This woman... Bai Xiao, was it?

Better to use her name. Calling her “this woman” or “that woman” felt disrespectful.

As I thought this, I watched her struggle to take off the bulletproof vest, then laboriously put it back on.

Seeing Bai Xiao strain like this was exactly why I hadn’t let little Juan’er wear it. The vest was heavy—barely a burden for an adult at ten or twenty pounds, but enough to immobilize a seven- or eight-year-old.

But... kids and heavy bags reminded me of my childhood. My schoolbag, stuffed with books, weighed thirty or forty pounds back then. Truly exhausting.

I was getting off track. Chewing gum, I waited until she finished preparations. She’d layered two extra shirts on Juan’er. The weather wasn’t cold, not warm either—just comfortable.

“What’s this...?” I asked, eyeing the extra clothes on little Juan’er.

“Just as you said, this might protect her a little. She can’t wear the vest,” Bai Xiao replied, stroking Juan’er’s head.

I nodded, saying nothing more. Those two shirts?

Tch. This woman had never faced those things. Forget green mutants—even an ordinary Zombie could tear through those layers and rip out her heart.

Just as I turned to leave, I reminded them again: “No matter what happens, obey my orders without question!”

I couldn’t risk accidents if things spiraled out of control. Better to drill it in.

Bai Xiao nodded instantly. Little Juan’er followed, dazed.

Whatever. If trouble came, I’d run alone.

But... could I really abandon a child? Could I?

Asking myself this, I walked downstairs.

The stairwell Zombies were nearly cleared. But descending, their corpses thickened. Confident in my skills, I spoke normally: “Miss Bai... why did your family come to this hospital?”

“For Juan’er’s medicine.”

“Urgent?”

“Yes. She had a high fever. Fever reducers weren’t enough. My husband insisted—he drove us straight here,” Bai Xiao whispered from behind. We’d reached the fifth-floor iron gate.

“Your husband was a real man,” I praised.

“But... where were you staying before?” I pressed my face to the gate, hushed my voice, and gestured for quiet.

“At the armed police unit. My husband was an officer. Food, water, weapons—we had everything but medicine,” Bai Xiao murmured.

“The armed police unit? Is it the Tiexi—wait!” A shadow flashed before me.

A Zombie!

Luckily, our hushed talk outside the gate hadn’t carried inside. The Zombie wandered near the gate, then slowly left.

Bad news. The corridor held Zombies. My planned escape—the outdoor iron staircase—required crossing that corridor.

I glanced back. The mother and daughter had slipped upstairs to the corner. At the first sign of trouble, they’d ditch me.

“Come down!”

I was pissed. But I’d agreed to this deal.

After my shout, Bai Xiao hesitated, then left Juan’er at the corner and came down alone.

This woman was cunning as hell. Even her eyelashes seemed hollow with tricks.

I raised an eyebrow, swallowing my anger. “Where did you enter? How?”

Bai Xiao thought. “Main entrance. Too many things in the courtyard. My husband crashed the car into the lobby to get us up.”

Crashed into the lobby... courtyard swarming with Zombies... “Did you see Zombies on the outdoor iron staircase? Where’s its exit?”

She shook her head. “We didn’t notice. The courtyard was chaos.”

So the main entrance was blocked. Roaming Zombies there—and maybe mutants.

“Seriously... were you idiots? Couldn’t you lure them away? Charging in like that—did you think about escaping?!” I snapped at Bai Xiao, and that dead man. Dumber than kids!

“Big sister! The green iron staircase?”

Little Juan’er had crept down unnoticed.

“Go back! It’s dangerous!”

“You know? Tell sister now!”

Bai Xiao and I spoke together. Juan’er froze, eyes darting, tears welling up instantly.

Troublesome kids were such a hassle.

I gritted my teeth, stroked Juan’er’s head, and crouched to her height. Softly: “Juan’er, tell sister—what did you see?”

“I... saw no things on the green stairs. And the exit... it wasn’t in the courtyard...”

“Where did it lead?” I kept my voice calm, gentle. That tender tone startled even me.

Too gentle? My magnetic voice with that softness—quite a flavor.

Ah! Pfft!

Flirting with myself?

“No... didn’t see. Too scary. Juan’er was afraid to look,” she sobbed, struggling to speak.