Her name was Han Xiaojiao, a sophomore at a certain university. Originally a wealthy young lady from an affluent family, she had a pair of loving parents and a doting older brother.
Her life was nearly perfect.
If it hadn't been for the night of September 9th, when the pitch-black sky suddenly turned fiery red, illuminating the entire earth, the intense light shining upon all the plants and animals on Earth, causing global mutations—then it would have been even more perfect.
In their dormitory, the first person to be hit by that strange light was the dorm leader who went out to check the situation. She lived in the lower bunk, which was close to the door. When the dorm leader staggered back, before Han Xiaojiao could ask anything, she was grabbed and bitten. The moment her consciousness fell into darkness, she clearly saw the dorm leader's pale face and gray-white eyes.
When she woke up, it was already dawn. The originally peaceful world had become different.
She stood up and looked around, immediately seeing the dorm leader on the ground digging out and eating a roommate's internal organs. She was so frightened she wanted to scream.
Of course, she didn't scream. She seemed unable to speak anymore. Not only couldn't she speak, her movements were slow, and even her brain reactions were sluggish. Suddenly remembering what happened last night, she had a particularly bad premonition. Not caring about anything else, she staggered toward the mirror and finally saw her own appearance clearly.
Pale skin, a bite wound on her neck that obviously couldn't heal. Lifeless, gray-white eyes—so ugly. Her clothes were still splattered with blood. She looked at the dorm leader who was still digging out organs to eat. The other looked similar to her. She had to accept reality—she was no longer human, but a zombie.
Last night's red light in the sky was the culprit that caused the apocalypse. This terrible light had turned them into zombies.
She didn't know whether to feel fortunate or sad. Turned into a zombie, yet she still had her own consciousness. Although her reactions were very slow, not as clever as before, at least she still possessed human thoughts. She wasn't the kind of monster that bit people on sight.
Her reflection in the mirror—aside from the wound on her neck—actually looked relatively intact. Especially this pretty face, which hadn't been damaged at all. She should feel satisfied.
Even if she'd become a zombie, she still had human thoughts and retained her good looks. Even as a zombie, she was the best-looking zombie.
She still had many attachments—her parents, her doting brother... and that figure who often appeared in her dreams. All of this was what she cared about.
So she couldn't die. She believed that as long as she waited, that figure would definitely come. Whether human or zombie, unless her life reached its end, she would definitely keep waiting.
The person in her dreams had a particularly beautiful pair of eyes. No matter what they looked like, she only needed to see those eyes once to recognize them.
She walked to the dorm leader's side. The other actually dug out a blood-dripping heart to hand to her. She surprisingly wasn't afraid—perhaps because she was also a zombie now. She glared fiercely at the other. The originally ferocious-looking dorm leader was actually scared and shrank back.
She wanted to speak but couldn't open her mouth. She could only open it and make "ah ah ah" sounds to express her meaning—meaning, don't eat those disgusting things anymore.
The dorm leader was surprisingly obedient, throwing away what was in her hands and squatting in the corner like a good baby. From Han Xiaojiao's perspective, the other even seemed a bit wronged. How strange—that bloodless, obviously numb face, how could it look somewhat pitiful?
She walked past the dorm leader to the faucet, turned it on, and washed herself clean. Then she went to rummage through her wardrobe and changed into a pretty flowered dress.
She faced the mirror and combed through her messy hair. She had to complain—with her current stiff body, combing her hair was really difficult. Something that would take two minutes actually took half an hour before she was barely satisfied.
Han Xiaojiao stuffed her favorite clothes into a backpack. It took ten minutes with clumsy movements before she could get the backpack onto her back. Thinking about how it would take a long time to take it off again, her good mood from changing into a pretty dress disappeared.
Looking at her face—indeed frighteningly pale, with those gray-white eyeballs—it was really too ugly.
