The protagonist who hates losers is so sweet to me.

Yu Qing took a few sips of water to soothe the burning sensation in his throat. He picked a large leaf nearby, scooped up some water, and poured it slowly into Song Xinqi’s mouth. His hands were trembling, and he accidentally splashed water all over Song Xinqi’s face.
In his unconscious state, Song Xinqi suddenly choked, his brows furrowing even tighter. Yu Qing’s eyes darted nervously as he quickly wiped the water droplets off his face with the leaf.
There were other humans in this village, so he didn’t allow Yu Xiaoxue to go out foraging alone anymore. The spring was a good place to wait for prey, and they hid behind a tree, waiting. An hour later, a mutated duck waddled arrogantly into view, and Yu Xiaoxue, who had been lying in ambush, captured it effortlessly.
Yu Qing had kept matches from the house in his pocket all this time, and now was a good opportunity to start a fire. Yu Xiaoxue took half of the matches, and Yu Qing cut the remaining half into two pieces to roast over the fire.
After finishing his portion, he started thinking about how to get Song Xinqi to eat. He didn’t know how long he would remain unconscious, but not eating anything wouldn’t work. Moreover, when Song Xinqi woke up, he would likely face a lot of trouble caused by himself, so it was best to maintain sufficient strength.
He remembered when he was feverish and unconscious, Song Xinqi had fed him some porridge. But duck meat was different from porridge and couldn’t be forced down.
He stared at the duck meat in his hand and then at Song Xinqi. Suddenly, his face flushed.
No matter what, eating was the most important thing. Song Xinqi probably wouldn’t blame him.
He hesitated for a moment, tore off a small piece of meat, chewed it slowly, and then, blushing, leaned over towards him. That fiercely handsome face, even with closed eyes, exuded a sense of aggression as it loomed large before him.
Actually, as long as Song Xinqi didn’t get angry at him, he wasn’t that afraid of him. Mentally preparing himself, Yu Qing braced himself and went forward.
His thin and soft lips were stimulated by the heat above, causing him to feel like his entire body was on fire. He closed his eyes tightly, extended his tongue, and pried open those lips to encounter an even hotter interior. He felt his whole body go soft, and his arm couldn’t support itself, so it pressed directly against Song Xinqi.
He exerted a bit of effort and spent some time prying open Song Xinqi’s teeth to feed him.
Without any help, the food stayed in his mouth. He pushed it in deeper, inevitably touching something he shouldn’t have. Yu Qing’s tongue trembled, and his eyes were moistened by the hot steam.
Was that a tongue?
Feeling a swallowing motion under his palm, he immediately backed away.
Feeding took a long time, and he held his breath until they separated, then remembered his face was even redder.
He turned to see Yu Xiaoxue staring intently at him, her small eyes filled with curiosity.
He was so ashamed he couldn’t hold back, blocking Yu Xiaoxue’s gaze with his hand and not knowing who he was explaining to: “I, I just wanted to make Song Xinqi eat well.”
Yu Xiaoxue tilted her head, staring at Yu Qing’s face, red as if blood was dripping. It couldn’t understand complicated human language, only simple commands like “eating” and “finding crystal nuclei.”
So Yu Qing was feeding Song Xinqi? It turns out humans also have this way of feeding each other.
Anyway, she didn’t understand anything, he comforted himself in his heart, waved his hand to make her turn around and not watch him.
When Yu Xiaoxue listened to his words and turned around, Yu Qing looked back at the duck meat in his hand. There was still a lot of food left; this was a big project.
The high fever blurred all senses, with an oxygen-deprived brain and burning skin. He almost couldn’t control his voice.
Half an hour later, he threw away the bones in his hand and rinsed his mouth by the river.
In the reflection, he had red, moist, and watery lips and cheeks, as if he had been severely bullied. He was too embarrassed to look at himself, so he hurriedly scooped up water to wash his face.
Yu Xiaoxue brushed her fur boredly, shaking her tail tip when Yu Qing approached.
He filled a leaf with water and cleaned Song Xinqi’s mouth. Perhaps due to lack of oxygen, he felt light-headed. He couldn’t look directly at Song Xinqi’s face, just wiped it a few times based on feeling.
