Chapter Thirty-Eight: Thank You, and I’m Sorry

"The zombies are coming—what are we going to do?" Li Wei and Xia Tian stood on the roof of the fruit store, trembling as they looked down at the dense, swarming mass of zombies below. Strangely enough, Xia Tian remained uncharacteristically quiet, letting Li Wei drag her along as he pleased.

"This is all your fault, Xia Tian. If you hadn’t run so slowly, would we be trapped up here by zombies?" Even at such a critical moment, Li Wei couldn’t resist taking another jab at her. It was as ordinary to him as breathing; mocking and blaming Xia Tian had become an essential part of his existence in this apocalypse.

Xia Tian snorted coldly, almost in self-mockery, wondering how she had clung to the idea of repaying Li Wei for so long, and how that persistence had only brought suffering to herself and others. In her mind, the face of Qin Sheng, who had once accompanied her to the cafeteria, appeared vividly.

"Xia Tian, hurry up and think of something! We can’t just wait here to die, can we?" Li Wei’s anger flared when he realized Xia Tian seemed distracted even at a time like this.

"What do you expect me to do?" Xia Tian’s voice was full of grievance. She lacked Qin Sheng’s courage and intelligence, and was nothing like Chu Xingyu and the others with their abilities. She was just an ordinary college student working part-time to support herself.

Li Wei was stunned by her reply, but quickly grabbed her arm, his grip harsh. "Don’t forget who gave you your life! Are you trying to pick a fight with me now, of all times?"

Tears brimmed in Xia Tian’s eyes. She clenched her fists, biting her lip, but said nothing.

"I really don’t get you, Xia Tian. If you’re with me, then stick with me. Even if Qin Sheng has the skills, do you really think you could join their team? You have no ability, no courage, no brains. Only I would take you in. Qin Sheng saving you was already more than you deserved."

These words echoed relentlessly in Xia Tian’s mind, each repetition stabbing deeper into her already fragile heart.

"Stop it!" Xia Tian shoved Li Wei away, covering her ears and trying desperately not to hear his words. But his voice lingered in her head, replaying like a broken record.

Li Wei hadn’t expected her to push him. He lost his balance and stumbled backwards—right towards the edge, where the sea of zombies writhed below. If he fell, there was only one fate: death.

"Manager!"

Xia Tian realized what she’d done and tears streamed down her face. No matter how much she disliked or resented Li Wei’s unfairness, she had never wanted to harm him, much less see him die at the hands of zombies because of her.

Li Wei flailed as he fell, desperately grabbing the only lifeline left to him—Xia Tian.

But Xia Tian wasn’t strong enough to pull him back. Instead, Li Wei’s weight pulled her down with him.

"If I die, I’m taking someone with me!" Li Wei’s voice was quickly drowned out by the roars of the zombies. They surged forward, and his screams rose above the chaos, but soon faded away, lost along with his life.

The zombies swarmed and tore Li Wei to pieces. The air was suddenly thick with the stench of blood—sharp and overwhelming.

Xia Tian let out a bitter laugh, tears slipping from the corners of her eyes as she gently closed them, surrendering to whatever would come next.

It was a pity that she never got the chance to properly thank Qin Sheng, nor fulfill the promise she’d made to Chu Xingyu.

Chu Xingyu’s smile, Qin Sheng’s smile—they flashed through her mind one after another. But reality intruded as the zombies growled and rushed toward her, intent on enjoying their lunch.

"I’m sorry…"

Xia Tian forgot to resist. She didn’t even want to resist; her fate was already sealed.

"Xia Tian!"

Chu Xingyu’s voice pierced the silence of her resignation, and Xia Tian’s eyes snapped open.

"Run!" Chu Xingyu shouted, his voice urgent. The commotion caught the zombies’ attention and they turned toward him, eager for fresh prey.

A strong man was naturally more tempting than a slight girl. Even mindless zombies could sense which was the greater prize. Besides, Xia Tian was already injured and couldn’t run far; it was better to devour Chu Xingyu first, then come back for her.

The horde charged toward Chu Xingyu. Xia Tian’s heart clenched and tears fell uncontrollably. "Run! Don’t worry about me!"

Chu Xingyu gripped his dagger tightly, shooting a glance at Xia Tian, then at the twenty or so zombies barreling toward him. Sweat beaded on his forehead.

"Chu Xingyu, go! Don’t worry about me!" Xia Tian shouted, but her voice was a drop in the ocean, lost in the frenzy.