She stomped the floor as if throwing a tantrum. Finally, she found the cosmetics she used when she was still human. Standing in front of the mirror again, she stiffly applied makeup that was barely passable. Everything else was fine, but applying lipstick and drawing eyebrows was really too slow.
If she wasn't careful, the lipstick would draw a long red mark horizontally. She was so angry she almost wanted to throw the lipstick away, but remembering this lipstick was expensive and limited edition, and this was the apocalypse now—it wouldn't be as convenient as before—she could only endure it.
After finishing the lipstick, it was time for eyebrows. One careless move and they'd be crooked. She drew in front of the mirror for a long time before they were finally no longer crooked. Han Xiaojiao was satisfied. Not liking the gray-white eyeballs, she found a pair of blue contact lenses to wear. Finally seeing the ugly wound by her neck, she turned and glared at the dorm leader. The dorm leader shrank in the corner, trembling from her glare. She sighed in her heart and found a silk scarf to wrap around her neck.
Looking at her very perfect self in the mirror, Han Xiaojiao slowly walked out with her backpack.
Everywhere she passed, there were zombies like her, walking crookedly and staggering, their postures particularly ugly. They looked super ugly too—some missing arms or legs. She looked up at the sky somewhat sadly. In her mind, she thought of that figure in her dreams. Only by constantly thinking of her could she live on as a zombie and accept such an ugly self.
Han Xiaojiao was very sad and wanted to cry, but she couldn't shed tears anymore. Moreover, the motion of crouching down to cry was really too difficult for her current stiff body.
She didn't know where to go. Walking among a group of stinking, blood-covered zombies holding and gnawing on organs, she seemed somewhat out of place.
Carrying a red backpack, wearing a pretty flowered dress, stepping in very clean white shoes, with a pretty silk scarf around her neck. Wearing light makeup with her hair in a ponytail—from a distance, how was this a zombie? This was clearly a pretty girl.
When zombies approached Han Xiaojiao and she glared at them, they were so scared they dropped the intestines in their hands, staring blankly at her, no longer daring to take another step forward.
Perhaps she should go find her parents and brother now. After determining the direction, Han Xiaojiao set out on the road to C City. Even though she was dressed very much like a human, she didn't mix into human crowds. Those zombies seemed very afraid of her and listened to her words. She tried commanding these zombies and it was indeed effective.
Finding it too slow and troublesome to walk herself, she simply found a cart, sat in it, and commanded several zombies to come pull her along.
Just like that, surrounded by quite a few zombies in the center, Han Xiaojiao wasn't discovered for the time being. But walking on human roads, she would eventually be discovered.
Han Xiaojiao didn't want to kill people—her thoughts were human. But she was a zombie now. If she didn't kill people, people would kill her.
She wanted to lead the zombies away. Those people mistakenly thought they were afraid and chased after them with weapons. This was the first week of the apocalypse—no one had awakened abilities yet. Humans couldn't defeat zombies, but seeing the zombies were timid, they became bolder.
Han Xiaojiao already felt the surrounding zombies were about to get angry. That group of fierce people also chased over. A fight was unavoidable.
"Get out of here quickly, or you'll lose your lives."
A female voice came from the distance, causing the group about to hunt the zombies to freeze. Both they and Han Xiaojiao looked up simultaneously. An SUV appeared in their view. The car door opened and a slender, tall woman stepped out.
The woman wore leather clothing and pants, with black Martin boots on her feet. A long whip hung at her waist. She walked toward them.
"These zombies are scared. Of course we should hurry and kill them," someone in the crowd said.
A-Xin didn't pay attention to them. Passing by them, she continued walking toward Han Xiaojiao. The people behind shouted, "Are you crazy? Dangerous! Come back! They'll tear you apart!"
"Let her go. She'll learn her lesson soon. This is the beginning of the apocalypse—there are always some people full of compassion who think zombies are the same kind and can't bring themselves to act. When she's bitten on the neck by evil zombies and has her organs eaten, then she'll know regret."
