B U G Arc
Exam God 18
The atmosphere still achieved a subtle tranquility.
Xin Lan drove, and Wan Yan sat in the passenger seat with a briefcase, while the passengers in the back had mixed emotions.
The car kicked up dust and gleamed briefly in the sunlight.
Xin Lan’s driving was fierce, her foot on the gas, leaving everything behind.
The wind, mixed with dust, blew through the window, lifting the stray strands of hair near her ear.
Wan Yan held the briefcase, gazing at Xin Lan, her heart filled with sweetness.
The feeling of liking someone is truly wonderful.
Liking someone who shines with brilliance in their eyes is even better.
In Xin Lan, Wan Yan felt a vividness she had never experienced as an AI.
Though AIs generally avoid romantic entanglements with their hosts because human emotions are complex and unpredictable, and they can change their minds at any time, hosts also rarely desire to engage in romantic relationships with AIs.
Even if their appearance closely resembles that of humans, they cannot be called humans. Engaging in romantic relationships with AIs is considered interspecies love.
AIs are merely entities constructed through programming. They can possess emotions because human-like feelings are encoded within their code, but they cannot empathize with humans.
In fact, they struggle to understand why humans can experience such intricate emotions interwoven with love and hatred. The emotions AIs can express are far less sophisticated.
Hence, cases of AIs being with hosts are rare, and in most of these instances, they end tragically.
Therefore, AIs often advise each other not to engage in romantic relationships with their hosts.
At first, Wan Yan didn’t express her feelings because she wanted to confirm just how strong her thoughts and desires were.
Later, she discovered that it was beyond her control.
Even after confirming her emotions, she still didn’t speak, wanting to test Xin Lan’s reaction.
As she just mentioned, AIs advise against falling in love with their hosts, as hosts might not necessarily be interested in AIs.
Xin Lan turned her head, locking eyes with Wan Yan. This person had been watching her from the start, and now she was still staring. What was so captivating?
Xin Lan inwardly scoffed, feeling a bit annoyed.
Even if a million eyes were on her, she wouldn’t feel embarrassed. So why did she now, after being stared at by Wan Yan for a few minutes, feel somewhat awkward?
A strange restlessness traveled from the soles of her feet up her calves to her thighs, finally settling in her back.
“Turn around.”
Xin Lan shot Wan Yan a sideways glance, her expression somewhat cold.
Wan Yan noticed that Xin Lan seemed somewhat displeased and quickly adjusted her gaze, sneakily glancing at Xin Lan from the corner of her eye.
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Xin Lan turned the steering wheel, and this person just wouldn’t let up.
They drove from the highway, made a turn at the end, and continued for a while until they entered the city.
Skyscrapers loomed, devoid of human presence. The car whizzed by, leaving echoes on the sides of the road, breaking the silence and startling a few crows in search of food.
“How about we stop and grab something to eat?”
As they watched the passing scenery on the street, Ah Cheng weakly suggested.
She had just realized she was a little hungry, and she had been holding it in for a while. But the hunger was growing stronger, causing a subtle ache in her stomach.
Xin Lan slowed down and parked the car in front of a supermarket.
Indeed, they might regard each other as NPCs, but that didn’t mean they would completely disregard each other.
After all, in the eyes of these people, they were living, breathing individuals.
“Would you like me to go get some food for you?”
Xin Lan looked at Wan Yan.
“I’ll go get it for you.”
“Wait for me.”
Xin Lan didn’t argue with Wan Yan about who would go; she simply got out of the car.
The other team members also got out of the car and entered the supermarket.
“Aren’t you afraid she might just take the briefcase and leave?”
It was a rather unpleasant question, but Chen Bai asked it anyway.
He was genuinely curious.
The car keys were still in the car, and the briefcase was in that person’s hand. What if that person wanted to complete the mission directly, driving away with the briefcase?
Chen Bai wasn’t doubting Wan Yan’s character; he simply didn’t trust human nature.
While they weren’t truly living in a doomsday scenario, participating in these selection exams, how different was it from living in a doomsday world?
“She won’t.”
Xin Lan replied without even looking at Chen Bai.
Chen Bai shrugged. Fair enough.
Xin Lan went straight to the food section. It was evident that this place had been ransacked before, with shelves in disarray, but the looters hadn’t been thorough, and there was still some food left.
Xin Lan grabbed some bread and milk, pocketed a few pieces of chocolate and sugar, then headed towards the exit.
As she left the food section, Xin Lan heard a brief, high-pitched scream coming from Ah Cheng.
Xin Lan quickly walked over with the items in her hands and saw Ah Cheng rushing outside.
“There are zombies!”
Ah Cheng, caught off guard as she met the decaying face, instinctively screamed and made a run for it.
“Let’s go, quickly.”
Xin Lan saw the others who had heard the commotion heading for the exit.
The car door was open. Xin Lan placed the bread and milk to the side and closed the car door.
“There are so many of them behind, hurry!”
Ah Cheng turned around and saw many zombies heading in their direction, and she immediately spoke up.
The street, which had just been empty moments ago, suddenly swarmed with zombies, converging towards the car.
Xin Lan looked ahead and saw many zombies in front of the car.
“Hold on tight.”
Xin Lan shifted gears and stepped on the gas, driving directly over the approaching creatures.
The grating sound of the car passing over them was a bit unpleasant, but the people in the car paid it no mind.
Even Ah Cheng, who had been the most panicked, relaxed once the car was in motion.
Xin Lan drove in the direction indicated on the map without stopping.
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“Do you want to stop and eat something? Or should I feed you?”
Wan Yan looked Xin Lan. They had all eaten already, while Xin Lan had been driving continuously.
