Still need the mark?

[14]14: Does she still need to be marked?

'Ahhh!!!'

Sharp pain shot up from her arm, and Xie Li cried out, cold sweat instantly breaking across her face.

She gritted her teeth, using her other hand to grip the zombie's neck, desperately pulling it to one side.

That zombie was just as frenzied, biting down on Xie Li's arm and refusing to let go.

Jin Zhaoye, lying on the ground, stared blankly at the human and zombie tangled together, her gaze falling on Xie Li's bitten arm.

The zombie's teeth, slick with black blood, had pierced through the magazine wrapped around Xie Li's wrist, sinking deep into her flesh.

She felt as though all her strength had been drained, and for a moment couldn't push herself up from the floor.

'Xie Li...' Jin Zhaoye's voice had lost its earlier composure, trembling slightly. She hadn't expected Xie Li would come to save her like this.

Xie Li had no time to respond. She gripped the zombie's neck with all her might, trying desperately to wrench its head off.

She wanted to do it like in the movies—snap its neck.

But the zombie was struggling too, its gaping mouth buried deep in her arm. Xie Li felt like her arm was about to be bitten clean off, but even so, she didn't let go.

Human and zombie locked in a stalemate, one second, two seconds... finally, with a sharp crack.

The zombie's spine snapped under Xie Li's grip. It convulsed violently, then went completely limp, collapsing on the ground and no longer moving.

Xie Li gasped for breath, lying flat on her back, chest heaving violently, her face covered in sweat, her arm still caught in the zombie's mouth, just left there—she didn't even have the strength to pull it out.

Jin Zhaoye pushed herself up from the ground, scrambling on hands and knees to Xie Li's side, her trembling hands trying to pry open the zombie's jaw.

The zombie's jaw was terribly stiff. It took her several tries before she managed to pry the mouth open just a crack.

She carefully pulled Xie Li's arm out of the zombie's mouth.

The magazine wrapped around her wrist had been completely shredded. Through the torn holes, everything was black and red—whether it was the zombie's blood or Xie Li's, she couldn't tell.

Xie Li looked up at her, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she forced a smile. 'I'm fine... I won't die.'

Jin Zhaoye stared silently at the wound. After a long moment, she began frantically unwrapping the tape on Xie Li's arm, her hands shaking, her movements clumsy—nothing like her earlier composure.

'I'm really fine...' Xie Li tried to explain.

'Don't talk.'

Jin Zhaoye cut her off softly.

The tightly wound tape was peeled away layer by layer, revealing the magazine beneath, already torn to shreds.

The magazine cover bore a large bite mark. Jin Zhaoye moved the magazine aside and saw that the work uniform underneath had also been bitten through.

The edges of the tear were jagged, revealing a patch of bruised, purplish skin beneath. Her heart clenched again.

Her hand hovered in midair, too afraid to lift the fabric and check the wound underneath.

'I'm really okay.' Xie Li reached over herself and pulled up the sleeve of her work uniform.

Jin Zhaoye's gaze fell on Xie Li's wrist. It was an angry purple, with several tooth marks pressed deep into it. Fortunately, the skin hadn't broken, and there was no blood. The weight in her chest finally eased.

Xie Li breathed a sigh of relief too. When she'd shoved her hand into the zombie's mouth, she hadn't had time to think. When the zombie bit down, all she'd felt was pain—she couldn't tell at all whether her skin had been broken.

Only now did the fear catch up with her. If she'd really kicked the bucket on the first day of the Apocalypse, she'd definitely be the fastest-dying protagonist in history.

Looking at Jin Zhaoye's tense expression, Xie Li couldn't help but smile again. 'I told you I'm fine. It just hurts a bit from the bite.'

Jin Zhaoye looked up, studying that messy face. Her arm had almost been bitten off by a zombie, and here she was, grinning like an idiot.

She stared at the bite marks on Xie Li's hand and reached out to poke them lightly.

'Hiss~!' Xie Li yanked her hand back, her whole face scrunching up as she cried out in pain, 'Ow ow ow!'

'Didn't you say you were fine?'

'Just a little pain.' Xie Li clutched her arm, looking at her with a pitiful expression. 'You're poking my wound—of course it hurts.'

Jin Zhaoye lowered her gaze to that scrunched-up face, the corners of her lips curving up just slightly.

She reached out a hand to Xie Li: 'Let's go. We need to get out of here first.'

Xie Li took her hand and used it to pull herself up, but failed to rise—instead, she pulled Jin Zhaoye off balance.

