Chapter 26: The Human Heart

The night stretched on endlessly.

Upon waking in the morning, Ye Nan’s face was still flushed with pleasure, his mind lingering on the perfect experience he’d had with Li Siqi’s impossibly long, black-stockinged legs.

Back in university, Li Siqi was known as the Black Stocking Goddess. Standing at a statuesque 175 centimeters with legs that seemed to go on forever, she had a penchant for wearing black stockings and high heels. Every time she appeared before the boys, she left them utterly captivated.

Last night, Ye Nan had truly experienced firsthand what made her so irresistible.

At that moment, Li Siqi woke up as well. Catching Ye Nan’s heated gaze, she glared at him with irritation and muttered, “Haven’t you ever seen a woman before? Don’t you know how to cherish and protect?”

Ye Nan replied, “It’s only because you’re so alluring that I couldn’t hold back.”

Li Siqi felt both embarrassed and a bit pleased. “Cut it out. I know you’re just a lustful glutton trying to pin the blame on me.”

“Since you’ve already called me a lustful glutton, shouldn’t I prove it to you? Otherwise, you’re accusing me unfairly.” Ye Nan pulled Li Siqi into his arms, kissed her cheek, and grinned mischievously. “Come on, let’s get some exercise.”

“You... you’re impossible!” Li Siqi said, both flustered and angry, her seductive expression making it impossible for Ye Nan to resist.

...

Yan Ruoliu had prepared breakfast and came to call Ye Nan and Li Siqi. Standing outside the door, she immediately sensed something, her face flushed with embarrassment as she cursed inwardly at the shameless couple.

An hour later, Yan Ruoliu reheated the cold food, and only then did Ye Nan and Li Siqi leisurely emerge.

Seeing the strange looks from Gong Wanru and Yan Ruoliu, Li Siqi’s heart pounded wildly with anxiety, and she dared not meet their eyes.

Ye Nan, however, maintained his usual carefree demeanor, enjoying the meal as if nothing had happened.

“Gong Jie, Yan Jie, didn’t you sleep well? You both look exhausted,” Ye Nan asked.

Gong Wanru snapped back, “Could you be quieter? You and Ruoliu kept us up all night. Honestly!”

Li Siqi lowered her head in shame, silent.

“Sorry, sorry. I’ll be more careful next time,” Ye Nan apologized awkwardly.

Yan Ruoliu added, “It’s one thing to be wild at night, but you can’t even keep quiet in the morning. I really can’t stand it.”

Ye Nan retorted, “Doesn’t that just prove I’m in good shape? If I were weak, you’d probably complain about that too.”

Both Gong Wanru and Yan Ruoliu fell silent.

After breakfast, Ye Nan took the three women out.

According to plan, they intended to clear all the zombies in the community today. That way, when boredom struck, they could go for walks without worrying about safety, making life a little more colorful.

The villa area’s zombies had already been mostly cleared by Ye Nan, with only a handful left. The high-rise area, however, had far more.

They went to the villa area first. Since there were fewer zombies, Ye Nan refrained from intervening directly. Instead, he let the three women use crossbows and long knives to dispatch the zombies, giving them some combat experience.

After nearly an hour, the villa area was completely free of zombies, as if peace had returned.

The four of them felt a bit emotional. It had been several days since the apocalypse began, and they had gradually adapted to the presence of zombies. Now that the villa area was clear, it felt almost strange.

Ye Nan waved his hand and said, “Let’s head to the high-rise area. Once we clear it, traveling will be much easier. If we can get some Level 1 or even Level 2 Crystal Cores, that would be even better.”

They arrived at the high-rise area and began clearing zombies.

Of course, they only dealt with the wandering zombies outside. Zombies inside the apartment units or homes were someone else’s responsibility—other survivors’ problem, not theirs. It wasn’t worth the trouble, especially since there was no benefit in helping.

