81 Zombie Empress (12)
(Lirean Province- Capitol City)
(Adna Supermarket)
"Okay… let's double check the list of supplies…" Qin Lan muttered to herself as she stared at the items neatly packed together on the floor.
Water… check… canned food… check… medical supplies… check…
Eve stood silently behind her as she counted the number of items and made sure that there was enough to last for at least several months.
"Am I missing anything?" Qin Lan asked curiously as she turned around.
"No… no…" Eve softly whispered as she leaned in closer and stared at Qin Lan with an affectionate gaze.
Qin Lan felt her face begin to heat up and moved away before the tips of her ears turned completely red.
She didn't know why Eve liked to invade her personal space to her but seeing such a beautiful girl up close made her heart skip a beat.
Eve's gorgeous looks were even more breathtaking than any female model that Qin Lan had ever seen on a magazine cover.
It was as though she had been artificially created with perfection in mind.
Eve seemed to notice Qin Lan's distracted state and a small smile flashed across her lips.
Blurry memories would occasionally flow into her mind and although they seemed to involve a woman who looked quite different to Qin Lan…
Somehow Eve felt as though there was a connection between them.
Qin Lan nervously coughed twice and then walked towards the back of the store to talk to the group of students.
"Liu Yifei can you place these supplies in your space?" Qin Lan asked gently as she gestured towards the direction of the items.
"Sure! No problem!" Liu Yifei replied quickly as her eyes sparkled.
It would be a lie to say that she wasn't still affected by what had almost happened but ever since her rescue…
Qin Lan's calm and collected demeanor had been imprinted on her heart.
The badass woman who shot the brute who tried to tear off her clothes with a gun was someone who Liu Yifei deeply admired.
"Oh! Can I come and watch?!" Gong Li hurriedly asked as she got up and followed her friend to the front of the store.
Qin Lan watched the two girls laughing and giggling together as they headed for the supplies.
Peaceful moments like this would only get rarer in the future.
"Are you all ready to head out? As soon as Liu Yifei puts the supplies away… we will be leaving the supermarket," Qin Lan addressed the rest of the students.
"I will not force anyone to come with us… but… trust me… staying in the city will be a grave mistake as the infection rates increase."
"And supermarkets will be the number one target for any survivors that remain…"
"Survivors? So, we can team up with them?" one of the boys asked optimistically.
"No… trust me… anyone who remains… will not be a kind person…" Qin Lan solemnly spoke with a harsh glint in her eyes.
She didn't want to scare the young teenagers, but they needed to be aware of the reality of the current situation.
Humans could be just as dangerous as the monsters outside.
"I… I want to come with you…" the class monitor stuttered as he raised his hand.
Qin Lan had learnt his name yesterday and apparently he was called Chen Xiao.
"Me too…" a girl named Liu Tao quickly spoke up.
Each student had a different opinion and although they were impressed by Eve and Qin Lan's strength, their fear of the monsters outside proved to be too difficult to ignore.
Several voices declined Qin Lan's offer as some students nervously turned her down.
"I… it's… too… risky… I don't want to leave…"
"My parents… they are in the city…"
"Why can't we just stay here?!"
Qin Lan shook her head and tried her best to persuade them to leave one more time but the students who refused were steadfast.
"Okay… well just be careful and remember not to trust anyone…" Qin Lan reluctantly spoke as she gestured for the students who wanted to leave to follow her.
Excluding her brother there were about four students in total who chose to leave. Gong Li, Liu Yifei, Liu Tao and finally Chen Xiao.
Three girls and one boy.
The encounter with the gang of men had terrified the young schoolgirls and it was clear that their classmates did not have the strength to protect them.
It was better to leave with Qin Lan and Eve.
Speaking of her brother….
"Qin Wei… where are you? It's time to go!" Qin Lan called out loudly. She heard some footsteps coming from behind an aisle and soon a handsome young man appeared.
Qin Lan didn't know why her brother was acting so strangely, it was almost as though he didn't want to interact with her.
But maybe it was due to the stress…
It was unfortunate that the original Qin Lan had locked most of her memories away, so she didn't know how her relationship with her brother was.
"We… we're leaving so soon?" Qin Wei nervously asked as he tried to avoid eye contact with his classmates.
"Yeah… it will be nighttime in a couple of hours, so we need to reach the suburban zone before dark," Qin Lan explained patiently.
She explained the plan to her brother who seemed as though he was listening patiently, but Qin Lan caught him sneaking glances at Liu Yifei who was putting supplies in her space.
Did he have a little crush?
Qin Lan smiled and was about to tease her brother but decided against it since she wasn't sure how he would react.
Eve wandered over and placed her hand on Qin Lan's shoulder. She leaned forward and rested her chin on top of Qin Lan's head.
Qin Wei shivered as Eve glanced at him with a look of warning.
It was as though the powerful woman could see the dark jealousy burning in his heart.
Eve clenched her fingers tightly and she lowered her gaze just as her eyes briefly turned completely pitch black.
Fortunately, no one noticed.
"I got all of the supplies in my space!" Liu Yifei happily spoke as she placed the last can of soup in her storage.
The warm and fuzzy feeling in her chest gradually disappeared and for some reason the tattered old pendant around her neck felt a bit heavier.
"Good job! Your ability is truly a godsend," Qin Lan praised her and clapped her hands together in applause.
The commotion happening in the front of the room attracted the attention of the other survivors who curiously looked over.
"Are you all leaving?" an elderly man hoarsely whispered.
"Yes… I can also bring some of you as well but the space in my van is only enough for the teenagers…" Qin Lan admitted truthfully.
"Unless one of you knows how to hijack or hotwire cars… it would be best to remain here and fortify the barricade…"
Most of the survivors in the supermarket frowned when they heard Qin Lan's words since they wanted Eve to stay to protect them.
"Girl why don't you stay with us… "one of the survivors pointed at Eve.
"Yes! We have supplies that won't run out!" another quickly added.
"Do you want to stay with someone who can kill so easily?" a third whispered as he glanced at Qin Lan.
Eve's facial expression didn't change and she treated the voices of the other survivors in the room like air.
Eventually the survivors realised that their words of persuasion didn't work on the woman who remained silent.
"Okay… just remember when we go outside… stick close to me at all times…" Qin Lan warned seriously as she pulled a bloodstained knife out of her pocket.
She nodded at Eve who reluctantly left her side and moved to the front of the supermarket to push aside the obstacles blocking the door.
"Are you sure? What if… if… the police and military are coming to save us?" Qin Wei whispered softly in a voice that he hoped no one would hear except for his sister.
"They aren't… and besides… I will protect you,' Qin Lan brightly smiled as she reassured her brother with a solemn promise.
(That's easy for you to say!)
(You have an ability!)
(If I had a gift… I would be better than you… and stronger as well…)
Qin Wei hid the hatred that briefly surfaced in his heart and politely thanked his sister with an innocent smile on his face.
