I was reborn. In my last life, I only lasted three days before a zombie bit me. This time, with foreknowledge of the zombie outbreak, I sought out the tall, stoic security guard in my apartment complex, determined to build a safe house just for him and me. “Alice, I’m sorry, please don’t blame me…” Kyle shook off my hand and shoved me hard, pushing me directly into the horde of zombies behind me. Before I could even react, a sharp bite tore into my arm. *Crunch*. My arm, already bony, instantly revealed a section of white bone. But I couldn’t even feel the pain. The zombies, drawn by the smell of blood, swarmed me, tearing at my flesh. My vision blurred, slowly drowning in a sea of red. The man who’d told me he loved me since high school, the one I’d been with for six years, didn’t even turn his head to give me a second glance… I woke up with a jolt, finding myself lying on the bed in my shared apartment. I checked the time. The zombie outbreak was still a month away. I understood. I had been reborn. My phone buzzed. The push notification was about reports of people having violent outbursts and inexplicably biting others in public parks. People wouldn’t realize that this seemingly trivial local news story was the precursor to the upcoming zombie apocalypse. My phone rang. The number was unfamiliar, but I knew who it was. Because in my previous life, I’d received the exact same call today. It was a lawyer, informing me that my grand-uncle had passed away, leaving a will that bequeathed me a property in an upscale apartment complex in the city and ten million dollars in cash. I was an orphan. My grand-uncle had left our hometown to seek his fortune when I was very young, and we hadn’t been in contact since. I was raised by my widowed grandma, who peacefully passed away the day I received my university acceptance letter. From then on, I moved to the city alone to work. Besides Kyle, my boyfriend since high school, I had no one else in the world to care about. So, in my last life, when I first received this call, I even thought it was a scam, and I hung up immediately. Fortunately, my grand-uncle’s lawyer, Mr. Davies, was very dedicated. A week later, he found me at my workplace, presenting various documents. Only then did I realize that a plot twist straight out of a novel was actually happening to me. Because I had grown up without support and was always cautious, the inheritance process in my last life was handled very carefully, which inevitably took a lot of time. By the time all the paperwork was finally complete, there were only three days left until the zombie outbreak. After years of drifting, I finally had a place of my own. I eagerly moved into the apartment my grand-uncle left me. Kyle even proposed to me on moving day. At the time, I thought I was the luckiest person in the world. Kyle and I sweetly planned our honeymoon and our wedding… Until three days later, when the zombies attacked the city, and in the last moments of my life, I finally saw that man’s true colors. They say couples stick together through thick and thin, but when disaster strikes, it’s every man for himself. Even if he had abandoned me to save himself, I wouldn’t have hated him this much. But what did he do? He used me as bait. And to ensure I attracted all the nearby zombies, he even slashed my arm with a knife before ditching me. “Hello? Ms. Reed, are you there?” The lawyer’s voice on the phone pulled me back to reality. “Yes. Let’s start the inheritance process immediately. The sooner, the better.” I replied. This time, it only took five days for me to receive the cash and the keys to the apartment my grand-uncle left me. The apartment was located in an upscale complex in the city — a spacious penthouse-style apartment with a private elevator, one unit per floor. The population density was low, and the building quality was excellent. For the impending zombie horde, it was a perfect sanctuary. Of course, I knew this was far from enough. The day I got the keys, I contacted a renovation company and began modifying the apartment. I replaced the entrance door with a bulletproof one, installed stainless steel security grilles on the windows, soundproofed the entire apartment, installed a solar power system, and converted two of the rooms into cold storage. The renovation workers didn’t understand why I was installing security grilles on a high-rise apartment and even asked if I had children. I didn’t explain much; after all, I was just an ordinary person, unable to stop the approaching apocalypse alone. If I said too much, they’d just think I was crazy. All I could do was protect myself and try to survive. I paid double the price, and the renovation company expedited the work, completing all modifications in just one week. Next, it was time to procure supplies. Kyle, who hadn’t contacted me for days, suddenly called. I scoffed inwardly. I was so foolish in my last life, not noticing his coldness until I inherited my grand-uncle’s property, at which point he suddenly came begging to propose. Looking back now, his intentions were crystal clear. I only blamed myself for being blinded by love. “Hello, Alice? Where have you been these past few days? Why haven’t you called me?” Just then, I reached the complex entrance and saw the tall, reserved security guard on duty today. A small smile touched my lips. “Kyle, we’re breaking up.” “What? Alice, how can you…” I couldn’t be bothered to hear another word from Kyle and hung up immediately. “Good afternoon, Ms. Reed.” The property management in this upscale complex was top-notch. The security guard nodded slightly as I approached. I glanced at his name tag clipped to his chest. It read: Mark Davies. So, his name was Mark Davies. In my last life, when he was bitten by zombies trying to protect me, I didn’t even know his name. “Can you do me a favor?” I asked, smiling as I looked at the man’s handsome features. But a voice in my heart was saying— Mark, this time, I will make sure you survive.
