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Lu Jiayao said, “Looking at this, she is indeed lucky to be able to survive until now.”
“. . . I don’t know her past, nor met her before or what she used to be like.” Xiao Xiao lowered her head again, tied the bandage for the raccoon, and pushed it to tell it to go away, “But the way she is now, definitely not, the way you think.”
Lu Jiayao turned towards her, her inquiring gaze was as sharp as a knife.
“Are you so sure?”
“Some things can only be known by getting closer.”
Lu Jiayao smiled a thin smile, “You really want to monopolize her. Are you. . . in that kind of relationship?”
Xiao Xiao washed her hands for a while, “What?” she didn’t object to wanting to monopolize Lin Yuzu.
You’re not?
Lu Jiayao was a little stunned when she saw the genuine disbelief in Xiao Xiao’s face.
No matter how you look at it, that kind of intimacy, following each other’s figure, and the blatant attachment, is beyond platonic relationships. . . but the person involved isn’t aware of it.
“Just forget it if you don’t understand.”
Lu Jiayao didn’t intend to help this nasty person.
However, is this really good? She looked at Xiao Xiao and many of her characteristics have changed after zombification, but the outline of her features is indeed similar to the person she knew, “You really don’t remember anything?”
Xiao Xiao pursed her lips slightly, “. . . You really do know me.”
When she appeared in front of Lu Jiayao, the subtle change in expression on Lu Jiayao’s face might not have been noticed by Lin Yuzu, but she saw it clearly.
“It’s not a relationship worth mentioning.” Lu Jiayao said, “Since you forgot about it, I’m not obligated to tell you anything.”
“I don’t need you, say something. My past, it doesn’t matter. . .” Xiao Xiao carefully washed and dried her hands before turning to Lu Jiayao with a faint warning in her eyes, “Don’t bother her.”
Lu Jiayao sneered, “How am I bothering her?”
The two of them stared at each other that the tension in the atmosphere had reached its peak.
“Xiao Xiao—“
Lin Yuzu pushed the door open.
“. . .”
Thinking about it, she felt it was inappropriate for the two of them to be left alone together, so Lin Yuzu came out to call for help but froze for a moment when she received the gazes of both people at the same time.
She coughed dryly and pretended not to notice the tense atmosphere, “Xiao Xiao, come over and help me.”
Dinner ended in this weird atmosphere. Lin Yuzu helped Lu Jiayao clean up the guest room and each of them prepared to rest.
Lin Yuzu yawned as she came out of the shower. She felt especially tired today. . . Lin Yuzu pushed Xiao Xiao to take a shower and wanted to go to bed early, but when she saw the clothes on the rail in the yard through the window, she realized that the clothes were still hung.
In the past, even if she forgot, Xiao Xiao would always remind her. . . It’s rare for the two of them to forget about it today.
Lin Yuzu smiled helplessly and went out to collect their clothes. When she walked out to the porch, she met Lu Jiayao opening the door.
“Senior sister?” Lin Yuzu greeted her, “Is there something wrong?”
“. . . Ah,” Lu Jiayao didn’t expect to run into her and paused for a while, “I came out to boil water.”
“Then I’ll help.” Lin Yuzu smiled at her.
It just so happened that Zhaocai was home and that she got it to light a fire. In the quiet night, the firewood gradually steadily burned and the fire emitted a subtle crackling sound.
The swaying firelight shone on Lu Jiayao’s face who was leaning against the door and her green-golden were glistening.
It seems that there have been times like this before.
The silence of the night, the warmth of the fire, and only two people left at midnight.
Lin Yuzu looked at the orange-red flame, slightly lost in thought. Probably because she met an old friend who she hasn’t seen for many years that she remembered things from a long time ago.
The memory that she thought she had forgotten became very clear at this moment.
“Before. . . there have been times like this.”
“Huh?” Suddenly hearing Lu Jiayao’s voice, Lin Yuzu was surprised that her thoughts synced with her own and hesitantly responded, “Ah. . . yeah.”
It was incredible. She wouldn’t be surprised at all if it were someone else, but Lu Jiayao was, in Lin Yuzu’s memory, an extremely brave and decisive person who always kept moving forward and never looked back, unlike her.
It’s been almost seven years since we last met. . . it’s normal to change.
Lin Yuzu lamented in her heart that time sure does fly. Lu Jiayao looked at the fire quietly with a flat expression, she didn’t know what she was thinking.
“How. . . are you doing now?”
She suddenly asked.
How is she now?
Lin Yuzu thought about it and a soft smile unconsciously appeared on her face, “As you can see, Senior Sister, I’m doing fine.”
“Living in this kind of environment, you’ve really been lucky.”
Following Lu Jiayao’s gaze, Lin Yuzu looked across the kitchen window and saw Xiao Hong who was huddled in the corner of the courtyard, resting.
Lin Yuzu understood what she meant, “They probably would before. . . but they won’t hurt me now.”
Lu Jiayao replied, “Do you think mutant creatures can be trusted?”
“. . . I don’t know.”
Lin Yuzu replied honestly, “Not to mention living together peacefully, I don’t know how many times I’ve almost been killed by mutant creatures in the past eight years. Talking about trust is still far-fetched but. . . I want to trust Xiao Xiao.”
I believe in Xiao Xiao’s promise of protecting me.
“. . .”
“What about senior sister? how are you after that?” Lin Yuzu switched the topic.
She understood Lu Jiayao’s thoughts and knew that Lu Jiayao wouldn’t agree with her. An unexpected reunion, after which they might never see each other again. Lin Yuzu didn’t want to end up separating on bad terms.
Moreover, Lin Yuzu was a bit concerned about what happened to Lu Jiayao, “Why did you join the Pujiang base?”
