The protagonist who hates losers is so sweet to me.

It was unclear how these two managed to sleep through the deafening noise, but when they woke up, the truck was smoothly driving down the road.
Yu Qing sat up and looked around. The green blood on the railing had dried, and the severed hands in the truck bed had been cleaned up and thrown out. The once tidy railings were now bent and damaged, showing the terror of the previous attack.
Seeing Tu Xiao wake up next to him, he said, “See, I told you so.”
She replied, “You were right.”
“Scoff.”
A mocking laugh suddenly reached their ears. Yu Qing looked in the direction of the sound and saw Chen Yi’s disdainful face through the glass.
Noticing Yu Qing’s gaze, Chen Yi raised his chin arrogantly. “Some people risked their lives to get us out of danger, while others slept through it all.”
Tu Xiao’s face turned a bit red.
Yu Qing showed no reaction, lying back down in the truck bed, looking completely indifferent to the taunt. He knew he was useless, and not causing trouble was the most Song Xinqi expected of him.
The rearview mirror had limited visibility, so when he lay down, Chen Yi couldn’t see anything. He wanted to see Song Xinqi’s reaction.
After all, he had been fighting zombies up front while his companion slept in the back. Anyone would feel uncomfortable with that.
Song Xinqi sat alone, furthest from the others, wiping his machete with clean clothes taken from zombies. His brow furrowed, lips downturned, exuding an aura that warned others to stay away. He hadn’t paid any attention to them, showing no clear attitude.
Suddenly, he sensed his gaze and looked over sharply. Chen Yi hesitated but then smiled at him.
After observing for a while, he realized that these two weren’t partners but more like Wu Zhenhu’s one-sided protection of Tu Xiao and Aunt An. Wu Zhenhu was kind-hearted, but Song Xinqi didn’t seem like someone overflowing with compassion.
He was cold and hard, only speaking a few words to Wu Zhenhu and Yu Qing. He ignored everyone else.
Someone like that, allowing Yu Qing to stay with him, could only be because of his face. He had an extremely delicate face, with striking golden pupils that naturally drew attention. He didn’t need to do anything; just sitting there, he was like a story waiting to be told.
But because he was too beautiful, after the initial amazement, people felt deep regret. He wouldn’t live long, doomed to die in the apocalypse.
Zombies wouldn’t spare him because of his looks. In the apocalypse, strength mattered most. Chen Yi had always resented Wu Zhenhu for taking in Tu Xiao and Aunt An, feeling they were burdens.
But Wu Zhenhu insisted, and since he relied on his abilities and the truck, he tolerated it.
Seeing Song Xinqi, his thoughts changed. He was confident in himself. Though not as good-looking as Yu Qing, he had good qualities and, most importantly, he was far more useful than Yu Qing.
If he could persuade him to abandon Yu Qing and join him, their combined abilities would ensure a faster and safer journey to City A.
However, Song Xinqi just glanced at him and turned away, leaving his smile frozen.
Yu Qing was unaware of the developments on the other side.
He lay down, gazing at the constantly moving sky. “The sky looks so beautiful.”
Tu Xiao looked up at his words. Large clouds gathered together, leaving a white gap in the middle where sunlight poured through, casting colorful beams of light.
He lamented, “If only my phone were still around. I really want to capture the sky.”
Tu Xiao replied, “It does look beautiful, but it’s the apocalypse. What’s the point of beauty when we have to run for our lives?”
“I think running for our lives is a blessing. We haven’t been infected and can still sit here and chat,” he said, raising his hand to shield his eyes and looking at the stunning sky through his fingers.
“It’s in the apocalypse that we should appreciate beautiful scenery even more. Life is already hard enough; we can’t let our spirits wither too.”
She hugged her knees, her body bouncing with the truck’s movements. “I wish I could be as optimistic as you.”
“He’s not optimistic; he’s just heartless,” a familiar mocking voice interjected.
Yu Qing remained unperturbed, flipping over. Song Xinqi’s mental state was unstable again, starting to pick on him.
Tu Xiao didn’t dare engage with Song Xinqi, shrinking back like a quail.
To avoid zombies, they had taken many detours. Vegetation along the road grew wildly, making the highway unrecognizable. Without the truck’s navigation system, they might have thought they had wandered into a primitive forest. Occasionally, zombies appeared, but after the zombie wave, a few stragglers didn’t faze them.
The truck turned into a service station. Wu Zhenhu announced, “It’s getting dark. Zombies are more active at night, so it’s not safe outside. Let’s rest here tonight.”
