"Young Master,"
In the dark forest where no one else could see, the shadow guard still stood there. However, now his expression looked even more tense than before, with cold sweat densely dripping from his forehead. "Please, allow me to go and fetch Miss Su."
How could this continue?
The thunder and lightning in the sky were growing fiercer, and no one understood Zhong Jin better than the shadow guard.
This young master rarely got angry, but once he did, the consequences were terrifying.
Not something that ordinary people could endure. Even though the shadow guard had followed Zhong Jin for so many years, he still felt unable to bear it.
However, if Miss Su was by the young master's side, it would be completely different.
Only Su Man could calm his fury.
The shadow guard, bracing himself, continued, "Miss Su is probably waiting for you nearby. Let me go and bring her over."
"Do you think she looks like she's waiting for me?" The man's voice was extremely low, his tone calm and clear, showing no trace of anger, only mockery, as if he didn't care about Su Man at all. But his long eyes remained fixed on the girl's frail figure, like a wolf ready to pounce and tear into her flesh.
The girl hadn't been seen in a few days, and her figure had become even more fragile. She was three months pregnant, yet there was no sign of her gaining any weight. Did she really think it was okay to be like this as a pregnant woman? Had she seriously considered her own health?
Zhong Jin truly spoiled Su Man.
Whether it was food, clothing, or daily necessities, everything Su Man used was the best. Every day, he pampered her with meticulous care. The man had very discerning taste; if something wasn't of the highest quality, he wouldn't allow it near Su Man.
In the apocalypse, all resources had become scarce. Even sugar was a luxury, let alone pastries. Ordinary people didn't even have the opportunity to eat; even for ability users, the chance to eat desserts was rare. Only Su Man had fresh pastries daily, whether it was Chinese snacks or European cakes, with chefs preparing meals just for her.
Something as cheap as Portuguese egg tarts, Zhong Jin wouldn't even let them appear in front of Su Man.
But now, to escape from his side, Su Man was willing to eat coarse pickled buns in some dilapidated villa in the wilderness.
He had thought she would have realized the hardships outside, that she'd understand who truly treated her the best. But even though his lightning filled the entire sky and Su Man had seen it, she still refused to come out and return with him.
The man closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his long eyes were filled with lingering gloom.
Manman, my patience has run out.
"Young Master!" the shadow guard exclaimed in shock, "Your wound—"
Zhong Jin glanced at his left hand. Blood had soaked through the white bandages, blooming like a bright red mandala flower.
Blood continued to seep through the gauze, dripping down his long, pale fingers, hitting the ground with a soft "drip, drip."
The surrounding area was deathly quiet.
The shadow guard didn't even dare breathe loudly.
At that moment, a rustling sound of footsteps approached, accompanied by the grotesque wailing of zombies. A few of them staggered out of the forest, their hollow eyes fixed on the drops of blood falling from Zhong Jin's hand. Their wails grew louder, and though they were unsteady on their feet, they frantically rushed toward Zhong Jin.
The blood of an ability user was the most nourishing for zombies; the stronger the ability user, the more tempting their blood was, driving the zombies into a frenzy.
Drooling foul-smelling saliva, the zombies all lunged, eager to be the first to tear a piece of flesh from Zhong Jin. However, their dreams were shattered. Before they could even touch him, their bodies turned to ash in an instant, scattering all over the ground.
They probably hadn't even realized they were dead before it happened.
A second later, a piercing wail broke the silence, filled with disbelief, as if refusing to accept what had just happened.
It came from the last remaining high-level zombie, the only one that hadn't lunged earlier. Its head was missing, but it could sense that its comrades had been completely annihilated while the powerful ability user remained unscathed.
This was not an opponent it could defeat!
This ability user clearly intended to kill it too.
The zombie immediately tried to flee, but just as it took a step, it caught the scent of many humans.
Even with its head missing, its sense of smell was still intact, even highly developed. From a long distance, it could detect the exact location of these scents.
Among them were a few particularly delicious-smelling ability users.
Humans—it needed to consume many humans to stand a chance against this powerful ability user, to devour his blood and flesh.
The zombie darted out of the forest.
The shadow guard shouted in alarm, "This is bad! It's heading toward Miss Su!"
Instinctively, the shadow guard moved, but the young man beside him was faster.
Before the shadow guard could even react, a cold gust of wind swept past him. In the blink of an eye, the young man was gone.
…
Su Man seriously wondered if she was cursed. Otherwise, why would all the bad luck in the world fall on her at once?
She was just about to get into the car when a zombie suddenly appeared.
It couldn't have come earlier or later—it had to show up right when it was her turn. Su Man was practically in tears. Everyone else was already in the car. The first two cars had already sped off, leaving only this last one. Everyone was aboard, except her.
"W-wait for me!" Su Man's face was pale with fear, but she moved quickly, her reactions sharp. She bolted toward the SUV, and in a flash, she was right in front of the vehicle, just two steps away from getting in.
But at that moment, the door slammed shut with a loud 'bang.'
It was a girl—a cold and indifferent girl.
