The zombie behaved like a rabid beast, causing Tan Xinger to recoil each time she peeked out.
The longer she stayed, the heavier her previously held breath became, and the zombie's aggression gradually turned into suppression as it tried to pinpoint her location.
Feeling around on the ground, Tan Xinger seized something and seized the opportunity to throw it.
The sound in the dark night was particularly pronounced, and sure enough, the zombie was drawn to it, lunging in that direction.
Seizing the chance, Tan Xinger bolted outward, but the zombie's reaction was much quicker than she had imagined. Its movements were even more agile than the mutated zombies she encountered during the day.
Hearing the sound behind her, Tan Xinger was forced to change direction and run towards the staircase in a panic. In her haste, she accidentally bumped into the light switch on the wall.
Having been in the dark environment for so long, the sudden brightness caused Tan Xinger to squint. With narrowed eyes, she quickly sought out a place to hide.
The zombie also noticed Tan Xinger's trace and lunged towards her.
In her desperation, Tan Xinger pushed through the nearest door and darted inside.
At the last moment, she slammed the door shut and locked it.
Listening to the pounding on the door, Tan Xinger's heart pounded like a drum in her chest.
After banging for a while, the zombie seemed to tire out and gradually quieted down. Or perhaps it was lying in wait, ready to pounce and tear her apart at any moment.
The room was pitch black, with only a faint light seeping in through the crack under the door, unable to dispel the darkness like a stubborn resistance.
Feeling her way to the wall, Tan Xinger sat down, leaning against the solid surface, finally feeling like she had secured her life.
But before she could even sigh in relief, her extended foot seemed to touch something, yielding slightly.
Startled, she immediately drew her foot back, her whole body on edge.
"Don't mess with me."
Tan Xinger inwardly shouted, cautiously nudging back but finding no movement behind her.
"Is someone there?"
Tan Xinger whispered softly, her voice almost inaudible, but she dared not speak any louder, afraid of attracting the zombie outside the door.
But without figuring out what that thing was just now, she wouldn't be able to rest easy tonight. So, she mustered up her courage and stood up, feeling her way along the wall.
Finally, she found the switch near the door. After hesitating for a few moments, she took off her coat and draped it over the gap under the door to ensure the light wouldn't be too conspicuous before flipping the switch.
The sudden illumination made her instinctively squint, but in that instant of brightness, she also saw clearly what lay on the ground.
"Gu Jingyong!"
Tan Xinger couldn't believe her eyes as she looked at the man lying on the ground. Although she only saw half of his face, she immediately recognized him as the Gu Jingyong who had been separated from her not long ago.
"You're not dead, are you?"
Tan Xinger slowly approached, but when she was about to get close, she suddenly froze and jumped back in shock, staring at the wound on his right hand.
His black tactical jacket was torn open, revealing arms covered in wounds, the most conspicuous of which was the deep bite mark, almost exposing a whole chunk of flesh.
"Oh no, even you've turned into a zombie."
Tan Xinger stooped down in bewilderment, kneeling beside Gu Jingyong. Her gaze shifted from his wound to his face.
There were also small wounds on his fair face, giving it a shattered appearance. Tan Xinger couldn't help but make light of it, calling it the "best battle damage makeup of the year."
"But wait, why haven't you turned into a zombie? Players bitten by zombies should die directly, shouldn't they?"
Tan Xinger buried her head in her arms, resting her head on her knees, and after a few seconds of silence, she looked at the man lying on the ground with a puzzled expression.
There was no sign of him turning into a zombie, a qualified dead man.
"Did you return to the game, or were you really killed?"
Still, no one answered her. Tan Xinger felt an unprecedented sense of loneliness, banging her head against her knees.
Too busy mourning, she didn't notice that the man lying on the ground slowly opened his eyes, his somewhat clouded vision gradually clearing, focusing on her.
Gu Jingyong watched the world before him become clearer, his consciousness slowly returning. What shocked him even more was the content implied in the girl's clear and beautiful voice just now.
"How did you know I'm a player?"
A somewhat hoarse voice sounded, and Tan Xinger thought she was hallucinating, raising her head in astonishment to meet Gu Jingyong's scrutinizing gaze.
"You're not dead?"
Tan Xinger stood up abruptly, looking at him incredulously, then retreated a few steps like she was avoiding a ferocious beast or a flood, shrinking into the corner.
"You hiding there would still get you bitten by me," Gu Jingyong said, watching her avoiding him with a sudden smile tinged with loneliness, as if he had remembered something, then slowly closed his eyes.
"Hey, hey?" Tan Xinger watched him close his eyes, almost feeling his breath fade away, his pale face even more lifeless.
"Do you have water?" Someone she thought was dead suddenly spoke, and Tan Xinger had become accustomed to it, awkwardly laughing and saying, "No."
"But I'm very thirsty, what should I do?" Gu Jingyong propped himself up slowly, his gaze shifting to her.
Tan Xinger met his gaze, feeling a chill run down her spine, trying to press her back against the wall to reduce her presence.
"Hehe, endure it for a bit," Gu Jingyong stared at her like that, the darkness in his eyes like an endless abyss, just a glance was enough to plunge into infinite darkness, sinking forever.
