What?! I Became the Zombie Beauty in the Villain’s Arms

Chapter 352: Epilogue — Part 2

The mass wedding at the base was held exactly as scheduled.

The venue was absolutely packed. Even Ling Lang and his squad, who had been stationed out in the remote warning sectors, returned for the celebration.

On the day of the wedding, the entire base seemed to squeeze into the central plaza. Although the space was tight, every single face was radiant with joy.

“Hey! When is your son getting married? Why don’t we arrange it sometime? Getting married in a huge group like this is definitely the way to go—it’s so lively!”

“My son?! You’re overthinking things, brother! My kid is only eight years old! We barely survived the last few months, and you’re already trying to set him up for marriage!”

“Hey, time flies! You’re already pushing sixty-something yourself! It feels like just yesterday your kid was a baby, and now look at him! Whenever your family does have a wedding, you’d better invite me! If I’m still around, I’ll definitely be there!”

“You said it! We still have a long road ahead of us. We should definitely come together for another wedding like this someday!”

“Absolutely!”

“Nine couples tying the knot today! What a glorious occasion! I hope they all stay together forever and cherish every single day.”

…

Ma Mengxiang sat in the dressing room, shaking so hard from excitement and nerves that she could barely stay still.

Pei Xiqing walked in carrying a decorative box of wedding candy and gently squeezed her shoulder. “It’s totally normal to be nervous, but getting married is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You have to keep your composure and look your absolute best. We have camera drones and droids recording the entire ceremony, so don’t let us down.”

She chuckled softly. “If the drone catches you shaking like a leaf on camera, you’re going to regret it later when you look at the photos.”

Ma Mengxiang took a few deep, shuddering breaths. “Okay… I’ll try my best. No, I won’t let you down!”

After finally managing to calm her nerves, she suddenly spun around and threw her arms around Pei Xiqing. “Ahhhhhh!!! Xiqing! I’m just so, so nervous! I’ve never been this nervous in my entire life… What do you usually do when you’re nervous?”

“When I’m nervous, I usually… pet Xiaobai. Do you want me to bring him in from outside so you can pet him? Ling Lang just brought him back. He’s out in the yard eating meat right now.”

“Xiaobai?” Ma Mengxiang instantly pictured the massive, terrifying mutated beast with its bloody maw. She rapidly shook her head, terrified. “Never mind! If that thing comes in here, I’ll definitely be even more nervous.”

Pei Xiqing smiled. “Just take a deep breath. Today is the second happiest day of your life, so focus on being happy.”

“What’s the first happiest day?”

“Every single day you spend together after the wedding,” Pei Xiqing replied softly, leaning over to begin applying her makeup. “I hope that for every woman here, marriage isn’t a grave, but the true beginning of happiness.”

To get married in the middle of such a terrifying, extreme apocalypse meant that these couples had found true love and a profound sense of belonging in one another against all odds. This was the beginning of their happiness.

Ma Mengxiang sat up straight, her expression serious. “Okay. Xiqing, you have to be happy, too.”

“I will be.”

Pei Xiqing’s lips curved into a warm smile.

Ma Mengxiang let out a soft sigh. “I wonder how my cousin is doing. Most of the villagers made it to the base and are living better lives now, but her… I feel like I haven’t seen her in ages. She was pregnant when she left the headquarters. I don’t even know if she had the baby, what its name is, or where she is now…”

“The past is the past,” Pei Xiqing said gently. “Sometimes, no news is the best news. Maybe she’s out there somewhere, living a good life.”

“You think she’s still alive?”

“Mhm.”

Pei Xiqing lowered her eyes, not elaborating further. She knew from Duan Xiaolin that Ma Mengjia was indeed alive, though her life was far from easy. There was no need to burden Ma Mengxiang with that information today. Everyone had to walk the path they had chosen.

Ma Mengxiang breathed a sigh of relief. “As long as she’s alive. As long as you’re alive, there’s hope.”

“Close your eyes. I’m going to apply your eyeshadow now.”

“Okay!” Ma Mengxiang closed her eyes, a contented smile on her face as she waited for her wedding to begin.

The group wedding went off without a hitch.

The venue and decorations had been built by everyone in the base working together. It wasn’t luxurious by any means, but it was incredibly warm and full of love.

Walking along a path strewn with rose petals, Pei Xiqing held Duan Xiaolin’s hand. They strolled slowly down the exact route they had walked earlier that day.

“Brother Duan, a lot of people were walking this exact path earlier. They said that if you walk it today, you’ll be blessed with good fortune. Why don’t you try it, too?”

Duan Xiaolin was dressed impeccably formal today—a crisp white suit and a striped tie, looking elegant and composed. Shadow had followed him around for most of the day; since Shadow had no family of his own, Duan Xiaolin had temporarily stepped in to play the role of his family representative.

Now, walking beside her, he maintained a steady pace, holding her hand tightly. He let her pull him back and forth across the path, even retracing their steps several times just to humor her.

“Do you think this is a bit childish?” Pei Xiqing asked.

The man shook his head. “No. I think it’s very memorable.”

“Yeah. I think so, too.”

Whether the blessing of the path was real or not didn’t matter. Today truly felt like a living dream—so beautiful that it almost seemed unreal. She squeezed his hand tightly, constantly reassuring herself of his solid presence.

She turned to look up at him. “If I hadn’t intervened back then… would you have let yourself die because of those stupid crystal cores?”

