Wang Yu shot her a look, "This is the way to your home."
Zhao Ling trembled, "My home..."
She buried her head on Wang Yu's back, as if this could somehow put her at ease.
At this moment, her heart was naturally filled with anticipation, eager to return home.
But she was also afraid.
Afraid her mother had turned into a zombie, or was no longer at home.
A middle-aged woman who had toiled for half her life, if she couldn't stay safe in her own home, it was hard to believe she could have survived five days in this apocalypse.
Thus, with a mixture of excitement and fear, Zhao Ling finally arrived at her doorstep.
She fumbled in her pocket for her keys, her hands trembling, and inserted one into the lock.
"Why don't you let me go in first?"
Facing Wang Yu's suggestion, Zhao Ling hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.
She took a deep breath and turned the lock.
Almost at the same moment the door opened, a wooden door was struck with force.
The main door swung open, revealing an empty living room.
But the bedroom door was shaking uncontrollably, emitting dull thudding sounds.
It sounded like someone was ramming the door with their body.
Zhao Ling covered her mouth with one hand, her legs feeling as heavy as lead, as she struggled to move towards the bedroom.
She stood at the bedroom door and called out, "Mom?"
Her voice was clearly choked with tears.
Unfortunately, there was no response, only the muffled sounds of impact.
She called out again, her voice noticeably louder this time, with a trembling tremor at the end of her words.
Yet, there was still no reply.
The taut string that had been stretched tight in Zhao Ling's heart since the apocalypse snapped in that instant!
She felt all strength drain from her body, and she involuntarily sank to her knees.
Tears then erupted like a dam bursting, an unstoppable flood.
Her vision was blurred by tears, and snot streamed down her face as she sobbed.
Wang Yu crouched down, pulled her into his embrace, and let her weep uncontrollably.
Zhao Ling cried with heartbreaking intensity, her sobs growing more violent, her voice hoarse and strained, as if she were about to faint.
Wang Yu gently patted her back, remaining silent.
He knew that at such a time, any words of comfort were useless.
He had witnessed too much of this grief of losing loved ones in his previous life.
How heartbreaking the death of a truly loving family member is, is something those who haven't experienced it themselves cannot comprehend.
One cannot truly empathize with such a situation.
Because you are not her, you do not know her relationship with her mother, their shared experiences.
You do not know how they relied on each other over the years, how they encouraged and bolstered each other to reach this day.
Therefore, do not presume to offer comforting words, she does not need your comfort.
What she needs now is a shoulder to lean on, and an ear to listen to her cries.
After a long while.
Zhao Ling's crying had subsided to a low whimper, and she was weak, slumped in Wang Yu's arms.
She had truly reached the point of exhaustion.
Wang Yu gently picked her up, kicked open the door to the adjacent room, and laid her on the bed.
Judging by the room's furnishings, it seemed the sisters shared this room.
Wang Yu softly wiped her tears with his hand, "Rest for a while, let me handle this, okay?"
Zhao Ling quickly shook her head and struggled to sit up.
"Give me the gun. I am her daughter, let me send her off."
Faced with Zhao Ling's plea, Wang Yu could not refuse.
He took out the pistol Zhao Ling had carried and handed it to her.
Zhao Ling caressed the handgun she had carried for two years, and for a moment, she stood frozen.
"How ironic. I, a police officer, have to use my own service weapon to kill my mother..."
Thinking of this, her eyes turned red again.
But there were no more tears to shed.
Zhao Ling stood at her mother's bedroom door, her right hand gripping the gun, her left holding a flashlight angled atop it, just as she would in training.
However, not only were her legs trembling, but her hands were also shaking incessantly.
The beam of the flashlight flickered constantly on the door.
Wang Yu stood by her side, also holding a handgun, ready to help her open the door.
If Zhao Ling faltered or missed, Wang Yu would have to step in.
He couldn't just stand by and watch Zhao Ling get bitten.
The reason for using a gun instead of a sword was to give Zhao Mother a complete body.
This was also Zhao Ling's intention in using the gun.
"Are you ready?"
Zhao Ling's appearance was truly concerning.
Zhao Ling nodded expressionlessly, and Wang Yu had no choice but to open the door.
"Hiss!"
Before the door was fully open, a zombie lunged out.
Because Wang Yu was to the side, and Zhao Ling was holding the flashlight, the zombie lunged directly at Zhao Ling.
In the flickering light, it was clear that this zombie was indeed a simply dressed middle-aged woman, most likely Zhao Ling's mother.
The moment the zombie rushed out, Zhao Ling lost her composure.
Her mind went blank; it felt as if everything around her had frozen, except for this zombie before her, her mother.
She stared intently at this monstrous, ferocious creature with bared teeth and flailing limbs, but could not reconcile it with the kind and loving image in her memory.
She wanted to pull the trigger, but found that her handgun seemed to be malfunctioning.
Because the trigger felt so stiff today, even with all her might, she could not budge it.
Bang! Bang!
Two loud gunshots echoed, and Zhao Ling's mother collapsed to the ground.
Wang Yu had shot her knee joints.
However, this still couldn't stop the zombie's hunger for flesh and blood; it continued to shuffle forward, as if vowing to reach the woman holding the light.
Thump!
Zhao Ling also fell to her knees. By now, her mother was less than a meter away.
She raised her gun and aimed it at her mother's forehead.
As she pulled the trigger, she closed her eyes.
Bang!
Her mother fell to the ground with a dull thud.
Two streams of tears flowed from Zhao Ling's eyes. She had thought she had cried all her tears earlier.
Unexpectedly, there were still tears left to shed...
Wang Yu collected Zhao Mother's body into his storage ring, then scooped up the sobbing, collapsed figure on the ground and carried her into the adjacent room.
A minute later, Wang Yu emerged again, holding Zhao Ling's hand.
He remained expressionless, but Zhao Ling's emotions had stabilized considerably.
"Thank you."
For the first time, Zhao Ling threw herself into Wang Yu's arms, hugging him tightly.
Feeling a similar chest size to Su Wan'er, Wang Yu felt no inappropriate thoughts.