Chapter 007: Safe Travels

Su Qin ignored the obvious questioning from the boys and walked step by step towards the long-haired girl in the corner. The group of students had already held their breath, watching Su Qin walk straight towards the girl who still had her head down, their faces showing astonishment. The leading boy's expression grew increasingly grim as he saw Su Qin approaching the girl. The other girls who had been surrounding and comforting her instinctively took a few steps back, their faces displaying an indescribable fear.

Lin Qingyang was staring blankly at Su Qin's face, unaware that Su Qin suddenly opened his eyes, instantly startling him to the point where he couldn't blink. He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, he was choked by his own saliva, covering his chest and coughing for a long time. When he looked up again, a backpack had already piled up in front of him.

Su Qin glanced at the backpack and kindly reminded, "Now everyone knows the importance of food. With so many people around, are you sure you can outcompete them?"

"Don't!" The leading boy, momentarily distracted, immediately shouted upon seeing this scene

"This package is for you; I will be leaving tomorrow," said Su Qin

"Su Qin, I would like to ask what your plans are moving forward?" Zheng Yi inquired, and without waiting for Su Qin's response, continued, "If you do not have any plans, perhaps you could join us. We have just discussed that we intend to head towards the capital."

Lin Qingyang was momentarily taken aback, then suddenly thought, could Su Qin be feeling shy? Upon this thought, he couldn't help but pause again, and then he began to chuckle.

The girl with long hair, at this moment, was eerily quiet. Then, with Su Qin's clear footsteps, the girl began to tremble, shaking more and more violently, almost as if she were turning into a sieve.

In fact, she is prepared to leave early tomorrow morning. It is now almost certain that Jing Qing is not at school, and staying any longer holds no significance. Initially, she could leave easily on her own, but now with Lin Qingyang added to the mix, she had never really regarded him as anything more than a mere passerby.

At this moment, the girl's face, which had been concealed by her long hair, was exposed to the gaze of the crowd. Except for Su Qin and the leading boy, everyone involuntarily took a few steps back, their faces displaying extreme fear.

As soon as he raised his eyes, he saw Su Qin looking at him with a very complex expression.

Before Su Qin could approach, the girl suddenly lifted her head and stood up, screaming at Su Qin: "Don't come any closer!" Her voice was sharp and hoarse.

Thank you, Su Qin responded

Lin Qingyang let out another hum

It is of no concern; they have been dead for a long time, and you need not apologize. After today, tomorrow we shall part ways amicably. You will go to the capital, and I will return to my hometown, with no interference, and all will be well.

However, his resolute stance behind her seemed to indicate that he had made up his mind to follow her.

Lin Qingyang called out, "Wait!" Su Qin looked up at him

"It's nothing." Su retracted his hand, untied the butterfly knot that Lin Qingyang had made, and then tied a tight knot. He then leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, clearly not intending to engage in a deeper conversation with Lin Qingyang

Su Qin's emotions had not yet settled, so his voice sounded less cold and hard, which gave Zheng Yi a bit more confidence

Upon hearing the previous sentence, Lin Qingyang felt a surge of joy in his heart. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Su Qin's next remark, which left him momentarily stunned. He wanted to ask why, but ultimately, he weakly said, "Then I will go back to your hometown with you first." Well, accompanying her to her hometown to pick up her parents, and then heading to the capital together would be just the same. Her parents were in the military district, so there shouldn't be any major issues.

Lin Qingyang was somewhat taken aback, and after a while, he stammered, "Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t know that uncle and aunt had already..."

After sitting in silence for a while, he found it difficult to articulate the feelings within him. The atmosphere seemed somewhat unbearable for him. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to lighten the mood, but no words came out. His eyes felt sore and swollen. After pondering for a moment, he silently pushed his backpack towards Su Qin, shrugged his shoulders, and feigned a relaxed demeanor, saying: "You can take these things; a strong and robust man like me will surely find something to eat."

"Don't look at me! Don't look at me! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!" The girl, however, seemed not to hear the boy's words, frantically clawing at the rotting flesh that was beginning to fall from her face. Then, suddenly avoiding the boy, who was still immersed in pain, she lunged fiercely towards Su Qin with her stiffened hands.