“It would have been voluntary,” he corrected mildly.

Pei Xiqing stopped on the rose petals and firmly pressed her finger against the spot between his eyebrows. “I don’t need your consent.”

“Hm?”

“I just need you to live a long, healthy life.”

“Alright.”

“Otherwise, I’d feel too guilty to ever face your mother’s spirit in heaven.”

“Our mother,” he corrected again.

“Right, our mother. She would have died all over again from pure anxiety if she saw what you were doing, while you just stood there indifferent.”

People were constantly passing by them. The wedding banquets had been staggered between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM. It was now past 9:00 PM, and the banquets inside were still going strong, though some guests were already beginning to filter out.

Spotting them, a heavily intoxicated guest waved enthusiastically. “Miss Pei! Brother Duan! Why don’t you two come inside for a few drinks?! Are you hiding out here to avoid the alcohol?!”

“We’ll have a good drink with you all next time,” Duan Xiaolin replied calmly. “Be careful on your way back.”

“Alright! We’re heading out now! Remember, Brother Duan, you owe us a few rounds next time!”

Pei Xiqing couldn’t help but laugh as the group stumbled away. “Everyone drank so much, they’re swaying when they walk. Is it really safe for them to wander back like that?”

Duan Xiaolin immediately gestured to the perimeter. “Shadows, escort the drunk guests back to their quarters.”

Several Shadows melted out of the darkness, nodding respectfully. “Yes, sir.”

“Did Shadow and the other guards not get to attend the banquets?” Pei Xiqing asked.

“They are on active duty, so they cannot drink,” Duan Xiaolin explained, pulling her slightly closer. “It’s a strict rule within Franlun.”

“Oh… well, they can still eat plenty of wedding candy, right?”

Pei Xiqing turned around and noticed that the pockets of the stoic Shadows were, in fact, bulging with brightly colored wedding candies.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Shall we go home and rest, too?”

Earlier, when the nine newlywed couples had come over to toast her, she hadn’t been able to refuse. She had downed nine cups of alcohol in a row, and her head was starting to spin. The liquor brewed at this base was just as strong as it had always been.

Instead of answering, Duan Xiaolin simply bent down, supported her thighs, and hoisted her up into his arms. With one hand, he plucked the high heels from her feet.

This time, it was his turn to walk the petal-strewn path.

Pei Xiqing couldn’t resist leaning up to kiss him. “This is the best. From now on, we’re going to be blessed. We won’t ever have to worry about natural disasters or the end of the world again.”

She kissed his cheek loudly. Several people nearby turned to look, and seeing it was the two of them, smiled fondly.

“Ah, it’s good to be young,” an older man sighed wistfully. “So many young folks getting married today. Even an old man like me can’t help but tear up.”

It was unavoidable. After enduring years of apocalyptic despair, to finally see humanity thriving enough to hold a mass wedding and celebrate new beginnings… how could anyone not be moved?

“We’re getting old, too! Whether it’s the apocalypse or whatever else comes next, we’re too old to fight it!” his companion laughed.

“Hey! Stop being so gloomy, old man! Let’s go find somewhere else to have a few more drinks!”

“You’re on!”

Their cheerful voices gradually faded into the distance.

Pei Xiqing looked at the man carrying her, her eyes curving into happy crescents.

Duan Xiaolin deliberately spun her around in a smooth circle. “I can still carry you effortlessly.”

“I never said you were old! Why are you suddenly trying to prove yourself?”

“I’m afraid you might start disliking me.”

“Not today, but check back with me around the Lunar New Year.”

“Then I’ll just have to work twice as hard to make sure you won’t dislike me, even years from now.”

They walked past the main wedding venue, where a beautiful, flower-draped stage stood. During the day, nine couples had stood on that very stage, reciting their vows and officially binding their lives together after sharing so much hardship.

Pei Xiqing looked up at the stage, a faint trace of envy in her eyes.

Before she could dwell on it, Duan Xiaolin carried her past the venue, heading down a quiet path that ran alongside the sea.

“Aren’t we going back home?” she asked.

“I’m taking you to see the administrative building they’ve been restoring.”

“Okay.”

She had mentioned wanting to see it a while ago, but the wedding preparations had kept her too busy. Now was the perfect time.

The building wasn’t as dazzling as it once was—it didn’t yet shine like a star in the night sky. About two-thirds of the structure was still under repair, and it would take considerable time to fully restore it to its former glory. Still, there were already many people working inside. Anyone with the proper clearance could come and go freely.

Duan Xiaolin effortlessly carried her into the building and straight into the executive elevator. The floor numbers ticked up rapidly.

The speed made her slightly dizzy, so she closed her eyes. Soon, the doors chimed open.

They had reached the top floor. From here, she could overlook the entire base and even see a fair distance out into the wasteland beyond the walls.

“This really is a one-to-one replica of the old headquarters!” she marveled, recognizing the height and the exact angle of the view. It was identical to his old office at the Third Base.

“I suppose it is.” Duan Xiaolin set her down, casually leaning against the edge of the large desk as he loosened his tie. “The workload has been massive lately, which is why I haven’t had the time to help you with the wedding preparations these past few days.”

“I know, I don’t blame you at all,” Pei Xiqing replied, her eyes still glued to the breathtaking night view.

Now that the unnatural disasters had subsided, the world—though still a post-apocalyptic wasteland prone to extreme weather—had begun to heal. The oppressive, constant red glare had faded, and the natural cycle of day and night had slowly returned.

