Chapter 153

Chapter 153: The Door to Rebirth in the Apocalypse – Full Novel Website

Chapter 153

Gu Ning never expected to run into Lu Jiazhi and Jiang Yu here. Lu Jiazhi looked much more disheveled, with stubble on his chin and messy hair, a far cry from his usual meticulous self. He seemed worn out. Jiang Yu, on the other hand, looked mostly the same, just a bit thinner, but her demeanor had completely changed. The once gentle and soft-spoken woman now exuded a sharp, almost hostile aura. As the people in the hall glanced back and forth between Lu Jiazhi, Jiang Yu, and Gu Ning, Gu Ning smiled coldly and said, “So, you’re still alive.”

Not exactly the kind of greeting you’d expect between friends.

Lu Jiazhi’s face turned pale instantly.

The others in the hall looked at them with strange expressions.

Wang Feng walked out from a room at the back, unaware of what was happening. When he saw Gu Ning and Ji Jiuzhe, he greeted them with a smile, “Hey! You’re here!” Then, noticing Lu Jiazhi, he grinned even wider and called out, “Lu Jiazhi! Come over, let me introduce you to some new friends!”

Lu Jiazhi walked over stiffly, and Wang Feng cheerfully said, “Let me introduce you. This is Ji Jiuzhe and his girlfriend, Gu Ning. Ji Jiuzhe, this is Lu Jiazhi, our team’s strategist!”

Lu Jiazhi didn’t miss the fact that Wang Feng introduced Gu Ning as Ji Jiuzhe’s girlfriend… He glanced at Ji Jiuzhe, who, no matter where he was, would never be mistaken for an ordinary person. It wasn’t just his appearance, but the aura he exuded. Lu Jiazhi’s expression stiffened, but he managed to say, “Hello, I’m Lu Jiazhi.”

Ji Jiuzhe nodded coldly. From Lu Jiazhi’s reaction upon seeing Gu Ning and the tone of Gu Ning’s voice, it was clear that something had happened between them in the past. “Ningning,” such an intimate nickname… Was he her ex-boyfriend?

Lu Jiazhi didn’t dwell on Ji Jiuzhe’s cold response. Instead, he turned to Gu Ning and hesitated before asking, “Ningning, how did you end up here?” After a pause, he added, “How are your parents?”

Gu Ning replied expressionlessly, “They’re fine, thanks for asking.”

Wang Feng looked between Lu Jiazhi and Gu Ning, surprised. “You… know each other? What a coincidence…” His expression also turned strange. Judging by Gu Ning’s tone and Lu Jiazhi’s somewhat lost look, it seemed their relationship was more than just acquaintances.

“More than just acquaintances,” Jiang Yu interjected, her eyes flashing with jealousy as she glanced at Ji Jiuzhe. Then, with a sarcastic tone, she said, “Wang Feng, let me introduce you. Gu Ning is my cousin!”

Wang Feng was even more surprised and laughed, “Well, isn’t that something! Birds of a feather flock together!”

Gu Ning smiled faintly and said, “Wang Feng, you misunderstood. We’ve cut ties. So now, we’re complete strangers.”

Jiang Yu just glared at Gu Ning darkly.

Gu Ning turned to the awkward Wang Feng and said, “Wang Feng, could you arrange a place for us to rest? Ji Jiuzhe needs to rest.” Gu Ning was used to calling him “Captain” or “Captain Ji,” so saying his full name felt a bit odd.

“Sure, sure! You rest first, and we’ll talk later,” Wang Feng said, then called over a girl around fifteen or sixteen years old and instructed, “Fang Lin, take them to a room to rest.”

“Okay!” The girl cheerfully ran over and said to Gu Ning and Ji Jiuzhe, “Follow me!”

“Wait!” Lu Jiazhi suddenly called out to them and said, “We have plenty of empty rooms, and the beds are narrow. It’d be more comfortable if you stayed separately.”

Jiang Yu chimed in sarcastically, “They’re a couple, of course they’ll share a room! Why are you so concerned about their comfort?”

Lu Jiazhi shot her a look, his brows furrowed. Gu Ning knew that look—it was the face he made when he was angry but holding it in. She couldn’t be bothered with their drama and said to the confused girl, “Please lead the way.”

