Chapter 8: You’re a Human Puppy!
Having learned his lesson, when Lin Ling ran into the same group of interns again that afternoon and they invited him to dinner, the little zombie knew how to refuse.
The interns asked why.
Lin Ling thought for a moment. He couldn’t very well say that he was a little zombie, that he couldn’t eat from the same pot as them, that he didn’t want to eat staple foods and vegetables and only wanted meat, the semi-raw, bloody kind, right?
That would sound terrifying.
Besides, this group of people was quite polite. They didn’t get too close or pry into his personal affairs; they just kept sharing snacks with him and chatting about gossip.
The great Zombie Emperor thought magnanimously that he had to find an excuse. It would be better for him and for everyone else.
“I-It’s because of Professor Shi!”
Lin Ling’s eyes darted around. Taking advantage of the fact that Shi Changyuan was still in the lab and hadn’t followed him out, he spoke rapidly, pinning the blame on him.
“Professor Shi doesn’t want me to go. If I leave him all alone, he’ll be sad and angry.”
The interns: …?
Shocking. Is Professor Shi the type to cry and throw a fit?
The interns listened to this, their gazes vacant. They really couldn’t believe it, but the beautiful young man in front of them didn’t look like he was lying.
“I turn my back for one second, and you’re out here ruining my reputation?”
A hand seized the little zombie by the scruff of his neck. The calm and composed gaze directed at the interns opposite them was enough to debunk the rumor without a single word.
The interns looked at the gesture, the expression, and combined with the situation at lunch today, they immediately understood.
Got it! They’re a couple.
Lovers’ quarrels are perfectly normal.
If they had known earlier that this new friend was dating Professor Shi, they certainly wouldn’t have been so tactless as to disturb their private time together.
They exchanged glances and immediately left.
By the time the little zombie realized what was happening, he was the only one left to face the consequences of the lie he had just casually spun.
“N-No, I wasn’t.”
Lin Ling turned around slowly, a huge smile on his face as he faced the human behind him.
“You didn’t hear anything.”
“They were just being too enthusiastic.”
The little zombie looked guilty but was trying to bluff his way through. He was also afraid that Shi Changyuan was genuinely angry, so his expression kept changing.
“I’ll let it slide this time.” Shi Changyuan smiled and reached out to pinch the little zombie’s cheek.
This time, Lin Ling didn’t dodge. He let the other man knead his face, the corners of his mouth being pushed into an upward curve, revealing one of his little fangs.
These past few days, while interacting with other humans, Lin Ling had discovered that his fangs were indeed not well-developed.
At first, he was worried about his fangs being discovered and always kept his lips pressed together, afraid to speak. But he eventually found that everyone just thought they were his canine teeth.
They even praised his little canines and dimples as being very cute.
“Let’s go back. There’s a new project that needs assistance.”
As he spoke, Shi Changyuan led Lin Ling, who had been let out for some air, back to the lab.
“What new project?”
Seeing that the human in front of him finally had work to do, the little zombie was overjoyed.
Many people liked to tell Lin Ling stories about Shi Changyuan’s past, making roundabout “complaints.” He had come to realize that this evil human professor couldn’t be left idle.
The moment he had free time, he would start pondering strange things.
Like wanting to keep a pet.
Or, for example, capturing a zombie and bringing it back.
“Nutritional supplement. Has Lingling heard of it?”
Shi Changyuan placed the nutritional supplement on his lab bench—extracted from an unknown substance and mixed with unknown trace elements—in front of the little zombie.
“When ability users go out on missions, they always prioritize nutritional supplements over eating. Not only can it fill their stomachs, but it can also restore their mental energy.”
“This is the version I’ve prepared for zombies.”
Lin Ling looked at the green-colored reagent. A thought seemed to strike him, and his vision went dark. He looked on in disbelief.
“Has this day finally come?”
“I’ve heard about scientists like you. You love to experiment on your own pets…”
But before the little zombie could finish, Shi Changyuan interrupted him.
“Cut it out.”
“This is a nutritional supplement.”
Shi Changyuan placed the test tube in Lin Ling’s hand, his tone a bit cold. “Lingling is free to go out and have anyone test it.”
Even with such a firm statement, the little zombie still shook his head.
“I know. The version for humans was also developed by you.”
At this point, the little zombie deliberately slowed down, emphasizing each word.
“Super! Dis! Gus! Ting!”
“So, don’t even think about tricking me into drinking something so disgusting! This great Zombie Emperor will not be your volunteer.”
Hearing Lin Ling’s words, Shi Changyuan raised an eyebrow and retorted, “Who told Lingling it was disgusting?”
