Chapter 31
Chapter 31
Golden morning sunlight streamed through the cafeteria’s broad, spotless floor-to-ceiling windows and spilled across the dining hall.
The cafeteria of one of the guesthouses at Cuihu Mountain Resort was packed with vacationers.
Most were families of three or young couples like Gao Yizhou and He Qianxue. Dressed in comfortable casual clothes, everyone wore relaxed, cheerful smiles as they enjoyed their leisurely holiday.
Gao Yizhou and He Qianxue sat by the window. Their corner had the best light, along with a view of the meticulously tended garden and the scenery beyond.
He Qianxue speared a yogurt-covered strawberry with her fork. Instead of eating it, she playfully held it to Gao Yizhou’s lips, her eyes curving into crescents. “The birthday boy gets the first sweet bite~”
Gao Yizhou froze for a moment, then smiled and bit the strawberry from her fork. Deliberately licking his lips, he put on an exaggerated expression of bliss. “Mmm… It really does taste extra sweet when my girlfriend feeds it to me.”
“What a smooth talker!” He Qianxue’s cheeks reddened slightly as she shot him a mock glare, unable to hide the amusement in her eyes. She speared a piece of mango for herself and narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.
Gao Yizhou gazed at her, his heart melting. He reached out and gently brushed aside the wisps of hair at her forehead, which the sunlight had dyed gold. “How about we hike that trail you found this afternoon? I heard there’s a lookout at the summit with an incredible view.”
“Sure!” He Qianxue nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling. “I even brought a picnic blanket! We can take some sandwiches and fruit and have lunch at the summit. It’ll be amazing!”
They smiled at each other, and the air around them seemed to fill with pink bubbles. The quiet conversations nearby and the birdsong outside became nothing more than the soundtrack to their happiness.
Everything was so perfect, so natural, as though days like this would last forever, the sun would always shine, breakfast would always taste sweet, and the person beside them would always remain within reach.
Just as Gao Yizhou picked up his glass of milk and raised it to his lips…
“Aaaahhhhh!”
A bloodcurdling scream suddenly erupted near the cafeteria entrance! It was filled with indescribable terror, agony, and… a hint of some crazed frenzy.
The entire cafeteria fell dead silent.
Everyone froze. Shock, confusion, and a trace of fear from the deafening scream appeared on every face.
Gao Yizhou and He Qianxue exchanged a bewildered glance. Like everyone else, they turned in unison toward the source of the sound.
Near the entrance stood a middle-aged woman who had been getting food only moments ago. Now she was clutching her own throat, her bloodshot eyes bulging grotesquely from their sockets.
Her mouth gaped open as her body convulsed violently. Her features were twisted by unbearable pain and a strange, indescribable excitement.
Her unfocused gaze swept wildly around the room before abruptly locking onto the nearest server.
The next second, under everyone’s horrified gaze, she let out a shrill laugh and pounced on the petrified young server like a rabid beast!
Thud!
They crashed to the floor.
What followed was not merely biting, but torture so gruesome it made everyone’s skin crawl.
The woman repeatedly smashed her head into the server’s face while clawing wildly at the server’s clothes and flesh. Obscenities poured from her lips in an excited murmur. “Oh… I’d love to peel that soft, pale face right off you…”
Blood sprayed everywhere.
“Aaaah!”
“She’s killing someone!”
“Monster! She’s a monster!”
The silence shattered beneath even more terrified screams and cries.
The cafeteria descended into complete chaos.
People sprang from their seats like startled animals. Tables and chairs toppled as dishes and utensils crashed to the floor.
Everyone desperately surged toward the door, pushing away from the crazed woman. People shoved and trampled one another as sobs, curses, and cries for help blended into a deafening cacophony.
“Qianxue! Run!” Gao Yizhou reacted instantly. His heart hammered from the sheer horror of it all, but he clutched his girlfriend’s hand and yanked her out of her chair.
The instinct to survive overwhelmed all confusion and fear.
They couldn’t stay here. The entrance was completely blocked. The crazed woman and the unfortunate server were thrashing around on the floor, while more people, alerted by the commotion, crowded in from outside to see what was happening, colliding head-on with those desperately trying to escape. It was utter chaos.
