PSW – Chapter 11

She didn’t like this feeling. It was like hating herself for always holding out hope for people who didn’t deserve it, for always yearning for emotions and responses she shouldn’t expect. When it came to relationships… family? Friendship? Deep down, she was insecure and weak. She hated that part of herself, so she had always tried her best to appear decisive and resilient, wanting to become cold and strong.

Five men… But she had a special ability. A burst of fireballs would make them hesitate for a moment. In that instant, she was confident she could turn the car around and leave, or just force her way through their blockade. Forcing her way through would cause some damage to the vehicle, but that didn’t matter; she still had her motorcycle.

Yu Yinan studied the men’s positions. They also seemed a little surprised that Zheng Yi and the man hadn’t returned yet, occasionally whispering to each other, their attention not entirely on her. Did they think that with her companion taken away, she wouldn’t try to escape?

There was a chance.

But, sitting in the driver’s seat, Yu Yinan gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. Finally, just before the wheel might have broken, she let out a sigh of defeat.

…I’ll wait a little longer.

They had only known each other for a few days! There was no deep bond between them to speak of.

…But when she had been unconscious with a high fever, it was Zheng Yi who had taken care of her all night.

Their personalities weren’t compatible at all. If Zheng Yi kept acting like this, she would get them both killed sooner or later.

…But the young girl had taken special care of her the entire way. Food, water… she even volunteered to scavenge for supplies, never letting Yu Yinan take any risks. Perhaps this time was the same. The situation was different, but Zheng Yi still chose to face the leader here alone.

Yu Yinan heaved a deep, deep sigh, leaned back against the driver’s seat, and closed her eyes.

She owed Zheng Yi.

No matter what, if Zheng Yi was captured, she couldn’t leave now. Only by sneaking in could she find a way to rescue her.

She couldn’t… she couldn’t just abandon the little girl who had been so good to her, who called her “Jiejie” so sweetly every day, who acted cute with her, who trusted her so completely.

While Zheng Yi was having her “friendly exchange” with the leader, Yu Yinan imagined all sorts of possibilities. She looked at the fire axe beside her, tried to summon a flame to her fingertips, and then shifted her gaze to the men standing guard outside, mapping out several rescue and escape routes in her mind.

Does killing a zombie count as murder? A person is already dead when they become a zombie; they’re not human anymore. So it probably doesn’t count.

Then what about killing bad people, evil people? If you don’t kill them, they’ll kill you. Here, there is no law, no morality, only the law of the jungle. Survival has become the most important resource, and as a woman, she faced an additional danger when encountering malevolent men who had other needs.

Yu Yinan had even mentally prepared herself: the feeling of killing in self-defense should be no different from killing a zombie. It’s fine. A day like this would come eventually.

Just as she could no longer hold back, Zheng Yi returned, completely unharmed.

Following behind her were the deferential leader and the tall, thin man, who looked terrified and bewildered, clearly not knowing what had happened.

“Jiejie~” Zheng Yi trotted over, her voice sweet and soft. She reassured her, “It’s okay, I’ve worked everything out with them. They’re not unreasonable people.”

“From now on, they’re going to try their best to do more good deeds.” Zheng Yi opened the car door and took Yu Yinan’s hand. “Come on, let’s have some hot pot and rest for the night before we continue our journey. They’re going to help us fill up the gas tank, and they’ll wash and repair the car, too. They won’t touch your motorcycle, either.”

What… was going on?

The cold sweat in Yu Yinan’s palms hadn’t even dried yet. She stared blankly at Zheng Yi, who didn’t rush her. Instead, Zheng Yi raised a hand and carefully wiped the sweat from her palm, taking the fire axe from her grasp.

Somewhat dazed, Yu Yinan let Zheng Yi lead her out of the car and toward the residential area they had cordoned off. On the way, the men were already bustling about, preparing the ingredients for hot pot. The spicy aroma of the soup base, brought to a boil, was sinfully tempting.

Yu Yinan even heard someone complain to the leader, saying they worked so hard every day and never got to eat anything hot, so why should they prepare all this for two outsiders? Even if they were ability users, they were still just women, not worth the trouble.

Of course, the leader’s response was an unceremonious slap with his right hand. As if that wasn’t enough, after knocking the man to the ground, he charged up and delivered an electric shock.

The tall, thin man who had led Zheng Yi inside earlier didn’t dare utter a single word. He had seen the leader’s miserable, weakened state. The office was still a mess of blood on the desk and floor, not yet cleaned up. Not to mention that terrifying explosion—if the building hadn’t still been standing, he would have believed it was a demolition blast.

Worse, he was the one who had brought Zheng Yi to the leader. What could he possibly say? The cigarette in his pocket now felt like it was burning a hole through to his heart.

“You don’t have any vegetables here?”

“W-we really don’t. But they’ve soaked some kelp sprouts. That should count as a vegetable, right? Look, these spicy meat slices are all unopened. We’ve defrosted them for you, so you can just put them right in. We also have sesame oil and chili powder.” The leader was practically trembling with fear, showing Zheng Yi a level of enthusiasm and respect that was twelve parts over the top.

