The protagonist who hates losers is so sweet to me.

Yu Qing’s pupils shrank as he stared in disbelief at Chen Yi’s emotionless face. His body, uncontrollably, began to fall backward.
A zombie grabbed his helmet and backpack, pulling him down. In the next moment, another hand, clear and strong, reached out from the side, grabbing his arm and pulling him back up.
Song Xinqi’s face was grim, muscles taut as he yanked him back from the zombies.
The helmet was ripped off and fell into the zombie horde. The truck started, and Wu Zhenhu floored the gas pedal, speeding away.
Yu Qing, pressed into Song Xinqi’s chest, looked dazed, trembling all over. His hair was messy, some strands falling over his eyes, making him look pitiful.
Song Xinqi brushed his hair back, revealing his frightened eyes, and asked in a steady voice, “Are you hurt?”
He clung tightly to Song Xinqi’s arm, as if that would provide some safety, and replied shakily, “I don’t think so.”
Thanks to his backpack and helmet, and Song Xinqi’s quick rescue, he was unharmed. Song Xinqi carefully checked the areas where the zombies had grabbed him, confirming there were no injuries. Then, his fierce gaze turned to Chen Yi.
Chen Yi’s heart pounded with alarm as he saw him striding towards him. In an instant, Song Xinqi grabbed his hair and slammed his head into the railing.
The loud crash startled Tu Xiao and Aunt An, pulling them from their fear of the zombies. They looked on in shock and confusion at Song Xinqi’s sudden outburst.
“What are you doing?” Fire was searing the railing, and the pain made Chen Yi scream.
Zombies outside continued their relentless pursuit, some reaching through the flames towards the railing, their hands mere inches from his face.
Wu Zhenhu was too busy shaking off the zombies to pay attention to what was happening in the truck bed.
Song Xinqi’s face was dark with anger as he yanked Chen Yi’s head back by the hair and then smashed it against the railing again. With a loud “bang,” his face became bruised and swollen.
The zombies outside roared and lunged at Chen Yi, who desperately struggled, banging against the railing that creaked under the pressure. But the force holding him was unyielding, and he could only watch helplessly as the zombies’ grotesque faces drew closer. “Let me go! Let me go!!”
Tu Xiao, panicked, asked, “What’s happening?”
Yu Qing, still shaking, replied, “He tried to push me down.”
This was reckless; putting him in danger was equivalent to putting Song Xinqi in danger. How could Chen Yi dare to go against Song Xinqi?
“Ah, it scared me to death!”
Tu Xiao, stunned, looked from Chen Yi to Song Xinqi.
“I warned you, didn’t I? Don’t harbor any ill intentions towards him.”
Song Xinqi’s voice was calm yet menacing, like an unpredictable beast, making it unclear whether he was truly angry. No one could guess what he might do next.
The smell of cooked meat mixed with the stench of burning zombies, creating an indescribably awful odor.
Chen Yi’s legs began to weaken.
His face twisted in pain, losing all sense of reason as fear overwhelmed him. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I won’t do it again! Ahhhh, let me go, let me go!”
His screams drowned out the zombies’ growls. Wu Zhenhu glanced in the rearview mirror but said nothing.
His cries drew more zombies towards them. If they broke through the flames, he would undoubtedly be mauled.
Wu Zhenhu finally spoke, “We still need him to get to City A.”
“Without him, I can still get us there,” Song Xinqi sneered, pressing him harder against the railing. “Yu Qing is under my protection. What do you think I’ll do to someone who wants to harm him?”
Chen Yi trembled violently. When did he start caring so much about Yu Qing? Weren’t they always at odds? Or was it true, as Yu Qing said, that their animosity was just a front?
The truth no longer mattered. Even with a hundred lives, Chen Yi wouldn’t dare provoke Yu Qing again.
Wu Zhenhu said, “Now is not the time for fighting.”
Song Xinqi ignored him, letting Chen Yi scream and beg until he was barely conscious before finally releasing him from the railing.
By then, they had left the city, leaving the zombies far behind. Wu Zhenhu retracted his power, and Song Xinqi threw the limp Chen Yi to the ground. Noting that he had no zombie-inflicted wounds, Song Xinqi cruelly smirked, “You got lucky.”
Tu Xiao covered her mouth in a small scream at the sight of Chen Yi’s charred face, quickly averting her eyes.
His body convulsed uncontrollably, unable to make a sound, his eyes full of terror as he looked at Song Xinqi.
