Lighting a cigarette, Lin Tao stepped out of the vehicle in silence. Inside, Hu Laoda let out a regretful sigh and shook his head. He turned to Xiaohua, who was sobbing uncontrolbly in Jiao Jiao’s arms, and said, "Girl… you should’ve been prepared for this. Now you have two choices: we can leave you here with some food, and you can fend for yourself, or… you eat your fill, and I personally send you off. At least that way, you won’t die hungry."

  "Hu…" Zhang Hong clenched her fists, her face filled with conflict. She opened her mouth to speak but hesitated. Hu Laoda, however, remained firm. "What other choice do we have? Look at her arm—it’s already turning bck and rotting. In a couple of hours, she’ll turn. Do you want to keep her in the truck and risk all our lives?"

  "But she’s our sister…" Zhang Hong’s voice trembled as tears streamed down her face. The pain of losing someone she had spent over a year surviving alongside was overwhelming—something no outsider could understand.

  "Hongjie…" Cao Mei gently wrapped an arm around Zhang Hong’s shoulders and whispered, "Hu is right. There’s nothing else we can do. In this world, we all have to be prepared for loss. Look around—what’s left of humanity? Even we are barely surviving. Xiaohua is just… leaving a little earlier."

  "Xiaohua…" Cao Mei then turned to the young girl, her voice soft. "It’s noon. Eat something first, okay? After that, you can think things through."

  "No!" Xiaohua shook her head desperately, still clinging to Jiao Jiao. "If I eat, you’ll abandon me!"

  "Xiaohua, look at us. We’re all your sisters. We care about you. But you wouldn’t want to hurt us, would you? If you turn and attack us, could you live with that?" Cao Mei coaxed gently.

  Xiaohua buried her face in Jiao Jiao’s arms, silent for a long time. No one rushed her. The group simply watched, waiting. After what felt like an eternity, she finally sat up, wiping the tears from her face. She straightened her clothes and, staring bnkly at the floor, murmured, "You all know I love being pretty. I don’t want to become… one of those ugly things. My family was poor, so when I got into South Aviation University, I always felt inferior. I dressed up, trying to make myself as beautiful and confident as all of you. But today… because I wanted to be pretty, because I stupidly tried to take a neckce from a corpse… Heaven punished me. It’s poetic, really. A cruel joke."

  "Xiaohua…" Tears streamed down the other girls' faces. They felt powerless—today it was Xiaohua, but tomorrow, it could be any one of them. The weight of despair pressed heavily on them all.

  "Hongjie…" Xiaohua suddenly lifted her head and smiled—radiant yet filled with sorrow. She wiped her face, forcing a ugh. "I won’t waste food. But I’m afraid of pain. Please… don’t let Hu Laoda do it. Let Lin Ye handle it. I know he’ll make it quick, without pain. Hongjie… I leave our sisters in your hands. If they ever upset Lin Ye, please beg him on their behalf. He has a soft heart, I know he does… Sigh, I envy you, Hongjie. Even in the apocalypse, you found a good man."

  "Xiaohua…"

  Jiao Jiao instinctively grasped Xiaohua’s hand, unwilling to let go. But Xiaohua had already made peace with her fate. She patted Jiao Jiao’s hand and smiled. "Jiao Jiao, Lin Ye won’t like you if you’re too brash. Learn from Hongjie—less fierceness, more grace. Alright… there’s no such thing as an endless banquet. Sisters, take care. Xiaohua… is leaving first."

  No one in the truck had the heart to stop her. They wanted to, but no words came. Their fists clenched tightly, their nails digging into their palms as they struggled to hold back their tears. They watched helplessly as Xiaohua opened the door and stepped outside. As she turned to close it behind her, she forced a final smile. "No one come down, okay? I don’t want you to see me like that. If you can… next year on this day, leave a lily for me. Goodbye… my dear sisters."

  Thud—

  The door smmed shut. A moment ter, they heard Xiaohua speaking to Lin Tao. The resolve she had mustered finally crumbled, and she broke down, sobbing against his chest. Then, Lin Tao’s deep voice murmured, "Rest in peace."

  Bang!

  The gunshot echoed like a thundercp, shaking everyone to their core. It felt as if the bullet had pierced their hearts instead. Xiaohua was gone—lying in a pool of her own blood, cold and alone. The sorrow was unbearable, and the women in the truck finally let go, colpsing into each other’s arms, crying uncontrolbly.

  Lin Tao returned half an hour ter, his body covered in dirt. He silently took his seat behind the wheel, leaning back, exhaustion evident in his face. Lighting another cigarette, he inhaled deeply, his mud-streaked fingers trembling slightly. Only after he finished the entire cigarette did he finally turn the key in the ignition. Without looking back, he said, "Crying won’t change anything. This world is no longer what it used to be. You’ve already lost too much. Cherish what life you have left."

  The truck rumbled to life, rolling forward on the deserted highway. Once, these roads were packed with bustling traffic, but now, only their lonely vehicle remained, carrying them toward an uncertain future.

  Afternoon had settled in. Bai Ru was at the wheel while Lin Tao y in the back, resting his head on Zhang Hong’s p. She gently massaged his temples, her gaze filled with quiet devotion as she looked down at his rugged face.

  Outside, the sky darkened, and the wind picked up. The once-smooth asphalt road had become rough, the tires crunching over loose gravel, making an eerie, scraping sound. It felt as if they were driving through a field of shattered gss.

  Bai Ru switched on the headlights, casting two warm beams ahead. But the world outside had turned gray, the thickening dust obscuring everything in sight. The wind howled violently, lifting thumb-sized pebbles off the ground and pelting them against the truck with loud thuds, as if a hailstorm had descended.

  Cao Mei, sitting in the passenger seat, hurriedly shut the shooting port. The wind’s eerie whistling made her shudder. Frowning, she asked, "Why is the wind suddenly so strong?"

  Bai Ru shook her head, her expression grim. The poor visibility forced her to grip the wheel tightly, maneuvering with extreme caution. After a pause, she finally said, "Good thing we’re in a transport truck. If we were in anything else, the windows would’ve shattered by now."

  "Lin Ye was right to choose this vehicle," Cao Mei forced a bitter smile. Then, gncing at Zhang Hong and Lin Tao, she sighed, her emotions caught between envy and admiration.

  The truck slowed, but the storm outside grew worse. The howling wind mixed with the relentless pelting of debris against the metal body, creating a suffocating atmosphere. The girls huddled together, instinctively seeking warmth from each other. Fear crept in—was it the storm, or was it the fresh wound of Xiaohua’s loss? Either way, apart from Lin Tao, who was beginning to drift into sleep, no one else in the truck found any peace that night.