IRDLZ Chapter 17

Chapter 17

When Ming Qingqing woke early the next morning, sunlight streamed through the window, spilling across her fair face and dusting her tousled hair with a soft golden glow.

Still drowsy, she reached for a fresh bottle of water on the bedside table, twisted the cap open, and took several long gulps, draining more than half of it before finally setting it down. Only then did she pick up her phone.

The drama's official Weibo account had just released the finalized character posters and tagged the main cast. Barely after dawn, she and Ouyang Hao had already climbed onto the trending searches.

Ming Qingqing was long accustomed to this, as long as there was no negative press, it didn't bother her.

She calmly reposted the character poster post and sent out the carefully worded copy that Sister Jin had prepared for her.

Then she got out of bed barefoot, pulled open the curtains, and let the sunlight pour fully into the room.

This was, on any ordinary day, how Ming Qingqing's morning began.

Today was no exception.

She listened to the real birdsong outside the window, a little dazed, and couldn't help but wonder whether everything from the appearance of the zombie boy to her bringing him home had all been just a long, drawn-out dream.

But that notion was soon shattered.

On previous mornings, when she opened the door, she would find a cat lying outside her room.

But today, as she slipped on her slippers and opened the door, there was a cat and a zombie outside.

"..."

Both cat and zombie were squatting there, looking up at her.

One with golden pupils, the other with blue.

The little zombie had dark circles under both eyes, with rosy lips and white teeth against his pale complexion making him look even more like a zombie than before.

Ming Qingqing's adrenaline spiked from the fright, and she nearly had a heart attack.

Xiao Fu hadn't expected to startle her. Seeing her pupils contract sharply, his own gray-blue eyes deepened in alarm.

He quickly teleported ten meters away, raising his hands to show that he had been perfectly well-behaved all night and hadn't done anything destructive.

Feifei, meanwhile, couldn't sense human panic. She rubbed against Ming Qingqing's feet, complaining that the freeze-dried treats in her bowl were gone.

Ming Qingqing took several deep, sharp breaths.

It took a while for her brain to fully wake from its sleepy state and recall what had happened last night.

She had already taken him in.

She calmed down for a moment, recovering from the fright.

Her movements still a bit shaky, she tore open a new packet of freeze-dried food and poured it into the cat bowl outside the door to feed Feifei. Then she said to the distant little zombie, "Your food will have to wait a moment. I need to wash up first."

She clearly assumed that Xiao Fu had waited outside her door early in the morning for the same reason as the cat begging for food.

The dark-circled Xiao Fu: QAQ

He didn't know how to tell her that he had simply wanted to see her as early as possible, that thanks to her, he had eaten the most filling meal of his life last night and wasn't hungry at all now. Nor did he know how to tell her that he had already made breakfast.

So he could only nod hurriedly.

Ming Qingqing took a breath, turned back into the room, and went to the bathroom to wash up.

Xiao Fu waited in the hallway, ten meters from the door.

Cooking, he discovered, wasn't that difficult.

Last night, he had disabled the library's security cameras and spent the entire night watching videos on the library computers about things like "how to use a rice cooker" and "how to use a coffee blender."

Although these things were completely new to Xiao Fu, an entirely unfamiliar domain, his learning ability was remarkably strong. With his stellar memory, he could replicate every frame of a video in his mind.

Some things like human emotions and philosophy—he might struggle to understand, but mechanical things like this, he could pick up with lightning speed.

The only remaining obstacle was the creaking sounds his body made when he moved, which he was afraid would wake Ming Qingqing.

Xiao Fu wasn't entirely sure why he kept making strange noises ever since arriving on Earth. He even wondered whether it wasn't because Earth lacked some element his body needed, but rather because he was simply a strange alien born with a congenital condition.

After all, royal bloodlines were extremely pure, and their genes and abilities were particularly powerful—occasionally, strange ailments did appear. Who could say?

All of that could only be verified once he returned to Kelafulin.

But he had already figured out a solution.

He had appeared at a factory that manufactured high-molecular soundproofing materials, taken some soundproofing soft panels, and left behind a large chunk of eggshell in their place.

He wrapped the soundproofing panels around his body, covering his joints tightly.

He found that this way, the sounds he made were greatly muffled—almost inaudible to human ears.

