You say the cataclysm only comes after you've cleared the entire dungeon?

With his younger sister around, Lou Yunzheng didn't need to worry.

He knocked on the door of 602 again. "Xiaoshuang, it's alright, open the door."

The wooden door opened from the inside, and Shen Xiaoshuang stood in the doorway, holding a candle that was almost burned out.

She has lost some weight, but she is far from being "starved to the point of being emaciated".

Her hair was messily tied back, she was wearing wrinkled pajamas, and her eyes were red, as if she hadn't had a good night's sleep for days.

The moment she saw Lou Yunzheng, tears streamed down her face like a broken string.

"Why did you take so long to get here!" She punched Lou Yunzheng's chest, then threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "I was so scared... The power went out, and people were banging on the door outside... My phone died too..."

Lou Yunzheng put his arm around her, patted her back, and said softly, "It's alright, it's alright."

Lou Fengyue dealt with those three zombies in less than thirty seconds.

She leaned against the corridor wall, watching this scene; her expression behind her mask revealed neither joy nor anger.

Shen Xiaoshuang cried for about two minutes before she noticed that there was someone standing next to her.

She looked up, her eyes blurry with tears, at Lou Fengyue, then at Lou Yunzheng: "Your sister is here too?"

"Okay." Lou Yunzheng released her. "Let's go inside first and talk."

A few candles were lit in the room, and there was half a bowl of instant noodles and an opened package of biscuits on the dining table.

Lou Fengyue glanced at the kitchen—unwashed dishes were piled up in the sink, and a pot was on the stove with cold water inside.

The refrigerator door was ajar, and the inside was empty except for a few cartons of milk and half a bag of toast.

"Is this all you've been eating these past few days?" Lou Fengyue asked.

Shen Xiaoshuang clung to Lou Yunzheng's arm and whispered, "A few days ago we could still cook frozen dumplings, but then the power went out and the induction cooker stopped working, so we've been eating instant noodles and biscuits..."

After she finished speaking, she paused for a moment, then suddenly hugged Lou Yunzheng's waist and started crying again.

"I heard screams coming from inside the building this morning, and there are monsters outside... Yunzheng, I'm so scared, please take me away?"

Lou Yunzheng gently patted Shen Xiaoshuang's back, his voice as gentle as if coaxing a child: "We're here to pick you up. Pack your things and come with us."

Shen Xiaoshuang paused for a moment, then looked up at Lou Yunzheng.

She glanced at Lou Fengyue next to her again.

Lou Fengyue didn't speak, leaning against the door, clearly not very willing.

Shen Xiaoshuang understood that it was Lou Yunzheng who persuaded Lou Fengyue to come and pick her up. As long as she clung to Lou Yunzheng, Lou Fengyue would be powerless against her.

Without asking any further questions, she turned and went to the bedroom to pack her luggage.

She pulled out a suitcase and stuffed it with clothes, cosmetics, skincare products, and a power bank.

Lou Fengyue looked at the suitcase and winked at her brother beside her.

Lou Yunzheng sighed helplessly, went into the bedroom, and took out a duffel bag from the wardrobe.

"Just pack the clothes, nothing else." He started stuffing Shen Xiaoshuang's clothes into the suitcase.

"No way!" Shen Xiaoshuang pouted instantly, clutching her pile of cosmetics. "These are so expensive! I have to take them with me!"

Seeing her like this, Lou Yunzheng couldn't bring himself to say anything harsh, so he could only turn his gaze to his younger sister.

Lou Fengyue was more than happy to play the villain.

"The outside is teeming with zombies, are you trying to fool them with your makeup?"

She spoke in a cold voice, muffled by her mask, which made her sound even more serious.

"You can only bring clothes, packed in one duffel bag."

Shen Xiaoshuang glared at Lou Fengyue unhappily, but when she met his calm eyes, she felt a sudden chill in her heart.

