Your Eyes Are Too Loud

Xie Li followed Jin Zhaoye's gaze downward and quietly whistled in her heart.

The heroine truly lived up to her name—those abs were razor-sharp, no wonder her waist was so slim, and so satisfying to hold.

She quietly tucked both her paws behind her back.

It wasn't her fault, right? Blame these disobedient hands of hers. Kissing was one thing, but why had they gone and undressed the other woman?

Jin Zhaoye buttoned up her shirt with unhurried precision, then lifted her eyes to glance at Xie Li.

Xie Li felt awkward under that look. At a time like this, she probably ought to say something.

She tugged at the corner of her mouth and forced out a shy smile. '...I'll take responsibility.'

Jin Zhaoye didn't pick up that baffling remark.

She carefully smoothed out the wrinkled shirt, pulled the loosened vest back into place, fastened the clasp to its original position, cinching out that slender waistline.

Once that was done, she surveyed the messy storage room, bent down to pick up the backpack at her feet, grabbed the blood-splattered Baseball Bat, and turned to face the door that was on the verge of collapse.

'Necessity overrides convention. Don't dwell on it.' Her voice had returned to its earlier composure, stripped of every trace of warmth.

Xie Li watched the woman with her back turned, touched her own heart that was still pounding wildly, and thought she could still hear that soft hum from the Omega.

How was it that in the blink of an eye, the woman before her had reverted to that cold-faced heroine? Everything that had just happened felt like a dream.

Xie Li wanted to say something but didn't know what. So far, the woman hadn't even told her her name—her reluctance to get involved was already obvious enough.

'Pick up your pack. We should go.' Jin Zhaoye reminded her in a low voice.

Xie Li grabbed the bag and slung it over her shoulder, walked to the cardboard boxes, and took an extra Baseball Bat, sliding it diagonally into her backpack.

Lan Ran was in the dorm and probably couldn't find a weapon that suited her—this one could be saved for her.

Jin Zhaoye placed one hand on the door, tilted her head to listen to the sounds outside, and said quietly, 'Get ready. I'm opening the door.'

'Wait.' Xie Li quickly called out to her. 'Give me another minute. My legs are still a little... weak.'

Jin Zhaoye turned her head to look at the Alpha behind her.

Admitting to wobbly legs sounded a bit too pathetic. Xie Li couldn't bring herself to meet her eyes and dropped her gaze to her own toes.

She could feel Jin Zhaoye's gaze on the top of her head, scorching. She deliberately pretended to be busy, turned around, pulled a bottle of Mineral Water from a box, twisted off the cap, and poured it into her mouth.

The cold liquid flooded her stomach, dousing the last lingering embers in her heart.

Jin Zhaoye didn't rush her. She stood to the side, silently watching Xie Li drink.

Sixty seconds—just enough time for Xie Li to finish a bottle. She tossed the empty bottle aside and looked up. 'I'm ready.'

Jin Zhaoye nodded and began moving the drink crates blocking the crack in the door.

Without the weight holding it back, the Zombies outside immediately grew restless. A ghastly pale head poked through the crack, mouth open in a snarl, its black-bloodied tongue nearly licking Jin Zhaoye's face.

Jin Zhaoye stepped back to the side, swung her bat, and brought it down on that grotesque head.

One strike. Brains splattered across the floor, red and white fluids spraying onto the door and dripping down along the wood grain.

The Zombie's head caved in, wedged in the crack and no longer moving. With it blocking the way, the frenzied Zombie Herd behind it couldn't squeeze through for the moment.

'Stay close to me.' Jin Zhaoye instructed.

'Got it.' Xie Li answered quickly, gripping her bat tight.

Jin Zhaoye raised her foot and kicked with all her strength at the door that was about to give way.

'BANG!'

A tremendous crash—the door panel along with its frame came loose and fell outward, slamming down on the cluster of Zombies piled at the entrance.

'Run!' Jin Zhaoye shouted and charged out, stepping on the fallen door.

