My Girlfriend's a Monster - Chapter 31

The scorching heat was tolerable indoors, but stepping outside revealed the sun’s relentless glare and oppressive warmth.

Even sitting inside the SUV, the heat was palpable. The driver, a man in his thirties named Yan Cheng, sported a buzz cut and had a quiet demeanor, resembling the stereotypical gym instructor.

Fuel was limited, leaving no room for luxuries like air conditioning. The atmosphere inside the vehicle was stifling, and no one spoke.

Yan Cheng’s SUV could seat seven, though in the absence of traffic police, eight could squeeze in. This trip to gather supplies included Zhong Qingxiao, Bai Lan, two other men, and an elderly woman.

The elderly woman wore a light-colored Zhongshan suit, her hair meticulously combed. Her stern and resolute face betrayed no trace of fear, her energy surpassing that of many younger individuals.

Bai Lan couldn’t help but be intrigued by the elderly woman. Among the survivors, she was the oldest, her thin yet upright frame exuding a unique aura that set her apart from ordinary elderly folks.

Sharing the same vehicle, Bai Lan’s curiosity got the better of her. “Grandma, how old are you?”

“Sixty-six,” the elderly woman replied matter-of-factly, her gaze fixed ahead.

Though Bai Lan was more curious about whether the elderly woman lived alone, she felt such a question would be too intrusive.

Zhong Qingxiao soon joined the conversation. “I recall there’s a household on the eighth floor marked as a ‘Glorious Family.’ I saw it during registration. Was that yours?”

The elderly woman wasn’t surprised by Zhong Qingxiao’s deduction and nodded. “Yes, that’s mine.”

Zhong Qingxiao remembered the household. If his memory served him right, the elderly woman lived alone and was a retired soldier. Whether she had other relatives remained unclear.

“Young man, my surname is Zhong,” the elderly woman said. “Can you tell me how you modified your flamethrower?”

“A fire extinguisher will do,” Zhong Qingxiao replied. “But it’s single-use. Afterward, it takes about ten to twenty minutes to refill, which is quite inconvenient.”

Being a private modification, it naturally couldn’t compare to commercially available flamethrowers.

Grandma Zhong nodded thoughtfully.

After about ten minutes, the SUV stopped in a secluded spot. Yan Cheng spoke, “Move quickly. Try to return within ten minutes. If you take too long or something goes wrong, I can’t promise I’ll wait.”

The so-called Medium-sized Supermarket turned out to be a modernized convenience store. At first glance, Zhong Qingxiao felt disappointed. Such stores typically sold snacks rather than substantial items like beef.

Still, something was better than nothing. Upon entering, Zhong Qingxiao grabbed some sausages and similar items. There were no vegetables, only a few baskets of expensive fruits, all heavily speckled with mold.

Zhong Qingxiao focused on snacks that could barely substitute for meat and vegetables. Staple foods weren’t part of his consideration.

Just as he was about to leave, he noticed Grandma Zhong staring intently in a particular direction. Following her gaze, he saw a towering Commercial Building.

He glanced at her half-empty bag and couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you going to grab more?”

“Young man, my eyesight isn’t great. Can you check if the 30th floor belongs to that outdoor equipment brand?”

Zhong Qingxiao hesitated before carefully observing. The 30th floor did indeed house a well-known outdoor brand store.

Suddenly, Zhong Qingxiao realized that such stores might sell more advanced flamethrowers-ones that were reusable.

“Do you want to go there?”

Grandma Zhong nodded firmly. “Without weapons, what’s the point of stockpiling supplies?”

Time was of the essence, and Zhong Qingxiao immediately began discussing the matter with the group.

Bai Lan hesitated, while a man in his late twenties outright refused. “No way! That’s a Commercial Building. Who knows what’s inside? We might lose our lives before finding anything.”

Another younger man voiced a contrasting opinion. “It’s rare not to encounter Monsters. Shouldn’t we seize this opportunity? Only with weapons can we survive longer.”

The debate didn’t lead anywhere, and everyone eventually turned to Yan Cheng. After all, it was his vehicle, and if they decided to go, he’d have to wait for them. It was up to him.

Yan Cheng frowned deeply, his expression serious. “You’re right. If we want to survive, gathering supplies isn’t enough. We need real weapons.”

Outdoor stores sold flamethrowers far superior to homemade ones.

The group voted, with the majority in favor. Yan Cheng and one man stayed behind to guard the vehicle, agreeing to wait for a maximum of two hours. If the others didn’t return by then, they’d leave.

The group headed toward the Commercial Building. Zhong Qingxiao estimated it had over 60 floors. If they managed to get inside, they might find other valuable supplies.