Jin Zhaoye came crashing straight toward her.

'Hey!?' Xie Li cried out in surprise, catching her, and the two of them fell hard to the ground together.

The back of her head hit the floor again with a dull thud. Xie Li was so dazed her vision went black, and it took her a long moment to recover.

'Ow...'

Xie Li clutched the back of her head, her features contorted in pain. 'Dr. Jin, are you trying to make sure I die faster?'

This disaster-prone back of her head—today alone, it had been knocked around several times already.

Jin Zhaoye didn't respond to Xie Li's words. She lay in Xie Li's arms, motionless.

Xie Li pushed at her shoulder, her voice puzzled: 'Dr. Jin, what's wrong? Is your fever this high?'

Jin Zhaoye nestled in her arms as if she'd completely lost consciousness. Her scalding breath fell against Xie Li's neck, the heat startling.

Xie Li's heart tightened. She reached up to touch Jin Zhaoye's face—it was burning like a high fever.

That face in her arms had flushed an unnatural red again. Xie Li cursed inwardly. Not again.

She gazed up at the ceiling and let out a helpless sigh. Why did this godforsaken world have to have this kind of setting—making people run fevers at the drop of a hat, and triggering such dangerous mutations on top of that. How was anyone supposed to survive?

But there was no use complaining now. Xie Li helped Jin Zhaoye sit up, her gaze sweeping around the rest room—chaos everywhere, limbs and debris scattered across the floor.

She found a relatively clean sofa in the corner, and with great effort, lifted Jin Zhaoye and settled her onto it.

Jin Zhaoye lay in a daze on the sofa, her brow furrowed, her breathing rapid, her hand unconsciously tugging at her collar as if she were hot.

The buttons of her shirt had been pulled open two, revealing flushed skin beneath, and the faint suggestion of black lace patterns.

'Dr. Jin, wait a moment, don't take your clothes off yet, just give me a second.' Xie Li instructed, then rushed into the bathroom, turned on the faucet to wash her hands, grabbed a wad of toilet paper, dampened it, and hurried back to Jin Zhaoye's side.

The wet tissue pressed against her cheek, and Jin Zhaoye trembled slightly. The coolness did a good job of suppressing the heat inside her. Her lashes fluttered as she opened her eyes, misty and unfocused, gazing at Xie Li.

'Dr. Jin, does this help?' Xie Li leaned in to ask.

Jin Zhaoye's eyes were half-lidded. She bit her lower lip and shook her head slightly.

Xie Li had guessed it probably wouldn't. The rest room was already saturated with the scent of white tea and cedar, so thick it could almost be cut with a knife.

The gland at the back of her own neck had begun to burn and pulse, and the scent of lime and mint was leaking out uncontrollably, mingling with the white tea and cedar, tangling with the other's pheromones.

Xie Li swallowed against her dry throat and asked, her voice hoarse: 'Do you still need to be marked?'

Jin Zhaoye nodded.

Xie Li looked at her, then down at herself.

They were both covered in dust and blood. Looking like this, there was no way they could kiss.

Xie Li cleared her throat and ventured: 'How about you hold on a little longer, and we crawl up through the duct to find an empty rest room and clean up first?'

'Okay.' Jin Zhaoye answered softly.

Xie Li helped her to her feet, and they stumbled to the base of the ventilation shaft. She looked up at the dark opening and said, 'I'll boost you up first.'

'You go first.' Jin Zhaoye spoke up.

'Do you still have the strength?' Xie Li asked, worried.

Jin Zhaoye looked at her steadily and urged, 'I'll send you up first, then you pull me. Hurry, while I still have a little strength left.'

'Okay.' Xie Li didn't delay any longer. She stepped on Jin Zhaoye's arms and climbed up, and once inside the duct, she immediately turned around and reached her hand down.

Jin Zhaoye looked up from below. She took two running steps and leaped.

Xie Li grabbed her hand and pulled hard. Jin Zhaoye's other hand caught the edge of the duct, and together they managed to get inside.

In the narrow duct, the two of them were pressed together, bodies flush, breaths mingling.

The scent of white tea and cedar grew even stronger. Xie Li, affected by her pheromones, felt her own body begin to heat up. She looked down at the woman in her arms.

The Omega leaned against her shoulder, her red lips slightly parted, every breath she exhaled heavy with sweet fragrance, pulling at Xie Li's sanity until there was nothing left.

She leaned down, slowly drawing closer.