The girl took a candle and led Gu Ning and Ji Jiuzhe to the back of the hall.

The room was in a two-story building behind the dining hall, and they were taken to the room at the end of the second-floor corridor.

The room didn’t have a key, and inside was a neatly made double bed.

Before the girl could leave, Ji Jiuzhe dropped his bag on the floor, pulled back the covers, and fell asleep almost instantly, leaving the girl stunned.

“He’s exhausted,” Gu Ning said helplessly, then asked the girl, “Can I talk to you?” She closed the door and walked out into the corridor with Fang Lin.

Fang Lin was about fifteen or sixteen, with single eyelids, thin, and her hair tied up like a sparrow’s tail. She looked lively and curious as she asked, “What do you want to ask me?”

Gu Ning handed her a sausage and smiled, “Can you tell me about this camp?”

Fang Lin’s eyes lit up at the sight of the sausage, but she remained cautious and didn’t take it immediately. “What do you want to know?”

“Don’t be nervous, I’m not a bad person,” Gu Ning said, then chuckled at herself before putting on a kind smile. “I just want to know more about this camp since we’re new here. I don’t want to cause any trouble. How about this? I’ll ask a few questions, and if you don’t want to answer, you can skip them. How’s that?”

Fang Lin stared at Gu Ning for a moment, then hesitantly took the sausage and said, “I won’t answer anything I don’t want to.”

“Of course,” Gu Ning nodded.

Gu Ning asked, “How many people are in this camp?”

Fang Lin paused, as if considering whether to answer, then cautiously said, “Before dark, there were over a hundred. After dark, more people came, but they didn’t stay with us, so I don’t know the exact number now.”

She was referring to the time when the sky stopped getting bright.

Gu Ning nodded, then said, “We ran into another group outside the camp. A woman named Lin Qian was leading them. Are they not part of your group?”

Fang Lin, realizing Gu Ning’s questions might take a while, placed the candle on the windowsill and answered, “They arrived at the town before us. At first, they didn’t let us in, but Wang Feng used ten pounds of supplies to get us in. Their group is really timid and doesn’t dare go out for supplies, so they’re always hungry. Back then, Lin Qian wasn’t the leader—it was her boyfriend. But after her boyfriend got bitten by a zombie, she took over. Oh, and you must’ve met Wu Qin, right?” Seeing Gu Ning nod, she continued, “She’s Lin Qian’s boyfriend’s sister, and she’s so annoying! Her brother made Lin Qian promise to take care of her before he died, so Lin Qian always protects her. But Wu Qin loves causing trouble and always makes Lin Qian clean up her messes!” Fang Lin was clearly frustrated when talking about Wu Qin.

Gu Ning wasn’t interested in the gossip, but she did feel a bit of sympathy for Lin Qian. Still, she quickly changed the subject, “So, is it just your group and Lin Qian’s in this camp?”

“Of course not,” Fang Lin said, suddenly becoming more talkative, as if she hadn’t had a chance to chat in a while. “There’s another group, but they have this really annoying woman. She used to be a fire-type ability user and was super arrogant. A lot of people in the camp hated her. But after dark, she stopped being so cocky and just followed her boyfriend around…” Fang Lin caught herself going off-topic and quickly added, “There are three groups in total. We have the most people, over fifty. Lin Qian’s group has about thirty, and Pei Jing’s group only has around twenty…”

“Wait,” Gu Ning interrupted, frowning. “Did you say… Pei Jing?”

Fang Lin nodded, “Yeah, he’s the leader of the other group in the camp.”

Gu Ning paused, then asked, “…Is the fire-type ability user named Yan Yu?”

Fang Lin looked at Gu Ning in surprise, “How did you know?”

Gu Ning felt a headache coming on. It seemed like she had stumbled into a den of old enemies. First, there was Lu Jiazhi and Jiang Yu, and now Yan Yu. Gu Ning hadn’t forgotten how Yan Yu had sworn to kill her. She didn’t believe it was just a momentary outburst, nor did she think Yan Yu’s hatred would fade after a couple of months. Yan Yu was the type to hold grudges and never let go. If she got the chance, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill Gu Ning…

So, should Gu Ning strike first and end it once and for all?

A glint of murderous intent flashed in Gu Ning’s lowered eyes.

