Chapter 285: Zhan Anxin
Chapter 285: Zhan Anxin
Although the weather is stiflingly hot and the baby has developed heat rash, she is already over three months old. It’s only natural that she doesn’t want to lie down all day—she wants to see more of the world.
But when the car is moving at high speed, holding Doll in her arms makes it risky. If they hit a bump or have to brake suddenly, it could be dangerous. So if she refuses to sit in the car seat, what are they supposed to do?!
Zhan Lian, watching from the front seat, feels a sense of pride when he realizes he has guessed correctly—the child simply doesn’t want to sit in the car seat. How does the saying go? No one knows a daughter better than her father!
This is instinct. Innate. Absolute!
Sitting in the passenger seat with one leg propped up, he rummages through his pocket and pulls out two small silver bracelets. Each has a tiny bell attached, shaped like a lollipop. He hands them to Anran.
"Give these to her to play with."
The bells let out a crisp, pleasant chime when shaken.
Anran hesitates. Carrying bells in the apocalypse is like strapping on a locator—if they encounter zombies, it will make hiding much harder.
But before she can refuse, Doll tilts her head, eyes drawn to the swaying sound of the bells. It’s clear she likes them.
"Take them, let her play with them," Zhan Lian urges. His expression is slightly anxious as he shakes the bells again, making Doll laugh.
Seeing her child happy, Anran’s own mood lifts slightly. She reaches out, takes the bracelets from Zhan Lian, and places one in Doll’s tiny hand.
As she glances at the bells, something catches her eye—a string of small characters engraved on the metal:
[Zhan Anxin, XXX year XX month XX day XX:XX]
A name. A birth date. The exact time, down to the minute.
It is the moment her child was born.
Anran’s heart skips a beat.
Zhan Anxin?
She looks up at Zhan Lian. He has already turned back toward the road, focused on driving.
So… he already knows the child is his? He just hasn’t said it outright.
But how did he find out?!
Meanwhile, the baby plays with one of the bracelets, gripping it tightly for a while before letting it slip from her fingers. When it falls, she starts crying.
Anran sighs, picks it up, and gently shakes it. The soft chime calms Doll once more.
As she jingles the little bell, Anran takes the opportunity to settle Doll into the car seat. Maybe it’s the novelty of the sound—better than the screams of zombies—Doll remains fixated on it and doesn’t even notice when her mother places her inside the once-hated basket.
The car starts slowly, pulling off the highway near a gas station and merging onto the national road. They drive a distance before reaching a checkpoint—a barricade blocking access to the Beijing-Hong Kong Expressway.
At the checkpoint, a soldier in uniform, accompanied by a person in a white coat, approaches with an electronic thermometer in hand.
Zhan Lian rolls down the window, glancing at the soldier.
The soldier immediately salutes him, then waves them through—no temperature check, no registration. They are allowed to enter Tiesi Village without question.
No one knows exactly how many people have turned into zombies here before. How many have survived? How many more have arrived since? What forces are in control of this place?
Anran has no answers.
She sits in the car, feeling slightly dazed.
The seat that originally belonged to Yun Tao is now occupied by her ex-husband.
Yet, strangely, there is an odd sense of peace in her heart.
The car makes a wide loop around Tiesi Village before entering a street. The further they go, the more signs of life appear.
Yet no one walks along the sidewalks.
The place feels empty—cold and lifeless.
Like a ghost town.