Sickness and the Arrival of Another Spurned Lover

I woke up at noon. Twelve o’clock.

“Cough, cough…”

I struggled to sit up, my gaze falling on the bloodstained can and the pool of dried blood on the ground.

Tentatively, I touched the back of my head.

My hair was matted together, held fast by clotted blood.

I guess I was lucky.

The wound from the can must not have been too deep.

Even without anyone to stop the bleeding, it had already started to scab over on its own.

“Achoo… yup, I’ve definitely caught a cold.”

I picked up the slightly dented can and stuffed it in my pocket.

My nose was stuffy, my throat was sore, and my limbs felt weak and heavy.

This was going to be a problem.

Not everything could go my way.

I’d slept on the street for hours and hadn’t been robbed or even had the can that knocked me out stolen.

In my heart, I told myself that I was lucky enough already.

“Sigh…”

It was already so late.

If I limped all the way home now, I’d just have to limp all the way back in a few hours.

After thinking it over, I decided not to bother.

I’d just sit here, near the leader’s mansion, and wait for night to fall.

“…”

I found a barren flower bed by the roadside and, ignoring the dust, sat down and pried open the can that had been my undoing.

No label.

Inside was an unidentifiable mush of meat, stewed to shreds, with a layer of congealed fat on top.

I couldn’t be bothered to find a way to heat it.

I couldn’t be bothered to wonder where the meat came from.

Fighting back the physical and psychological revulsion, I forced myself to eat every last bit.

It was disgusting.

Salty, slimy meat mixed with greasy fat that made me want to vomit.

But it was filling.

The gnawing hunger in my stomach quickly subsided.

With the food problem solved, I sat on the flower bed, bored, swinging my legs and watching the second hand of my watch tick by, waiting for nightfall.

“The leader is ordering custom clothes again.”

“Yes.”

The sound of approaching footsteps was accompanied by Qin Dai’s voice.

She parked a car not far from me, then got out with a pink-haired girl about my height, who looked like she’d walked straight out of a subculture magazine. They headed toward the mansion’s gate.

“Achoo…”

A cloud of dust kicked up by the braking car enveloped me, irritating my already stuffy nose.

I couldn’t help but sneeze.

That’s what caught Qin Dai’s attention.

She frowned, left the pink-haired girl’s side, and strode over to me with an impatient look.

“Qin Yue, what are you still doing here?”

She stopped a meter away, her brow furrowing even deeper as she took in my filthy, disheveled state.

I was helpless.

It’s not like I wanted to look this messy.

Was that look of disgust really necessary?

Okay, probably.

“Cough, cough… as you can see, I have a bit of a cold. Just resting here… can you let go of my collar? You don’t want to get sick, do you?”

I gently patted Qin Dai’s hand, which had grabbed my collar, and coughed a few more times for effect.

In truth, I had no idea if my cold was contagious.

I just didn’t like being held like that.

It’s strange.

Sometimes, even with all my experience, I can’t read people at all.

Like right now, I had no clue why Qin Dai had grabbed me without warning.

This isn’t her house.

And I wasn’t even touching the mansion grounds.

I was just a random passerby sitting by the road, covered in dust.

“Hmph, just doing my job. I won’t allow suspicious individuals to loiter near the leader’s residence. You’ve been out here since this morning, haven’t you?”

She let go of my collar with a cold snort.

“Cough, cough… you’re so diligent.”

I couldn’t say much about her attitude.

I just coughed weakly and forced a sycophantic smile.

I wouldn’t ask her why she saw me unconscious this morning and didn’t wake me up.

There was no point.

We had a grudge between us.

I remembered that very clearly.

“Miss Qin Yue? I haven’t seen you before.”

The pink-haired girl at the gate seemed intrigued by our conversation.

She walked over, carrying a handbag, and offered me a warm smile.

Her facial features were soft, a stark contrast to Qin Dai and the leader.

You could tell at a glance that she was a gentle person.

Her long, pink hair cascaded down to her waist, giving her a unique look.

Honestly, I was surprised her face was so clean—no acne scars, no heavy makeup.

Just like a normal girl.

I always assumed people with pink hair were into some kind of edgy subculture.

“Just a mistress the leader is keeping. Don’t mind her, Miss Yanlan.”

Before I could introduce myself, Qin Dai jumped in.

Hey, hey… “mistress”?

That’s the wrong word… the only thing that damn leader has ever given me was the can that knocked me out.

Talk about biased…

I was annoyed by her introduction, but I couldn’t refute it.

When you’re under someone else’s roof, you have to bow your head.

That kick she gave me? I’ll remember the pain for a lifetime.

Afraid of making her angry and getting another kick, I just smiled awkwardly.

“Hello, Miss Qin Yue. It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Su Yanlan.”

The pink-haired girl didn’t look down on me despite Qin Dai’s prejudiced introduction.

She smiled and extended her hand.

Miss Su, thank you. You’re so polite. For the past few days, I’ve only met barbarians who threaten and bully me. You’re the first person who’s wanted to shake my hand.

I apologize for thinking you were some kind of edgy girl. You’re one of the few normal people left in this apocalypse.

“Cough… hello.”

I wiped my dirty hand on my pants and shook her outstretched hand.

“Hmm… I used to know someone named Qin Yue, but he was a disgusting man who liked to cheat people. It’s unfortunate, Miss Qin Yue, that you share a name with such a scumbag.”

The very polite Miss Su Yanlan held my hand firmly as she bad-mouthed my former self.

Looking at her still-smiling face, my blood ran cold.

Not another enemy…

Behind her, Qin Dai looked at me, trembling, and a familiar, mocking smile—the same one the leader wore—spread across her face.

Big sis, please don’t look at me like that. I’m scared.

“Alright, Miss Yanlan, the leader has been waiting for a long time.”

Finally, just as the pressure was about to become unbearable, Qin Dai stepped in.

Su Yanlan let go of my hand, and together, she and Qin Dai walked into the leader’s mansion.

“Cough, cough… how can my luck get any worse?”

I waited until they were gone before muttering to myself.

I can barely handle two of them.

Please, no more spurned lovers.

I won’t be able to take it.