Han Xiaojiao stood in the zombie crowd, still wearing that pretty flowered dress, staring blankly at the woman walking toward her. When she clearly saw those beautiful, smiling, somewhat familiar eyes, she made "ah ah" sounds and quickly walked toward the woman—though she was still walking very slowly.
She walked to A-Xin's front. Not knowing why, she particularly wanted to be closer to her. She raised her hand and placed it in front of the other. A-Xin smiled at her and held her cold, stiff hand.
"My name is Ning Xin."
Ning Xin—so her name was Ning Xin? It really was a nice name, Han Xiaojiao thought. Subconsciously, she silently recited "A-Xin." She looked at A-Xin. She really wanted to call her A-Xin.
"I came to find you."
Han Xiaojiao's heart was very joyful. She nodded slowly, indicating she knew the other came to find her. She knew it—the other would definitely come find her. She had already waited many days.
"From now on, I'll stay with you until your life ends."
Han Xiaojiao couldn't make a smiling expression, but her heart was very happy. Grabbing A-Xin's arm, she rubbed against her. Unable to speak, she completely didn't know how to express her joyful mood or how to make the other understand.
She remembered she'd walked for half a day and didn't know if her makeup had smudged. She quickly fumbled in her clothing pocket for a small mirror. Always feeling there was some problem with her eyebrows, she turned and made a few "ah ah" sounds at the zombie crowd. Immediately, a zombie came up carrying a makeup case.
She opened the makeup case and took out an eyebrow pencil. She had a zombie hold the mirror for her while she tremblingly gripped the eyebrow pencil, about to draw on her eyebrows. Her wrist was held. A-Xin said, "Let me help you draw them."
Han Xiaojiao released her hand and glared at a nearby zombie, making two "ah ah" sounds. The zombie quickly went to move a rock over. She sat on the rock, slightly raising her head, looking at A-Xin, waiting for her to help draw her eyebrows.
A-Xin leaned down close. That special fragrance was very familiar to her—as if she'd smelled it in her dreams.
The eyebrow pencil gently slid across her eyebrows. Actually, she didn't have much sense of touch, but now her tactile sensation was particularly sensitive. Thinking that the other said she would always accompany her in the future, her heart was filled with joy.
"All done."
Han Xiaojiao looked in the mirror. Those curved eyebrows didn't have a single flaw—much better looking than what she drew.
She raised her head and looked at A-Xin, making two "ah ah" sounds, asking if she looked good now. Remembering the other couldn't understand what she was saying at all, she was very distressed. Her heart wasn't too happy. She particularly wanted to throw the mirror down, but in front of Ning Xin, she subconsciously didn't want to make such an impolite move. She could only look at A-Xin pitifully, not knowing how to express her thoughts.
If only she weren't a zombie.
"You look very good." When she was feeling a bit discouraged, a warm, gentle voice sounded above her head. She jerked her head up and saw A-Xin smiling while touching her head, saying softly, "You're the most beautiful."
She looked very good? She was the most beautiful?
Han Xiaojiao wanted to smile, but her stiff face simply couldn't make such an exaggerated motion. She could only forcefully make some subtle expressions, almost negligible.
A-Xin helped her put away the makeup case and held her hand. "I'll take you with me, okay?"
Okay!
Han Xiaojiao answered in her heart, nodding forcefully—though her movement still looked slow.
A-Xin led Han Xiaojiao—wearing a flowered dress, light makeup, contact lenses, and carrying a backpack—past the crowd. Everyone stared dumbfounded at this scene, watching helplessly as A-Xin led Han Xiaojiao into the car. That female zombie was really obedient and well-behaved. Of course, she was also particularly vain—actually wearing makeup and contact lenses and a pretty flowered dress. They suspected Han Xiaojiao's backpack definitely held dresses. She could carry a makeup case at all times—of course she wouldn't be without pretty dresses.
