Chapter Thirty-Seven: I Owe You Nothing Anymore

“Huh?” Li Wei hadn’t yet processed what Chu Xingyu had just said when he suddenly found several more bottles of water in his arms. But since he needed Chu Xingyu’s help, he couldn’t very well protest. “I can carry these myself. Xia Tian, you really shouldn’t make Captain Xingyu carry so much for you.”

Xia Tian lowered her head, looking a little aggrieved as she said to Chu Xingyu, “Let me take them instead…”

“No need.” Chu Xingyu stopped her, flashing an innocent and adorable smile. “It’s nothing. I like to help.”

Seeing the smile on Chu Xingyu’s face, Xia Tian blushed with embarrassment and gave up trying to take back her things.

“Uncle Li, are you sure you want to stay at the back of the group?” Chu Xingyu asked Li Wei with a bright smile.

Somewhat puzzled, Li Wei shot back with a laugh, “Why, Captain Xingyu? I’m just following you, aren’t I?”

Chu Xingyu nodded thoughtfully. “Actually, you’d be safer in the middle. I’ll be taking the rear to cover everyone.”

“Oh, I see.” Li Wei chuckled and quickly moved to the center of the group.

Chu Xingyu raised an eyebrow, let out a soft laugh, and said nothing more.

Watching Li Wei scurry to the middle, Xia Tian felt thoroughly embarrassed and could only apologize to Chu Xingyu, “Sorry, the manager is just a bit timid.”

Chu Xingyu didn’t care about Li Wei, but he did have many questions for Xia Tian.

“It’s fine. Actually, I’ve been curious—how did you and Sister Sheng meet?”

At the mention of Qin Sheng, guilt welled up in Xia Tian’s heart once again.

“Qin Sheng once came to the store, found me and the manager, and saved our lives from a zombie attack. Unfortunately, the manager has never acknowledged her help.” At this, Xia Tian’s tone grew agitated. It was only after that day that she truly realized how cowardly and ungrateful Li Wei was.

Chu Xingyu, of course, noticed the change in her expression. He glanced at Li Wei, who was clinging to others up ahead, and gently asked, “Have you ever thought about leaving him?”

Xia Tian understood he was referring to Li Wei. She hesitated, then replied helplessly, “No matter what kind of person he is, on the first day of the apocalypse, he saved my life. He can be ungrateful, but I can’t.”

Hearing this, Chu Xingyu’s gaze softened with admiration.

Perhaps now he understood why Qin Sheng had risked everything to save Xia Tian.

“If you want to repay a debt, remember to protect yourself first. Not just for your own sake, but for Qin Sheng’s as well.”

Xia Tian looked into his eyes and nodded.

The group pressed onward, but Lin Xing couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. They hadn’t encountered a single stray zombie since leaving—good news, but still unsettling.

“Sister Miao, we haven’t seen a single zombie along the way,” Lin Xing whispered her concern to Jiang Miaomiao.

Jiang Miaomiao nodded. She’d noticed too, but wasn’t sure if they were heading into danger or if she was just being paranoid, so she hadn’t brought it up. But if Lin Xing sensed it too, it was likely the latter.

“Warn everyone to stay alert.” Jiang Miaomiao instructed the teammate beside her.

The teammate quickly passed on the warning to the others.

“Be careful,” Chu Xingyu said, tightening his grip on his dagger and preparing for a fight.

Xia Tian hugged her backpack tightly, knuckles white not just from fear but from anxiety and uncertainty.

Instantly, the entire group became alert. Sure enough, before long, angry zombie howls echoed from ahead.

“This is no small horde,” Lin Xing muttered through gritted teeth to Jiang Miaomiao, dagger ready.

Jiang Miaomiao frowned deeply, gripping her own weapon. She glanced back at their group and called out, “If things get dangerous, be ready to drop the supplies. No amount of goods is worth your life.”

“Understood!” came the replies.

Chu Xingyu exchanged a look with Jiang Miaomiao, then glanced at Xia Tian, burdened with bags, struggling to walk. He frowned and whispered in her ear, “If things go wrong, don’t hesitate—drop everything. You need to stay alive to see Qin Sheng.”

Xia Tian bit her lip, fighting back tears, and nodded.

Chu Xingyu also readied himself. The undead howls grew louder—closer.

