Poisoned to Death
Lin Bing paid no attention to her appearance, devouring her food hungrily.
Shu Xue sat beside her, fair-skinned and beautiful, dressed in a white dress that stood out in the post-apocalyptic world. She gently patted Lin Bing's back, saying, "Eat slower. There's no one here to take it from you. I know how hard it's been for you out there. This meal was specially made for you. Take your time, please."
Lin Bing ignored Shu Xue's words. It had been five days since she had eaten properly. When hunger pangs struck outside the city, she could only curl up in pain on the ground, an experience she couldn't forget.
Since the zombie outbreak three years ago, they had followed the main force to the Chaoyang base and survived until now. Shu Xue was Lin Bing's close friend from childhood, their relationship deeply intimate.
Shu Xue had a spatial ability, a growth space that could be upgraded with land for cultivation. In the post-apocalypse, she became very popular, her beauty even more striking amidst the chaos. Shu Xue also had a secret: she could heal.
Initially known only to Lin Bing's fiancé, Chu Fei, one day Lin Bing discovered Chu Fei and Shu Xue together in secret, helping Chu Fei with his treatment. Lin Bing quietly left, fearing their discovery.
Yes, the two had long been involved.
But what could Lin Bing do? She had ice abilities and a sickly mother. Staying at the Chaoyang base required credits, and ordinary people needed more. Her mother's health deteriorated despite her abilities, unable to maintain proper nutrition. Lin Bing had to join the team to earn credits by hunting zombies every month, barely enough for her and her mother to survive. She spent most of her time outside the city, leaving her mother in Shu Xue's care. As for Chu Fei and Shu Xue's affair, compared to survival, what did it matter?
She didn't understand why Chu Fei, who clearly loved Shu Xue so deeply, hadn't broken off their engagement.
Did these two love the thrill of forbidden love?
Lin Bing died halfway through her meal.
The food was poisoned.
As she died, Lin Bing thought, what a waste of that table of food.
After death, she floated in the air, watching Shu Xue emotionlessly check her breath until confirming her death, then calling Chu Fei over. Shu Xue stood guard at the door while Chu Fei smashed open Lin Bing's skull with a rock. Lin Bing was nauseated by the sight of her own brain matter, but Chu Fei seemed unaffected, wearing white gloves as he reached into her skull and retrieved the energy core.
At that moment, Shu Xue approached, seeing the white energy core in Chu Fei's hand, a smile in her eyes.
Chu Fei cleaned the energy core with water and handed it to Shu Xue, saying with a smile, "Now your space can be upgraded."
Before Chu Fei, Shu Xue lowered her head, tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry, Xiaobing." She sobbed, looking pitiful.
Chu Fei lovingly hugged her, "There's nothing to be sorry about. If not for you, she wouldn't have survived to this day. Don't worry, she won't blame you."
The couple embraced and even kissed in the end.
After that, Lin Bing felt nothing.
Chapter One
The Lin family was one of the top families in H City. Wealthy families often had many scandals and illegitimate children. Lin Bing's father was the second son of the Lin family, a businessman who was ruthless in the business world yet a refined middle-aged handsome man. Lin Bing's mother came from a good family as well, though her maternal grandfather was in politics in a distant city, far from H City. Her parents' marriage was said to be a match arranged by their families.
However, Lin Bing's mother insisted it was a love match. Yes, she loved her father deeply, a standard virtuous wife and loving mother, a simple and kind woman who treated others well.
Lin Bing inherited more of her father's personality traits.
When she woke up, she found herself lying on the Italian leather sofa in the living room. The room was luxurious, with a flat-screen TV on the wall playing a melodramatic TV series. She sat up abruptly, recalling that she had died.
No!
Why was the room so clean?
Where were the zombies?
The sun was bright, and Lin Bing unconsciously looked out the window.
Lin Bing's room had a large floor-to-ceiling window facing north. Outside, the sky was deep blue, with white clouds drifting lazily.
Lin Bing's heart raced, her pupils dilating.
She was alive!
How long had it been? Three years, a full three years since she had seen such a lively scene. When the apocalypse came, the streets were in chaos, with wrecked cars, blood-stained trees, and foul-smelling streets. Most haunting were the corpses, decaying slowly in the sun. The city was eerily quiet. A silent city was terrifying.
Tears welled up in Lin Bing's eyes.
She was back to before the apocalypse? Had she been reborn?
She grinned broadly, an unusual emotional swing for her. She wiped away tears with a tissue.
Her stomach growled. She must be hungry. She could finally have a proper meal. She was delighted at the thought.
On the square across from her, the large screen changed advertisements again, possibly for an upcoming movie, highly anticipated with top actors and directors in the industry.
There was an actor in the movie that Lin Bing was particularly fond of.
