Page Seventy-Eight
Set One
I took out two 500ml bottles of Coca-Cola from the refrigerator and then whispered to the empty hall.
“Professor? Professor Shí, are you still here?”
I hoped she would pop out from behind some shelf and scare me, then tell me it was all just a joke… But there was no response. The only sound in the video hall was the hum of the old air conditioner, making everything eerily quiet.
“It’s not right. We’ve only been here for two minutes, how could someone just disappear like that?”
Talking to myself at this moment was just to calm down.
“…Let’s go back.”
The unsettling feeling wouldn’t leave my mind, making my heart race.
After calming down, I carried the Coca-Cola back to the screening room. The zombies on the screen were already in battle, with the slightly yellowish footage showing the fuzzy and trembling effects typical of old projectors.
Sister Zǐ patted the seat beside her and urged, “Just two bottles of Coca-Cola, why so slow? Hurry up and sit down.”
I stood at the door and said, “Sister Zǐ, Professor Shí is gone.”
“Hmm, I heard you calling her outside. She probably went out for something, like having lunch or something.”
Sister Zǐ pulled my arm, dragging me to the seat.
She continued, “Anyway, there’s no need to worry. Don’t think too much, your life experience is far less than Professor’s. If she really encountered something unsolvable, worrying won’t help.”
No, I wasn’t worried about the professor as much as I was confused and panicked by the situation.
But since Sister Zǐ said so, I could only sigh, “Well, let’s watch the movie first…”
Just moments ago, Sister Zǐ wasn’t interested in the movie, but now she seemed very excited. She kept talking to me and giving her opinions on the film.
“Ew, the cliché of a bio-weapon leak is so overused!”
“That guy got bitten, he’ll turn into a zombie soon.”
“This do-gooder heroine is so annoying!”
Perhaps watching the movie with me made her feel excited, or maybe she just talked more freely. This carefree Sister Zǐ felt new yet familiar to me.
“Why are you staring at me? Am I more interesting than the movie?”
Her teasing made me feel a bit embarrassed. I turned around and saw the tomato sauce scene from the zombie cafeteria, which gave me a slight scare.
My heart raced, whether from the horror of the movie or from Sister Zǐ’s playful teasing.
“I just think you look different today.”
She winked playfully and smiled, “Oh? How so?”
This mischievous look made her seem more like a cat than a lion.
Not only was she more feminine, but also more proactive. I couldn’t keep up.
“How can I say that…”
Sister Zǐ wasn’t paying attention to the movie anymore. She blushed and held my hand, asking with a sultry gaze, “So, do you think I’m better now or before?”
Could she be asking me to choose a style I like?
I frowned slightly and replied, “I think you’re perfect just as you are, no matter which one…”
“Pfft, what are you thinking! I don’t plan on catering to your preferences.”
As if trying to push me onto the sofa, she leaned closer. I supported myself to stay upright.
“Língmèng… You really like me, don’t you?”
She reached out to push aside my bangs and gently stroked my cheek, saying softly, “You just can’t let go of Miss Linghua and that noisy idiot girl, so you can’t admit that you like me, right?”
She openly stated my thoughts, trying to force an answer from me.
I looked at the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar Sister Zǐ, with no way out behind me.
“I like you, but I also like Lǐn Huā and Xiǎo Lěi. But I’m not confident I can make everyone happy…”
“You always say such things, you’re such an idiot!”
She scolded me and lunged forward, wrapping her arms around my back. Her weight pushed me down onto the sofa, burying her face in my chest as she mumbled, “Hearing you say you like me, do you know how happy I am?”
“Sister Zǐ, I’m sorry, I really…”
“No apologies! I want to stay by your side! There must be a way to make everyone happy together. So don’t give up on anyone… Don’t give up on me! Do I not deserve happiness?”
She raised her head, her eyes red but her gaze resolute.
She said, “I agree with Miss Lǐn Huā’s plan.”
…A utopian harem that everyone likes?
I asked, “Sister Zǐ, not to mention others, can you really get along well with Xiǎo Lěi?”
“So you really are an idiot, you care too much about our opinions.”
She was still lying on top of me, moving her head to rest on my right shoulder, her left hand resting on my left chest, and her index finger drawing circles… Since they were prosthetics, I didn’t feel anything.
“Some things don’t have to be perfect. Let us share the worries.”
