I sat on the floor for a long time, too tired to stand up.
My eyes were fixed on the courtyard, and I couldn't accept the reality that I might be the only person left in this unfamiliar village.
When people are in a state of panic, they often don't think clearly.
For example, I didn't have the energy to consider why they would leave me behind and drive away.
But it's not hard to figure out.
Last night, it was clear that walkers had entered the village in large numbers.
Given the village's location, it's likely that there were even more walkers outside.
When they fired their guns, the loud noise would have attracted even more walkers.
At the time, I was trapped in the alley, and I heard the gunfire.
Their firepower would have allowed them to fight their way back to their courtyard.
However, the village entrance was also a natural entry point for walkers.
If they were trying to make a hasty retreat in chaotic circumstances, they would have had to fight their way out.
In that situation, no one would have had the time to check if I was with them.
It's possible that Xu Shu, Shen Feng, and the others assumed I was with someone else in another vehicle.
Of course, there's another possibility - they knew I wasn't with them, that I was still in the village, but they didn't have the time or opportunity to look for me.
If that's the case, I'd be laughable, hiding in someone's house while everyone else was fighting for their lives, sweetly sleeping and expecting others to come and rescue me.
This is another misconception I have about the apocalypse.
Over-reliance on others.
It's different from the kind of dependence Rongrong has on others.
In my case, I have the ability to protect myself, but I've been too reliant on others for help.
For example, last night, if I hadn't been thinking "someone will come and save me," and instead had tried to find a way to escape on my own earlier, things might not have turned out the way they did.
If I had been as proactive in finding a way to escape last night as I was this morning, I wouldn't be left alone now.
My nose grew increasingly sour, and my eyes began to swell.
No matter how strong I seemed, no matter how ruthless I had been in killing the old man who wanted to use me to feed his offspring, or how many walkers I had slaughtered, I was still me - Chen Yang, a teacher who had spent twenty years in school and a few years teaching, a woman who would scream at the sight of a mouse.
The sudden upheaval of the world had forced me to change myself to survive.
I had tapped into my survival instincts and filled my weak mind and psychology with them.
But now, the empty courtyard and the distant moans of walkers made me feel lonely and panicked.
This fear was suffocating, and I felt like I was drowning in it.
I curled up my legs and crawled onto my knees, unable to stop sobbing.
I was terrified.
Would they come back for me? Were they okay?
The more I cried, the more I felt wronged.
I couldn't cry out loud like I did when Li Jianguo and the others locked me up, fearing that the walkers would discover me.
Instead, I bit my lip and silently shed tears.
Crying is a waste of time and energy, and it won't help the situation, but this time I needed a release.
I didn't know how long it had been, but my eyes hurt when I heard footsteps in the courtyard...
I snapped back to reality, thinking about walkers.
Instinctively, I pulled out my dagger and stood up, wiping away tears.
I was about to rush towards the courtyard when I saw a figure suddenly appear in front of me...
A few seconds later, my stunned brain was filled with overwhelming joy.
Suo Tian stood at the door, looking me up and down before slowly saying, "You've been crying?"
I sniffled hard, my voice still husky from crying, but I couldn't help smiling: "Suo Tian?"
I don't know how to describe my emotions at this moment.
It's like when you're navigating a strange city alone, feeling isolated, and suddenly you discover that your neighbor is an old childhood friend - it's a shock that's hard to put into words.
I couldn't help but rush forward and hug Suo Tian tightly.
I was terrified of being alone, and I realized that I couldn't make it on my own.
I'm not strong enough to survive by myself.
It seems like God is merciful and wouldn't push anyone to the edge.
Just like now, after I panicked for a while, he brought Suo Tian to me.
I held Suo Tian tightly for a long time before letting go.
I looked him up and down and asked, "Where are the others?"
"They left ahead of time, waiting for us in a safe place," Suo Tian replied.
He paused and explained before I could ask further, "During the evacuation last night, I was looking for you and couldn't catch up with them."
Hearing Suo Tian's words, my heart warmed up. "You were looking for me all night?"
Suo Tian shook his head and said, "Visibility was poor, and I knew you wouldn't be out adventuring at night."
"So they left, and you know where we're going to meet up with them?"
"The specific route was set beforehand, and they know it."
"So we're going to catch up with them?"
"Yeah," Suo Tian said, turning around to examine the courtyard.
After a moment, he turned back to me and asked, "We'll be leaving soon. Are you okay?"
I waved my hand dismissively and said, "Of course, I can. I told you I'm tougher than you think."
With Suo Tian by my side, I felt a surge of confidence and determination.
The pessimistic thoughts from earlier were pushed to the back of my mind.
After I said that, Suo Tian looked me up and down for a while, his tightly pressed lips slowly curling up into a smile. "You cried for at least an hour."
My face turned red, and I felt a bit embarrassed.
But then I thought, wait a minute...
"How did you know I cried for an hour?" I asked.
Suo Tian pointed to a tree by the wall and said, "I was sitting there, and I could hear you very clearly."
Hearing his words, my face turned dark. "You sat there listening to me cry for an hour?"
"Yeah," Suo Tian responded with a nod.
He looked at me with a completely natural expression, as if it was no big deal.
I didn't want to argue about it anymore, so I composed myself and asked him seriously, "But, seriously, where will they be waiting for us? We can't walk far on foot."
This was a fact.
Judging from the situation on the road, China's large population meant that walkers would easily gather in large numbers.
This was different from those walker apocalypse movies from abroad, where walkers were often scattered and few in number.
The difference was likely due to the vast territory and sparse population in those countries, making it harder for walkers to congregate.
But in China, it was a different story.
Just think about the massive migration during the Spring Festival.
However... there wouldn't be any Spring Festival or massive migration like that anymore.
"About two days' journey, not far," Suo Tian said.
"What?!" I exclaimed, shocked.
"Two days' journey?"
Good grief, even driving was already a struggle.
Now, we had to walk for two days on foot... That was going to be a real challenge.
After calming down for a while, I remembered the walkers in the village and asked, "What about those walkers outside? They're blocking the village entrance, and we can't get out. Are we waiting for them to disperse?"
Suo Tian shook his head and pointed to the wall of the courtyard.
"We'll climb over to the next yard, and there's a small path. We'll take a detour and exit the village from a different route. Even if there are fewer walkers left after the horde passes through, we still can't fight our way out from the village entrance."
I nodded and looked at the adjacent yard. "Shall we leave now?"
Suo Tian glanced at me and said, "Let's eat something and rest for a bit before we go."
I looked down at myself and then at him, asking, "What are we eating?"
----------------
Exclusive access on patreon to Ch 110
Join now : p@treon*com/DeCakraWnloverz