In the midst of scattered sight, Yu Qing was suddenly attracted to a very strong presence, looking directly at it as if being shocked and quickly leaving, his arms were also pink.
This, it’s not his business…
Like destroying evidence, he absorbed a crystal nucleus, quickly stuffed Song Xinqi back into his pocket, and climbed on Yu Xiaoxue’s back to go back.
He patted his own face, trying to cool down his feverish cheeks. They left the spring and walked a distance back, noticing a figure approaching from the distance.
Upon spotting each other, both parties halted simultaneously.
The person approaching was the man who occupied their house last night. Yu Xiaoxue remembered this man taking her food, emitting dissatisfied growls in her throat.
The man also remembered the sudden disappearance of the snow leopard, tightening his grip on the steel pipe. After scrutinizing Yu Xiaoxue, his gaze shifted to Yu Qing on her back, his expression momentarily frozen.
Humans in the apocalypse were generally rugged and desperate, not much different from vagrants surviving between life and death.
But he was different. He stood out among all the people the man had encountered. He exuded a calmness that didn’t fit the end times, riding majestically on a snow leopard.
He’s like an angel.
The word flashed through the man’s mind.
Yesterday, he found a stack of firewood in the kitchen, without any dust around, obviously recently placed. At that time, he suspected there might be someone else here, but didn’t expect to encounter them so soon.
The man remained cautious. Although Yi Qing looked fragile and vulnerable, he had managed to tame a mutant snow leopard. Moreover, the fact that there were no zombies in the entire village was definitely not something he could overlook. This person was extraordinary.
Yu Qing maintained a calm demeanor on the surface. He didn’t know how to face the man, so he simply stood his ground and waited for him to move.
Before long, unable to contain himself, the man spoke first: “I encountered your snow leopard yesterday. Is this your territory? I’m just here temporarily seeking refuge.”
Yu Qing said nothing. With little energy left, he straightened his back as much as possible, trying not to show weakness. But if they lingered any longer, he might not be able to hold out.
The man wanted to say something, but Yu Xiaoxue immediately growled at him, glaring fiercely.
“Leave this place,” Yu Qing’s voice sounded as composed as possible. The man was indeed intimidated and didn’t make any reckless moves, but he still didn’t leave.
The two suddenly found themselves in a strange standoff.
Seeing Yu Qing remaining motionless and not really forcing him to leave, the man became a bit suspicious. Tentatively, he asked, “This village seems safe. Did you make it so?”
He nodded, his eyes showing impatience.
Suddenly, the man took a few steps towards him. Yu Xiaoxue backed away, growling warnings at him. The man had no choice but to stop.
The man pondered as he looked at Yu Qing, noticing how tightly wound he seemed. He also observed that Yu Qing’s eyes seemed somewhat unfocused, his breathing heavy, indicating he was not in good condition.
For some reason, this person seemed very weak now, relying entirely on the snow leopard to hold his ground.
Thinking this, the man’s thoughts immediately changed. Initially, he was just testing the waters and had no real intentions. But now it was different. Yu Qing looked very gullible. If he could get him to relax his guard, he could do whatever he wanted. The snow leopard was the only obstacle; he needed to find a way to get rid of her.
Sensing Yu Qing’s tension, the man decided not to press him too hard for now. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t do anything. I was just excited to see another human.”
Yu Qing pursed his lips without saying a word. The man continued in a casual manner, “The food that the snow leopard accidentally dropped yesterday must have been for you, right? I didn’t know and ended up eating it. I’m just heading out now to look for food. How about you come with me, and we split whatever we find?”
“No,” Yu Qing replied tersely. He could sense the man’s attitude towards him had shifted, and he didn’t want to expose himself further.
Seeing that he was not receptive, the man didn’t insist. “Alright then, you go back first. I’ll go look for food over there.”
Yu Qing kept a wary eye on the man, instructing Yu Xiaoxue to circle around him and head back towards the village.
After walking for a while, he suddenly felt her becoming agitated, her pace quickening. At the same time, he constantly felt an almost imperceptible gaze on his back, as if the man had followed them.
He whispered to her, “Xiaoxue, run!”
