A Mo led them to a hidden cave.
The entrance was small, and inside it was dark and damp, barely large enough to accommodate them.
The rest of the people huddled in a corner, still shaken.
Su Wan sat down leaning against the cold stone wall, a slight cramp in her abdomen, and she subconsciously reached out to protect it.
Xiao Han's resolute departing figure flashed through her mind.
She suddenly found it a bit ridiculous.
She was still worrying about those people.
They were just characters in a book, with predetermined destinies.
Only she herself was truly alive.
To survive was the most important thing.
As for Lu Shiyan… what did his life or death have to do with her? Moreover, he was the male lead; he wouldn't die.
She, a mere cannon fodder, was the one in grave danger.
She closed her eyes, trying to dispel those chaotic thoughts.
After an unknown period, faint, unusual sounds came from outside the cave.
It wasn't gunshots, nor was it human footsteps.
It was a kind of… dragging, viscous friction sound.
And a low, suppressed guttural groan, getting closer and closer.
The guards at the cave entrance instantly became alert, the sound of weapons being cocked particularly jarring in the confined space.
"What is that?" someone asked with a trembling voice.
A Mo didn't answer, just made a cautious gesture.
The next second, a roar suddenly erupted!
Several dark figures lunged towards the cave entrance, carrying a putrid stench of decay.
Zombies!
How could so many zombies suddenly appear?!
"Hold them!" A Mo roared, and gunshots suddenly rang out.
The muzzle flashes briefly illuminated the cave entrance, revealing the twisted, terrifying outlines of the zombies and the densely surging mass of their kind behind them.
Screams and gunshots mingled together.
Someone was dragged out, leaving only a short wail.
The survivors inside the cave screamed and recoiled, in utter chaos.
Su Wan was pushed and shoved by the crowded people, her back hitting the stone wall hard.
A sharp pain shot through her abdomen.
"Zhang Ma!" she cried out.
"Young Miss, don't be afraid, I'm here!" Zhang Ma's voice was tearful as she gripped her arm tightly, using her not-so-strong body to shield her.
The men A Mo brought fought desperately, bullet casings clinking onto the damp ground.
"Out of bullets!" someone shouted in despair, the empty click of a gun bolt echoing.
She watched A Mo and his subordinates futilely parrying with empty guns or daggers.
These people would die here.
She closed her eyes, her wrist moving slightly, and several heavy, strangely shaped black pistols appeared in her palm.
Weapons from her spatial inventory.
She almost didn't hesitate, stuffing a gun into the hand of the man closest to her, and then tossing one to A Mo.
"Catch!" Her voice trembled slightly in the chaos.
New gunshots rang out, and the firepower became dense again, temporarily repelling the lunging zombies.
But the roars outside the cave never ceased; instead, they grew more numerous and closer.
The stench of decay was so thick it seemed to drown them.
They had only slightly delayed the moment of being devoured.
Su Wan was so anxious she wanted to cry; she wouldn't die here today, would she? Another sharp pain shot through her abdomen, and she groaned, pressing down harder with her hand.
Lu Shiyan!
That damned male lead! Where was he?!
Where was the hero saving the beauty written in the script? Why hadn't your exclusive BGM started playing yet?!
Your son! Your biological son! He's about to become a zombie baby!
Su Wan was on the verge of dying from anxiety, and her stomach started hurting along with it.
"Young Miss! Young Miss, bear with it!" Zhang Ma's voice trembled like a sieve as she held her tightly.
Just as despair set in, a more intense burst of gunfire erupted from outside the cave, crisp and decisive, completely different from the firepower of the guards inside.
Accompanied by dull thuds, the zombies' roars rapidly diminished.
That tall figure stood in the faint light, his outline distinct, with fallen, motionless dark figures behind him.
The smell of gunpowder mixed with blood replaced the previous stench of decay.
It was Lu Shiyan.
And Xiao Han, who had returned.
Her taut nerves suddenly relaxed, Su Wan's legs went weak, and she almost collapsed, only held up by Zhang Ma's firm grip.
The pain in her abdomen hadn't subsided, but a wave of post-trauma soreness suddenly flooded her nasal cavity.
Tears rolled down without warning, hot and surging.
She clutched her stomach, her body trembling uncontrollably.
You finally came.
Both men carried the scent of gunpowder and blood, swiftly clearing out the last few zombies attempting to rush in.
The cave finally fell silent, leaving only heavy breathing and the sobs of those who had survived.
Lu Shiyan's gaze swept across the cave, finally landing on Su Wan, who was being protected by Zhang Ma.
He didn't speak, but took a step forward.
Xiao Han followed behind him, casually wiping a military knife covered in filth against the wall.
Lu Shiyan approached Su Wan, his gaze lingering on her hand covering her stomach, his expression unreadable.
He squatted down, extended his hand, but stopped just before touching her.
"Can you walk?" His voice was low, suppressing some complex emotion.
Su Wan nodded, struggling to stand, but stumbled due to the pain in her abdomen.
Lu Shiyan didn't hesitate, quickly supporting her, his strong arm steadily holding her swaying body.
"It's not safe here, we must move immediately," he said, his eyes sweeping over the surviving people in the cave, finally resting on Su Wan's pale face.
Su Wan's face grew even paler, even her lips had lost their color.
She nodded with difficulty, but as she tried to step, a sharp pain shot through her abdomen again, and she stumbled forward.
Lu Shiyan quickly acted, sweeping her into his arms.
Su Wan's eyes widened in surprise, and she instinctively tried to struggle, but he stopped her with a cold voice.
"Don't move, I won't be responsible if the child gets hurt."
This sentence instantly silenced Su Wan.
She could feel the tense muscles in Lu Shiyan's arms, and the subtle distance he deliberately maintained from her.
Xiao Han walked ahead to scout, occasionally looking back at Lu Shiyan holding Su Wan, complex emotions flashing in his eyes.
"There's an abandoned military base two kilometers ahead, a temporary safe point," Xiao Han said softly, "A Mo, you lead the others and follow closely."
The group moved slowly, traversing the winding mountain path.
Night had fallen deep, with only faint moonlight illuminating the rugged road.
Lu Shiyan carried Su Wan at the very front, his breathing steady, his steps firm, as if the weight in his arms was negligible to him.
The interior of the abandoned military base was cold, with only emergency lights casting a dim glow.
Lu Shiyan placed Su Wan on a dusty cot, his movements devoid of any superfluous tenderness.
He withdrew his hand and stepped back, creating distance.
Zhang Ma immediately rushed over, her voice trembling: "Young Miss, how are you? Does your stomach still hurt?"
Su Wan shook her head, one hand propped on the edge of the cot, the other unconsciously pressing on her lower back, where it throbbed faintly.
A Mo was quickly checking the supplies stacked in the corner, moving efficiently.
Xiao Han leaned against the cold metal door frame, slowly sliding to the ground.
He pressed one hand tightly against his side, dark, thick liquid seeping between his fingers.
A Mo's expression changed, and he dropped what he was holding, rushing over: "Han Ge!"
He supported Xiao Han's swaying body, carefully laying him flat on the ground.
Tearing open the blood-stained jacket, a hideous wound was exposed.
The bullet had torn through flesh, and blood continued to gush out.