"I promised Sister Sheng I’d protect you," Chu Xingyu called back, raising his dagger and dispatching the nearest zombie.

Xia Tian scrambled to her feet and ran toward him.

The zombies barely paid attention to her; all were intent on Chu Xingyu, who was soon overwhelmed.

Yet he fought with all his strength, determined to kill as many zombies as he could.

"Chu Xingyu, please…" Xia Tian’s voice weakened. She watched as a zombie lunged at his back and cried out, "Behind you!"

Warned, Chu Xingyu spun and dispatched the threat, then turned back to the advancing horde.

Xia Tian clenched her fists. She couldn’t just watch him get hurt for her sake. Her eyes darted around and landed on a fruit knife by the store’s entrance.

Without hesitation, she grabbed the knife and slashed her arm. The wound gaped, blood streaming down her shoulder. It was a gruesome sight, but Xia Tian only frowned, gritting her teeth as the blood flowed.

The scent of fresh blood caught the zombies’ attention and they turned on her, drawn to the new target. Instantly, Xia Tian became their focus.

"Xia Tian! What are you doing?!" Chu Xingyu gripped his dagger and ran toward her, his face filled with worry.

Seeing the zombies finally draw away, Xia Tian exhaled in relief. Good—at least they were coming for her.

"Thank you, Chu Xingyu. Don’t tell Qin Sheng what happened… just say I ran away," Xia Tian said with a trembling smile, eyes red and brimming with tears that fell silently to the ground.

"No!" Chu Xingyu sprinted toward her as fast as he could, but he couldn’t outpace the blood-crazed zombies.

Xia Tian wiped her tears away, smiled at the oncoming horde, and closed her eyes.

Chu Xingyu had never felt so powerless. He fought on, dagger flashing, cutting down zombie after zombie. It was as if a hidden power had awakened, and within moments, the horde lay dead at his feet.

Gasping for breath, he rushed to Xia Tian’s side, heedless of his exhaustion. But he was too late.

Xia Tian’s lifeblood had been drained by the zombies; there was no hope for her.

Stunned, Chu Xingyu collapsed beside her, his eyes filled with numbness and anguish.

"I was still too late," he murmured to her lifeless form, gathering her gently in his arms. Even as his strength failed and his legs went numb, his face remained blank—emptier and paler than ever before.

Thank you, Chu Xingyu.

And I’m sorry.

He carried Xia Tian to the rooftop of the blue building, laying her where Qin Sheng used to sit, then settled down beside her.

"Xingyu, Xia Tian…" Lin Xing faltered at the sight of Chu Xingyu’s devastation, his face full of worry.

Jiang Miaomiao stopped him with a shake of her head, then approached Chu Xingyu. "Everyone has their fate. Don’t let Xia Tian down."

Chu Xingyu met her gaze, then fell into silence once more.

Exchanging a look, Lin Xing and Jiang Miaomiao quietly left the rooftop.

"Miaomiao, do you think Xingyu will do something reckless? Maybe we should stay here and watch over him," Lin Xing asked anxiously. He’d never seen Chu Xingyu like this. Usually, Chu Xingyu wore a gentle, warm smile.

Jiang Miaomiao said nothing, simply returned to her dorm and never emerged again.

Lin Xing couldn’t understand Jiang Miaomiao’s behavior, nor did he dare disturb her. He simply left food at her door at mealtimes.

For a while, the once most despondent Lin Xing became the most composed among them.

Night fell.

Exhausted, Chu Xingyu fell asleep beside Xia Tian, not even realizing when it happened. He frowned, trying to force himself awake, but it was impossible.

"A top-grade sedative. You’d have a hard time waking up," Song Qing’an said as he emerged onto the rooftop, as nonchalant and elegant as ever.

He walked over to Xia Tian, glanced at her wounds, and spoke softly, "Sometimes, obsession is not a blessing."

Raising his hand, a circle of light formed at Xia Tian’s brow—exactly like before. The bright point gathered, floated into Song Qing’an’s palm, and vanished.

"Good luck from now on," Song Qing’an said, turning to leave. Suddenly, he paused as if remembering something, and walked over to Chu Xingyu, his gaze falling on the dagger in Chu Xingyu’s hand.

With a snap of his fingers, the dagger gleamed briefly, clearly infused with the essence drawn from Xia Tian’s brow.

"That’s as far as my good deeds go. I’m off."