A flicker of a smile danced in Mei Yuebai's eyes as he held her close. He licked his lips and lowered his head, leaning in to gently kiss her cheek before pulling away.
Her soft lips carried a faint fragrance. Mei Yuebai's heart fluttered. That instant pounding in his chest, it was real.
The intense pheromones emanating from the boy overwhelmed her senses. Xu Qian's back stiffened, and she turned her face away.
[Ding, Mei Yuebai's favorability +10, total favorability 25.]
"..."
"Can we go now?" Xu Qian shot him a glance, her voice stiff.
"Let's go."
The little rascal's lips curled into a wicked grin, a smile so arrogant it made his handsome, proud face shine even brighter. His silver hair seemed to stand on end, as if reflecting his joyful mood.
She glanced at him. "Ten-second countdown. When I start counting, you run."
"Aren't you coming?"
"I can turn invisible. Can you?"
Mei Yuebai crossed his arms and nodded with a smile.
[Using invisibility item.]
Xu Qian closed her eyes, letting her mental power engulf the zombies in the classroom.
A white light gradually enveloped the entire laboratory. The zombies' movements began to slow.
"Ten... nine... eight... seven..."
Mei Yuebai raised an eyebrow and, without hesitation, charged out of the laboratory with all his might.
Once he was safely outside, Xu Qian released her mental energy. Her body jolted violently, and a sharp pain shot through her head. She bit her lip, forcing herself not to cry out.
Mental energy depleted.
She had overestimated herself.
Xu Qian slumped her shoulders and lowered her head, carefully weaving through the zombie horde as she left the laboratory.
The short distance took nearly three minutes. Cold sweat slicked her clothes, draining her strength until she felt she couldn't breathe.
Mei Yuebai leaned against the doorway, looking out. He hadn't left alone.
"Let's go," a weak voice reached his ears.
"What's wrong?" He waved his hand towards her side, his fingers brushing her hair, her shoulder, her shoulder blade.
His palm detected the dampness on her clothes. Mei Yuebai gently embraced her back, his other hand slowly reaching for her wrist.
Mei Yuebai couldn't quite describe the sensation. Someone was in his arms, yet he couldn't see them. It felt strange.
Xu Qian leaned weakly against his chest, closing her eyes. "Depleted. Hurry and rendezvous with them. We need to leave the school immediately."
"Alright. We'll leave right away."
His warm, heavy breath tickled her ear. His ears gradually turned red, and he swallowed.
After only a few steps, the invisibility effect wore off. Xu Qian's weak face reappeared. Her forehead and neck were slick with sweat, her complexion a sickly pale, as if she were on the verge of death, devoid of life.
Mei Yuebai's brow furrowed. He swept her up into his arms.
"How do we treat this?" Kuai Shu Ge
"Just absorb more crystal cores," Xu Qian replied in a low voice.
"The ones Gu Qing dug up?"
"Mm..." Xu Qian bit her lower lip tightly. The pain was relentless, and she didn't have the strength to speak.
Their figures appeared on the rooftop. Gu Qing's pupils constricted, and he rushed to meet them.
Except for Li Lili, the other three girls displayed envious and jealous expressions.
That was Mei Yuebai, the richest and most handsome guy in the entire school. He was usually temperamental, and no girl dared approach him. Yet, he was now holding this girl in his arms. It was incredibly rare.
"What's wrong with her?"
Gu Qing had never seen Xu Qian like this. She had always been strong, capable of anything.
Mei Yuebai's gaze was cold as he looked down at Gu Qing. "Give her the crystal cores you just dug up."
"...Let's get out of here first. We can't stay in this school." Xu Qian's vision darkened; she felt on the verge of fainting.
"Roar, roar." The roars of zombies echoed.
Aside from them, almost the entire school was filled with zombies. The denser the zombie population, the higher the chance of encountering a Rank 2 zombie. With her current strength, she couldn't even deal with a Rank 1 zombie, let alone another Rank 2.
Li Lili's gaze was calm. "How do we leave?" The girl was right; the most important thing now was to leave the school.
"To the parking lot. My car is parked there." Mei Yuebai looked down at Xu Qian's pale face, his heart trembling.
"Let's go, I'll lead the way." Gu Qing, mustering rare courage, walked in front. With the angel injured, besides Mei Yuebai, he was the only other man. He had to take the lead.
They retraced their steps back to the teachers' dormitory. The path was not heavily populated with zombies, and they reached the parking lot smoothly.
Upon arriving at the parking lot, Mei Yuebai's eyes turned cold, a sneer playing on his lips.
His extended Hummer was gone. He had given the keys to Feng Zhoulong, and they had driven off in his car!
Seeing that he remained motionless, Xu Qian could feel the heavy heaving of his chest even in her weakened state.
She sighed, having a basic understanding of what had happened. Selfishness was rampant in the apocalypse.
"My car is over there," she said, pointing to a black RV.
"Gu Qing, can you drive?"
Gu Qing blinked his large eyes and nodded.
Xu Qian instructed Gu Qing to drive them out of the university town. B University was located within the university town, which comprised over a dozen schools and tens of thousands of people. The number of zombies inside was imaginable.
Gu Qing obediently took the driver's seat and started the engine. With the angel injured, he couldn't help much. He was incredibly grateful he had gotten his driver's license early to be of assistance.
Li Lili sat beside him, resting. The other three climbed into the RV and rummaged around inside, muttering softly.
"This car is really nice."
"Does that woman know if she's been bitten by a zombie?"
"Yeah, her face is as pale as a zombie's."
"Should we ask senior to throw her out of the car? She didn't want to save us earlier anyway."
"You say it."
"You say it. I don't dare."
A faint smile touched Xu Qian's lips; she didn't pay them any mind.
This was the apocalypse. No one mattered but oneself; personal gain was paramount.
Mei Yuebai naturally overheard their whispers, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Shut your dog mouths. If you speak again, I'll throw all of you out."
The three were forced to silence, but their eyes continued to dart over them.
Mei Yuebai placed Xu Qian on the bed in the inner compartment, drew the curtain, and handed her the sack in his hand. "The crystal cores are all in here."
Xu Qian's eyes were slightly closed. "Thank you."
"Here." Mei Yuebai scooped a handful of crystal cores into her palm.
After absorbing the entire bag of crystal cores, the stinging sensation in Xu Qian's mind subsided slightly, but it was far from enough. She needed a Rank 2 crystal core.
Mei Yuebai's dark eyes flashed with concern. "How is it?"
"A little better." Xu Qian pushed herself up and sat against the pillow. "After you send them back, you should go home too." She wasn't in the mood for the mission for now.
"I don't have a home," Mei Yuebai said, looking away. His silver hair stood out, projecting the image of a rebellious youth.
A hint of a smile appeared in Xu Qian's eyes. He would eventually be in charge of the largest base in the country.
"What are you going to do next?"
"I don't know. I'll follow you for now."
Mei Yuebai gently lifted Xu Qian's chin, his fingers stroking her fair and smooth cheek.