Her figure wove through the Zombie Herd, bat swinging—every strike dropped a Zombie on the spot.

Xie Li followed right behind her, helping to fend off the Zombies lunging from the sides.

She couldn't manage a one-strike headshot like Jin Zhaoye, but she'd learned to aim for the knees. As long as she broke a Zombie's knee joint, it would lose its balance and topple over, buying them more time to escape.

The two worked in seamless coordination, as if they'd been fighting side by side for years.

From the storage room door to the supermarket's back exit—over a hundred meters—the ground was littered with more than twenty Zombie corpses.

Some had their heads split open, others had shattered knees and could only crawl on the ground, their twisted forms chasing after them. Through this entire breakout, not a single Zombie had managed to touch either of them.

The exit appeared before them quickly. Sunlight streamed through the open iron door, casting a golden band of light on the ground.

Jin Zhaoye swept aside the Zombies wandering near the entrance with one swing of her bat, rushed to the door, then stopped short and looked back.

Two steps behind her, Xie Li was stumbling toward her, a few strands of hair that had been tied back now hanging loose against her cheeks, her breathing ragged, running in a sorry state.

Jin Zhaoye reached out a hand toward her. Sunlight fell into her palm, and her whole person seemed to glow.

Xie Li looked at that hand bathed in sunlight and reached out to take it.

Fingertips touched. Two hands clasped tight.

Jin Zhaoye pulled Xie Li through that door, evading the Zombies in pursuit.

Xie Li squinted against the blinding sunlight, raised a hand to shield her eyes. The light filtered through the gaps between her fingers, landing on her eyelashes, on the bloodstains on her collar, warm and gentle.

It was a strange feeling. From being trapped to escaping, it had only been a few short hours, yet Xie Li felt as if a lifetime had passed.

She turned her head to glance at the woman beside her.

Jin Zhaoye was holding her hand tightly, her profile sharply defined, even the thin sheen of sweat on her cheek looked beautiful, like sparkling diamonds.

'Where are we going now?' Xie Li asked, swinging her bat to knock away a Zombie trying to ambush them.

The Baseball Bat slammed into the Zombie's shoulder, sending it staggering, but not down.

Jin Zhaoye turned and delivered a follow-up strike.

'To find you somewhere safe.' Her voice was steady—unlike Xie Li, who was panting like a broken bellows.

The two of them bursting out of the supermarket in broad daylight drew Zombies from all directions, closing in around them.

Several hours had passed since the outbreak began. At this point, anyone still wandering outside was a Zombie—not a single living soul could be seen.

The campus was filled with nothing but the howling of Zombies, severed limbs scattered everywhere, and blood pooling on the ground.

Xie Li swung her Baseball Bat and sent a Zombie trying to sneak up on them flying. With a sharp crack, the Zombie lost its balance and crashed down, conveniently tripping the two chasing behind it.

The three Zombies rolled into a tangled heap, crawling toward them on all fours like some conjoined creature.

With the immediate danger temporarily resolved, Xie Li found a moment to ask, 'Why are you finding a safe place for me? Where are you going?'

'I'm going back to the Auditorium.'

'The Auditorium...'

Xie Li remembered the lecture Lan Ran had mentioned. 'Isn't there an event at the Auditorium today? There should be tons of Zombies there.'

Jin Zhaoye said nothing more. She pulled Xie Li around a corner and through the back door of a teaching building.

Once inside, Xie Li turned and kicked away a Zombie trailing at their heels. Jin Zhaoye moved with practiced efficiency to lock the door, blocking the Zombie Herd in pursuit behind them.

The lights in the hallway had gone out for some unknown reason. Without illumination, it was dim, and the howling from upstairs could be faintly heard.

Jin Zhaoye raised her index finger to her lips, signaling Xie Li to be quiet, and pulled her along, hugging the wall as they moved inward.

Their footsteps were kept very light, carefully probing their way forward.

Xie Li held her breath, eyes alert on what lay ahead. Around the corner, a few Zombies had their backs to them, crouching together for some kind of feast.