Xiao Fu felt proud of his cleverness. In just over twenty days since hatching from his egg, he had already adapted to local customs and come up with this solution.

After wrapping himself up, he entered Ming Qingqing's kitchen. Facing the steaming machines and other tools, he wore an expression as serious as if he were heading into battle.

With the soundproofing panels on, his movements became even stiffer and more robotic, but that was fine as long as he took it slowly.

In the end, Xiao Fu didn't break a single plate and successfully completed the first challenge he had set for himself.

After finishing, he returned to his room and removed the soundproofing panels.

Having worked through the night, his eyes were ringed with dark circles like smoky makeup.

But that didn't matter.

He was still full of energy.

He felt a little proud and a little hopeful, wishing that Ming Qingqing would be pleasantly surprised when she saw the breakfast spread on the table.

...And if she happened to compliment him and pat his head like last time, that would be even better.

Then he'd be basking in happiness for the entire day.

But beyond that, he was also a little nervous. He worried that he didn't understand Earth's palate, that what he made might taste terrible or even make Ming Qingqing spit it out.

With all these tangled, twisting thoughts, Xiao Fu waited in the hallway for Ming Qingqing to come out, as anxious as a father waiting for his child to be born.

He instinctively wanted to pace back and forth.

But the moment he lifted one foot, he remembered that he would make strange noises, so he quickly pulled it back.

...

Ming Qingqing had no idea that while she was washing up, the little alien had already acted out an entire drama in his head.

She finished her makeup, got dressed, and opened the door. Xiao Fu was still standing ten meters away, peering in her direction, waiting for her. His position hadn't changed at all wherever he had been twenty minutes ago, he was still standing there now.

His gaze was eager, brimming with anticipation.

Like he was waiting for a rose to bloom.

The moment she appeared, his eyes lit up.

As if his flower had finally opened.

Ming Qingqing: "..."

A very strange feeling stirred in her heart.

It was as if, before this, she had always been alone in everything—no one ever waited for her, no one ever depended on her. Her parents had cast her aside without hesitation the moment the time came.

And although Feifei needed her, cats were relatively independent—she would often spend the whole day playing on the lawn outside and wouldn't follow Ming Qingqing around step by step.

But now, out of nowhere, a boy had appeared, following her with his gaze at every moment.

That clean, clear look in his eyes made her feel that someone like her actually mattered too—that she was needed.

The vast villa suddenly didn't feel quite so empty anymore.

Ming Qingqing forcefully suppressed the strange feeling that flickered through her heart and said to him, "Come on, let's go eat breakfast. Afterward, I have some things to go over with you."

With that, she turned and walked down the corridor leading to the living room and dining area.

Xiao Fu nodded eagerly and followed behind her.

But remembering the look of terror in Ming Qingqing's eyes when she first opened the door, he was well-behaved enough not to get too close—he only shortened the distance by a tiny bit, staying about five meters behind her.

This distance was neither too near nor too far, ensuring she wouldn't be frightened.

Ming Qingqing walked ahead, feeling as if she were in some movie called Taming the Zombie. Behind her, a tall, lanky boy followed with a series of creaks and clanks, walking clumsily.

The whole scene was just too sci-fi.

And neither of them spoke—the only sound in the air was that creaking noise, which made it all the more strange.

Ming Qingqing turned her head and glanced back at him, breaking the silence first: "You don't need to wait outside my room from now on."

Wasn't that something only a little puppy would do?

Besides, opening the door first thing in the morning while still half-asleep, only to find a non-human creature crouching outside—it was honestly a bit terrifying.

Xiao Fu looked at Ming Qingqing and gave a small nod.

Then he dropped his head.

Whether it was Ming Qingqing's imagination or not, she thought she saw a trace of hurt in his blue eyes.

Ming Qingqing was suddenly at a loss for words.

It was as if a tiny figure were holding a bow, shooting arrows at her forehead in silent reproach.

What was going on?! In just a few short days, she had gone soft more times than in the previous twenty-five years combined?

"Forget it if you really want to wait, then wait."

Before she even realized what she was saying, the words had already slipped out.

The moment Xiao Fu heard that, his head snapped up with a clunk, his joy written all over his face. The only thing missing was a tail wagging furiously behind him.

He immediately nodded with all his might.

Ming Qingqing couldn't help but press a hand to her forehead, wondering if something had gone wrong with her brain, she was starting to act nothing like herself.