The high-rise area had far more zombies and was much more dangerous. Ye Nan couldn’t just watch from the sidelines this time. He unleashed his power, swinging his Thunder Sword, quickly cutting down a large group.

Still, the process was slow since the zombies were scattered over a wide area. They needed to find a way to lure the zombies together for greater efficiency.

Gong Wanru suggested, “Why don’t you use a loudspeaker connected to your phone to play music? Zombies are attracted to sound; they should come running.”

Ye Nan’s eyes lit up, and he gave a thumbs-up. “Great idea.”

He remembered when they had visited a convenience store to gather supplies, Su Tao’s boyfriend—the guy with glasses—had done something similar. It had left a deep impression on him. He could do the same, just swapping a drone for a loudspeaker.

Ye Nan’s Thunder Tower held all sorts of gadgets, so a loudspeaker was no problem. He found one with decent volume, connected it to his phone, and played a lively folk song:

“The vast horizon is my love,

Under the rolling green hills, flowers bloom.

What rhythm is the most swinging,

What song is the happiest...”

As soon as the music played, the zombies were immediately drawn in, sprinting crazily toward the source of the sound. Ye Nan raised his Thunder Sword, relentlessly reaping their lives.

Upstairs, some survivors peeked from their windows. Seeing the scene below, they were stunned. Someone was so powerful, like a superhero, effortlessly beating the zombies with no resistance.

Ye Nan moved like a reaper harvesting wheat, his efficiency astonishing. This was expected—most zombies here were common ones, with only occasional Level 1 zombies. There were no Level 2 zombies at all. For Ye Nan, now a Level 2 Ability User, it was effortless.

“Oh my god, who’s that handsome guy? He’s amazing!”

“Handsome guy, come save me. There are two zombies at my door. If you kill them for me, I’ll spend the night with you.”

“Young man, are you from the rescue team? I’m short on food and water here. Hurry up and save me, or I’ll complain about you.”

“Young man, come quickly!”

...

Su Tao and her boyfriend watched Ye Nan below with mixed feelings. They’d seen his strength before and knew he had some kind of superpower, killing zombies instantly.

But this time, he seemed even stronger than before.

The glasses-wearing boyfriend grew jealous, glaring at Su Tao, who was staring at Ye Nan without blinking, her eyes sparkling. “Are you falling for that guy?”

Su Tao shook her head, annoyed. “I’m your girlfriend. How can you say that? If you keep this up, I’ll break up with you.”

“You bitch!” The boyfriend was furious, feeling cuckolded. “I bet you want to leave me for that guy. Dream on—I won’t let you.”

“You’re so petty and paranoid. How did I ever fall for you? Since the apocalypse, you’ve been such a coward. If I hadn’t risked going out to collect food, we’d all be dead by now.”

At that moment, his mother, Mrs. Wang, tried to mediate, “You two should sit down and talk instead of arguing all the time. And Su Tao, you’re already my son’s girlfriend. How can you keep flirting with other men? What kind of example is that?”

His father, Mr. Liu, added, “You’re not even married yet. If you keep this up after marriage, it’ll be a disaster.”

Su Tao felt helpless, nearly in tears.

She had risked everything to collect food to support their fragile family, only to be met with ingratitude and blame. For a moment, she wanted to run away with Ye Nan, but after thinking it over, she decided to give them one last chance. If they didn’t change, she’d leave for good, never looking back.

At least her conscience was clear.

Upstairs, some survivors initially watched Ye Nan fiercely slaughter zombies outside, but as time passed and he didn’t come upstairs, they grew anxious.

“Hey, young man, there are so many zombies in the hallways. Why don’t you help clear those too? It’s just a little work. If you could bring some food up, that’d be even better.”

“He must be from the rescue team, right? But why are you so slow? It’s been days, and food’s almost gone. You’re only just coming to save us? I want to complain about you.”

“Hey, that’s too much. Look at those three beauties with him—they’re owners in this community, not rescue workers. They’re just helping clear zombies out of kindness. If you’re not grateful, fine, but don’t blame them. It’s ridiculous.”