She swiftly darted forward, but the lingering gaze persisted, impossible to shake off. When Yu Qing turned back, he couldn’t see anything.
They veered into a complex terrain of small paths, dodging left and right. After running for a while, the gaze behind them finally disappeared.
Yu Qing’s face turned pale, heart still racing from the adrenaline. He glanced nervously behind, feeling suffocated in his chest. Even deep breaths couldn’t ease the discomfort.
The village wasn’t safe. He didn’t know why the man was following him, but he felt that this person wouldn’t give up easily.
Song Xinqi had told him to leave immediately if anyone harassed them; lingering in the village could lead to trouble, and sometimes humans in the apocalypse were more dangerous than zombies.
He stroked Yu Xiaoxue’s head. “Xiaoxue, let’s leave this place.”
The man stood at the village entrance, his face darkening. He couldn’t believe Yu Qing had actually left.
Yu Qing’s thoughts were simple: to stay away from all dangers. The man seemed formidable, and staying in the village would only invite trouble sooner or later. It was better to leave early.
He remembered the direction they were headed. Following a similar path, they walked for half a day. Gradually, they encountered some zombies.
The zombies would come attracted by the smell. He dared not stop for a moment, stumbling on the rough road. Finally, he climbed down from Yu Xiaoxue, leaning against a tree trunk and vomiting everything he had eaten that morning.
Yu Xiaoxue used her claws to comfort his back.
After he finished vomiting, he felt his head spinning. He pressed his palms against his forehead to stay awake. He couldn’t afford to sleep out here.
After a short adjustment, they continued forward. His persistent fever made him feel disoriented, relying solely on sheer willpower to keep going without collapsing.
Suddenly, a zombie lunged out from the roadside. Luckily, Yu Xiaoxue reacted quickly, jumping aside to evade it.
He climbed down and let her handle things on her own. His condition was deteriorating, and it was best not to burden her further.
As the two sides wrestled, he eaned against a tree trunk, catching his breath. Suddenly, he felt a chill behind him and turned to see a torso-only zombie clinging to the tree, peering at him sideways.
He stepped back in shock, staring at the torso-only zombie in disbelief. The upper torso zombie jumped down from the tree, its arms acting as legs, and swiftly charged towards him. He narrowly dodged, grabbed the folding knife from his pocket, and smashed it down on the zombie’s head just as it leaped towards him.
The zombie’s scream became more piercing, and Yu Qing’s temples throbbed. Summoning unknown strength, he lifted the knife again and struck at the zombie’s body, green blood staining the grass beneath.
Only when the zombie was reduced to a pulp did he drop the knife, exhausted, and collapsed onto the grass, motionless.
On the other side, after finishing the battle, Yu Xiaoxue approached, licking Yu Qing’s arm with her rough tongue, turning him over.
The snow leopard beside them growled urgently. Yu Qing looked at the tree canopy above, feeling drained. “Not sleeping. Just… no strength left.”
After resting for half an hour, he felt some strength returning. He struggled to roll onto Yu Xiaoxue’s back, his face buried in the fur. “Let’s go.”
They continued for several days, encountering few zombies on the road. Even when they did, most were dispatched by Yu Xiaoxue, although he managed to kill one or two himself, though it was always a struggle.
He had almost adapted to the high fever. He could run, albeit barely, without relying heavily on the snow leopard. The wilderness was perilous; several times he thought he was about to be bitten to death, only to unleash his potential and kill the zombies, barely escaping death.
His eyes stared blankly at the formless zombies on the ground. He felt no heartbeat, absorbing a crystal nucleus and resting for a while before saying to Yu Xiaoxue, “Let’s go.”
He didn’t know where they were headed or if they were off course. Surviving was already difficult; he didn’t want to think about anything else.
Every day, inexplicable wounds appeared on his body, but thankfully none were caused by zombies; he had yet to be infected.
Thus, they struggled to survive until the fourth day of Song Xinqi’s coma.
They arrived at a winding canyon, where high mountains and cliffs meandered around. This was Yu Xiaoxue’s territory; the terrain was too rugged for zombies to survive easily, so they could rest here for a while.