"But don't start waiting too early," Ming Qingqing began explaining her schedule to him. "I have work for the next two months. Sometimes I shoot night scenes and won't come home at all. If I'm not back, don't bother waiting there's no point."

"If there's no night shoot, I usually come home and get up at six the next morning. If you want to wait, come to my door at 5:55. Any earlier and you'll just be standing there getting sleepy, right?"

Xiao Fu quickly shook his head with a series of creaks—not sleepy, not sleepy at all—then after shaking, he nodded frantically to show he understood. The air was filled with creaking and clanking, and Ming Qingqing was genuinely afraid his neck might snap.

"Here's an idea—can you make an 'en' sound?" Ming Qingqing studied him for a moment, then said, "Try making that sound."

Xiao Fu looked at her blankly.

What did she mean?

Ming Qingqing gave him an encouraging look: "Just try making that sound first. Press your lips together and let it come from your nose."

Xiao Fu mimicked Ming Qingqing, pressing his thin lips together, then used all his strength to try and produce the sound.

His face scrunched up.

After straining for quite a while, finally, the first syllable came out.

"E——"

Then came the second.

"N——"

And finally, he clumsily strung them together.

"En——"

A strange sound echoed down the corridor, startling the birds perched on the eaves. It wasn't unpleasant—the boy's voice was clean but it sounded like someone straining hard on the toilet.

Ming Qingqing wanted to laugh, but thinking about the little zombie's strong sense of pride, she managed to hold it in.

"The pronunciation isn't quite right, but as long as I understand you, that's fine," Ming Qingqing said. "From now on, whenever you want to nod, just make that sound."

"As for shaking your head..." Ming Qingqing couldn't immediately think of a sound to represent that.

"Just shake your head for that. But at least this way your neck will creak a little less—it'll protect your joints."

Xiao Fu's eyes sparkled as he quickly nodded.

After nodding, he remembered something and once again wore that strained, constipated expression, struggling to force out a long, drawn-out "E-e-en——" from his throat.

It sounded like a beast growling.

Ming Qingqing finally couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.

Xiao Fu's face flushed bright red in an instant, and he buried his head as low as an ostrich.

Ming Qingqing suddenly realized that keeping this little zombie around wasn't so bad, she could chat with him in the morning and tease him a bit.

Her previously deadened life felt like a handful of sand had been tossed into it, stirring up some ripples.

With that thought, Ming Qingqing opened her phone's memo app, created a new document, and started typing, planning to teach the little zombie a few more syllables of characters.

For a moment, she drew a blank, unsure what to type. She glanced out at the bright, sunny day outside and typed this line:

—"The weather is nice today. It's a sunny day. What will the weather be like tomorrow?"

The first sentence was a statement, the second a question—this way, he could understand two sentence structures in Chinese.

And since the first sentence contained the syllables for "weather," and the second repeated it, it served as both practice and review.

Ming Qingqing felt rather proud of herself for being a decent teacher.

After typing it out, she handed the phone screen to Xiao Fu: "I'll get you some paper and a pen in a bit. Copy this down after breakfast. If you have nothing to do today, just practice copying it a few times. I'll teach you how to pronounce it."

Xiao Fu quickly drew in a breath and let out a long, resonant "En——"

After making the sound, he looked at Ming Qingqing with sparkling eyes.

Ming Qingqing didn't understand at first. After meeting his gaze for a couple of seconds, she finally realized—was he waiting for her to praise him?

Ming Qingqing then said, "Not bad—you learn fast."

After saying that, she added insincerely, "Your pronunciation is very accurate too."

Sure enough, a rosy glow spread across Xiao Fu's pale face. His left hand clutching his right, he looked utterly triumphant, walking with such joy that his "creak-creak-creak" footsteps quickened.

He even began chirping "en-en-en-en-en" enthusiastically along the way.

Ming Qingqing: "..."

She mentally concluded that this was a rather insecure little zombie who craved praise.

So she threw in another compliment: "You're so smart I'm sure you'll be able to learn this sentence by the end of the day."

At the words "so smart," Xiao Fu became lightheaded and looked like he might just float off the ground as he walked.

Outside the dining room stood a full-length mirror. As Ming Qingqing passed by with Xiao Fu, she happened to glance at her own reflection and was surprised to find that the corners of her mouth were turned up...

