What?! I Became the Zombie Beauty in the Villain’s Arms – CH136-138

Chapter 136| Chapter 137 | Chapter 138

Chapter 136: What Do You Mean?

Pei Xiqing was stunned, her brain practically short-circuiting.

What the hell? Energetic?

The words coming out of his mouth didn’t sound like a compliment at all. Instead, they carried a distinct, sour tang of jealousy.

She blinked at him. “Energetic? What do you mean by that?”

“What do you think?”

“How should I know?”

Duan Xiaolin narrowed his dark eyes.

Pei Xiqing didn’t know why he was suddenly acting like this, so she playfully poked his chest with her finger. “What’s wrong, Chief Judge Duan? Did I offend you somehow? Don’t be so sarcastic. ‘Energetic’ is way too broad of a word.”

She continued, “Everyone is different, with completely different personalities. Sure, every young guy is full of vigor and energy, but I prefer your type.”

“Men like me, or just me?”

His focus had shifted entirely.

Pei Xiqing coughed softly, her cheeks warming. “Why are we suddenly talking about this…”

“Hmm?”

“…I like you. Only you.”

She felt a surge of embarrassment, her heart hammering heavily against her ribs with every beat.

The man reached out and gently stroked her cheek. “Me too.”

At that, her heart almost leapt right out of her chest.

It wasn’t a good idea to stay cooped up in the car for too long, especially with his subordinates right outside. Her face burning, Pei Xiqing rolled down the window to get some fresh air. She was terrified that if she looked back, she would see Duan Xiaolin’s eyes full of dangerous suggestions.

I’m done for, she thought frantically. If you flirt with a man, you have to be prepared for the consequences. She hadn’t thought about the consequences at all just now; she had just been running her mouth.

Outside, Ling Lang walked over from a trailing vehicle, carrying a heavy crate of ammunition, and shoved it into the back seat. Seeing him, Pei Xiqing stuck her head out the window. “Need some help?”

“No, just stay put,” Ling Lang replied.

He made three or four trips, loading up the back area before finally opening the driver’s side door and sliding into the seat.

Pei Xiqing asked from the back, “Hey, Ling Lang, are you really okay? I heard from Sister Long Yan that your injuries were pretty severe.”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“Alright.”

He cast an awkward glance into the rearview mirror, meeting Pei Xiqing’s eyes. Then, raising a hand to adjust the mirror, he muttered, “If you were really so worried about me, I’d be pissed off that you didn’t send a single message these past few days.”

“I did!” Pei Xiqing defended herself innocently. “I tried calling you ages ago because I only memorized your frequency, but no one answered. Then my comms unit broke, so I couldn’t reach you at all.”

“Why didn’t I know about that?” Ling Lang patted his pockets in confusion. “My comms device broke last time we went out. I think I lost it back at the hospital.”

“…”

The two stared at each other. Ling Lang was the first to look away.

“…My mistake. Even if you didn’t contact me, I’m fine. I was just joking.” He coughed awkwardly. “We were all worried about you. I’m no exception. Though there are people at headquarters who care about you a lot more than I do.”

“I know. That’s why I was worried about you, too,” Pei Xiqing said softly. “Don’t apologize. I should be the one thanking you.”

Ling Lang smirked. “Then I won’t be polite. You really should thank me. If I hadn’t arrived in time, that restaurant owner’s goons would have captured you long ago. You wouldn’t have been able to escape.”

“Yes, yes, you’re the best.”

The two of them chatted openly, not hiding anything, speaking freely even with Duan Xiaolin sitting right next to them.

The man hadn’t said a word. After a minute or two, he looked up from the data display tablet in his hand and ordered, “Ling Lang, get out of the car. Let Shadow drive.”

Ling Lang immediately protested. “Brother! I want to go!”

“Don’t disrupt my plans.”

“I can make your plans more foolproof!”

Seeing the two brothers about to argue again, Pei Xiqing quickly played peacemaker. “Um… how about I go with Brother Duan?”

Ling Lang whipped around. “Are you stupid? Why would you go down into the black market? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is in there?”

“I don’t know, which is why I’m not afraid,” Pei Xiqing reasoned. “And don’t underestimate me. I have superpowers too.”