The more Tan Xinger looked, the more panic she felt in her heart. Hastily avoiding his gaze, she tried to find a hole in the ground.
"Your blood must be very delicious and thirst-quenching, right? If I drink your blood..."
A cold voice echoed in the room, breaking through Tan Xinger's defenses instantly.
"Wuwu, my blood isn't good to drink!"
Tan Xinger pinched her own hand, bravely looking at Gu Jingyong.
"Hehe, don't scare me."
Tan Xinger took small steps towards him, trying to appear relaxed.
"You won't kill me, will you?"
Tan Xinger squatted down, meeting Gu Jingyong's gaze, dispelling the panic in her eyes.
She saw her reflection in Gu Jingyong's eyes, messy hair covering her face, not much better than Gu Jingyong's disheveled appearance.
As she looked at the wound on Gu Jingyong's hand and was about to reach out, suddenly Gu Jingyong leaned towards her with unstoppable force.
"Gu Jingyong!"
Tan Xinger's voice of horror sounded, feeling the force on her neck, cold sweat broke out on her back, her panic completely exposed.
She fell backward onto the ground, feeling a moment of darkness before hearing the sound of wood breaking.
Wood chips splashed onto her face, stinging her skin for a moment, making her slightly more awake.
Next, her whole body was lifted up, just like in the alley before, being put behind someone.
The person in front of her was clearly seriously injured, but still stood in front of her like a solid guard.
Tan Xinger's gaze passed through Gu Jingyong and fell on the zombie opposite, its crimson tongue swaying around, having just broken into the room by piercing through the door.
The zombie seemed to become even more formidable, and Tan Xinger looked at Gu Jingyong with some concern.
Blood trickled down his arms and dripped from his fingertips to the ground.
With a few steps back, Tan Xinger distanced herself, trying not to interfere with his movements.
Soon, Gu Jingyong began to fight the zombie, fists to flesh, bloody and violent.
Tan Xinger stared at him intently, noticing that Gu Jingyong's right hand, which had hardly moved, added a few more points to her anxiety.
Her eyes scanned the room, trying to find something that could help him.
Gu Jingyong kept an eye on Tan Xinger's movements while grappling with the zombie. Turning his head, he saw her trying to tear down the curtains, seeming to want to pull them down.
With a tug at the corners of his mouth, Gu Jingyong reached behind him and stabbed the zombie's chest with his dagger, pushing forward with force.
The zombie crashed into the wall, the tip of the knife piercing its chest, even so, the zombie still opened its mouth wide, its long tongue curling from the side of Gu Jingyong's face, carrying a foul odor.
Its sharp teeth pierced through the fabric of his sleeve, almost touching his skin, but before it could, it was kicked in the head, falling heavily to the side.
"Move away!"
!ChatGPT
Tan Xinger rushed over, holding the curtain. Gu Jingyong instinctively shifted his body aside, watching as Tan Xinger swiftly wrapped the zombie up with the curtain.
She quickly tied the ends together, trapping the struggling zombie inside.
The zombie, still struggling, distorted the shape of the curtain, emitting sharp cries in the night like the wails of a ghost, causing ears to ache.
"Um, are you okay?" Tan Xinger gasped, still not fully recovered, but her eyes glanced over Gu Jingyong a few times before looking away as he turned to her.
"I'm fine. This place isn't safe. Let's go somewhere else," Gu Jingyong shook his head, his complexion even worse than before, as if he would collapse with a gust of wind.
Tan Xinger was instantly alert at his words, nodding hastily. "I feel like there are many eyes watching us. Let's go quickly."
"Yeah, being watched feels really ominous," Gu Jingyong had already made his way to the staircase. The hallway lights had been damaged by the zombie, casting a dim light, making Gu Jingyong look like a shadow.
His words were light, yet strangely unsettling, putting Tan Xinger somewhat at ease.
Tan Xinger glanced at the still writhing zombie on the ground before hurrying to catch up with Gu Jingyong, their footsteps gradually overlapping.
A few seconds after she left, there was a muffled sound from the room.
"Boom."
The writhing zombie suddenly exploded, like fireworks, splattering blood and flesh everywhere, gradually soaking the floor of the room with blood.
Everything happened silently and stealthily, and Tan Xinger was completely unaware, following behind Gu Jingyong, pondering her words.
Gu Jingyong remained silent, not saying a word, either ignoring her or too tired to respond.
He already knew that his identity as a player had been exposed, and there were some things they could now openly discuss.
With this in mind, Tan Xinger once again looked straight at his back, towering over her with a powerful and sturdy body hidden beneath his clothes, exuding immense strength.
Yet, he always gave off a cold and heavy silence.
"Let's take a break and talk?" Tan Xinger approached a storefront, and as soon as she stopped, the person in front of her also halted without hesitation.
Damn synchronization made Tan Xinger's gaze at him even more complex.
"I know you're a player, and I know you came for me, right?" Tan Xinger asked, not knowing why she asked this question first when she should have asked how to leave this instance.
"Yes, only for you," Gu Jingyong replied without hesitation, looking her straight in the eye, his gaze unwavering, leaving Tan Xinger unable to guess his intentions.
He said he came only for her.