Su Qin frowned, staring at Lin Qingyang, and said: "You return to the capital, and I will go back to my hometown"

Lin Qingyang clearly did not hear Su Qin's words, continuing to rummage while nodding: "Alright! There are more and more zombies here, and I don't know what the situation outside is like. We can make it, let's get a car first, hehe, I just took my driving test, I haven't received my license yet, but there shouldn't be any traffic police checking licenses now..." Lin Qingyang's voice noticeably paused, then rose again: "By the way, where should we go after we go out?!" Before Su Qin could respond, Lin Qingyang continued speaking to himself: "I suggest we go to the capital, hehe, my parents are there, I wonder how they are doing."

Moreover, the jade pendant space on her person must not be exposed; if she spends every day with Lin Qingyang, it is inevitable that he will notice some clues.

At this moment, Zheng Yi was the most shocked person! He had started learning judo since childhood, and as he grew older, he began to learn taekwondo. He had no idea how many national awards he had won from childhood to adulthood. Yet just now, he was actually subdued by a girl who was a head shorter than him and appeared frail and weak. Although he did not use any techniques when he lunged at her, his strength was undeniable! At this moment, the hand gripping his throat was so powerful that it almost made him feel as if he were being choked by the old coach from the dojo! The cool touch that was gently pressed against his carotid artery made his hair stand on end!

Many people had tears welling in their eyes, and a few were so choked up after singing a few lines that they could not produce any sound. The song "Safe Journey" was sung to the end, almost falling apart.

As soon as Su Qin returned to his position, he unwrapped the bandage on his right hand that had already been soaked in blood. Seeing Lin Qingyang staring wide-eyed, he had no choice but to pretend to rummage through his pocket. With a thought, the bandage appeared in Su Qin's hand from the space, just as he was about to bind it.

Su Qin, with his eyes closed, heard Lin Qingyang's laughter and inexplicably felt a chill.

The young man stood there in a daze, his eyes fixed on the girl's body, which was now unrecognizable. After a long time, he finally came to his senses and forced a terribly awkward smile at Su Qin, saying: "I apologize for what just happened; I was too impulsive."

Lin Qingyang quickly reacted, slipping behind Su Qin in a flash. He casually grabbed a stainless steel basin that had just been used to hold vegetables and assumed a defensive posture, nervously watching the more than twenty people on the opposite side

The leading boy reacted first and asked, "How did you know?"

Lin Qingyang let out a faint hum.

Su Qin glanced at him and said: "Su Qin."

As soon as he woke up, he realized that Su Qin's actions had saved their lives. He rushed over without thinking, simply not wanting Yi Fei to die like that. Su Qin nodded, said nothing more, wiped her small knife, and walked back to her original position, while the students hurriedly made way for her. Then, they swarmed around that boy again.

The veins on Su Qin's forehead throbbed, and this time she was resolutely determined to shake him off.

At this time, Zheng Yi's team was also engaged in a lively discussion about the next course of action. After a heated debate lasting half an hour, they finally reached a conclusion. The majority agreed to head towards the capital while searching for their families along the way. However, a few individuals had families in the opposite direction of the capital. Consequently, the team split into two groups: a large portion headed towards the capital, while a smaller group returned to their hometowns. Zheng Yi was part of the group heading towards the capital.

Alright. Su Qin nodded: "You go to the capital, I will return to my hometown"

Lin Qingyang waved his hand and said generously, "It's fine, I'm not in a hurry to go back. I'll pick up your parents first, and then we'll go to the capital together. By the way, have you ever been to the capital? Have you seen the flag-raising ceremony? Let me tell you, every time I watch the flag-raising, I can't help but shed tears. Really, when we get to the capital, I'll take you to see the flag-raising." Lin Qingyang thought for a moment and then looked a bit troubled, "But during this extraordinary time, I don't even know if they are still holding the ceremony or not?"

Lin Qingyang froze at the sound of footsteps, a faint glimmer of hope lingering in his heart.