“Superpowers?” Ling Lang scoffed. “Do you even understand your own abilities? I bet you don’t even know what forms the Qiong Snake can take right now, let alone what else it can do.”

“I…” Pei Xiqing was momentarily speechless before retorting, “I just haven’t had the chance to use them! Look at me—when have I ever been bitten by a zombie? The zombies don’t even attack me, so why would I need to use my powers?”

“That makes sense, but you’re dreaming if you think you’re going,” Ling Lang said firmly. “My brother would never allow it either.”

Pei Xiqing immediately turned to the man beside her. “I’ll go with you.”

Duan Xiaolin didn’t give an immediate answer.

She leaned closer. “I’ll just tag along, okay?”

Seeing the man remain unmoved, Pei Xiqing added, “Ling Lang, the real reason you’re so fixated on going is because Xiao Yue and his squad are heading there too, right?”

She deliberately shot a glance at Duan Xiaolin. “Whatever dark secrets they’re hiding, it’s just a few parlor tricks. To be honest, they’re nothing compared to what I can do.”

Ling Lang shuddered. “You…?”

Pei Xiqing continued, “If you want Xiao Yue dead, the black market is the perfect place. But you don’t know Xiao Yue like I do. If he pulls out another high-level crystal core, how are you going to counter it? And if he comes fully geared up in combat armor, how will you deal with him?”

“I’ll just kill him. I don’t want to waste time talking.”

“When fighting Xiao Yue, going head-to-head is a bad idea. He carries a lot of specialized equipment,” Pei Xiqing explained. “You need to strip him of his gear first before you make a move. I’ve traveled with S1 before, so I know exactly what kind of equipment he has. If you trust me, give me a chance. I’ll dismantle his advantages, and then you can take your revenge. I promise it won’t take long.”

Ling Lang let out a rare, defeated sigh. He unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door.

“Fine. You convinced me.”

With that, he stepped out of the vehicle.

Pei Xiqing turned back to Duan Xiaolin and gave him a triumphant wink. Done.

Duan Xiaolin, however, looked highly intrigued. “You said you used to peek at his Emerald Eye? How exactly did you manage that?”

Pei Xiqing tried to brush it off casually. “Well, obviously… back when I was traveling with S1, I saw it by accident.”

In reality, she knew about it from reading the novel’s plot. It was better for this detail to come out under their noses sooner or later, while she could still control the narrative.

“Is that so?” Duan Xiaolin leaned in slowly. “Also, you just mentioned knowing about their ‘dark secrets.’ I’m very curious… exactly what do you know?”

Pei Xiqing’s head buzzed.

Crap. I’m finished.

She had only been able to confidently say those things because Pei Yanting had shown her that classified video. But Duan Xiaolin had no idea she had seen it.

Pei Xiqing silently lowered her head. “What would you do if I told you… I actually knew a few of your dark secrets, too?”

Duan Xiaolin replied evenly, “That wouldn’t be very good for you.”

“Right.”

“But first, tell me exactly what you know.” The man’s voice dropped dangerously soft. “Then I’ll decide how to punish a little secret-stealer.”

Chapter 137: Sweetheart

Pei Xiqing leaned back silently, adjusting her posture against the leather seat. “Confidential? Rising to such a high level?” she asked carefully.

If that were the case, she certainly didn’t dare say it out loud. Remembering Long Yan’s earlier warnings, she decisively chose to shut her mouth.

Instead of eagerly exposing a man’s dark side to his face, sometimes playing dumb was the most profitable strategy. Especially when dealing with highly intelligent people, pretending ignorance was always safer than talking too much.

Perhaps he was just trying to lay a trap for her. If she actually spoke her mind, she might walk right into it. Given his nature, he would relentlessly dig to the absolute bottom of whatever she revealed.

She wasn’t going to be fooled.

With a man like Duan Xiaolin, the consequences of either lying to him or speaking the brutal truth were both deeply intriguing—and highly dangerous.

After a short while, Shadow climbed into the driver’s seat. He was wearing his familiar, expressionless mask.