However, when she saw the actor at that moment, Lin Bing froze, her face turning pale. She remembered clearly that the apocalypse had broken out on the day the movie was released. She had been at the theater that night, and when she came out after the movie, the sky had turned red, an astonishing sight. After midnight, it started raining, accompanied by fog that covered the entire world.
At that time, Lin Bing had returned home with a high fever, dangerously high.
At that time, Lin's father was away on business, and Lin's mother had come to take care of her daughter. It took Lin Bing three whole days to wake up, during which she lost weight. By then, the zombie outbreak had already begun, and the main camp of the Lin family had already been evacuated. Lin Bing had wanted to take her mother to find her father, but it was too difficult. What was frightening at the time was not just the zombies but also human nature. The bad guys were getting worse, and the good guys were getting fewer. At one point, those hungry people dared to eat human flesh.
It was too terrible.
Later, bases were established in various regions, and rules were established, which improved things somewhat.
Thinking of this, Lin Bing felt a chill in her heart.
Her phone was on the coffee table next to the sofa, displaying the time. Lin Bing walked over, picked up her phone, and pressed a button to light up the screen.
July 15, Tuesday, sunny weather.
Lin Bing sighed. D*mn, what kind of suffering was this? In a month, she would have to go through those terrible days again.
The phone rang at this moment.
Caller ID showed it was Lin's mother.
"Hello, Mom?"
"Ice, why haven't you come home? Haven't you graduated already? I haven't seen you in two months?" Lin's mother complained from the other end, more heartache than blame. "A-Xue said you've started losing weight again. Ice, you're not fat. Why are you dieting? It's bad for your health."
The "A-Xue" mentioned by Lin's mother was Shu Xue, Shu's foster daughter, who had been with Shu's family since she was three years old. She was always polite and sweet, and her looks were charming. She even had two dimples when she smiled. Lin Bing's relationship with Shu Yu was not bad.
Because Lin Bing had a bad relationship with Shu Yu, who is a year younger than Shu Xue, they clashed from a young age whenever they met, despite their families being close friends. Their relationship deteriorated over time.
Shu Yu particularly disliked Shu Xue.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, so Lin Bing actually had a decent impression of Shu Xue.
She couldn't remember why she fell out with Shu Yu.
"Mom, I'm coming home tonight," Lin Bing added, "Don't worry, I won't ever try to lose weight again." What's the point of dieting when you're barely getting enough to eat?
Lin Bing graduated from college this year, received her diploma in June, and finished everything by July. But because she didn't want to return to the old Lin family mansion, she procrastinated in her own small apartment for a few days.
Upon hearing that Lin Bing was coming back soon, Lin's mother finally hung up the phone contentedly.
After hanging up, Lin Bing started packing, turned off the TV, and as she walked to the door, she saw a gift-boxed package in the entryway—a light-colored box. Lin Bing remembered it was her emerald green jade bracelet, a birthday gift from her mom when she was young. Lin Bing didn't like wearing things on her hands, so she never wore it. Besides, isn't this something for middle-aged people? She'd never seen young people wear it.
What's this for?
Lin Bing thought for a moment, oh, right, tomorrow is Shu Xue's birthday. She remembered clearly that Shu Xue had hinted at wanting this bracelet many times while helping her look for a necklace. It was something Shu Xue stumbled upon.
Lin Bing smirked mockingly.
After the apocalypse, she had been with her mother all the way with Chu Fei Shu Xue. If she hadn't been vigilant, she would have died more than once. She never felt indebted to Shu Xue. Every time she took food from Shu Xue, she traded something in return. Her mother's illness, Shu Xue could treat, but she never mentioned treatment.
Before the apocalypse, Lin's mother had always been kind to Shu Xue, who seemed to never remember.
For three years after the apocalypse, with roads blocked, she had been holed up in this small base in Chaoyang City. She had suffered for three years. If not for her mother, she would have risked her life to find her own family.
However, Lin Bing vaguely remembered that Shu Xue had never worn this bracelet. In the first year after the apocalypse, Lin Bing occasionally mentioned it, and Shu Xue panicked, saying she had lost it. She remembered this clearly because Shu Xue caused quite a stir over a bowl of porridge.
Forget it, I don't want to think about it.
Lin Bing stuffed the boxed bracelet into her suitcase. She would tidy up tomorrow and then sell this house for money. In a month, money would be worthless. She needed to exercise. Though she only had a month, doing something was better than nothing.
It's a shame there's no space.
But food, water, and some daily necessities must be bought and stored in the underground warehouse. It should fit everything. She also needed to touch base with her father and maternal grandfather. They must get ready.
One month, it never feels like enough time.
Oh right, her mother always liked yoga and fitness, and her diet was good, always in good health. After the apocalypse, she was extremely weak despite having water abilities and couldn't upgrade due to poor health.
Suddenly, Lin Bing's eyes lit up.
She remembered!
Maybe she could make her mother believe that the apocalypse was coming soon!