Chapter Six: Living Well

The next day, in the living room, Lin Qingqing sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at the medical report in her hands with a complex mixture of emotions: Lin Qingqing, female, 28 years old, diagnosed with terminal lymphoma.

This was her previous medical record, and the doctor had given her less than a year to live. Lin Qingqing had originally intended to depart this world cleanly and decisively, but there had been an unexpected turn of events—she had somehow "resurrected."

Not only that, but over the past two days, she had clearly sensed that her body had changed. The chronic pain and weakness that had plagued her had not returned since yesterday. Even after killing the zombie next door and hauling so much cargo, she felt no fatigue. It was as if someone had replaced her body; it was not exactly brawny, but it was incredibly healthy.

Reflecting on the zombies outside, Lin Qingqing made a bold hypothesis: could this be another evolutionary step for humanity? Those who failed became zombies, while those who succeeded, like her, gained superior physical constitutions. She wasn't sure how others might have changed, but if her own frail frame could become healthy, perhaps other normal people had become even stronger.

Coupled with the online theories about superpowers she had read before, she began to doubt her performance against the zombie yesterday. Lin Qingqing had always known she was not someone particularly athletic. While she was calmer and more rational than most, she shouldn't have been able to adjust so quickly the moment the zombie attacked, nor find its weakness and eliminate it in such a short time. Remembering that mystical state, she found it addictive every time she recalled it.

"Could my superpower be the ability to calm down instantly and gain peak combat awareness?"

"That’s just too elusive!"

She had never experienced anything like this before, but she had an intuition that this state was highly unusual and might be related to these so-called superpowers.

While exercising, Lin Qingqing pondered these subtle differences. Space in her home was limited, so she could only focus on strength and endurance training for the time being. Whether it was a gift from the apocalypse or not, movements she previously thought impossible were now effortless. Since she had acquired the supplies from her neighbor, she no longer had to skimp or save. Her body was naturally thin, and with the constant daily training, she was in urgent need of massive nutrition.

"After going through all this, perhaps my body really can escape the clutches of illness," Lin Qingqing prayed sincerely.

...

Basic physical training, studying various survival techniques—such mundane days continued for over ten days. In the blink of an eye, the apocalypse had been ongoing for half a month. Lin Qingqing’s body grew stronger at a visible rate, and her weight increased from 88 jin to 105 jin. Although she still looked slender, her physical condition had improved significantly, and her strength was now on par with an average adult male from before the apocalypse.

It was only today that Lin Qingqing truly confirmed she had completely broken free from the torment of illness; she had become a healthy person. She flexed her fingers with excitement. While it was a pity that she hadn't awakened any special abilities, she was already quite satisfied that her health had been restored.

During this period, Lin Qingqing had stayed holed up at home without going anywhere, and the residential compound had been quite peaceful. The internet had gone down on the fifth day of the apocalypse, and since then, she had lost all contact with the outside world.

As time dragged on, the government's promised rescue remained nowhere to be seen. People gradually lost their patience, and one by one, they began to stir. Two weeks into the apocalypse, the surviving residents of the compound couldn't help but start venturing out of their homes, attempting to engage with the world after the end.

Lin Qingqing watched from above as a young man armed with a kitchen knife tried to challenge a zombie downstairs. The two pecked at each other for a long time; in the end, the zombie lost its head, and the young man broke his arm. Having watched the entire process, she noted that while the man was fast, he wasn't strong enough, and his weapon was too short, forcing him into close-quarters combat. Yet, although zombies were sluggish, their bodies were incredibly tough. If the weapon wasn't suitable or the angle wasn't precise, it was difficult to land a killing blow.

Beyond those challenging zombies, survivors short on food began setting their sights on their neighbors. They went door-to-door, picking locks to scavenge for supplies. If they found a place empty, they would ransack it; if someone was home, they would threaten them to extort resources. Fortunately, no one had resorted to murder yet. Perhaps it was just the beginning, and various conflicts and crises remained hidden beneath the surface, yet to erupt.

Watching the commotion that flared up in the compound from time to time, Lin Qingqing couldn't help but feel anxious. As a single woman, if someone with ill intent came knocking, the outcome for her would certainly not be good. From then on, she became even more cautious. She tried not to make loud noises at home, kept her supplies packed and hidden, and processed all her rice and flour into food that was easy to store and carry. She no longer turned on the lights at night, wore simple and convenient clothing, and kept her weapons by her side at all times. With nowhere else to go and sufficient supplies, lying low was the wisest choice.

Five more days passed. It was now the twentieth day of the apocalypse, and there was still no news from the outside. People in the compound were already attempting to flee. Lin Qingqing suppressed her restless heart and stayed put; she had fifteen days' worth of food left—there was no need to rush.

...

Today was "Major Cold," and when she woke up, it was snowing heavily outside. Having just finished her training, Lin Qingqing held a cup of hot water, leaning against the window, staring blankly at the snow.

Such beautiful snow was a rare sight in the southern winter. In the past, everyone would have rushed out to take photos, roll in the snow, and post on social media. Unfortunately, now she could only look at it to satisfy her craving.

"Sigh..."

Coming back to her senses, Lin Qingqing instinctively raised the cup to take a sip, only to find that the water had gone cold, and a thin layer of ice crystals was floating on the surface.

"Huh? Is it really that cold today?"

It wasn't just the cup; frost had condensed on the window pane she had been leaning against. Since the start of the apocalypse, she hadn't noticed any significant temperature changes. There was no heating in the room, and she was only wearing a thick sweatshirt. Anyone who had lived through a southern winter knew that the interior was often colder than the outdoors. Lin Qingqing hadn't paid attention to these details before, assuming she was just不怕 (not afraid) of the cold because her body had improved and she was exercising enough.

But now, she couldn't be so sure. For one thing, the water had been boiling hot just two minutes ago. Could it really start to freeze while she was distracted? That wasn't scientific! And why was the frost on the glass only present on the side she had been leaning against?

Lin Qingqing couldn't make sense of it. The only thing she was certain of was that she hadn't done anything.

"Can you really bring the snow into your house just by looking at it?"

That was too ridiculous!

Though she was confused, Lin Qingqing began to take the matter seriously; she wanted to find out why this was happening. Over the next two days, through careful observation, she discovered several more incredible phenomena: first, she, who enjoyed cooking, began to develop an aversion to fire—she felt uneasy whenever she got close to an open flame. Second, for the past two nights, she had been dreaming of walking through a frozen, snowy wasteland.

Furthermore, she wasn't sure if it was because she had adapted to the apocalypse, but her gaze toward the zombies had become increasingly indifferent; even when she occasionally saw tragedies occurring elsewhere, her heart remained unmoved.

These changes were all very strange. Lin Qingqing realized that perhaps it was she who had become strange, not the environment around her. However, these were merely her own observations; she couldn't find a lead, nor could she verify them.