Lin Tao felt incredibly awkward under Zhang Hong's relentless teasing. He didn’t even dare to look her directly in the eyes. Even though dusk had settled, the redness of his flushed face was still clearly visible. Squatting down, he muttered under his breath, "W-why are you asking this? You’re all great!"

  "Ha? So, you actually want all three of us? Quite the appetite you have! No way, you have to choose one. Tell me, which one do you fancy?" Zhang Hong pressed on, unwilling to let him off the hook. She had already put down the underwear in her hands, and more than half of her soft, curvy body was draped over Lin Tao.

  "You're pretty great yourself," Lin Tao gnced at her and decided to be blunt.

  "Hmph, you just know how to sweet-talk me. What’s so great about a woman in her thirties, past her prime?" Zhang Hong pyfully nudged Lin Tao, though the teasing glint in her eyes deepened, as if she had anticipated his response all along.

  "I like mature women," Lin Tao grinned, his smile carrying a hint of mischief that seemed out of pce with his usual demeanor—like a country bumpkin who had just won a hundred-dolr lottery, brimming with a self-satisfied glee.

  "I knew it! You can’t even keep up the act when you smile—such a fake gentleman!" Zhang Hong pouted, biting her lower lip as she flicked Lin Tao's forehead with her finger. Then, she smirked teasingly and whispered, "Last night, all the girls were completely naked, yet your eyes were glued to my chest the entire time. Bai Ru has such a stunning body, but you barely gnced at her. I knew you were up to no good!"

  "Heh…" Lin Tao chuckled sheepishly, though he had long harbored an unspoken thought: among all the women, Zhang Hong had the second-rgest chest. The only one bigger belonged to Li Li, but she wasn’t as pretty as Zhang Hong. So, who else would he be looking at?

  "Laugh all you want, you pervert!" Zhang Hong rolled her eyes at him but then leaned in closer, blowing a warm breath into his ear. "Do you want to have some fun with me tonight?"

  "Where?" Lin Tao’s eyes lit up instantly, blurting the question out before he could stop himself. His eagerness was unmistakable. But when he noticed Zhang Hong gring at him in exasperation, he realized he had been too impatient and could only offer a sheepish smile.

  "Look at you, acting like you’ve never been with a woman before!" Zhang Hong gave him a pyful scolding, then whispered shyly in his ear, "I’ll be waiting for you in the car tonight. But listen, you can't let those little brats find out, or you’ll never get another chance with me."

  "Got it! No one will know!" Lin Tao nodded fervently, his eyes glinting with excitement.

  "God, why are your eyes turning red? Do you have to be this excited?" Zhang Hong instinctively moved back, looking at him warily. Tugging at the hem of her clothes nervously, she stammered, "I-I’m warning you, you're built like an ox, and my body is still a bit weak. If you go too hard on me… I-I won’t forgive you! One round only, you hear me!"

  "How about two hours per round?" Lin Tao grinned, awkwardly holding up two fingers.

  "Get lost! Are you trying to kill me? You heartless jerk!" Zhang Hong huffed, but her face flushed red as she quickly pnted a kiss on Lin Tao’s cheek. Then, she pushed him away. "Now hurry up and get down before those nosy brats start making a fuss again!"

  Lin Tao climbed down from the rooftop with a spring in his step, trying his best to act normal. To avoid suspicion, he kept his hands stuffed in his pockets, pinching his thigh so hard that his face contorted as if he were suffering from constipation.

  Not long after, dinner was ready. Zhang Hong had finished washing clothes and climbed down as well. She composed herself with an air of nonchance, showing no trace of their earlier conversation. However, the rapid rise and fall of her ample chest betrayed her restless emotions. As the saying goes, "A woman in her thirties is like a wolf, in her forties, a tiger, and by fifty, she can suck the ground dry." Zhang Hong was at her peak, and it had been ages since a man st touched her. Just thinking about the strong young man who would soon ravage her made her knees weak, her breath hitch, and an unmistakable dampness seep between her legs.

  She sat calmly by the fire, avoiding Lin Tao’s gaze. Taking the bowl of rice handed to her by Jiao Jiao, she focused all her attention on eating. By now, she had figured Lin Tao out—despite his cool and experienced demeanor in survival situations, when it came to women, he was shy and reserved. If a woman didn’t take the initiative, he’d probably stay a virgin forever.

  Cao Mei’s cooking wasn’t as good as Old Hu’s, but given the limited spices, it was decent enough. With food now in abundance, Lin Tao devoured three bowls of rice and even cracked open a bottle of foreign liquor. Stuffed and satisfied, he leaned back, rubbing his belly with a contented sigh.

  "Jiao Jiao, is it that time of the month for you?" Out of nowhere, Mikael, who was gnawing on a salted ham, lifted his head and looked at Jiao Jiao curiously.

  "Ah! You perverted dog! How do you even know that? It’s only been an hour since it started! Your nose is way too sharp!" Jiao Jiao’s face flushed as she pyfully wrinkled her nose at him.

  "Is menstruation contagious among women? It’s not just you—Bing Bing and Xiao Min also started today!" Mikael spat out a bone and proudly pointed to the other two girls.

  "Ugh! Xue, control your perverted dog! What kind of shameless curiosity is that?" Jiao Jiao shot Mikael a gre, but her expression held more amusement than embarrassment.

  "Shameless? Hmph! You women are so ignorant. Do you know why I asked? This concerns all of our survival!" Mikael straightened up, his head held high as if he were imparting divine wisdom.

  "Yeah, right! You just like taking advantage of women. I see right through you, you lecherous dog!" Jiao Jiao scoffed, turning away in disdain.

  "Jiao Jiao, Mikael isn't making this up," Lin Tao finally spoke from his seat in a worn-out office chair. Seeing everyone’s shocked expressions, he expined, "100 milligrams of blood can attract zombies within a ten-kilometer radius. I’m guessing the three of you together have lost more than that."

  "What?! Is it really that serious?" Zhang Hong, who was just handing Lin Tao a cigarette, froze in shock.

  "Yes," Lin Tao nodded solemnly. "This is no joke."

  "What should we do?" The three girls panicked, immediately putting down their bowls and chopsticks. Zombies were no ughing matter. If a horde came, they could all be wiped out.

  "Simple. Sleep in the armored truck. Shut the doors, and the scent will be contained. But don’t throw your used sanitary pads around. Dispose of them tomorrow morning." Mikael gave a rare, serious nod.

  "That’s fine, doesn’t really matter where we sleep," Jiao Jiao sighed in relief, unaware of the disappointed gnce exchanged between Lin Tao and Zhang Hong. Their much-anticipated rendezvous had just gone up in smoke.

  That night, after ensuring their surroundings were safe, Lin Tao resigned himself to sleeping in the cramped office, only able to steal fleeting, tantalizing gnces at Zhang Hong.

  Some opportunities, it seemed, would have to wait.