In my last life, without any preparation, Kyle and I were trapped in this apartment. By the third day, we ran out of food and were forced to risk going out to find supplies. We ended up encountering a zombie horde, and Kyle pushed me out as bait to save himself. So, for the next three weeks, my main task was to acquire living essentials. To avoid drawing attention, I didn’t plan to buy in bulk from a single place. Instead, I targeted several large wholesale supermarkets, purchasing items in smaller quantities from various locations. This was a massive undertaking, and I needed a helper. “I live here, and I need to buy a lot of things from the supermarket. Could you come with me?” As a resident, such a request was a bit out of line, and Mark visibly hesitated. I lowered my eyes and slowly said, “I just moved to the city alone not long ago, and I don’t have many friends…” Mark used his walkie-talkie to hand over his duties to a colleague and eventually agreed to accompany me to the supermarket. I bought a seven-seater SUV, removed all the seats, and used it for hauling goods. Mark paused when he saw the vehicle but didn’t ask any questions. He was just as I expected: silent, unflappable. This made my impression of him soar. We visited three large chain supermarkets, and by the time we returned, the car was packed with rice, flour, and cooking oil. Mark helped me carry everything upstairs, not asking a single question the entire time. The temperature wasn’t low today. He’d taken off his security uniform jacket while moving things, wearing only a white shirt. The shirt was damp with sweat, vaguely showing the outline of his muscular physique. I offered him a towel to wipe his sweat, but he didn’t take it, politely excusing himself to leave. “Mark.” I called out to him. Perhaps it was rare for a resident to call a security guard by his first name. The man’s expression subtly shifted, and he finally looked at me directly. In that moment, I saw his eyes were deep and bright. “I might need your help with shopping again tomorrow…” “Ms. Reed, if you have a lot of things to move, I suggest hiring professional movers,” Mark subtly declined. I leaned against the door, smiling at him, and pulled out my pre-planned excuse. “I’m a streamer, preparing for a three-year ‘no-going-out’ challenge. It’s still under wraps, so I can’t let too many people know I’m buying a lot of supplies. Since you kindly helped me today, I’m afraid I’ll have to keep bothering you.” Mark’s usually expressionless face finally showed a hint of disbelief. I wasn’t sure if he was surprised by my brazenness and unreasonableness, or if this so-called three-year ‘no-going-out’ challenge sounded utterly ridiculous and utterly pointless. “Don’t worry, I’ll clear it with property management, and I’ll pay you an extra service fee.” Seeing he still wasn’t speaking, I added, even resorting to a playful threat, “Of course, if you don’t agree, I’ll complain about you.” Mark pondered for a moment, seemingly suppressing something. “Alright, Ms. Reed. As long as property management approves, it’s no problem. The service fee isn’t necessary.” I knew he was a veteran, and finding this security job wasn’t easy, so he could only compromise in the face of my ‘coercion and temptation’. Over the next few days, I continued to purchase essential condiments like oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, as well as long-lasting foods like instant noodles and canned goods. After bringing all these items home, we were about to head to the pharmacy when we ran into Kyle at the complex entrance. Finding me here meant he already knew about the inheritance. “Alice, who is he?” Mark wasn’t wearing his security uniform jacket, so Kyle naturally couldn’t tell his identity. I turned to Mark and said without batting an eye, “I don’t know this man.” “Alice!” Kyle stepped forward and grabbed my wrist. “What are you doing! Let go of me!” I struggled fiercely. Mark pushed Kyle away, shielding me behind him. “Sir, please show some respect.” “Who the hell do you think you are…” Kyle tried to push back, but his scrawny frame was like a twig next to Mark’s. He was no match. Mark protected me as we got into the car. On the way to the pharmacy, he finally couldn’t help but ask, “Is that man your boyfriend?” “He’s a scumbag. He cheated on me and broke up with me. Now that he sees me making money as a streamer, he wants to get back together.” I spoke concisely, slandering him without any psychological burden. Mark was silent. We practically emptied the pharmacy. Watching me panting as I loaded the last box of medicine into the car, Mark said with a complex expression, “It seems your line of work is pretty tough.” I wiped away some sweat, smiling at him. “It is, which is why I need to guard my wallet tightly and not let any jerks get their hands on it.” Back at the apartment complex, Kyle was still standing at the main gate. As soon as he saw my car, he immediately ran up and knocked on the window. “Alice, Alice, what did I do wrong to make you deliberately find a security guard to spite me? Alice, get out, let’s talk properly.” I couldn’t be bothered to deal with Kyle anymore, so I rolled down the window. “Kyle, I already know what you did.” Kyle froze, a hint of guilt appearing on his face. I scoffed inwardly. I was just bluffing, but judging by his reaction, he must have done something awful to me a long time ago. “Let’s break up. Let’s both keep some dignity.” I told Mark to drive into the complex. But Kyle wouldn’t give up, clinging to the car window, trying to stop us. “Alice, I don’t believe it! You must still love me! How could you break up with me?!” “Really? How can I make you believe it?” I pulled Mark, who was in the driver’s seat, toward me and kissed him deeply for over ten seconds. Kyle’s face turned ghastly. I released Mark and looked at Kyle provocatively. “Do you believe it now?”
