Parting ways.

Xiao Baihua was full of grievances, almost bumping into Dr. Song Liang, the military doctor, at the door.

Song Liang was in his early thirties and looked much younger, probably due to his regular workouts. With an attractive face and well-toned muscles, he was quite popular among the young girls at the base.

However, despite having been at the base for a few years, he had remained single.

Song Liang dodged her and didn't let her touch him at all. Xiao Baihua stabilized herself by leaning against the door frame.

She recognized Song Liang and changed her tone to a coquettish one, "Dr. Song, did I almost bump into you?"

"No," Song Liang replied succinctly, without even looking at her.

Xiao Baihua continued to add drama, "Oh dear, your shirt got wrinkled. Let me wipe it for you..."

Before she could touch Song Liang's chest, he grabbed her hand and stared at her with cold, disdainful eyes.

"Dr. Song, you hurt me..." Xiao Baihua bit her lip.

I couldn't help but facepalm and massage my temples.

Was Fang Ziyi blind? Instead of choosing from so many beautiful girls at the base, he had to pick this pretentious green tea girl. Who knows, one day a vast grassland might sprout on top of her head.

"Song Liang, come in," I spoke up.

Song Liang let go of her hand and wiped the spot she had touched.

Xiao Baihua's face turned green with anger, and she glared at both of us before storming off.

"What's the matter?" I asked him in a businesslike manner.

But Song Liang asked softly, "Did she give you any trouble?"

His voice was deeper than that of an average person, and his gentle tone sounded like a feather lightly brushing by.

I coughed to stop my wandering thoughts. My son was already grown up, and Song Liang hadn't even had a girlfriend... I couldn't bring up the topic of an older person dating a younger one.

"That little girl won't cause any real trouble," I said.

At that time, I didn't pay much attention to Du Youyou's innocent appearance. Little did I know, I would suffer a big loss later and almost die at her hands.

Song Liang lowered his gaze and pondered silently for two seconds before saying, "I always feel like she's a time bomb if she stays at the base."

I had the same feeling, but my son was infatuated with her. If we drove Xiao Baihua away, I couldn't imagine what Fang Ziyi would become.

Easy to call on the gods, difficult to send them away!

"After the full moon, we'll find a safe zone to send her away," I decided after some thought.

During the full moon, people infected with the virus turned into extremely excited zombies with heightened aggression.

That's why there was a wave of zombies every month.

To prevent thousands of zombies from attacking the base, we would evacuate the base on that night and take shelter at the nearest TV tower, creating sounds to distract the zombies.

On the night before the full moon, everyone in the base packed their belongings in an orderly manner except for Xiao Baihua.

Knowing that there would be a zombie wave, she turned pale with fear and clung to Fang Ziyi. I couldn't bear to watch.

"Brother Ziyi, I'm scared... If I see the ugly appearance of the zombies, I'll cry," Xiao Baihua complained, drawing a few laughs from the people around.

Fang Ziyi saw her fragility and the need for protection, and his manly image suddenly burst forth, "You just need to stay close to me, Yoyo. I swear I'll protect you even if I get bitten, I'll make sure you survive."

So touching, ugh...

I rolled my eyes and saw my foolish son standing in front of me, "Mom, Yoyo is scared of zombies. Can we let her stay in the base?"

Before I could respond, Fang Ziyi anxiously added, "This is a matter of life and death. If Yoyo gets bitten by the zombies, she won't survive! Mom, please make an exception for herand let her stay."

I looked at Fang Ziyi, then at Xiao Baihua, who was pretending to be terrified, and sighed inwardly. My son had completely fallen for this act.

"Fine," I reluctantly agreed, "but you have to make sure she stays safe. Don't let her out of your sight."

Fang Ziyi's face lit up with gratitude, and he hugged me tightly. "Thank you, Mom! I promise I won't let anything happen to Yoyo!"

I patted his back and smiled, but deep down, I had a sinking feeling about this decision.

The night of the full moon arrived, and the base was evacuated to the designated safe zone near the TV tower. All the survivors huddled together, waiting for the zombie wave to pass.

As the night wore on, the distant howls and growls of the approaching zombies grew louder, sending chills down our spines.

Fang Ziyi held Xiao Baihua tightly, his eyes filled with determination. "Yoyo, don't worry. I'll protect you, no matter what happens."

Xiao Baihua buried her face in Fang Ziyi's chest, pretending to be scared.

I stood beside them, my heart heavy with worry. I had a bad feeling about this.

The sound of footsteps grew closer, and soon enough, the first wave of zombies emerged from the darkness. Their grotesque forms and bloodshot eyes were enough to instill fear in anyone.

The survivors held their breath, waiting for the signal to make noise and distract the zombies. The tension was palpable.

However, amidst the chaos and noise, I noticed something strange. Xiao Baihua, who was supposed to be terrified and clinging to Fang Ziyi, seemed oddly calm. Her eyes gleamed with a sinister light, and a wicked smile played on her lips.

Before I could react, she suddenly pushed Fang Ziyi towards the approaching zombies.

"No!" Fang Ziyi cried out in shock and disbelief as he stumbled forward, directly into the path of the zombies.

I tried to reach out and grab him, but it was too late. The zombies pounced on him, tearing into his flesh with their ravenous mouths.

The sight was horrific, and I screamed in anguish. How could this happen?

As the chaos unfolded, I saw Xiao Baihua slipping away, a triumphant expression on her face.

She had betrayed us. She had betrayed my son.

Anger and grief consumed me, and I vowed to make her pay for what she had done.

But that is a story for another time.