(Xyrean Province- Inner Regions)
(The Mermaid's Lake- Forested Outskirts)
"You're welcome," Qin Lan gently spoke as she placed a warm hand on Gong Li's shoulder before leaving to tend to the fire.
A mouth-watering scent was coming from the pot since the noodles were fully cooked and the broth was a lovely golden colour.
Qin Lan placed the pot down on the ground and then walked over to the tent where Liu Yifei was peacefully sleeping.
She lightly tapped on the side of the tent a few times before cupping her lips together and shouting.
"Liu Yifei! It's time for dinner!" Qin Lan loudly spoke.
She heard a rustling noise coming from inside the tent and a tired groan as well. Liu Yifei shifted around for a few seconds before crawling outside.
She stuck her head out of the tent flap and yawned sleepily. Her usually tidy appearance was nowhere to be found, and her hair was a complete mess.
Heavy bags could be seen under the young girl's eyes as she yawned once more and got out of the tent.
"What's for dinner?" Liu Yifei hoarsely spoke as she walked over to the pot and stared inside.
"Just some ramen noodles and broth," Qin Lan replied casually as she looked at the sky to see a full moon shining brightly.
Liu Yifei snapped her fingers and three bowls, and some spoons appeared out of thin air.
She was still feeling a bit sleepy, so she wandered over to Gong Li and rested her head on her best friend's shoulder.
Gong Li's face turned bright red as she felt Liu Yifei's soft delicate body lean against her own.
Somehow Liu Yifei smelled of fresh peaches and although she had bags under her eyes, Gong Li thought that she looked absolutely beautiful.
Qin Lan smiled at the two girls before using the spoons to scoop out some of the broth into the bowls.
She walked over to the young teenagers and gave them their food. Liu Yifei and Gong Li softly thanked her before digging in.
Qin Lan leaned against a nearby tree and softly blew on the top of her broth. Tonight, was a peaceful night.
Actually, this was the perfect location.
It was in the middle of a remote province away from major cities and population centers and there was a large source of freshwater nearby.
Animals and plants were abundant in the forest so there was no need to worry about having nothing to eat.
Even without Liu Yifei's storage space this would be a paradise.
Qin Lan was not na?ve enough to think that this place would remain as safe as it currently was now but hopefully, they would not have to move for a long time.
The memoires inside her mind from the original Qin Lan did not justify her brutal actions but Qin Lan understood the reason why she became so merciless.
Humans are kind, friendly people once their stomachs are full and they have a place to rest and relax.
But take away their food… deprive them of sleep…. put them in dangerous situations day after day…
And they become monsters.
The end times brought out the worst in people as it was often those who were merciless that were the ones who survived.
Women and men without powers were treated as disposal tools for either labour or pleasure.
Qin Lan let out a heavy sigh as she briefly lost herself in some of the terrible sights that the original Qin Lan had seen.
She raised up the spoon to her lips and took a small sip.
The delicious taste of chicken broth helped to clear her mind and bring her out of those uncomfortable memories.
Time slowly passed and eventually the large pot of soup was gone. Qin Lan stretched out her arms and prepared to leave the rest site.
"Girls I'm going to do some hunting tonight…" Qin Lan lied as she tossed a few more sticks into the crackling fire.
"Do you want some help?" Liu Yifei tiredly asked as she rubbed her eyes twice.
"No, it's okay… just make sure to stay vigilant and keep your firearms close at hand," Qin Lan spoke softly.
"Okay Sister Lan!" Gong Li firmly replied as she wrapped her arm around Liu Yifei and pulled her in closer.
Qin Lan tried not to laugh as she saw Liu Yifei shoot a confused look at her friend before shrugging her shoulders and snuggling up against her body.
Somehow, she got the feeling that Liu Yifei would accept if Gong Li finally confessed her true feelings.
But it wasn't her place to force their relationship, so she waved goodbye to the two young teenagers and cheered them on silently in her heart.
The forest was not quiet at night and Qin Lan could hear the chattering of insects and rustling in the nearby bushes.
Long shadows danced on the ground as the bright moonlight streamed down through the treetops and landed on the forest floor.
Qin Lan walked for about ten minutes until she arrived at a clearing where a beautiful woman was standing in the middle.
This beautiful woman was completely gorgeous with long silky black hair and a slender muscular physique with curves in all the right places.
Her skin was healthy wheat colour, and her facial features were sharp and angular.
Those plump kissable lips stole Qin Lan's attention for a brief moment as she was dazzled by Eve's unnatural beauty.
Eve was wearing another ill-fitting black jacket along with a pair of brown track pants and combat boots.
"Sorry did you wait long?" Qin Lan apologised softly as she stepped into the clearing.
"No… I just arrived…" Eve gently replied as she walked towards her favourite human with a calm and gentle smile on her face.
The zombie empress was lying of course.
Eve had arrived at the meeting spot a few hours in advance and had nervously smelled her body several times to make sure that she did not have a bad scent.
There was a brief moment of silence as Qin Lan stretched out her right palm and carefully brushed her fingers against the side of Eve's cheek.
She could vaguely remember doing this countless times before except instead of Eve, another face flashed across her mind.
However, the memory disappeared just as fast as it had surfaced.
Eve enjoyed the touch of her favourite human for a few minutes but knew that she had to warn Qin Lan about the shocking news.
"Qin Lan…" Eve hesitantly spoke as she tried her best to gather her thoughts and explain the insane situation.
"I was not the only test subject who was trapped in the military base…"
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