The sunlight shone on his pale skin, covered in fine scratches mostly from crossing the low shrubbery.
As he lay there, feeling a bit sleepy, Yu Qing noticed a mutated antelope leaping down from a pile of rocks not far away. His and Yu Xiaoxue’s eyes remained fixed on the antelope.
“Yu Xiaoxue,” he whispered softly, “go.”
She crouched low, slinking into a blind spot in the pile of rocks, waiting for the antelope to approach. The snow leopard pounced as soon as the unsuspecting antelope entered her hunting range. Startled, the antelope quickly turned and ran back, but she relentlessly pursued.
Yu Qing furrowed his brows as he watched their chase. Why did he feel that the antelope’s speed fluctuated, seemingly able to be caught up to but always just out of reach for Yu Xiaoxue?
Days of independent survival had made him more sensitive to the outside world. Gradually sensing that something was wrong, he immediately shouted, “Xiaoxue, stop chasing! Come back!”
But she continued to chase, ignoring his calls.
Normally, she would have returned upon hearing him, but as they got farther apart, he ran towards them, shouting, “Yu Xiaoxue, stop chasing.”
He chased them to another place, where the antelope ran in front, and suddenly disappeared like a hologram passing through a certain boundary.
She stopped, unable to find the antelope, and turned to look at Yu Qing.
“Xiaoxue, come back…” His voice abruptly ceased because she, like the antelope, disappeared in the same manner.
He abruptly stopped, cold sweat breaking out on his back.
The antelope was fake, and Yu Xiaoxue was fake?
He looked around, and the winding canyon had suddenly changed into dense thickets.
What was before his eyes was not a pile of rocks but a giant tree stump cut horizontally, with a giant black eagle perched on its wide cross-section.
Following the eagle’s claws upward, he saw its sharp eyes fixed on him, completely overshadowing him in its shadow, making him seem as small as a grain of rice.
The giant eagle spread its huge wings and emitted a piercing screech, the gusts of wind almost lifting him off his feet.
Only when the giant eagle stood up did he see the grayish-green zombie head beneath its abdomen, emitting howls along with the eagle’s cry.
What kind of monster was this?
A chill ran from his feet to his head, and Yu Qing ran backward. The giant eagle swooped down behind him, and the fierce wind caused his clothes to rustle loudly. His sense of danger made him bend over and roll onto the ground just as the eagle’s claws grazed his shoulder.
He fell to the ground, seeing the giant eagle swoop down from above again, and immediately shrunk his body, rolling into the leaves.
The giant eagle hesitated in its downward dive, then flew back up into the sky, circling to search for him.
Shrinking to the same size as Song Xinqi, he couldn’t move as easily with the smaller form. He could only hide motionlessly among the leaves.
The piercing eagle cries seemed to pierce his eardrums, and suddenly, a strong wind blew, swirling the leaves into the air, instantly exposing his location.
The zombie head cackled madly, and the giant eagle’s sharp eyes circled around. It immediately locked onto him, flapping its wings aggressively towards him.
Just then, a large snow leopard burst out from the bushes, roaring as it pounced on the giant eagle. Knocked off balance, the eagle and the snow leopard tumbled to the ground, scattering feathers everywhere.
Yu Qing regained his form, grabbed Song Xinqi, and ran forward. The snow leopard was still young and no match for the giant eagle. Initially caught off guard by Yu Xiaoxue, it quickly overturned and flapped towards him.
Yu Xiaoxue rolled on the ground for a while and stubbornly tangled with the giant eagle. Before the eagle could take off, she jumped up and bit its tail. The giant eagle howled in the air, and the zombie head on its abdomen also cried out.
Yu Xiaoxue growled, shaking her head to bring the eagle down.
In front of him, the bushes changed again. Yu Qing found himself amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, surrounded by noisy voices. Standing in the middle of the road, he faced glaring red lights flickering, and the cacophony of horns blaring all around.
He covered his ears and ran forward, oblivious. Suddenly, a speeding car veered from the side, dangerously close to hitting him.
His blood froze as he saw the car approaching rapidly. In an instant, the illusion shattered.
