzi had indeed fallen into a deep, unconscious sleep. Moyu knew that today had been too much of a blow for her. Perhaps it was just as well. A good sleep, and tomorrow she would have to face reality.

Moyu truly had no idea what became of Nan Lingzi in her past life, when she wasn't by her side. Thankfully, this time, she was here.

In the back seat, Li Jun was the only one still awake. He watched Moyu, half in a daze as she drove, his nerves stretched taut. The car plowed ruthlessly through the crowd, the sound of zombie skulls crunching under the wheels echoing in his ears—crack, crunch.

Alongside the guttural roars of the undead and the sight of familiar, decaying faces, he too finally succumbed in terror and fainted in spectacular fashion.

Moyu, only just coming back to herself, noticed Li Jun had passed out as well, and slipped into quiet contemplation.

This child's resilience was impressive, his capacity for learning equally so. He was bound for great things in the future. She wondered how her beloved Chi Chi was faring now, how her parents were...

By the time Moyu collected herself, the car had exited the military district. In just a short while, the once pristine vehicle was now splattered with blood. There were those desperately pleading for rescue, but Moyu knew she couldn't save everyone. She was only human, not a god.

And Li Jun—yes, in his past life, he was the famed ten-year-old healer who became known far and wide. He was truly formidable.

It was already four in the afternoon, the sun sinking unnoticed as an array of zombies wandered the streets.

This was the difference between commoners and officials. The average person wouldn't abandon you, but an officer would leave behind soldiers to protect their own, to ensure their safety.

Of course, if a high-ranking official privy to state secrets fell into enemy hands, the consequences would be dire. Even in a global catastrophe, you could never rule out the existence of depraved scoundrels who might do the unthinkable.

Disasters revealed both the darkness and the hypocrisy lurking in human nature.

Behind the towering buildings, pairs of envious, mocking, and greedy eyes fixed on the heavily armored vehicle barreling down the street.

They wanted to cry out for help, but terror of attracting the flesh-eating fiends kept them silent.

"Brother Biao, look at that car... If only we could take it for ourselves..." A shifty-eyed man couldn't hide his greed.

Wang Biao, his face square and thoughtful, glanced at his "strategist" Li De, then at the armored vehicle struggling forward.

He thought to himself, "Anyone who could react this quickly and come so well-prepared isn't some ordinary person. To be bold enough to hit the road now—they must be formidable. But that car... I can't just let it go."

His eyes flicked to the dozen or so survivors huddled by the wall, and a smug smile crept onto his lips. These men were all seasoned fighters. And wasn't there an old saying? Even a hero can't stand against a crowd. Who cares who you are? The law doesn't apply anymore. Who's going to stop me now?

As Wang Biao pondered, Li De exchanged a furtive glance with a burly man sitting alone by the wall. The man gave a subtle nod in response.

A sly grin tugged at Li De's lips, like a fox that had just stolen a hen.

He was unaware that Wang Biao was watching his every move. Wang Biao was greedy, but not foolish. Those two had been close even before the apocalypse. What did that imply?

"Hmph!" Wang Biao snorted inwardly.

Moyu looked up at the sky. It was getting late. They really should have left City A sooner, and now the weather looked like it could turn at any moment. Running the air conditioning in the car would burn more fuel, and although she had enough gas, she frowned at the two sleeping uncomfortably in the back.

Days ahead would only get harder. Even sleeping in a bed would become a luxury. While they could still enjoy such comforts, she would let them.

Her gaze drifted to the endless rows of cars clogging the road ahead.

“Sigh… Let’s hope more people manage to escape tomorrow.”

Not that she was being charitable—it was just that the more people who escaped, the fewer cars would block the streets.

With a screech of tires, the car made a sharp turn.

A sickening crunch as the wheels rolled over two corpses.

Moyu barreled into the underground garage of a nearby shopping center. A few scattered zombies, drawn by the scent of flesh, began to converge.

She parked safely, then ruthlessly shook the two sleeping forms awake.

Even Moyu was speechless—how could they sleep so soundly at a time like this?

Little did they realize, her presence was the biggest reason for their peaceful slumber. With her there, they felt safe.

As soon as they were shaken awake, they were tossed out of the car to deal with the zombies. Still groggy, they broke out in a cold sweat at the sight before them and, without thinking, began to swing their weapons.

“Don’t go too far!” Moyu observed their movements and results with satisfaction, then turned and climbed back into the car, closing the door behind her.

Qingxuan, meanwhile, slept quietly on Moyu’s neck.

If only one could ignore the tail curled around the soft swell on Moyu’s chest.

Suppressing the urge to strangle the snake, Moyu gently tried to remove its tail.

With a swish, the little tail slipped back, winding itself even tighter.

Moyu, losing patience, began to tug at the snake’s tail, which wriggled in protest.

Finally, she managed to pull it off—only for it to wrap back around in an instant.

“What’s this?” The little snake, Qingxuan, secretly cracked open one eye and peered into Moyu’s clothing.

There, its tail was wrapped tightly around Moyu’s small, rosy bud.

In a flash, both of them blushed as if on cue. Moyu’s face turned red, while Qingxuan’s entire body flushed, even the little tail trembling, and the bud, rubbed by the snake’s tail, slowly hardened.

Moyu was furious.

Fine, now she was truly angry out of embarrassment.