“But your relationship with Xiǎo Lěi has always been bad, hasn’t it?”
I tried to move to sit up, but Sister Zǐ used her hands and feet to pin me down.
“That doesn’t matter. First, take action, then gradually change and adapt. Fantasizing about unrealistic perfection will only make you hesitate… Língmèng, you are in this state now. I know you’ve thought a lot about how to handle our feelings, but taking the first step is essential. Otherwise, all those thoughts are just empty daydreams.”
“Empty daydreams?”
“Lǐn Huā is always taking action, and the idiot sister is accompanying you in her own way. The only one who hasn’t moved forward is you.”
Sister Zǐ’s thoughts and warmth were transmitted through her body.
I felt a bit hot, not just physically, but emotionally as well.
“The people I like are all outstanding.”
“Having such thoughts is also part of your strengths. You always see the good in others, so no matter who they are—thugs, losers, playboys, even enemies—you can accept them. Kǎi-Chan, your heart is wider than I ever imagined.”
Seeing the flicker in Sister Zǐ’s eyes, I gathered my courage.
“Thank you, Sister Zǐ. I won’t run away anymore.”
I pulled my hand back and patted her back, struggling to sit up.
“Thanks are unnecessary. I’m saying these things for myself too.”
I looked into her eyes.
Two months ago, she was still a proud man, but now she is the girl I admire.
“I like you, but I like more than just you. If that’s okay, will you date me?”
It’s out.
Although it was impulsive, I will take responsibility for what I said.
“Heh, that sounds pretty sleazy…”
Her expression relaxed, and she lowered her brows, “But I won’t give you an answer now. Lǐn Huā and the idiot don’t know about this. Running off secretly like this would be too underhanded, wouldn’t it?”
From her tone, did she want me to confess in front of the three of them?
“I thought you were that kind of person.”
Sister Zǐ paused, wiped her eyes, and smiled, “Being underhanded is high praise for me! But in this case, I want to face them honestly… After the movie ends, we’ll go straight to your place.”
“…What? You’re going to my place too?”
Dad is home today, and with Lǐn Huā and Xiǎo Lěi, the scene would be chaotic enough. Adding Sister Zǐ… I couldn’t imagine it.
“Of course, they all live with you, don’t they?”
Sister Zǐ seemed indifferent and asked, “Just boasting now, ready to renege? Is this the extent of your resolve?”
“Don’t provoke me, fine, we’ll go!”
Even though it’s waiting until after the movie, I couldn’t focus now. Even the shuffling zombies didn’t seem scary, and my mind was only on how to deal with the confession later.
…This is a joke!
Thinking calmly, Sister Zǐ’s proposal was quite outrageous. Declaring love to three girls simultaneously is unprecedented in history, ancient or modern. I might be the first in history… No, perhaps I should be called the first scoundrel in history. I finally stepped onto a path with no turning back.
At this moment, Yìngjiàng didn’t come out to mock me. Could she already be informing Lǐn Huā and Xiǎo Lěi?
“Tik-tik-tik!”
Maybe due to the sudden relaxation of my tense nerves, during the intense scene where the protagonist fired a Gatling gun at the horde of zombies, I couldn’t stop falling asleep…
…
My eyelids felt heavy.
…
Zzz.
—
Bam—!!!
A sudden loud noise exploded near my ear, jolting me awake. I slid down the sofa onto the floor, my legs wobbly.
The zombie movie with tomato sauce had long ended. I looked towards the source of the noise, and there stood Professor Shí Huǒróng holding a gong.
“Scared me to death! What are you doing, Professor?!”
“What am I doing? If you two don’t get up, I’ll lock you in the store and send you home!”
Sister Zǐ had also fallen asleep and was awakened by the gong. She rubbed her eyes and sat up straight.
My head still felt a bit dizzy.
“Sister Zǐ, we should go back.”
“…Okay.”
But her gaze at me felt strange.
I asked, “What’s wrong?”
Noticing I was looking at her, Sister Zǐ’s face flushed, and she shyly avoided my eyes.
“N-nothing… We’re heading directly to your place, right?”
Why was she reacting so coyly?
Did I do something strange to her while I was asleep?
“Then… let’s go back. I’ll call Lǐn Huā and the others.”
—”No need, I’ve arranged everything. Just bring Zǐ Jiàng back with you.”—
Yìngjiàng, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke up.
—”We’ve finally reached this point!”—