The women in the crowd looked down at their disheveled selves—they even stank. Remembering Han Xiaojiao proudly following A-Xin into the car, when passing by them, she even glanced at them. That glance should have been a look of disdain, right?
They were actually living worse than a zombie.
"Where do you want to go?"
A-Xin started the car. That group of people didn't dare stop her at all. A woman who could take a zombie on the road must be very terrifying.
"That female zombie is probably her relative."
"Most likely her sister. Otherwise, who would dare keep a zombie by their side?"
"The apocalypse witnesses true feelings. This is perhaps the kind of true feeling that doesn't fear life or death. I completely can't do this. I also can't guarantee that someday in the future, to survive, I won't do something unconscionable."
This was the first week of the apocalypse. They were still united. The ugliness of human nature hadn't yet erupted due to survival. This group of people all fell silent. They indeed couldn't guarantee it.
They somewhat envied Han Xiaojiao. Already a zombie, yet someone still didn't dislike her, wasn't afraid of her, and was willing to keep her by their side.
Han Xiaojiao heard A-Xin ask where she wanted to go. She made two "ah ah" sounds. Just now, A-Xin seemed to understand her expressions, so she was going to try.
"C City? Alright. Is there something you need to do there?"
Han Xiaojiao made two more "ah ah" sounds, gesticulating to express her thoughts. She was so happy—Ning Xin could actually understand what she was saying. So their communication had no obstacles at all, right?
"Mm, then we'll first find your parents and brother, and live with them in the future."
Hearing "live together," Han Xiaojiao sadly lowered her head. Her pale fingers pinched her dress. She was already a zombie. Mom, Dad, and her brother would definitely need to survive together with humans. She was a zombie—in human eyes, zombies were monsters that bit people and tore their bodies apart. They were humanity's enemies.
How could she possibly live together with Mom, Dad, and her brother? Even if they weren't afraid of her and didn't dislike her, what about other people? They would definitely want to kill her, drive her away—even if she was truly harmless. Thinking deeper, they might think she was very special and want to slice her up for research.
The strength of a few people was too weak. She would only bring them trouble.
So Han Xiaojiao shook her head fiercely while expressing her meaning. She just wanted to find Mom, Dad, and her brother to confirm their safety. Once they were safe, she would return to the zombie crowd and find a place to hide. She looked at A-Xin pitifully. A-Xin was also human—would she really always accompany her?
"Don't be afraid. I'm here."
"You only need to do what you want in your heart. If you want to live together with your parents and brother, then you can live together. As for me, of course I'll accompany you, no matter where you are."
Han Xiaojiao particularly wanted to cry to express her current moved and excited feelings, but she couldn't cry.
A-Xin was driving. She couldn't rub against her either—what if there was a car accident? The apocalypse roads weren't smooth either. She wasn't afraid, but she was afraid A-Xin would get hurt.
She could only sit properly in the passenger seat, staring blankly at A-Xin. Those eyes were really exactly the same as in her dreams. She told A-Xin that before, when she was still human, every dream she had would feature her.
"Is that so?" A-Xin was somewhat surprised. So this soul had also dreamed of her—no wonder she was summoned here.
Han Xiaojiao quickly nodded, indicating it was true. She also expressed that she had human consciousness in a zombie body, and the reason she didn't choose to give up was to wait for her arrival. A-Xin listened in a daze and couldn't help but touch Han Xiaojiao's head.
Han Xiaojiao glared at her, indicating she should keep driving. If the car flipped later, it would dirty her flowered dress. Actually, she was afraid that the other, being a flesh-and-blood human, would get hurt.
She lowered her head and stopped talking, but secretly glanced at A-Xin from the corner of her eye. A-Xin noticed but didn't expose her.
This world, as seen, was an apocalypse that had just begun.
Han Xiaojiao was the number one female supporting character in this world. At the beginning of the apocalypse, she became a zombie. She was different from other zombies because of a jade pendant.
That magical jade pendant was bought by Han Xiaojiao's older brother Han Wu at an antique market and given to her as an eighteenth birthday present.
