183: You can't force your way into the city hospital.
Shen Zhen was a doctor, calm, rational, and useful, while Bai Wanning, as a single person, ultimately couldn't take care of herself, especially when she was pregnant.
She needed Shen Zhen to stay with her until she safely gave birth to the child.
"Really?" A glimmer of light flashed in Shen Zhen's eyes. She, of course, knew that Bai Wanning and her teammates were skilled fighters; with them around, she wouldn't have to bear all the risks alone anymore.
At least, on this trip to deliver supplies, she wouldn't die halfway.
Shen Zhen felt a sense of ease and stability she had never experienced before.
It wasn't that she hadn't considered death; when she first ventured out, she had been prepared to die.
But reality was still crueler than she had imagined.
She once thought that as long as she hid fast enough and covertly enough, she could avoid the zombies.
But the moment she and Zhou Hengbei were trapped in the mall, she truly realized that they had no hope of winning.
Although zombies were slow-moving, their numbers... were simply terrifying.
There were too many.
Facing the overwhelming horde of monsters, Shen Zhen finally understood that human strength in this world was ridiculously insignificant.
But now, with Bai Wanning's help, she suddenly felt that perhaps they could hold on a little longer, and even truly succeed.
However, her gaze still subconsciously fell on Bai Wanning's lower abdomen.
She hesitated for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Are you... really okay? In your current condition..."
"I'm fine," Bai Wanning interrupted her, saying in a faint tone.
She noticed Lu Yin was subtly looking her way.
"My period stopped, but it's back again now," she added lightly, with no hint of emotion in her voice.
Bai Wanning didn't want anyone to know she was pregnant.
Especially Lu Yin.
She knew that woman's thoughts all too well.
Lu Yin's affection for Lei Qian was undeniable; if she found out about the child, she might do something extreme.
She didn't want to take that risk.
She also didn't want Lei Qian to know.
Lei Qian's life was destined to be extraordinary; the path he had to take absolutely wouldn't allow for any encumbrances.
Xiao Cai, this child, if known, might become a burden, a problem he would have to deal with.
She didn't want that.
She didn't want her child to become anyone's "responsibility" or "problem."
In her previous life, from Bai Qingshi to Su Hu, not a single person wanted her to give birth to the child. They told her again and again that such an environment was not suitable for raising a child, and becoming pregnant was a "mistake."
But what they truly feared wasn't something happening to the child.
It was that after she gave birth, she wouldn't be able to continue working and serving them.
They feared trouble.
They were afraid that she, with a child, would drag everyone down, so they forced her to abort the child.
So, what if Lei Qian thought the same way?
Would he also frown and say, "Abort it, the Apocalypse isn't suitable for raising children."
Bai Wanning didn't dare to gamble.
Some women would give up everything for a man, but she wasn't like that.
She was willing to give up everything for her child.
Lei Qian was destined to achieve great things, and in his future, there would appear a woman truly suited to fight alongside him, and she, Bai Wanning, was merely a temporary stopover.
After the child was born, she would leave.
That penthouse apartment, she had long planned, was only for peace of mind during childbirth. After giving birth, she would not continue to stay there.
By then, she and Lei Qian would be strangers with a child.
She wouldn't be jealous of whoever Lei Qian ended up with in the future.
Because she never intended to be that "her."
She didn't want Lei Qian to know about the child's existence, and even less did she want anyone else to know.
She wanted to raise the child herself, and she only wanted to bear all of this alone.
Shen Zhen noticed her concealment but didn't press further.
She was a doctor; she naturally could tell that Bai Wanning wasn't having her period, but she chose to keep quiet.
This world was already chaotic enough; many people had abandoned their children to survive, let alone unborn children.
If the team knew Bai Wanning was pregnant, she might... her position would become awkward.
Given this, Shen Zhen decided to keep this secret for her.
She nodded, pretending not to notice, and said warmly, "It's good that your period has resumed. You're still young, so you should pay more attention to your health."
Not far away, Lu Yin heard this, let out a soft snort, and also breathed a sigh of relief, pouting as she followed along.
But as soon as she got close, Lei Qian pushed her away.
It wasn't because he found her annoying, but because he was worried something would happen to her, and he wouldn't be able to explain it to Lu Yu later.
However, Lu Yin, whose eyes were blinded by the filter of love, misunderstood.
She thought Lei Qian was protecting her, and her heart fluttered even more, her gaze becoming even more fervent... Shen Zhen looked at Lu Yin's cautious yet self-important expression and couldn't help but laugh out loud, her tone full of sarcasm: "There's no shortage of fools in this world."
Bai Wanning merely smiled faintly at the remark, without agreeing.
"In your eyes, she might seem silly," her tone was gentle yet incredibly clear-headed, "but in some aspects, she's actually quite clever. Do you really think she's doing it for love? She just wants to climb higher, to find a backer, that's all."
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhen gently shook her head.
She had focused on her studies since childhood and had no interest in such scheming.
Instead of wasting energy on such pointless calculations, she preferred to wholeheartedly save a patient.
Not wanting to bring up Lu Yin's boring thoughts again, Shen Zhen changed the subject, looking at Bai Wanning, and said earnestly, "Are you really sure you want to come with us to the City Hospital? It's even more dangerous than you imagine."
She paused, then added in a low voice, "I must warn you, last time we escaped from the City Hospital... we paid a heavy price."
She didn't hide anything, candidly telling Bai Wanning about the lives sacrificed when they escaped the City Hospital.
"If it weren't for a few old Nurses who voluntarily stayed behind to attract the zombies, no one would have made it out alive," Shen Zhen said in a low voice, a flicker of guilt and respect in her eyes.
In fact, she had also concealed one thing: more than half of the Nurses had already written their wills before setting out that day.
They had no Abilities, no combat power, yet they still voluntarily stayed, just to secure a path of survival for the children.
That kind of resolute determination, facing death as if it were nothing, Shen Zhen still remembered vividly.
After hearing these words, Bai Wanning's expression remained unchanged; she merely said calmly, "Don't worry. Since I've decided to join, I'll naturally handle these troublesome matters."
Her tone was calm, yet it conveyed an unquestionable certainty.
But she wasn't foolish; she couldn't just lead people to force their way into the City Hospital right now.
"Do you have a safe place for us to rest first?" she asked Shen Zhen, her gaze sweeping over the people following Shen Zhen. "These people need to recover their strength so they'll have the energy to hunt zombies later."
She paused, then added, "We also need to plan how to infiltrate the City Hospital."
Shen Zhen nodded.
It wasn't that she didn't trust Bai Wanning, but this girl's current status was too special: a pregnant woman leading a team of Ability Users to kill zombies, and even actively wanting to go to that half-fallen City Hospital.