Chapter 329- Cultured Villain vs. Humanoid Weapon (34)
Who would’ve thought that as soon as Qianchen slipped under the covers, the first thing he’d do was hurriedly confess his feelings? However, his words were repetitive, circling around the same few phrases—how much he liked Shi Haoyu and how he’d been searching for him all this time.
Clutching Shi Haoyu’s hand tightly, Qianchen gazed at him with an earnest intensity, repeatedly calling his name. Shi Haoyu could only sigh helplessly and ask where Qianchen had seen him before. Yet, Qianchen couldn’t provide any clear answer.
Perhaps it was Qianchen’s overly deceptive appearance—those innocent, pitiful looks. Against his better judgment, Shi Haoyu found himself feeling a hint of sympathy.
Through their conversation, Shi Haoyu began to speculate: could this zombie have been a junior of his during school? Or perhaps someone he’d encountered while working? Maybe Qianchen had developed an unspoken crush on him long ago.
The idea that this person had been so deeply infatuated, holding onto his feelings through the apocalypse—even after becoming a zombie—was unexpectedly bittersweet. It seemed tragic that Qianchen’s unwavering devotion had driven him to such lengths to find Shi Haoyu. Just thinking about it tugged at his heartstrings.
Looking at Qianchen’s seemingly harmless face, Shi Haoyu realized he simply couldn’t bring himself to dislike him. Yes, Qianchen was clingy and, well, a zombie—but he seemed genuinely innocent and lacked any malicious intent.
Since Qianchen stubbornly refused to let him go and the night had grown late, Shi Haoyu decided there was no point in fighting further. Feeling tired himself, he resolved to rest and sort things out with this troublesome zombie in the morning.
Meanwhile, back in their respective rooms, although Mu Jin and Jian Minghui had ostensibly retired for the night, Mu Jin wasn’t about to let things end there. As soon as he returned to his quarters, he expanded his spiritual awareness to continue his search.
Mu Jin had a strong hunch that Shi Haoyu was still somewhere in Pingcheng Base, and naturally, his primary suspects were the group from Lecheng Base.
Although Mu Jin’s spiritual awareness was powerful, it was somewhat suppressed in this small world, limiting its range. Nevertheless, luck seemed to be on his side. The quarters where Jian Zhengqing had arranged for the Lecheng group to stay weren’t far from his own apartment. It didn’t take long for Mu Jin to detect a faint, unfamiliar trace of energy lingering in Shi Haoyu’s room.
Of course, after picking up on this energy, Mu Jin didn’t act rashly. He didn’t want to alert the other party too soon, especially since Shi Haoyu was still in their hands. Instead, he confirmed that Shi Haoyu was indeed with the Lecheng group and then withdrew his spiritual awareness. He decided to wait for a better opportunity to investigate further and see if he could rescue Shi Haoyu.
The next morning, Shi Haoyu didn’t wake up until the sun was high in the sky. Blinking groggily, he felt a strong pair of arms still holding him in place.
Turning his head, he saw a patch of pale white in his line of sight. As his thoughts slowly cleared, he realized that the white expanse was the bare chest of the zombie tightly embracing him.
Shi Haoyu’s face darkened instantly. He suddenly wished he could go back in time and give himself a good beating.
How could he have thought last night that this zombie was simple?
After just one night, he’d come to the unmistakable conclusion that this wretched zombie was anything but innocent.
He was utterly and thoroughly bad!
Thinking about how he had somehow allowed himself to be utterly disarmed by this zombie—who outwardly appeared so pure and harmless—Shi Haoyu felt his thoughts spinning in disarray. He had been coaxed, half-pushed, and half-pulled into doing that kind of thing.
He didn’t know whether to blame the enchanting atmosphere of the night or the zombie’s impossibly beautiful face. Even though this creature was supposed to be undead, it somehow wielded such disarming charm. Shi Haoyu had foolishly fallen for the zombie’s sweet words and pitiful demeanor, allowing his heart to soften.
Now, his body was covered in faint marks left by the zombie’s kisses. Moving slightly, Shi Haoyu grimaced and nearly cursed aloud. His inner thighs—he didn’t even need to look—were undoubtedly rubbed raw.
Frowning deeply, Shi Haoyu felt an unsettling frustration. His reaction to the zombie made no sense.
He had always been a cautious and vigilant person, yet his wariness seemed to vanish entirely when dealing with this creature. Whenever he saw the zombie’s pitiful or pleading expressions, he instinctively let his guard down. Worse, he even felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as though he’d known the zombie before.
As Shi Haoyu lay there brooding, the zombie emperor, Qianchen, who had been holding him tightly, opened his eyes as well. Zombies didn’t need to sleep, but Qianchen simply enjoyed the comfort of holding his beloved. The moment Shi Haoyu’s breathing changed, Qianchen became fully alert.
Looking down at Shi Haoyu with joy in his eyes, Qianchen planted a firm kiss on his face, his gaze brimming with happiness.
Caught off guard by the intense affection in the zombie’s eyes, Shi Haoyu froze for a moment. Then, memories of the previous night came rushing back: despite how much Qianchen clearly wanted him, he had held himself back.
Even when touching him, Qianchen had been careful not to let his sharp nails graze Shi Haoyu’s skin. Every kiss, every embrace was executed with extreme caution.
Shi Haoyu could still hear Qianchen murmuring softly in his ear, as though chanting a mantra:
“Be careful, be gentle. Can’t hurt Yu. Can’t hurt Yu.”
Qianchen repeatedly muttered those words, as if he was terrified that he might lose control and accidentally hurt Shi Haoyu. In the end, he hadn’t even gone all the way. This left Shi Haoyu with increasingly complicated feelings about him.
Letting out a deep sigh, Shi Haoyu felt like he was losing his mind.