Here is the true hell

Su Qin took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice as calm as possible, devoid of any anger. She interrupted Lin Qingyang's rambling thoughts and said coldly: "First, my parents are no longer alive. Second, I do not need you to accompany me back to my hometown"

Lin Qingyang spoke as if casually, while rummaging through his bag, yet his heart quietly began to race, and his ears perked up attentively

No one spoke, and the atmosphere became so tense that even breathing felt heavy

The girl's eyes were no longer distinctly black and white, but rather a murky shade of blue. At that moment, tears continuously flowed from those murky eyes, and her fair face was covered with bluish veins. The flesh on her face was visibly beginning to rot, and one could even see a piece of flesh slowly detaching from her cheekbone. Several students even vomited the food they had just eaten. Lin Qingyang stood behind Su Qin, directly facing the girl's face, feeling a churn in his stomach, nearly on the verge of vomiting. Yet, he saw that Su Qin still maintained her calm demeanor, which made him tightly close his mouth and grit his teeth, forcefully suppressing the wave of nausea.

A profound silence enveloped the scene, the atmosphere was eerie and tense

Watching him rummage in his belt, he pulled out a small bottle of Yunnan Baiyao, unscrewed the cap, then took Su Qin's right hand, shook it a bit, and sprinkled some powder onto the wound in his palm. Naturally, he blew on the wound, while taking the bandage to start wrapping it, and proudly said: "Hehe, I often fall while playing basketball, so I always carry medicine with me. This time it will come in handy."

Lin Qingyang was taken aback and asked, "What happened?"

Oh, I see. Zheng Yi pondered for a moment, his attractive brows furrowing, but in the end, he was still unwilling to let Su Qin off so easily: "Where do you live? If it's not far, we can first accompany you to your hometown to pick up your parents, and then head to the capital."

Upon this thought, Su Qin immediately made up his mind, suddenly opening his eyes wide, only to meet a pair of dazed, large eyes, which left him momentarily stunned

"Why? You are just a young girl, and there are so many dangers on the road, ..."

Soon, someone could no longer endure the oppressive silence. A tall, slender young man stood up and, facing the silent crowd, smiled and said: "Fellow classmates, both those I know and those I do not, we can be considered close friends through life and death. Tomorrow, some of us will head to the capital, while others will return home to find our families. In any case, we will be parting ways." The young man paused for a moment, his voice slightly wavering: "In that case, I will take the lead and sing a song for a safe journey! I wish all of you a smooth and safe return to the places you wish to go!"

Lin Qingyang tightly held onto the vegetable basin, closely following Su Qin step by step

Su Qin endured and endured, but ultimately could not hold back: "If you follow me, I will be in danger."

Before everyone at www.hetushu.com could recover from the crude and violent resolution of the recently transformed zombie by Su Qin, they suddenly saw a flash before their eyes. A boy lunged towards Su Qin, and by the time they reacted, the 1.8-meter tall boy had already been seized by the neck by the 1.63-meter tall Su Qin, who had also drawn a knife against him. This immediately sent chills down their spines

She is already a zombie now; the moment she was injured, she ceased to live. After saying this, Su Qin released her hold on the boy.

Lin Qingyang was taken aback and did not think about where the backpack came from. He pulled the bag over, unzipped it, and his eyes immediately lit up. After rummaging through the bag for a while, he pulled out a pack of beef jerky, kissed the packaging twice with a look of happiness, and gazed at Su Qin with starry eyes: "Ah! This is my favorite beef jerky!" After saying that, he rummaged through the bag again, not expecting that although the bag looked small on the outside, it contained quite a lot of items.

Zheng Yi was momentarily taken aback, carefully glanced at Su Qin, and then said: "Well, I wish you a smooth journey."

So many people are accompanying her back? He really thinks highly of her

However, as Su Qin placed the bag next to Lin Qingyang and turned to leave, the last flicker of hope in Lin Qingyang's heart was ruthlessly extinguished by Su Qin.

The boy began to sing, and his words resonated with everyone present. Soon, others joined in, but they were all afraid that the zombies outside would hear the noise, so they tried to keep their voices low, their sounds pitifully quiet

Zheng Yi gazed intently at Su Qin. Su Qin was quite skilled; if he could join them, it would add an extra layer of safety.

