A Time-Traveling Zombie Romance (GL) - Chapter 30

I was stunned and immediately turned my head. “Menghui, what are you doing here?”

“Should… I not be here?” Menghui’s words hurt my heart, as she was cold toward me again.

“Meng’er,” Qi Yichen weakly spoke.

Menghui hurried over to support Qi Yichen.

Seeing this, I immediately understood—it was a misunderstanding. Qi Yichen had been injured and was kneeling in front of me, while I had no wounds at all, yet in my hands was a bl00d-stained sword.

“Menghui, I… it’s not what you think,” I said.

Menghui said nothing, just stared at me coldly for a long time, then helped Qi Yichen back to the inn. I released my grip, and the sword slipped from my hands. She misunderstood… what should I do? That look in her eyes… it hurt my heart.

After Menghui and Qi Yichen returned to the inn, in Menghui’s room, she stared at Qi Yichen and asked, “What exactly happened?”

“I don’t know either. I was in my room when suddenly a group of black-clad men descended from the sky and fought me. I tried to escape, but I couldn’t catch them. Instead, I ran into Zhang Xiaoqi. He attacked me immediately—I couldn’t fight back, so I dodged, but I still got injured,” Qi Yichen said regretfully.

“Why did he attack you?” Menghui asked, puzzled.

“I don’t know. But I think those black-clad men were sent by Zhang Xiaoqi. They didn’t attack me heavily, but Zhang Xiaoqi… every move he made seemed deadly! Could it be… the Fourth Prince knew our identities and wants to eliminate us? Or… is it because Zhang Xiaoqi likes you, and is jealous of me, so he tried to kill me?” Qi Yichen frowned deeply.

“That’s impossible. If the Fourth Prince knew, he would also know about me and would have tried to kill me too. As for the second…,” Menghui’s thoughts were complicated. Zhang Xiaoqi didn’t seem like that kind of person… Could he have been hiding his true self all along? Does he like me? Which one is the real him…?

I returned to the inn in a daze. I should have gone to my own room, but somehow I ended up in front of Menghui’s door. I intended to knock, but then lowered my hand. Qi Yichen was injured, and her mood must be bad. I shouldn’t disturb her.

Back in my room, I pondered why those black-clad men suddenly fled, why Qi Yichen got injured just then, and why Menghui arrived to see this and misunderstood everything—it all seemed too coincidental. Could it be that Qi Yichen set me up? Why would he do that?… I thought about all this, but then my mind returned to Menghui.

The next morning, I got up early and went to Menghui’s door.

“Knock knock knock. Menghui, are you there?” I called.

“Xiaoqi?”

“It’s me.”

“Please come in.”

I opened the door and saw Menghui inside cleaning her qin. She gestured for me to sit.

I sat down. Menghui asked, “Do you have something to say?”

“I want to explain,” I said.

“….”

Seeing her silent, I panicked, thinking she didn’t believe me. I quickly said, “It wasn’t what you thought yesterday. A few black-clad men ambushed Brother Qi. He chased after them. I wanted to stop him, but it was too late. I had to follow him. When I saw them fighting, I helped Brother Qi. I wounded one of the black-clad men with my sword. Brother Qi was cut on his arms and knees. The black-clad men fled, and I helped him, but he almost fell. Then you arrived.”

“Really?” Menghui asked, half in doubt.

“Really. It’s true,” I nodded.

“Okay… I believe you.” Menghui nodded.

“You believe me? Really? Haha, you believe me!!” I jumped from the bench in joy.

Menghui pursed her lips and smiled softly…

“Menghui, do you have time today?” I asked happily, holding her hand.

Menghui froze, looking at her own hand. I realized my rudeness and quickly released her hand, smiling awkwardly. “Sorry, that was inappropriate.”

“No problem. Today happens to be free,” Menghui said, her face slightly red where I could not see.

“Really? Great! Can you accompany me to go out and have some fun?” I said, excited.

“Yes, it’ll be nice to see the scenery here,” Menghui nodded.

“Then it’s settled! I’ll come get you,” I said, “I’ll go back to my room for now.”

“Okay,” she replied.

After leaving Menghui’s room, I secretly made a small gesture—“Yes.”

I happily ran back to my room, took a thorough bath, tidied my clothes, looked in the bronze mirror, gave a smile I considered handsome, nodded in satisfaction, and then walked toward Menghui’s room.

It was autumn, and noon wasn’t hot. Menghui and I walked along a busy, bustling street.

I walked with my hands behind my back, smiling at the bustling street. Several shy young ladies peeked at me from behind handkerchiefs, while the young men stared greedily at Menghui, drooling. Seeing their gazes, I frowned, quickly took Menghui’s hand, and pulled her away. I felt her tremble slightly the moment I took her hand.