The giant eagle screeched as Yu Xiaoxue fiercely tore at its feathers. Feathers scattered as the snow leopard ignored her own wounds, refusing to let the eagle pursue Yu Qing.
He ran with his head down, but suddenly, a large shadow loomed overhead. As if seeing something from within the shadow, his pupils dilated in shock.
The eagle clutched Yu Xiaoxue tightly, soaring into the sky. After reaching a certain height, it abruptly released its grip, sending the snow leopard plummeting down.
Yu Qing froze in place, watching her fall rapidly before disappearing from sight.
His lips moved slightly as he bit down hard, then turned and continued running.
The eagle’s wings half-closed, sped towards him. Dodging was difficult, but the eagle soon realized he could change his form at will. After a few attempts, it quickly adjusted its angle, ensuring a hundred percent success rate for the next capture.
In front of him was a large expanse of interconnected bushes. He had nowhere to hide, but suddenly caught sight of a hollow tree trunk. He changed direction and rushed towards it.
The eagle’s claws narrowly missed his back as it collided with the narrow tree trunk. He came to a halt, gasping, watching as it stopped in front of the tree trunk. Its eyes, gleaming, fixed on him, sending chills down his spine.
The eagle watched for a while, then extended its long, slender claws into the hole, probing. Yu Qing pressed against the tree trunk, hands gripping a knife, striking upwards when the yellow talons reached down.
The eagle recoiled in pain, withdrawing its talons. It attempted to peck with its sharp, hard beak several times, narrowly missing him each time. He shrank further down, beyond the eagle’s reach.
Growing impatient, the eagle ceased its attempts to capture him and instead seized the tree hollow, along with him, in its talons.
As the ground shook violently, he held on tight, looking outwards. The ground gradually shrank, and he saw a large rock ahead.
The eagle crashed the tree hollow onto the rock. Yu Qing, juggling between holding on to the hollow and his own body, slammed into the tree wall ahead.
The knife fell from the hollow’s mouth, his brain buzzing, and he felt a sharp pain in his chest, a strong nausea rising. High fever impaired his ability to use his powers effectively; he was skilled enough with himself, but confronting such a massive creature like the eagle was daunting.
The eagle smashed the tree hole onto the stone, causing him to collide with the tree wall while holding onto Song Xinqi. His knife fell from the hole, and his head buzzed loudly. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, a strong taste of blood rising in his throat.
Seeing the eagle turning to strike again, he quickly absorbed the last crystal core, causing the tree hole to shrink further. The eagle couldn’t react in time, and the shrunken tree hole slipped from its grasp.
The tree hole rolled into a pile of leaves, and Yu Qing quickly regained his senses amidst dizziness. He stealthily climbed out of the hole with Song Xinqi, hiding beneath the leaves.
The empty tree stump was carried away by the giant eagle.
Only after the eagle disappeared from view did he resume his normal size and start running with Song Xinqi. Coughing as he ran, a few drops of blood appeared on the ground.
He didn’t know where he was or how to escape from this thicket, but he absolutely couldn’t die. If he died, Yu Xiaoxue’s sacrifice would be in vain, and Song Xinqi would be dragged down with him.
None of this would have happened originally; Song Xinqi could have become stronger with just a nap. It was all because of his involvement that things had turned out this way.
Gradually, thick fog rose around him, obscuring the path. He was forced to stop.
It was eerily silent around him, except for his own heavy breathing. Suddenly, a zombie lunged at him from the mist. The zombie was too close for him to react, and it bit into his shoulder.
He was knocked to the ground, gritting his teeth as he struggled with the zombie. It refused to let go, so he used his fingers to poke at a point on the zombie’s body, pulling the zombie doll off his shoulder and tearing off a piece of his own flesh in the process.
“It hurts.” He looked at his bloody shoulder, feeling the intense pain acutely.
The fog deepened, and he saw another scene in a haze, faintly smelling the familiar yet unfamiliar scent of disinfectant. The lights suddenly flickered on, and he squinted, not used to the brightness.
He blinked, sitting up from the hospital bed.
“Qing Qing finally woke up.” A voice filled with smiles came from beside him.
He turned his head, looking somewhat bewildered at the kind woman before him, his mouth slightly open. “Mom?”
