Vixen Above, Mensao Below (26)

"Jia!"

Ye Minzhe pulled her back, and with a forceful swing of his axe, he dealt the last blow to the zombie that she was fighting.

He turned towards her, his eyes scanning her from head to toe. "Did you get hurt?"

Song Jia shook her head. She only fought against the zombies one at a time. It was because every time another zombie would stagger towards her, Ye Minzhe would hack it with his axe. He fought with zombies more than her one hand could count, but he still had energy left to worry about her situation.

Song Jia didn't know why he was so worried. Among them, she was the second best fighter. Rather than worry about her, shouldn't he worry more about Ding Xiuxiu?

"Are you alright, Xiuxiu?"

Gong Qiye crouched before Ding Xiuxiu, who had collapsed on the floor. Her face was pale and streaked with tears.

She leaned against Long Aotian, who was rubbing her back while he drank water from a thermos. The five of them had been friends since kindergarten, so they were very close. They treated Ding Xiuxiu as their little sister. Even Ouyang Che was expressing his sympathy for her.

But Ding Xiuxiu's eyes were only focused on Ye Minzhe.

"Minzhe...."

Ye Minzhe spared her a glance. "If you can't handle it, then go back. Did you think we were going on an evening stroll? If you can't do anything but cry, scram."

Ding Xiuxiu cried even harder.

"Ye Minzhe!"

Gong Qiye couldn't help but shout at him.

"Did you forget what Xiuxiu's identity is? She's your fiancée! Can't you comfort her even for a bit?"

Ye Minzhe snorted. "I have a fiancée? How come I didn't know? Wasn't the old man just doing things as he pleased? If he wants her so much, then let my old man marry her!"

"Minzhe..." Ding Xiuxiu looked at him through a haze of tears. Her eyes were red, looking very pitiful. "Do you hate me that much?"

Ye Minzhe looked at her. He did not mince his words.

"Xiuxiu, I don't hate you. I don't hate you, but I don't like you either. To me, you were just the little tail that likes to follow me around since we were little. So stop wasting your time on me, it's annoying."

"Ye Minzhe!" Gong Qiye shouted again.

"Raising her hopes up, isn't that more cruel?" Ye Minzhe shook his head and did not pay them any more attention.

He turned towards Song Jia, and the fierce look in his eyes softened. Like a glacier placed under the hot desert sun, the coldness in his eyes melted faster than she could blink.

"Jia, let's go."

Song Jia glanced at Ding Xiuxiu, whose red eyes were looking at the two of them. Although she felt that Ding Xiuxiu was also pitiful, it was Ye Minzhe's right whether to like her or not. Since he didn't like her, it was better for her to know this early on.

It was painful to let go of such feelings, but it would be even more painful to hold on to something that wasn't real.

That was what she thought, but Song Jia still couldn't help herself and pinched Ye Minzhe's waist.

"Can't you speak a little bit nicer to her?" she asked him.

His mouth was too poisonous.

Song Jia looked at Ding Xiuxiu and said, "Just because you love them, don't let them treat you poorly. This time I pinched him for you, next time somebody bullies you, pinch him yourself."

"Jia!"

Ye Minzhe was speechless. What kind of biased treatment was this? The little abacus inside her head had gone defective, somebody please help her replace it!

Hearing her words, Gong Qiye gave Ye Jia a second look. He never thought she would be so generous, even scolding Ye Minzhe for Ding Xiuxiu. Although Ding Xiuxiu had been nice to her, it was only a polite kindness that was extended because she had the identity of being Ye Minzhe's half-sister.

Had Ye Jia not been surnamed Ye, Ding Xiuxiu wouldn't even bother to give her a second look.

Gong Qiye could tell Ye Jia's words came straight from the heart. It slightly improved his impression of her, and the pair of eyes that were looking at her became less cold.

...

"We're finally back here."

Long Aotian panted, his face sweaty and pale. He twisted the lid of his thermos and took a long gulp.

Their journey to Deck 14 was anything but smooth. Even Ye Minzhe leaned his body against the wall, exhausted. Song Jia sat down on the ground and Ye Minzhe slid down beside her, leaning his head against her shoulder.

Song Jia pushed him away. "Don't stick close to me, you're sweaty."

"Can I have some of that?" Ouyang Che panted, pointing at Long Aotian's thermos.

Long Aotian shook his head. "It's not normal water, it's my medicine."

Long Aotian had a sickly body since young, and he always consumed herbal concoctions that tasted bitter. Ouyang Che made a face and didn't ask him again.

"We're really back here," Gong Qiye said. "I remember that the casino was that way."

Song Jia's gaze followed his pointing finger.

"If Aotian hadn't suggested for us to rent out the casino, who knows what might have happened?" Gong Qiye wondered out loud. "Thankfully, we locked the door."

He shook his head, recalling how they would have probably stayed there longer if Ye Minzhe didn't suddenly run out. They wouldn't even know that there were zombies already taking over the ship.

They finished resting and were about to head up to Deck 15. Suddenly, the floor beneath them trembled violently.

"Ah?!"

All of them exclaimed in shock.

"What's going on?" Ding Xiuxiu exclaimed in fear.

Moving in unison, all of them reached for something to hold on to. Large cracks zigzagged down the walls as the floor lurched, and the fluorescent lights above them started to flicker. Ye Minzhe stayed close to Song Jia, shielding her with his body.

Another fierce tremor sent a small table on the hallway to crash against the wall. Song Jia was startled at the loud sound and flinched in reflex.

"Don't be scared, I'm here." Ye Minzhe dipped his head, his lips barely brushing her ear. "I'll protect you."

The shaking of the ship continued for a minute longer, and stopped. Ye Minzhe tightened his hold around Song Jia's waist and didn't move, his eyes observing their surroundings.

"I think it finally stopped."

It was Song Jia who first pulled away from him. She glanced at the cracks that were formed on the walls and frowned.

"This is the second time the ship shook this much."

"Maybe there's a storm outside," Ouyang Che said. His expression suddenly paled. "Or...a tsunami?"