Starting the engine, he reported, “The route to Base Six needs to be replanned. The main road ahead has been completely wiped out by a mudslide. We’ll have to take a detour.”

“Brother Shadow?” Pei Xiqing asked, confirming his identity.

The driver gave a slight nod in the rearview mirror.

“Long time no see.”

“Yes.”

“How have you been?”

“Fine.”

Pei Xiqing hummed softly. “It’s been a while. Glad you’re okay.”

Shadow let out a small cough. “Thank you for your concern.”

Duan Xiaolin’s calm voice suddenly broke in. “How much do you actually know about the black market?”

Pei Xiqing realized he was speaking directly to her.

“…I only know a little bit. Not much at all. Besides, I’ve never actually been there, so whatever I do know is just a drop in the bucket.”

It was mostly hearsay and fragments from the novel’s plot. For the finer details, she was still completely in the dark. There were many things she needed to see in person to fully understand.

But before heading there, she had already mentally prepared herself for the worst. The situation inside the black market was definitely going to be severe.

Pei Xiqing slowly dropped the casual smile from her face, looking at him seriously. “Brother Duan, let me accompany you into the black market.”

The man looked at her, his dark eyes growing even deeper.

Pei Xiqing reached out and gently held his hand. “I want to go with you.”

There were bound to be countless hidden variables in the black market that she didn’t know about, and Xiao Yue’s resurrected squad would definitely be heading there too. She didn’t have many chances left to intervene. She had to hurry.

The man stared at her in silence for a few seconds before finally speaking, his tone calm but absolute. “I’m going in to investigate a few specific cases. You will stay directly by my side, follow me closely, and you will not leave my sight for a single second.”

Pei Xiqing’s lips parted slightly in surprise before she eagerly nodded. “Yes. I will.”

Duan Xiaolin didn’t say anything more. His condition was the most important rule.

Pei Xiqing wanted to ask if there were any specific dangers or taboos she should be aware of inside the black market, but seeing that he had closed his eyes to rest, she decided not to push it.

Shadow drove them steadily away from the desolate little town where she had been hiding.

Suddenly, Pei Xiqing gasped. “Wait! I haven’t grabbed my things yet!”

Her tactical backpack and spare clothes were all still in the house!

“You’ll need completely different attire to enter the black market anyway,” Duan Xiaolin murmured without opening his eyes. “Just leave your things where they are for now.”

“But what about my knife? My saber?” Pei Xiqing asked anxiously. That was the high-tier weapon she had miraculously scavenged!

“Your saber?”

“Yeah, the one strapped to my backpack! You should have seen it.”

Very good. It was a piece of standard-issue Franlun military gear. Not exactly something that could be easily ignored.

Duan Xiaolin replied calmly, “I had Ling Lang take it.”

“Why? I thought that knife was actually quite useful.”

“Do you even know how to use it?”

“Not really,” she admitted. “But it’s pretty handy for chopping firewood or whatever.”

A faint hint of a smile tugged at the corners of the man’s usually cold mouth. “Is that so? Then you must be quite proficient with it.”

“And what about chopping vegetables? Just one flick of the wrist and it’s done in no time.”

He opened his eyes, looking at her. “Do you like knives?”

“They’re fine.”

She wasn’t particularly picky about weapons. As long as it was usable, it was fine by her. The main reason was that she didn’t have to engage in close-quarters combat with zombies anyway, so holding onto high-end weapons wasn’t actually that useful to her.

“Let’s go eat something first,” he said. “Afterward, I’ll take you to pick one out.”

“Pick what out?”

“A weapon,” he replied smoothly. “Since you like them.”

Pei Xiqing threw her arms around his neck excitedly. “Will I need money? Is the black market full of armories and weapons caches? Can I take pictures?!”

Over an hour later, the armored SUV slowly rolled to a stop.

They had arrived at a remote, bustling settlement. This definitely wasn’t Base One yet; it was just a heavily fortified waypoint town used by travelers to rest and resupply. It operated similarly to the military safe house she had stayed in, but on a much larger scale.

The streets were crowded with various ability users and scavenger teams coming and going.

Duan Xiaolin led her into a large restaurant.