Looking down at the base at night, the fruits of everyone’s grueling labor were clearly visible. The half-repaired high-rises in the distance, the newly completed residential blocks across the street, the massive agricultural greenhouses glowing faintly to the east… all of it was a testament to humanity’s resilience.

Pei Xiqing rested her chin in her hands, kneeling on the leather sofa as she stared down at the sprawling settlement with intense fascination.

Behind her, hidden in the dim light of the office, the man’s eyes never left her.

After a long while, she finally turned around. “Why did you bring me up here? You didn’t just want me to look at the view, did you?”

Duan Xiaolin pulled out a chair and sat down. “This office was reconstructed according to my exact specifications. That includes the placement of the command safe.”

“Hm?”

Sensing that something was up, Pei Xiqing immediately scanned the room.

Sure enough, she spotted a heavy, specialized safe tucked beneath the large bookcase at the back of the room.

The last time she had been in his office at the Third Base, she had spent an eternity rummaging through his things. She was intimately familiar with his hidden safes. But she had never expected to have the chance to touch one again.

“Was this shipped from the old headquarters?”

“Yes.”

“Is there no one left at the headquarters now?”

“Franlun will dispatch a team to officially take it over, and then we will formulate a reconstruction plan based on the extent of the damage,” he explained calmly.

“Is that so? What about all those executives and politicians the headquarters sent out before?”

“No idea.”

Pei Xiqing raised an eyebrow. “Is there really anything out there that Brother Duan doesn’t know about?”

The man chuckled softly, casually spinning a teacup on his desk. “Maybe they’re out there somewhere right now, cursing their fate.”

“Huh?” Pei Xiqing popped her head up from behind the safe. “Really? There were so many of them, and they’ve been out in the wild for so long with zero contact. They can’t all be dead, right? If they were, we would have seen some massive mutant zombie by now. But I haven’t sensed anything like that.”

None of the recent zombie or parasite hordes they had fought featured any familiar faces from the headquarters’ elite.

Duan Xiaolin’s lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. “No news is right.”

“You definitely know something.”

“I don’t know the exact details,” he said, tapping his datapad. “But the Third Base forwarded a message. Take a look.”

Pei Xiqing quickly walked over and tapped the screen. It opened to a gallery of photos sent by the Third Base’s scouting teams.

She burst out laughing.

“What is going on here? Are they… raising pigs?! That pig must be mutated; it’s bigger than all five of them combined! Wait… aren’t those two the executives who were always arguing with you and yelling at meetings? What is this, some kind of apocalyptic reality TV show?”

Pei Xiqing scrolled through a few more pictures, giggling uncontrollably at the sight of the former elites covered in mud and desperately trying to herd mutant livestock.

But as she reached the final photo, she paused.

Was that… Ma Mengjia?

Chapter 353: Epilogue — Part 3

It had been a very long time since they last saw Ma Mengjia.

Ever since she had shown up at their door for the sake of that man and left with the convoy from headquarters, Pei Xiqing hadn’t seen hide nor hair of her for nearly half a century.

Looking at the photo forwarded by the Third Base, Pei Xiqing almost didn’t recognize her. Had she not retained a vague memory of the clothes Ma Mengjia used to wear, she never would have realized that the disheveled, hollow-eyed woman clutching a child in the picture was her.

Pei Xiqing was taken aback. “Is this how the people over there are living?”

Most of the people in the photos were the elites and politicians who had abandoned the headquarters early on.

Ma Mengjia had followed that main group, believing that they would at least take pity on a heavily pregnant woman and provide her with basic care, or at the very least, refrain from making her life miserable. She had never expected to end up in such a destitute state.

In the photo, she looked emaciated. Her eyes were dull and blank as she sat in the middle of a literal garbage dump, clutching her baby to her chest. The people around her were clearly struggling just to survive and remained entirely indifferent to her plight.

Duan Xiaolin tapped the photo, and the screen shifted into a high-fidelity holographic projection. It even simulated the ambient temperature and climate of the location at the time the photo was taken.

“They tried to develop a new settlement in the south,” he explained.

“Hmm?”

“The initial conditions there were actually quite good.”

“Then how come I never heard anything about it?”

“The geographical resources were decent, but the climate and temperature fluctuations were too extreme. Eventually, no one was willing to work themselves to death for nothing. Over time, even the most resource-rich land will turn into a dead zone if the environment is hostile.”

“That makes sense. I haven’t heard a single word about that settlement in ages. Even the scouts here at the base haven’t mentioned it. I guess they must have ruined the place a long time ago.”

Pei Xiqing turned off the projection, shaking her head. “But to actually abandon a pregnant woman by the side of the road… they really aren’t human.”

“When people can barely feed themselves, women and children are the first to be viewed as burdens,” Duan Xiaolin said flatly.

Pei Xiqing, who was inspecting the safe he had pointed out, glanced up at him. “I don’t believe that.”

The man let out a low chuckle. “Neither do I. But once an apocalyptic crisis breaks out, survival of the fittest becomes the only right that matters to some.”

Pei Xiqing curled her lip in disgust before turning her attention back to the safe tucked behind his bookcase. She quickly punched in the code.

With a soft beep, the safe unlocked. She peered inside and couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “So this is where you hid it. I was wondering why I couldn’t find it.”

Resting on a velvet cushion inside the safe was the crystal core she had carved for him back at the headquarters.

To be precise, it was the heart-shaped crystal core she had given him.

