Chapter 52

Thump—

Thump-thump-thump—

In the dim room, on the soft bed, the family of three sat in a row.

The one on the outermost side was, of course, Fu Cheng.

He leaned against the headboard, holding Lin Zao and Lin Xiaobao’s water cups in one hand and their snacks in the other.

No need to worry—his hands were plenty big enough to manage all that.

Lin Zao and Lin Xiaobao didn’t even have to say a word. They just had to stretch out a hand or purse their lips and lean their faces closer.

Fu Cheng knew right away whether they wanted a snack or a drink, and he’d hand over exactly what they needed.

Of course, a pure zombie would never understand any of this.

It was only after Lin Zao’s crash course in training their house zombie that they saw these results.

Fu Cheng sat ramrod straight with the items at the ready.

Lin Zao sat beside him, slouching against his body.

He clung to Fu Cheng just like Lin Xiaobao’s favorite caterpillar gummy candies—in the melted version.

Lin Zao stuck to him entirely, his head resting on Fu Cheng’s shoulder.

He kept his head lowered, his eyes slightly downcast, letting the glow from the screen play across his face and cast shadows.

He clearly didn’t enjoy watching this disc much.

Lin Xiaobao was a different story.

He was a huge fan of Dad and Big Daddy’s Wedding Video!

Even before the opening started playing, he was already thrilled, raising his little hands and jumping to his feet.

“Yay! Dad and Big Daddy are getting married again! Awesome!”

He turned around, lifted Lin Zao’s head, and gently shook it. “Dad, get up and watch.”

Lin Zao let out a helpless sigh. “Alright, Little Bao. Dad’s watching.”

Lin Xiaobao then clambered over his dad to reach Big Daddy, pressing down on his head. “Big Daddy, you watch too!”

Fu Cheng finally tore his gaze from Lin Zao’s face and looked in the direction Lin Xiaobao pointed. “Hrm—”

At that moment, rhythmic drumbeats pulsed from the TV, growing heavier, faster, more urgent.

As stirring music swelled, the pitch-black screen flickered to life with images.

The backdrop was a vast expanse of verdant grassland under an endless blue sky.

The music built, and three books drifted in from the horizon.

The first book floated into view—

Childhood Sweethearts!

The book even flipped open.

The first page showed Lin Zao and Fu Cheng as little kids, wearing blue smocks and munching on popsicles under the apartment building.

Fu Cheng was a bit bigger and taller.

Lin Zao was smaller, shorter, and even cuter.

Fu Cheng held his popsicle in one hand while draping an arm around Lin Zao like a little brother.

He didn’t notice Lin Zao tilting his head to sneak a bite from the end of his popsicle.

The second page was a photo of the two boys on a seesaw.

The third showed them with their bare bottoms, playing on the playground slide.

Fu Cheng might not have recognized his younger self, but he spotted Little Zao at first glance!

The Little Zao now looked exactly like the Little Zao back then!

Damn it! Why was Little Zao’s butt exposed like that?

Fu Cheng immediately reached out to cover Lin Xiaobao’s eyes, then turned to Lin Zao.

“Don’t look at me!” Lin Zao wailed, collapsing against Fu Cheng and burying his face in his chest, refusing to face it.

No wonder he hated watching the wedding video!

It wasn’t fun at all!

The first book closed and floated away, replaced by the second—

Two Little Innocents!

Photos from their teenage years.

They wore school uniforms, sitting side by side in the classroom as desk mates.

Lin Zao diligently did his homework while Fu Cheng sprawled asleep on the desk.

Then the third book—

Happily Ever After!

“Don’t watch!”

Lin Zao raised a hand to cover Fu Cheng’s eyes.

But Fu Cheng was fully hooked.

He grabbed Lin Zao’s wrist to stop him from interfering.

Fu Cheng and Lin Xiaobao sat together, staring intently at the screen.

“See, Big Daddy? I told you this show’s great, right?”

“Roar—”

It was great.

How could there be such an amazing show in the world?

Father and son were utterly captivated, lost in it.

Lin Zao couldn’t control them, so he focused on shielding himself.

With one final wail, he dove into Fu Cheng’s arms, not daring to look back.

He wouldn’t watch! No way!

He and Fu Cheng had gotten married five years ago.

Right after he graduated college and started working as a teacher at Little Sun Kindergarten.

Fu Cheng had gotten a head start, gathering a crew of brothers to buy trucks and run a delivery and resale business.

Then one time, Fu Cheng got into a crash on the way home. He was fine, but it scared Lin Zao half to death. Lin Zao had rushed out in the middle of the night to the scene alone.

Fu Cheng realized he couldn’t keep making Lin Zao worry like that.

He’d made enough money by then, so he decided to quit the game and live a quiet, stable life.

He started buying cars and building a house, preparing for their wedding.

His brothers used their earnings to switch careers too, opening shops and businesses.