Although the exterior was a bit shabby and bore obvious signs of zombie corrosion, the interior was much more formal and legitimate than the horrific cannibal restaurant she had stumbled into earlier. At least here, there weren’t exaggerated slabs of unrecognizable meat hanging from bloodstained hooks. Instead, the kitchen openly displayed various types of fresh vegetables, indicating that real meat was expensive and rare.

As soon as she sat down, a server hurried over and poured her a cup of steaming hot tea.

Does it smell a bit like jasmine?

She took a cautious sip and found it surprisingly delicious.

Another staff member approached with a menu, politely asking what they wanted to order.

The dining room was filled with injured, exhausted ability users. Some of them looked so battered they were practically foaming at the mouth, looking ready to collapse at any moment. One particularly rough-looking man sat down heavily, took a massive gulp of hot tea, and barely suppressed a pained cough, the metallic smell of blood lingering around him.

Slamming his empty cup onto the table, the man shouted, “Bring me another pot! And another plate of stir-fried radishes! But I don’t want the pickled radishes! The last time I ate here, I was already half-dead from a mutant attack. After eating your damn pickled radishes, my stomach cramped so hard I almost had to be medevaced to the capital’s main hospital for emergency surgery!”

“Who told you to be so damn greedy?!” a woman’s sharp voice fired back. “Those pickled radishes weren’t even for you, but you snuck into the back and ate the whole jar anyway!”

A woman carrying a tray of food marched out from the kitchen.

After dropping the dish at another table, she whirled around and pointed a fierce finger at the complaining man. “I told you to eat less and stop being such a glutton, but you never listen! Every time your squad comes out on a mission, you try to score free food here, and then you have the nerve to go back and badmouth my restaurant! Do you have any idea my establishment is nominated for first prize in the Fifth Annual Wasteland Culinary Awards?! If command revokes my operational shares because of your big mouth, I’ll end your entire bloodline!”

The proprietress marched over, pinched the burly man’s ear, and twisted it hard. “Did you hear me?!”

“Ow, ow, yes! Yes, I heard you! Even if I get a stomachache and end up in the ICU, I swear I won’t ever mention your name, Auntie!” The man, despite having his ear twisted, boldly reached out and patted the back of the woman’s hand, smiling with flattering desperation. “Who could ever compare to you, Auntie? Even if I betray my own brothers, I’d never betray you! Don’t worry!”

“Get out, get out, get out of my sight!” she scolded, swatting his hand away.

Pei Xiqing lowered her head, hiding a smile.

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Wang from the cannibal restaurant had actually been telling the truth about one thing. There really were legitimate entrepreneurs who took massive risks to open sanctioned businesses out in the wasteland, and if they performed well, they received heavy subsidies and rewards from headquarters.

But this place was clearly the real deal—a fully authorized, highly regulated restaurant operating under the capital’s protection.

“Hmph. You shameless fat pig. Go sit in the corner and eat your fried radishes,” the woman snapped, raising her foot and lightly kicking the man’s shin.

She turned around, fully prepared to continue her tirade, but the words died in her throat the second she saw the people sitting at the table behind him.

Her fierce expression vanished instantly, replaced by a radiant, fawning smile. She covered her mouth with her hand and giggled. “Oh my goodness! If it isn’t Chief Judge Duan! And Brother Shadow is here too!”

The proprietress, Mu Yu, hurried forward, ready to offer her most obsequious greetings. But then she caught sight of Pei Xiqing sitting quietly next to Duan Xiaolin.

Her mouth fell open in shock. She blinked frantically, her thick, dramatic eyelashes unable to hide her sheer disbelief. “Oh my! Where did this little beauty come from? She’s actually… wait a minute?!”

She paused mid-sentence, leaning in closer to get a better look at Pei Xiqing. “Hey! Aren’t you that sweetheart? The one who came into my restaurant with that scavenger squad a while back?!”

Chapter 138: Do You Care?

Pei Xiqing didn’t react immediately. Hearing the pet name “little darling,” she was briefly confused before a sudden realization hit her. Panic rising, she quickly grabbed the proprietress’s hand to distract her. “Sister, what kind of food do you serve here?”