As for the other underlings, no matter how dissatisfied or confused they were, after seeing what happened to the last guy who spoke up, they had to swallow their complaints.

“What did you two talk about? Why is he… why is he like this?” Yu Yinan couldn’t even find the right word to describe it.

“The more desperate the world becomes, the more we humans should unite,” Zheng Yi said with a serious expression, looking Yu Yinan sincerely in the eyes. “Kindness is a wonderful quality, and we shouldn’t abandon it. The relationships between people shouldn’t be like isolated islands. If everyone gives a little love, the world will become a better tomorrow!”

Yu Yinan: “?”

“Jiejie, I know my way of thinking is foolish. Maybe it’s what others would call being a ‘Saint,’ but…” Zheng Yi said softly, “if upholding one’s principles is being a Saint, if maintaining one’s kindness is being a Saint, then I am a Saint.”

“If the light of a Saint could shine upon the entire world, then this world would surely never have an apocalypse.”

[You’re already calling yourself a Saint? Isn’t that a bit abrupt!]

“…” Yu Yinan was rendered speechless.

She looked at the arranged dishes and the steaming red-oil hot pot before her, absolutely certain of one thing: Zheng Yi was spouting utter nonsense with a straight face.

Even if she truly believed that, how could that philosophy possibly convince the leader?

“He was convinced by you? Just because of that?”

“Hee hee, Jiejie, he couldn’t beat me~” Zheng Yi playfully made a heart shape with her hands at Yu Yinan. “I admit I used a little trick, but it was an easy win, wasn’t it~”

Zheng Yi began quickly adding slices of meat to the hot pot, followed by the other side dishes. The leader had clearly hoarded a lot of food in this area he controlled. Although there were no fresh vegetables, the spread on the table could only be described as “luxurious” and “extravagant” in the apocalypse.

“Eat some meat, Jiejie~ Don’t think about it so much~”

Yu Yinan sized up the leader again, his bandaged left hand particularly conspicuous. She silently mulled over the words “couldn’t beat me” and “a little trick,” only to realize she didn’t seem to know Zheng Yi at all.

A Saint? A Saint… a Saint? That word was supposed to be…

When Zheng Yi twisted open a bottle of cola and placed it by her hand, Yu Yinan finally moved. She picked up the cola and took a sip, the carbonation she hadn’t tasted in so long stinging her nose.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be asking you these things at a time like this.”

“It’s okay. Anyone would be curious, after all~”

“I thought about abandoning you and running away,” Yu Yinan said. “I also thought about how to save you. I… even though it’s the apocalypse, I’ve never killed anyone before…” At that moment, Yu Yinan’s heart was a mess of complicated feelings. She couldn’t quite describe what she was feeling. She lowered her head, took another sip of cola, and mumbled another apology.

[I didn’t expect your exaggerated lines and acting could elicit such a sincere response.] Zero One suddenly spoke up. [She’s too honest.]

‘A girl who was abandoned by her family and hasn’t heard from them in so long, yet still decides to risk coming back to check on them after facing danger, despite her hesitation… isn’t this just how they are?’ Zheng Yi replied lazily in her mind. ‘She’s easy to fool.’

‘Even if she suspects I have secrets, suspects my strength is far greater than it seems, she won’t press for details. Zero One, you don’t quite understand the definition of a Saint, especially in the apocalypse.’

‘Everyone’s definition of a Saint is different, even if the word has an original meaning. But when people attach their own emotions to it, ‘Saint’ becomes something else entirely.’

When everyone else has become selfish and cold, and you still possess the same normal empathy and compassion as before, in their eyes, you are a Saint.

[You can save that speech for the judgment system.] Zero One really didn’t understand the judgment mechanics right now.

‘Being a Saint? I’m a professional.’

At that moment, the professional Saint, Zheng Yi, put on a deeply moved expression. She stood up and, without a hint of hesitation, gave Yu Yinan a big hug. Yu Yinan was clearly not used to such intimacy, her body stiffening for a moment. But Zheng Yi acted as if she hadn’t noticed, gently patting her on the back like a mother comforting a child. “It’s okay~ You have nothing to be sorry for. We’ve only known each other for a short time, right? It’s normal that you don’t trust me that much.”

“Besides, even so, Jiejie didn’t run away. You didn’t leave me all alone. Surrounded by so many men in the car, Jiejie must have been really scared, too. If anyone should be sorry, it’s me. I was too slow and took too long.”

“Will Jiejie forgive me?”

“Not at all. I’m the one who couldn’t help with anything…” Yu Yinan grew even more emotional. In that embrace, her stiff body gradually relaxed, and she even felt a little warmth from it.

“No, Jiejie was here the whole time, watching the car and my bag. If it weren’t for Jiejie, I wouldn’t have dared to go alone.” Zheng Yi released Yu Yinan and picked up a slotted spoon, scooping up a full ladle of food from the pot. “Alright, hurry up and eat~ It’s rude to think about other things when there’s delicious food in front of you.”