Chapter 606 The Temperature of Blood

Hurry, hurry!

Ling Mo urged as he pushed open the ma.s.sive, dark door in front of him.

Creak!

As the door swung open, a gust of cold air poured in.

Phew!

Ling Mo took a deep breath, his mind clearing significantly. The ventilation here was decent, at least much better than the parking lot. If he had stayed in there any longer, he began to doubt whether his respiratory system would have survived

With a quick sweep of his flashlight, he chose a path from the crisscrossing corridors: This way.

The zombies are catching up fast, and there are more of them, Shana glanced back and said.

No worries, the s.h.i.+elding strength here is weakening. Even if those brain mutants appear again, we can handle them. Ling Mo had already started moving forward, nonchalantly pus.h.i.+ng aside a clothes rack in the middle of the way.

But the rack, long decayed, collapsed under his light touch. The lower half fell apart with a clatter, scattering amongst a pile of clothes that resembled torn rags.

A ghastly white object also emerged from the heap. Ling Mo shone his flashlight on it and suddenly found himself staring into a pair of dark holes.

Theres a corpse here too Ling Mos scalp tingled.

This place must have been bustling before. Its not surprising to find corpses. Besides, youve seen plenty Shana shook her head, stepping over it with long strides as she spoke.

Ling Mo steadied himself and quickly followed, muttering, I thought this place wasnt open either And yes, Ive seen many, but it still feels uncomfortable every time.

Why? Li Ya Lin asked from behind.

Its empathy, I guess. I always think about whether friends and family have become like this Ling Mo said softly.

But you kill too, dont you? Humans feel a sense of pleasure when they see their enemies fall, right? Shana asked sharply.

Ling Mo paused, then let out a self-deprecating laugh: Yeah, thats why I say humans are complex.

So they have compa.s.sion, but also a cold-blooded side? That is indeed complex, Shana said.

This left Ling Mo momentarily at a loss for words. This is how zombies view humans

Just then, Ling Mo felt a tug at his sleeve.

Turning around, he saw the faintly red glowing eyes of Ye Lian in the darkness. Her eyes didnt look b.l.o.o.d.y, but rather carried a mysterious aura.

She blinked, seeming to gaze intently at Ling Mo.

Whats wrong? Ling Mo asked gently.

Ling Mo, you Ye Lians speech was somewhat stilted, but her enunciation was clear, This is good.

Uh-huh. Ling Mo couldnt help but smile.

That sounded familiar, didnt it?

Ah, right! Shana suddenly turned back, Watch out, dont step on

*Creak*

Ling Mos body immediately froze as if hit by an immobilization spell, including the expression on his face.

Corpse Shana spread her hands innocently.

Thanks for the reminder Ling Mo squeezed out four words through clenched teeth.

The zombies that followed from the underground parking lot numbered around ten. So many mutated zombies were a big problem wherever they were thrown.

But luckily, most of them were fresh out of the oven, not only unfamiliar with their own bodies but also at a lower level of evolution.

These zombies were essentially all that was left inside the zombie factory. Thanks to Shana, the juvenile zombies were especially vigorous in their calls

Dont rush to get out, take them for a spin here. Right, Senior Sister, go find those things I told you about just now, Ling Mo instructed.

Got it! Li Ya Lin answered and then vanished in a flash.

Theyre coming! Shana called out softly.

The sound of the door being smashed open came from not far behind them, accompanied by the roaring of zombies.

Go!

Ling Mo hoisted the backpack on his back with force and grabbed Ye Lian by his side, starting to run wildly through the darkness.

Only a faint distance ahead was lit by the residual light of the flashlight, and Ling Mos speed was not fast.

Ye Lian, being pulled along, looked up at Ling Mo in confusion, suddenly curious.

With zombies in hot pursuit behind him, why was there still a smile on his lips? Arent humans supposed to fear danger and death?

Come to think of it, its rare to see him lose his temper over the hards.h.i.+ps of life, nor has he ever been heard complaining

Even when he curses, theres always a hint of amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes

Humans are so strange, a thought suddenly popped into Ye Lians head.

Fleeting memories flickered before her eyes

It seems theyve known each other for a long time, havent they?

Although recalling those memories never evoked any emotional response or mental fluctuation, for some reason, she was quite content to reminisce.

Back then, he would always have a scruffy face, bloodshot eyes, a cigarette in his mouth upon opening the door, and an utterly exhausted demeanor.

But the moment he saw her, a relaxed smile would instantly grace his face.

Did you bring anything tasty? His large hand would reach out, messing up her neatly arranged hair.

