The roar of a motorcycle engine echoed on the highway.
The spinning tires of the motorcycle, so fast that the hubs were barely visible, sent sprays of water flying to either side of the road.
Ning Yu wore a helmet, feeling the cold, wet chill seeping through her body, and inwardly cursed her bad luck.
It never rained when she stayed indoors, but as soon as she stepped out, the rain was sure to come. How was it that even after being reborn, she still had to deal with this?
Her skirt, soaked by the rain, was starting to feel a bit dirty.
Normally, Ning Yu wouldn't have cared about such things, but today, everything seemed to go wrong, making her irritable.
A few oblivious zombies ahead seemed intent on blocking her path. Ning Yu reached into her spatial storage and pulled out a pistol, dispatching each of them with a bullet through the forehead.
As they fell, their black blood was washed away by the rain, staining the ground.
Ning Yu rode her motorcycle over them, splashing the diluted black water onto a nearby billboard.
She wanted to find a place to rest, start a fire to dry herself, but felt it would be a waste of time. So, she continued on, hesitating.
...
Shen Yiyue slowly sat up in bed, feeling a bit dizzy.
She turned her head to look out the window. The sky was overcast, and the cool autumn breeze carried the dampness of the rain.
She felt a bit cold and was about to burrow back under the blanket when something suddenly caught her attention.
On the nightstand was a folded piece of paper, with a pen resting on top.
She blinked, her eyes widening, then forced a sad smile:
"Ning Yu... you big liar."
The thought of going back to sleep was gone. She glanced at the time—it was already past 10 a.m.
She got up, dressed, tied her black hair loosely, and stood.
She tucked the note Ning Yu had left her into her pocket and pulled out a gray-covered diary from under her pillow, beginning to write.
"Knock knock knock."
There was a knock at her door.
Shen Qianqian pushed the door open and peered in cautiously, seeing her sister writing at the desk.
"Sis... have you had breakfast yet?"
She had woken up this morning to an empty living room, which felt different from usual.
So she had eaten some bread for breakfast, but seeing her sister hadn't gotten up, she came to ask.
"I'll be right there."
Shen Yiyue had finished writing, stopped her work, and walked over with Shen Qianqian.
The two returned to the dining table, though Shen Qianqian had already eaten, so only Shen Yiyue had breakfast.
She fetched a box of mango milk from the corner and glanced at the remaining strawberry milk boxes.
Shen Qianqian sat beside her, watching Shen Yiyue eat slowly, neither speaking.
"Sis..."
Shen Qianqian finally couldn't hold it in and asked softly.
"Hmm? What's up?"
Shen Yiyue turned her head, her milk box already empty, the straw making a slurping sound as it sucked the last drop, the box collapsing.
"Did... did you and Ning Yu sister have a fight?"
She looked up at her sister, her watery eyes wide, unlike her usual playful self. She didn't joke around today, just asked seriously.
She glanced at Ning Yu's room.
The door was wide open, the room meticulously tidied, the bed made.
It was so clean it looked as if no one had lived there.
"If... if you two had a fight... should I go talk to her and make up... okay?"
She looked at Shen Yiyue with hope, but her sister remained silent, nibbling on her bread.
Shen Yiyue could see that her sister really liked Ning Yu and enjoyed the days the three of them spent together.
So with Ning Yu suddenly gone, it must have made her sister feel uneasy.
She thought there must have been some irreconcilable conflict between them.
Shen Yiyue suddenly reached out and patted her sister's head, seeing her looking like a worried little adult, and smiled:
"You're overthinking it. Ning Yu has some things to take care of, so she'll be gone for a few days. She'll be back soon."
"Really?!"
Shen Qianqian glanced at the strawberry milk in the corner. She hadn't touched Ning Yu's remaining boxes, having just had water with her bread for breakfast.
But she still felt unsure.
"Isn't Ning Yu sister... running away from home?"
In Shen Qianqian's vocabulary, this situation could only be described as "running away from home."
"Pfft."
Shen Yiyue suddenly laughed, finding her usually mischievous sister especially cute today.
"Don't worry. If Ning Yu dares not to come back, sis will go catch her!"
Shen Yiyue made claw hands, pretending to be fierce.
"And make her cook for a week! Uh... plus do the dishes!"
"Wow... sis, you're such a demon..."
Shen Qianqian played along, making an exaggerated face.
...
"Damn it."
Ning Yu pulled her motorcycle to the side of the road, knowing she had no choice but to stop.
The motorcycle's quality was truly subpar. As the rain grew heavier, its speed slowed until it finally stalled.
But City A's Wetland Park was very close now, so Ning Yu decided to walk the rest of the way.
The number of zombies around had clearly increased, but their vision and hearing were severely affected by the heavy rain, so only a few noticed Ning Yu.
To Ning Yu, they were just easier-to-kill points.
She made her way toward the Wetland Park, cutting down wandering zombies as she went. Her body was still full of energy, but she felt a mental weariness.
She remembered the times when Shen Yiyue took care of killing zombies while she lazed behind, earning points, and the two of them chatting and laughing.
Now, her drenched skirt clung uncomfortably to her, and with the increased zombie density, she couldn't avoid getting some bloodstains.
When she got back, she'd definitely make Shen Yiyue pick out a few more outfits for her—this one was probably ruined...
Soon, Ning Yu reached the entrance of the Wetland Park.
The park gates were tightly closed, as if someone had deliberately locked them, and she saw the remains of zombies inside.
Without hesitation, she vaulted over the closed gates.
As soon as she landed, Ning Yu heard some movement among the park's trees, barely audible over the rain.
But Ning Yu's sharp hearing caught every sound.
She smiled for the first time in a while, hoping for a few mutant zombies to relieve her boredom.
After all, today, her mood was really terrible!