However, since he had drained all the energy from it, it had long since turned into an ordinary, opaque stone.

She had always wondered why he didn’t carry the stone with him anymore, but she never imagined he had locked it away in a high-security safe.

The stone itself had no monetary value. It couldn’t even be classified as a crystal core anymore. But to her, it held immense sentimental value. It was the physical proof of her and Duan Xiaolin’s shared history.

Even though many years had passed, and the passage of time had gradually worn away the finer details of their youth, she knew that whenever she looked at this stone, she would recall every moment of that time in her life.

In the apocalypse, survival was hard enough. For two people to overcome endless obstacles and find true love was nothing short of a miracle. Sometimes, when she looked back at the long, grueling journey she and Duan Xiaolin had walked together, she couldn’t help but sigh in awe.

The so-called “rules” of this world had tried to dictate their fates. She and Brother Duan had fought tooth and nail to break free from that destiny, and their efforts had not been in vain. They had carved out their own heaven.

Pei Xiqing took the stone out and cradled it in her palm. It felt heavy, but not nearly as cold as she had expected.

Since when did a dead stone hold warmth?

Just as she was about to ask him if he had done something to it, a suspended, glowing crystal core suddenly materialized before her eyes.

The deep blue light it emitted was unusually dazzling in the dim office. Like the mysterious, uncharted depths of the ocean, it pulsed with a quiet, profound energy. The blue light washed over her cheeks, illuminating her surprised expression.

Pei Xiqing turned around to look at the man behind her. “When did you get this crystal core?”

Duan Xiaolin took her hand, guiding her fingers toward the hovering crystal. Pei Xiqing hesitated, a spike of anxiety hitting her. Worried it might be connected to Xiao Yue, Pei Yanting, or any of the other disastrous figures from their past, she quickly pulled his hand back. “Wait, wasn’t every core completely destroyed when the natural disaster was neutralized?”

She had developed a deep-seated hatred and fear of crystal cores. Anything related to them usually tied back to Xiao Yue and the others, which invariably meant another catastrophic natural disaster was looming. She was far too exhausted to deal with that again.

“This core has nothing to do with any of them,” Duan Xiaolin explained patiently.

“What do you mean?”

“The energy contained within this core was once the headquarters’ most tightly guarded secret.”

“Oh, I see. So it’s an artifact from the old headquarters?”

“The fact that the headquarters was able to rise from the middle of the vast ocean and remain perfectly stable despite the ferocious currents… is directly related to this object,” he said.

“I knew it!” Pei Xiqing gasped, recalling her time at the headquarters. The facility had been surrounded by violent, turbulent waters, yet it stood as unshakeable as Mount Tai. She hadn’t realized a crystal core was responsible for controlling the environment. She quickly put the pieces together. “This core was used to control the seawater!”

Duan Xiaolin pinched her cheek fondly. “Very smart.”

Pei Xiqing’s eyes lit up. “Does it still have that power?”

“It’s almost completely gone.”

“Why?”

“Its energy isn’t infinite,” the man said softly, stepping up behind her. “It maintained the stability of the ocean around the headquarters for nearly five days during the flood. I temporarily reclaimed it before the facility was completely submerged.”

“So this core originally belonged to the headquarters?”

“No.”

Pei Xiqing leaned closer to him. “It belonged to you?”

“You could say that.”

“What does that mean?”

“I was the one who originally discovered it. I lent it to them when they were choosing the location for the headquarters. But after so many years of them draining it, it’s no longer truly mine.”

Hearing that he had found it years ago, long before the headquarters was even built, Pei Xiqing immediately breathed a sigh of relief. The tension in her shoulders vanished, and her eyes softened as she looked at the hovering crystal. “So that’s the story behind it. I was worried it was tied to someone dangerous.”

The core remained quietly suspended in the air. Pei Xiqing couldn’t resist reaching out and tapping it lightly with her index finger.

Instantly, she felt a steady, immense power—like the vastness of the ocean—radiating from the core. It carried a slight, refreshing chill, and she could almost smell the salty sea breeze she used to enjoy at the headquarters.

She turned back to him, her eyes wide with surprise. “Brother Duan, the power in this core is incredibly gentle. If you absorb it, maybe it can help you use your supernatural powers normally again!”

Over the past few weeks, his body had recovered significantly, and his external injuries had fully healed. However, the curse on his powers remained. The abilities were still locked inside him, but using them would only cause his body to tear itself apart from the inside out again.

Because of this, since his recovery, Pei Xiqing had absolutely forbidden him from using his powers.

It was incredibly rare to find a stable crystal core these days. She couldn’t bear to let this opportunity slip by.

But the man shook his head, rejecting the idea immediately. “Its remaining energy is far too low to support my recovery.”

“…You’re right. It’s almost translucent now. The energy really is almost completely depleted.”

Pei Xiqing sighed, unable to help but reach out and touch the core again. The crystal couldn’t speak, but it continued to emit its faint, comforting blue light.

“You’ve worked hard,” she whispered to the stone.

But she really didn’t know what to do with a crystal core that was on the verge of expiring.

In the next second, the man caught her hand.

Their palms clasped together. Duan Xiaolin guided her hand, pressing both of their palms flat against the surface of the crystal core.

Pei Xiqing looked at him, curious. “What are you doing…?”

The blue light surrounding the core suddenly surged, spreading outward like liquid. It cascaded over their hands, wrapping their fingers in a warm, glowing embrace.

