Sweet as Honey
“Stephanie, you must not have had any fruit in ages, right? Here, I picked an apple for you. Give it a try.”
Xiao Yi pulled an apple from his pocket and handed it to Stephanie Seymour.
Though the woman before him shared no blood ties with him—and they likely had no connection whatsoever before this—Xiao Yi couldn’t shake the strange feeling gnawing at him.
Stephanie Seymour bloomed into a flower-like smile of pure happiness. Reluctantly, she pushed the apple back toward him. “You eat it. I just had some bread and cookies; I’m not hungry. You’ve been busy and just got back—you need the energy.”
“I’ve got one.” Xiao Yi fished out another apple from his pocket with a grin. “That tree over there’s loaded. More than enough for the two of us to munch on for over ten days.”
“All right, then…” Stephanie’s cheeks flushed as she accepted the apple, taking a delighted bite. The sweet fruit mirrored the sweetness blooming in Stephanie Seymour’s heart.
In that moment, gazing at the man before her, Stephanie Seymour felt an overwhelming contentment. It was like the thrill of new love, utterly intoxicating.
The thought that she’d never again have to huddle alone in the kitchen, desolate and hopeless, waiting for death—it made her want to throw her arms around Xiao Yi and kiss him fiercely.
Watching her shy demeanor, Xiao Yi felt his heart stir.
How could such a stunning beauty, acting so adorably innocent right in front of him, fail to move him?
Yet every time he thought about that, a weird discomfort crept in. The idea felt perverse somehow, laced with a twinge of guilt…
With effort, he shoved aside the urge to take Stephanie Seymour right there on the spot and focused on business.
“Stephanie, can the generator room’s power connect to the front gate and all these perimeter cameras?”
Business first—the manor’s gates were still wide open. Any loud noise inside would draw hordes of zombies. They needed to seal those gates, pronto.
“Yes! It’s the emergency generator room. The gates and cameras are priority defense systems, so they get power first. But something’s gone wrong now—only the second floor still has electricity; everywhere else is out. Lucky for that, or my power wouldn’t have lasted this long.”
Stephanie Seymour nodded firmly.
“Do you know where the generator room is?” Xiao Yi’s eyes lit up as he pressed.
“Not for sure—I haven’t been here long. But I’d guess it’s in the power room on the first floor.” Stephanie Seymour pointed to a nearby iron door, sealed tight. “That’s the power room!”
“Perfect!”
Xiao Yi nodded in satisfaction and turned to her. “Stephanie, head back to the kitchen and rest. I’ll check if I can get the defenses powered up. Once they’re online, I can seal the front gate for good. Then we clear out every zombie in the manor, and this place… it’ll be our home!”
“Our home…” The words made Stephanie Seymour turn away bashfully, her face burning red.
“Ahem…” Xiao Yi caught his slip and coughed awkwardly. “Get back quick. I cleared the backyard zombies, but this manor’s huge—could be stragglers hiding somewhere.”
“You… be careful! If it’s dangerous, don’t take risks! The kitchen and backyard garden are plenty for me…”
Stephanie Seymour gazed at him with worry, lingering reluctantly before heading back to the kitchen.
This little temptress… she knows how to hook a guy.
Xiao Yi watched her sway away, that perky ass of hers shifting with each step, glancing back at him every few paces with naked concern on her face. He swallowed hard, forcing down the restless surge in his chest.
Once she was through the door, Xiao Yi drew his Mo Dao and crept toward the iron door, eyes sharp.
Beneath the second-floor kitchen lay another one. Peering through the glass window, Xiao Yi spotted several zombies shuffling aimlessly—some in chef whites, others in suits.
He counted roughly: about seven in plain sight.
The kitchen was fully stocked with gear. He even spied a pot of food still simmering away, while the floor and counters bore moldy, spoiled veggies and shattered porcelain scattered everywhere.
A month into the apocalypse, and with no power down here, any ingredients would’ve gone bad by now. Xiao Yi couldn’t help feeling a pang of regret.