The protagonist who hates losers is so sweet to me.

Yu Qing’s premonition was correct; he could increasingly feel Chen Yi’s subtle hostility. Although he hadn’t done anything, his association with Song Xinqi made him a target.
Chen Yi, having failed to deal with Song Xinqi, vented his frustration on Yu Qing. Yu Qing, feeling helpless, thought about his powers. Unlike Song Xinqi, who mastered his abilities the day after awakening, he still struggled to control his.
Now, with no immediate danger, it was the perfect time to practice. He believed his ability went beyond just shrinking himself. There were instances where he had inadvertently shrunk his clothes as well.
With enough practice, he might be able to shrink other objects too, which would make carrying supplies much easier.
Seeing him practicing, Song Xinqi mockingly remarked, “Oh, the little trash is practicing his powers again.”
This time, he smoothly shrank to the size of a five-year-old.
Feigning sincerity, he clapped, “Impressive, you’re getting faster.”
Yu Qing pouted, his chubby face showing an expression incongruous with his appearance.
Song Xinqi poked his forehead, “Shouldn’t you say thank you when your daddy praises you?”
With no restraint, Song Xinqi’s poke hurt. Yu Qing, holding his forehead, retorted angrily, “Why did you poke me? Stop it.”
Song Xinqi narrowed his eyes dangerously, “You belong to me. I can do whatever I want without your permission. Maybe I’ve been too lenient; you’re getting too bold.”
Yu Qing realized that the more he resisted, the more Song Xinqi enjoyed opposing him. He forced a sincere smile, “No, you’re right. Thanks for the compliment.”
Satisfied, Song Xinqi let him go. Relieved, he tried to return to his original size but was interrupted by Tu Xiao’s excited exclamation.
Tu Xiao, circling around Yu Qing’s child form, cooed, “Is this your power? Wow, so cute!”
Unused to genuine praise, he shyly smiled back.
Tu Xiao, squatting to meet Yu Qing’s eyes, asked, “Can I hold you?”
He hesitated, “It’s not appropriate. Even if I’m small, I’m still an adult man. Being carried by a girl isn’t right.”
His serious demeanor contrasted sharply with his cute appearance, amusing Tu Xiao, who couldn’t resist and scooped him up, ruffling his hair.
With his strength and weight reduced, his attempts to resist were futile, leaving him at her mercy.
“Ah, so cute! Let me kiss you,” she exclaimed.
Blushing, he protested, “N-no, you can’t.”
Chen Yi, noticing the commotion, glanced over, thinking Yu Qing was quite adept at winning people over.
Tu Xiao, cradling Yu Qing like a doll, brought him to Aunt An. “Aunt An, look! Little Yu Qing!”
Aunt An, her face softening, remarked, “He is quite cute.”
Yu Qing, still in Tu Xiao’s arms, tugged at her sleeve, feeling a mix of embarrassment and helplessness.
Yu Qing tugged on her clothes, whispering, “Put me down.”
She didn’t hear him and continued to carry him around. When they passed by Chen Yi, he remarked sarcastically, “I don’t see what use this power has besides being cute.”
Both Tu Xiao and Yu Qing turned to look at him.
He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, “Why are you looking at me? Am I wrong?”
He glanced in Song Xinqi’s direction. Song Xinqi noticed the commotion but didn’t react, simply glancing over before losing interest. This confirmed Chen Yi’s suspicion: Yu Qing wasn’t as important to Song Xinqi as people thought.
Tu Xiao didn’t understand why Chen Yi suddenly seemed so hostile. It was clear he didn’t like her and Aunt An, but what had Yu Qing done to deserve his ire? Chen Yi was indeed a strange person.
Knowing they still needed him for the journey, she avoided conflict and gently put Yu Qing down.
“He just doesn’t like us. Don’t take it to heart. I’ll go see if there’s anything I can help Uncle Wu with,” she said to him before leaving.
He waved at her and tried to return to his normal size. However, after the interruptions, he had lost the feeling he had earlier. No matter how hard he tried, nothing happened.
Frustrated, he banged his head against the wall. How had he gotten stuck like this again? Would he have to wait until his energy ran out to change back?
“The radio has a signal!” Wu Zhenhu called out.
Everyone gathered around. Song Xinqi saw Yu Qing still in his child form and mockingly said, “What’s wrong? Have you decided that being a kid gets you more attention, so you’re not changing back?”
Yu Qing, embarrassed, whispered, “I can’t change back.”
Tu Xiao was delighted, “If you can’t change back, don’t. You look great like this.”
Chen Yi snorted, thinking he was just seeking attention.
Soon, the radio began to broadcast. Everyone quieted down to listen intently.
“This is City A Radio. On the second day of the zombie outbreak, we have confirmed that all 38 provinces are affected. The military has established safe zones in several cities, including City A, City B, and City C.
For your safety, please proceed to the nearest safe zone as quickly as possible. Military units will also conduct rescue operations.”
