Chapter 3: Cutie
Shi Changyuan watched as the little zombie, full and content, found a corner farthest from him to rest. He sat against the wall, and apparently finding the floor too cold, even went back to the cage to fetch his little blanket.
Faced with this “eat and run” behavior, Shi Changyuan showed no dissatisfaction. He simply cleared the plate and went back to reading his book.
The little zombie had initially been wary of the evil human professor, but the man made no move. As time passed, he grew bored and started flipping through the Novice’s Guide to Pet Rearing he had beside him.
It seemed Shi Changyuan had also made notes in this book.
For example, in the first chapter on selecting a pet, the book advised readers to choose a breed based on their own aesthetics and preferences.
It said that one’s little pet might not be the most beautiful, but it would certainly be the one that caught their eye.
But the evil human professor had circled both “most beautiful” and “caught their eye,” looking like he wanted it all.
The little zombie: …Greedy and cunning human!
As for the following section on preparing basic supplies, from sealing windows to providing toys, Lin Ling could find a corresponding item for each one in the lab.
Lin Ling blinked, and a sudden realization struck him.
If Shi Changyuan was treating him according to this book, then couldn’t he predict what the man would do next based on the later chapters?
Wow, as expected of the Zombie Emperor who will lead the zombies to rule the world. I’m so smart!
While loudly praising himself in his head, Lin Ling flipped through the pages until he stopped at one covered in X marks.
But before he could take a closer look, he saw the evil human professor walking toward him. The man then placed three small paper balls in front of him.
“Pick one.”
The great Zombie Emperor eyed the human suspiciously before snatching up all three paper balls from the floor.
There were words inside the paper balls. The first one said “Cutie,” the second one also said “Cutie,” and when he opened the third, it was still “Cutie.”
Lin Ling: …
The little zombie looked at the paper balls, then at the book by his side. Under the dense markings, he could only make out the words “Name Collection.”
And on this page, hundreds of sample names had all been crossed out, as if someone was completely dissatisfied with them.
“I have a name!” The little zombie threw the paper balls back at Shi Changyuan, refusing to accept this new name.
“Lin, as in forest. Ling, as in clear water.”
“Lingling?”
The evil human professor, whether due to mishearing or poor pronunciation, said the little zombie’s name as a diminutive. It sounded surprisingly intimate, as if they were very close.
“You’re not allowed to call me that!”
The little zombie crossed his arms, puffing out his cheeks. He even lifted his chin, looking quite proud.
“You are permitted to call me Your Majesty, the Zombie Emperor.”
“When I conquer the world, I might even consider making you my number one subordinate for this.”
Seeing the little zombie’s courage growing, Shi Changyuan smiled and held the paper balls out to him again.
“Lingling, or Cutie.”
“Pick one.”
“You’re not listening to me at all!”
A sudden burst of anger rose in the little zombie. He slapped the paper balls out of Shi Changyuan’s hand and onto the floor, then turned and ran, once again putting a great distance between them. Even the temptation of dinner was useless this time.
Finally, the evil human professor seemed to give up and left the lab.
This was a victory!
The little zombie was overjoyed. As he was savoring his achievement, the entire lab suddenly went dark, with only a small night light in the cage emitting a faint glow.
Plunged into darkness, Lin Ling realized it was already very late.
Zombies were different from humans. Even the lowest-tier zombie could work at high intensity for three days and three nights and only need less than four hours of sleep.
After confirming that the human had gone to rest, Lin Ling approached the main door, attempting to escape.
The door was made of metal and opened from the middle. With great effort, Lin Ling managed to pry open a small crack.
The next second, an alarm blared through the building.
The little zombie heard the footsteps of a group of humans and frantically found a corner to hide in.
“What happened?”
“Someone triggered the alarm for Professor Shi’s private lab.”
“Check the surveillance.”
The little zombie heard every word of the humans’ discussion. Just as he thought he was completely done for, he heard a familiar voice.
“No need. My new pet is just a bit mischievous.”
The voice was deep and carried a cool detachment, yet it held an undeniable authority.
“Professor Shi finally found a pet he wanted to keep? Congratulations.”
“Since it’s nothing, we’ll be leaving.”
With just one sentence, the little zombie’s crisis was resolved.
Lin Ling peeked out. Seeing that only Shi Changyuan was left at the door, he emerged from the darkness.
Looking at the now-ruined alloy door that could no longer close properly, Shi Changyuan then looked at the little zombie before him, who appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen and was moderately malnourished. He was silent for a moment.
“Explain.”
“Where did you go? And why did you turn off the lights?”
Not only did Lin Ling have no intention of explaining, but he also had the audacity to question Shi Changyuan instead.
“…Back to my apartment.”
Shi Changyuan didn’t know why he was explaining, but he knew very well that if he didn’t satisfy the little zombie before him, the other could create countless more disturbances like this.
“Then I want to go too!”
The words had barely left his mouth before Lin Ling spoke again, his tone righteous and his reasoning sound.
“Before you captured me, I had my own room and a big yard!”
“I don’t want to live here.”
To be fair, the lab was actually very large, spacious enough to be sectioned into a three-bedroom apartment. It had everything one could need, and living here wouldn’t be cramped at all.
But his true intention was not the wine in the cup; leaving the lab to check out the situation outside was Lin Ling’s real goal.
This was the first step to escape!
“No.”
However, to Lin Ling’s surprise, the man refused without a moment’s hesitation.
“Why?”
Lin Ling asked hurriedly. But just as the question left his lips, he caught sight of a new pet-rearing guide in Shi Changyuan’s hand and understood at once.
He had seen this key point in the book that afternoon.
The book said that some small pets experience separation anxiety, so a new pet will often act up on its first night in a new home, and you mustn’t coddle it.
Now the little zombie fell silent too.
He hadn’t expected that even knowing what would happen next would be useless. This time, he would have to be the one to approach the human.
“Is it really not possible?”
Lin Ling was unwilling to give up. He lowered his head and took a step forward.
As the Zombie Emperor, for the great cause of ruling the world and escaping human territory as soon as possible, he had to be flexible.
With that thought, Lin Ling tremblingly reached out his hand and gently tugged on the corner of Shi Changyuan’s lab coat.
“Can you really bear to leave me here all alone?”
Shi Changyuan looked at the little zombie, whose intentions were written all over his face, who gently brushed against him and then immediately wanted to pull away. He chuckled, grabbed the back of Lin Ling’s neck, and with a slight squeeze of his fingers, tilted the other’s head up, revealing the faint outline of fangs at the corner of his lips.
He exposed him bluntly.
“Want to get out this door?”
“Then Cutie will have to wear a muzzle.”
***
Author’s Note:
Here! [Bunny ears]