“We have plenty of food, though it’s mostly vegetables,” Mudan replied, looking at her suspiciously.

The longer Mudan stared, the more she felt something was off. This face was incredibly familiar. “Wait a minute, didn’t you…”

Running a waypoint restaurant, Mudan saw all kinds of people every single day. Yet, she had a photographic memory for beauties, especially one with such a striking, naturally alluring, and faintly innocent look like Pei Xiqing. She had only ever seen one person who looked like that. Although that past customer shared a striking resemblance to the girl sitting before her, she hadn’t been nearly as stunning.

Pei Xiqing quickly interrupted her train of thought. “Sister, can you give me the menu? I’d like to take a look.”

“Sure, sure.” Mudan turned to grab a menu, placing it on the table. “Take a look. Today’s recommendations are these two seasonal vegetables and the stir-fried radishes. Real meat is expensive and hard to come by, so we only have beef, and there are only two portions left.”

Pei Xiqing cleared her throat, awkwardly ignoring the woman’s lingering stares, and ordered a few vegetarian dishes. She then turned to the man beside her. “What do you want to eat?”

Duan Xiaolin cast a deeply meaningful look at her and replied, “I’ll have the same as you.”

Pei Xiqing pretended not to notice his gaze and turned to Shadow. “Brother Shadow, what would you like?”

Shadow adjusted his mask and politely stepped back. “I’m going to grab something to eat outside. You and Brother Duan take your time.”

Pei Xiqing handed the menu back to the proprietress. “Alright, that’ll be all.”

Mudan glanced at her, then shifted her gaze to Duan Xiaolin. She seemed to instantly understand the dynamic between them. With a knowing, meaningful smile, she asked, “Would you like some beef? Sister, the beef we serve here is incredibly fresh. The portions might be small, but the quality is no different from what the elites eat back at the capital base.”

Pei Xiqing shook her head. “No, thank you.”

But before Mudan could walk away, Duan Xiaolin’s calm voice cut in. “Give her one portion of the beef. And bring another pot of tea, extra jasmine. Don’t add any chili peppers to the vegetables; the lighter the flavor, the better.”

Mudan smiled so widely she couldn’t even close her mouth. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Right away, Lord Duan! I’ll be right back with your order!”

As the woman hurried off, Pei Xiqing suddenly felt dispirited, slumping forward onto the table.

No matter where she went, she either ran into the original host’s “old lovers” or various “witness NPCs” who remembered her messy past. In Duan Xiaolin’s eyes, her track record had to look absolutely terrible.

Putting herself in his shoes, if Duan Xiaolin was constantly running into romantic scandals and ex-flames wherever he went, she would have slammed the table in anger a long time ago. Fortunately, he was far more patient than she was.

Pei Xiqing accidentally met the man’s cool, indifferent gaze and immediately sat up straight.

Duan Xiaolin took a slow sip of his tea. “She was talking about Gu He, wasn’t she?”

Pei Xiqing swallowed hard. “…Yeah.”

She couldn’t think of anyone else who would use such a nauseating nickname other than Gu He, that annoying bastard from Base Three.

“So, someone else brought you here before,” he stated flatly.

“I don’t remember. I really don’t have any impression of it.” And it was the truth. Even before the proprietress brought it up, Pei Xiqing had absolutely zero memory of this place.

Duan Xiaolin calmly poured her another cup of tea. His face didn’t reveal a trace of emotion; he was even calmer than she could have imagined.

Yet, Pei Xiqing still felt a deep sense of unease. She knew Duan Xiaolin too well. The more he remained silent and composed about this kind of thing, the more he actually cared about it deep down. Now that things had come to this, it was best to show her absolute loyalty. Everyone already knew about Gu He’s past involvement with the original host anyway. It was fine. It would be fine…

A short while later, Mudan returned with two side dishes. Setting them down, she lowered her voice and leaned in. “Brother Duan, things haven’t been peaceful in the black market sector lately. A lot of factions are aggressively expanding those illicit trades. Recently, buyers have been purchasing huge quantities of meat from my store. They’ve been trying to bribe me into using my restaurant’s authorized supply lines to smuggle goods into the capital.”

