Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Door – The Gate of Post-Apocalyptic Rebirth

Door

When Gu Ning woke up again, she had no idea where she was.

Her memory stopped at the moment when, after being exhausted, she was surrounded by several zombies and eventually bitten. Within less than three minutes, she felt like her head was about to explode, her body heating up, and slowly losing control over her own body. She soon passed out.

The watermelon knife was still in her hand. Gu Ning couldn’t help but touch the spot near the back of her neck where the zombie had bitten her—it was smooth… completely without any signs of being bitten.

The wound on her wrist was also gone. If it weren’t for the dried blood on her wrist, she would have thought that the knife wound was also her hallucination.

Gu Ning looked around in confusion.

This was a “room” of about 100 square meters, all white everywhere, giving a dizzying illusion after staring for too long. At the end of the room, there was a pitch-black door, standing out starkly in this snow-white world.

She stood up from the ground and walked towards the door.

As she got closer, she noticed that the black door had something embedded in it, resembling a Taiji symbol, with a thin golden pointer in the middle, motionless between the black and white halves.

What could be behind this door?

Almost as soon as this thought arose in her mind, Gu Ning, as if possessed, reached out and placed her hand on the doorknob, giving it a slight twist.

With a click, the door opened—after a dazzling golden light, Gu Ning was stunned, as if she had seen something incredibly unbelievable.

A bustling street with cars and people flowing endlessly, well-dressed people leisurely enjoying their holidays. Jinmen Street was the most prosperous street in Jinyong City, always clean and tidy, with high-end goods displayed in the shop windows, and all the staff dressed in high-end clothing, their beautiful faces adorned with exquisite makeup and just the right professional smiles.

In such a glamorous scene, a girl in tattered clothes by the roadside stood out starkly. Passersby couldn’t help but glance at her, and those close enough could smell the nauseating stench emanating from her.

No one noticed when she appeared, as if she had just materialized out of thin air.

Gu Ning, in tattered clothes, with messy hair and a dirty face, looked back in confusion. The door behind her had disappeared without her noticing. She turned her head, staring blankly at the bustling street.

Was she dreaming? Gu Ning thought. Since the apocalypse, this was the first time she had dreamed of the scene before the apocalypse.

Gu Ning stared greedily at the bustling scene she hadn’t seen since the apocalypse, almost reluctant to blink.

“Hello, little girl,” a kind voice suddenly rang out.

Gu Ning’s eyes shifted, looking at the two policemen, one old and one young, in front of her. She was stunned, staring intently at the younger policeman.

The two policemen exchanged glances, and the older one, about forty years old, continued kindly, “Little girl, why are you alone here? What’s your name? Where do you live?”

Gu Ning’s eyes remained fixed on the young policeman, her gaze so intense that it made the young policeman uncomfortable. Just as they were about to say something more, Gu Ning spoke, her voice slightly altered: “Method?!”

Both policemen were startled.

The older policeman turned his head in surprise, looking at the young policeman: “Xiao Fang, do you know her?”

Method was also startled, stammering, “Uh, do we know each other?” He quickly ran through all the people he knew in his head but couldn’t recall ever meeting someone like her. Was it one of the girls Aunt Wang had introduced to him before? No, that girl, though he couldn’t remember her face, had long black curly hair and was quite petite.

Gu Ning was also a bit confused, asking, “Don’t you remember me? I’m Gu Ning.”

The older policeman carefully observed Gu Ning’s expression and demeanor, finding no signs of pretense. He looked suspiciously at Method, who still looked clueless. He had already mentally concocted a dramatic story of a messy breakup. Seeing Gu Ning’s disheveled state, he felt a bit of sympathy and said, “Girl, standing here isn’t very appropriate. How about we get in the car first?”

Although Gu Ning had no idea what was going on, she obediently followed them into the police car.

Method was about to get in the car when the older policeman stopped him: “It’s noon, and this girl is probably hungry. Go buy some food.”