Meanwhile, Qianchen, who had been holding him tightly and observing his every expression, only relaxed when he saw that Shi Haoyu’s face had softened. When he had first opened his eyes and noticed the anger on his beloved’s face, it had nearly scared him out of his wits.
He was truly afraid of Shi Haoyu being angry and leaving him. While Qianchen was powerful and it would be difficult for Shi Haoyu to escape, he couldn’t shake the feeling that if someone was determined enough, they could always find a way.
Because of this, he desperately wanted to win over the person in his arms, to ensure Shi Haoyu couldn’t bear to leave him.
But Qianchen had no idea how to do that, and the uncertainty was gnawing at him. Just then, there was a knock at the door. Without even opening it, Qianchen immediately recognized the visitor as Pei Zijin.
Qianchen didn’t like strangers entering his space and disturbing him. However, noticing Shi Haoyu frown slightly at the sound, he reluctantly went to open the door.
Thankfully, Pei Zijin came with a large food tray, laden with an assortment of breakfast dishes. This stopped Qianchen’s expression from darkening.
After taking the tray, Qianchen hurriedly brought it to the bed and placed it in front of Shi Haoyu. He planted a quick, ingratiating kiss on Shi Haoyu’s face, urging him to enjoy his meal before stepping out and carefully closing the door behind him.
Qianchen stood right outside, ensuring he could immediately react to any sound from within the room. He wasn’t worried about Shi Haoyu trying to escape. Instead, he quietly turned to Pei Zijin and asked, “What do humans like?”
“Huh?” Pei Zijin was momentarily stunned by the question, unsure of what the zombie emperor was asking.
Seeing his confusion, Qianchen frowned and clarified, “What do humans like? How can I make someone happy?”
Pei Zijin finally realized what Qianchen was asking, and naturally, he understood that the question was directed at Shi Haoyu. A wave of jealousy surged in his heart for Shi Haoyu.
However, he dared not give a dismissive answer. He lowered his eyelids, forcing down the anger inside, and instead gave Qianchen a gentle smile as he replied, “Humans always want something. It’s mostly to satisfy their desires—food, beauty, power, and control.”
Qianchen nodded thoughtfully, though he didn’t fully understand.
Pei Zijin, thinking about how much Qianchen valued Shi Haoyu, felt his jealousy intensify. He continued, “Your Majesty, humans always like to become stronger, to stand at the top. I’m sure Shi Haoyu is no exception.
If I had a large army of zombies, I could easily conquer Pingcheng Base, and even more territories. At that point, if you gave those lands to Shi Haoyu, he would surely be pleased.”
Qianchen pondered for a moment upon hearing Pei Zijin’s words, finding some merit in them. He had almost forgotten about the siege by zombies, but after this reminder, he realized it might indeed be necessary.
Seeing that Qianchen didn’t oppose him, Pei Zijin relaxed. He had been worried that once Qianchen found a target, he might stop helping him. Fortunately, he had thought of using Shi Haoyu as an excuse.
However, he continued to advise Qianchen, “But people love surprises. It would be best if you don’t mention this to him just yet. Once you have conquered all the bases and they are under your control, then tell him as a surprise. He will definitely be even happier then.”
Qianchen considered Pei Zijin’s words and decided to follow his advice. He gave a casual “Mm,” then returned to his room.
Although Shi Haoyu was imprisoned, he wouldn’t let himself go hungry. In this post-apocalyptic world, food was scarce, and he believed in not wasting anything. By the time Qianchen returned to the room, the food tray had been completely cleaned out by Shi Haoyu.
Looking at the food, which tasted far better than anything he’d had in the past, Shi Haoyu couldn’t help but sigh, realizing he had truly fallen into decadence. He then rubbed his now-full belly without a hint of guilt.
When Qianchen entered the room, he saw this scene. Despite Shi Haoyu’s typically stern face, after eating and feeling a little dazed, Qianchen couldn’t help but feel a tightness in his throat.
The ever-bold Zombie King immediately rushed over and kissed his beloved with abandon.
Afterwards, Shi Haoyu lay on the bed with a face full of saliva marks, feeling utterly defeated. He suddenly had the sense that he had become a kept man, living off someone else.
After talking with Pei Zijin, Qianchen never left Shi Haoyu’s side, constantly finding ways to win his heart.
He remembered how, when he had met Pei Zijin earlier, he had enhanced Pei Zijin’s abilities to make it easier for him to serve him. After the enhancement, Pei Zijin’s face had lit up with ecstasy.
Qianchen didn’t know exactly how he had done it, but he knew he had the ability to improve others’ powers. Although it drained his own strength and the increase was limited, he didn’t hesitate to use it on Shi Haoyu.
As a result, Shi Haoyu quickly ascended from level 4 to the peak of level 5. The leap from level 4 to 5 was huge, requiring nearly as much energy as leveling up from level 1 to 4.
After doing this, Qianchen felt mentally exhausted, but he sensed that the bond between him and Shi Haoyu had deepened, which pleased him immensely.
Feeling the surge of energy within his own body, Shi Haoyu was momentarily stunned. He quickly realized that his abilities had improved. Looking at the paler-faced Qianchen in front of him, he wasn’t sure what to say.
In the post-apocalyptic world, strength was the most important thing. No matter how Qianchen had done it, Shi Haoyu was grateful for the effort he had put into helping him.
However, even though he had reached the peak of level 5 and his abilities had become formidable, he still knew that he wasn’t a match for the zombie king in front of him. So, Qianchen was indeed the Zombie King.
On the surface, Shi Haoyu and Qianchen seemed to be getting along just fine, but back at Pingcheng Base, except for the members of Mu Jin’s ability team, no one knew that Shi Haoyu had gone missing. After all, Mu Jin didn’t want to raise any suspicions.