Chenghai still looked unconvinced.

Honestly, I was starting to take that personally. I thought we had already established the baseline that I was always right. How many times did I have to point it out for the guys to remember?

And clearly, I was right.

The zombie had been dragged underground less than ten seconds ago and he still looked at the plants like they were somehow the problem in this situation.

I was about to open my mouth to say something that proved my point... again.... when Zhenlan turned his back on me and started down the driveway.

Chenghai immediately followed him, his shoulders ridged like he was expecting an attack at any given time.

Neither man hesitated, and neither man looked back.

The two of them simply adjusted the backpacks on their shoulders and kept walking between the thick walls of greenery lining both sides of the drive like this was the most normal thing in the world.

I blinked once, pretty sure that I was hallucinating.

Then looked at Yuche.

Then Lingyun.

But they both had the same look on their faces that I was pretty sure was on mine. All three of our heads were cocked to the right as if seeing things from that angle worked better to understand what was going on.

Turns out, the new angle didn’t help anything.

"...Where are they going?" Lingyun finally asked.

"Apparently into the wilderness," I murmured under my breath as Chenghai pulled out a knife when a flower got a little too close to him.

Yuche frowned slightly. "Why are they walking?"

"You expect me to know?" I demanded, a frown furrowing my brows.

I looked farther down the driveway where Chenghai and Zhenlan had already disappeared partially behind the thick hedges and overgrown trees lining the property.

Then realization hit me.

Oh no.

Absolutely not.

"You have got to be kidding me."

The baby vine lifted its head from around my wrist curiously.

I pointed dramatically toward the two men still marching toward the gates like they were preparing to cross an ancient mountain range instead of going on a supply run.

"They’re trying to walk there."

Lingyun looked genuinely horrified. "Voluntarily?"

"Apparently."

"We are not doing that... right?" he continued, looking at me with absolute horror on his face.

"No," I spat. "I don’t do cardio. If that is the case, I’m going back to the couch."

Yuche stared after them another second before finally raising his voice just enough for the two men to hear him. "The SUV is in the garage."

Both men stopped walking.

Slowly, Chenghai turned around.

"...The vehicle still works?"

Now it was my turn to stare at him. "What do you mean still works? When did it break down?"

Neither answered immediately, they just shared a look like they were the only two people left in the world.

Honestly, it was getting annoying.

"The black SUV," Yuche clarified slowly. "We used it last week."

Another pause.

Another quick look passed between Chenghai and Zhenlan before Zhenlan spoke. "The roads aren’t safe enough to drive."

I looked around slowly. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

At the plants.

At the vines dragging another dead zombie deeper into the greenery near the edge of the property.

At the massive trees arching over sections of the driveway.

Then back at him.

"If the roads aren’t safe enough to drive, then they definitely aren’t safe enough to walk," I pointed out, trying to use his own logic to show him just how idiotic he was being."

Lingyun snorted beside me. "She’s got a point."

Yuche rubbed one hand down his face before turning toward the side path leading toward the garage. "Come on."

The second we stepped off the main driveway and onto the stone path beside the mansion, the plants shifted again.

Vines slowly pulled themselves away from the walkway while thick leaves tilted upward toward us like flowers following sunlight. Branches creaked softly overhead as the greenery parted just enough to leave the narrow path open.

Not aggressively.

Not threatening.

Just...

Moving out of the way.

Chenghai noticed the change immediately, I could tell by the way his eyes tracked the way the plants were moving along the hedges.

Zhenlan looked unsettled too.

I let out a long sigh and rolled my eyes. Why did it feel like I was dealing with teenagers? Surely to God these men should have outgrown this stage by now.

Or did they regress?

The baby vine tightened happily around my wrist while we walked.

One of the larger vines hanging near the garage entrance brushed lightly against my sleeve before slowly retreating back into the greenery.

Like a dog demanding attention.

Lingyun noticed too.

"...Why do they like you this much?"

"I feed them."

"No you don’t," he pointed out.

"No. But I could," I replied, looking over my shoulder at Zhenlan and Chenghai.

Just when I thought we were in a good groove, they have to go and be weird.

Yuche opened the garage door a second later and the lights flickered on overhead automatically.

Three vehicles sat inside.

A black SUV.

One luxury sedan that nobody had touched since the apocalypse started.

And one sports car that was completely useless now unless someone wanted to die dramatically.

Lingyun immediately pointed toward the sports car. "I vote that one."

"No."

"You’re crushing my dreams."

"They should stay crushed."

While Lingyun mourned his apparently very short-lived racing career, Chenghai slowly walked around the SUV.

Checking the tires.

The windows.

The fuel gauge.

The doors.

Like he genuinely expected something to be wrong with it.

Yuche snorted as he tossed his backpack into the back before climbing into the driver’s seat naturally.

I immediately claimed the passenger seat before anyone else could argue with me about it.

The backseat ended up with Chenghai, Zhenlan, and Lingyun squeezed together with most of the supplies piled around them.

Lingyun looked personally offended by the arrangement. "I hate this already."

"Just think, you wanted the sports car."

"I still want the sports car."

"And the answer is still no."

He sighed dramatically as Yuche opened the garage door while the engine hummed to life.

We pulled out onto the driveway a few seconds later while the plants shifted around the vehicle slowly, vines dragging themselves away from the tires before the SUV rolled forward.

The massive front gates began opening automatically as we approached, the plants in the yard adjusting to our movement.

The moment we were driving down the street, I immediately reached toward the radio.

If I was being forced outside, then I at least deserved music.

Static crackled softly through the speakers.

I changed stations.

More static.

Another station.

"...all civilians are advised to avoid Rongdu South industrial district until containment teams regain control—"

I changed it immediately.

"...repeat, root systems have breached lower infrastructure sectors beneath—"

Next station.

"...if anyone can hear this, do not burn the vines—"

Static swallowed the rest.

I slumped slightly deeper into the passenger seat.

"Does the apocalypse seriously not have a single working music station left?"

Nobody answered.

Mostly because Chenghai had gone rigid again listening to the broadcasts while Zhenlan stared silently out the window at the swallowed streets beyond the gates.

Lingyun leaned forward between the seats instead.

"I can sing if you want."

Yuche sighed immediately.

"No."

"I think you underestimate my talent."

"I think silence has value."

Honestly, for once, Yuche had a point.

I crossed my arms before glaring at the road ahead.

"Fine. But I don’t have to be happy about it."