Chapter 043 Surviving The Apocalyptic Era

　　“Brother Chu, how do you do it? Dabai has never been this well-behaved before!" Youyou was overjoyed to see him tame the horse and cried out excitedly.

　　"Haha, not a clue. Probably because I’m just that charming," Chu Mufan joked, gaunt as a skeleton. His absurd remark made Youyou burst out laughing...

　　"Open the fence quickly. Let’s take it for a ride!" Chu Mufan called down to her from Dabai’s back.

　　"Don’t wander too far, Brother Chu. Zombies sometimes linger near the foot of the mountain." Though she warned him, Youyou hurried to unlatch the fence outside the stable. Once Chu Mufan rode Dabai through the gate and she closed it behind them, he leaned down and held out his hand to her.

　　"Come on! Wanna ride up front with me, or sit behind?" He teased playfully.

　　"Hehe, I’ll sit at the back..." Youyou’s cheeks flushed faintly as she reached up to grasp his hand.

　　Chu Mufan pulled with all his might, yet his strength was far too feeble. He tugged several times in vain, unable to haul her up. Watching his awkward expression, Youyou smiled softly. She seized his hand and swung herself nimbly onto the horse’s back. Having tended horses for years, her riding skills were quite proficient.

　　Once they were settled, Chu Mufan flicked the reins and shouted, "Let’s go!" Dabai broke into a gallop at once, charging downhill...

　　The white horse’s speed was astounding. Even carrying two riders, it raced past like a gale! It was likely because the combined weight of the pair was less than that of one burly man...

　　Dabai streaked along the mountain trail like a white tempest. Chu Mufan fixed his gaze firmly on the path ahead, while Youyou pressed herself close against his back, winding both arms around his slender waist. There was no trace of fear on her face, only a soft, content smile, the quiet, loving joy she dared reveal only when hidden behind him. It was a smile brimming with tender happiness and quiet affection, one she kept buried deep inside, daring to show it only when sheltered behind this man.

　　As she watched the man galloping forward, his bony frame somehow no longer looked frail. His thin silhouette grew taller against the blur of trees rushing past on either side, and the narrow waist she held felt sturdy and dependable beneath her palms...

　　Youyou clung tighter to him, resting her head on his spine. The jolt of the horse’s stride and the hard contours of his back filled her with a profound sense of security. She wished time could stand still, freezing this perfect moment forever...

　　Yet all beautiful things are fleeting...

　　……

　　Chu Mufan rode Dabai on a loop through the mountains before heading back to the livestock farm.

　　“Whoa…” Having never ridden a horse before, he had no idea what command to use and blurted out the casual word “whoa”. Somehow Dabai understood his intent; it trotted forward a few paces to slow down, then came to a halt right outside the fence...

　　“Youyou? Youyou?” Not getting any response from the girl behind him, Chu Mufan feared the bumpy gallop had left her feeling unwell. The instant the horse stopped, he turned to ask her anxiously.

　　“Huh?” Youyou jolted back to reality, still lost in her sweet reverie.

　　“What’s wrong? Did you doze off? Are you worn out?”

　　“No, I was just daydreaming.”

　　“What were you thinking about? Your face’s all flushed.”

　　“N-nothing at all. I’ll go unlock the gate for you.” Blushing furiously, Youyou jumped down from the horse’s back, quickly changing the subject and hurrying to open the enclosure fence.

　　Chu Mufan watched her odd behaviour but thought nothing of it, merely smiling atop Dabai. He then slowly clambered down from the horse. His legs still lacked strength, and he’d strained them gripping the horse during the ride. Now that his feet touched the ground, his limbs trembled uncontrollably, forcing him to dismount clumsily on all fours—the ugliest yet safest way possible...

　　Youyou had already opened the outer fence and darted ahead to slide back the wooden bolt on the stable door. After climbing down, Chu Mufan took hold of the reins and led Dabai inside the stable. Once they were in, he removed the saddle and bridle, patted Dabai’s chest, and murmured a few words of praise to the horse before walking back out with Youyou.

　　As Youyou deftly slid the bolt shut, ready to leave, Chu Mufan voiced a lingering worry. “Is it fine leaving this gate only bolted, not locked? The guards’ shed is quite a way off...”

　　The shed where they’d spoken with Uncle Ye sat on the outer perimeter. Though ringed by barbed wire, there was a fair stretch between the guard post and these inner wooden stables. Someone could easily sneak in and wreak havoc if the sentries were distracted...

　　“It’s alright. Uncle Zhang lives in the shed right beside here; he’s the permanent keeper of the livestock farm. Everyone knows he’s lazy, but he’s extremely good at caring for all the animals. He lets them out to roam on schedule every day, herds them back into their shelters at dusk, and gets up several times each night to count them. Nothing bad has happened here all this time, so there’s no need to worry, Brother Chu.”

　　Chu Mufan had been about to ask which Uncle Zhang she meant, but the mention of his notorious laziness instantly brought the burly, bear-like man from the banquet to mind. So, this was the man tasked with guarding the farm...

　　“Doesn’t he have to rotate shifts with the other guards?” Chu Mufan asked in confusion.

　　"Hehe, he doesn’t rotate duty. He’s infamous for sleeping in, so the Lord assigned him this post. He’s got cooking gear in his shed and usually makes his own meals there. Today he must’ve caught wind of free wine, and his craving drove him over to the banquet to mooch drinks."

　　"But what if zombies show up?" Thinking of the stout man’s fondness for alcohol and long naps, Chu Mufan doubted his reliability and grew anxious for Dabai’s safety.

　　"This area sits fairly high up the mountain, so zombies rarely wander here this time of year. If just one or two stragglers appear, Uncle Zhang and the sentries can handle them easily. Should a massive horde advance, the guards will alert the main force on the mountain, and we’ll either hold out for backup or evacuate back to the main camp."

　　"Just abandon everything and evacuate? What about all the livestock? What about Dabai?" It was clear his main concern was the white stallion. After spending half the day together, he’d already come to regard the supposedly vicious horse as a friend.

　　"So, you’re worried about Dabai, Brother Chu. Don’t fret. Ordinary zombies don’t target animals. It seems the doomsday virus barely affects creatures other than humans." Youyou explained what she knew about the undead to Chu Mufan, who was still new and ignorant to the ways of this ruined world.

　　"Huh? I never knew that. That explains why I’ve never heard of infected animals. But aren’t humans animals too, in a way?" Chu Mufan scratched his head in sudden realization, yet still confused by the odd distinction.