"I've got the last one. It's Ma Jie," Ziek's voice crackled through a communicator. He stood wearing a tank top, his muscles glistening with sweat as it dripped down his defined physique. His foot pressed into Ma Jie's chest, who lay defeated beneath him. "He seems to recognize me."

Ma Jie, now without limbs, managed to send an order to the zombies. Suddenly, all the undead turned their gaze to the sky before moving with an eerie purpose toward Ren Han's position.

Suspicion etched across her features, Bing Shi questioned, "What's your plan?".

Ziek's response was casual, devoid of urgency. "I'm going to wrap this up really quick." He carried Ma Jie, deftly maneuvering to lead the zombies away from the Central city. "Haven't held you in my arms for weeks. Another moment, and I might lose it."

Bing Shi facepalmed, her cheeks burning, "Stop it or I will start blushing."

Everyone who heard their words coughed up blood. Weren't they in a grandson-grandma relationship?!

At a safe distance, Ren Han burned Ma Jie's body; absorbing the glowing nucleus as his strength surged.

No longer under anybody's control, the zombies returned to normal.

Following the uproar, a decision was reached: swift annihilation of the zombies became the priority. They would rather give up all the nuclei than experience such a horror again.

· · ───────── · ⊱❈⊰· ───────── · ·

Inside a forest clearing, Ren Han's eyes widened. "Bing Shi, not again," he said, his gaze drifting from her face to her black skirt and knee-high socks, lingering on the strip of exposed skin between them. "How do you expect to fly in that?"

Donning a hoodie, Bing Shi quickly countered, "I've got safety shorts on, see?" She lifted her skirt slightly to show him.

"..." Ren Han sat down on the blanket and switched his gaze towards the hole in the ground, and the black plastic bag containing her items, "What's the need for this? Don't you have Yi Zen as your personal storage?"

Bing Shi took out a package of wet wipes, "What if my mission didn't go as I planned? What if I got kidnapped? With those items, I would be able to take control of the situation." 

She held up a package of sanitary pads, "Oh, I'm almost out of these," she muttered before packing everything back.

Standing up, she approached Ziek and wrapped her arms around his waist. "What's bothering you?"

Ziek returned her hug, looking ahead, "Just thinking about how we've never been this intimate outdoors. Imagine, you and me, right here, against that tree."

"We haven't even kissed yet," Bing Shi retorted, arching an eyebrow.

A mock frown crossed Ren Han's face. "Who needs kisses when I have your hugs? Wait, scratch that. I do need a girlfriend."

Giggling, Bing Shi rested her head against his chest. "Fine."

His arms tightened around her, and he looked at her in disbelief. "Fine....What? Wait, did you just—Are you saying—" he took a deep breath. "Bing Shi. I just heard you agreeing to become my girlfriend. And as we all know, your words are definite."

Bing Shi started to laugh, pushing him back. She sat on his chest and whispered to his mouth, barely grazing her lips against his skin, "You won. Kiss me."

Ziek's heart felt like it was about to burst. Gripping the nape of her neck, he lifted his head to capture her lips in a fervent kiss.

Just as he was about to assert his dominance, her small tongue darted into his mouth, exploring him as if rediscovering a long-lost treasure. She licked and teased him to the point where he forgot to breathe, causing him to gasp for air, "...nggh..."

As they parted for a brief moment, he inhaled deeply. His tongue met hers in the open air, contorting and curling aggressively. Her saliva trickled down his chin. Taking the opportunity to regain control, he delved back into her mouth, closing the gap between them. He relished the sweet, unique taste of her lips.

With every heartbeat pounding in his chest, he wondered if her heart was racing just as fast for him. As their mouths continued to dance, he found himself losing his grip on reality, completely consumed by the sensations.

His vision blurred with tears. What could he do to make her exclusively his? Who would have thought that one day, for her, he would—

Suddenly, the man beneath Bing Shi jolted awake. Seeing an unfamiliar face, his expression twisted in revulsion. "Who are you?!"

Unaware of his own immense strength, he expelled a pulse of energy that hurled the woman into a nearby tree. Her body didn't just hit the tree—it was a devastating impact that left her bones shattered, and her internal organs in ruins.

Rubbing his swollen lips, he looked around in confusion. Where was Bing Shi? What was he doing here when he should be dead?

When the image of LuLu Tan intruded upon his thoughts, his world disintegrated into a million shards of despair. Desperation fueling him, he raced toward the lifeless figure of the woman on the ground.

Frantic hands retrieved a pain-relieving pill from her hoodie, crushed it, and placed it inside her mouth. His tears were unstoppable now, a torrential downpour of regret and fear, as he lifted her into a bridal carry.

With his vision blurred and heart pounding, he took to the sky, speeding toward his spaceship. His voice broke as he uttered the words, "Bing Shi, it's me. Your Xuan Mu."

'Xuan Mu?'

"Bing Shi, wake up, you can't fall asleep now," he urged, but she remained unresponsive. Glancing at a message from Kuro, he saw that time was running out. He had only five minutes.

Swiftly, he covered her face with her hoodie and carried her into the infirmary. "Heal her," he commanded his subordinate.

The medic acted immediately, her hand hovering over Bing Shi's body as she initiated the healing process, tuning out Xuan Mu's anxious murmurs.

Desperate for additional help, Xuan Mu called Yi Zen and requested Fu Lian's magical water along with more healers. 

While waiting for help to arrive, Xuan Mu put on an earpiece and whispered to her ear, "Didn't I tell you to eat properly? Why did you follow after me?"

"I missed you." Thanks to Kuro, Bing Shi's clear voice resonated in his ears, "Xuan Mu...Am I a cheater?"

His eyes welled up, brimming with unshed tears as his lips trembled uncontrollably. "No, Bing Shi, you're not a cheater. You've managed to make me fall hopelessly in love with you all over again."

The weight of his realization settled in like a stone at the bottom of a lake, causing ripples that disturbed his very soul. She knew another version of him was close by, yet she had chosen to fulfill her mission first, for his sake.

His voice choked with emotion as he whispered, "Next time, draw me so deeply into your love that I never want to leave. Do it just as you've always done."