No one disagreed. They parked nearby, and Song Xinqi jumped out first, the others cautiously following, with Wu Zhenhu bringing up the rear. The service station was small and chaotic inside.
Goods had been looted, and the floor was littered with smashed fruit cans, making it sticky underfoot.
Song Xinqi walked, listening to the surroundings, encountering only a few non-threatening zombies. After clearing them, they found a small supermarket. Inside was even messier, with shelves toppled everywhere. The chaos suggested how frantic it had been.
Yu Qing spotted something under two fallen shelves. He reached underneath and pulled it out. “I found a self-heating meal.”
Wu Zhenhu responded, “I’ve got one here too.”
Amid the chaos, not everything had been taken. Soon, everyone found something to eat and cleared a space to sit.
Yu Qing filled the water tap and placed the meal packets inside, waiting for them to heat.
Soon, the aroma of rice filled the air. He opened the lid, and the rich scent of rice and meat broth wafted up. He picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks, examined it, and felt a bit disappointed—it was fatty.
He looked at Wu Zhenhu, who also had a self-heating meal ready. Wu Zhenhu had a bamboo shoot meal. He walked over, holding his meal. “Uncle Wu, do you like fatty meat?”
Wu Zhenhu, who had a favorable impression of him, asked, “What’s the matter?”
Meanwhile, Song Xinqi was scowling, quickly finishing his bread.
The place was chaotic, making everything seem off. He was in a foul mood, and it only worsened when he heard Yu Qing’s voice.
“Can we switch? I don’t like fatty meat,” Yu Qing asked.
Wu Zhenhu agreed, “Sure.”
Just as they were about to switch, a hand reached from behind and grabbed Yu Qing’s meal.
Yu Qing turned to see Song Xinqi, his face dark. “Eat what you have. No switching.”
He pouted, “But Uncle Wu already agreed!”
Wu Zhenhu started to speak, “Yeah, I agreed…”
Before he could finish, Song Xinqi grabbed Yu Qing’s face and shoved a piece of fatty meat into his mouth. “You think anyone’s going to pamper your picky habits now?”
Yu Qing made a muffled noise, trying to spit out the meat, but his jaw was held firmly by Song Xinqi. Unable to resist, he had to swallow it.
When Song Xinqi finally let go, his cheeks were red and sore. He angrily said, “Song Xinqi, are you insane?”
Song Xinqi’s eyes were cold. “I told you, no one’s going to pamper your picky habits.”
He wanted to retort but, under Song Xinqi’s increasingly intimidating gaze, he snatched back his meal and stormed off to the farthest corner to eat alone. Even without seeing his face, his angry, hunched shoulders made his feelings clear.
Wu Zhenhu couldn’t understand how a small issue had escalated into a fight. He wanted to explain on Yu Qing’s behalf, but when he looked at Song Xinqi, he saw that his previously gloomy expression had shifted to one of calm satisfaction, with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Wu Zhenhu thought, “?”
He must be too old to understand the young people’s ways.
Seeing Yu Qing’s helpless frustration oddly improved Song Xinqi’s mood, calming his volatile mental state. Feeling amused, he left the small supermarket, intending to recheck the area for any missed zombies.
Walking around the service station, he spotted Chen Yi at the entrance. He passed by without a glance, but Chen Yi called out to him.
He asked, “What’s up?”
Sensing his impatience, Chen Yi, mindful of his plans, forced a friendly smile. “You’re strong. Yu Qing’s lucky to have you; it must feel safe for him.”
“Does that have anything to do with you?” Song Xinqi’s face showed blatant disgust.
Prepared for his sharp words, Chen Yi tried to remain unfazed. If Yu Qing could win him over, so could he. “I mean no harm. We’ve been traveling together for a while now. I just thought we could…”
Song Xinqi cut him off, losing all patience, and walked away, leaving him standing awkwardly.
Chen Yi returned to the small supermarket with a dark expression, glaring at Song Xinqi for a long time. His eyes were filled with resentment. Yu Qing noticed and had a sudden realization.
Could the plot have advanced prematurely? Did Chen Yi already fancy Song Xinqi?
Recalling the original story, he felt troubled. If Chen Yi had his eyes on Song Xinqi, he would inevitably confront Yu Qing, who was closely associated with Song Xinqi. But he had no desire to clash with him.
Feeling disheartened at the thought, he lamented his bad luck. Song Xinqi already gave him enough grief, and now possibly adding Chen Yi to the mix seemed too much to handle. With his frail build, how could he possibly stand up to him?