The Evolution of My Zombie Girlfriend

Zhang Xin felt a cold sweat trickle down his spine as he watched Yu Lan chew with gusto, imagining her gnawing not on the crystal nucleus but on his very bones.

"Ah... It seems Lan Lan isn't interested in eating," Zhang Xin muttered, his voice barely audible. He watched as Yu Lan's attention was completely absorbed by the crystal nucleus, her once vibrant eyes now dull and lifeless.

Mo Wen sighed softly, his gaze softening as he gently stroked Yu Lan's head. A pang of regret tugged at his heart; it was almost a pity that she had no interest in the man before them.

Realizing Mo Wen's attention had shifted away from him, Zhang Xin felt a wave of relief wash over him, only for it to be replaced by a cold sweat trickling down his forehead. His breath came in heavy gasps, his throat dry and parched.

It was too close... Too close that he might have met his end here.

"Give me all the food you brought," Mo Wen said indifferently, his focus entirely on tending to Yu Lan. He didn't even glance at Zhang Xin, who stood there trembling.

In that moment, Zhang Xin's mind was still reeling, but Mo Wen's calm tone left no room for hesitation. Without thinking, he emptied everything from his spatial storage onto the living room table, swallowing hard and daring not to take another step forward.

He was merely a third-level spatial ability user, with no offensive capabilities and a limited one-cubic-meter storage space. 

"I don't need weapons," Mo Wen remarked, glancing briefly at the extra weapons on the table. His tone remained neutral, devoid of any emotion.

"But if I only exchange the crystals for food, there will be plenty left over," Zhang Xin finally found his voice, pointing to the weapons on the table and taking a deep breath. "I can offer you the weapons at a lower price."

"Won't you be at a loss?" Mo Wen looked at Zhang Xin's exhausted yet determined expression, a flicker of interest crossing his face.

"Not at all, not at all," Zhang Xin quickly replied, not daring to dwell on Mo Wen's seemingly kind words. "It's an honor to do business with you!"

"Ao," Yu Lan let out a strange sound, as if mocking Zhang Xin's servility.

However, Mo Wen's mood seemed to lighten at this, his bright smile nearly blinding Zhang Xin.

"Very well, then leave everything here," Mo Wen agreed without further resistance. After combing through Yu Lan's hair and letting her return to playing with the crystals, he turned his gentle gaze toward Zhang Xin. "When do you plan to come back next time?"

Next time? He didn't want to come back at all!

Zhang Xin inwardly screamed but managed to force a smile. "In two months, or perhaps one month?"

"Let's make it two months then," Mo Wen nodded decisively. "You may leave now."

"Yes..." Zhang Xin's mouth tasted bitter as he hurriedly agreed. He wished he could slap some sense into his past self for agreeing to long-term business with Mo Wen.

If he weren't a mobile trader, he could have pretended to agree and never show up again. But as a mobile trader, their every move was monitored. Every half hour, their coordinates were refreshed, making it easy for buyers to find them if they were dissatisfied.

Mobile traders enjoyed abundant resources but lived in constant danger. And encountering someone like Mo Wen made the situation even more perilous.

If the buyer were an ordinary person or a low-level ability user, Zhang Xin might have survived unscathed. But Mo Wen... would tear him apart without hesitation.

So rather than risk betrayal, Zhang Xin preferred to venture into the Death Zone again. Tiring, yes, but at least he might keep his life.

"And if I can build a good relationship with Mo Wen, it could be beneficial," he thought.

"Well... I'll be going then."

Stepping over the scattered crystals, Zhang Xin couldn't help but grimace. How could they, who struggled to survive in this post-apocalyptic world, hold their heads high after leaving crystals strewn everywhere?

The sound of the door closing echoed through the room. Mo Wen picked up the water bottle in front of him and took a sip without lifting his head. Nearly a month without water had almost made him forget its taste.

Noticing Yu Lan's silence, he glanced over and saw her lying motionless on the sofa, apparently asleep.

"Blue Blue?" he whispered softly.

Yu Lan didn't open her eyes, sleeping soundly.

Picking her up, Mo Wen's inscrutable eyes clearly reflected her pale face at this moment.

"Did you get hurt?"

The girl's clear and pleasant voice seemed to echo through time in his ear, just like a silver bell that made him feel comfortable from the bottom of his heart in that summer.

On their first meeting, Yu Lan's clear voice had saved him.

"No," Mo Wen buried his head deeply in Yu Lan's cold neck, closing his eyes with a dazed smile. "I'm fine."

Being able to stay close to Yu Lan like this was something Mo Wen had longed for for eight whole years.

Before the apocalypse, he had secretly accompanied Yu Lan for six years, during which he killed many people but never harmed her.

Even when he saw her enter someone else's protection, he didn't have any killing intentions.

To him, she was a savior, a hope, a light, and everything.

"I thought as long as you were happy, it was all good, but I was wrong," Mo Wen said, hugging the frail Yu Lan tightly and closing his eyes gently. The sunlight shone through the window, softening his usually cold demeanor. "Blue Blue, no one loves you more than I do, because I am the one who loves you the most."

...

Meanwhile, in Area 1 of the Dead Lands, a torrential downpour turned the sand into mud, making it nearly impossible to move forward.

"Sir, let's go back. We won't find anything if we stay here," a young boy with a hint of childishness on his face wiped the rainwater off his face and shouted at the man struggling through the muddy water. However, his voice was drowned out by the roaring rainstorm.

The rainstorm had engulfed all visibility, and the world seemed as dark as the first day of the apocalypse, filled with despair.

The man stood there, lost in thought, before suddenly clutching his head in pain and screaming.

"Sir!" The boy struggled against the rain and stumbled over to the man, shouting loudly, "Please go back, sir. Do you know how important you are to us? You are the leader of District 2 in the north, but your current behavior is making it difficult for all of us who follow you to understand!"

"Shut up!" Xu Jelin snarled, clenching his teeth. He turned around and grabbed the boy's collar, throwing him to the ground with force. "Lingxiu, if it weren't for Yu Lan, would you be standing here now? She is still alive or dead, and you don't feel any sense of guilt at all!"