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Chapter 24: The End >

 

“You said what?” 

 

Bai Moxue blinked in surprise. 

 

“You want to... take a bath?” 

 

Chu Muge finished folding her clothes and nodded. “On the way here, I saw a convenience store nearby. I’ll go check if there’s any extra water. If everyone’s been allocated their share and there’s some left, I’ll use it to bathe.” 

 

Princess Syndrome. 

 

In truth, though Chu Muge felt uncomfortable all over, bathing wasn’t her top priority. 

 

She glanced silently at Gu Yao. 

 

Gu Yao had been inside the hive too. Some of the insects' green blood had splattered on her. After going through that ordeal, they all looked dirty and disheveled. It was time to clean up. 

 

I can stay filthy. But not my senior. 

 

Chu Muge shot a quick look at the siblings. Both Bai Caixie and Bai Caiwei looked equally disheveled, their hair in disarray, faces smudged with dirt. 

 

She frowned. 

 

“You two should clean up too. We’ll take care of ourselves first. Someone with all four limbs intact come with me to scavenge for supplies.” 

 

Four. Limbs. Intact. 

 

Bai Caixie: … 

 

Did she just call me useless in a roundabout way? 

 

In the end, the unlucky helper chosen was Bai Caiwei. 

 

Chu Muge cast a glance at Bai Moxue and then spoke indifferently. “Senior, you come with me too.” 

 

She wasn’t comfortable leaving Gu Yao alone. 

 

Gu Yao nodded obediently and followed closely behind her. 

 

They loaded Big Dog, the zombie dog, into the car before Chu Muge placed her hands on the steering wheel and stepped on the gas. 

 

It was time to set out. 

 

The road ahead was littered with insect corpses. 

 

Their curled bodies lay in heaps, black shells blending with the dark surroundings. They had hidden in the city’s shadows, waiting to ambush. 

 

Half of J City had been overtaken by these creatures. Now, with their deaths, the city had turned into a silent graveyard. 

 

Desolate. Forsaken. 

 

An eerie, apocalyptic wasteland. 

 

As Chu Muge drove, a fallen utility pole blocked the road. Calmly, she adjusted the steering wheel and maneuvered around it. 

 

The convenience store wasn’t far from their temporary base. 

 

After seven or eight minutes of driving, they arrived. 

 

The store was small, just one floor. But Chu Muge could see through the glass windows that the shelves inside were still stocked. 

 

An unexpected bounty. 

 

When the zombie outbreak started, it had been swift and catastrophic. 

 

A person could turn in mere seconds. 

 

Of course, this didn’t include the early-stage mutants, who took days to transform, like Gu Yao. 

 

From the looks of it, this convenience store had been closed when the chaos erupted. The door was locked, with a sign hanging on it that read: 

 

[Be Back Soon]. 

 

Guess not. 

 

Chu Muge drew her tang dao and slashed the rusted lock, then pushed the door open. 

 

Dust flew up in a cloud, swirling in the air as spiderwebs trembled in the corners. 

 

Bai Caiwei coughed lightly. 

 

Their zombie dog darted inside, circling the store before trotting back to Gu Yao with its tail wagging. 

 

Time to gather supplies. 

 

Bai Caiwei carried a large shoulder bag. Originally packed with their supplies, it was now empty since they had left those items back at the base — perfect for loading up the convenience store’s stock. 

 

After months of neglect, much of the food inside had expired. Chu Muge casually picked a few that were still good and then turned her full attention to the bottled water. 

 

Several large containers stood there, each about the size of a basketball. 

 

Chu Muge thought for a moment, then decided to carry them to the car’s trunk, one trip at a time. 

 

While she was busy with that, Gu Yao wandered aimlessly around the convenience store. 

 

Her footsteps left faint prints on the dust-covered floor as she walked. Curious, she glanced down at the marks her shoes left behind. 

 

Her gaze shifted — and suddenly froze on a particular item on the shelf. 

 

A tiny red toy car. 

 

It was one of those matchbox cars that, when pushed along the ground, would keep going on its own. 

 

Expressionless, Gu Yao scanned her surroundings before reaching out with her pale hand to grab the package. 

 

She lowered her head and carefully unwrapped it. 

 

Dust clung to the outside of the packaging, but the car inside was brand new. 

 

Gu Yao stared at it for a long moment before slowly crouching down. 

 

... 

 

By the time Chu Muge hauled the last load of bottled water into the trunk and stepped back inside, she saw a little red car zooming across the floor — until it bumped into her foot. 

 

Raising an eyebrow, she followed the toy’s path to see Gu Yao crouched on the floor, still holding the posture of someone who had just let go of a vehicle. 

 

Chu Muge couldn’t hold back her laughter. 

 

“Pfft…” 

 

Gu Yao: … 

 

What’s so funny? What’s there to laugh at? 

 

Shaking her head, Chu Muge turned her attention to Bai Caiwei, who was walking over with the shoulder bag slung in front of her. 

 

“Did you find anything useful?” Chu Muge asked calmly. 

 

“Oh!” Bai Caiwei fumbled to open the bag. “I-I found this!” 

 

Inside the bag lay several bottles of Erguotou liquor. 

 

She glanced nervously at Chu Muge. “Do we need it? My brother drinks sometimes… I thought maybe we could bring some?” 

 

A smile appeared on Chu Muge’s face. “Perfect. Let’s have some tonight.” 

 

Why not relax a bit? 

 

Gu Yao lifted her gaze from her crouched position, staring at Chu Muge with a curious expression. 

 

... 

 

The first order of business was, of course, a bath. 

 

They had soap, shampoo, and fresh clothes. The only inconvenience was the freezing temperature of the bottled water. 

 

Having experienced it once before, Chu Muge was more tolerant this time. 

 

The grimy green fluid from the insect hive washed away, replaced by fragrant bubbles and the soothing scent of body wash. 

 

Whenever Chu Muge helped Gu Yao bathe, she did it with utmost care, as if she were a sculptor delicately carving her masterpiece. 

 

“Senior, lift your arm,” Chu Muge said with a hint of exasperation. 

 

Gu Yao glanced at her briefly before obediently raising her hand. 

 

Chu Muge frowned. “Could you put that toy car aside first? We can finish bathing and then you can play with it.” 

 

Gu Yao thought for a moment and placed the little red car on the sink. 

 

She’s getting more childish by the day, Chu Muge mused. 

 

From liking beef jerky, to reading dictionaries, to playing with matchbox cars… 

 

My zombie girlfriend has truly been spoiled. 

 

... 

 

After their bath, they changed into comfortable clothes, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. 

 

Chu Muge carefully dried Gu Yao’s hair, making sure it wasn’t left dripping wet. Without electricity, they would have to wait for it to air dry. 

 

The main bedroom belonged to Bai Moxue, leaving the guest room for Chu Muge and Gu Yao. 

 

Holding Gu Yao’s hand, Chu Muge led her to the living room. 

 

There, the Bai siblings still sat covered in grime. 

 

“Go clean yourselves up. There’s plenty of water left,” Chu Muge said. 

 

They had enough water to spare, even after accounting for their drinking supply. 

 

Bai Caixie hesitated. He glanced at his broken right hand. “Ah… I’m not exactly in a position to—” 

 

Chu Muge cut him off with a cool tone. 

 

“Wash up, have dinner, and then we drink.” 

 

Bai Caixie: OvO 

 

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