Su Qin had a slight headache and did not know why. The thought of just shaking him off made her feel somewhat... guilty. However, allowing him to follow her was, to be honest, quite a burden. One does not fear opponents like gods, but rather teammates who are as foolish as pigs. Although Lin Qingyang had not yet reached the level of a foolish teammate, for Su Qin, having one more person meant one more potential safety hazard

Su Qin let out a cold laugh. When the girl rushed close, he sidestepped to avoid her outstretched hand, circled behind her, and grabbed her long hair. With a forceful motion, he threw her to the ground, then knelt down hard on her decaying chest. The small knife slipped from his hand, but Su Qin tightened his grip and without hesitation plunged it fiercely into the girl's completely decayed face

Su Qin's good intentions only made Lin Qingyang feel more embarrassed. He suddenly stood up, glaring fiercely at Su Qin, his mind racing with thoughts of shouting at Su Qin, "What business is it of yours!"

The leading boy was also taken aback by this scene, but he did not seem to feel afraid. Instead, he took a few steps forward, standing in front of the girl, and murmured while looking at her disfigured face: "You clearly said it was just a twisted ankle..." His handsome face no longer bore the calm and composed demeanor it had at the beginning

Su Qin squinted his eyes and glanced at Lin Qingyang, who seemed to be asleep but was actually listening intently with his ears perked up. With a half-smile, he said: "I want to return to my hometown, not go to the capital, but you can ask him; he is also going to the capital."

A conclusion has been reached, yet there is not a trace of ease on anyone's face. Regardless of the direction taken, not a single person feels at ease; they all clearly understand that the outside world is far more dangerous than here. Each person's heart feels as if it is weighed down by a heavy stone, making it hard to breathe. Reflecting on the hellish college entrance examination filled with complaints from years past is nothing short of a profound irony

Su Qin gripped the knife firmly, not pausing for even a moment, and without a trace of hesitation, plunged it deeply into the girl's head. The sharp blade penetrated her brain with almost no resistance... Accompanied by a piercing scream, the girl's struggling body instantly went rigid and motionless... As Su Qin withdrew the knife and was about to rise, his gaze suddenly flickered, and he swiftly dodged to the side, avoiding the boy who lunged at him. With a nimble turn, he positioned himself behind the boy, and in a flash, he seized the boy's neck, the small knife following closely, pressing against the boy's carotid artery.

If it was a bite, then it must have occurred outside the cafeteria, and this girl was only encountered in the cafeteria

A face turned blue and then white, and finally, it silently found a place to sit far from Su Qin, closing its mouth and eyes, not thinking about anything, and began to sleep. Su Qin glanced at Lin Qingyang, who had tightly closed eyes, then stood up, picked up his backpack, and walked over.

Su Qin raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly: "I apologize, but I plan to return to my hometown to settle down"

At this moment, his mind was completely blank; the anger that had surged to his head moments ago had been quietly extinguished, without a trace of smoke rising.

Su Qin silently sighed, and then saw Zheng Yi walking towards her, his eyes still red, but the expression on his face had returned to calmness

When Zheng Yi returned and spoke, those students felt somewhat disappointed. They had all witnessed Su Qin's skills, and if Su Qin were willing to accompany them, it would undoubtedly be much safer. However, since he wanted to return to his hometown, there was nothing they could do.

Lin Qingyang felt much more at ease upon seeing Su Qin also reject Zheng Yi, but the thought of having to part ways with Su Qin tomorrow left his heart in a knot

Su Qin listened to this broken song "Safe Journey" and felt a deep sadness in his heart. Although these people were filled with fear, they still harbored hope for the future. However, reality is far more brutal than they had imagined

My name is Zheng Yi, and I am from the Department of Architecture. You must be a freshman, right

Lin Qingyang was taken aback for a moment, and disbelief flickered in his large eyes. Even someone as thick-skinned as Lin Qingyang felt embarrassed upon hearing such words. He stared at Su Qin's face, his once bright eyes gradually dimming. After a long pause, he silently put the beef jerky he had taken out back into its place.