The man nodded slightly. “I’ll look into it.”

“Thank you for your hard work,” Mudan chuckled, her eyes turning slightly seductive as she leaned closer to him. “Then I’ll have to trouble you to put in a good word for me and my little shop when you return to headquarters. We are law-abiding citizens of the apocalypse, after all. We would never do anything rash.”

Light reflected off Duan Xiaolin’s glasses as he calmly maintained his distance from her. “I’m not in charge of restaurant reviews, but the food here is delicious.”

Mudan was puzzled by his response. He hadn’t even taken a single bite yet, so why was he suddenly praising the food?

Following his gaze, she looked down and saw that Pei Xiqing was already happily eating.

Seeing the girl’s healthy appetite, Mudan covered her mouth and smiled knowingly. “Little sister, if you like it, eat as much as you want! The vegetables here are absolutely fresh. If it isn’t enough, just let me know.”

Pei Xiqing nodded eagerly. “It tastes amazing.” She picked up a piece of a savory pancake with her chopsticks and offered it to the man beside her. “Brother Duan, try a bite.”

Duan Xiaolin held her wrist gently, leaned forward, and took a bite of the food right from her chopsticks.

Seeing this intimate exchange, Mudan immediately understood her place. She smiled secretly, tactfully excusing herself to tend to the other tables and leaving them to enjoy their private space.

Pei Xiqing waited until the proprietress was out of earshot before leaning in. “Brother Duan, who exactly is she?”

“Peony,” the man replied smoothly. “Everyone around these parts is used to calling her Mother Peony. She’s an ability user and a former military officer from Base One. After her husband was caught smuggling illicit goods into the capital, she voluntarily resigned from the army and opened this sanctioned outpost in the wilderness. She uses the intel she gathers here to atone for his crimes, in exchange for headquarters sparing his life.”

“I didn’t expect there to be such a complicated connection.”

“I heard her business has been doing exceptionally well these past few days. She has gradually become a reliable informant for headquarters.” Duan Xiaolin reached out and gently wiped a drop of broth from the corner of her lips with his thumb. “Does the food really taste that good?”

“It’s really good,” she beamed. It was infinitely better than the slop she had nearly eaten at the cannibal restaurant—everything here was fresh, fragrant, and properly seasoned.

“Once we’re done eating, we’ll rest here for the night. Tomorrow, we’ll head into Base Six to pick out some new equipment for you.”

“Okay!”

Pei Xiqing happily polished off the rest of her meal.

After finishing their dinner and tea, Pei Xiqing and Duan Xiaolin headed upstairs.

She hadn’t expected this seemingly shabby waypoint restaurant to actually have a third and fourth floor. The wooden stairs creaked and swayed alarmingly under their weight. While they were structurally sound enough to walk on, they were definitely terrifying to ascend. If Duan Xiaolin hadn’t firmly held her waist the entire way up, Pei Xiqing would have likely tripped and fallen out of sheer panic.

The climb was a bit nerve-wracking, but once they reached the third floor, the corridor was surprisingly clean and tidy. When Duan Xiaolin pushed open the door to their suite, the furnishings inside were much better than she had imagined.

It was a proper suite with a bedroom, a small living area, a private bathroom, and a balcony. There were no strange, musty smells. The bed was a bit firm, but the sheets were spotless.

It was still relatively early in the evening, but Pei Xiqing had eaten a bit too much and was feeling a food coma coming on. Combined with the fact that she hadn’t slept well the night before, she felt incredibly drowsy the moment she lay down on the clean bed.

But suddenly, a realization hit her like a bolt of lightning. She bolted upright.

“Brother Duan!” she shouted.

The man, who was calmly sorting through the supplies he had brought in a metal case, looked up at her from the sofa. “Hmm?”

“Where is my Xiaobai?” She looked at the man, her eyes wide with sudden panic. “Why haven’t I seen him since you picked me up?”

Duan Xiaolin slowly stopped what he was doing. His deep, dark eyes locked onto hers as he asked softly, “How long do you really think it can survive out here in the apocalypse?”

Like this novel? Read Advance Chapters (PDF & EPUB Format)