He brought a flamethrower with him, hoping it wouldn’t be needed.

The atmosphere turned eerie as soon as they entered the building. Everyone was on high alert. The outdoor equipment store was on the 30th floor, so to conserve energy, they opted for the elevator.

The elevator was operational, stationed on the ground floor. When the doors opened, Zhong Qingxiao and the others stepped inside.

The sunlight outside was dazzling.

Meanwhile, Luo Ke stepped out into the heat. The weather had grown significantly warmer, but it didn’t bother her much. Her goal was simple: find meat and fresh vegetables to bring back, and retrieve her runaway pet.

She strolled leisurely through the supermarket, pushing a shopping cart. It was one she had marked earlier-a large, clean, and modern supermarket where she could pick items at will.

Fresh meat was out of the question. At this point, Luo Ke didn’t bother searching for a cow. She hadn’t anticipated the supermarket’s power outages, which had spoiled most of the meat. Even the surviving pieces were stuck to the rotten ones, making them unusable.

Luo Ke disliked processed meat products. She preferred the natural texture, cooked by Zhong Qingxiao-it was truly delightful.

After circling the store several times without finding usable meat, she ended up in the sanitary products aisle. There were plenty of options, neatly arranged and varied. Luo Ke stared at them, reaching out.

Just as her hand was about to touch them, she pulled it back.

She didn’t particularly want to use these. After all, Zhong Qingxiao’s handmade ones were far more comfortable.

Her mind wandered to the image of Zhong Qingxiao sitting by the bed, meticulously sewing. She was angry today, her frustration reaching its peak. But was her anger directed at Zhong Qingxiao? No.

She simply hated those wretched humans who kept disrupting her life.

Fully integrated now, Luo Ke could shed all human traits. She no longer needed sleep or food, and perhaps she wouldn’t be controlled by emotions anymore.

Yes, emotions were garbage, capable of influencing her decisions and appetite. Luo Ke felt she shouldn’t be swayed by them like humans were. She had regained her calm completely.

The integration brought her comfort, a sense of freedom and power she hadn’t felt in a long time.

Luo Ke wandered aimlessly through the mall. If she couldn’t find fresh meat or vegetables, what should she buy? She came across a section with packaged vegetable seeds and casually grabbed dozens of bags of various types. Yet her cart remained empty.

It wasn’t until she reached the clothing section that her eyes were drawn to a strawberry-colored maid dress on display. It was adorable, exactly her style-short, with a soft, puffy skirt.

And pink. It matched him perfectly.

Luo Ke’s eyes curved into a smile as she approached, searching the stock for larger sizes.

XL-would that fit? Would it be too small? After all, the chest measurement was crucial for this type of dress.

XXL-should be fine, right? But since it was women’s clothing, maybe she should go one size up?

After a moment’s hesitation, Luo Ke chose XXXL. It was her first time buying clothes for Zhong Qingxiao, and she wasn’t confident about the sizing. But larger was better than smaller; if it was too small, it would be completely unusable.

The mall was deserted, with no cashiers in sight. Luo Ke casually tossed the dress into her cart and walked out.

Her gaze wandered. Adjacent to the clothing section was footwear. What shoes would pair well with a maid dress? She knew Zhong Qingxiao only had leather and casual sneakers, none of which seemed suitable.

Then she spotted a pair of black high heels. Her eyes lit up. The heels had elegant lace-up straps, and she imagined them wrapped around Zhong Qingxiao’s calves, her mood lifting considerably.

What was Zhong Qingxiao’s shoe size? She hadn’t paid attention.

But she had touched his feet before. Comparing them to a pair of men’s shoes, she picked what seemed like the right size and returned to the women’s section.

Ah, the largest size for these heels was 40-not big enough for Zhong Qingxiao. What a pity.

Luo Ke stood still, contemplating. Maybe he could wear them. The heels didn’t have a back strap, so being slightly short shouldn’t matter. Surely her dear wife wouldn’t mind.

Luo Ke cheerfully completed her shopping. As she left the supermarket, her mood was still bright. It was time to pick up her dear wife and bring him home.

She walked, her pace astonishingly fast. The city grew visibly chaotic, with many creatures lurking in corners, watching her but too afraid to approach.

Passing a bakery, Luo Ke suddenly stopped. The shop’s name looked familiar-it clicked. Zhong Qingxiao’s favorite Berry Sandwich was sold here.

Since she was already here, why not bring her dear wife a little gift?

Luo Ke entered the shop. The transparent wooden-framed display case held moldy pastries, while two fresh corpses lay behind it, their wounds gaping and blood still fresh.

She pressed the call bell, her expression calm. “One berry sandwich. Make it quick, I’m in a hurry.”