Jiang Miaomiao didn’t know what was on Liu Qiming’s mind when he said those words. All she knew was that after hearing them, her nose felt as if it had been sprinkled with a few drops of lemon juice, and a sour feeling surged up instantly.
Thankfully, it was dark in the basement, and neither of them could see each other.
She made a muffled sound in response and fell silent.
Liu Qiming continued to sit against the wall.
Another day passed, and Jiang Miaomiao was half asleep when she suddenly heard a series of impacts. She quickly grabbed the flashlight and shone it towards the door.
The bathtub was being hit continuously, and it seemed to be on the verge of collapse.
Were the zombies trying to get in?
She subconsciously looked at Liu Qiming, who had also woken up. His face was serious as he took a hammer, nails, and the remaining wooden boards, and approached the bathtub.
The zombies were banging on the outside, while he was reinforcing from the inside. Their claws reached through the gaps several times, catching his clothes.
Even though Jiang Miaomiao was far away, she was scared to death. But Liu Qiming remained calm, and he used all the wooden boards and then brought over the water bucket to stack behind the bathtub.
She went to help him as well, and together they used the water bucket to block the bathtub. The banging noises finally reduced significantly.
Liu Qiming patted her shoulder. “Alright, you go back to sleep.”
Jiang Miaomiao thought to herself, who could sleep in this situation? She wasn’t deaf.
“And what about you?” she asked.
Liu Qiming sat down with his knees bent, leaning against the water bucket. “I’ll stay here and guard. In case the zombies come in, I can at least resist them for a while.”
He was going to face the zombies over there while she comfortably slept here?
Jiang Miaomiao’s conscience wouldn’t allow it, so she hugged her blanket and pillow, lying down next to him.
The zombies were still banging, but she felt oddly at ease. She even said with a bit of happiness, “You lost. I told you the zombie tide wouldn’t end so quickly.”
Liu Qiming snorted, “Is this your way of showing off? The winner and loser are still uncertain.”
“I’m sure I’ll win. You won’t cry until you see the coffin.”
He shrugged, “Then we’ll see.”
The flashlight lasted for a while, flickered twice, and then the last bit of battery was drained, leaving them in darkness.
From that day on, the only light they could enjoy was the flickering firelight of the diesel stove while cooking.
The time for Liu Qiming’s bet arrived quickly, but the zombie tide did not end. Instead, the attacks became stronger.
Several times, Jiang Miaomiao felt like the zombies would break through the bathtub and rush in, but they managed to stay safe in the end.
She asked Liu Qiming to fulfill his promise after going outside, and he agreed readily, even asking her what kind of jewelry she liked.
Jiang Miaomiao wasn’t picky; she loved all kinds of jewelry.
Diamonds, red and blue sapphires, pearls, and glittering gold.
Before, she could only envy them when passing by the shop windows while shopping. Now, as long as she survived, there would be a chance to own them.
She had to stay alive, at least to see those beautiful treasures before dying.
However, the more she wanted to live, the more difficulties she encountered.
After the flashlight ran out of power, their food and diesel supply also depleted. Having a warm meal became a luxury, and many dinners were just a pack of cold biscuits.
Jiang Miaomiao’s already slender waist became so thin that her bones were visible. She felt dizzy from hunger, and her thinking became increasingly sluggish.
When she thought she might really starve to death in the basement, one day Liu Qiming woke her up and said in her ear:
“There’s no sound outside. I’m going out to take a look.”
She reflexively grabbed him and spoke with a weak voice like a mosquito’s hum.
After listening for a while, he finally understood that she was saying—be sure to come back.
Liu Qiming tightly held her thin hand. “I will come back, don’t worry.”
He moved the water bucket, removed the wooden boards and nails, and pushed the bathtub aside.
Sunlight poured in like a waterfall, and fresh air rushed in eagerly.
Jiang Miaomiao squinted her eyes and only saw a tall figure in the dazzling white light.
He walked out and closed the door again, and darkness descended on the basement once more.
She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the sunlight lingering on her fingertips.
Liu Qiming didn’t come back for a long time. Jiang Miaomiao had slept too long and had a headache. She struggled to sit up, grabbed a cup, and tried to pour some water to drink.
The water bucket was too heavy, and she couldn’t lift it with her weak hands. Unable to see clearly, she accidentally knocked it over, and water splashed everywhere, soaking the blanket.
Sitting on the ground, Jiang Miaomiao touched the wet blanket and felt like crying.
She was the kind of person who was only suitable for waiting to die. Struggling to survive in the apocalypse was really taking a toll on her.
As she was despairing, she heard movement outside the door.
Jiang Miaomiao’s hairs stood on end.
Were there more zombies coming? Now that Liu Qiming wasn’t here, what should she do alone?
Soon, she realized that she didn’t even need to think because, in her current state, she was so weak from hunger that she couldn’t even walk properly.
The bathtub was pushed open, and she crawled into the blanket, hugging her head, but then she heard a familiar voice.
“Are you awake?”
It was Liu Qiming!
Jiang Miaomiao was like a person walking in the dark who suddenly saw light, and she joyfully poked her head out.
Liu Qiming pushed the bathtub back to its original position, and he came to her side in the dark, handing her a bag.
“Eat, I brought it back from the supermarket.”
Jiang Miaomiao didn’t hesitate; she opened the bag and started eating. Only after the chocolate reached her mouth did she realize what it was.
He also brought self-heating rice. While she was stuffing herself with chocolate, he went to add water and cook.
