Level 1 Little Zombie Doomsday Growth Diary - Extra 3

Extra 3 – Teeth Grinding

After a nap, Qian Hui seemed slightly more normal than the day before when he had first taken the potion, and he had even eaten a little.

He didn’t immediately grab Big Pea to bite, perhaps remembering something. Instead, he reached out and touched Big Pea’s leafy hand.

Big Pea wanted to lead Qian Hui away, but its short stature made this impossible. It considered fetching a twig to use as a makeshift leash.

Just then, a large group of plants arrived together, eager to check on Qian Hui’s condition.

As usual, Sweet Pepper rushed to the front, anxiously examining Qian Hui.

Timothy and his group of underlings followed, with White Hydrangea constantly craning its neck to peek from behind.

Qian Hui had been behaving quite well, but the sudden appearance of even more mutated plants than yesterday reignited his restless urges. He fixed his gaze on the bright red Sweet Pepper.

Sweet Pepper froze, instinctively touching its forehead, but still edged closer to Qian Hui.

Carrot and Lettuce gradually joined the crowd. Just as Qian Hui was about to grab one of them, his body suddenly locked up.

Nan Tingjin approached from behind, lifted Qian Hui to his feet, and took his hand. “Let’s go eat first.”

The Black Ridge Mountain Base regularly sent over large quantities of food, and the plants usually had breakfast together in the kitchen area.

Since Qian Hui seemed to be in good spirits, a walk outside might do him good. Spending more time with the plants could even help him recover.

Big Pea finally found a suitable branch and tucked the two leaves at its tip into Qian Hui’s other hand.

Nan Tingjin withdrew his ability. Qian Hui curiously pinched the leaves on the branch and let himself be led forward.

They arrived at the open-air dining area outside the kitchen, where Rubber Tree and several other plants had already laid out breakfast. The spread included their usual fare as well as steamed pastries.

The meal went smoothly enough. With Nan Tingjin present, Qian Hui’s movements were restricted, and he sat obediently, waiting to be fed.

As soon as breakfast was over, Big Pea couldn’t wait to take Qian Hui up the mountain to play.

It thought Qian Hui’s dazed demeanor after drinking the potion reminded it of his earliest days in the Little Courtyard—endearingly blank and adorable. It wanted to seize the opportunity to tease him.

When Qian Hui saw a branch waving in front of him, he instinctively grabbed it and rose to follow Big Pea.

The other plants quickly joined, forming a protective escort behind them.

Nut even enlarged its body slightly, rolling ahead of Qian Hui to flatten the path beneath his feet.

Nan Tingjin didn’t stop Qian Hui from staying with the plants, following behind them.

After walking along a relatively flat path for a while, Big Pea, still holding Qian Hui’s hand, led him on a detour through the surrounding woods.

Qian Hui was fascinated by everything around him, occasionally reaching out to touch the leaves of trees and shrubs along the way.

At some point, the branch in his hand slipped loose. Looking down, Qian Hui realized Big Pea had vanished.

Turning his head, he discovered countless identical Big Peas, shrunk into spherical shapes, scattered among the grass.

Confused, Qian Hui took a few steps forward and innocently reached out to pick one up.

Whoosh—

Sweet Pepper swiftly intervened, darting in front of Qian Hui and stabbing at the Pea with a small knife.

Pop—

Hee hee!

The Big Pea burst open like a rubber ball. Sweet Pepper immediately shielded Qian Hui, worried he might be frightened.

However, Qian Hui’s expression remained curious, with a hint of excitement, as he reached for another Big Pea.

Pop—

Hee hee!

These Peas posed no threat, existing purely for amusement.

Sweet Pepper remained uneasy. It pulled out a handful of throwing darts and hurled them with a whoosh, shattering a pile of pea pods. More pods instantly materialized.

Seeing this, the other plants joined in the fun.

Nut bounced from one pod to the next, while Little Mushroom borrowed half of Little Bamboo Shoot’s knife, giving the other half to Little Cabbage.

Timothy, uninterested in such childish games, found a sunny spot and lay down to bask.

