What?! I Became the Zombie Beauty in the Villain’s Arms – CH21

Chapter 21: Can’t Get

The man possessed a towering, broad build and an inherently superior demeanor. Standing in the entrance, he practically blocked out all the light spilling from the camp.

In his hand, he held a classified paper report detailing the exact coordinates of a mutant hive.

His long, slender fingers gripped the paper so delicately that it didn’t have a single wrinkle.

His freezing, indifferent gaze slowly shifted from the neatly organized tactical data to Pei Xiqing.

Pei Xiqing subconsciously shrank back, avoiding eye contact. Ling Lang, who was standing beside her, broke the tension first. “Brother, you’re back. Her hand accidentally brushed my elemental energy. I was just about to take her to the medical tent to get some burn ointment.”

He glanced at the document in Duan Xiaolin’s hand. “What’s the latest intel?”

“Here.” Duan Xiaolin handed the paper to Ling Lang. “The reconnaissance team has located the central node of the mutant hive. Take your squad and move out to investigate immediately.”

“Understood!” Ling Lang nodded. He turned back to Pei Xiqing. “What about your burn—”

Pei Xiqing quickly cut him off. “I’m fine! It’s not a serious injury. Don’t worry about it. Just tell me where the ointment is, and I’ll get it myself.”

“It’s in the medical crate in the trunk of the G-Class, but I should probably—”

“I will handle it,” Duan Xiaolin interjected smoothly, taking control of the situation. “I’ve already uploaded the specific coordinates and topographical data to your tactical HUD. Move out. If we don’t eradicate this hive immediately, the local mutant population is going to multiply exponentially.”

Ling Lang tapped his earpiece, confirming the data transfer. His expression turned deadly serious. “Copy that. We will execute the sweep as quickly as possible and detonate the primary hive cluster.”

Duan Xiaolin stood in silence, watching Ling Lang rally the elite squad and march them out of the camp.

Pei Xiqing stood to the side, her mind racing. A few days ago, she had overheard them briefly mention a “zombie source,” and now Ling Lang had been dispatched to destroy one. The strange thing was… this concept had never been explicitly mentioned in the novel. She had absolutely no memory of reading about it.

The source of the zombies… She deduced that it must be a massive concentration of the virus, likely a localized ground-zero outbreak point. From context clues, she figured it was a hive where mutants gathered to rapidly regenerate and multiply. It was likely dozens, if not hundreds of times more terrifying than a standard mutant horde—a toxic epicenter that actively polluted the surrounding ecological environment, mutating flora and fauna alike. However, without novel canon to rely on, she had absolutely no idea what specific horrors the squad would face, or how they planned to eradicate it.

When she finally snapped out of her thoughts, she realized Duan Xiaolin was staring directly at her.

Pei Xiqing opened her mouth to speak, but his gaze had already drifted past her. “Come with me,” he ordered calmly.

“Coming.”

She quickly followed him toward the vehicles.

Duan Xiaolin popped the trunk of the G-Class and pulled out a heavy, classified medical kit. Inside were vials and ointments she had never seen before in her life. Before she could get a good look, he snapped the lid shut, grabbed a specific tube of cream, and firmly seized her wrist, lifting her hand up.

Looking at the red, blistered skin on her fingertips, his brow furrowed slightly. He squeezed a dab of clear ointment onto the burn.

The sudden, freezing sensation of the gel shocked Pei Xiqing’s nervous system. She reflexively tried to yank her hand back, but his grip was like an iron vice. It was absolutely irresistible; she couldn’t shake him off if she tried.

He slowly massaged the ointment into the burn, the cooling sensation rapidly soothing the searing pain. Pei Xiqing looked down at her fingertips. The burn seemed to be healing at an unnaturally slow pace compared to her viral regeneration. Her hands had repeatedly mutated into ghastly, grey-green claws and back again due to the virus, and right now, her skin was slightly flushed pink from the hot shower. Duan Xiaolin’s broad palm completely enveloped her small hand, his thumb pressing firmly into the softest part of her palm, leaving temporary white indents on her skin.

She stared at the prominent, powerful veins running across the back of his hand and subconsciously swallowed hard.

Duan Xiaolin continued to gently rub her fingertips, ensuring the specialized ointment fully dissolved the necrotic cell tissue burned by Ling Lang’s pure energy. When he lowered his eyes, he was slightly taken aback by the intensity of Pei Xiqing’s stare.

“Pei Xiqing,” he called out, his voice low and rich.

…

“Ah? Yes, I’m here.” Pei Xiqing’s head snapped up. “…What’s wrong?”

She blinked rapidly, her vision clearing. “Is… is the burn okay now?”

The man didn’t answer. He simply stared at her. After a long, heavy silence, he asked, “Do you know why the central bases order the absolute extermination of all zombies?”

“Because they can no longer be classified as ‘human’?” she guessed tentatively. “Because they’ve completely lost their sanity, their capacity for human thought, and only operate on the primal instinct to kill?”