Gao Yizhou’s gaze darted around until he spotted the emergency exit sign on the other side of the cafeteria.
“Over there!” Grabbing He Qianxue by the hand, he fought against the tide of people surging toward the main doors and desperately forced his way toward the emergency exit. He Qianxue’s face was deathly pale as she clung tightly to his hand.
Behind them, the madness continued.
Several more screams erupted from different corners of the cafeteria. More people seemed to be exhibiting the same symptoms, and the entire place descended into a chaotic, blood-soaked hell.
Chunks of flesh flew through the air, inspiring utter terror.
Summoning every last ounce of strength, Gao Yizhou finally reached the emergency exit. He pulled He Qianxue through it, and they fled into another part of the building.
Behind them, the screaming and hysterical laughter spiraled completely out of control.
The apocalypse had arrived in the most sudden and unexpected way imaginable.
Still reeling from the horror, Gao Yizhou led He Qianxue all the way back to their accommodation wing. As soon as they rushed into the second-floor lobby, they saw several tourists or staff members gathered there.
“Don’t go to the rooftop cafeteria! Something happened up there! People… people have gone insane! They’re attacking anyone they see!” Gao Yizhou shouted breathlessly, trying to warn them.
He Qianxue, her face still pale, added, “It’s true! It was horrible! There was so much blood!”
But all they received in response were puzzled, appraising looks. Some even stared at them as if they were lunatics making a fuss over nothing.
A middle-aged man frowned. “What kind of nonsense are you talking about, young man? It was probably just a fight. Call the police and let security handle it.”
A young woman actually burst out laughing. “They went insane? Have you two been watching too many horror movies?”
No one believed them.
As Gao Yizhou looked at their dismissive faces, a wave of helplessness washed over him. He knew words alone would never convince them. Gritting his teeth, he gave up trying and tightened his grip on He Qianxue’s hand. “We’re going back to our room!”
Ignoring the bewildered stares behind them, they raced up the stairs as fast as they could and returned to their guest room on the second floor. They slammed the door shut, locked it, then struggled to push the room’s heavy armchair against it as a barricade.
The next two days became an agonizing test of endurance.
They huddled inside the room, too afraid to turn on the lights or speak above a whisper. Yet their ears instinctively strained to catch every sound beyond the door.
After the initial chaos and screams subsided, intermittent, bloodcurdling chuckles began echoing through the building. Sometimes they seemed to come from the hallway, or even the room next door.
There were screams of despair, playful giggles from the madmen, and even… tormenting streams of obscene abuse.
The internet had not gone down completely. With trembling hands, they kept refreshing news sites and social media, only to find video after video and image after image even bloodier and more horrifying than what they had witnessed themselves.
The city streets had become slaughterhouses. The world had truly gone mad.
They quickly finished the snacks they had brought into the room, leaving them with only a few bottles of mineral water. Soon, hunger began gnawing at their very souls.
Even worse was the despair. How long could they hide? Would the madmen outside eventually break down the door?
At last, after the second night had passed, the frenzied noises outside seemed to die down, leaving only an unsettling silence. Overwhelming hunger and thirst finally conquered their fear.
“Qianxue… we have to go out and find something to eat.” Gao Yizhou’s voice was hoarse and parched.
He Qianxue leaned against his chest, trembling slightly, but eventually nodded. Together, they carefully moved the armchair away from the door. They pressed their ears to the wood and listened for a long time. Only after confirming there was no obvious movement outside did they take a deep breath and unlock the door.
The hallway was a wreck. Dark stains marred the carpet, and blood was splattered across the walls. Some of the doors stood open, revealing rooms as black as pitch and radiating an ominous air.
Holding their breath, they crept forward on tiptoe, steadying themselves against the wall as they slowly made their way toward the lobby.
The once immaculate and elegant lobby had been destroyed. Furniture lay overturned, decorations had been smashed, and the expensive wool carpet was stiff with vast patches of dried blood.
Even more horrifying were the corpses sprawled across the floor in the middle of the lobby.
Some were missing limbs, while others had died with grotesque expressions frozen on their faces. The overpowering stench of blood turned their stomachs.
And amid all the wreckage and bodies, someone was sitting on the only leather sofa that remained more or less intact.