Chapter 24: Each to Their Own Path

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Xiaohan looked up at Duan Yiren. A trace of pity flickered across the other woman’s features as she bit her lip.

“Don’t be so pessimistic. There’s still no proof that everyone who gets scratched will definitely turn into a zombie. As long as you make it through the twenty-four-hour observation period, you might be perfectly fine.”

She made a solemn promise. “During that time, I’ll keep a close eye on you. Once the observation period is over, I’ll bring you back, all right?”

Xiaohan’s fingertips trembled faintly. She forced a smile.

“It’s all right. I’m willing to go to the room next door. Haofeng, can you come with me?”

She turned to her boyfriend, her eyes filled with longing and expectation. Her voice trembled slightly.

“I’m scared to go alone.”

Liao Haofeng felt as if his throat had been stuffed with cotton.

“I…”

The nervous look on his face had already betrayed his thoughts. He did not want to go!

Staying with someone on the verge of mutating involved far too many uncertainties, even if that person was his girlfriend.

But now… he was unwilling to face her, driven by some uneasy mixture of guilt and shame.

Xiaohan gazed at him in utter heartbreak.

“Do you look down on me too? Our feelings run so deep—how could I ever bite you?” Her expression seemed to grow disheartened, and she curved her lips mockingly. “Or is it that you think I’m just like you…”

“I’ll go with you!”

Liao Haofeng cut her off hurriedly, afraid she might say something she shouldn’t. He forced a smile.

“I promised I wouldn’t abandon you.”

For a moment, quite a few people were moved by his actions.

“Liao Haofeng is a real man. Even now, he still refuses to leave his girlfriend behind!”

“Wah, what an incredible love story!”

Hearing those words, Xiaohan’s eyes went blank. A faint smile touched her lips.

“I believe you.”

Duan Yiren was somewhat surprised by Liao Haofeng’s change of heart, but she did not think much of it. She carefully explained the precautions to them both, instructing Liao Haofeng to come and inform them immediately if anything seemed wrong with Xiaohan.

Although she too hoped that Xiaohan would remain safe, she knew how slim that hope was.

Xiaohan gave her a serious look, then made an inappropriate request.

“Sister Yiren, may I hug you?”

The crowd immediately displayed strange expressions, unable to help wondering what she intended.

To put it bluntly, Xiaohan was like a source of infection now. Though no one said so aloud, everyone had instinctively kept their distance from her.

She would not live much longer anyway. What if she decided to drag someone down with her in a desperate final struggle?

Duan Yiren was surprised for only a moment before agreeing.

“Of course.”

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She had not merely been saying it for appearances. The moment she finished speaking, she stepped forward and embraced Xiaohan. After a pause, she patted her back.

“I’m still waiting to bring you back. Don’t lose heart.”

Xiaohan froze, then slowly raised her arms and returned the embrace. A tear slid from the corner of her eye as she gave a choked laugh.

“Thank you, Sister Yiren.”

Duan Yiren’s eyes stung as well.

“You silly girl.”

After the hug, Xiaohan released her of her own accord. She smiled quietly.

“Then I’m going.”

Duan Yiren watched her leave with Liao Haofeng, sorrow spreading through her heart.

She quickly pulled herself out of her dejection and turned back to her duties.

Unexpectedly, another problem arose before long.

The group began arguing over how their supplies should be divided.

“Why should they get a free ride? They did nothing, yet they still get an equal share of the supplies we risked our lives to bring back!”

The people who had gone out searching for supplies were the ones voicing their objections.

Anyone who had endured the blazing sun and risked their lives to retrieve supplies would feel resentful upon returning to find another group lounging around idly, doing nothing, yet still trying to dictate how those supplies should be distributed.

The others were displeased by this accusation as well.

“What exactly do you mean by that? We’re all companions here. Why are you being so petty? Besides, you weren’t the only one who brought these things back!”

The speaker was a troublemaker named Zhang Qiang.

He usually enjoyed finding fault with Duan Yiren, though whenever he truly provoked her, he would immediately back down—only to do the same thing again the next time.

Duan Yiren was a woman with considerable strength, but she was not particularly forceful by nature. She was far easier to deal with than someone like Chi Xing, who always had the final say.

Supporting such a figurehead suited Zhang Qiang perfectly.

“Sister Duan, you be the judge!”

Duan Yiren stood to one side, her face filled with exhaustion.

“What are you all arguing about? One group went out this time. Next time, another group can take their turn.”

Someone remained dissatisfied.

“There are several people here who have already gone out before, including you, Yiren. But what about them? Every time, they make excuses—this hurts, that feels uncomfortable. The world has ended. Who’s still willing to indulge you people?”

He was referring to the small faction led by Zhang Qiang.

To win everyone’s support, one had to maintain absolute fairness. But Duan Yiren could not suppress Zhang Qiang and his band of troublemakers. She was not as shameless as they were, and whenever problems arose, she could only swallow her grievances in silence.

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As time passed, everyone accumulated a great deal of resentment.

“Hey, are you deliberately picking a fight with us brothers? How about we settle this with our fists?”

“Come on, then! Who’s afraid of whom? It’s only because Sister Duan has a good temper and doesn’t bother with you. If Chi Xing were in charge, do you think he’d put up with this?”

A confrontation was about to erupt. The atmosphere in the classroom instantly grew taut.

Unable to bear it any longer, Duan Yiren shouted, “Enough! Are you all tired of living such peaceful days? Do you want to draw every zombie in the area over here?”

She curled her lips into a cold smile.

“Fine. Since every one of you is so capable, whoever wants to be captain can take the job. I’m done playing along!”

She rarely lost her temper so violently. For a moment, everyone was stunned into silence.

Gradually, someone awkwardly spoke up to ease the tension.

“Yiren, don’t be angry. Everyone was only fooling around. If you don’t want to be captain, then who will?”

Zhang Qiang’s group also began grinning ingratiatingly.

“Look at all of you—what a disgrace! Our leader has such a good temper, and you still managed to make her angry! Hurry up and apologize. I’ll go first. Sorry about that, Sister Duan. I got a little worked up.”

Duan Yiren stared at him expressionlessly, her thoughts perfectly clear.

Zhang Qiang supported her only because he believed she was easy to bully. If someone else became captain, he might not be able to throw his weight around as he did now.

After everything that had happened, she too had begun to waver. The situation before her was not what she had originally wanted.

At first, she had merely wanted to unite the vulnerable and provide them with a place of refuge.

But what about now?

As more and more people joined them, they formed factions of their own, and every day she found herself tormented by one conflict after another.

Perhaps Chi Xing had been right. Someone like her was simply not suited to being captain.

Duan Yiren walked away to calm herself. A girl who was close to her came over with a bright smile.

“Don’t sulk, Yiren. If this is making you unhappy, then we can just stop doing it.”

Several girls looked at her with solemn expressions.

“We’ll go wherever you go.”

Duan Yiren’s eyes grew hot.

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