Chapter Sixteen: Moving House

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Leaving the villa district, Ma Yi hummed a cheerful tune to himself, feeling utterly satisfied. The world had changed—those once formidable people now sought his favor. He wandered the hills, circling a few times until he found a villa that pleased him, both in style and location. Then he made his way to that imported supermarket again. Fortunately, most of the goods were vacuum-packed—almost everything was imported, and the warehouse held a vast supply. These provisions would last Ma Yi and Liu Wen’s family a good long while.

As long as the zombies were cleared out and the fences and other defenses around the neighborhood were properly managed, Ma Yi could let Liu Wen move about safely in the villa area, no longer confined to a single room.

He was in high spirits, eyeing the small cars parked along the roadside. The idea of switching vehicles crossed his mind—after all, what man doesn’t love cars? But with his current height, well over two meters, he’d barely fit inside an ordinary one.

After searching for a while, Ma Yi realized that, given his size, only his convertible van would do.

When he returned, Liu Wen immediately checked his clothes and, seeing no tears or damage, concluded he hadn’t been in a fight. Her gaze brimmed with concern.

“Why do you smell like a woman?” Liu Xue, nose twitching like a hound, leaned close and sniffed at him.

Damn, is Liu Xue’s nose really that sharp? Ma Yi thought nervously. Luckily, he hadn’t done anything untoward. With her quirky, mischievous nature, Liu Xue would surely sniff out any secret.

He kept his expression calm. “Funny you mention it. I ran into some survivors in the villa district—turns out, among them was my old boss. The scent probably came from being in his house.”

Liu Wen didn’t seem suspicious, but Liu Xue raised her head, fixing Ma Yi with a piercing, scrutinizing look.

What’s with my sister-in-law’s stare? Ma Yi wondered, doing his best to meet her gaze without a hint of guilt. Truthfully, he was a bit uneasy. If he hadn’t been cautious about testing his body’s effect on humans, he might have already gotten into trouble with those women.

“Don’t let me catch you,” Liu Xue finally said, huffing as she stormed back to her room. Her anger left Ma Yi bewildered. Your own sister isn’t jealous over me meeting women, but you, a newcomer here for just a day, act like a scorned little wife.

“What’s up with your sister?” he asked Liu Wen, puzzled.

“It’s nothing,” Liu Wen replied, a little embarrassed. She couldn’t tell him that while he was out, her parents had sat with her and Liu Xue for a long chat in the living room. Liu Wen’s mother thought highly of Ma Yi and felt that, if they wanted to survive in this new world, they’d have to rely on him. Liu Wen was already spoken for, but if Liu Xue had no one else, maybe she should stick with Ma Yi too.

If Ma Yi knew his mother-in-law had such vision, he’d probably cling to her legs in gratitude. It was as if the two sisters were being handed to him on a silver platter. Even though he hadn’t secured Liu Wen yet, the thought delighted him.

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Of course, Liu Xue wasn’t pleased. Ma Yi wasn’t particularly attractive, he was too dark-skinned, and worst of all, he was her brother-in-law—a man she’d only just met. She was thoroughly dissatisfied and took every opportunity to find fault with him.

“Oh, fine. So when are we moving?” Ma Yi decided not to dwell on it and shifted the subject.

“Since you’ve already picked out the place, we can go anytime. Why not tomorrow morning? Honestly, I’m looking forward to stretching my legs a bit.” Liu Wen was relieved that Ma Yi didn’t press her for details. She was filled with anticipation for the environment he’d described—safer, more spacious, finally a place where she wouldn’t be confined to a cramped room.

“Alright, whatever you say.” Ma Yi nodded; he had no objections. The whole point of finding a new place was for everyone’s comfort. Since he’d already scouted it out and the essentials were all there, moving simply meant bringing people over.

To make life easier for Liu Wen’s family, that afternoon Ma Yi asked everyone’s clothing sizes and made a trip into the city—not to shop for luxury goods, but to collect necessities. At seventeen, Liu Xue was still a young girl, but her bust size was on par with Liu Wen—both C cups—which made Ma Yi steal a few glances. Liu Xue caught his gaze, glaring and puffing her cheeks in annoyance. Even Liu Wen’s mother had a size larger than the girls—like mother, like daughter.

