"Is there anything else you need to pack?"
Gu Jingyong looked at her empty backpack lying on the ground, devoid of anything, while there were some bread crumbs at the corner of her mouth.
"I'll just carry it."
Tan xinger obediently put on her small backpack and followed behindGu Jingyong. She saw him secure a rope and then toss it down, giving it a tug to ensure it was stable.
"What do you want to say?"
Gu Jingyong turned back and metTan xinger's somewhat surprised gaze, her expression thick with confusion. He paused for a moment before asking.
"Why did you come up to the rooftop?"
Tan xinger recalled from yesterday when she first saw him until now when he was heading up to the rooftop, he didn't do anything special, and now they were going back down from the rooftop. It seemed to her that he was... bored.
"To return a lost item."
Gu Jingyong's response was succinct, his expression serious.Tan xinger almost suspected he was cracking a dry joke.
To fight through a crowd of zombies just to return a lost backpack. Quite a sense of humor.
"Hehehe."
Tan xinger chuckled awkwardly, her gaze shifting to the traces of a knife in his backpack. She found an explanation there. That's just how big brothers do things.
"It's time to go. Let's move!"
Tan xinger dutifully reported toGu Jingyong as the clock struck twelve.
"Mhm."
Gu Jingyong glanced around. There were a considerable number of zombies already attracted by their movements and were heading towards them.
"Hold onto me, and grab onto my backpack tightly."
Gu Jingyong leaped over the railing, andTan xinger, who had been struggling to get over, was taken aback.
"Hey hey hey."
Tan xinger hadn't realized what was happening yet. After a few steps, she heard the sound of something heavy landing behind her.
Instinctively, she turned around and saw a zombie that had somehow appeared out of nowhere, pouncing on the ground. If she had been a few steps slower, she would have been underneath it.
"Hiss."
Feeling the pressure of survival,Tan xinger picked herself up and started running.
SensingTan xinger's adrenaline,Gu Jingyong glanced at her and, just before she took a wrong turn, pulled her back.
"Sorry, took a wrong turn."
Tan xinger bent over, hands on her knees, panting heavily. She watchedGu Jingyong calmly and couldn't help but feel envious. He didn't even break a sweat.
"Can you ride a bike?"
Gu Jingyong's words were always concise, leavingTan xinger struggling to understand him quickly.
After a moment of hesitation, she nodded. "I can ride a bicycle and an electric bike."
"Good."
Gu Jingyong kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. There were already a lot of zombies nearby, attracted by their commotion, and were converging on their location.
"Follow me closely."
Gu Jingyong said as he swiftly made his way out, leavingTan xinger dumbfounded.
"Wait for me!"
Tan xinger shouted, tossing aside the twigs in her hands. She couldn't help but admire: a big brother is a big brother, no need for any pretense.
FollowingGu Jingyong,Tan xinger didn't forget her duty as a little sister, occasionally looking back to see if any zombies were following.
When they were about ten meters away from the pavilion in the center of the lake, the zombie, engrossed in gnawing on a pillar, finally noticed them.
In that moment,Tan xinger felt as if a beam of light had struck her, revealing the zombie's thirst for x blood.
"That zombie seems a bit..."
"Bang."
Ripples spread across the lake as the zombie, impaled by a steel pipe hurled at it, plunged into the water.
Tan xinger stood frozen in place, dumbfounded, watching as the zombie's author of that masterpiece, her words stuck in her throat, firmly said:
"Weak!"
"Come to think of it, that..."
"The steel pipe was found on the ground."
Gu Jingyong instinctively continued the conversation, and for the next few seconds, the two locked eyes once again.
Finally, Tan xinger saw his eyes clearly, as cold and indifferent as his voice, akin to the moon in the sky.
Visible but forever elusive, the fleeting thoughts hid too quickly for Tan xinger to catch.
"Sorry for interrupting you."
Gu Jingyong also paused, then reacted with a somewhat apologetic explanation.
"No worries."
Tan xinger quickly waved her hand, indicating that she didn't mind. She silently marveled: Big Brother even knows what I want to ask. He truly deserves the title of Big Brother!
"Be careful."
Gu Jingyong approached the pavilion cautiously, avoiding things on the ground.
Tan xinger understood why he had warned her only when she entered. There was a corpse on the ground, partially eaten, with blood and bones exposed.
Glancing at the pillar, she noticed it was splattered with blood. No wonder the zombie was so enthusiastic about gnawing on it.
The gruesome sight made Tan xinger feel uncomfortable all over, her face turning pale.
Her stomach churned, and eventually, she couldn't hold it in, leaning over the railing to vomit everything she had eaten that morning.
When she finished retching, trembling, she met the gaze of a pair of eyes filled with apology. Her surprise seemed to remindGu Jingyong, and he quickly suppressed that expression.
"Can you continue?"
Gu Jingyong asked her in a low voice, as if she couldn't, he would carry her himself.
As soon as this thought came to her, Tan xinger immediately suppressed it, patting her head. She felt a bit delirious, wondering why such strange thoughts were popping into her head.
"I can."
Dragging her feet, the little sister must keep up!
After observing that her complexion was relatively normal,Gu Jingyong continued forward.
Fortunately, or perhaps due to luck, they encountered few zombies in the campus overrun with them, easily evading any that came their way.
It wasn't until later that Tan xinger realized someone had cleared the way for them.
With no obstacles, they soon arrived at the parking lot near the South Gate.
In the distance, they could see chaos reigning supreme. The area near the South Gate was crowded with more zombies and was much more chaotic.
This used to be a parking spot for day students, but now bicycles and electric bikes were scattered all over, leaving a mess behind.
"Do you see that car?"
Gu Jingyong turned back toTan xinger and pointed in the direction of a electric bike.
However, it was the security guard's patrol car, complete with its alarm blaring.
"Yeah, huh?"
Tan xinger looked at him questioningly. "Are we riding that?"
"Yes, there are keys on it."
Gu Jingyong explained, handing the backpack to Tan xinger. After she put it on, he gave her some instructions.
"I'll escort you out first, then go ride the bike. If anything happens, run along the alley."
Gu Jingyong led her to the wall. Climbing over it would lead them outside the school.
"No! How can I let you go alone? It's too dangerous."
Tan xinger refused without thinking. Who would split up with their big brother in a life-or-death situation? That's just asking for trouble.
"No."
Gu Jingyong's face darkened as he looked at her, his tone firm.
However, Tan xinger felt a hint of hostility in those two words.
"I'm sorry, I'll go now!"
Tan xinger instantly remembered her role as the little sister and hurried to the wall.
But despite her efforts, she couldn't get over the wall. She ended up watchingGu Jingyong with wide eyes.
Gu Jingyong watched her swift movements, slightly surprised, then walked over and squatted down, lifting her onto the wall.
Sitting astride the wall, as soon as she turned around, she saw several zombies not far away and instinctively crouched down.
"Trouble, trouble, there are zombies over there."
Tan xinger frowned, looking atGu Jingyong. Unbeknownst to her, she had quickly become reliant on this stranger she had recently met.
"It's okay, they can't reach you."
Gu Jingyong reassured her in a low voice after making sure she was stable.
"Go on now, stay safe."
Tan xinger gripped the wall with both hands, afraid to move.
SeeingGu Jingyong still here, she urged him in a low voice.
"Go on, I'll wait for you to come back."
Tan xinger made a small victory gesture, smiling atGu Jingyong.
"Alright, I'll be back."
Gu Jingyong paused for a moment before saying, under his cap, his eyes seemed to be surging with something, all because of her casual remark.