My Girlfriend's a Monster - Chapter 50

Mmm.

Zhong Qingxiao awoke with hunger, his eyes opening to see a bulge in the blanket over his stomach. The tickling sensation on his abdomen made him chuckle, his voice still hoarse. He thought he might need some medicine to soothe his throat.

“Xiao Ke, what are you doing?”

Luo Ke emerged from under the blanket, happily kissing the corner of Zhong Qingxiao’s mouth, relieved that she hadn’t accidentally starved her dear wife to death. She promptly brought over the Vegetable Porridge, still warm, at just the right temperature.

“Want some?”

Zhong Qingxiao nodded, “I’m really hungry.”

He attempted to sit up, but after two tries, he resigned himself to the fact that he had no strength. Sitting was difficult and uncomfortable.

Though he might have gotten used to his girlfriend’s tentacles, the overuse had left his body feeling sore and achy.

Luo Ke noticed this, thinking how fragile humans were.

A tentacle quietly locked the door, and countless tentacles emerged again, lifting Zhong Qingxiao from the blanket, adjusting him into a comfortable and convenient position.

“…Thank you, Xiao Ke,” Zhong Qingxiao said awkwardly, feeling a bit shy being cared for by his girlfriend.

Fortunately, it was a light Vegetable Porridge, and Zhong Qingxiao was somewhat grateful, as he only wanted to eat mild foods lately.

After finishing the porridge, Luo Ke promptly wiped Zhong Qingxiao’s mouth and thoughtfully asked, “Want to take a bath?”

Zhong Qingxiao looked troubled, “Xiao Ke, I really can’t handle going through that again.”

“I’ll be good,” Luo Ke promised as she carried him out, “and I’ll help you heal.”

The chaotic heartbeat from earlier had indeed scared Luo Ke a bit; she was worried and felt the need to feed him some cleansing mucus to ease her mind.

Zhong Qingxiao had no strength to resist, leaving him with no choice but to let Luo Ke handle him.

But thankfully, this time his girlfriend kept her word. After the bath, Zhong Qingxiao felt much better, except for a slight soreness in his waist, but at least he could walk and sit without any issues.

“Did anything happen outside today?” Zhong Qingxiao asked, “How are the people in Baoliyuan?”

Luo Ke tapped her lips with her finger before replying, “Zheng Xiangyu is dying. They’re planning to go out and find medicine.”

Zhong Qingxiao paused, easily guessing, “Is the wound infected?”

“Yes,” Luo Ke said, sitting close to Zhong Qingxiao.

Zhong Qingxiao wasn’t very familiar with the people from Baoliyuan; he hadn’t gone out much these days, spending most of his time on this bed. Hearing this didn’t stir much emotion in him.

Having regained some strength, he asked Luo Ke, “Xiao Ke, are you hungry? Want some meat?”

“Not for now,” Luo Ke was pleased, as Zhong Qingxiao showed no intention of getting close to those outside.

“Bored at home, want to go out on a date?” Luo Ke suddenly asked.

Zhong Qingxiao choked, “A date?”

Given the current situation outside, could they really go on a date?

“Yes, there’s a legitimate reason to go out. Quite a few people are going out to gather supplies today,” Luo Ke licked her lips, “And there’s a legitimate reason to get more meat.”

The previous excuse Zhong Qingxiao used was hardly convincing; using it once was fine, but what about the future?

Zhong Qingxiao asked worriedly, “Will there be any problems? Xiao Ke, you won’t be harmed by the monsters, will you?”

Luo Ke confidently nodded, “These low-level monsters can’t hurt me.”

“Then, okay,” Zhong Qingxiao agreed, having never seen how his monster girlfriend survived outside. Since they were going out eventually, he might as well agree with Xiao Ke.

He glanced at his simple home attire, then at the weather outside, saying, “Can I change my clothes?”

Luo Ke nodded but kept her eyes fixed on him, showing no intention of looking away.

Zhong Qingxiao felt a bit helpless and began rummaging through his wardrobe. Most of his clothes were for formal occasions, as the university had strict dress codes for teachers, and given the hot weather outside, he seemed to have no choice but to wear a shirt.

“What’s that?” Luo Ke’s eyes followed his gaze, picking up two black straps hanging in the corner, curiously asking.

Zhong Qingxiao glanced down and replied, “Ah, those are shirt stays.”

“Shirt stays?” Luo Ke examined them repeatedly, not quite understanding, “How do you use them? I want to see.”

“Um…” Zhong Qingxiao glanced away, evasively saying, “We’ll talk about it later. Let’s go out first.”

Luo Ke didn’t think much of it and put the shirt stays back.

Having not gone out for a long time, Zhong Qingxiao really missed the feeling of sunlight on his skin. Even with his girlfriend there, he wore shoes suitable for moving around. When hesitating whether to bring the flamethrower, Luo Ke firmly shook her head.

“Absolutely unnecessary,” she said, “We probably won’t encounter any monsters. It’ll just be a normal date.”

Zhong Qingxiao pursed his lips and agreed.

A date… Zhong Qingxiao’s first date in his life, and it seemed not to be an ordinary one.

At noon, the Chunfeng Community’s supply-gathering team set off. Yan Cheng drove, accompanied by Bai Lan and Su Sheng’an. Grandma Zhong stayed behind to look after Zheng Xiangyu, while Qin Mei and Zhao Xucheng also went. Joining them were two young people from Baoliyuan, excluding Huo Sisi: 14-year-old Liang Yao and 15-year-old Lu Haiyao.

“Xiao Lu, can we walk together then?”

Lu Haiyao, at 15, was much taller than Liang Yao. He patted her head and replied, “Of course, we’ll walk together.”

Seven people, Yan Cheng’s off-road vehicle was just full, but he eyed the two from Baoliyuan with some unease.