The radio announcer’s emotionless voice gave a strange sense of security. Everyone listened closely, afraid to miss any crucial information.
“We have determined that this outbreak is caused by a zombie virus. Those bitten or scratched by them will turn into zombies themselves, anywhere from a few seconds to six hours later. There’s no clear explanation for this variation in infection time.
Check yourself and your companions for any suspicious wounds, and if you find a zombie wound, act immediately.”
“Zombies are attracted to living beings. Do not stay in one place too long. Fortunately, zombies are slow. If you encounter them, stay calm. Escaping is not as difficult as it seems…”
Wu Zhenhu had mentioned this information before, but now there was something new.
“Now for the latest update: we’ve discovered that a few individuals exhibited unexplained fevers before and during the zombie outbreak. Some of these individuals spontaneously turned into zombies without being infected, while others who didn’t turn displayed supernatural abilities.
Research shows these abilities are harmless to the human body and can effectively combat zombies. Although these abilities might initially be unstable, there’s no need to panic.
Sudden high fevers may indicate either ability awakening or spontaneous infection, so please identify and avoid risks appropriately.”
The broadcast began to loop the previous information. After listening twice, Wu Zhenhu turned off the radio. “We almost turned into zombies ourselves.”
“Risk is proportional to power,” Chen Yi shrugged.
The rest of the night passed uneventfully, and everyone prepared to sleep early.
However, Yu Qing woke up in the middle of the night. He looked around in the pitch dark, unable to see anything. He glanced down at his still child-sized body and felt a bit tired, suggesting his ability would soon wear off.
Holding a flashlight, he carefully navigated through the clutter to the supermarket entrance.
“What are you doing?”
He jumped at the voice, looking towards the source. It was Chen Yi.
“I’m going to the bathroom.”
Chen Yi got up, “I’ll go with you.”
In the darkness, it was better to have company. He waited for a moment, and then they headed to the bathroom together. The bathroom was a bit away from the supermarket. The cool night breeze made the silent surroundings feel eerie.
Yu Qing rubbed the goosebumps on his arms.
Chen Yi, thinking he was scared, showed a look of disdain.
After they finished, as they were washing their hands, they suddenly heard a rustling sound nearby. Yu Qing broke into a cold sweat, shining his flashlight around. The beam circled once before stopping on a moving bush not far away.
“Roar!!” A zombie with disheveled hair burst out of the bushes, screeching as it charged at them.
“Crap, a zombie!”
Before he could finish speaking, Chen Yi bolted like the wind. Yu Qing quickly followed.
“Didn’t they say all the zombies were cleared out? Why is there one here?”
“How should I know!”
Chen Yi, running fast, left Yu Qing far behind due to his small size. Yu Qing glanced back; the zombie was getting closer!
Song Xinqi was awakened by the zombie’s screech. He opened his eyes and looked out the window. He saw Chen Yi running back, pale-faced with a flashlight in hand.
Song Xinqi yawned indifferently, thinking he must have done something to attract the zombie, until he saw a small figure lagging far behind.
Yu Qing’s heart was pounding in fear. He could feel the zombie’s breath on his back, making his scalp tingle. If he had known this would happen…
Encountering a zombie, he would rather risk his life to wake up Song Xinqi.
Seeing that the small supermarket was still far away, he shouted, “Song Xinqi, help!”
As a five-year-old, his body was unstable when running and jumping. He felt himself slipping and fell to the ground.
However, the expected pain didn’t come. When he lifted his head and looked back, the zombie seemed to be trapped by some force, pinned in place without moving, saliva dripping from its mouth.
The next moment, he was lifted up from behind. Song Xinqi gritted his teeth, “Why are you wandering outside when you’re five?”
Wu Zhenhu was also awakened and saw Chen Yi returning from outside in a panic. “What happened?”
Chen Yi’s face was pale. “We encountered a zombie when we were in the bathroom just now.”
Wu Zhenhu immediately got up to look outside. Song Xinqi came in with a scowl, carrying the limp Yu Qing.
Relieved that there were no casualties, Wu Zhenhu sighed and sternly lectured, “Even though we cleared the zombies around us before, we can’t let our guard down.
Zombies are more active at night and are attracted by human presence. With so many of us here, we should sense danger before going out at night.”
Chen Yi’s face became even uglier under the scolding, while Yu Qing kept his head down, silent.
Song Xinqi asked Chen Yi, “How many are still outside?”
Chen Yi sensed it and pointed in a direction, “There are two about fifty meters away in that direction.”
Song Xinqi went out with a machete and came back with some green blood stains on it. He warned Yu Qing while holding him up, “If you ever want to court death again, you don’t need zombies. I’ll personally send you on your way.”
Yu Qing whimpered.
Song Xinqi frowned and sent him to sleep in a corner while he lay outside, forming a tight protective area.
Chen Yi sensed that the two zombies’ presence had disappeared. He looked at the two people over there, feeling intensely jealous. Why did Yu Qing get to have someone like Song Xinqi as his backing?