There was no response from the other side but Jiayi could hear Yan Xing’s breath hitch.

“A-Xing. It’s me, Zhao Jiayi.”

That definitely got a response from Yan Xing.

“Leave! Please Leave!” Yan Xing exclaimed. Jiayi was a bit surprised by how emotional Yan Xing’s tone was. He didn’t expect him to be so affected by becoming a Zombie now that he was aware of it.

‘Was he like this when he turned back then?’ Yan Xing wondered.

“Have you been bitten?” Jiayi asked, placing his hand on the door handle.

“N-No but still I’m already---!?”

“Then what is there to worry about, Jiayi asked as if he didn’t know there were other ways to get infected. He turned the door handle, fully knowing it was locked. He broke the lock by force and opened the door. He saw Yan Xing trembling in the corner. He was only wearing black sweatpants and a very thin T-shirt. He looked absolutely appalled by the fact that Jiayi just waltzed in.

He was super pale and looked even worse than before the apocalypse started. He definitely hadn’t eaten anything, or rather anyone.

“No No NO stay away! I’m a zomb--” Yan Xing yelled to Jiayi who was advancing toward him. Jiayi didn’t stop so Yan Xing quickly got up and tried to run past him, not minding the broken glass of a picture frame that he was stepping over. Jiayi easily caught Yan Xing and immediately checked on his feet when Yan Xing quickly tried to thrash about and get away from him.

“Oh..” Jiayi murmured, watching the way his skin quickly healed from the small cuts.

“Are you hungry?”

Yan Xing was petrified by the question, his body was screaming yes but he couldn’t say that, he couldn’t act on that. He didn’t want Jiayi to decide to offer himself or anything. He didn’t even know what to say so he just silently burst into tears and tried to bite his hand, he didn’t want to eat anyone. Especially not Jiayi.

“I guess that’s a yes,” Jiayi murmured.

“I can’t have you bite me, and I can’t really give you my blood. So just try to make do with this.” Jiayi said and put his hand on Yan Xing’s cheek, transferring some of his energy to Yan Xing. Yan Xing was confused, for a second his body almost moved on its own and bit Jiayi’s hand but he then found that he could control himself just fine. He was confused and his tears were still falling.

“It will only work, for now, I’ll have to find a long-term fix later on to satiate your hunger,” Jiayi said and looked around the room, it seemed to be Yan Xing’s bedroom.

Yan Xing was confused and his lips trembled as he stared at Jiayi.

“Why- Why am I not hungry..?” Yan Xing murmured.

“It’s a special ability of mine, I didn’t actually think it would work but I guess we’re connected in a way,” Jiayi said and smiled, opening Yan Xing’s closet and looking through it. Yan Xing sat on the floor, still confused and still letting a few tears fall down his face.

“Why did you do that...I’m a zombie…” Yan Xing murmured.

“Because you seem like a special case. Most Zombies kill indiscriminately. But here you are, begging me to stay away so you don’t kill me.” Jiayi explained, “Also, I’d like to consider us… at least friends? So of course I’d like to help you.”

“I have a warehouse, where me and my friends are staying. I’ll bring you with us.” Jiayi said and picked up an oversized hoodie from Yan Xing’s closet and some other clothes, he ditched most of the clothes but he checked their sizes and thought about whether he had those sizes in the warehouse for other items.

“No! I don’t want to go!” Yan Xing quickly exclaimed and tried to move away.

“They won’t find out you’re a zombie, you don’t have the signs of someone who is infected, and you don’t have any bite marks on you right?” Jiayi asked and grabbed Yan Xing’s wrists.

“W-What if I-I ea--” Yan Xing couldn’t even voice the thought.

“Just stay by my side at all times. I’ll make sure you won’t eat anyone.” Jiayi said and made Yan Xing put on the hoodie he got out for him.

“I don’t want to…” Yan Xing murmured.

“Just come with me, okay?” Jiayi said and smiled.

Yan Xing didn’t really agree or anything but he stopped crying. He covered his head with his hood and held the edge of Jiayi’s shirt as he followed him out of the house.

He Guang and Hu Shi were at the steps of the Hu household, they had put the things they chose to bring in the trunk already and were nervously counting the minutes until Jiayi returned. They were tense as they saw Jiayi return with someone following behind him.

