Chapter 18: Who is Lingling’s Favorite Human?…
Seeing the human rendered speechless, the corners of the long-haired chestnut-colored kitten’s mouth curved up.
“Come to sleep.”
The little zombie arranged his pillow and quilt, patted the other side of the bed, and then expertly found the switch for the bedside lamp, preparing to turn off the night light.
His posture was more like the master of the room than the actual master.
Shi Changyuan knew he couldn’t avoid it and had to accept it. He lay down on the other side of the bed.
The night light immediately went out with the movement.
“Alright, good night.”
Lin Ling felt the palpable body heat of the human beside him and was instantly at ease, no longer afraid of anything.
After all, the little zombie always felt that others were afraid of Shi Changyuan, not the other way around.
However, being next to Shi Changyuan calmed his mood, but perhaps the sensory stimulation from the movie’s sound effects and visuals was too intense, making the little zombie’s nerves overly excited.
He still couldn’t sleep.
“Shi Changyuan, let’s chat.”
The little zombie, buried in his quilt, reached out and poked the bundle of blankets opposite him, requesting a late-night talk.
Shi Changyuan didn’t answer, but he didn’t object either, so the domineering great Zombie Emperor took it as a yes.
“There’s something I’ve been curious about for a long time.”
Actually, when it came to Shi Changyuan, Lin Ling could be said to know him very well, but also not at all.
The part he knew was what Lin Ling himself had seen, heard, and sensed—a Shi Changyuan completely different from the public’s opinion.
The little zombie had secretly inquired about Shi Changyuan. After all, know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles!
So he learned a lot about Shi Changyuan’s past and the reason why everyone was afraid of him.
It all boiled down to “a thin line between a genius and a madman.” His personality was hard to guess, he was unsociable, and he never did things by the book.
He liked to experiment on himself, which was how the zombie virus-suppressing serum was created.
He also learned that Shi Changyuan’s parents were also researchers in the lab. They were usually very busy with confidential projects and had both passed away before Shi Changyuan came of age.
Hearing these things, the little zombie always felt that Shi Changyuan was a bit similar to himself, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
“Do you want to be a zombie?”
Although Lin Ling had always thought that if Shi Changyuan were a zombie, he would be very powerful, and if he could make him his subordinate, ruling the world would be much, much easier!
“Why does Lingling ask that?”
Shi Changyuan’s tone was calm, as if it were just a casual chat, but Lin Ling, nestled in the blankets, didn’t see his eyes snap open.
In the darkness, they were grim and a bit unsettling.
“I don’t know.”
The little zombie buried his head in the soft pillow, his voice also soft and a bit muffled. “Just a feeling.”
“And I have a feeling that if you were the Zombie Emperor, you would have ruled the world long ago.”
At this, the little zombie paused. His eyes suddenly lit up, and his little abacus started clattering away.
“If you want to be a zombie, I can hel—”
The shadow of this defection plan had just begun to form when it was interrupted by Shi Changyuan’s soft laugh.
“Am I that amazing in Lingling’s eyes?”
“Mm, just a little less amazing than me.”
The great Zombie Emperor gave a very high evaluation.
At this, Lin Ling sat up, stared straight at Shi Changyuan, and asked a question that had been on his mind for a long, long time.
“How did you manage to bring me out of City B all by yourself?”
Shi Changyuan still didn’t answer this question directly.
He also sat up halfway, one hand resting on the headboard cushion, and looked at the young man in the moonlight.
“Lingling has so many questions?”
The little zombie heard Shi Changyuan speak with a hint of amusement in his tone.
“Why don’t we play a game? We’ll take turns asking each other questions we want to ask. If the other person can’t or doesn’t want to answer, they lose.”
“The loser has to agree to one condition from the other. How about it?”
Lin Ling’s eyes widened warily. He looked at the person beside him and asked tentatively, “Can we ask anything?”
Shi Changyuan smiled and nodded.
The little zombie secretly gasped: Do humans like to play such high-stakes games?!
What if Shi Changyuan asks me to sell out the detailed plan for world domination?
If I say I haven’t thought of it yet, will it make me, the Zombie Emperor, seem unprofessional?!
Lin Ling thought for a long time and finally decided to play this game with the human.
“Wait a minute!”
