Chapter 2: Echoes of Ten Years Past

My younger sister, Bai Xia, had earned her title as the school beauty for two consecutive years in high school, a reputation she undeniably deserved. Her captivating face and figure were comparable to those of a top-tier celebrity, a testament to her stunning appearance.

Yet, standing before me at this moment, she exuded an even greater allure.

A thin layer of sleepwear clung to her, exquisitely outlining every curve of her body. Her fair skin, accentuated by the dim light, appeared even more ethereal and pristine.

With her crimson lips and eyes like polished obsidian, she resembled a celestial maiden who had descended to the mortal realm, gracing my presence.

If only I could ignore her easily volatile temper…

I never understood why, but ever since I arrived at this home, my sister had consistently targeted me. I had initially believed this angelic-looking sister would accept me, yet she always ridiculed me with her words, her gaze afterward often unsettlingly strange. Because of her behavior, I had once grieved for a long time.

Now, having returned to ten years prior and seeing her again, a sense of nostalgia washed over me.

When the apocalypse first broke out, my sister had vanished without a trace. I never learned the true reason for her departure, and throughout the ten years of the apocalypse, I never once encountered her, nor even heard her name mentioned. She had simply disappeared without a single word.

“I truly only came down for some water,” I explained, “and now it’s time I returned to bed.”

“I don’t believe you!” she retorted.

“…”

Despite my repeated explanations, my sister remained unconvinced. This left me in an awkward predicament, unsure how to proceed.

“Whatever it is, we can discuss it tomorrow! For tonight, just go to sleep.”

Uncertain how to extricate myself from this troublesome situation, I ultimately resorted to asserting my authority as an older brother, urging her to go to bed immediately. As for tomorrow, I would simply deal with it then.

Unlike my past self, I lacked the patience to linger and explain things further to my sister. Thus, I simply turned and walked away.

I failed to notice the flicker of complex emotion that crossed my sister’s eyes behind me. Unconsciously, she bit her lip, then angrily stomped her foot on the spot.

“Hmph, you’ll get what’s coming to you tomorrow!”

Already ascending the stairs, I did not hear my sister’s words. Once back in my bedroom, I settled onto the soft bed and comfortably drifted off to sleep.

****

The next day, true to my habit of early rising, I awoke well before dawn. After changing into my sportswear, I went out for a two-hour run, only returning home with aching legs. There were now only seven days remaining until the apocalypse descended.

My current physical state was far from robust; at best, only my spatial ability had returned with me. Therefore, I had to seize this remaining time to train diligently, lest my very life be forfeit once the apocalypse arrived.

Utterly exhausted, I barely managed to walk home, intending to change my clothes before heading to the gym for some strength training. My goal was to be fully prepared for the advent of the apocalypse, ensuring I would possess a certain level of confidence when facing the zombies.

“Brother,” a voice suddenly called from outside the door, “you need to tell me what exactly you were doing yesterday!”

Just as this thought crossed my mind, my sister’s voice unexpectedly rang out, making me fear that my carefully laid plans might now be completely derailed.

The moment I returned to my bedroom and had just stripped off my clothes, my sister burst right in.

She entered with a triumphant smirk, her hands planted on her hips. However, upon seeing my bare upper body, her expression instantly froze, and her mouth slowly fell open in surprise.

Meanwhile, I stood bare-chested, equally frozen, staring back at her, the sudden chill on my chest making me feel rather awkward.

Even though I had matured into an adult after ten years in the apocalypse, I had never, out of personal choice, kept women as others did.

As for pursuing romantic relationships with women, amidst the constant threat of death in the apocalypse, I had no intention of burdening anyone. Consequently, regarding matters of the heart, there was essentially no difference between the me of ten years ago and the me of ten years later.

Even with my sister standing before me, her eyes unblinkingly fixed on me, I found the situation incredibly awkward.

I swiftly snatched the clothes from the bed and silently dressed myself with haste. By the time I had finished, my sister had also seemingly returned to her normal demeanor.

However, a lingering, unsatisfied expression remained on her face, and the faint trace of drool at the corner of her mouth only intensified my discomfort. In my memories, my sister had always been the epitome of arrogance.

Given that our relationship was far from close, my sister often stared at me with an unsettling gaze, making me feel utterly disliked. Consequently, I always tried to avoid her, yet she invariably found a way to appear before me.

“Alright, alright,” my sister suddenly spoke, “I won’t pursue what happened yesterday, but you must agree to one request of mine.”

Her words utterly astonished me! I couldn’t fathom why my sister was being so remarkably agreeable today.

While many events from ten years prior remained hazy in my memory, the period immediately surrounding the apocalypse’s outbreak was etched with startling clarity. For instance, yesterday, my original self had not ventured downstairs at all, sleeping straight through until morning. Consequently, I hadn’t encountered my sister, preventing the current situation from unfolding.

However, on the original ‘next day’ in my past life, my sister had apparently also asked me to go somewhere, but I was delayed because my mother sent me to withdraw money from the bank.

When I sought out my sister afterward, she simply gave me a cold look and refused to say anything. Ultimately, the zombie virus erupted, the apocalypse arrived, and my sister vanished completely.

Was history, then, destined to repeat itself, tracing the exact same path as it had ten years prior?