She saw the logo on Lu Jiayao’s combat uniform. It was the same as the one on those three people that day.
“Various reasons I guess.” Lu Jiayao didn’t seem to have any intention to talk much about the past, “There’s not much in Pujiang base now, either.”
The mouth of the kettle whistled as the water boiled.
It seemed like a reminder that it was time to end their conversation. Lu Jiayao lifted the kettle, “I’m going to my room. You should rest early.”
“Ah, okay. . . senior sister, you dropped something.”
When Lu Jiayao turned around, a photo stuffed in her pocket fell down lightly that happened to land by Lin Yuzu’z feet.
Lin Yuzu picked it up and froze for a moment when she saw its contents, “This is. . .”
It was a group photo.
Lin Yuzu saw herself, Lu Jiayao, and many other familiar faces from long ago in it.
She remembered that it was a picture she took with Lu Jiayao’s squad at that time.
At that time, the situation wasn’t that serious, or rather, they didn’t realize the seriousness of the matter yet. Despite fighting with zombies, they still maintained an optimistic mood.
The members of the team who studied photography had to find a darkroom to develop the photos.
Unfortunately, at that time, there was a wave of zombies feeding nearby and the senior who taught her how to use a gun got angry while fighting. “Zhu Feibai! Are you ready?! Why are you so slow!”
“It’s not up to me to decide whether it’s fast or not!”
Lin Yuzu nervously guarded the door while Lu Jiayao, who was eating compressed cookies as if nothing was happening looked at her and said, “The location is just right, practice shooting your gun.”
. . .
To read the original translation, please visit: triple ‘w’ dot nihilumcreations dot wordpress dot com slash raising-the-zombie-king slash
. . .
Lin Yuzu also had a copy of the photo, but she lost hers during an escape a long time ago.
Lu Jiayao took the photo from her hand and said nothing.
Lin Yuzu stood alone in the same place for a while, and when she came out of the kitchen, she found that the clothes hanging on the rack outside had already been collected.
She returned to her room and Xiao Xiao, who had just finished bathing and had her hair loose, sat at the desk while looking at the pot of balsam flowers that were about to bloom. She raised her head when she heard footsteps and looked at her before extending a hand.
“What’s wrong?”
Lin Yuzu held Xiao Xiao’s hand and the moment the slightly cool body temperature transferred to her touch, she exhaled gently and felt that her nervous heart had settled down.
Xiao Xiao pulled her close and leaned over, hugging her waist, “Yuzu, won’t leave, right?”
“No. . . why do you think so?”
Is it because of senior sister? Is that why she’s hostile towards her?
Being hugged tightly, Lin Yuzu could feel Xiao Xiao’s anxiety based on her strength.
While she was a little dumbfounded, she was also completely filled with Xiao Xiao’s attachment.
Xiao Xiao responded sullenly, “Calm, rational, gives sense of stability. Yuzu likes person like that, right? I remember.”
. . . Ah, can this be considered jealousy?
Lin Yuzu looked down and could only see the top of Xiao Xiao’s head. Her snow-white hair was still soft and a little wet. She then pretended to be surprised, “So Xiao Xiao, you also admire senior sister?”
“. . .”
Xiao Xiao maintained this posture as she looked up, her ice-blue eyes looking at her for a moment.
Lin Yuzu couldn’t help but laugh, “Just kidding, don’t look at me like that. . . I’m not going to go with other people. In fact, doesn’t Xiao Xiao also quite fit those words?”
“Does Yuzu like me?”
“. . . like.” Lin Yuzu couldn’t help but confess to each other with Xiao Xiao every day, her eyes looking at Xiao Xiao gently, “I only like you.”
“. . .” Xiao Xiao rarely hesitates, “I also. . .”
She paused.
“Also?” Without waiting for Lin Yuzu, who Xiao Xiao liked every day, she asked questions with her eyes.
“. . .”
Lin Yuzu felt the clothes behind her waist were grasped tightly. Xiao Xiao seems to be thinking about something that her expression was a little clueless.
“. . . Xiao Xiao? What’s wrong, are you uncomfortable in any way?”
Xiao Xiao shook her head and once again buried her face, “I also, like Yuzu.”
Her voice was soft and Lin Yuzu’s heart inexplicably jumped, feeling that tonight’s confession was a little different than those from the past. . . but she couldn’t tell why is it different.
The room was quiet and the two didn’t speak for a long time.
It wasn’t until the sudden night breeze blew out the candles on the table that Lin Yuzu whispered, “. . . Okay, go rest.”
“Mm. . .”
But when they lay on the bed, Lin Yuzu could feel Xiao Xiao not closing her eyes, instead, watching her.
She couldn’t sleep when someone is looking at her, so she turned over and faced Xiao Xiao who was laying on her side, and said, “Is there something else you want to say?”
Xiao Xiao shook her head, paused for a moment before nodding again, and said in a small voice, “Want to know about Yuzu.”
“About me?”
“Mhm. What Yuzu was like before?”
Before. . .
The memories that surfaced in the kitchen emerged once more. Lin Yuzu sighed softly and Xiao Xiao held her hands right under the covers.
Lin Yuzu held Xiao Xiao’s hands back, “It’s not an interesting story. . . Do you really want to hear it?”
Xiao Xiao finally realized her feelings for Lin Yuzu!!! She finally realized that Lin Yuzu ain’t a family member, but her wife~~!! Banzai!!
Anyway, I would like to thank Lu Jiayao for making this possible hahahahahaha!! Oh, and we’ll finally get something concrete out of Lin Yuzu’s past, well, in the upcoming chapters maybe. Hahahaha!!
I hope you enjoyed this sweet chapter as much as I did!!!
May the abyss be with you~!