Chapter 18: Private Care


    Moments later, Zhang Su led the woman to the living room and had her sit down. She clutched a tissue in her hand, looking pitiful like a bullied housewife, softly sobbing.


    She was still wearing her silk pajamas, her slightly wavy hair draped over her shoulders. Her slender figure, with its curves in all the right places, was the kind men loved and women envied. She exuded a pleasant perfume scent.


    Her skin was well-maintained, but from her demeanor and temperament, she appeared to be in her early thirties—a typical “young mature woman.”


    “You two are amazing! You actually killed those monsters in the hallway! Can you tell me what’s going on?” she asked hesitantly, her voice filled with awe and curiosity. Watching them deal with the monsters earlier had nearly scared her out of her wits.


    Zhang Su''s face remained cold as he snapped, “Stop trying to dig for information and start explaining yourself!” He had no desire to entertain this woman, but if she kept causing trouble, the noise might attract zombies from further away.


    “Handsome guy… I… I…” The woman stammered, as if she had something she couldn’t bring herself to say.


    Seeing her hesitation, Zhang Su grew impatient. With a disdainful smirk, he said, “Frankly, I’ve got nothing to say to you. Just head back and keep quiet. Those monsters locate people by sound!” He waved dismissively, ready to send her away.


    “Wait, wait, handsome guy, don’t…”


    The woman, noticing his annoyance, quickly waved her hands and grabbed his arm, forcing a sweet smile onto her face.


    “Hands off! Name, age, what do you do for a living? I distinctly remember no one living in 802. Where did you come from?” Zhang Su pulled his arm back, clearly unimpressed by her tactics.


    “I… My name is Zhong Xiaoshan. I’m 29. I… I used to be a nurse at the Third Hospital, but now I’m… a private caregiver…” Her voice trailed off toward the end, and she looked visibly uneasy.


    “Private caregiver?”


    Zhang Su squinted, a sly smile forming on his lips. “That sounds pretty fancy. Let me guess—more like a mistress, right? Xiaoshan, Xiaoshan, your name sure fits you!”


    “Pfft…”


    Zheng Xinyu, caught off guard by Zhang Su’s sharp tongue, puffed out her cheeks to suppress a laugh.


    “Heh heh…” Zhong Xiaoshan awkwardly forced a laugh.


    “So, is 802 your apartment or the person you’re ''caring for''?” Zhang Su continued questioning her.


    Realizing there was no point in pretending, Zhong Xiaoshan answered straightforwardly, “It’s Director Hu’s apartment. This is my first time here…”


    The thought of her current predicament frustrated her to no end. On her first visit, she had the misfortune of running into a zombie outbreak.


    “The Director Hu you’re talking about—is he around fifty, tall and thin, and wears thick glasses?” Zhang Su lit a cigarette, observing her through the smoke.


    “Director Hu doesn’t wear glasses. Handsome guy, you must be mistaken,” Zhong Xiaoshan replied, momentarily stunned.


    Zhang Su nodded internally. He’d once seen the man she mentioned. To test her, he’d deliberately added the glasses detail, which she had denied.


    “Maybe I was wrong. So where’s this Director Hu now?”


    “Yesterday afternoon, he gave me the key and told me to wait for him here. Then, he called in the evening to say he had to work overtime at the hospital. I haven’t been able to contact him since…”


    As the conversation unfolded, Zhong Xiaoshan visibly calmed down. She instinctively crossed one leg over the other but quickly retracted her fair, slender legs when she noticed Zhang Su’s sharp gaze.


    “So, you came here to make yourself at home, but instead of cozying up, you ended up trapped, huh?” Zhang Su smirked playfully.


    “No… I was really here for caregiving, not for cozying up…” Zhong Xiaoshan’s expression twisted awkwardly, finding his choice of words bizarre. sea??h thё n?vel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    “Handsome guy, what exactly is going on? The internet’s out, the water’s gone, and now there are monsters biting people left and right. It’s like a zombie apocalypse movie—it’s terrifying!” she exclaimed, hugging herself tightly for comfort.


    Watching her overly sensual gestures, Zheng Xinyu pursed her lips in irritation. Moments ago, she had felt sympathy for the seemingly helpless woman. Now, seeing her act coquettishly, she found her insufferable.


    Zhang Su remained calm and said bluntly, “Sis, don’t bother. No one’s in the mood to admire your assets right now. Unless you’re saying they can block zombies?”


    “Pfft!”


    Zheng Xinyu couldn’t hold back her laughter, quickly covering her mouth but failing to suppress it entirely. Her gaze shifted to Zhong Xiaoshan, whose hands hovered awkwardly, unsure where to place them.


    “You already said it yourself—it’s like a zombie movie. We think it’s a zombie virus outbreak. As for where it came from, why it happened, or how it spreads, we don’t know. It’s a chaotic mess!” Zhang Su shrugged, his tone tinged with helplessness.


    “Then… do you know how widespread the outbreak is? The surrounding area seems chaotic. Could it be that the entire Gangcheng is affected?” Zhong Xiaoshan asked anxiously.


    Zhang Su licked his lips, took a sip of water, and replied, “Brace yourself. The outbreak isn’t just confined to Gangcheng.”


    “What…” Zhong Xiaoshan gasped in disbelief. “You mean the whole Qin City…”


    Zhang Su nodded, offering no further explanation. Thanks to a brief internet reconnection on Zheng Xinyu’s phone and posts from netizens worldwide, he had a clearer picture of the situation. But he saw no reason to share that knowledge.


    “Now it makes sense. I’ve only heard two police sirens and seen two helicopters. So, the entire Qin City is in chaos…” Zhong Xiaoshan muttered, clutching her silk pajamas as her face paled. Her earlier suspicions were now undeniable, leaving her slumped on the sofa in despair.


    “You’re observant.”


    Zhang Su silently noted how she had heard two police sirens—when he hadn’t even heard one.


    “Fortunately, my parents live in the countryside. With a smaller population density, it should be safer, right?” Zhong Xiaoshan mused, seemingly to herself.


    Zhang Su waved her off. “Ms. Zhong, we’ve said what needs to be said. Whether your parents are safe or not, that’s for you to figure out.”


    “But… can I…” Zhong Xiaoshan hesitated, her gaze drifting to an empty self-heating rice box in the trash. She swallowed hard.


    “Do you have any food? I’d like to buy some. To be honest, I haven’t eaten in a long time…”


    To maintain her figure, Zhong Xiaoshan strictly adhered to a diet of two light, balanced meals daily. In layman’s terms, she ate like a bird. Since yesterday, she hadn’t eaten in 27 hours.