Chapter 13: When You Can Eat in the Future
The little zombie had been waiting for mealtime for far too long and was already beside himself with impatience. Letting out a sharp “Awoo,” he sank his teeth into Lin Feng’s arm and began gulping down blood greedily.
Lin Feng went stiff, offering no resistance. Instead, he simply closed his eyes, looking completely resigned to his fate.
When the little zombie was nearly full, he reluctantly loosened his grip and looked up at Pei Zhi with an inquiring chirp: “Awoo?”
Can I eat meat now?
Pei Zhi cut him off immediately. “No.”
The little zombie felt a pang of regret, but he didn’t mind too much. Getting to drink such warm, fresh blood was already satisfying enough!
Releasing Lin Feng’s arm, he trotted over to take Pei Zhi’s hand, leaning against the man’s side in absolute reliance.
Pei Zhi stepped forward to inspect Lin Feng’s arm. The blackened, rotting flesh was clearing up right before their eyes; the spiderweb pattern of dark veins was fading away, and the bite wound was closing at a startling pace.
Shock flashed across Lin Feng’s face. “Captain Pei… this is…”
“Jiang Xiaozhi has a healing ability,” Pei Zhi said calmly. “Keep it quiet to avoid unnecessary trouble.”
“Understood.” Lin Feng lowered his head in solemn gratitude. “Thank you, Little Zombie. Thank you, Captain Pei.”
Once Lin Feng’s wound had mostly sealed, Pei Zhi led the little zombie to the other observation cells, having him take a small bite from each infected patient.
Only after every quarantined person had received treatment did Pei Zhi take the little zombie and head out.
On their walk back, the little zombie spotted a large dog—a golden retriever with a glossy coat. He hadn’t expected anyone to still be keeping pets in the middle of an apocalypse.
The golden retriever wore a loose chain around its neck and had likely slipped away from home. Spotting the little zombie, it trotted over with its tongue lolling out, panting happily and eager to play.
The little zombie had been strolling ahead of Pei Zhi, turning his head curiously to take in the surrounding buildings. The moment he saw the large beast charging toward him, he panicked, scrambling back to Pei Zhi in a frantic hurry and begging with outstretched arms to be lifted up.
Pei Zhi cast a glance at the dog, scooped the boy up with an arm supporting his bottom, and threw out a casual kick to shoo it off. “Go on, get lost.”
The little zombie wrapped his arms tightly around Pei Zhi’s neck, tucking his feet up close in sheer terror that the beast would sink its teeth into him.
Scolded by Pei Zhi, the golden retriever gave them a regretful look, turned around, and trotted off happily to find other pedestrians to play with.
The little zombie buried his face deep into the crook of Pei Zhi’s neck, not daring to peek out for a long time.
Pei Zhi whispered into his ear, “All right, the dog is gone.”
Only then did the little zombie crack one eye open to search for the giant creature that had tried to attack him.
The dog had already found a new playmate, wagging its tail furiously at a passerby who was smiling and scratching its ears.
“If it bit you, would you be scared?” Pei Zhi asked patiently.
The little zombie nodded.
Seizing the moment, Pei Zhi guided him gently: “It’s the same when you bite passersby—they get terrified too. They’re human beings. They have feelings, and they hurt when they’re bitten. A long time ago, you were a human just like them.”
The little zombie’s brows knitted together as a faint glimmer of understanding dawned. So that was why he wasn’t allowed to bite people.
Then… if he got hungry in the future, he would just have to endure it.
Seeing the boy’s conflicted, miserable expression, Pei Zhi’s eyes softened. He let out a low chuckle. “It’s okay. You can bite me.”
The little zombie snapped his head up, his eyes sparkling with delight. But the joy vanished just as quickly, his brow furrowing once more—Pei Zhi was a person too, which meant Pei Zhi would feel the pain.
He didn’t want Pei Zhi to hurt.
Instead of heading straight back to the residential quarters, Pei Zhi carried him to the base’s supermarket.
The shelves were stocked with fresh produce and packaged snacks. Pei Zhi picked up some rice, flour, and a sack of potatoes.
At the register, the cashier handed Pei Zhi a colorful swirl lollipop as part of his change, and Pei Zhi passed it directly to the little zombie.