The little zombie jumped out of bed, turned on all the lights in the room, and even moved a small bed table from his own room, placing it between them. He also swiped a notebook and a pen from Shi Changyuan’s study, striking a pose of confrontation and readiness.
Shi Changyuan leaned against the headboard, watching the young man bustle about, an unconcealable amusement in his eyes.
“Ready?”
Seeing Lin Ling finally sit down on the other side of the small bed table, he took the initiative to ask.
“I’m ready!”
The little zombie gripped the pen tightly, looked at the human in front of him, and confirmed again and again, “Are there no other rules? Do you ask first or do I?”
“Either is fine.”
In stark contrast to the little zombie’s nervousness, the human had been languid from beginning to end.
“Then I’m asking, okay?”
“I’m really not holding back!”
Lin Ling picked up his little notebook, pretending it contained some profound game theory strategy.
“First, the original question. How did you manage to bring me out of City B all by yourself?”
“This question is rather important.”
“Oh? Why?” Shi Changyuan looked at the little zombie he had captured, feigning ignorance, his tone laced with amusement.
“Of course, it’s to take precautions. I absolutely cannot let this happen a second time.”
The little zombie clenched his fists, very puzzled. “Clearly, there are so many high-tier zombies and so many zombie hordes in City B. It’s so safe. But you have no abilities and didn’t bring many troops.”
“Does ‘not letting it happen a second time’ mean that Lingling only wants to be brought back by me?”
Shi Changyuan’s reply was almost instinctive, teasing the long-haired chestnut-colored kitten.
“Answer seriously!”
The long-haired chestnut-colored kitten slapped the table in dissatisfaction.
“I studied the distribution of the zombie hordes and high-tier zombies in City B for two years.”
“I know all the ways and routes to avoid them.”
Shi Changyuan’s tone was exceptionally light when he said this, as if it were as simple as going for a walk for two days. But in the eyes of others, it was the act of a madman, a death wish.
Even old Duan had come to scold him for wasting human technological talent.
But Shi Changyuan’s answer was always the same: it doesn’t matter.
“But it’s only been two years since the apocalypse started.”
Lin Ling was stunned for a moment, then belatedly realized, even more confused, “You wanted to enter City B from the very beginning of the apocalypse?”
“That’s the second question.”
“Now it’s my turn to ask Lingling.”
Shi Changyuan’s lips curved into a smile, carrying a hint of a successful scheme, which made the little zombie’s heart suddenly flutter with panic.
“Th-Then you can ask.”
Lin Ling forced himself to remain calm, waiting for the other to speak.
“Mm, my question is…”
The cunning human deliberately kept him in suspense, drawing out the words and tone, making the little zombie’s heart itch.
“My question is, who was Lingling’s favorite human before.”
This question was completely outside the scope of what the little zombie had prepared for, leaving his suspended heart unsure of where to land.
He had thought the human would at least ask some classified-level questions.
Like the weaknesses of zombies or something.
“Auntie Man.”
The little zombie couldn’t figure out Shi Changyuan’s game and answered cautiously and seriously, “Auntie Man adopted me and taught me a lot.”
“Alright, your turn.”
Shi Changyuan got his answer and, without caring if it was true or not, immediately relinquished the right to ask a question.
“Th-Then I’ll ask the second question.”
The long-haired chestnut-colored kitten was a bit flustered. Shi Changyuan’s offbeat question seemed to have disrupted his rhythm and mental battle lines. He unconsciously reflected on whether his own questions were a bit unequal, a bit too much, and his voice softened.
“You went to City B at the very beginning of the apocalypse. W-Were you looking for something or did you discover something?”
“Yes.”
The little zombie had originally wanted to ask, “Why did you study how to get to City B from the very beginning of the apocalypse?” But because of Shi Changyuan’s attitude, he suddenly felt that his question was too blunt and might hurt his feelings. He changed it at the last minute, and it became a seemingly obvious question.
“Is Lingling going easy on me?”
The change was too obvious, and Shi Changyuan saw it too.
“But I don’t plan on going easy on Lingling.”
Hearing this, the little zombie’s heart leaped into his throat again.
So the last question was to lower my guard? So cunning, humans!!!
“Ask away!”
The little zombie urged through gritted teeth.
“Then I’m asking.”
Shi Changyuan slowly sat up, looking at the young man before him, his expression serious.
He asked.
“When will Lingling’s favorite human become me?”