Iron Pillar used to stay in the city’s busiest district; Ma Yi suspected there were still survivors in the apartments above the malls. After talking with Iron Pillar, his suspicions were confirmed. With such a dense population, there were bound to be stragglers.

With the weather warming, Ma Yi figured they’d need fewer thick clothes and more for spring and autumn, in various styles. He swept through the brand-name stores, even picking up some summer wear just in case. Before he knew it, he’d gathered over a hundred pieces—enough to fill the van’s trunk.

He and Iron Pillar circled the city center, and after Iron Pillar left, Ma Yi noticed a new J-type zombie had appeared—a little bigger and stronger than an ordinary zombie, but clearly destined to evolve further. Like a country without a king, another would always rise to power.

Ma Yi’s extensive haul left Liu Wen speechless. With temperatures around ten degrees, two thick jackets would have sufficed, but Ma Yi had taken over a dozen for each. She remembered the saying: “There’s a kind of cold—cold your boyfriend thinks you’re feeling.”

Liu Xue, on the other hand, was delighted—happily picking through the high-end clothes, all former resistance forgotten. Pleasing a girl was simple: buy her clothes and bags, and all was well. If not, well, there were other methods.

Even Liu Wen’s mother picked out a few favorites and praised Ma Yi’s taste. As for the rest, they left them behind—no need to take everything. If they needed more, Ma Yi could always go back.

At dawn the next day, Liu Wen cooked breakfast. The family ate their fill and prepared to leave. Before they left, Liu Wen tidied up the place. Seeing her lingering, Ma Yi’s heart softened. It wasn’t the house she was attached to, but the memories and the people who’d once been there.

“Let’s go. Whenever you want to visit, I’ll bring you back,” Ma Yi said, patting her shoulder.

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“Alright, let’s go,” Liu Wen replied, casting a lingering glance at Ma Yi before following Iron Pillar downstairs.

Since the apocalypse began, this was Liu Wen’s first time leaving the house. The air outside, tinged with the scent of decaying bodies, was still fresh. In just over a dozen days, she’d come to crave the taste of freedom.

They set off in the van. Zombies on the streets, upon catching Ma Yi and Iron Pillar’s scent, either stayed obediently at the roadside or, if caught in the middle, hurriedly retreated to what they thought were safe spots.

Ma Yi had grown more adept at controlling his aura. He found zombie reactions increasingly odd—they seemed more aware of their surroundings, almost as if they were slowly developing intelligence.

“So many zombies!” Liu Wen said nervously from the passenger seat, her eyes darting to the monsters just meters away. She’d seen firsthand how vicious they could be—one bite could tear a throat clean through.

“It’s fine. I’m here. You don’t have to be afraid,” Ma Yi reassured her, his large hand closing over her soft, delicate one. Their eyes met, and he gave her a look of unwavering certainty.

“Ugh, do you have to flaunt it right here?” Liu Xue rolled her eyes at the two, pretending to gag.

“Sit still, you’re so talkative,” their mother admonished, giving her youngest daughter a playful smack on the shoulder. As for Liu Wen and Ma Yi, the experienced woman saw right through them. Liu Wen’s father sat quietly by the window, lost in thought.

“You’re hopeless,” Liu Wen muttered, blushing as she rolled her eyes back at her sister and quickly withdrew her hand, turning away to hide her embarrassment.

Some might wonder why Ma Yi didn’t bring along the Sun family’s daughter and son-in-law to the villa. Last night, Ma Yi had used them for experiments. He proved that he couldn’t transmit the virus—neither through kissing nor sex, humans wouldn’t be infected. That was why he was now so bold with Liu Wen.

The Sun family’s daughter, after being tormented nearly to death by Ma Yi in front of her husband, ended up in the stomachs of Iron Pillar and two other female zombies. Her husband met a similar fate. Ma Yi also confirmed that his scratches didn’t infect humans. However, his semen was virus-free, while his blood was not.

Just like in vampire tales, where a drop of blood transforms someone, Ma Yi’s blood could turn a healthy human into a zombie within five minutes, though the type of mutation couldn’t be controlled.