Youre eating instant noodles again? How many times have I told you its bad for your stomach? Cant you make something on your own? she would push his hand away and say.

My cooking is never as good as yours.

I have cla.s.ses, I can only come over on the weekends! she muttered as she walked inside.

I made something, he would follow her, and without looking she knew he was drooling over the lunchbox in her hands.

What did you make? she began tidying up the cluttered coffee table and tossed his jacket into the was.h.i.+ng machine.

Boiled noodles

Instant noodles, right?

With vegetables added.

She sighed lightly, turned to look at him, and said, Youre always like this

Well, I have you to take care of me, Housekeeper, he chuckled.

Im not that old! she feigned anger, Besides, I cant take care of you forever!

Hey, hey, that wont do, you promised my mom youd take care of me for life. He shamelessly declared.

You thats not fair! Anyway, its good as long as you stay like this, just dont become more disobedient

Back then, he always seemed so relaxed

Ye Lian remembered other fragments too, memories that had surfaced intermittently in recent days, but she hadnt spoken of them to anyone yet.

Perhaps those were from the time when memory first began to form

She felt disoriented, sometimes able to remember things, sometimes knowing nothing at all.

But no matter what, every time she opened her eyes, amidst the haze of red, his face would appear.

The urge to bite, to see his blood spurt from his neck, to tear out his entrails

So hungry so thirsty

But why couldnt she move?!

She wanted to lash out, but couldnt control herself

So uncomfortable!

Ah ah She struggled fiercely, staring intently at the human in front of her.

Ye Lian, dont move, let me wipe your face. The human approached cautiously with a handkerchief in hand.

Ao! The intense irritation drove Ye Lian mad, but she could only watch helplessly as he came closer.

That desirable scent drilled into her nostrils, even sprayed on her face, on her neck.

My Ye Lian is indeed the prettiest, but its not so good with blood on you Hey, hey, stop moving, you make my head hurt

Such a noisy such a noisy voice

But his touch was gentle, and his gaze was soft

Why? He was clearly prey

Sometimes, when his palm touched her face, it conveyed a restlessness within her

Thats right, this is human warmth.

Ye Lians thoughts returned to the underground mall, to this corridor.

She was still looking at the hand held by Ling Mo, and a flicker of unusual color suddenly pa.s.sed through her blank eyes.

Body temperature She moved her fingers slightly, slowly and gently, and clasped Ling Mos fingers in return.

In the faint light, Ling Mo continued to run, oblivious to Ye Lians subtle movement.

He vaguely felt that her hand had grown colder, yet he did not let go; instead, he gripped it even tighter.

The warmth of humans feels so comfortable, Ye Lian slightly moved the corners of her mouth. This was the first time since she became a zombie that she actually wanted to smile genuinely like a human, her smile in the darkness seemed forced, but her eyes were softer than ever

She suddenly realized that for cold, bloodthirsty zombies, perhaps the human body temperature, whether its the warmth of the organs or the blood, is what truly attracts them.

They had lost these sensations, yet they still chased after them

Ling Mo, Ye Lian suddenly spoke up.

Hmm? Ling Mo asked without turning his head.

The zombies were in hot pursuit behind them, and the sound of thumping could be heard from time to time.

However, in such a complex environment, they couldnt catch up immediately.

Youre taking care of me now, arent you? Ye Lian asked softly.

Ah? Why are you asking this all of a sudden? Not really Ling Mo tightened his grip on Ye Lians hand, swiftly turned a corner with her, and said with a bit of breathlessness, I wouldnt have survived up to this point without you guys. Plus, the more advanced your evolution, the less you need my care, right? Now you can even dress yourself, and its underwear at that!

His last sentence was clearly said with some resentment

I we can take care of you, Ye Lian said haltingly.

As she spoke, a loud crash came from behind them, and then a large gla.s.s cabinet smashed heavily to the ground less than ten meters behind them.

d.a.m.n!

Ling Mo instinctively pulled Ye Lian into his arms, and his mental tentacles immediately spread out.

The shattered gla.s.s pieces. .h.i.t the tentacles and were ricocheted back to the ground.

Are you okay? Ling Mo asked with a frown, his chest heaving, What were you saying just now?

Ye Lian lifted her head from Ling Mos embrace and slowly shook her head, No I said, we can take care of you.

Huh? Becoming obedient, huh? Heh heh, just listen to me, thats taking care of me

Shanas voice came from ahead: Ling Mo?

Hmm?

You do know we cant actually be cut by gla.s.s, right?

Hahaha, its just instinct, right?