Chapter 10: Then Will You Sleep with Me Tonight?…
The next day, Lin Ling slept until the afternoon. A certain human professor was a conscientious boss after all and gave him the day off.
“I didn’t get to eat this morning or at noon. If I eat all three meals at once, can I order something a bit more lavish?”
The little zombie’s abacus was practically clattering. Without waiting for Shi Changyuan’s approval, he started listing dishes.
“I want some salt and pepper lamb chops, sweet and sour pork ribs, and a whole honey-glazed chicken!”
“Got it.”
After Shi Changyuan notified the kitchen, the little robot began delivering Lin Ling’s “lunch-dinner” within half an hour.
Given the little zombie’s previous appetite, the head chef seemed to have increased the portion size of every dish.
Lin Ling was ecstatic looking at his “lunch-dinner.” He picked a movie on Shi Changyuan’s tablet as his electronic side dish and even took out yesterday’s nutritional supplement to use as a drink.
At this moment, the little zombie was completely unaware of the gravity of the situation. He took a bite of meat, then a sip of the supplement, eating very happily.
It wasn’t until he realized he was less than halfway through the food on the table and was already full, and even feeling a bit dizzy, that he paused.
“Can zombies get food comas?”
Lin Ling’s gaze was hazy, but he stubbornly continued to stuff food into his mouth, determined to follow the principle of not wasting food to the end.
“Lingling isn’t even eating carbs. How could you get a food coma?”
Shi Changyuan came closer to check. Seeing the silly child forcing himself, he immediately cleared away all the food.
“Can’t waste it…” The little zombie watched the delicious food being taken away and subconsciously reached out to stop it, his eyes full of reluctance.
“I’ll save it for you.”
Shi Changyuan was a bit helpless. “The nutritional supplement is a concentrate that can last for three days. Didn’t I say that after drinking it, you don’t need to eat anymore?”
Hearing this, the little zombie found the words familiar. He seemed to have heard them before but had paid them no mind.
He probably thought at the time, how filling can a single tube of liquid be?
Lin Ling yawned and avoided Shi Changyuan’s gaze. “So sleepy. Th-Then I’ll go take another nap.”
With that, the little zombie tried to walk towards the bedroom but was pulled back by Shi Changyuan again.
“A walk will help with digestion.”
“I’ll take you somewhere.”
Hearing the words “go out,” the little zombie’s spirits instantly lifted.
“Where are we going, where are we going?”
This evil human couldn’t possibly be making him walk in the lab corridors!
“To the Seed Garden.”
The Seed Garden was built on the top floor of the research institute. It was a controllable glasshouse that could be opened to the sun or closed to ensure the safety of the seeds.
“It’s so beautiful here!”
When Lin Ling first heard the name “Seed Garden,” he had imagined it was full of tiny, sprouting seedlings. But the moment he and Shi Changyuan stepped out of the elevator, his eyes were met with all kinds of blooming flowers.
And the weather was nice today. The glasshouse was open to the sky, and some people had even brought their pet cats, dogs, and parrots up to sunbathe.
Lin Ling looked at the small animals in their cages and nodded as if in sudden realization. “So it’s an old tradition for your research institute to keep pets?”
“Everyone needs an emotional anchor.”
Watching the young man try to tease the cats and dogs, only to be completely ignored by the small animals, Shi Changyuan pulled Lin Ling back.
“Don’t provoke them, Your Majesty, the Zombie Emperor.” Shi Changyuan teased. “If they get scared, their owners will come looking for you.”
“Hmph, I didn’t scare them.”
The great Zombie Emperor was not convinced. Although he was a bit disappointed that he couldn’t pet anything fluffy, he still had to clear his name.
“They’re just too timid.”
“When Auntie Man took me to the zoo before, the lions and tigers in the zoo loved me.”
“The little wolves in the wolf enclosure even wanted me to be their wolf king!”
As these words fell on Shi Changyuan’s ears, he could almost instantly picture the scene.
A small young boy, surrounded by several wolves in a glass enclosure, telling his guardian that he was going to lead the little wolves to rule the world.
The guardian was probably doting, and the people nearby couldn’t help but laugh.
Then the little person was led away by his guardian, leaving only the wolf pack constantly pawing at the glass, howling reluctantly.
“Mm, Lingling is so amazing.”
Shi Changyuan was very supportive. The great Zombie Emperor was pleased and decided not to bother with these timid fluffballs.
Besides the area for small animals to sunbathe, the Seed Garden also had swings and afternoon tea tables for people to enjoy the sun.
At this height, even sitting in a chair, one could see far, far into the distance, to the scenery outside the human base.
There were barren plains and city ruins.
Although he didn’t know which direction was which, as long as he was outside the human base, every direction was the way home!
Lin Ling’s mood visibly improved. He skipped and hopped around the Seed Garden.
“How much bigger is this place?”