Pei Xiqing felt a refreshing, soft chill—a sensation like the vast ocean embracing all the rivers of the world. As the feeling washed over her, she felt a sudden weight settle around her finger.

As the blue light finally dissipated, she pulled her hand back. A dark blue ring now rested quietly on her ring finger.

She looked at Duan Xiaolin’s hand; an identical ring sat on his finger, too.

Deep, ocean blue. It looked exactly like water from the deepest trenches of the sea, caught in a ray of polarized light. With every slight movement of her hand, she could almost feel the phantom sensation of water flowing smoothly across her skin.

Pei Xiqing’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief.

“How did it turn into this…? It’s a ring. How could the crystal core turn into rings on our hands?”

The man was highly amused by her shock. “The core might not have a voice, but it does have a will.”

Pei Xiqing jumped up and threw her arms around his neck. “It was you! You used its final trace of power to shape it into these deep-sea rings!”

Duan Xiaolin held her securely by the waist, smiling but saying nothing to deny it.

Pei Xiqing smiled so brightly her eyes crinkled into happy crescents. “How did you even think of this? I thought you just brought me up here to show me the stone I carved for you.”

“I gave you the override command earlier today because I wanted to send you up here ahead of me,” he murmured, his tone teasing. “But someone was entirely too oblivious, leaving these rings waiting in the dark for hours.”

He gently took her hand and brought it to his lips. The texture of the ring resembled overlapping waves of seawater, coiling around the band as if the Qiong Snake itself had transformed into an ocean current.

He kissed the sea-blue ring, his lips brushing her skin with devout tenderness.

Pei Xiqing curled her fingers slightly. “Did you and the Qiong Snake design this together? The shape is really unique. It looks a bit like the Qiong Snake, but not exactly. It looks more like a deep-sea serpent—an extremely venomous one.”

“Do you like it?”

The blue texture was so flawless that even the microscopic granularity of the seawater seemed perfectly preserved within the band. It was beautiful and utterly unique—the most breathtaking ring she had ever seen.

Pei Xiqing grabbed his hand and inspected his matching ring. “You’re quite particular, aren’t you? Your ring is so much thicker than mine.”

She touched the band on his knuckle, then raised her own hand, pressing the two rings together. Under the vast, starry night sky filtering through the office window, the twin rings emitted a faint, synchronized blue glow.

Duan Xiaolin closed his hand over hers. His large, warm palm enveloped hers completely, offering an airtight sense of security.

Pei Xiqing tried to pull her hand back playfully, but he wouldn’t budge. “Brother Duan, your hands are so hot.”

“It’s better to be hot,” he smiled warmly. “That way, whenever you feel cold, you can come find me.”

Pei Xiqing’s eyes curved into brilliant smiles. “Then whenever it snows in the apocalypse, I will definitely make you hold my hand.”

“Deal.”

No matter what the future held, no matter what the ultimate fate of humanity would be, or what trials lay in the distant decades ahead… they would walk down the road together. And they would walk a very long way.

After the mass wedding concluded, most of the guests and regional commanders had to rush back to their respective garrisons that very evening.

Ling Lang and his squad had originally planned to deploy at midnight, but they had all drank far too much. Qiu Chao had vomited continuously for an hour, forcing them to postpone their departure. They rescheduled to leave around 7:00 AM the next morning.

By sunrise, Qiu Chao was still completely out of it. He was currently hugging a concrete pillar near the transport vehicles, absolutely refusing to let go, babbling drunken nonsense.

Long Yan and Ji Yao stood nearby, watching him helplessly.

“Exactly how much did this guy drink last night?” Long Yan sighed. “What kind of alcohol did you give him? It’s almost time to leave, and he’s still not sober. If they run into trouble on the road, he’s going to get them all killed.”

Unable to take it anymore, Long Yan nudged Qiu Chao with her boot. “Qiu Chao! Wake up! Ling Lang and the others are about to leave!”

Qiu Chao clung to the pillar for dear life. “Leave?! Why leave?! Who gave you permission to leave?! I haven’t had enough to drink yet! Come on! Bring me a few more guys! Let’s keep drinking!”

“Wake up!” Ji Yao unscrewed a bottle of freezing water and splashed it directly into his face.

Qiu Chao gasped, spluttering as he finally snapped back to reality. He rubbed his eyes wildly. “No… why are you throwing water on me?!”

“Because you’re wasting everyone’s time,” Ji Yao said with a sweet, dangerous smile.

“…” Qiu Chao wiped his face with his sleeve and staggered to his feet. “Where’s Ling Lang?”

“They’re moving the supplies to the front transports,” Long Yan explained. “They said it’s a long journey back to your sector, so we loaded up as much as we could. We’ve also arranged for over a dozen experienced agricultural specialists and five hundred craftsmen to deploy with you. Brother Duan said you have a month to repair and rebuild your assigned zone. If you need any heavy machinery or extra resources, just let us know, and we’ll arrange a supply drop.”

Qiu Chao took the dry towel Long Yan handed him and vigorously scrubbed his face. “A month? You’re giving us all these resources for a month? You’re emptying out your own stockpiles for us. What are you going to do?”

“We aren’t missing anything here,” Long Yan assured him.

“I don’t believe that,” Qiu Chao muttered, wringing out the towel. “Don’t try to cram all your surplus into our trucks. You don’t have that much left to begin with. The apocalypse isn’t ending tomorrow; we all have a long way to go. The most important thing is that we cooperate and ensure mutual survival.”