By the lake, Menghui hurriedly withdrew her hand. I felt a bit disappointed. To ease the awkwardness, I laughed and sat on the grass. “This lake is beautiful,” I said.

“It is very beautiful,” Menghui said, sitting beside me.

“Tell me the story between you and Brother Qi. I’m curious,” I said, looking intently at her.

“Us? Hehe, alright,” Menghui smiled. “We met four years ago. She was very mighty; many of my sisters liked her, but she never looked at them. One night, I was injured, and she saved me. We became good friends. Over the year, feelings gradually developed. Once, she was gravely injured. Only the inner core of a thousand-year Blue-Fin Crocodile could save her. At that time, a thousand-year Blue-Fin Crocodile was harming villagers near an eastern lakeside village. Killing the crocodile wasn’t for the villagers’ sake, but for her. After recovering, she had family matters and left for three years, returning only recently.”

I realized her words were half-truth, but her feelings for Qi Yichen were real. My heart ached slightly—how could I interfere in their love? I stared at Menghui and asked, “Then… what about me?”

“You… have always been my friend.” Menghui spoke, as if questioning herself. Indeed… friend? Enemy? Or something else…? The more she thought, the more confused she felt. She had always been cold, even to Qi Yichen. But since meeting me, her coldness had softened slightly—though she didn’t know exactly why.

“Just friends?” I asked, feeling down.

Hearing my disappointment, Menghui felt a slight pang. She realized she and I were destined to be enemies; how could she feel pity? She turned her gaze to the calm lake and said lightly, “Yes, just friends.”

“Alright, I understand,” I said, heartbroken. But to hide it, I smiled. “Friends are friends. We haven’t eaten lunch. We must be hungry. Let’s go to a tavern to eat.”

Menghui, seeing I was hiding my feelings, didn’t expose me. After a moment, she said, “Very well.”

We left the lake and went to a bustling tavern. I ordered a table full of food. Hungry, I ate quickly, while Menghui sat across, quietly observing my childish behavior. She didn’t notice that while watching me, the corners of her mouth slightly curved up.

I looked up and saw Menghui staring blankly, her bowl and chopsticks untouched. I asked, “Menghui, eat! Why are you spacing out?”

Seeing me look up, she smiled wider. I was surprised. Slowly, she reached out, about to touch my face. My eyes widened, my heartbeat quickened, my mind racing through hundreds of possibilities—what is she doing?

Then… Menghui picked a grain of rice from the corner of my mouth and placed it in front of me. “Xiaoqi, you have rice on your lips.”

I blushed, awkwardly lowered my head—partly because her hand touched my face, partly because of the rice, partly because I overthought.

I quickly lifted my head, smiling. “Hehe, I was so hungry, I didn’t notice.”

Menghui smiled briefly but her face soon returned to its usual coldness.

I turned my head and noticed that since we entered the tavern, every man inside had been staring at Menghui with hearts in their eyes.

Seeing their greedy gazes, I got angry. “What are you looking at? Don’t stare! Don’t you know it’s rude?”

They immediately looked away, though their attention remained in the corner of their eyes.

Menghui’s lips, however, subtly curved upward because of my actions.

After eating, we continued wandering the streets and sightseeing. Time passed, and by the time we returned, the sun had set. I returned to my room joyfully. Having spent half a day with Menghui, I felt great.

I sat on the bed, continuing to absorb the three layers of cultivation. In less than two hours, I had completely absorbed one layer. My energy surged, and my strength increased greatly.

“Stingy guy!, are you in there?”

“Brother, are you in there?” Suddenly, voices of Qingyang and Siqing came from outside the door.

I got out of bed, opened the door, and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Stingy guy! So you’re in. Where did you go today?” Qingyang asked.

“Brother, today I wanted to call you out, but you weren’t around,” Siqing said shyly.

“Uh… today I went out with Menghui,” I said, stunned.

“What! You went out with Sister Menghui and didn’t invite me? You’re so selfish!!”

“You didn’t say anything,” I replied.

“You… hmph, I won’t talk to you anymore.” Qingyang stomped on my foot and left. I held my foot, hopping in pain. “Ah, so painful!”

“Brother.” Siqing looked at me pitifully and walked away. I forgot the pain in my foot, staring at their departing figures, feeling complicated.

After Siqing and Qingyang left, that annoying Mu Jinyi came to my room again to chat, keeping me awake…

Suddenly, someone outside the house screamed, “Ah!”

Mu Jinyi and I were both startled…