Method had no choice but to get out of the car to buy food. Gu Ning’s gaze followed Method’s back, her expression filled with confusion and unease.

The policeman casually tried to make conversation: “Little girl, tell Uncle Policeman, how did you know Xiao Fang before?”

Gu Ning opened her mouth, about to say something, when suddenly, the car door was yanked open. Method excitedly said to the older policeman, “Old Li! I remember who she is!”

At his words, both people in the car were stunned.

Method turned to Gu Ning, his eyes shining brightly: “You just said your name is Gu Ning, right? Did you just graduate from Linchuan University three months ago?” Without waiting for Gu Ning to answer, Method squeezed into the car and said to Old Li, “Old Li, didn’t we handle a missing person case two months ago? The one where the parents knelt before us, saying their daughter went on a trip and lost contact! The missing girl was her, right?! Wait! I have her photo here!” Method quickly pulled out his phone, swiping through the gallery, and finally stopped at a photo, tapping it lightly. A missing person notice appeared on the screen. Method zoomed in on the photo for Old Li to see: “Look, isn’t it her?!”

Old Li took the phone, glanced at the photo, and then looked closely at Gu Ning, saying, “Hey! It really does look like her!”

“What do you mean ‘looks like’? It is her! Girl, are you Gu Ning?” Method asked.

Gu Ning hesitated, then nodded.

Back at the police station, Old Li and Method asked Gu Ning many questions, like where she had been for the past three months, how she had gone missing, and how she ended up on Jinmen Street today. Gu Ning remained silent, her eyes filled with confusion and bewilderment. Old Li wanted to take her to wash her face, but she refused, just sitting on the chair, looking around in a dazed and frightened manner.

“Forget it, I don’t think we’ll get anything out of her,” Old Li said, glancing at Gu Ning, then turning to Method: “Have the family been notified?”

Method replied, “They’ve been notified. They should be here soon. Her home isn’t far from here.”

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, a middle-aged couple hurriedly appeared at the door. As soon as they entered, their eyes quickly scanned the room, finally locking onto Gu Ning sitting there.

“Ningning! Where have you been for the past three months! You scared your parents to death!… You really scared me to death… Gu Zhiyuan, look, it’s really our daughter!” Gu Mama rushed over from the doorway, hugging Gu Ning and crying, completely oblivious to the fact that Gu Ning was dirty all over, emitting a foul smell.

Gu Ning remained motionless as Gu Mama hugged her, her mind in chaos. She wanted to cry, but not a single tear fell.

Gu Zhiyuan said nothing, just quietly hugged Gu Mama and Gu Ning together, tears streaming down his face. For the past three months, since Gu Ning went missing, they had searched the world for her, eventually giving up in despair. The pain they had endured was something only those who had experienced it could understand. The tears now held too much bitterness and joy.

After crying for a while, Gu Mama finally calmed down enough to look at Gu Ning’s condition. Seeing how disheveled Gu Ning was, not knowing what she had gone through during her disappearance, how much she had suffered, Gu Mama’s heart ached. She could only keep stroking Gu Ning’s hair, which had already formed clumps of dirt, sobbing, “It’s okay now, Ningning, you’re back, you’re back. Mom and Dad are here with you.”

“Officers, thank you so much, really,” Gu Zhiyuan shook Old Li’s hand, extremely grateful: “If it weren’t for you helping us find our daughter, we really wouldn’t have much to live for in this lifetime. You are the saviors of our family of three!”

“Please don’t say that, it’s our duty,” Old Li’s eyes were also red. He had a daughter about Gu Ning’s age, so he could understand the feelings of the old couple.

Method’s focus, however, remained on Gu Ning. No matter how much Gu Mama hugged her and comforted her, Gu Ning’s expression remained blank. Could something have happened to her brain during her disappearance? Method worriedly thought. If that were the case, it would be another blow to the old couple who had just gotten their daughter back.