Duan Xiaolin finally released her hand, twisting the cap back onto the ointment. “Military research indicates that within seventy-two hours of the initial viral infection, the host’s human consciousness is systematically eroded. However, this does not mean they instantly become mindless. During the transition period, the deepest, darkest desires and greed hidden within the host’s psyche are exponentially amplified by the negative viral energy flooding their nervous system.”

Pei Xiqing frowned. “So… Brother Duan, what are you trying to say?”

“I am saying that as long as a human possesses base desires, it is only a matter of time before the infection fully consumes them and turns them into a monster.”

Pei Xiqing actually found the theory a little amusing. She boldly leaned closer to him, practically staring straight into his eyes. “Then… Brother Duan. If you were bitten by a zombie, do you think you would be able to clearly see your deepest, darkest inner desires within those seventy-two hours?”

His gaze fell heavily upon her. It was as cold as ever, yet beneath the frost, she sensed an unusual, suffocating heat. His stare was almost too intense to bear.

Pei Xiqing subconsciously turned her head away, but he pressed the question. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

“Well,” she reasoned, “most people desire immense wealth, or absolute power, or supreme status…”

“I already possess all of those things,” he stated with chilling calmness. “Why would I harbor a burning desire to pursue things I already own?”

“Exactly.” Pei Xiqing leaned lazily against the side of the G-Class, a small smile playing on her lips. “Your deepest desire would have to be something you haven’t managed to get yet.”

Duan Xiaolin looked at her impassively, his gaze slowly dragging over her thin, oversized clothing.

Feeling suddenly self-conscious under his scrutiny, Pei Xiqing awkwardly tugged at the hem of the men’s shirt, trying to cover more of her bare thighs. “Sister Long Yan gave this to me,” she explained nervously.

“It looks fine on you. Just wear it,” Duan Xiaolin said.

“Once my actual clothes are dry, I’ll wash this and return it to her.”

“I doubt anyone in the squad is going to want it back after you’ve worn it.”

“What? No, I swear I’ll wash it thoroughly!” Pei Xiqing hurriedly defended herself. She discreetly sniffed her own shoulder. There was absolutely no rotting corpse stench. She had been paranoid about this for days, prioritizing personal hygiene to an extreme degree, terrified that the smell of decay would instantly out her as a mutant.

She had even repeatedly asked Long Yan to secretly check her scent, confirming there was nothing unnatural. Not to mention, she had literally just scrubbed herself raw in the shower.

Duan Xiaolin shot her a sidelong glance, his eyes sweeping deliberately from her exposed calves all the way up to her flushed face. “I didn’t say you were dirty. I simply meant that no man in this squad is going to have the courage to wear that shirt after you.”

Pei Xiqing’s cheeks burned scarlet. Finally realizing the unspoken implication, she immediately spun around, keeping her mouth firmly shut.

The rest of Ling Lang’s elite squad had vanished into the wasteland, leaving only her and Duan Xiaolin alone in the camp. She grabbed her damp civilian clothes from the bucket and walked over to the drying rack to hang them up. As she worked, she couldn’t help but steal glances at the man. He was sitting in a folding chair near the vehicles, calmly reviewing a stack of classified documents.

It’s the literal end of the world. Why does he still have so much paperwork to read?

Driven by sheer curiosity, Pei Xiqing slowly sidled closer, trying to catch a glimpse of the papers in his hand.

She regretted it instantly.

The documents were absolutely horrifying. They were thick stacks of bloody, brutalized confessions and criminal testimonies from various faction leaders and rogues.

Every single confession was stamped at the bottom with a bloody thumbprint.

Sensing her presence, the man looked up. “Want to read them?”

“No! Absolutely not!”

God only knew where those confessions came from, or under what terrifying, torturous circumstances those bloody thumbprints had been extracted… Remembering that his official title was Franlun’s “Interrogation Representative,” the reality of what he did for a living was genuinely bone-chilling.

Duan Xiaolin leaned back in his chair. “These are Franlun’s highest-level classified secrets. You couldn’t read them even if you begged.”

“…I understand.”

“So stop peeking.”

“Right.”

Pei Xiqing quickly retreated, maintaining a very safe distance from him. Fortunately, the midday sun was out, and the temperature wasn’t too freezing. She sat down on a row of empty crates, crossing her long, delicate legs, and lazily began twirling a piece of dogtail grass between her fingers.

A thought occurred to her. Waiting until he seemed to finish a page, she asked softly, “Ling Lang and the others went to blow up that mutant hive. Are they going to be okay?”

The man didn’t even look up. “Why are you asking? Are you worried about him?”

“I’ve never seen a ‘zombie source’ before, but it sounds absolutely terrifying,” Pei Xiqing answered honestly. “I just don’t know if a single squad can handle something like that.”

From what she could guess, a hive would be overflowing with thousands of concentrated, regenerating mutants. Dropping a small squad in there was essentially like dropping a piece of raw meat into a pit of starving wild dogs.

Duan Xiaolin turned a page, his voice entirely indifferent. “If an elite squad couldn’t handle a simple hive sweep, the central base wouldn’t waste rations keeping them alive.”

“Hearing you say that actually makes me feel a lot better.”

Duan Xiaolin finally looked up. Seeing her bare legs dangling from the crates, he frowned. “Put your coat back on. The temperature is going to plummet soon.”