“Hey, you still haven’t told me how you know her name is Yan Yu! Do you know her from before?” Fang Lin asked curiously.

“Not only do I know her, but we also have a grudge,” Gu Ning shrugged, then asked, “Has your camp ever been surrounded by zombies?”

Fang Lin shook her head, “No. Our camp is really remote. We cleared out the zombies outside a long time ago, so we hardly ever see them anymore. I don’t want to see them either—they’re so gross that just looking at them ruins your appetite. Now, we have people patrolling outside every day, so don’t worry, our camp is super safe!”

Gu Ning paused, then asked, “When did you arrive at this camp?”

Fang Lin thought for a moment, “About… half a year ago? Maybe longer. Time’s kind of blurry now.”

Gu Ning smiled, a hint of envy in her voice, “You’re really lucky.” The apocalypse had only been going on for half a year, and Fang Lin had likely been hiding in this town since the beginning. She was still young, and the men probably hadn’t let her go out to fight zombies. She hadn’t seen much of the harsh realities outside, which explained her relaxed demeanor.

Fang Lin blinked, then smiled happily, “Yeah. Wang Feng always says I’m wasting the team’s food. But I wash their clothes and socks too!” She still had the innocence and liveliness of her age, which was a luxury in these times.

Gu Ning thought of Xiang Xu, a little girl not even nine years old, who was already a key member of their team. She wondered where they were now and if they were safe.

“If you don’t have anything else, I’ll head out now,” Fang Lin said.

Gu Ning nodded, “Thanks.”

“I should be thanking you for the sausage! Hehe, I’ll hide it well so those hungry ghosts don’t steal it,” Fang Lin said with a laugh, tucking the sausage into her pocket before taking the candle and heading downstairs.

Gu Ning returned to the room.

As Fang Lin was about to turn the corner to go downstairs, she saw someone standing there and gasped in surprise. The person spoke, “Fang Lin, it’s me.”

“It’s you!” Fang Lin glared at Lu Jiazhi, who was standing there. “Were you waiting here just to scare me?”

Lu Jiazhi asked directly, “How many rooms did you arrange for them?”

“One!” Fang Lin added, “Don’t worry! The bed in that room is big enough for two!”

Lu Jiazhi felt like a hammer had struck his chest, “They’re sharing a room?”

“Yeah! Why are you so nosy about their privacy?” Fang Lin suddenly lowered her voice and asked mysteriously, “Lu Jiazhi, were you and that sister together before?”

Lu Jiazhi looked at her with a distant gaze, “Why do you say that?”

“I’m not blind. You looked like you lost your soul when you saw her,” Fang Lin said, not forgetting to twist the knife, “But don’t get your hopes up. Look at her boyfriend—he’s tall and handsome! I’ve never seen such a good-looking guy before! That sister isn’t going to like you again!” With that, she cheerfully headed downstairs with the candle.

Leaving Lu Jiazhi standing alone in the hallway, looking utterly lost.

Ji Jiuzhe was sound asleep, clearly exhausted.

Gu Ning walked to the window, carefully opened the door, and stepped out onto the balcony. Most of the houses in the town were single-story, so from the second floor, she had a good view. Aside from a few candlelights, many people weren’t staying indoors. Instead, they were sitting on stools or directly on the steps, chatting with neighbors across the street. Gu Ning’s sharp hearing picked up their soft conversations—mostly about when the sky would brighten, how long their supplies would last, and whether the newcomers had joined Wang Feng’s group. She even saw a street where a table was set up with a candle, and people were playing cards, using biscuits, sausages, and bread as bets. It seemed, as Fang Lin had said, the town was indeed safe, or else they wouldn’t be so relaxed. And it looked like supplies weren’t too scarce either.

When Gu Ning’s parents and Third Brother arrived, should they consider staying here? The town was remote, and Fang Lin said they hadn’t been surrounded by zombies in half a year, which spoke to its safety. There were plenty of empty houses, but only about a hundred people lived here, so the population wasn’t large enough to attract zombies from farther away…

Gu Ning sighed deeply. All this thinking was pointless. They’d have to wait until the others arrived safely before making any decisions. She just hoped they could make it to the meeting point unharmed.

She looked up at the dark sky. When would it ever brighten again?

At 1:30 in the morning.

A large group of people arrived at the gates of the Dutch town.