Jin Zhaoye's gaze swept over them. Without disturbing those Zombies, she pulled Xie Li around through another corridor.

Taking out a few Zombies wasn't hard, but if they alarmed the ones inside the building, they'd be surrounded by Zombies again. Even Jin Zhaoye didn't have that much stamina to waste on these things.

After many twists and turns, they finally found an unlocked office. The two slipped inside, and Jin Zhaoye gently pulled the door shut and locked it.

Xie Li slid down the wall, collapsing onto the floor, gasping for breath.

Sweat dripped from her chin one drop at a time, landing on her bloodstained collar. Her hair clung wetly to her forehead, and the back of her clothes was soaked through. She looked as bedraggled as someone just fished out of water.

Jin Zhaoye checked the entire office—behind the curtains, inside the cabinets, under the desk—every spot, one by one. Only after confirming there were no hidden dangers did she return to Xie Li's side.

She looked down at the bedraggled little Alpha on the floor and said, 'This place is safe. You can rest here.'

Xie Li waved a hand at her, too exhausted to speak.

The fighting all the way out of the supermarket had drained her stamina enormously, not to mention she was still carrying a massive backpack stuffed with food and water—it was like cross-country hiking with a heavy load.

Now both her legs were shaking, her calves cramping in waves.

Jin Zhaoye crouched down, unclipped the backpack, took out a bottle of water, twisted off the cap, and held it out to Xie Li.

'Dink some water.'

Xie Li took the Mineral Water, brought it to her lips, and sipped in small mouthfuls. After intense exertion, she didn't dare drink too much.

After sitting on the floor and resting for a while, her breathing finally steadied.

Xie Li looked at her hands, stained with Zombie blood, and tried to wipe the sweat off her face by rubbing it against her shoulder, but the sting made her hiss and suck in a breath.

The small cuts on her cheek, irritated by sweat and the rough fabric, burned fiercely.

Jin Zhaoye reached out and steadied her head. 'Don't rub that. Your clothes have bacteria on them. Those wounds need to be treated. It's hot out—if you don't, they'll get inflamed and fester, and then you'll be left with scars.'

'Just being alive right now is good enough. Who's got time to worry about their face?' Xie Li gave a wry smile and tilted her head back, trying to keep the sweat from running down her cheeks.

Jin Zhaoye stood up and began searching the office, pulling open drawers and cabinets one by one, leaving no corner unchecked.

Xie Li caught a glimpse of her figure moving around the room out of the corner of her eye and asked, puzzled, 'What are you looking for?'

'A medical kit. Found it.' Jin Zhaoye said, pulling a white plastic case from the bottom cabinet of the filing cabinet.

She carried the medical kit to the desk, walked to the door, and extended her hand toward Xie Li. 'Get up. Sit in the chair.'

Xie Li took her hand and used it to pull herself up, then shuffled on wobbly legs to the office chair and sat down.

Jin Zhaoye opened the medical kit. Inside, various medicines and medical supplies were neatly arranged—Iodine Tincture, cotton swabs, bandages, adhesive plasters, and a small bottle of saline solution.

'Tilt your head back.'

Xie Li obediently straightened up and tilted her head back.

Jin Zhaoye took out the saline, unscrewed the cap, poured some onto her own hands to clean them, then began flushing Xie Li's wounds.

The cold liquid landed on her face, and Xie Li couldn't help but flinch.

'Hold still.' Jin Zhaoye held Xie Li's chin with one hand, steadying her head, while her other hand kept working.

She reiterated, 'If the wounds aren't cleaned properly, they'll get inflamed, fester, and leave scars.'

Xie Li didn't dare move. She blinked her eyes, her peripheral vision fixed on the other's face.

The woman's cool fingers moved across her face, and wherever they touched, her skin inexplicably began to burn.

They were sitting too close. Xie Li could see her eyelashes—long, slightly curled—and could smell the scent emanating from her body.

Jin Zhaoye suddenly said, 'Close your eyes.'

'Why?'

'Your eyes are being noisy. They're distracting me.'