For the first time since transmigrating, Pei Xiqing actually felt relatively relaxed and comfortable. There were no leering scavengers around, so she didn’t feel the need to bury herself under layers of heavy tactical gear. She squinted happily into the sun, leaning back against the crates to soak up the rays. “I’m not cold yet. I’ll put it on later.”

Back in the real world, when she was still a rising star, she had constantly attended red-carpet galas and luxury banquets. Back then, she wore a different designer gown every single day of the year, confidently displaying her beauty to the public. In the apocalypse, simply having a clean set of clothes was a luxury, let alone wearing anything stylish.

Out here, if you dressed beautifully, you painted a massive target on your back.

It was better to keep a low profile.

Pei Xiqing turned her face back toward the sky, continuing her sunbath.

In her warm, relaxed state, she eventually dozed off. Sometime later, she was jolted awake by a sudden, biting chill in the air, causing her to shiver violently.

The next second, a heavy, thick coat—radiating an incredible amount of body heat—was draped securely over her shoulders.

Pei Xiqing snapped her eyes open. Duan Xiaolin was just pulling his hand back. He stared down at her silently. “I told you it was getting colder.”

“Thank you.”

The man walked back to his folding chair, sat down, and resumed reading his bloody confessions.

He sat with perfect, terrifyingly upright posture, looking exactly like a model soldier. Every micro-movement he made felt strictly calculated and formatted. Pei Xiqing watched him through half-closed eyes for a few minutes before pulling his massive coat tighter around herself.

Duan Xiaolin had swapped out his suit jacket for a heavy, knee-length military windbreaker. Pei Xiqing curled into a tight ball, completely burying her small frame beneath the thick, warm fabric.

Dusk was rapidly approaching. The sun dipped below the horizon.

She stared at the man in the dimming light. “Hey. There are a lot of gnats and bugs flying around over there. Do you want to come sit over here? The lighting is better.”

Pei Xiqing was currently occupying three or four empty crates arranged like a makeshift bed. It was surprisingly comfortable. She sat up, shuffling to the side to make room for him.

Duan Xiaolin ignored her entirely.

Pei Xiqing waited a minute before asking softly, “Are you really not going to come over?”

Finally, the man stood up. Carrying his thick stack of classified papers, he walked over and sat down next to her on the crates.

“It was too dark over there anyway. If you’re going to read, sit here. The camp floodlights are right behind us. You’re going to ruin your eyesight reading in the dark,” she reasoned.

“Right,” Duan Xiaolin said smoothly. “So it’s just about my eyesight, and not because you desperately wanted me to come over here?”

“I just didn’t want you reading in the dark!” she retorted, quickly turning her head away to hide her flush. “I promise I won’t peek at your confidential files.”

Once he sat down, he returned to his paperwork in absolute, serious silence, meticulously reviewing the horrific cases. Feeling the heavy, focused atmosphere, Pei Xiqing realized she was probably distracting him. Not wanting to disturb his work, she subtly tried to slide further down the crates to give him more space.

But the very next second, a massive, terrifying weight shifted beside her.

Her coat slipped off her shoulders, falling to the dirt.

Pei Xiqing blinked in pure confusion. Before her brain could process what was happening, she instinctively threw her arms out to brace herself—and ended up wrapping them directly around his neck.

Duan Xiaolin had moved. With one arm wrapped firmly around her waist, he effortlessly lifted her off the crates and pulled her directly onto his lap.

Pei Xiqing was still only wearing the oversized men’s shirt. The sudden, forceful movement caused the hem of the shirt to ride dangerously high, exposing a massive expanse of her bare, pale thighs against his dark trousers.

Duan Xiaolin’s grip on the classified papers hadn’t shifted an inch. He was in perfect order. She, on the other hand, was completely disheveled. Her dark hair cascaded messily over her shoulders, her picturesque face entirely flushed and wide-eyed with shock.

“…? What are you doing?” she gasped.

The man stared deeply into her eyes, his voice a low, vibrating rumble. “Do you act this way around every man you meet?”

??

Pei Xiqing was utterly bewildered. “What are you talking about?”

“Or… is it just me?” he pressed, his tone tightening as if he already knew the answer but refused to accept anything else. “Well?”

The absolute, bone-deep calmness in his voice made the question sound like a lethal interrogation. His dark eyes were bottomless, piercing straight through her flesh and directly into her soul.

The moment their eyes locked, her eardrums pounded. It felt as though a microscopic, localized electric current was surging through her bloodstream, leaving a terrifying, exhilarating tingling sensation in its wake.

Sitting this intimately close, she was completely hyper-aware of his every breath. Slowly, almost involuntarily, she lowered her head.

Her lips accidentally brushed against the very tip of his nose.

It had started as an unintentional, panicked movement, but suddenly, she felt a surge of terrifying courage. She stopped, her lips hovering mere millimeters from his. She offered a microscopic, undeniable nod.

When she finally dared to look back into his eyes, the man’s terrifyingly perfect, composed facade had cracked. The emotion blazing in his dark eyes was no longer calm.

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