She remembered that Lou Fengyue used to greet her politely with a smile and call her "Sister Xiaoshuang" when they met, but now there was no emotion in those eyes, as if she were looking at a dead object.

For six months he was missing... Could he have gone off to do illegal things with some ruthless people?

"Yunzheng," Shen Xiaoshuang immediately hugged Lou Yunzheng's arm, speaking softly, "You bought all these things for me, how could I bear to throw them away..."

"Listen to me, in this world, staying alive is the most important thing."

"No way! If you won't let me take her, I'm not leaving!" Shen Xiaoshuang frowned and started to act spoiled. "You stay here with me!"

These words were a veiled threat to Lou Fengyue.

Shen Xiaoshuang knew that Lou Yunzheng couldn't bear to leave her here alone, and Lou Fengyue couldn't bear to leave her own brother behind.

So, either let her carry her suitcase, or let Lou Yunzheng stay behind to protect her.

Lou Fengyue understood, but she sneered indifferently, "I can strangle you, then knock my brother unconscious and take him away."

Shen Xiaoshuang trembled all over, her eyes fixed on Lou Fengyue with fear.

Those peach blossom eyes held neither the radiant smile she had once seen, nor hatred or resentment.

There was only a stillness, like stagnant water.

It made it impossible for anyone to doubt that she was lying.

"Are you crazy?" Shen Xiaoshuang asked, her neck stiff, but her voice trembling. "Murder is illegal!"

"Illegal?" Lou Fengyue raised an eyebrow and pointed to the window. "There are zombies and dead people outside. One more person won't make a difference."

Shen Xiaoshuang choked for a moment, her heart pounding.

When did Lou Fengyue become so terrifying?

"Alright, stop being so temperamental, let's go." Lou Yunzheng didn't want to waste any more time coaxing Shen Xiaoshuang. His sister had said that zombies would be more active at night.

After packing his clothes and picking up his luggage bag, he pulled Shen Xiaoshuang out.

After leaving the rented house, the three returned to the rubber boat.

Four backpacks were placed in the middle of the rubber boat.

Shen Xiaoshuang sat next to Lou Yunzheng, holding his arm, her eyes darting around.

Seeing the trash floating on the water and the zombies that were faintly visible in the distance, his face turned pale, and he hugged Lou Yunzheng's arm even tighter.

Lou Fengyue traced the vines, seemingly oblivious to what was happening around her.

[Host, you have a new WeChat message.]

The system connected to Lou Fengyue's mobile phone signal so that she could receive messages.

A virtual panel popped up; it was Pan Quan asking how things were going, worried that they might be in danger outside.

[Please reply for me: Safe, returning.]

[Reply received.]

[Please send Liu Wu a message again, telling him we're on our way back, and ask him to call Chu Sinian downstairs to wait.]

[Sent.]

Back at the apartment building, Lou Yunzheng climbed in through the window first, then pulled Shen Xiaoshuang back up.

Liu Wu and Chu Sinian had just come downstairs when they saw Shen Xiaoshuang and both paused for a moment.

Why did you bring someone back?

"Thank you, girl!" Liu Wu leaned out of the window and took the backpack that Lou Fengyue handed him.

"You guys go up first, I'll hide the rubber boat," Lou Fengyue said.

"Okay." Liu Wu naturally knew better than to interfere in certain matters, so he carried his own bag, holding Lou Yunzheng's and Lou Fengyue's bags in his arms, and went upstairs.

Chu Sinian thanked him and followed him upstairs.

The pile of corpses on the fourth and fifth floors was still there. When Shen Xiaoshuang saw those grayish-white corpses with their heads blown open, she froze, her feet feeling like they were nailed to the ground.

"Let's go." Lou Yunzheng was already heading upstairs.

Shen Xiaoshuang gripped Lou Yunzheng's hand, her nails almost digging into his flesh, her voice trembling with tears: "Those...what are those?"

"The zombie. It's already dead." Lou Yunzheng pulled her along and quickly walked upstairs.