That he survived was a relief to everyone. Despite killing many zombies, witnessing a human killed by another was psychologically daunting. It showed Song Xinqi wasn’t entirely heartless.
But Yu Qing knew Chen Yi’s days were numbered. Those who crossed Song Xinqi faced prolonged suffering, just like the original protagonist, who ended up dismembered by zombies. Compared to that, Song Xinqi was almost merciful to Chen Yi.
Yu Qing, feeling vengeful, thought that Chen Yi wouldn’t dare harm him again. Song Xinqi seemed determined to eliminate any threat to him.
After this incident, Tu Xiao and Aunt An became even more fearful of him. They already feared him, and now they kept a considerable distance, worried they’d provoke him and meet Chen Yi’s fate.
Song Xinqi noticed their fear but didn’t care, walking somberly towards Yu Qing. As he passed, Tu Xiao shrank back, as if he was more terrifying than the zombies outside.
Yu Qing, however, wasn’t scared. Seeing him approach, he eagerly moved aside and patted the empty spot next to him.
Song Xinqi’s gloomy expression suddenly brightened, and he reached out to grasp Yu Qing’s cheek.
Yu Qing: “Ah! It hurts!”
“It needs to hurt for you to remember. If you stuck close to me, idiots wouldn’t get a chance.”
Chen Yi shivered again at being called out.
Yu Qing replied, “I couldn’t keep up.”
“Little waste.” Song Xinqi released his red cheek and started lifting his shirt.
He froze, only reacting when his stomach felt cold, blushing as he tried to stop Song Xinqi. “What are you doing?”
“I’m checking if you’re hurt.”
Tu Xiao and Aunt An quickly turned their heads, not wanting to see or hear more. Even if they looked, they wouldn’t see much since Song Xinqi shielded Yu Qing completely.
This was the first time Yu Qing had someone undress him in public. His face was as red as a tomato, eyes misting from the heat, resembling a helpless animal being toyed with.
Song Xinqi felt his fingers tingle as he touched Yu Qing’s smooth skin, tightening his grip. “Why are you acting like this? I’m not bullying you.”
Yu Qing avoided his gaze. “Are you done checking?”
Song Xinqi finished his inspection, finally relieved, but still scolded him sternly.
Yu Qing hung his head, tugging on Song Xinqi’s sleeve to appease him. “I was wrong.”
His voice was soft and light, almost coquettish. Song Xinqi’s heart felt a gentle thump, and he frowned deeply.
Yu Qing, the little waste, must be thinking some weird thoughts again, causing his emotions to fluctuate. The mental link was influencing him more, and he needed to find a way to sever it soon.
The truck roared as it stopped at a desolate gas station. Wu Zhenhu wiped his sweat, exhausted from overusing his powers, his grip on the steering wheel shaky. “We’re almost out of gas. We need to refuel.”
Song Xinqi glanced silently at Chen Yi on the ground. Chen Yi sat up, tried to sense, but spoke hoarsely, “I can’t sense anything.”
A person’s mental state greatly affects their ability to use powers. After facing death, Chen Yi was too scared to use his abilities.
Wu Zhenhu was drained, making Song Xinqi the best candidate to scout ahead.
Song Xinqi nodded. “Just go in and check it out.”
Chen Yi asked, “Alone?”
Song Xinqi chuckled coldly. “What, you need someone to hold your hand?”
“What if there are zombies…”
Song Xinqi interrupted impatiently, “Keep whining, and I’ll kill you now.”
The atmosphere in the truck tensed at Song his words. Chen Yi, feeling cornered, got out alone.
Luckily, there were no zombies at the gas station. Chen Yi, looking worse than a zombie, walked back to the truck. The others, mistaking him for a zombie at first, were relieved when they recognized him.
Feeling their varied gazes, he dug his nails into his palms and climbed back into the truck without a word. “There are no zombies inside.”
Wu Zhenhu drove into the gas station, and they loaded up on fuel.
The rest of the journey went smoothly, with the GPS showing they were getting closer to City A.
Wu Zhenhu turned on the radio, and they listened to news updates, gradually understanding the apocalypse better.
“If nothing goes wrong, we should reach the safe zone in City A after one more turn and twenty more kilometers,” he said.
Hearing this, everyone relaxed, feeling the end of their arduous journey was in sight.
Yu Qing recalled the novel’s plot. The details were fuzzy, but he didn’t remember a safe zone in City A.