“Why would I lie to you?” Long Yan smiled. “We have Ma Mengxiang here, and plenty of incredibly capable people in the village. Do you really think you’re the only ones who know how to survive?”

“Oh, right. I actually forgot about her.” Qiu Chao chuckled, his headache receding slightly. “That little farming genius really is something else. I hope I get to eat her cooking the next time I visit.”

“Stop worrying and just get going.”

Qiu Chao opened the door of the lead transport and climbed in. Ling Lang was already in the driver’s seat, running pre-flight checks.

Qiu Chao leaned out the window, spotting Pei Xiqing a short distance away. He waved energetically. “Sister Xiqing!”

Pei Xiqing, who was busy double-checking the vegetable manifests, looked up and walked over. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling better?”

“The ring on your finger is incredibly beautiful,” he noted.

“Thanks.”

Qiu Chao couldn’t help but sigh in professional admiration. “You can tell at a glance that it’s flawless quality. And the fact that it was forged from a crystal core… incredible.”

“I didn’t expect you to notice that so quickly.”

“Of course I did. I’m an expert in this field, remember?”

Pei Xiqing’s eyes sparkled with a sudden thought. “Brother Qiu Chao, let me ask you a question.”

“Shoot.”

“I’ve hit a dead end, but… have you figured out a way to permanently remove the curse on Brother Duan? I want him to be able to use his powers freely without tearing his body apart.”

Qiu Chao laughed out loud. “I thought you’d given up on asking me! I didn’t realize you were still so concerned about that.”

“Judging by your tone, it sounds like you found a solution?”

“I did,” Qiu Chao smiled mysteriously, tapping the side of his head. “You managed to overcome a literal, world-ending natural disaster. Fixing this curse? That’s going to be child’s play for you.”

Chapter 354: I’m Afraid You Can’t Wait

After the departure of the various strike teams from the base, Pei Xiqing found herself constantly pondering the cryptic words Qiu Chao had left her with.

What exactly did it mean that the “complete fusion of her superpowers and the Qiong Snake” was the key to restoring Duan Xiaolin’s abilities?

The literal meaning was easy enough to grasp, but putting it into practice was entirely baffling.

She was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice Ma Mengxiang approaching with little Ruirui in her arms until she spoke.

“Huh? What’s wrong?” Pei Xiqing blinked, snapping out of her daze.

“Do you just not want your son anymore?!” Ma Mengxiang scolded lightly.

“Didn’t I ask the nanny to watch him? What’s the matter? Why is he crying?”

“The nanny has been watching him the entire time, but he hasn’t stopped crying!” Ma Mengxiang said, exasperated. “Neither you nor Brother Duan even bothered to check on him! Where were you two last night? He cried all night because he couldn’t find you. The nanny coaxed him for hours before he finally fell asleep, and the second he woke up, he started crying again! I had no choice but to carry him over here to find you.”

“Here, let me hold him,” Pei Xiqing said quickly, taking the wailing baby into her arms. “I’m so sorry. I’ll make sure to apologize to the nanny later and give her a raise.”

“She doesn’t want your money; you’re being too polite. Everyone here loves taking care of him,” Ma Mengxiang said, her tone softening before her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “But seriously, Xiqing… what exactly were you and Brother Duan doing last night?”

…

Pei Xiqing’s ears burned bright red.

For a long moment, she couldn’t formulate a single sentence.

Ma Mengxiang stared at her, her curiosity thoroughly piqued. She looked determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. “Wait… did you two get drunk and end up sleeping on the side of the road somewhere? Were you so wasted you forgot the way back to the village?”

Pei Xiqing coughed awkwardly. “Ah… yeah, something like that.”

“But I remember Brother Duan having an incredibly high alcohol tolerance. How could he possibly get that drunk? That’s really strange…”

Clutching Ruirui tightly to her chest, Pei Xiqing practically sprinted away. She didn’t dare stay there for another second.

As for last night… it was true that she and Duan Xiaolin hadn’t returned home. He had already arranged for the nanny to watch the baby, but neither of them had expected Ruirui to throw such a massive tantrum.

She carried the child all the way back to their residence. Duan Xiaolin was in his study, discussing subsequent repair procedures with several of the base administrators. As they exited the room, he spotted her holding the crying baby.

He paused, stepping forward to take Ruirui from her. “I heard he was crying all night. Is he sick? Do we need to call a doctor?”

Pei Xiqing felt a sharp pang of guilt. “No, he’s just fussy. I’ll take him to bed and feed him some milk. He should fall asleep soon.”

Duan Xiaolin waved a hand, signaling the administrators to leave. “That will be all for today.”

“Understood.”

“We’ll take our leave, Judge Duan.”

Once the door clicked shut behind them, Duan Xiaolin wrapped an arm around Pei Xiqing’s waist, his palm pressing suggestively against the curve of her spine.

Pei Xiqing’s knees instantly went weak. She practically melted into his embrace, clutching Ruirui to keep from falling.

Her face flushed crimson. “This is all your fault. I had to sleep in your office all night… and Ruirui was crying the entire time. Don’t you feel bad for him?”

“I feel bad for him, but I feel even worse for you,” he murmured, a teasing glint in his eye. “You cried so hard last night, I had no choice but to comfort you first.”

Pei Xiqing was rendered completely speechless. “Get away from me!”