“Hey, why do you look so silly? Didn’t expect to survive, huh?” His mother smiled as she tidied up his messy hair. Her tone was gently reproachful, “You should have stayed in the hospital and not gone to see other people making a fuss.
You’re really lucky. Falling down the stairs and being fine. You really scared me. You’re my only precious son. How can I live if you die?”
Yu Qing hung his head low, feeling a lump in his throat. “I’m sorry.”
His mother chuckled at his trembling voice. “What’s there to cry about? You’ve had fewer injuries from childhood to adulthood. Every time you cry, don’t you feel embarrassed? Today is your 18th birthday, you’re an adult now. Can’t just cry at the drop of a hat.”
“Mom, hug me.” He opened his arms, his eyes red.
His mother smiled, but before he could get a hug, she vanished from his sight.
The scene shifted again, and he found himself in a dark, enclosed space.
Outside the window was pitch-black, countless pairs of zombie eyes crowded outside, banging on the precarious door like a death knell.
He heard himself shouting with a voice on the verge of collapse, “You promised you’d come save me. We have a mental link, you can’t let me die!”
There was no one beside him. A familiar cold, indifferent voice echoed in his mind, “You’re right, we still have a mental link.”
He didn’t have time to raise a smile before the other person severed the connection. Yu Qing felt something like a thread snapping inside him uncontrollably.
He grabbed his hair uncontrollably, his face contorted in a scream that tore through his heart, “Song Xinqi, you can’t do this to me!”
He watched helplessly as his body went berserk, smashing everything in the room. Zombies broke through the door, pouring into the room.
“Yu Qing” retreated in terror, but he was just an initial with no abilities, all routes blocked, despair filling his heart.
“Don’t come over, don’t come over!” He picked up a chair and smashed it randomly among the zombies, but it didn’t make a sound.
In the end, he was overwhelmed by the zombies, torn to pieces.
He woke abruptly, finding himself still in the thicket, the mist around him dispersed. No bites, no hospital, no zombies, everything was an illusion.
Before him, the giant eagle returned, having discovered the empty tree hole.
It grabbed the dazed Yu Qing, its sharp claws hooking onto his clothes. He dared not move, fearing the claws might pierce his skin.
The eagle carried him to a huge nest. He fell from mid-air, his arm hitting the nest first, causing intense pain. He felt darkness engulfing him momentarily, nearly passing out.
Soon, he realized the nest’s crevices were large enough for him. Before the eagle returned to the nest, he quickly shrank his body size and slipped into the crevice, pulling Song Xinqi along.
The eagle found its prey missing again, searching for a while before discovering him in the nest’s crevice, its eyes full of resentment like venom.
Its sharp talon stepped into the nest and he slid further inside. The eagle grew furious, with zombies in its belly wishing it could come down and bite him.
The eagle forcibly dismantled the nest with its beak, determined to drag him out. The nest was torn in half, and he fell out from the middle.
Enormous claws were right in front of Yu Qing, who kept backing away with Song Xinqi in tow. His left arm hurt badly, but now was not the time to worry about pain.
However, the eagle’s nest was built on a cliff, leaving them no retreat. Behind them was a sheer cliff, and in front, an enraged giant eagle.
He glanced back, seeing the eagle’s beak aiming for his chest. A fierce determination flashed in his eyes as he hugged Song Xinqi and jumped backward.
The sense of weightlessness made his mind go blank. Gripping his teeth tightly and holding Song Xinqi closer, he saw the eagle diving towards him again.
He didn’t want to give up struggling. Even if he jumped down, the eagle might catch him back in mid-air. But it didn’t matter; he had done everything he could. If he could delay a bit longer, maybe Song Xinqi would wake up in the next second. He thought with a bitter smile.
His head was spinning, his chest was hurting, his whole body was in pain. He saw the eagle getting closer and closer, its sharp beak pointing right at his chest.
He hoped it would be more ruthless when it pecked down, maybe dying in an instant would be less painful,
Was it an illusion? Why did it feel like his head wasn’t so dizzy anymore.
He closed his eyes. Well, he could die a little easier when he died.
At the same time, Song Xinqi suddenly opened his eyes.
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