When Jiang Miaomiao had eaten so much chocolate that she felt dizzy, a delicious aroma of fish-flavored shredded pork rice was handed to her.
The chocolate provided calories, and the rice supplied carbohydrates. After eating both, she regained her energy and leaned against the wall, letting out a comfortable sigh.
Liu Qiming handed her a water cup. “Have some water.”
She took a sip, and the cool water washed away the greasiness in her mouth, making her feel much better.
“Thank you. Have you eaten?” She put down the cup, belatedly remembering to ask.
Liu Qiming replied, “I ate earlier.”
“That’s good. I thought I had eaten it all by myself.”
He teased, “What if I’m still hungry?”
She pondered for a moment and said, “There’s nothing I can do. I can’t exactly regurgitate it for you to eat.”
Liu Qiming grimaced in disgust and shifted the topic back to serious matters.
“I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear?”
Considering her ability to handle things, Jiang Miaomiao promptly chose the good news.
“The zombie tide has receded. There are only about one-third of the zombies left outside. It will be much safer to live in the city from now on.”
She felt relieved after hearing this and asked, “What about the bad news?”
Liu Qiming said, “The villa is severely damaged and can no longer be inhabited. Either we continue living in the basement or find another place.”
Jiang Miaomiao’s good mood instantly plummeted.
She didn’t want to stay in this basement anymore. It had no windows and no bathroom, making it feel like a prison.
But finding another suitable and safe place temporarily would not be easy.
Liu Qiming continued, “I’ll go to the supermarket again to get some food, and then I’ll be leaving.”
Her heart sank.
“Leaving?”
“Yes, didn’t I mention it earlier? Once the zombie tide is over, I will go find my friends.”
She lowered her head in a daze. “Yes… you did mention it… When do you plan to leave?”
“I’ll go to the supermarket now. Do you need anything? I’ll bring it back for you.”
Jiang Miaomiao had a long list of things she needed, but her mind was in a mess, and she couldn’t think of them all at once.
After waiting for a few minutes and seeing her not saying anything, Liu Qiming stood up and said, “I’ll just pick what I think you might need. I’m leaving.”
He moved the bathtub aside and went out, closing the door behind him.
Jiang Miaomiao stood by the door, contemplating whether she should go out too.
Liu Qiming could come and go freely, indicating that it wasn’t as dangerous outside anymore, right?
However, the terrifying image of the zombies was still vivid in her mind, and she hesitated, not daring to take any risks lightly.
After a short while, Liu Qiming returned, pushing a small cart filled with food.
“These should be enough for you to last about a week. I also brought some daily necessities. If there are no problems, I’ll leave.”
Jiang Miaomiao lay in the blanket, her back turned to him, and she muttered a dull “mm-hmm.”
He looked at her small figure and asked, “Aren’t you going to say goodbye?”
“I probably won’t see you again, right?”
Liu Qiming smiled, “Seems like it. But we’ve known each other for a while; we should still say goodbye.”
Jiang Miaomiao buried her head, curled up in the blanket, seemingly already asleep.
He took a deep breath, turned around, and left quickly.
As his footsteps faded away, the bathtub was moved back into place, and the familiar darkness enveloped her.
Jiang Miaomiao sniffed, reassuring herself that it was okay. She had been alone before, and he was just passing by, accompanying her for a while.
Now she was just returning to her previous life, nothing to worry about.
She got up, touched the cart, and took out a bag of something.
It looked like potato chips or maybe biscuits.
Whatever, she didn’t care. She opened the bag and stuffed the contents into her mouth. After chewing for a while, she vaguely felt that it was instant noodles.
The dried noodles were too hard, and she choked, making her throat sore and unable to swallow.
Jiang Miaomiao poured herself a cup of water and in a daze, she heard someone cheerfully ask, “Have you heard the story of chicken feet?”
She turned her head, but there was nothing but darkness.
The zombies were gone, and he was gone too. Everything was silent.
With food and drink, she should be able to survive.
She gathered her spirits and set a daily routine for herself: sleep a maximum of ten hours, eat at least three meals. Though she couldn’t go out, she could jog around the basement to exercise.
After observing for a few more days, if it was indeed safe outside, she would find a new place to move.
However, making plans was easy; implementing them was difficult.
The next day, after having lunch, she was supposed to jog, but she just sat on the blanket, not wanting to move.
Intermittent despair surged in her heart.
Why exercise? Why move?
In this environment, staying alive was torture. It would be better to just eat and die.
Jiang Miaomiao crawled into her blanket, intending to lie down. Suddenly, she felt a small box by the pillow. She took it and sniffed; it had a faint tobacco scent—it was a cigarette box that Liu Qiming had emptied.
She suddenly felt upset and cried silently while holding the box, tears wetting the pillow.
Clang! The bathtub suddenly made a light sound, which seemed particularly clear in the darkness.
Jiang Miaomiao quickly wiped away her tears, discarded the cigarette box, and sat up, vigilantly looking towards the door.
Was a zombie trying to come in?
Should she just close her eyes and wait for death, or should she fight back?
Her instinct was to choose the former, but the voice of Liu Qiming echoed in her ears—”I want you to think about how to solve the danger first, rather than giving up immediately.”
“Don’t give up immediately…”
She bit her lip, picked up the hammer from the ground, and held her breath.
With a bang, the bathtub was knocked open. Intense light flooded in, making her unable to open her eyes.
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