She glared at him, her cheeks burning. “You’re the one who made me cry, and you still have the nerve to say that! Unbelievable…”

She shoved the baby into his arms. “You coax him to sleep. I’m going to take a bath.” She quickly mixed a bottle of formula and handed it over.

She hadn’t showered since the previous evening, and she felt sticky all over.

Pei Xiqing grabbed a change of clothes, hastily stripped off her dirty garments in the bathroom, and sank into a tub filled with warm water. The hot bath was pure bliss.

It felt as though the lingering traces of the man’s intense affections from last night were finally being washed away, and the tense, sore muscles in her body gradually unknotted.

After stepping out and drying her hair, she peeked into the adjacent room.

Seeing that Ruirui had finally fallen into a peaceful sleep, she tugged on Duan Xiaolin’s sleeve, gesturing for him to follow her into the hallway.

Duan Xiaolin set the empty bottle aside and quietly followed her out.

While combing her damp hair, Pei Xiqing looked at him. “Brother Qiu Chao told me something about your superpowers right before he left.”

She relayed exactly what Qiu Chao had said, asking for his opinion. “Do you think it’s feasible?”

“Haven’t you already grasped the true power of the Qiong Snake?” he asked.

“I have,” she nodded. “That’s exactly why I’m so confused. Brother Qiu Chao isn’t the type to spout nonsense about something this serious. So… I think I need to summon the Qiong Snake and try again.”

“It’s been dormant for a while.”

“Yeah.” Pei Xiqing stared at her palm. “But after resting for so long, I feel like it should be fully recovered by now.”

As she spoke, the ethereal, glowing chain of the Qiong Snake materialized from her palm, winding slowly up her arm. The connection placed absolutely no physical burden on her; rather, it felt like an extension of her own will, allowing her to control it effortlessly.

The spectral serpent coiled in her palm, and Pei Xiqing lightly tapped its head with her finger.

“Do you know how to restore Brother Duan’s abilities so they don’t tear his body apart every time he uses them?”

The Snake: …

Duan Xiaolin’s lips curled into an amused smile. “If it could speak, it wouldn’t be content just being a cursed manifestation.”

“Fair point.”

Pei Xiqing poked the snake again. It flicked its tail in response. Aside from that, it offered nothing.

Pei Xiqing frowned, utterly stumped.

Seeing her frustration, Duan Xiaolin took her hand. “Don’t worry about it so much. There will always be a solution.”

“But I want you to recover as quickly as possible! Otherwise, every time you use your powers, you’re in agonizing pain. Superpowers are supposed to give you strength, not torture you.”

“It’s something we have to figure out gradually. Besides, I don’t need any special abilities right now,” he said, his tone light and unbothered. Seeing the deep worry etched into her features, he couldn’t resist lowering his head to press a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. “We have a long life ahead of us. There’s no need to rush. And whether it was in the past or right now, I have you to protect me. I’m really not worried.”

Pei Xiqing couldn’t help but shoot him a deadpan look as she swatted away his wandering hand.

“Hmph. I’ll figure it out myself. I have a feeling that despite what Brother Qiu Chao said, the solution doesn’t rely on the Qiong Snake at all. I need to rely on my own innate abilities.”

“Is that so?”

Pei Xiqing pushed him away lightly. “You should go take a shower, too. You’ll definitely need your energy later. I’m going to visit Mengxiang and the others, and then I’m going to check on the agricultural sheds to see how the harvest is coming along. I won’t keep you.”

She turned to head into the bedroom, but the man suddenly caught her by the waist from behind.

Before she could blink, her feet left the ground. “What are you doing?!” she yelped.

Duan Xiaolin easily hoisted her over his shoulder. “Taking a shower.”

“I just took one! Put me down! I don’t want another shower! I need to catch up on my sleep! I still have so much to do later…”

The man turned a completely deaf ear to her protests, carrying her straight back into the bathroom.

It was nearly two hours before Pei Xiqing emerged again.

She was completely limp in his arms as he carried her to the bed and gently laid her down. Her head had barely touched the pillow before she was fast asleep.

Duan Xiaolin sat on the edge of the bed, gently brushing a stray lock of hair away from her temple. Her hair was completely dry now, feeling incredibly soft and delicate against his fingertips. He found himself unable to pull his hand away.

He sat there watching her sleep for a long time.

Outside, the sun finally broke through the perpetual gloom of the apocalypse. It had been over a year since such pure, hopeful light had bathed the earth. The warm rays spilled through the window, washing over the two of them, bringing an indescribable softness and profound tranquility to the room.

For the next few days, Pei Xiqing exhaustively researched and tested her theories, but she still couldn’t figure out how to implement Qiu Chao’s advice. Frustrated, she went to find Ma Mengxiang and the others to brainstorm.

The villagers were currently busy tending to the crops and livestock in the massive agricultural sheds built within the base. She had visited often when they first returned, but recently, Duan Xiaolin had been forced to lead scouting missions, making it imperative that she figure out how to fix his powers before he pushed himself too far again.

When she arrived, Ma Mengxiang was directing a few workers as they turned the soil. Seeing Pei Xiqing, she immediately waved her over. “Xiqing! Why are you here? It’s rare for you to have free time lately. We just harvested a new variety of vegetables. Why don’t you and Brother Duan come over for dinner tonight? I’ll cook up something amazing.”

“He’s incredibly busy too,” Pei Xiqing sighed. “He’s managing the base reconstruction. He neglected a lot of the hands-on work earlier by just delegating tasks, but now he’s trying to make up for lost time.”