Over the next two weeks, I continued my frantic stockpiling, from toilet paper to skincare products, from hazmat suits to hand warmers. Everything I could think of, I bought, including generators, gas tanks, inflatable protective suits, and seeds for various vegetables and fruits… Since I kissed Mark that day, he had barely made eye contact with me, probably angry. He seemed like a conservative man, and I knew in his mind, I was probably already labeled “easy.” But it didn’t matter. I was about to do something even more outrageous to him. Initially, there were many news reports about people inexplicably biting others, but gradually, no related information could be found online. Uninformed people thought the situation had passed, but having lived through the last life, I knew a city-wide lockdown was coming soon. That morning, I was woken by a scream from outside my window. I gently pulled open a sliver of the curtain and saw a man on the roadside suddenly convulsing on the ground. A kind driver got out to help him, but the man grabbed the driver’s neck and bit him. Although I was mentally prepared, seeing this familiar scene still sent a ripple of panic through me. I called Mark’s phone. It rang for a long time before he answered, and before I could speak, he said, “Ms. Reed, I can’t accompany you today…” “Help! I’m dying! Mark, save me…” I hung up after saying that. Sure enough, five minutes later, there was a knock on my apartment door. “Ms. Reed, are you alright? What happened?” I felt like a hunter whose trap had worked, a smirk playing on my lips. He wasn’t someone who would stand by and watch others die; I knew that better than anyone. I opened the door. Mark was covered in sweat, as if he had run all the way. He saw me standing there perfectly fine, realized he’d been tricked, and looked angrily as if to leave. But I pulled him straight into the apartment, closing the door behind me and locking it with the keypad. “Ms. Reed, what are you doing?” he frowned. I leaned against the door, giving him a smile. “Nothing much. Just want to be with you.” From Mark’s expression, he definitely thought I was crazy. “Ms. Reed, please don’t joke around. I’m very busy today.” Mark tried to open the door, but I stood in his way, refusing to move. He seemed to lose his patience, closing in on me and pressing me against the door. “Ms. Reed, locking yourself in with a stranger like this is actually very dangerous.” The intense masculine scent made my heart pound. His arms and chest were firm and hot. With our bodies pressed together, I felt my heart beating wildly. “Oh? What danger? I don’t see any.” I retorted, putting on a brave face. Mark lowered his head, his lips almost brushing my earlobe. “I’m a man. Aren’t you afraid I might do something to you?” I looked up, meeting his gaze. “I’m not afraid, because I trust you.” Mark froze. He took a deep breath, then silently took a step back, returning to his usual serious and distant demeanor. However, his flushed face betrayed him, revealing his momentary loss of control. “Ms. Reed, please open the door. I’m really busy today.” Just then, sirens wailed outside the window. A drone circled in the sky, its loudspeaker broadcasting repeatedly— “Please do not panic, all citizens. Stay indoors and do not go outside. Please trust that we will resolve this crisis as quickly as possible…” It had finally begun. I took out my phone. The news could no longer be suppressed; all ten trending topics on Ins were about zombies. I showed my phone to Mark. “Now, you can’t leave even if you wanted to.” Day one of the zombie outbreak. After more than half a month of preparation, I finally achieved my goal— To build a safe house, stocked with supplies. Then, to lock myself in with a security guard named Mark Davies.
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