Chapter 41
Ye Lingwei's face was contorted with anger.
She glared at Yun Xiaoxiao with furious eyes.
"Why did you grab my hand?"
As she spoke, the rest of the group had already crossed the metal bridge and gathered around, drawn by the commotion.
Yun Xiaoxiao's eyes curved slightly upward, her tone nonchalant.
"Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to see how effective this bandage really is."
"Are you insane?!"
Ye Lingwei twisted her wrist in anger.
To her shock, she found herself unable to break free from Yun Xiaoxiao's grip!
How could this little brat be so strong?!
She stared at Yun Xiaoxiao in disbelief.
But in the next instant, a flash of white caught her eye.
Yun Xiaoxiao had pulled out a short, sturdy dagger from Ye Lingwei's waist.
The blade was razor-sharp, its mirror-like surface gleaming with an ominous chill.
Ye Lingwei's pupils constricted violently, a sense of foreboding rising in her heart.
"W-what are you doing with that knife?"
Yun Xiaoxiao pressed the tip of the blade against the back of Ye Lingwei's hand, her lips curling into a malicious smile.
"Tell me, if I were to make a tiny cut here and then stick that bandage of yours on it, would the little wound heal quickly? Or... would something unexpected happen?"
With each word Yun Xiaoxiao uttered, Ye Lingwei's heart pounded harder.
She looked at Yun Xiaoxiao with eyes full of terror.
Using all her strength, she wrenched her hand free from Yun Xiaoxiao's grasp and stumbled backward.
"You little viper, you're trying to kill me... you want me dead!"
Ye Lingwei screamed, her voice trembling.
Yun Xiaoxiao, however, watched her calmly, her tone mocking.
"It's just a small cut, and I was going to put the bandage on it for you. How is that trying to kill you?
Besides, weren't you about to use this bandage on that lady's wound earlier?
How come when it's your turn, suddenly it's an attempt on your life?"
She deliberately emphasized the words 'kill you'.
The others listened, growing increasingly uneasy.
Suddenly, they seemed to realize something.
Zhu Jing anxiously picked up the bandage.
As she examined it, a complex mix of emotions flashed across her eyes - shock, disbelief, and... anger.
"Ye Lingwei, you have such a vicious heart!"
She stepped forward and slapped Ye Lingwei hard across the face.
"We've been through thick and thin as teammates all this time, and yet you tried to send me to my death!"
Zhu Jing thrust the bandage in front of Ye Lingwei's face.
"This is contaminated with the zombie virus, isn't it?!"
Though phrased as a question, her tone was one of absolute certainty.
Ye Lingwei's eyes darted around. She pointed at Yun Xiaoxiao, frantically trying to defend herself.
"It wasn't me, it was her! She's framing me, trying to drive a wedge between us!"
"Shut your mouth!" Zhu Jing roared.
"I was here the whole time, and I'm not blind! You dare to twist the facts and slander this young girl? You're truly beyond redemption!"
"You wanted me dead, huh? Then let me send you on your way first!"
Zhu Jing, seemingly pushed to her limit, grabbed the bandage and forcefully shoved it into Ye Lingwei's mouth as she was about to speak.
It happened so quickly that no one had time to intervene.
"Ahhhhh!"
Ye Lingwei panicked.
She hurriedly tried to dig the bandage out of her mouth.
But she knew it was too late!
She knew better than anyone what was on that bandage.
Once the zombie virus entered her mouth, it would spread throughout her body via her saliva.
Soon, her body would start to change.
And then, she would become a monster that only craved human flesh!
"Ahhhhh! I'll kill you!"
She lunged at Zhu Jing in a frenzy, her hands wrapping tightly around the other woman's throat.
She used all her strength, and Zhu Jing's face quickly turned red, her breathing becoming labored.
Seeing this, the tall, thin young man who had always disliked Ye Lingwei kicked her to the ground.
"You menace! Wasn't hurting Ah He enough? Now you want to harm Sister Jing too? When will you stop?!"
Ye Lingwei hung her head, a low, maniacal laugh escaping her lips.
She slowly got to her feet, then suddenly charged at Yun Xiaoxiao.
"It's all your fault! If you hadn't ruined my plan, I wouldn't have been found out! I'd still be alive and well! It's all because of you! If I can't live, neither will you!"
Yun Xiaoxiao was standing near the low wall at the edge of the roof.
If Ye Lingwei managed to push her, she would surely fall.
"Watch out!" Sister Jing cried out.
Yun Xiaoxiao had just saved her, and she certainly didn't want anything to happen to the girl.
Mu Yang also grew anxious. He shouted angrily, "Ye Lingwei, stop!"
He chased after her, intending to grab her.
But he was a step too slow.
Ye Lingwei's hands were already reaching out to push Yun Xiaoxiao.
What no one noticed was that not only was Yun Xiaoxiao unafraid, but a wicked smile had appeared on her lips.
She nimbly sidestepped, then hooked her foot around Ye Lingwei's leg and kicked.
Ye Lingwei's entire body flew off the roof like a launched pig, falling in free fall towards the ground below.
"Ahhhhh!"
The terrified scream echoed through the air, growing fainter and fainter.
Finally...
"Thud!"
A loud impact sounded from the bottom of the building.
Everyone froze, their expressions complex.
Only Yun Xiaoxiao seemed unaffected, casually picking up her spear and heading towards the stairwell.
"Um..." Mu Yang called out to her.
Yun Xiaoxiao turned her head, "What, you want to avenge her?"
Her expression was dark, as if daring Mu Yang to say yes so she could unleash her wrath.
Mu Yang was taken aback, then quickly waved his hands.
"Of course not! Her fate, all things considered, was of her own making."
He glanced briefly at where Ye Lingwei had fallen, but quickly averted his gaze.
"I just wanted to say, since we're all going down, we might as well go together. Safety in numbers, you know."
"If you want to go, then go. It's not like I own the road, I can't stop you," Yun Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes, exasperated.
Calling out to her had been unnecessary.
Watching Yun Xiaoxiao speak with such maturity beyond her years, Mu Yang pressed his lips together helplessly and quickly caught up.
Li Yan, Zhu Jing, the tall man, and another man followed closely behind.
As Mu Yang had predicted, there weren't many zombies in the building.
Perhaps because the museum itself didn't have many visitors, and since the zombie virus had broken out in the early hours of the morning, the staff hadn't even had time to open the doors.
After dealing with a few scattered zombies, the group opened the main doors of the museum.
Outside, only a handful of zombies wandered the streets.
"Little one, are you leaving now?" Mu Yang suddenly felt a twinge of sadness as he saw Yun Xiaoxiao walking in the opposite direction.
Yun Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow, "Of course. What else would I do, stay here and chat with the zombies?"
Mu Yang chuckled softly, "Well then... until we meet again."
Yun Xiaoxiao turned her back to them and started walking, waving as she went.
"Watch out for the snakes in the grass. And... we won't be meeting again."
Her demeanor was the epitome of cool detachment.
Mu Yang's lips curved into a smile, revealing his small canine teeth.
In his heart, he whispered softly: Goodbye, little one.