After walking for twenty minutes and still not having completed a full circle, the little zombie was a bit puzzled.
Could a place that looks like a garden be this big?
“Besides these flowers, those trees in the back are also part of it.”
Shi Changyuan pointed behind the garden to a large patch of shrubs, where even a few tall trees could be seen.
“This place stores all the plant seeds belonging to this land. Part of it is to ensure ecological balance after the apocalypse, and part of it is for research, to study whether plants can be infected.”
Lin Ling tilted his head, not quite understanding.
“You humans think about so many things.”
“Most zombies act on instinct. Those who win evolve, and those who can’t are eliminated. Don’t you humans often say, survival of the fittest?”
Shi Changyuan listened to the young man’s words and smiled.
“That is indeed the case.”
“So some zombies evolved into high-tier zombies, and some humans became ability users.”
Lin Ling looked at the person in front of him and was suddenly reminded that Shi Changyuan was an ordinary person with no abilities. He blinked, and just as he was about to say something, a phone rang.
Someone was contacting Shi Changyuan.
It was Old Duan.
“What, is the lab going to explode again?”
The little zombie blinked, almost forming a stereotype.
“Old Duan’s time is precious. Even if the lab were to explode, he would just have someone else notify me.”
Shi Changyuan guessed as he pressed the call button.
“This time, it should be something more important.”
The moment he answered, Old Duan’s three rapid-fire questions came through the receiver.
“Where are you right now, kid? You’re not in the lab?”
“Where’s that kid who was with you?”
“Did you bring him back from City B?”
Lin Ling hadn’t met Professor Duan yesterday. The voice was a bit distorted through the receiver, but the tone felt incredibly familiar.
“We’re in the Seed Garden.”
Just as he answered the first question, Old Duan on the other end threw out a “stay put” and then hung up in a hurry.
Shi Changyuan thought for a moment and had a pretty good idea of what was going on.
He looked at Lin Ling and asked, “Do you know Old Duan?”
The little zombie hesitated for a moment, not knowing whether to nod or shake his head. “In the courtyard where I used to live, there was also a cranky little old man. He always asked me to help him get the newspaper and read it to him.”
“But I don’t know his last name. I never found his zombie later either. He probably wandered off and got lost.”
Lin Ling looked a bit nervous. He hadn’t expected to run into someone from his past in such a distant place.
He didn’t even know how to face him.
“I-I… I kind of don’t want to see him.” The little zombie’s voice dropped.
Shi Changyuan reached out and ruffled Lin Ling’s hair. “If you don’t want to see him, then you don’t have to.”
“Actually, after the apocalypse, not everyone wants to be reunited with their relatives.”
“In the face of such a catastrophe, people have been through too much. Everyone has changed, become different from before.”
Before the little zombie could think it through, the sound of the elevator arriving came from behind them.
He shuddered and quickly grabbed Shi Changyuan’s hand, blurting out almost subconsciously, “Don’t tell him my identity… okay?”
The response he got was a light squeeze in his palm.
Secretive, known to no one.
As if this secret was like his own.
When Old Duan got off the elevator, he saw the two of them in the Seed Garden, holding hands, looking intimate, and whispering to each other.
Hiss.
Professor Duan’s rushing footsteps came to a sudden halt.
The old man belatedly realized that the Seed Garden was like the research institute’s version of a lover’s lane. These two single men, here…
Did I interrupt something?
But the moment he saw just the young man’s back, he was absolutely certain that it was the child he had watched grow up. After two years, he had become even more beautiful.
Professor Duan was instantly possessed by the spirit of a dean of students and was about to charge forward with his cane.
“What are you doing!”
“Let go of him.”
Lin Ling, who was already nervous, was startled. Although he didn’t know why, he still snatched his hand back with a “swoosh.”
Professor Duan walked up to Lin Ling, his eyes welling with tears. He opened his mouth, seeming to want to ask something, but in the end, he just took Lin Ling’s hand, patted it, and said, “You’ve suffered.”
The little zombie shook his head.
He had thought Old Duan would ask him why he was here, how he survived in City B, and how Auntie Man and the other neighbors were doing.
But Old Duan didn’t.
“From now on, treat this place as your home. If you have any trouble, just come find this old man.”
Old Duan just sighed for a while, saying that at his age, to encounter the apocalypse and still be able to see a child from the courtyard grow into an adult was unexpected.
“Old Duan, it’s time.”
Miao Xue reminded him from behind.
“Alright, reunion time is over. This old man has to go back to the lab.”
The little old man wiped his face, and the tears in his eyes vanished in a second, returning to the authoritative and cranky old professor.
Before leaving, the little old man glanced at Shi Changyuan and said suggestively, “But Lin Ling is still young. This old man is in no hurry to see you get married. You should take your time finding a partner.”
The little zombie didn’t understand this sentence, but nodding was the right thing to do.