“Do you even need to ask? Look at how green it is! You know I hate eating grass!”
To prove his point, the little zombie held the test tube under his nose and sniffed. But he didn’t smell anything strange; instead, there was a faint, fresh scent.
Like some kind of fruit.
“…Is it really not disgusting?”
Lin Ling, still skeptical, found a small spoon, dipped the back of it lightly, and then stuck out his tongue for a quick lick.
The little zombie smacked his lips. It was sweet.
He couldn’t taste any other flavors, but it certainly wasn’t disgusting.
It wasn’t particularly delicious either.
“When have I ever lied to Lingling?” Shi Changyuan looked at the young man, deliberately suppressing his smile to put on a very disappointed expression.
“On the other hand, Lingling would rather believe baseless rumors from outside than trust me.”
This accusation immediately flustered the little zombie. He froze for a moment, then quickly began to reflect on whether he had gone too far.
“I was wrong.” Lin Ling still felt that something wasn’t quite right, but his good upbringing made him apologize instinctively.
“And?”
Shi Changyuan looked at the young man and began to push his luck, the previous expression vanishing in an instant.
“And what?”
A sharp intuition told Lin Ling that he seemed to have fallen into a trap, but now there was no way out.
“Actual compensation.”
These four suggestive words instantly made Lin Ling’s brain shut down.
He had nothing on him right now; even his salary was paid by Shi Changyuan.
He really couldn’t figure out what the other was hinting at.
Could it be…
The little zombie’s head shot up warily. He poked the other man and demanded, “Are you trying to use this as an excuse to dock my pay and give me a salary cut?”
Shi Changyuan: …
He was so angry he laughed.
“Is that what you think of me?”
Shi Changyuan’s tone was light, but each word was enunciated, carrying a hint of gritted teeth.
“Ungrateful little brat.”
This accusation made the little zombie’s heart skip a beat, and he was instantly overcome with guilt.
To be fair, aside from always liking to tease him, the human in front of him was actually quite good to him.
Shi Changyuan just wanted to keep a pet. As a pet owner, he was already very responsible.
He pressed his lips together, trying to think what a normal pet would do…
The little zombie thought for a long time and finally, as if he had made a decision, looked at Shi Changyuan, held out his hands, and blinked with an innocent expression.
“Th-Then, can I give you a hug?”
The moment he said it, Lin Ling felt himself being pulled into a fiery embrace.
The human’s body heat almost enveloped him completely.
The distance was a bit too close…
The little zombie, held in the embrace, was completely stiff. He carefully retracted his fangs, afraid of accidentally grazing the other’s skin.
But as he kept his lips tightly sealed, he felt something bite his shoulder.
Lin Ling jumped in fright and hurriedly pushed the culprit away.
“Why did you bite me?”
The little zombie’s face was full of disbelief, his gaze shifting back and forth between his shoulder and the human in front of him.
“I-It didn’t break the skin, did it?!!”
Lin Ling pulled at the collar of his shirt, trying to check the injury, but he could only feel a faint redness. He couldn’t see the situation clearly.
He could only move closer to Shi Changyuan and press, “Quick, help me check. Did it break the skin?”
His gaze fell into the collar, and besides the small red mark, there was a large expanse of skin underneath, and a beautiful shoulder blade.
Shi Changyuan ground his teeth, controlling the urge to take another bite.
But the young man in front of him was still completely oblivious and relentless.
“If it really broke the skin, do you have some kind of serum to suppress human viruses? Give me a shot.”
Shi Changyuan: “…”
“It didn’t break the skin.”
Shi Changyuan couldn’t take it anymore. He pulled Lin Ling’s collar back up and wished he could tie a dead knot in it.
“Oh.”
Hearing that the skin wasn’t broken, the little zombie finally relaxed.
He knew that a zombie’s fangs carried a virus, but he wasn’t sure if his own flesh and blood also contained some gene that could assimilate humans.
Maybe other zombies didn’t, but he was the Zombie Emperor!
And these humans had never studied a Zombie Emperor.
The great Zombie Emperor rubbed his shoulder while complaining to the human in front of him.
“Why did you have to bite?”
“Are you the zombie or am I?”
Looking at the human who was a head taller than him, a vengeful thought suddenly came to the little zombie. He blinked, a hint of slyness in his eyes as he revealed his small, sharp teeth.
“Hmph, I get it now—”
“You’re a human puppy!”
***
Author’s Note:
Here! [Go for it!]
A human puppy and a zombie kitten. [Bunny ears]
