Zhang Yi finally pieced together the events leading up to this.
"Oh, so that's how you understood it," he nodded. "But could there be a misunderstanding here?"
He lowered his gaze to meet Grandma Lin's hateful eyes, and then, in a chilling tone, he said softly, "You know, I'm someone who acts tough on the outside but is soft on the inside."
"How could I possibly stand by and watch a child die in agony?"
"That's why I actually went to your house to deliver the medicine."
Grandma Lin's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're lying!"
"No, no, I'm not lying. I really did go to your house. Think carefully. Oh, maybe you were too preoccupied and forgot," Zhang Yi said, his eyes showing a hint of regret.
"When I arrived, you were busy eating! To be precise, you were gnawing on something."
"At that time, your grandson, Lin Xiaohu, wasn't dead yet. If you had given him the medicine I brought, he could have survived."
"But for some reason, when I arrived, I found that you had—chopped him—up—alive!"
Zhang Yi's eyes turned dark, and his voice became icy cold.
Grandma Lin, who was already mentally unstable, became even more disoriented upon hearing his words. Her eyes flashed with panic. She remembered that after Lin Xiaohu died, she had indeed resorted to... dealing with him in order to survive.
"No, no! Xiaohu was already dead; you killed him!" she yelled.
Zhang Yi burst into laughter and pointed at Zhou Ke'er. "If you don't believe me, you can ask Dr. Zhou. Was there still hope for Lin Xiaohu?"
Grandma Lin turned her head in confusion, looking at Zhou Ke'er, who was standing on the steps.
Seeing Zhang Yi's sinister smile, a chill crept up Zhou Ke'er's spine. No wonder Zhang Yi hadn't killed Grandma Lin right away and had instead spoken with her for so long. He didn't just want her dead—he wanted to destroy her soul, to make her die in the utmost agony.
Zhou Ke'er slowly nodded her head. "It's true. Lin Xiaohu could have been saved."
"I was the one who contacted Zhang Yi, and he agreed to deliver the medicine."
"But you didn't wait for him to arrive. You mistakenly thought Lin Xiaohu was already dead and…"
Zhou Ke'er couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence; she found it too revolting. After all, Grandma Lin always prided herself on how much she loved her grandson. But in the end?
To stay alive, she had even devoured him. This crossed the boundary of basic human decency, far beyond anything even animals would do.
Grandma Lin covered her face in despair, wailing in agony. "No, it's not true! I didn't know he was still alive. I thought he was already dead!"
She had waited so long, until she could no longer bear it, before raising the knife. At first, she told herself she would only take a little bit—just a little. But the more she ate, the hungrier she got, and after tasting the meat, the satisfaction of being full drove her cravings even further.
Eventually, she gnawed every last bone of Lin Xiaohu clean.
Suddenly, Zhang Yi shouted, "Haha, so that's it!"
"This is the great Grandma Lin, who was so ruthless that she hacked her still-living grandson to death for a meal!"
"How was it? Did your grandson taste good? You really loved him, didn't you?"
"Your son and daughter-in-law entrusted their child to you. How will you face them?"
Grandma Lin's eyes went blank as she clutched her head, wailing in pain. "No, it's not like that! It's not like that!"
"It is! It is!" Zhang Yi mocked, his voice full of cruelty.
"No, it's not like that!"
"It is! You did it!"
Grandma Lin continued to wail in despair, while Zhang Yi laughed as he twisted the knife even deeper into her soul.
Even Zhou Ke'er felt chills run down her spine. Zhang Yi was someone no one should ever cross. His ability to mentally torment others was terrifying.
Suddenly, Grandma Lin let out a scream and ran headfirst into the wall, hoping to end it all. She had completely broken down and lost all will to live. Death seemed like the only escape.
But just as she was about to succeed, Zhang Yi played the hero.
"Stop!" he shouted as he kicked Grandma Lin away, sending her tumbling down the stairs.
"Thud!" She landed hard, then rolled down another flight of stairs.
Zhang Yi sighed dramatically, as if speaking with great wisdom. "Grandma Lin, you need to look forward. Don't think about doing something so rash!"
"After all," he added with an even crueler smile, "you sacrificed your grandson just to stay alive. If you die now, how will you face your family down below?"
Grandma Lin, now coughing up blood, could no longer speak. But her eyes were filled with a plea for mercy.
"Stop, please... stop talking," she begged.
By this time, the commotion had attracted neighbors from several floors. They gathered to watch the spectacle.
Zhang Yi pointed at Grandma Lin and shouted, "Look, everyone! Grandma Lin is trying to commit suicide!"
"She killed her own grandson, Lin Xiaohu, and ate him just to survive! What a fierce will to live!"
Upon hearing this, the neighbors' expressions turned to pure disgust. Even though some people had resorted to desperate measures in this apocalyptic world, none of them had sunk so low as to eat their own family. That was a line no one could cross.
Surrounded by these horrified gazes, Grandma Lin's mental state deteriorated even further. Blood gushed from her mouth as her eyes filled with anguish and torment.
"She won't last long," Zhou Ke'er said softly as she approached Zhang Yi. "She'll freeze to death in less than half an hour."
Zhang Yi had beaten her so brutally that her internal organs had ruptured.
"Freeze to death?" Zhang Yi frowned. "How could we let that happen? Freezing to death in this cold weather... that's too cruel."
The neighbors stared at him in confusion. Was Zhang Yi planning to let Grandma Lin go?
Only Zhou Ke'er, familiar with Zhang Yi's ways, rolled her eyes and sighed. "What are you going to do?"
Zhang Yi sighed dramatically. "Ah, the old woman has had a hard life. Before she dies, let's help her warm up!"
He pretended to reach into his jacket but actually retrieved a bottle of alcohol from his alternate space. He uncorked the bottle and splashed it all over Grandma Lin's body.
Only then did the neighbors understand what he was about to do. They were speechless, but at the same time, it made perfect sense—it was Zhang Yi, after all. When had he ever shown mercy?
After emptying the bottle, Zhang Yi stepped back, lit a cigarette, took two drags, and then flicked it toward her.
Whoosh!
The flames erupted instantly, engulfing Grandma Lin. Her agonized screams echoed through the stairwell.
Without even glancing back, Zhang Yi turned and walked away, his expression cold and indifferent. The neighbors, terrified, hurriedly moved aside to let him pass, their eyes filled with fear.