05 What’s wrong with her brain?

Bats that were usually hidden in deep caverns surrounding the Cave Town began to flock in numbers and lurked outside the homes. And though Zi Yan had never seen one before this in person, she knew that a normal bat would never be as big as a labrador!

Anyone bitten by these creatures was left dazed, mindlessly wandering in a trance. And the dead… the ones who had fallen on the snowy ground with their lives snuffed out of their bodies, were now rising from their graves and began chasing people with bloodshot gazes.

Don't they turn into vampires when they get bitten by bats in movies? Why the heavens do they look like sogging zombies?!

Whoever spread those ridiculous stories about vampires being pale and handsome, once the situation dies down, Zi Yan was determined to track them down, tie them up, and beat the crap out of them until they straighten their thoughts, never to spread lies again!

Damn, she had been so terrified that she nearly wet herself while running. Even now, her knees still trembled with the memory of the decaying corpse with bloody sockets that had grabbed her by the arm through the open car window.

It happened while they were on their way back to the hotel after picking up groceries.

Zi Yin instinctively gripped her arm which was still aching from where the corpse's fingers had left a deep, red imprint. It was so sudden that she thought it was some bored pranksters who were only cosplaying on the streets. Until the driver of the car across them got off to chase away the one blocking his car, next thing they knew, he was bitten up and drowning in a pool of blood gushing from his neck.

She had barely escaped the horror alive. It was only thanks to the old man Lu Bu who was quick on his wits and made a decisive shot on the one who grabbed her arm while Sung Jinwoo expertly drove the car away from the scene.

The two guards were arranged by her second brother, Zi Xuan when he asked her to move to the countryside to accompany his wife while he was away on his month-long business trip which took longer than expected. Though Zi Yan readily agreed, she had never imagined that she'd face something like this during the visit.

The warmth from the extra blanket offered little comfort, but Zi Yin clung to it, knowing that she had to stay strong—if only for a little longer.

Wang Bowen stood up to add more wood to the fireplace. His eyes look at the burning fuel intently while deep in thought. They were lucky to have bought some supplies before the crisis hit them but even that won't last long enough to feed five adults.

Who knows how long will this situation persist?

"Brother Zi Xuan is still out of the country. If something happens to Sister Xiaotong during the time he was away…" his voice trailed off meaningfully. He and Zi Yan instinctively looked at each other before gulping anxiously. Even without completing his sentence, they knew what was on their plate.

Forget about dying from those walking corpses, Zi Xuan, that bastard would definitely go crazy and pluck their guts for failing to help his wife if he found out she'd been missing. Right now, they could only hope that Bai Xiaotong was somewhere safe and still breathing.

Meanwhile, inside a hastily decorated bedroom, a young woman in her early twenties was gnashing her teeth while brooding at her predicament.

"Argh! That bitch, I really hate her to the core!" She cursed while repeatedly hitting the hard mattress and silently screaming while covering her face with a pillow. "Why did that Bai Xiaotong have to go out and go to a clinic at a time like this? That stubborn woman only knows how to cause trouble for others!"

Two days ago, upon arriving in Cave Town, the Bai Family housekeeper informed them that Bai Xiaotong had gone to visit a friend running a clinic in the neighboring town. Unfortunately for them, the housekeeper is an inflexible and cautious old woman who would only believe their story if Bai Xiaotong vouched for them in person.

Lacking proof of their connection to the Young Miss, the group was unceremoniously turned away. The old woman didn't even allow them to pass through the vine-draped gates of the Bai Family Mansion!

This left Tang Wei seething with fury.

Thanks to that stubborn maid, they were forced to settle for a shabby, unclassified hotel with nothing but stiff foam mattresses and slow service. Though Tang Wei wasn't the heir to a major corporation like Zi Yan, her family was still well-off, and she had been pampered and doted on her entire life. How could a mere servant treat her like that?

However, seeing Zi Yan and Wang Bowen remain calm and unbothered, Tang Wei gritted her teeth and swallowed her indignation. Now, thinking back to the chaotic events of yesterday, her frustration reached a boiling point. Tang Wei locked herself in her room, muttering bitterly at the absent Bai Xiaotong.

"This is all her fault! That damn woman and her ridiculous old maid! If she had obediently stayed at the Zi mansion in the capital, she would have had their private doctor making house calls and we wouldn't have had to travel all the way to this godforsaken provincial town just to end up stuck in this rundown hotel!"

"Is she an idiot? She managed to seduce and marry a rich tycoon, yet she chose to live in this hellhole?! What on earth is wrong with her brain?" Tang Wei hatefully wondered and hissed.