If anyone besides the couple themselves had put in the most effort for Lin Zao and Fu Cheng’s wedding, it was those brothers.

They handled the flowers, the setup, the catering, the guests, the candy favors—all of it.

One brother even went into photography; another taught himself computer effects.

This video was something they pieced together under Fu Cheng’s direction.

Fu Cheng had specifically requested the opening to match that super popular drama at the time!

He’d loved it so much back then that he’d dragged Lin Zao to watch it several times.

Now, even as a zombie, he was hooked at first sight.

Lin Zao lay still in Fu Cheng’s arms.

But Fu Cheng and Lin Xiaobao had to poke at him.

“Dad, why aren’t you watching? You promised to watch the video with me!”

“Early? Roar?”

Lin Xiaobao shook his shoulder.

Fu Cheng nudged his own chest.

—Little Zao/Dad, get up!

Harassed by them, Lin Zao had no choice but to sit up.

“Fine, fine, we’ll watch.”

He shifted position, leaning into Fu Cheng’s arms.

Lin Xiaobao flopped down too, nestling against his dad’s chest.

The family of three stacked together like a tasty burger.

Fortunately, the tough opening was over.

The next scenes were ones Lin Zao could handle.

With gentle pure music playing, the wedding day officially began!

—Four in the morning.

Fu Cheng got up and dragged his brothers from the next room, earning their grumpy complaints.

They had a rule: no staying together before the wedding.

Fu Cheng had only built one house, so he’d left Lin Zao at home and bunked at a hotel with the others.

Lin Zao was sleeping.

—Five in the morning.

Fu Cheng finished washing up but was too nervous to eat breakfast. Under his brothers’ threats—”If you skip breakfast, you’ll mess up at the wedding,” “If you mess up, Little Zao will dump you”—he scarfed down eight big meat buns.

Lin Zao was still sleeping.

—Six in the morning.

Fu Cheng donned his suit. The brother who’d switched to hairstyling came in to style his hair. The brother tried to do his eyebrows too, but Fu Cheng flatly refused.

Lin Zao kept sleeping.

—Seven in the morning.

Fu Cheng and his brothers sat on the hotel sofa, staring at each other, just toughing it out.

Lin Zao finally got up, washed, and changed.

The professional makeup artist Fu Cheng had splurged on arrived.

Outside the screen, the zombie Fu Cheng watching for the first time and Lin Xiaobao on his hundredth viewing both watched with rapt attention.

Lin Xiaobao even clenched his little fists, afraid some villain might cause trouble.

That’s how it always went on TV!

Lin Zao was the only one fully clear-headed.

Of course! He knew exactly what came next!

While father and son were distracted, he turned away again, burying his face in Fu Cheng’s chest.

Sure enough, the scene shifted the next second, and the music changed.

That cheesy vibe swept over them once more.

“Spring flowers chase away winter’s sorrow.

A gentle breeze brings romance.”

It was the hottest wedding song back then.

The intro might not give it away, but—

Lin Xiaobao, who’d heard it a hundred times already, jumped up and started dancing to the music.

“Listen to me, hand in hand, walk with me, build a happy life!

Yesterday’s gone, tomorrow’s a waste.

Today, you’re marrying me!”

Lin Xiaobao had mastered this song before he could even recite “Goose Goose Goose”!

Lin Zao took a deep breath and slumped further into Fu Cheng’s arms, feeling like he’d already checked out for a while.

On TV, Fu Cheng burst into the house with his brothers and hoisted Lin Zao over his shoulder.

They carried him down the stairs and shoved him into the car.

Like bandits on a raid.

The wedding procession sped off, leaving exhaust in its wake.

Lin Xiaobao didn’t notice his dad’s discomfort at all. He kept shaking his little butt and singing, even tweaking the lyrics.

“Listen to me, today Dad and Big Daddy are getting married.”

He sang with such gusto that Fu Cheng started humming along.

Lin Zao lifted his head in disbelief, staring at him in shock.

Hadn’t you lost the ability to speak after turning into a zombie?

How were you suddenly singing?

Lin Zao tentatively pressed a finger to Fu Cheng’s Adam’s apple.

It was real.

His throat moved, his chest vibrated.

Was this right? Did it make sense?

How could this happen?

Love had taught a mute zombie to sing!

Suddenly, Lin Zao didn’t think the video was so bad after all.

He snuggled deeper into Fu Cheng’s arms and listened intently to him sing.

The rest of the segment—from arriving at the hotel and holding the ceremony to toasting the guests—all played to that same music.

Fu Cheng could sing for a long time, and Lin Zao was happy to listen.

Their wedding had been at the biggest hotel in Small City.

A full Western-style affair: suits, ties, ring exchange.

Wedding cars and decorations loaded with fresh flowers.

In that remote little town back then, it was the height of fashion.

Even now, Lin Zao had no idea how much Fu Cheng had spent.