The boy was immediately fascinated by the bright colors. He turned the candy over in his hands for a second, then popped the whole thing into his mouth, wrapper and all.
Pei Zhi stopped him in a hurry, peeled off the plastic packaging, and handed the bare candy back. “Eat it like this.”
The little zombie sucked on it a few times, then pulled it from his lips and handed it back to Pei Zhi with a disappointed pout. It didn’t taste like anything at all.
Pei Zhi took the lollipop and tasted it himself; it was undeniably sweet.
“You don’t like it?” Pei Zhi asked.
The little zombie shook his head, slumping against the man’s chest and nervously picking at his own fingers.
Only then did Pei Zhi remember that zombies lacked sensory perception, let alone a sense of taste. Jiang Xiaozhi couldn’t taste even the slightest hint of sweetness.
Despite possessing an extraordinary gift that could heal anyone’s agony, he couldn’t even enjoy the simplest pleasure of a sweet candy.
A quiet pang of sorrow tightened in Pei Zhi’s chest. Leaning down, he whispered into the boy’s ear:
“When you’re able to taste again in the future, I’ll buy you as many as you want.”
The little zombie tilted his head, studying Pei Zhi’s face. The man’s gaze was deep and solemn, like someone sealing an unbreakable promise. With a docile chirp, the boy gave an obedient “Awoo.”
Pei Zhi finally set him down when they reached the villa. Halfway through the walk, he had tried letting the boy walk on his own, but the little zombie was far too skittish; the moment his feet touched the pavement, he clung to Pei Zhi’s hand like a frightened bird. In the end, Pei Zhi had simply carried him the rest of the way.
Pei Zhi set to work in the kitchen. He rinsed the rice, set it in the cooker to steam, peeled and shredded the potatoes, and tossed them into a hot pan with scallions, ginger, garlic, and vinegar. Before long, a simple dinner was served.
Pei Zhi dished a small bowl for the little zombie and set it before him. “Eat a little.”
The boy tilted his head and stared at the bowl. He had no appetite for human food, but remembering that he could never eat meat again and had to survive on this instead, he picked up the chopsticks and forced down a couple of bites.
Before he could finish a third mouthful, the villa’s doorbell chimed. Pei Zhi set his bowl down and walked over to answer it.
Standing on the porch was Cheng Yu, his eyes brimming with tears. “Captain Pei! It’s so wonderful to see you made it back alive!”
Pei Zhi frowned with open impatience. “Is something wrong?”
Cheng Yu spoke in a gentle, choked voice, “I was worried sick about you, so I came by the moment I heard. These past two days, I haven’t been able to eat or sleep, just waiting for news of you! Even when Shen Qing left on another mission, I refused to go. I stayed behind just to wait for you—I knew you’d come back!”
Pei Zhi replied coldly, “You would have been better off joining the mission.”
Cheng Yu’s face went pale for a second before he awkwardly tried to change the subject. “Captain Pei, you must be exhausted after such a long trek, and nobody has cleaned the place up yet. Let me help you tidy up!”
With that, Cheng Yu slipped through the doorway and stepped inside, determined to make a good impression.
To his sheer horror, the moment he stepped into the dining area, he locked eyes with the little zombie sitting right at the table.
Cheng Yu stumbled back several steps, his voice shrill with terror: “You… how did you come back with Captain Pei too?!”
Leaning casually against the doorframe, Pei Zhi watched him with cold amusement. “Weren’t you going to clean?”
Cheng Yu’s expression twisted into an ugly mask, his knees trembling violently. “I… I…”
The little zombie paused mid-chew. Seeing a guest arrive, he let out a polite “Awoo” by way of greeting.
That single cry sent a jolt of panic straight through Cheng Yu, turning his legs to jelly.
“I… I remembered I have errands to run! I’ll… I’ll take my leave first!”
He spun on his heel to flee, but was stopped in his tracks by Pei Zhi’s freezing command: “You are not allowed to tell anyone that Xiao Zhi is a zombie.”
Cheng Yu glanced back at the neat, well-dressed boy calmly holding a bowl at the table. A flicker of cold malice flared deep in his eyes, but he quickly forced out a shaky nod of agreement and scurried out the front door.
The Food-hoarding Zombie Was Kidnapped by the Apocalyptic Boss