At that moment, the girl was gripping the door handle tightly, keeping Su Man locked outside. No matter how much Su Man begged, the girl remained unmoved, without even a hint of apology. She turned to the driver and urged, "Drive now!"
"N-no, don't—" Su Man was terrified. She could hear the zombie's roars growing clearer, and her already frail body trembled with fear. "Don't leave me behind!"
But the cold girl didn't budge. Some of the passengers looked troubled, but when they saw the high-level zombie approaching behind Su Man, none of them dared speak up for her. That brief second seemed to stretch endlessly.
Just then, a sharp voice broke the tense silence inside the car. "I said, drive! If you won't, I will."
As soon as those words fell, Holly, sitting in the front passenger seat, reached over the driver and started the car. Before anyone could react, the SUV lurched forward in a crooked line. Su Man instinctively ran after it, but how could she hope to catch up with a car?
A gust of foul-smelling wind blew in, carrying the stench of the zombie behind her.
Su Man didn't dare look back, nor did she dare stop. She was running as fast as she could, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw the zombie getting closer. Its roar and its rancid smell were overwhelming, and it was baring its teeth, opening its bloodthirsty jaws wide.
Su Man could already imagine her fate. She tried desperately to run faster, but it was no use—the distance between her and the zombie wasn't widening at all!
No!
She didn't want to die; she didn't want to turn into a zombie. There was still a little life inside her belly.
If she died, the baby inside her would die too.
But some things weren't for Su Man to decide.
The zombie was about to catch up with her. Its foul-smelling black hand reached out to grab her collar, just inches away from touching it. Then, all of a sudden, the zombie let out a blood-curdling scream. Before Su Man could react, most of the zombie's body was gone.
A large fire had appeared from nowhere, engulfing the zombie's body and reducing most of it to ashes in an instant. The zombie continued to scream in agony until it was completely turned to dust.
The surroundings fell into a deathly silence.
Su Man stared blankly at the scene. She glanced at the pile of ashes, then looked ahead.
A man stood there.
Her face went pale, and her expression was nervous. She didn't know whether this man was good or bad, but he seemed like a good person, right?
Su Man thought to herself.
The fire that had suddenly engulfed the zombie just now was probably his doing.
So, she was saved.
Just as Su Man was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a loud crack of thunder rang out from the sky. A bolt of lightning shot down from the heavens, as sharp as the blade of a sword, splitting tree after tree in half and raining down toward the SUV.
The trees were too heavy, and with a single crash, they fell onto the vehicle, shattering its windows. Everyone screamed as they scrambled to escape, but the lightning seemed to have a will of its own. It continued to strike, felling more trees. A few people who were too slow were crushed to death on the spot.
Su Man watched the scene in disbelief.
Should she be glad she didn't make it into the car earlier?
It was terrifying.
This world was truly dangerous.
She didn't know if it was the shock of narrowly escaping death or just pure fear, but Su Man suddenly felt her legs give way beneath her. In the next second, she was about to fall to the ground when a cold gust of wind swept by, brushing against her cheeks. A black figure suddenly appeared in front of her. Before she could react, a pair of large hands gripped her waist, holding her firmly in his arms.
Su Man was being held by a man. Held tightly in his embrace.
He was a very handsome man.
Su Man only noticed this now.
His brows were like a painting, his skin as white as snow, and his eyes were incredibly beautiful. He was extraordinarily good-looking, but there was a cold indifference between his brows, and his long, narrow eyes held a strong sense of aggression.
This is not a good man.
Su Man's instincts told her.
She subconsciously wanted to escape from his arms. "Um—well, thank you."
But the young man did not let go. At that moment, those beautiful eyes glanced down at Su Man's belly. "How's the baby?"
Su Man froze, not expecting that he would care about her child.
Instinctively, she placed her hand on her stomach. "The baby is fine."
"Is there any bleeding?"
Su Man was even more confused, but she instinctively answered honestly, "No."
"You shouldn't run so fast in the future. It could cause problems."
Could he actually be a good person?
He even cares so much about the baby in her belly.
Su Man felt guilty, realizing how wrong she had been to judge her savior by his appearance, thinking he wasn't a good person.
She was too ashamed to meet his eyes. "Thank you. I'll be more careful in the future. I really appreciate you saving my life."
A low chuckle sounded, as if mocking her, and Su Man couldn't help but pause in confusion.
"Just grateful?"
The young man in front of her was incredibly handsome, but when his gaze fell on her, Su Man felt like she had been ensnared by a wolf. She didn't quite understand what her savior meant, and she was about to ask when the young man leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Manman."
Su Man froze, looking at the young man with disbelief.
How did he know her name?
The young man gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, patiently tidying it for her. "Do you know how much effort I spent to find you?"
"But for you, I'm willing to do anything."
His voice was low, with a magnetic quality that could almost mesmerize anyone, making people want to sink into it. However, every hair on Su Man's body stood on end, like a small rabbit sensing danger. She didn't know who this young man was, but like a small animal's instinctive reaction to danger, Su Man subconsciously tried to run.
But before she could even move her feet, she was pulled tightly into his arms again.
The young man's low laughter echoed in her ears. "Still trying to run?"
"But Manman," he whispered softly in her ear, "I've caught you now."