“Officers, if there’s nothing else, we’ll take our daughter home now. If you have time, you must come to our house for tea!” Gu Zhiyuan insisted on getting Old Li and Method’s phone numbers, then left with Gu Ning, thanking them profusely.

As soon as they left, Method couldn’t help but say, “Old Li, do you think there’s something wrong with Gu Ning’s head?” He pointed to his own head: “I saw her mom crying like that, but she didn’t react at all…”

“That’s a normal reaction. Look at her condition, she must have suffered a lot outside. Seeing her family suddenly, it’s easy to feel unreal,” Old Li said, glancing at him: “In a few days, go visit her home and see if you can get anything out of her. I think she really does know you, so go figure out what’s going on.”

Method nodded thoughtfully: “I’m also curious. I’ve never been on TV, so I really have no impression of her.”

“Old Gu, quickly see if there’s anything to eat in the kitchen, bring something out for Ningning to eat,” as soon as they got home, Gu Mama hurriedly ordered Gu Papa around, her voice hoarse from crying.

“Ah! Okay, okay, Ningning, wait a bit, Dad will see what’s there to eat,” Gu Papa quickly went into the kitchen.

Gu Mama’s eyes were red, her arms wrapped around Gu Ning as they sat on the sofa, her eyes never leaving Gu Ning.

Gu Ning’s gaze slowly moved around the house. Yes, the furnishings were exactly the same as before the apocalypse. Her gaze returned to her mother’s face, and she asked blankly, “Mom, am I dreaming?!”

Gu Mama’s tears, which had just stopped, immediately welled up again: “Silly child, it’s not a dream, you’re really home! Look around, this is our home, Mom and Dad are here, we’ll be together as a family from now on, never to be separated again, okay?” She must have suffered so much outside that even now, back home, she was asking if it was a dream.

Gu Ning’s chaotic eyes gradually brightened…

After a while, Gu Papa came out of the kitchen with a large bowl of egg noodles, apologetically saying to Gu Ning, “Ningning, there’s nothing else at home, so just make do with this for now. Later, Dad will go out and buy your favorite dishes, okay?”

Gu Ning silently took the large bowl of noodles. The steaming heat hit her face, making her feel grounded. As she took the first bite, tears uncontrollably streamed down her face. Gu Ning didn’t wipe them away, eating the hot noodles as if she didn’t fear the heat, shoveling them into her mouth while crying.

Gu Papa and Gu Mama watched, their hearts aching, quickly comforting her: “Eat slowly, Ningning, don’t burn yourself.”

Gu Ning ignored them, still eating voraciously, not even leaving a drop of soup, drinking it all down. The long-lost feeling of being full almost made Gu Ning want to cry again.

After eating, Gu Mama prepared clean clothes and pajamas for Gu Ning. Gu Ning went straight to the bathroom, taking off her dirty, smelly clothes. She closed her eyes, feeling the warm water wash over her body, scrubbing herself clean with soap, and washing her hair, the foam turning completely black. The black water flowed down her body into the drain.

After changing into clean, comfortable pajamas and drying her hair halfway with a towel, Gu Ning stepped out of the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror.

Then Gu Ning looked at herself in the mirror and was stunned.

Her originally messy, frizzy black hair had turned into a dazzling golden color, not like dyed gold, but like the natural, shiny gold of a foreigner. Her originally yellowish skin had become extremely pale, but not a natural pale, more like a sickly pallor, looking completely bloodless. Her originally dark black eyes had become clear, and when her face was expressionless, she looked cold and distant.

Gu Ning felt a bit panicked, tilting her head to look at the spot on her neck where the zombie had bitten her. The skin there was smooth, with no trace of a wound. The other places on her body where the zombies had scratched and bitten also showed no signs of injury.

Could this be the aftermath of being bitten by a zombie?

What on earth was going on?

Insert bookmark.