“Exactly. Don’t be so ungrateful.”

“There are no zombies left outside. Anyone want to team up with me to clear the hallways, then go out for supplies?”

“Count me in.”

...

Ye Nan heard the homeowners’ words but dismissed them with disdain. The apocalypse revealed the true nature of people. When you help others, they might still blame you.

If that’s how it is, then so be it.

Seeing the zombies cleared, Ye Nan didn’t say a word and left with the three women.

As for the zombies in the hallways, a few brave survivors could handle them together. If they couldn’t even do that, they might as well give up. How else would they survive future encounters?

“Hey, little brother, where are you going? Come help me clear the zombies.”

“Bring some food too. I’ve been hungry for two days.”

“How can someone be so heartless? In a disaster, we all need to help each other. If you have the ability, you should help.”

“You arrogant jerk. If the internet was still up, I’d expose you on social media for all to see—you shameless scum.”

“Ha.” Ye Nan sneered coldly and quickened his pace, eventually disappearing from sight.

Li Siqi was indignant. “These people are shameless. We clearly helped clear zombies, but they blame us. It’s outrageous.”

Gong Wanru sighed. “This is the apocalypse. Never test human nature—it’s the weakest thing. For survival, people will do anything.”

“Yeah, from now on, be cautious when meeting other survivors. Don’t get stabbed in the back,” Ye Nan warned.

Li Siqi nodded. “Don’t worry, I understand.”

Ye Nan said, “Actually, it’s good for you to experience this. It prevents illusions, so you won’t be caught off guard later. Zombies have no minds—they just attack blindly. But humans have thoughts and are much more complicated. People’s hearts are veiled. You must always be careful.”

Yan Ruoliu said, “Enough of the unpleasant talk. Now that the community is cleared of zombies, let’s take a walk and relax.”

Li Siqi agreed, “Yes, I’ve been cooped up indoors for too long. I’m starting to go stir crazy.”

So Ye Nan took the three top beauties for a stroll around the community.

Meanwhile, with the zombies cleared, survivors in the community became more active. Once the hallway zombies were dealt with, they could go out to gather supplies.

There were plenty of convenience stores and supermarkets nearby. Being able to venture out meant chances of finding food. People busied themselves, sometimes teaming up to clear hallway zombies, eager to leave their homes.

Yet some were still too frightened, staying inside and waiting for rescue teams. It was clear their fate would be grim.

At noon, Ye Nan and the three women enjoyed a hearty meal, their moods unaffected by earlier events.

Ye Nan took a nap, hoping to get a little closer with Li Siqi, but she firmly rejected him. Left with no choice, he sought out Gong Wanru and Yan Ruoliu, leaving them both shy and flustered.

In the afternoon, Ye Nan went out to gather supplies again.

It was a daily necessity. Although his Thunder Tower held plenty of resources, who could ever have too much?

Nearby convenience stores were already mostly picked clean by him. Even if there were sporadic leftovers, they weren’t worth his time—better left for other survivors.

Driving his Hummer toward a more distant area, Ye Nan suddenly noticed a bald man sitting in a car by the roadside, pointing a gun at a middle-aged man and forcing him into a convenience store to loot supplies.

The middle-aged man hesitated, as there were three zombies inside, and others were slowly gathering outside, risking encirclement.

But he had no choice. The bald man sat in the car, gun ready. If he refused, he’d be shot dead instantly.

“Brother, can we go somewhere else? There are too many zombies here. It’s dangerous,” the middle-aged man pleaded.

The bald man snapped, “Stop dawdling. Get in there and haul the supplies. The zombies are coming.”

The middle-aged man wavered.

“Move it!” The bald man gripped the steering wheel tightly with one hand, gun in the other, ready to drive off at a moment’s notice. As for the middle-aged man, he was just a tool to be used.

From a distance, Ye Nan’s gaze sharpened. “It’s him!” he murmured, surprised.