I really want to feed the little tiger!
However, Xin Lan didn’t give her the chance, shaking her head.
“I’m not hungry, it’s fine.”
Indeed, Xin Lan didn’t feel hungry, so she declined food.
“How about having some water, then?”
Wan Yan handed over the milk, then realized it was the one she had sipped from, quickly taking it back.
“I’ll help you open…”
Before Wan Yan could finish her sentence, she saw Xin Lan turn her head, and with the straw in her mouth, she took a sip of the milk.
After finishing the milk, Xin Lan straightened up naturally. She sensed Wan Yan’s gaze and glanced at her.
With that glance, Wan Yan’s breath caught, and her eyes sparkled intensely. It made her exquisite face appear even more dazzling.
Seeing this, Xin Lan’s eyes held a hint of amusement.
However, that fleeting smile gave nothing away, unseen by anyone.
Wan Yan in the passenger seat appeared calm, but in reality, she was excited enough to go hand-to-hand with zombies.
Had the little tiger already accepted her?
Yes, that must be it, no doubt about it.
The little tiger, now aware of her intentions, even shared the same straw with her.
Rounding it off, that was indirectly a kiss, and rounding it off one more time, it was a kiss.
All settled.
Xin Lan didn’t know about the tumultuous sea beneath Wan Yan’s calm exterior, but she was certain that Wan Yan was secretly enjoying herself.
As for Wan Yan liking her, she was actually somewhat surprised by it.
She thought that with the level of brutality she displayed, most people should have been deterred.
Unreadable, but still somewhat pleased.
It wasn’t until nightfall when the sky was adorned with stars of varying brightness that Xin Lan stopped the car.
She parked by a gas station, surrounded by tall, overgrown grass.
At the far end was a dark mass that seemed capable of devouring anyone.
“Stopped?”
Ah Cheng rubbed her eyes, still a bit drowsy.
The car had been on the road for the entire afternoon, and amidst the swaying motion, she had actually fallen asleep, momentarily forgetting the perilous post-apocalyptic world they were in.
She was certain it was because the person in front felt so safe.
This was originally meant to be a challenging post-apocalyptic survival scenario, yet they managed to make it look so comfortable. She wondered if the one behind the scenes would be infuriated seeing them this way.
By the way, what exactly is it?
“Let’s refuel the car and grab something to eat.”
Xin Lan had seen a sign for this place about ten kilometers ago, intending to stop here for the night.
The physical exhaustion was secondary; Xin Lan felt a pang of hunger.
At the moment they stopped the car, a wave of hunger surged like a tide, invading her brain, nearly causing her to lose control.
This wasn’t normal.
Xin Lan was definitely not someone who allowed her thoughts to be easily dominated, but at this moment, the sensation was too overpowering, occupying her mind like a tidal wave.
“What’s wrong?”
Wan Yan was the first to notice Xin Lan’s unusual state and approached, asking in a low voice.
Xin Lan shook her head and simply said she was a bit hungry.
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Wan Yan still had the bread Xin Lan had grabbed earlier. She tore a piece and offered it to Xin Lan’s mouth.
Xin Lan involuntarily frowned, took a bite, chewed, and swallowed.
But instead of satisfying her hunger and cravings, it stirred a feeling of nausea.
Xin Lan pushed the bread away from her mouth and gently shook her head at Wan Yan.
That hunger came back, surging and overwhelming, causing Xin Lan to momentarily stop her train of thought.
“This body is acting up.”
It had to be an issue with this particular body.
And Xin Lan remembered that this was an experiment.
“Feeling uncomfortable?”
“Let’s go inside before we talk.”
Xin Lan and Wan Yan were conversing with their backs to the others, and they walked into the convenience store at the gas station together.
Wan Yan held the briefcase with one hand, and the piece of bread Xin Lan had taken a bite from earlier was placed in her pocket. With her other hand, she held onto Xin Lan.
More accurately, it was Xin Lan tightly grasping her hand.
Xin Lan’s complexion was a bit pale, cold sweat beading on her forehead. She held Wan Yan’s hand firmly, appearing highly unusual.
Wan Yan had never seen her like this before. As they entered the innermost part of the convenience store, she used her body to shield Xin Lan while checking on her condition.
Xin Lan held onto Wan Yan with one hand, while the other slipped down by her side, leaning against Wan Yan.
“I can’t quite control it.”
The sensation of hunger had all but overwhelmed her senses. Xin Lan rested her head on Wan Yan’s shoulder and caught a sweet scent.
Xin Lan had a rather grim suspicion. She deliberately cut her finger on the sharp edge of a shelf, licked a drop of her own blood.
It tasted bitter and nauseating, but it eased the discomfort in her stomach and cleared her mind a bit.
“Is it effective?”
Without Xin Lan needing to explain, Wan Yan could piece together the implications from her actions and this particular body’s history.
The zombie virus had originated from a laboratory, and Xin Lan, in this body, was an experimental subject. Xin Lan’s behavior was unusual, and Wan Yan gazed at Xin Lan’s finger with a sense of compassion.
Xin Lan’s movements were too quick; otherwise, she could have cut herself.
“A little,” Xin Lan said, noticing the look in Wan Yan’s eyes. She shook her head. “Just a small cut, don’t think of me as too fragile.”
“I’ve never thought of you as fragile. You’re the strongest in my heart, but even so, I don’t want to see you hurt.”
She knew well the remarkable nature of this person, but when you love someone, you can’t help but handle them with great care, wishing to shield them from any pain.
Wan Yan was sincere, and it made Xin Lan’s face unconsciously flush.
“This doesn’t really count as being hurt.”
Xin Lan turned her head.