Chapter 439: I Liked This Man
Chapter 439: I Liked This Man
Zhan Lian is always cool-headed and decisive. He does whatever he wants, takes whatever he needs, never hesitating, never timid.
When he first meets An Ran, he introduces himself directly—shows his ID card, officer credentials, rank, military assignment, and unit number without needing to be asked.
The second time they meet, he proposes marriage.
The third time, he takes her straight to the Civil Affairs Bureau.
What does An Ran like about Zhan Lian?
In this moment, watching him from the roadside, she suddenly remembers. What makes her follow him so recklessly back then is exactly this: his directness.
Before she marries him, there is a flutter in her heart—a quiet, undeniable tug of emotion.
Yes. There is a time, at the very beginning, when she genuinely likes this man.
As Zhan Lian silently climbs into the tanker and starts the engine, the massive vehicle rumbles past. An Ran runs up to the side, standing beneath the driver’s window. Zhan Lian slows the truck and rolls the window down, leaning his head out to look at her.
“You have to come back,” An Ran says softly, her eyes pleading. “Doll and I… we’re waiting for you.”
Too many people have died in this world. Too many children have lost their fathers. Taking care of a child alone in the apocalypse is exhausting. For the first time, An Ran truly feels how heavy the burden is.
She wants to share that burden—with Zhan Lian.
She knows clearly now: Doll needs him. They both do.
“I’ll come back. I promise,” Zhan Lian says, smiling. Then he steps on the gas, and the tanker surges forward.
Behind him, Luo Feifan quickly douses the nearby flames and sprints after the tanker, jumping into the passenger seat as they charge toward the bus station.
“We need to move back—farther!” Yun Tao shouts, rallying the rest of the group. He reaches for An Ran, who still stands frozen in place, staring in the direction of the bus station.
“An Ran, if that thing explodes, it’ll reach us too.”
“…Yeah.” An Ran nods, her face pale with worry.
Still holding onto her fat thorn balls, she keeps feeding them ‘candy’. Ahead, she sees the tanker stalled—blocked by a group of massive rats. Their backs bristle with sharp bone spurs, and their long fangs gleam. They look nearly invincible.
At the same time, Liang Ziyu, glancing toward the national highway, suddenly smacks Yun Tao’s arm. “Hey, Brother Tao—look over there!”
Yun Tao, An Ran, and Zhao Ru all turn to follow his gaze.
They can’t help but laugh bitterly.
Just as they’re tangled up with mutant rats here, a new problem appears—mutant snakes slithering up the highway. The zombies on the road have just been cleared, and now this?
Zhan Lian is still fighting for a path to the terminal, but An Ran has no time to watch anymore. She rushes back to the car, grabs the bucket of remaining metal-type crystal cores from the back seat.
These are all that’s left from Zhan Lian’s big stash—his backup supply. The time to use them is now.
Zhao Ru backs the SUV into the mall. Yun Tao and Liang Ziyu drive the truck in right behind her.
The moment the vehicles stop, they jump out and sprint back outside, preparing to engage the mutant snakes.
Inside the mall, An Ran steps out with Doll in her arms. She gathers Little Mint, Hengheng , and Zhao Ru, and together they hurry upstairs—arms full of crystal cores.