Chapter Fifteen: Rest at the Hotel

“Brother Fang.”

Bai Xing called out in delight. In this moment, Fang Xia was the strongest man in her heart.

“Bai Xing, close the door!”

Fang Xia flashed past her. Bai Xing quickly tried to react, but she was still a step too late. The first zombie had already rushed in front of her, reaching out its arm to pounce.

At that critical moment, the Glimmer Blade shot out from behind Bai Xing and pierced straight into the zombie’s forehead. Fang Xia immediately followed up with a kick, sending the zombie flying backward, crashing into the other zombies that were close behind, knocking a whole group to the ground.

Fang Xia’s second kick landed swiftly on the half-open door.

With a loud bang, the door was finally shut.

Bai Xing came to her senses and quickly turned the handle to lock the door.

Heavy thuds followed as zombies slammed into the door.

“Shh.” Fang Xia placed a finger to his lips, signaling Bai Xing to stay quiet.

Unable to hear any movement or sense the scent of living humans, the zombies would soon leave.

Sure enough, after a few minutes, the pounding stopped. The two finally relaxed, quietly making their way up the stairs.

Climbing from the first floor to the twenty-first was nothing for Fang Xia, but for Bai Xing, it was a strenuous task. After four breaks, they finally reached the twenty-first floor.

All the doors remained tightly shut, but the corpses in the hallway were gone, evidently cleaned away by someone. With so many zombies around, tossing a body downstairs meant nothing but bone fragments would remain after a minute.

“Beep. Fingerprint unlock successful.”

Fortunately, the hotel room was equipped with a fingerprint lock. These locks ran on batteries, so even without power, they worked as long as the battery held charge.

At last, they were safe.

“Brother Fang, did you prepare all this?”

Although Bai Xing was too exhausted to speak much, she was stunned by the supplies filling the room, her mouth agape in amazement.

Did he know the world would end? How else could he have prepared so much and even happened to have a luxurious suite on the twenty-first floor?

Fang Xia’s figure grew ever more mysterious in Bai Xing’s heart. All signs pointed to him being far from ordinary. Despite the many mysteries, Bai Xing was certain of one thing: as long as she followed Fang Xia, she would survive.

From the terror of the first day to the despair in the days that followed, and finally the shock of facing zombies, these few days had nearly shattered Bai Xing’s spirit.

Then she met Fang Xia, rekindling her hope for survival. Now, the abundance of food in the room overwhelmed her so much that her emotional defenses collapsed completely.

“Rest for a while. I’ll boil some water for a bath. Once I’m done, you can bathe.”

Fang Xia opened the gas cylinder and set up a large iron pot, then began pouring bottled water into it.

He poured in twenty bottles before stopping.

Bai Xing was dumbfounded by Fang Xia’s actions—using bottled water for cooking! What extravagance.

With a kettle now available, water wouldn’t be so scarce. He had stocked hundreds of cases of bottled water not just for drinking, but also for bathing.

He boiled all the water, poured it into the bathtub, then added ten more bottles to mix. Though still a bit scarce, it was enough for a bath.

Bai Xing watched in astonishment. Was such luxury possible in times like these?

Fang Xia didn’t pay her any mind, undressing and slipping into the bathtub.

Pure bliss.

Though he had soaked in water plenty these past few days, after killing zombies all day today, he was covered in blood and needed a proper wash.

After half an hour, the water in the tub had turned a deep red-black. Refreshed, Fang Xia stepped out.

“Do it yourself. Or do you expect me to boil water for you?”

Seeing Bai Xing still stunned, Fang Xia spoke.

“I… Can I really bathe too?”

Bai Xing had never dreamed she could bathe with bottled water—even in a world where water was so scarce.

“I’m going to my room. You handle it yourself. Once you’re done, rest. Eat whatever you want.”

“Oh, and don’t bother keeping your old clothes. Wear mine for now. In the apocalypse, any mall you pass will have free new clothes. If we pass one tomorrow, pick out a few sets.”

Fang Xia was exhausted—mentally drained. He hadn’t slept all night and had spent the day fighting zombies. Now he desperately needed rest.

He trusted Bai Xing now, and in her mind, he only heard a jumble of strange thoughts. If he had the energy, he’d have liked to discuss them with her.

This was the benefit of sheltering a woman—the chance of betrayal was far lower than with a man.

He pushed open the bedroom door and lay down on the warm, soft bed—bliss.

After Fang Xia went to his room, Bai Xing mimicked his actions, opening the gas cylinder and, hesitating, poured fifteen bottles of water into the pot.

Once it boiled, she added five more bottles to the tub.

Though only twenty bottles, Bai Xing still bathed with delight, scrubbing herself thoroughly, even using shower gel and shampoo.

In his sleep, Fang Xia vaguely sensed something crawling into his arms—soft and comfortable to hold.

He pulled it closer, feeling content.

…

When he awoke, the outside world was completely dark, silent as death.

“Hm?”

As Fang Xia stretched, he suddenly realized something was off—when had a person ended up in his arms? No wonder his arm felt numb.

By the moonlight streaming through the window, he could see Bai Xing’s face.

Fresh from her bath, she seemed ethereal, like a fairy from the moon palace beneath the silvery glow.

Even in sleep, her delicate nose was slightly scrunched, adding a touch of playful charm.

Her arms were tightly wrapped around Fang Xia’s waist, their bodies pressed closely together, her head nestled against his chest, pitiful and vulnerable.

“This girl, isn’t she afraid I might lose control?”

Fang Xia wrestled with himself internally.

It was as if angels and demons were arguing in his mind.

The demon said:

“A living campus belle is lying right beside you, wearing your clothes, clinging tightly to you. She’s like a gentle lamb stretching her neck out to the big bad wolf—this is truly a gift from heaven!”

The angel countered:

“You vile demon! Look at Bai Xing’s hands, gripping Fang Xia’s clothes with all her strength. I think Bai Xing is simply too frightened, her heart fragile, so she clings to Fang Xia for comfort. If Fang Xia exploits her vulnerability now, how is he any different from Yang Li?”

Fang Xia banished both angel and demon.

He quietly watched Bai Xing’s exquisite face, her pale hands clutching his shirt.

He pondered for a long time. Yes, Bai Xing’s roommate Xiao Tian had suffered humiliation after being drugged. If he took advantage of Bai Xing now, how would he be any different from Yang Li?

Gently, he pried Bai Xing’s hands away, lifted the corner of the blanket, got out of bed, and covered her back up.

Perhaps she was too exhausted, for Bai Xing didn’t stir throughout Fang Xia’s careful movements.