Shi Changyuan, on the other hand, understood what Old Duan had misunderstood, but it didn’t matter. Explaining would only make things more complicated.
“Not nervous anymore?”
Recalling Lin Ling’s panicked state just now, Shi Changyuan couldn’t help but tease, “I thought our great Zombie Emperor was afraid of nothing.”
“How are you going to rule the world if you’re afraid of seeing acquaintances?”
“Stop it!”
The little zombie hadn’t recovered from the meeting yet, and hearing these particularly annoying words, he reached out to cover Shi Changyuan’s mouth.
“At Old Duan’s age, he’s the most open-minded.”
Shi Changyuan raised an eyebrow, easily catching both of the young man’s wrists, and then led the now-obedient little zombie out of the Seed Garden.
“After all that commotion, are you not full anymore?”
Lin Ling checked himself, and his eyes suddenly lit up. “It seems like I’ve digested it! I can go back and finish the rest of the roast chicken!”
“All you think about is eating.”
Shi Changyuan smiled, a bit helpless. “You can’t get fat in one bite. Too much nutrient intake in a short period of time is not a good thing.”
The little zombie huffed, not taking this to heart.
But a few days later, Lin Ling realized something was wrong.
His bones seemed to ache a little. It wasn’t obvious at first, and he thought it was because he hadn’t been in the sun for too long. He went to the hammock in the Seed Garden and took a nap.
The pain was gone, but now his fangs were starting to feel strange.
Not painful, just a bit itchy. He always wanted to bite something.
“What do you want to eat tonight?”
“I want to eat beef tendon and pork cartilage!”
These were usually on Lin Ling’s menu, but he had been eating them for three days straight now.
Shi Changyuan immediately noticed something was amiss. He walked to the dining table and gently held the little zombie’s chin.
“Open your mouth and let me see.”
For the sake of a meal, Lin Ling could only open his mouth and let the human inspect his teeth.
“Teeth are itchy, want to grind them?”
Looking at the little zombie who was obediently tilting his head up for a fang inspection, the corners of Shi Changyuan’s lips curved up. He reached out and touched the sharp tooth that seemed to have grown a bit longer.
When the dangerous fang was touched, it was the owner of the fang who froze, glaring at him fiercely with his eyes.
Those lively eyes seemed to say, if you get infected, it’s not my fault.
“Just measuring.”
The word “measure” instantly reminded Lin Ling of the first day he was kidnapped, when the human had measured his fangs and concluded they were “0.8 centimeters, a bit short.”
“You measure.”
The little zombie accepted the challenge, ready to redeem himself, when Shi Changyuan gave his chin a light squeeze.
“Don’t swear.”
The little zombie: ???
Where did I swear? Are you just looking for trouble?!
Shi Changyuan maintained this posture, smiled at Lin Ling, and pressed his finger against the sharp tooth. Just before the little zombie was about to actually swear, he pulled his finger back.
“Mm, it has indeed grown a bit.”
“It’s like this during the teething period. It’ll be fine after this phase passes.”
When the little zombie heard Shi Changyuan say there was no other way, he felt like the sky was falling.
“So I just have to endure the itching?”
Lin Ling was very sad. He suddenly felt that being malnourished wasn’t so bad after all. At least he wouldn’t always want to chew on something.
Like the human in front of him.
“Sob, why don’t you just lock me up and put a muzzle on me? I’m really afraid I won’t be able to control myself and will use you to grind my teeth.”
“Don’t blame me when that happens.”
The little zombie spoke with such sincerity that Shi Changyuan let out a few muffled laughs. He once again held Lin Ling’s tooth and looked at it.
“If you want to grind your teeth, I’m not a very good option.”
“Humans have many teething snacks, but they’re not all meat. Can Lingling accept that?”
“Yes, yes!” The little zombie nodded repeatedly. “I have good teeth. I can eat anything. I’m not picky at all!!”
Shi Changyuan nodded. “Alright, I’ll go ask for Lingling.”
That night, the little zombie received a large box of teething snacks, contributions from various labs.
It included, but was not limited to, super-dry beef jerky that looked like wood.
There was also extra-dry, extra-hard fruit leather, some kind of water-soaking biscuit, and some kind of cowhide candy and chewy taffy. They looked like they had been treasured for years and were all sent to Lin Ling.
The little zombie’s eyes were about to pop out. He hugged the box of snacks and was about to head to his room when he was stopped.
“No snacks in the room.”
“Then what do I do if my teeth itch at night?”
This was originally just a small reminder, but Lin Ling’s retort made Shi Changyuan realize something more serious.
He felt his temples throb, his blood pressure soaring. He was so angry he laughed.
“If your teeth itch at night, come bite me.”
The little zombie blinked, as if genuinely considering the feasibility of this. He asked tentatively, “Then will you sleep with me tonight?”
“Alright, shut up.”
Shi Changyuan’s attitude suddenly changed in a second.
“Take your snacks and go to sleep.”