Jiang Miaomiao and Lin Xing stayed tense, watching as some thirty zombies of varying sizes came charging toward them. They knew this would be no easy battle.

“We should run! There’s no way we can take on that many!” Li Wei had been on edge since the first zombie howl; now, as they grew nearer, his legs were trembling. But no one around him agreed to flee.

“They killed so many of my friends. I’m fighting them, even if it costs me my life! If you want to run, go by yourself!” someone retorted.

“That’s right!” another echoed.

Seeing that no one was persuaded, Li Wei anxiously scanned around. He spotted Xia Tian at the rear and, eyes flashing, hurried toward her.

“Xia Tian, let’s run! There’s no way we can beat so many zombies!” He reached out, trying to drag her with him.

Chu Xingyu let out a cold laugh. “Have you thought about what happens if you run into more zombies on another road?”

Li Wei froze, then bristled with anger. “I don’t care! If I stay, I’ll die for sure. Maybe I’ll survive if I take another path.”

If nothing else, his gaze landed on Xia Tian once more.

Meeting his eyes, Xia Tian instinctively tried to hide behind Chu Xingyu. The calculation in Li Wei’s gaze frightened her—if she left with him now, she might never see Qin Sheng again.

When Li Wei saw her hiding behind Chu Xingyu, he lost his temper and grabbed her, saying, “Don’t forget who saved your life on the first day. In ancient times, if I saved you, your life would be mine!”

Faced with this, Xia Tian had no choice. After hesitating, she stepped out from behind Chu Xingyu.

“Don’t worry. Like Sister Sheng, I respect your choice,” Chu Xingyu said gently, smiling at her.

Xia Tian pressed her lips together and followed Li Wei, glancing back at Chu Xingyu as she left the group.

Just as she had with Qin Sheng that day, he nodded at her.

“Stop looking, Xia Tian. Let’s go!” Li Wei snapped, pulling her after him down a different path.

Chu Xingyu set down what he was carrying, gripped his dagger, and prepared for battle.

“Lin Xing, that’s a big group of zombies. If we try to fight, our chances aren’t good. Our best bet is to take another route,” Jiang Miaomiao said quietly.

Lin Xing hesitated, gripping his weapon. He yearned to fight, but he wasn’t alone. Only a few of them had weapons; the rest were defenseless. He couldn’t risk everyone’s lives—it wouldn’t be fair.

“We’ll take another way. We’re close to our old place—let’s hide out there for now.” He glanced at their position; it was only a turn away from the blue-roofed girls’ dorm, which was relatively safe.

Jiang Miaomiao nodded, explained the plan to the others, and the group quickly slipped away to the dorm.

Fortunately, Qin Sheng had previously fortified this place, so even if zombies followed, they couldn’t get in.

Chu Xingyu glanced back in the direction Xia Tian had gone, worry clouding his heart.

“Xia Tian left with Li Wei—it was her choice. There’s nothing we can do,” Jiang Miaomiao said, seeing the concern in his eyes.

Chu Xingyu nodded, sighing helplessly. If only Xia Tian had hesitated a little more, or if he’d tried to stop her—maybe she’d be here with them now.

But everyone has their own path and their own choices.

“Hurry up, Xia Tian! If you keep dawdling and the zombies catch up, what then?” Li Wei snapped.

Carrying so much, Xia Tian was already exhausted. With Li Wei’s constant sarcasm, she was even more drained, and soon she stumbled and fell.

Li Wei frowned with disgust, pulled her to her feet, and was about to say something sharp when the low growl of zombies reached them.

They were in a corridor with no way to turn or double back; if the zombies reached them, death was certain.

Not wanting to die so soon, Li Wei forgot his complaints, grabbed some of Xia Tian’s things, and hurried her along.

At the end of the corridor stood a fruit shop belonging to the school. Seeing no zombies nearby, Li Wei finally relaxed.

“Can’t you be more careful? If you mess up and I get bitten, then what?” he snapped, glaring at the panting Xia Tian. But before he could finish, the undead roars rose again.

Xia Tian clenched her fists. Her eyes now held no fear—only disappointment in Li Wei.

“Manager, I’ve done enough for you. I owe you nothing now.”

Li Wei had no time to ponder her words. He dragged her up onto the fruit shop’s roof beam just as, in an instant, zombies swarmed around, all howling at their feet, as if ready to climb up and devour them the next second.