Ma Mengxiang laughed. “Well, you both still need to eat. Brother Yingzi will be back by then. He said he found a fancy bottle of wine while out on patrol and wanted to invite you two over.”

“I’ll ask Brother Duan later, but right now, I need your help with something.”

“What’s wrong?”

Pei Xiqing looked dead serious. “How do I… reawaken my original superpower?”

In the beginning, before the Qiong Snake had fully bonded with her, she could still vaguely sense her own innate abilities. But as time passed, the sheer, domineering power of the ancient curse had completely overshadowed her natural talents, causing them to slip into dormancy. Aside from the moment she had bitten Qiu Chao on the battlefield to boost his strength, she hadn’t felt her own power at all.

Ma Mengxiang blinked. “Superpowers? Reawakening them?”

Hearing the question, several nearby villagers gathered around, eager to chime in.

“Well, none of us have superpowers, so we don’t really know much about them, but I’ve always heard that if you ‘feel with your heart,’ your powers will manifest.”

“Bah! What does ‘feel with your heart’ even mean? If getting superpowers was that easy, I would have been out there chopping down zombies a long time ago!”

“Exactly! If awakening powers was just a matter of feeling it, anyone could walk onto a battlefield and slaughter a horde of zombies. Hahaha! We wouldn’t even need the military! Do you think getting superpowers is as easy as drinking a glass of water?”

Ma Mengxiang leaned against a wooden post, thinking seriously about Pei Xiqing’s question. “Xiqing, did your original powers completely disappear? How did you awaken them the first time?”

“It’s… a really long story.”

Pei Xiqing gave them a heavily abridged version of the events. The villagers listened intently, tossing out various suggestions, though none of them sounded particularly plausible.

Finally, Ma Mengxiang suddenly snapped her fingers. “Wait! If the Qiong Snake entering your body caused your original abilities to go dormant, then why don’t you just force the snake into a deep sleep? Once its influence is completely suppressed, your original powers might naturally resurface. And then, you can use your own power to quietly merge with the snake’s energy…”

Pei Xiqing’s eyes lit up. “Mengxiang, you’re a genius! Thank you!”

Without another word, she turned and sprinted back toward the residential sector.

The villagers stared after her, then turned to Ma Mengxiang. “How did you know that would work?”

Ma Mengxiang grinned sheepishly. “I’ve been reading a lot of old fantasy novels lately, and sometimes Brother Yingzi tells me stories. That’s usually how it works in the books!”

As soon as Pei Xiqing got home, she began tearing through the cabinets and drawers, searching for any medical supplies that could induce a temporary coma or deep sleep for the Qiong Snake.

After ransacking the entire apartment to no avail, she accidentally knocked over an empty medicine bottle on a side table. Inside, she found a small, folded note left by Qiu Chao.

If you’re looking for a drug, don’t bother. To put an ancient curse like the Qiong Snake to sleep, you can only use your own willpower. I tried formulating countless sedatives, but none of them worked. You have to rely entirely on yourself.

P.S. If you’re reading this note, it means my 980th experiment also failed. Don’t hold out hope for a medical solution. Use your own methods. o(╥﹏╥)o

Pei Xiqing couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Brother Qiu Chao was truly relentless. With that kind of stubborn willpower, he was bound to succeed in whatever he did next.

She sat back down on the sofa, taking a deep, centering breath. Closing her eyes, she turned her focus inward, reaching out to the dormant serpent within her. She tried to recall the sensation she had felt in the very beginning—to separate her own inherent power from the overwhelming presence of the curse.

She didn’t know how much time had passed. A thin sheen of sweat broke out across her forehead, eventually beading and rolling down her cheeks.

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open.

She immediately grabbed her communicator and dialed Duan Xiaolin.

“Hmm?” His voice came through the speaker, low and slightly muffled. It sounded like he was in the middle of a meeting, but he had answered her call anyway.

“Brother Duan, when does your meeting end?”

“It should be over in three or four minutes. What’s wrong?”

“Which floor is your office on?”

He quickly forwarded his exact coordinates to her device.

Pei Xiqing immediately handed Ruirui over to the nanny, shoved her feet into her shoes, and sprinted out the door toward the towering administrative building in the center of the base.

“Wait for me,” she panted as she ran.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he replied smoothly. “Don’t rush. I will wait for you no matter how long it takes.”

Pei Xiqing gritted her teeth, pushing her legs to run faster.

She didn’t even fully understand why she was running so desperately. She just knew that sprinting was the only way to express the sheer, overwhelming excitement bubbling in her chest.

She finally understood how to remove the so-called curse on Duan Xiaolin. The curse wasn’t a punishment from the Qiong Snake at all; it was a lingering side effect she had accidentally inflicted on him when she first used her own abilities to save his life. Everyone had assumed his deteriorating condition was the cost of fighting the natural disasters, but that wasn’t the case at all.

Pei Xiqing ran as if her life depended on it.

Even by car, the trip from their residence to the administrative building would have taken ten minutes. Running took even longer. By the time she finally slowed down, completely out of breath, a familiar figure appeared on the path ahead.

Duan Xiaolin, dressed impeccably in his tailored suit, stood waiting for her. He stepped forward, easily catching her exhausted, panting body in his arms.

A fond, teasing smile played on his lips. “I was afraid you couldn’t wait, so I came down to find you first.”

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