Sweet Pepper pressed a tiny chili pepper seed knife into Qian Hui’s hand, making two woo woo sounds to warn him not to touch it with his bare hands.

Confused, Qian Hui lowered his head to sniff the knife, then opened his mouth to gnaw on it.

Sweet Pepper hurriedly snatched it away and replaced it with a carrot thorn.

Carrot thorns were safe when not activated for attack; a bite wouldn’t hurt.

Qian Hui bit the carrot thorn, nibbling off a tiny fragment. Finding it tasteless, he lost interest and began mimicking Sweet Pepper’s actions, stabbing the scattered pea pods.

Nearby, Nan Tingjin sat beneath a tree, quietly watching Qian Hui play with the plants.

As the game continued, the clones dwindled. Little Cabbage pierced the original Big Pea, which let out a howl and leaped into the air.

Before anyone realized it, the game had morphed into hide-and-seek. The plants hid silently in the lush grass, waiting for Qian Hui to find them.

Though Qian Hui was drowsy from the medicine, he wasn’t blind or deaf. Moreover, now that he was human, remnants of his former Ability User physique might still linger, sharpening his senses considerably.

He stared intently at the thick grass, pouncing with unerring accuracy. Each time he caught a plant, he buried his face in it and took a bite.

Sweet Pepper, despite its speed, couldn’t escape Qian Hui’s bite. It touched its head and found no mark.

Just then, Mango quietly approached from the side. Qian Hui turned and pinned it down.

Mango cried out, feigning struggle while deliberately offering its arm and head.

Qian Hui obliged, biting twice and leaving two shallow tooth marks on Mango’s head.

Mango, like Sweet Pepper, patted its head and happily ran off.

The discovered plants hid again, and Qian Hui resumed his search, finding Little Mushroom hiding beneath a leaf.

Little Mushroom trembled, its eyes wide as Qian Hui drew closer.

But Qian Hui didn’t bite it. Instead, he leaned in and sniffed its aroma.

Another patch of grass rustled nearby, drawing Qian Hui’s attention. He parted the blades and discovered a Nut.

Unlike other plants, the Nut smelled particularly fragrant. Qian Hui licked his lips and took a firm bite.

Two seconds later, Qian Hui silently set the Nut down and sat blankly in the grass.

Nan Tingjin called out, “Qian Hui.”

Qian Hui immediately looked up, uncertain whether he had heard the voice or was responding to his name.

He scrambled to his feet and dashed over, instinctively leaping into Nan Tingjin’s arms.

Nan Tingjin caught Qian Hui, pressed him close, and gently rubbed his teeth with a fingertip. “Does it hurt?”

Qian Hui had shown no reaction earlier, but now, as if understanding the question, his eyes grew slightly aggrieved. He mumbled, “Mmm…”

Nan Tingjin lowered his head and kissed him. “It’s okay. It’ll be better soon.”

Qian Hui ground his teeth against Nan Tingjin’s fingertip, then nipped at the skin on his neck and Adam’s apple, barely restraining his bite. It was definitely an improvement over yesterday.

He inhaled Nan Tingjin’s scent with satisfaction, then licked at his own teeth marks.

The two remained alone beneath the tree for a long time until Lettuce called Qian Hui away to continue playing in the forest.

As the day drew to a close, Qian Hui ate dinner and was escorted back to the Small Wooden Cabin before nightfall.

He crouched by the doorway, facing Mango, Little Lotus Root, and several others who still wanted to play with him.

It wasn’t yet lights-out time, so going to bed seemed too early.

Qian Hui gazed at the graying sky outside, then shrank back listlessly, unwilling to leave his “nest.”

Fine… The plants turned away in disappointment.

The cabin door automatically sealed shut. Inside, the lights were on. Nan Tingjin helped Qian Hui remove his coat, then lowered his gaze and took his hand. “Let’s take a bath.”

It had been growing colder lately, and since Qian Hui had spent nearly the entire day in the forest, a bath was in order.

Qian Hui tilted his head, his eyes filled with curiosity. He didn’t understand what a bath meant.

Nan Tingjin kissed him gently. “Don’t be afraid.”