The small rooftop vegetable garden was built from cement bricks and ceramic tiles. Dozens of tomato and cucumber plants were heavy with fruit, planted in rich, black soil. Alongside them, a simple vine trellis supported lush greenery, while eight flowerpots near the fence held peach trees, their blue-green fruits glinting in the sunlight.
The blood rain from yesterday seemed to have caused no visible harm to the crops. Chen Yi picked up a plump tomato, examining it carefully. If this rain of blood hasn't affected the plants… that's fortunate. But with so many zombies outside, even if the crops survive, farming is out of the question. Survival comes first.
He shook his head and moved toward the small, weathered shed at the edge of the rooftop. Inside was only an old reclining chair, surrounded by cigarette ashes and empty white wine bottles. This old man must have come up to drink last night… then got drenched in the blood rain and turned.
Old Wang's body couldn't stay here—the stench was unbearable, and Chen Yi would need to monitor the city from this rooftop regularly.
He tore off a large piece of plastic film, ready to wrap the zombie's corpse and dispose of it.
"Brother, this is the key to Lao Wang's apartment! Let's go home quickly!" Li Miao'er called softly, holding the red-tasseled spear and clutching the keychain.
"First, we need to throw the zombie's body off the roof before going home." Chen Yi tucked the energy spar safely into his pocket, then handed the plastic sheet to his sister.
"It's so troublesome…" Li Miao'er muttered reluctantly, though a small corner of her mouth lifted in a reluctant smile. Setting the Hongying gun aside, she helped him lift the zombie onto the sheet. Together, they heaved it over the railing.
Boom!
The sound drew the attention of the zombies below. Dozens shuffled toward the noise, but upon seeing only a corpse of their own kind, they lost interest and wandered away. Low-level zombies lacked the keen senses of their higher-level counterparts—they wouldn't track prey from afar.
Chen Yi exhaled in relief. Sister Miao clung to his waist, lips pursed, her expression tense but trusting.
"Don't forget the machete and gun barrel on the roof. We'll take them home. Later, I'll make watermelon cream ice cream for you," he said, smiling while gripping the machete tightly.
Li Miao'er's stomach twisted at the mention of the lingering stench of blood. Despite imagining the ice cream, the lingering smell made her squat and vomit again.
Chen Yi smirked wickedly, lightly patting her back while she retched. We have to get her eating normally. Anorexia now would be disastrous.
After a few moments, she weakly pulled on his arm to stand.
"Bro… I don't want to eat." She buried herself against him, inhaling his scent greedily, as though it were food.
"Meow, let's go home first and rest a while." Chen Yi gently patted her shoulder.
Li Miao'er's psychological endurance was stronger than most. In his previous life, during his first human anatomy experiment, he hadn't eaten for half a month, surviving only on energy potions while dissecting classmates under supervision. By the end, he had overcome the psychological barrier, treating human tissue as no different from props.
"Brother, hurry home! You promised me a massage!" Li Miao'er suddenly exclaimed, picking up her machete and red-tasseled gun. She pushed open the wooden door and raced downstairs.
Chen Yi nodded lightly, following her. Zombies lurked in the corridors below, but thankfully, none chased them upstairs.
Boom!
Inside the apartment, Li Miao'er tossed the weapons beside the sofa, kicked off her shoes and coat, and sprawled out comfortably, wiggling her crystal-clear toes in delight.
Click. Chen Yi locked the door, then washed up in the bathroom before cleaning the energy spar.
It was a small, delicate nine-pointed rhombus. I wonder what this tastes like… Chen Yi asked Hope in his mind.
It can be eaten directly, or you can extract the elements of the evil spirit to make genetic fluid.
But what if it carries a virus? Chen Yi hesitated, unwilling to risk the well-being of his clingy, obedient sister.
Your body is a descendant of the Life God race. Your blood is a natural antidote, curing most illnesses. Eating it with energy crystals increases absorption efficiency by 30%.
Ah… so I'm like the real-life Tang Monk flesh? No wonder my blue eyes are perfect support. That explains a lot… Chen Yi mused.
"Brother, I'm so tired…" Li Miao'er's delicate body lay sprawled on the sofa, her watery eyes shimmering like a kitten waiting for comfort.
"Meow, eat the energy spar first. Then you'll be able to protect brother properly." Chen Yi sat beside her with a small bowl, cutting his finger with a knife. Bright blood flowed into the bowl.
"No! Brother, you eat it first. You need to be able to protect yourself!" Li Miao'er protested, eyes wide with concern.
"Meow, brother has a secret. You mustn't tell anyone." Chen Yi smiled and held her hand around his finger. "Brother's blood cures diseases and increases the efficiency of absorbing energy crystals."
"Brother! You can't do this! Don't hurt your body, or I'll be angry!" she warned, staring at him with her big, expressive eyes, a mix of worry and determination.
"My good brother promises you. It's fine." Chen Yi chuckled, kneading her tender face gently. His blood regeneration was strong—there was no danger.
"Alright… mua~" Li Miao'er said, satisfied, lifting her face to lightly nip his cheek.
"Meow, you have to drink this, or brother won't promise anything."
Chen Yi brought the bowl to her lips. The energy spar, soaked in blood, gleamed like a radiant ruby, its brilliance almost mesmerizing.