With everyone gone, it was hard to ensure they wouldn’t cause trouble.

Only Grandma Zhong and 45-year-old Aunt Li were left to care for Zheng Xiangyu. Though Room 1802 still had Zhu Yiming and Room 1801 had people, it was still unsettling.

“Go without worry,” Grandma Zhong unexpectedly said calmly, “Nothing will happen.”

Yan Cheng sighed, indeed having no other choice. He looked at Zhong Qingxiao and Luo Ke standing aside, uncertainly asking, “Are you really… not coming with us?”

His expression was a bit odd, and neither of them had brought a flamethrower.

Zhong Qingxiao shook his head, “Wish you a safe return.”

People gradually boarded the car, and the underground parking lot was empty. Luo Ke took a deep breath, ah, those annoying humans finally left, leaving just her and Zhong Qingxiao alone.

Zhong Qingxiao still looked around worriedly, asking, “Is that woman named Haiyue, who mutated into a monster, really dead?”

Luo Ke tilted her head, “Not entirely sure, but I don’t feel anything.”

“No worries,” Luo Ke said, “Even if other monsters appear in the building, Curly is at home to guard.”

Zhong Qingxiao shook his head, unable to understand his girlfriend’s strange logic. Facing those monsters, even humans couldn’t handle them; how could Curly fend off monsters?

“Alright… then let’s go out,” Zhong Qingxiao held Luo Ke’s hand tightly, stepping out of the door for the first time in months, even lighter than before, as they didn’t even bring phones.

Nor money, because everything outside was already free.

Some buildings in the community were damaged, but most remained almost intact. The dust on the streets was relatively severe, and Zhong Qingxiao walked cautiously, afraid of accidentally seeing human corpses.

“Don’t worry,” Luo Ke reassured him, “Monsters love humans. When they see scattered food, they usually pick it up.”

Zhong Qingxiao’s expression was grim, not comforted at all.

This road had been Zhong Qingxiao’s route to the university since the beginning of the year. Walking it again, it was hard not to feel the change in circumstances. The empty city, everything around seemed exceptionally quiet.

Flowers and plants still bloomed beautifully, seemingly unaffected. The two walked along the street for a long time without any terrifying incidents, and Zhong Qingxiao gradually relaxed.

“Do you still want a Berry Sandwich?” Luo Ke asked him.

Zhong Qingxiao showed a difficult expression, “If it’s still made by monsters, I’m afraid I can’t accept it.”

“Hygiene is absolutely not a concern,” Luo Ke said calmly, “You’ll need to get used to coexisting with monsters for a long time.”

With humanity’s own abilities, it’s impossible to clear out these endless monsters, and even if it were possible, it would take a long time.

Humanity’s future has only two outcomes: evolution or extinction.

Zhong Qingxiao fell silent, realizing Xiao Ke was right; he couldn’t avoid it.

So he nodded with difficulty, “Alright, let’s go.”

The bakery’s location was in the commercial street around Shencheng University, which used to be bustling but was now completely deserted. Some shops were entirely sealed, while others had their doors wide open, glass windows shattered everywhere.

Zhong Qingxiao felt like he was in a magical city.

Walking into the familiar bakery, Zhong Qingxiao even trembled slightly, unsure of what bizarre scene he was about to witness-

“Ah! Customer! Welcome!” The green monster’s face came into view, its large eyes staring unblinkingly at Zhong Qingxiao.

In that instant of eye contact, Zhong Qingxiao’s sanity plummeted, and he wanted to scream and run away. But in his moment of stiffness, the monster surprisingly showed a smile of joy.

“Ah! It’s you! Professor Zhong, you’ve finally come again! The same as before?”

Extraordinarily surreal, Zhong Qingxiao recognized the monster as the familiar chef, yet he still couldn’t smile, only managing to pull his lips awkwardly.

“Y-yes.”

Luo Ke glanced at the monster.

“Ah!! I remember! I remember! Wash hands seven times, the berries must be the freshest! I remember completely!” The monster, afraid of being hit again, quickly slipped into the kitchen.

Zhong Qingxiao swallowed, instinctively surveying the shop. Surprisingly clean, the orange-yellow floor shone brightly, and apart from the chef being a monster, it was almost no different from before.

He chose a seat and sat down with difficulty.

The Berry Sandwich, the monster had become very skilled at making it. Berry juice, the bread slices fried to just the right crispness, the whole process took less than ten minutes.

“All done!” The monster brought out the sandwich, a slightly sour aroma, the golden crust still steaming.

If it weren’t made by a monster, Zhong Qingxiao couldn’t imagine how delicious it would be.

“…Thank you,” Zhong Qingxiao’s voice trembled as he thanked.

“Ah, you’re too kind. You don’t know, thanks to you, I’ve sold so many Berry Sandwiches. College students know you like them, and quite a few came to buy.”

“R-really? I’m flattered,” Zhong Qingxiao didn’t want to continue chatting with it; he just wanted the monster to leave quickly.

“Is there anything else you need? Our seasonal watermelon juice is also quite good,” the monster even started promoting.

Luo Ke should have been impatient, but she found her dear wife’s reaction amusing and cute, smiling as she watched.

“No, thank you,” Zhong Qingxiao replied again.

“Alright, enjoy your meal.”

The conversation should have ended here, everything still somewhat perfect. But at that moment, one of the monster’s large eyeballs suddenly fell out of its socket, plopping onto the floor.

Zhong Qingxiao’s face changed drastically, his gaze uncontrollably filled with horror, on the verge of screaming. At the critical moment, Luo Ke suddenly leaned in, kissing his lips.

Ah! How rude! The monster chef quickly turned away, feeling very shy. Really, how did the two guests suddenly start kissing?