TFRLTOP Chapter 85 Part 1

Chapter 85 – The Captain’s Little Widow (Part Fourteen)
—A shamelessly sweet chapter—

The stones began to tremble faster and faster, as though the earth itself were shuddering.

Yet the sky above was clear, the air still and bright—something was clearly amiss.

All at once, the rubble burst apart. A shattered limb jerked weakly atop the ruins, giving its final struggle.

The ground quaked again, and countless mangled corpses clawed their way up from beneath the debris, scuttling about in chaotic, frantic motion.

One severed arm suddenly stiffened upright. Its fingers curled into a fist, then opened wide. At once, the horde of spider-like zombies scattered in all directions, dispersing swiftly until they vanished across the horizon.

Guan Yi straddled his motorcycle, glanced back coolly at Ming Ming, and tilted his head. “Hop on.”

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“Taking you out for some fun.”

Ming Ming didn’t move.

“What’s wrong?”

She pointed at the helmet hanging on the handlebars. “Wear the helmet.”

Guan Yi gave her a speechless look.

She met his gaze with a deadpan expression.

After a long pause, he gave in, handed her the helmet, and put on his own.

She fiddled with the strap for a while but couldn’t get it fastened. Guan Yi sighed, stepped over, and buckled it for her, muttering under his breath, “You really don’t trust your husband’s driving skills, huh?”

“I didn’t say that,” she mumbled, stubborn as ever.

He raised an eyebrow, eyes glinting with amusement, as if to say, Let’s hear your excuse then.

Ming Ming’s eyes darted away. “…We should follow traffic rules.”

Guan Yi burst out laughing, shaking his head helplessly. “Alright then, we’ll follow the rules. Let’s go.”

He held her gently by the waist, lifted her onto the motorcycle, and then climbed on himself.

The motorcycle roared to life, cutting through the silent road. Overgrown greenery flanked the cracked pavement, abandoned buildings stood like ghosts, and rusted cars lay scattered among broken walls. The wind howled past them. Ming Ming wrapped her arms around Guan Yi’s waist, leaning into his back, the only sound the deep rumble of the engine.

It felt like a peaceful day before the world had ended—
Or like they were the only two people left in it.

Occasionally, a zombie would stagger into the road, drawn by the noise, but the motorcycle was too fast. They were gone long before the creatures could get close.

Guan Yi drove wild and free—fast enough that, before the apocalypse, Ming Ming would’ve been terrified just hearing that engine. But now, oddly enough, she felt… calm.

How rare, she thought. To feel peace in a world like this.

Suddenly, the motorcycle screeched to a stop.

Ming Ming lifted her head and looked around. They were at a deserted intersection, and a few zombies had already noticed them, shuffling closer.

“Are we there?” she asked.

“Nope!” Guan Yi grinned. “Red light.”

Ming Ming turned her head. The traffic signal—long since dead after three years without power—hung crookedly above the road.

“…Seriously?”

Red light, my ass.

Couldn’t he see the zombies closing in?

“Don’t be an idiot! I’m not dying with you today.” She pinched his waist hard. “Go!”

He laughed aloud, twisted the throttle, and the motorcycle shot forward again. His laughter echoed down the empty street long after they’d sped away.

They were heading in the opposite direction from the rest of their group. Ming Ming frowned, worried they’d lose track of the convoy. The wind whipped her hair as she shouted, “Where are we even going—?”

Guan Yi turned his head slightly, shouting back, “We’re almost there!”

She sighed, tightening her hold around his waist, deciding to wait and see.

After a while, the scenery began to change. The road narrowed, the air grew fresher, and the motorcycle slowed down until finally, Guan Yi stopped.

“Can’t drive any farther. We’ll have to walk from here.”

He lifted her gently off the bike.

“Hey, I can get down myself!” she protested, rolling her eyes. He just grinned, saying nothing, and took her hand as they started walking.

The path was rough, winding up a beautiful but wild mountain.

“It’s so quiet here. Are you sure there aren’t any zombies or mutants around?” she asked, sticking close to him. Ever since that day at the military base—the ceiling full of zombies—she’d developed a mild trauma.

“Relax,” he said. “We cleared this place not long ago.”

They came to a steep ledge. Guan Yi jumped down first, then turned to catch her.

“Careful,” he said as he explained, “No one comes here anymore, so there aren’t any zombies. It used to be a government development site for a nature reserve, but the apocalypse hit before they could start. Mutants don’t survive well here either—something about the environment.”

Ming Ming nodded in understanding.

“So we’re climbing the mountain?” she asked, then frowned. “Wait… that’s a cliff ahead—huh?”

Before she could finish, Guan Yi stepped behind her, covering her eyes with one hand.

“Guan Yi?” she asked nervously.

He chuckled, tightening his arm around her waist. “Ever tried bungee jumping?”

She froze. “Wait—you didn’t bring me all the way here just to—ahhhhhh!”

He jumped.

The world dropped out beneath her feet. Wind howled in her ears. Her heart lurched into her throat.

Just as suddenly, the fall stopped. It was like hitting the end of a bungee cord—then a gentle rebound.