“Is that...Young master Yan?” Hu Shi asked, his voice trembling a little.

“Yes. He’s not infected don’t worry. I’ll do a more thorough check at the warehouse but he seems perfectly normal.” Jiayi explained and pulled down Yan Xing’s hood for a second.

Hu Shi seemed convinced since Yan Xing now looked even healthier than usual since he had taken Jiayi’s energy.

“Are your parents…?” Hu Shi asked, gulping a little.

“I don’t know…” Yan Xing murmured in a small voice. He had been so confident about not wanting to go with Jiayi because he was a zombie but he had no intention of revealing himself to others now that he had been dragged along.

“Oh...It’s okay they’re probably safe, My parents are with the military right now so they probably are too.” Hu Shi said and reached over to pat Yan Xing’s back. Yan Xing avoided him and held on to Jiayi even more.

“He’s terrified, just leave him be for a while,” Jiayi whispered.

“Do you two know each other?” He Guang asked.

“He goes to the school where I teach so we’ve met a few times,” Jiayi explained.

“You drive,” Jiayi said and tossed He Guang the keys. He Guang quickly nodded. Hu Shi went to his place at the front seat and Jiayi went with Yan Xing at the back seat. The back seat area was spacious and could fit a lot of people but Yan Xing stuck right beside Jiayi, hiding from the rearview mirror a little.

--

The car ride was tense once again as they passed by the city. Some zombies were moving now but they were still not recovered from the sunlight. They drove past them and when they started to get close to the warehouse, Jiayi started checking that there weren’t any zombies around. The area was still clear. Well except for the little white-haired zombie he had taken in.

“...Ha Yuexin said…” Hu Shi murmured and looked over at Jiayi.

“We all have to get examined,” Jiayi said and got out of the car to punch in the code for the garage door. Yan Xing got out of the car when it was inside the garage and immediately stuck to Jiayi like glue again.

“I’ll have Someone examine me and then I’ll examine you,” Jiayi said to Yan Xing who seemed worried about the examination.

Hu Shi watched their interactions with a raised eyebrow.

Instead of a huge ‘you’re back!’ celebration, the people in the warehouse looked nervous as they walked in. They were especially nervous when they saw the unfamiliar figure.

“Yi Boqin, examine me, and then I’ll examine the rest of them,” Jiayi said and started to take off the clothes he was wearing even before he walked into a closed-off area.

After a while, Yi Boqin walked out with a slightly dejected sort of look, “He’s in perfect condition.”

“I’ll examine Hu Shi and He Guang, you just carefully check on the guy you brought.” Yi Boqin said to Jiayi before bringing his two ‘patients’ over to a different area.

Jiayi nodded and pulled Yan Xing into the closed-off area.

“Sorry but you’re going to have to strip completely,” Jiayi murmured.

“W-What!?” Yan Xing exclaimed with red cheeks.

“A full body examination is necessary when returning from outside. That’s one of our rules.” Wu Yanyu said from behind the curtain that hid Yan Xing and Jiayi.

Jiayi nodded, “You can put clothes back on as I go through.”

Yan Xing hesitated for a while but Jiayi had a reassuring smile on his face. He went on and slowly started undressing.

—

Yan Xing was embarrassed but he still didn’t separate himself from Jiayi. He was the only person that he knew well enough to feel comfortable.

Jiayi briefly introduced him, “This is Yan Xing, he's a university student from Hu Shi’s neighborhood.”

Jiayi didn’t say much more, he seemed distracted…His mind was still on the examination he had just finished with Yan Xing. Yan Xing definitely didn’t show any signs of being infected anymore, he was a more mature zombie than the rest so that was bound to happen….

Yan Xing’s body was unsettlingly beautiful.

Becoming a zombie didn’t make you beautiful, it did quite the opposite usually. Most zombies were scarred from bites or had bright red veins running down from where the virus had flowed through their bodies. Those veins were easy to hide with makeup but Yan Xing just didn’t have any.

‘He was turned through magic…’ Jiayi thought. Half his thoughts were serious and concerned but the other half was still thinking about Yan Xing’s body.

Flushed pink, ever so slightly toned but with soft plump skin, cute little-... Jiayi felt like a pervert. And Yan Xing sticking close to him didn’t help.