She always wore it on her body. They say jade nourishes people—how much more so a magical jade pendant?
When she was bitten by her dorm leader, it was because the jade pendant had been worn for several years, its spiritual energy nourishing Han Xiaojiao's body, allowing her to retain human consciousness. When the dorm leader bit her, she happened to bite off the pendant's cord. If she hadn't bitten it off, perhaps over time, Han Xiaojiao's ending would have been different.
After being bitten, Han Xiaojiao fell unconscious. The jade pendant fell by the door.
A female student from next door who was escaping passed by Han Xiaojiao's dormitory and happened to see the pendant that had fallen on the ground. The style was particularly pretty, so she picked it up and took it away.
This female student was the female lead of this world—Song Tiantian.
The jade pendant came with a space inside that had a spiritual spring and could grow plants. Once, Song Tiantian was accidentally injured and blood dripped onto the jade pendant, binding it to her. From then on, Song Tiantian had a cheat ability.
Half a month later, humans in the apocalypse began awakening abilities. Song Tiantian waited several days but still didn't feel like she was awakening an ability.
At this time, the darkness in human hearts slowly began to emerge. In this chaotic era, an era without rules, beings who hadn't awakened abilities—whether women or men—could only be at others' mercy.
But relatively speaking, women had it worse.
Countless women, because of their weakness, had no choice but to select a powerful man as their support, becoming playthings in these men's hands.
But Song Tiantian was unwilling. She joined a small team and claimed she had a space ability. Because she consumed the spiritual spring and food from the space and never lacked water, she was completely different from apocalypse women—particularly attracting attention.
Especially from the three most capable men in this team: Fang Cheng, Gu Dongling, and Lei Zhe.
These three men all liked Song Tiantian at the same time. She thought that revealing her space would earn her respect. In reality, she was just prey in these men's eyes.
Besides the spiritual spring, growing plants, and storing items, the space didn't have any cultivation techniques. She remained very weak. Facing even more terrible men outside, after a series of events, she had no choice but to become these men's woman.
They did dote on her, love her, hold her in their palms and cherish her. But they just didn't respect her.
Among these men who loved her, she couldn't get any respect at all.
As long as they wanted, she had no room to object. She could only be carried into the car by them.
She expressed her opinion, but they only thought she was flirting with them, not truly angry.
Sometimes when they saw she was really angry, they would coax her. Her compromise was laughable—not because she loved them so much, but because she wanted to live. The more dangerous and terrifying the environment, the stronger the desire to survive.
She had liked them—in the beginning. At first, she liked Fang Cheng. This man was calm and composed, restrained, often took care of her. Following him gave her a sense of security.
The other one who protected her like a big brother was Lei Zhe. She had always only seen him as a brother.
The one with a more violent temper and strong possessiveness was Gu Dongling.
It was Gu Dongling's beginning that caused her to be entangled with these men. One night, because she was too good to Fang Cheng, Gu Dongling took advantage of Fang Cheng going out and forcibly had relations with her. Afterward, he begged her to forgive him, saying he just liked her too much. He even said if she didn't forgive him, he would stab himself with a knife. Gu Dongling was indeed very ruthless—he really stabbed himself twice. She had no choice but to forgive him.
When Fang Cheng returned and learned of this, he fought with Gu Dongling. She had to break up the fight and inadvertently said, "Stop fighting, Dongling is still injured..." Actually, what she wanted to express was: what if they encountered zombies? This small team was supported by just these few men.
But Fang Cheng misunderstood. His expression at that time was particularly frightening. He pulled her into the car and very angrily was together with her. Because she loved this man, if this method could make him calm down a bit, she'd let him.
Because at that time, she really liked this man very much. Perhaps the person you fall in love with first is more humble.
Just like that, she simultaneously had two men, and later Lei Zhe joined.
Even later, there was one more—Pei Wenqing, and a Zombie King attracted to her, Yin Ke.