He’d never say before, and now it was impossible to ask.

The wedding itself had been perfect, so no matter the editing, effects, or music, it couldn’t look bad.

Lin Zao watched and gradually got drawn in.

He turned back around to join Fu Cheng and Lin Xiaobao, gazing quietly at the screen.

When the officiant on stage posed that classic question—

“Mr. Lin Zao, do you take this tall, handsome man before you as your husband? In poverty or wealth, health or illness, to love him forever, never to part?”

The Lin Zao on screen looked at Fu Cheng across from him.

The Lin Zao off screen turned to look at Fu Cheng.

Both Lin Zaos spoke softly at the same moment.

—I do.

The officiant then asked Fu Cheng the same.

Fu Cheng held Lin Zao close, nuzzling his cheek with his own.

Of course he did. More than anything.

Only then did Fu Cheng finally understand.

Why he couldn’t help liking Little Zao the moment he saw him.

Why he craved closeness with Little Zao on sight.

Why he wanted to devour Little Zao the instant they met.

His desire for Little Zao wasn’t hunger.

Not the zombie urge to eat flesh and drink blood.

It was love!

The sacred, pure desire between people.

Just like what he saw now.

They loved each other, so they became husbands and built a life together.

Even after he turned into a zombie, Little Zao never gave up on him.

Because they’d made those vows to each other.

It was love—a higher desire than mere hunger.

Fu Cheng gazed steadily at Lin Zao, his mind growing clearer, more lucid.

Something was about to break through the zombie virus’s iron grip, about to sprout!

Yes.

He was human. He’d once been a man.

He liked Little Zao so much—loved him to death.

He’d liked Little Zao since they were kids, raised him, paid for his college.

It had taken so much to build that house, marry Little Zao, bring him home.

He…

The next second came a soft “pat.”

Lin Zao slumped into his arms, his forehead thumping against Fu Cheng’s chest.

Fu Cheng felt his mind cloud over again, but in his heart, a little flower bloomed.

A rose, just like in the wedding video.

Growing in his heart, vivid red, swaying gently.

So he’d loved Little Zao long before—back when he didn’t eat people.

On TV, the officiant announced that the new husbands could kiss.

Fu Cheng cupped Lin Zao’s face and leaned down to kiss him.

Off screen, Fu Cheng mimicked his past self’s motions, clumsily steadying Lin Zao’s head.

Lin Xiaobao stopped singing, clamping his mouth shut to stay quiet.

He glanced at the TV, then at real life.

Wow, he could barely keep up!

Just as Fu Cheng was about to kiss Lin Zao, another soft “pat.”

The bite guard wedged between them, an unwelcome barrier.

They’d both forgotten about it.

Fine. They couldn’t kiss yet.

Lin Zao reached up to remove the bite guard, but Fu Cheng caught his hand.

Fu Cheng’s expression was clear, his gaze calm—like when he’d first come home—sternly stopping him.

No.

Little Zao, no.

Lin Zao obeyed, lunging forward instead to hug his neck and kiss his forehead.

Okay, have it your way.

The disc ended, and Lin Xiaobao clutched his little butt as he hopped off the bed.

“Dad, Big Daddy, I gotta pee.”

“Go on,” Lin Zao called back.

“Don’t play the next disc without me—you have to wait till I get back.”

“Got it.”

Lin Xiaobao dashed to the bathroom. Lin Zao and Fu Cheng embraced and toppled onto the bed together.

Within Fu Cheng’s body, human will finally gained the upper hand.

In Fu Cheng’s heart, Lin Zao’s place finally outweighed everything else.

Fu Cheng closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they brimmed with thick, unrelenting possessiveness.

He suddenly understood the origin of his constant urge to devour Little Zao.

And he knew exactly how he wanted to do it.

Not like a savage beast, gulping it down whole in one bite without even savoring the taste before it was gone.

Not devouring every last bit in a single go. No—he would eat slowly, carefully, deliberately.

With a plan. Methodically.

Thus, after awakening to his human consciousness, Fu Cheng didn’t suppress the zombie’s hunger for Little Zao at all. Instead, the flames burned even hotter.

He was a man, but also a zombie.

His desires, naturally, came double.

Crimson firelight danced in Fu Cheng’s eyes. Lin Zao felt a chill crawl up his spine and lifted a hand to cover them.

“Why are you staring at me like that? The wedding’s over, and we didn’t film any of the nighttime stuff. Even if we had, it couldn’t air—pure contraband.”

Fu Cheng let out a low chuckle. The arm looped around Lin Zao’s waist tightened, drawing him closer into his embrace.

With Lin Xiaobao out of sight, Lin Zao clutched at the front of Fu Cheng’s tank top and whispered, “Can… can you control it? Am I going to get infected? Do you still have… that function working?”

Fu Cheng smiled and ruffled Lin Zao’s hair.

No need to worry. He had it under control.