Chapter 112: The Confession in Progress

Seeing the melancholy expression on Kong Zhe’s face, Xiao Lei felt a sharp pang of heartache. Anxiously, she grabbed his hand and stammered, "Brother Kong Zhe, I... even if you don't have a sister, you still have me. I, I..."

Xiao Lei stuttered for a long time, not knowing how to continue. She felt a wave of panic. Seeing Kong Zhe looking at her, waiting for her to finish, she closed her eyes and decided to just go for it.

"I, I like you! ...Ah!"

Only after the words left her lips did she realize what she had done. She let out a startled cry, her face turning bright red with embarrassment. In her emotional state, she had confessed in the midst of the chaos. But the words were out, like water spilled from a basin; she couldn't take them back even if she wanted to. Setting her shyness aside, she looked at Kong Zhe with anticipation.

Kong Zhe was stunned for a moment. Thinking she was just trying to comfort him, he smiled and said, "Thank you, Xiao Lei. I like you too!"

"Really?" Xiao Lei’s eyes lit up, and she asked with delight.

"Of course." Kong Zhe looked at the photo in his hand, a faint smile gradually appearing on his lips.

He had often wondered why he felt such an instinctive concern for Xiao Lei. Even though she was his assigned charge and he had to protect her, he still felt he was treating her too well. If it were before, this would have been unimaginable. Three years of living in the apocalypse had tempered his survival skills and forged a heart of steel. Logically, a timid, cowardly, and naive girl like Xiao Lei was the least suited for the end of the world. He had assumed that if he ever met someone like her, he would train her ruthlessly to force those weaknesses out of her.

Yet, he could never bring himself to be harsh with her. He couldn't bear to scold her, let alone strike her. This had always been a mystery to him—why he was so inexplicably good to her. Was it because she was pretty? No, he didn't believe he was the type to lose his principles over a girl's beauty.

Only now, looking at this photo, did he finally understand.

He remembered a scene from his childhood: on the road, in an area cordoned off by yellow police tape, his five-year-old sister in her floral dress lay still. The air was filled with the wailing of police sirens and the murmurs of onlookers. The driver who had caused the accident knelt before him, apologizing profusely, while several women beside him covered their faces and wept. The young Kong Zhe had ignored all the clamor, standing blankly outside the cordon, calling his sister’s name over and over.

Whenever she heard his voice, she would usually flutter toward him like a little butterfly. But not this time. No matter how much he called, the little girl remained motionless, lying there as if trapped in a dream from which she would never wake.

That day, he lost his last relative, and his life turned a shade of ash-gray—the color of funeral ashes. Mechanical studying, mechanical work, mechanical monster-slaying; he became a walking corpse. Perhaps his heart had died ten years ago on that very day.

"Xiao Lei, the first time I saw you, I felt there was something different about you that was drawing me in."

Kong Zhe’s voice was filled with nostalgia and sighing. Back then, he didn't understand; he thought it was just the connection between Xiao Lei and the Tarot cards that had caused the illusion. But now he knew what truly set her apart: it was color. She was the only splash of color in his entire gray world.

If one looked closely at the girl’s face in the photo, a resemblance to the current Xiao Lei was clear. It wasn't just their looks; even their kind and simple natures seemed cut from the same cloth. Her appearance was like a palette, pulling him back from his world of gray into a world of color.

Perhaps, from the moment he first saw Xiao Lei on those stairs, he had already begun to treat her as his own sister in his heart. His sister’s death had always been his greatest regret. Now, he had transferred all the love he once held for her onto Xiao Lei, which was why he cared for her so meticulously.

"Actually, back on those stairs, I had already made a secret decision: I had once again found something worth protecting." Kong Zhe looked at Xiao Lei, his eyes tender. "Xiao Lei, I will protect you forever. I will never let anyone harm you."

Protecting her innocence and kindness from being tainted by this sordid world—that was the final sanctuary in Kong Zhe’s heart.

Xiao Lei stared blankly at Kong Zhe. Looking into eyes so gentle they could melt any woman, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart, and the smile on her face froze. Xiao Lei wasn't clever; she had always considered herself a slow-witted girl. Yet, she understood his fragmented and ambiguous words perfectly. And it was precisely because she understood that she felt an irrepressible sense of loss.

*So, I am just a replacement for his sister...*

Xiao Lei instinctively pressed her hand to her chest. It hurt terribly.

"Xiao Lei, what's wrong?" Seeing her suddenly lower her head and go silent, Kong Zhe was confused.

"Who wants to be your sister!"

The cry, laced with tears, shocked Kong Zhe. When he looked up, Xiao Lei’s face was already streaked with tears. She had always felt she was too timid and cowardly to express her heart, but she hadn't expected to be so heartbroken by his response. The shift from the nervousness and anticipation of her confession to this utter despair was too much for a sensitive girl like her to bear.

Tears fell uncontrollably. She didn't know what to do. Seeing Kong Zhe’s bewildered expression, she let out a cry of grief and ran toward the door.

She ran out of the building and stood alone in the snowy expanse. In that moment, she forgot all her fears. A powerful emotion was building up inside her. She felt that if she didn't vent it, she might be consumed by it.

Driven by instinct, she cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone, took a deep breath, and screamed with all her might.

"Brother Kong Zhe—I like you! I don't want to be your sister—I like you!"

Xiao Lei seemed to forget everything around her, just shouting repeatedly. Behind her, Kong Zhe appeared at the entrance, staring blankly at the small, thin figure in the distance. Hearing her hoarse voice, he sighed. Even he couldn't be so dull as to miss the meaning of her words now.

Xiao Lei was a very timid girl; he had seen that countless times. For such a girl to do this must have required more resolve than most people could muster. It would be a lie to say he wasn't moved. But Xiao Lei was still a minor, and he was someone tempered by three years in the apocalypse; his psychological age was far more mature. In his heart, he had always viewed her as a younger sister.

He couldn't describe his feelings—it was a mix of joy and complexity. A voice inside him said to accept it—where else would he find such a good girl? But another voice warned him that with the apocalypse at hand, there was no time for love. All he thought about was how to improve his strength and gain more advantages; could he really give her happiness?

Xiao Lei shouted for a full five minutes before stopping. Her throat was raw, and her face was flushed deep red from the exertion. She didn't care; she turned to look at Kong Zhe with a sorrowful expression, staring at him without a word.

"Uh, Xiao Lei, I admit your words made me very happy, but..." Kong Zhe rubbed his forehead, looking at her gaze with helplessness, and pointed behind her.

Xiao Lei had already let go of all inhibitions. Although shouting such embarrassing things wasn't like her, she felt unexpectedly relieved. Hearing his voice, she sniffled, pouting with a nasal tone, "What..."

She reflexively turned to look behind her.

"Ah!"

The sight made her jump in terror. Not far away, in the snow, in the shadows, and behind stone crevices, all kinds of monsters were emerging. One, two, three... at least a hundred of them had gathered around her. They bared their fangs, growling, and stepped closer, shrinking the circle.

Only then did Xiao Lei remember: this was the apocalypse! How could she have forgotten? Shouting so loudly—of course she would attract the monsters!

Looking at the terrifying scene, she trembled uncontrollably, instinctively wanting to run toward Kong Zhe. But before she could move, a magic wolf, unable to hold back any longer, lunged at her.

"Ah!"

Facing the approaching crimson maw, Xiao Lei felt a surge of despair and instinctively closed her eyes.