She was smiling quite happily.

Aside from when she was acting, Ming Qingqing rarely showed much emotional fluctuation in her daily life. After all, she lived alone, with only a cat by her side. No one to talk to except the cat—she couldn't just suddenly burst out laughing by herself that would be a sign of mental instability. Acting seemed to have drained all her emotions dry.

Last year, Ming Qingqing had gone through a stretch where life felt utterly meaningless. She had earned a lot of money, but aside from spending it, there was nothing left in her life.

During a period when she wasn't filming, she'd wake up and lie in bed, not knowing what she was supposed to do with the day.

Feeding Feifei was her only routine.

But in this moment, Ming Qingqing realized that the little zombie's presence seemed to have brought a sliver of meaning to her otherwise lifeless existence.

At the very least, every morning when she opened her eyes, she'd be on edge, bracing herself for him to be crouching outside, so she wouldn't be too startled when she opened the door. She also had to think about what kind of meat to prepare for him—beef might be nutritious, but she couldn't feed it to him every single day like cat food.

Yes, life did now hold a faint glimmer of anticipation.

Just as Ming Qingqing was smiling to herself, the two of them reached the marble dining table.

Xiao Fu had been basking in the joy of communicating with Ming Qingqing in Earth's language, but the moment they stepped into the dining room, his nervousness came rushing back.

It was like a little puppy bringing back a dead mouse from outside, presenting it as a treasure to its beloved caretaker. His original intention was certainly to win praise from his owner, but along with that anticipation came immense anxiety and fear—what if she didn't like it?

Xiao Fu was both hopeful and tense, and at this moment, as the moment of Ming Qingqing's reaction drew near, his tension peaked.

It even overwhelmed his anticipation.

He was almost afraid.

Before Ming Qingqing could even see what was on the dining table, Xiao Fu instantly teleported over and tried to block the massive breakfast spread with his body. But the table was too long and the dishes too plentiful—he couldn't hide much of it.

As it turned out, this naive alien fresh out of his eggshell was sorely lacking in experience.

If he hadn't suddenly teleported over in a panic to block her view, Ming Qingqing might not have noticed anything unusual and would have gone straight to the kitchen to open the fridge giving him a chance to clear the table and whisk everything away.

But his anxious teleportation immediately drew Ming Qingqing's attention straight to the table.

And then her gaze froze.

Miraculously, an entire table full of breakfast had appeared out of nowhere.

There was a pot of cooked white rice porridge, already ladled into two bowls, set facing each other on lake-green placemats.

There were three side dishes though their colors were a jumble of red, green, yellow, and purple, making it impossible for Ming Qingqing to identify what they actually were.

On top of that, there were hand-made buns, though they were shaped rather strangely—the front half resembling a rabbit, the back half like a dinosaur's tail.

Steam rose from everything.

It was incredibly bizarre.

And yet, it felt like something out of a fairy tale.

Xiao Fu's face had already turned bright red. He crouched down with a series of creaks, not daring to look at Ming Qingqing.

He wished he could just turn into an egg.

Ming Qingqing quickly realized who had made this strange, elaborate breakfast.

The rice cooker on the marble counter wasn't dripping water, and the floor was spotless. The clumsy little zombie hadn't set the kitchen on fire, nor flooded the place instead, he had put in his utmost effort to prepare this meal.

Ming Qingqing didn't know what to say.

Her first reaction was a mix of amusement, bewilderment, and shock.

But then, something seemed to ripple across the surface of her heart, stirring faint, barely noticeable circles.

Having breakfast waiting for her when she woke up, that was something she had only ever seen in scripts, TV dramas, and novels.

Even in the years before the divorce, Ming Jincheng had been too busy with his career to come home at night, and Ming Qingqing's mother had been a delicate, beauty-obsessed woman who never lifted a finger to do housework. The thought of cooking a meal for her daughter had probably never even crossed her mind.

Ming Qingqing's throat tightened. She wanted to say thank you, but she was afraid of revealing the pitiful side of a glamorous actress who seemed to have it all.

...

Xiao Fu, meanwhile, was already beyond nervous.

Hearing no reaction from Ming Qingqing at all, his mind went completely blank.

His heart sank straight down, and his face turned pale.

She had told him not to touch things casually.

He had come into her kitchen—she wouldn't be angry, would she?

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