Chapter 4: Trouble Comes Knocking

Although there were no zombies in this world, she was now like a rat scurrying across the street, despised by all. It would have been better if the streets were overrun with zombies. Especially now, burdened with tens of millions in debt, she might very well spend the rest of her life behind bars. What use was a good environment then?

In the apocalypse, despite the presence of zombies and mutated creatures, and the constant danger, she had a group of comrades bound by life and death. Even in such a world, she could walk with her head held high. So how had she become a despised outcast here?

What she didn’t know was that the original owner of this body had clashed with her company, with many endorsements being handed to other artists. Otherwise, the breach of contract penalties would have been far worse.

Qi Qi had no memories of the original owner. Using mind-reading, she learned from Zhou Ying that all this was the result of a conspiracy between the original owner’s boyfriend and his other girlfriend.

It turned out that six months ago, the original owner had a boyfriend—who was a two-timing scoundrel. When she discovered his infidelity and gambling, she wanted to break up, but he refused. She threatened to expose his gambling addiction if he didn’t end things.

The next day, the internet was flooded with accusations branding her as the homewrecker. This was followed by a series of scandals—claims of being a kept woman, cheating, having affairs, and gold digging. Worse still, there were shamelessly fabricated photos, one after another, all depicting the original owner in compromising situations with older men.

The boyfriend even came forward to confirm these were true, while the other woman became the official girlfriend, and the original owner inexplicably became the mistress.

She was greeted with unbearable insults, and the entire internet was awash with her scandals. Her company not only refused to clear her name but added insult to injury. Her agent even called her, demanding she apologize to the cheating couple.

At some point, the original owner’s social media released an apology statement, which firmly nailed her to the pillar of shame. With the apology came a flood of breach of contract fines.

Just as the original owner fell into despair, her parents took all her funds and fled with her younger brother.

Hearing this, Qi Qi realized this must have been the final straw that broke her spirit.

She also learned that Zhou Ying and the original owner had been high school classmates, keeping in touch but rarely meeting. After the scandal broke, Zhou Ying rushed over overnight.

When she found out they hadn’t been together all the time, Qi Qi secretly breathed a sigh of relief—no need to stay on edge constantly. People change; after such a huge ordeal, a change in character was only natural.

Although discovering the original owner’s parents were heartless and had betrayed their daughter brought some relief to Qi Qi, at least she didn’t have to pretend to be a devoted daughter anymore.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Zhou Ying’s first thought was that a hater had come calling, but Qi Qi just wanted to cover her face. Having just dealt with Zhou Ying, if yet another acquaintance of the original owner showed up, it would be the end of her.

“Uncle Zhao, what brings you here?” Qi Qi was stunned to see who it was.

How did these people find her so quickly? She hadn’t told anyone where she lived.

“Feifei, don’t you know this world has surveillance? For the police, finding someone is a matter of minutes.”

Qi Qi was speechless.

She really had no idea what surveillance was.

This was her first real experience of how different these two worlds were.

She’d been too hasty, acting without understanding this world.

If surveillance could find her, did that mean these people had discovered something? Could it be… that the man she had beaten up was seriously hurt?

No matter how much turmoil stirred inside, she showed no sign of it. She glanced at Zhou Ying, then at the visitors. “Do you know each other?”

Only then did Qi Qi realize that Officer Zhao and Zhou Ying’s family were old acquaintances. How small this world was.

“Yingying, please step aside. We need to ask Feifei a few questions.”

Zhou Ying gave her a reassuring look. “It’s nothing to worry about.”

Once inside the bedroom, Officer Zhao got straight to the point. “How do you know the location of the drug dealers’ transaction?”

Qi Qi was speechless.

Drug dealers?

She was somewhat familiar with such things—even in the apocalypse, they hadn’t vanished. If she’d known these were drug dealers, she wouldn’t have meddled. What a hassle.

Still, hearing this was a relief—at least the man she had beaten hadn’t suffered any serious harm.

But how to explain this?

Did she have supernatural powers?

Qi Qi hadn’t expected her ability to travel with her consciousness to come along. Then again, it wasn’t entirely surprising—mind reading following her through wasn’t impossible.

“Do you believe what he said himself?” Officer Zhao asked, munching on some snacks nearby with evident enjoyment.

“Answer properly. If you don’t cooperate, you’ll have to come with us to the station,” another officer said, clearly losing patience.

That remark riled Qi Qi. Her temper flared instantly. She slammed the snacks on the table with a bang, crossed her arms, and looked arrogantly defiant. “Have I broken any laws? Are you going to arrest me?” she snapped with brazen boldness.

“I was doing a good deed. What’s with your attitude?”

Qi Qi’s defiance left the officers momentarily speechless.

Looking at the ruined snacks, she regretted it—she hadn’t eaten much.

Officer Zhao glanced at Qi Qi and admitted silently she had a point. Otherwise, they would have arrested her outright instead of coming to take a statement.

“Why were you at the scene?”

Qi Qi picked up another packet of snacks and continued eating. “I was just out riding my bike for a stroll. Happened to see you guys making an arrest, so I stopped to watch.”

“Who knew you were so useless you couldn’t catch anyone?”

Officer Zhao was speechless.

Qi Qi went on, “What a coincidence—I saw where they were hiding. Just doing a good deed.”

“Anything else you want to ask?”

Zhou Ying’s account matched the surveillance footage. Though some blind spots existed, the general movement was clear. The officers had found it strange—if they were drug dealers, why didn’t they hide? If they were ordinary citizens, why would she follow them unafraid?

Officer Zhao wasn’t buying Qi Qi’s story. “I’m only asking one thing—how do you know the delivery location?”

“I overheard it by chance. Is that a crime?”

Qi Qi’s defiant, unrepentant attitude was far from the typical starlet’s image. Was she giving up pretending now that her reputation was ruined? The trio was at a loss how to proceed.

She looked unbothered, insisting she had only overheard, and that she had seen the other party’s gun. If they didn’t believe her, they could check. After all, she hadn’t broken any laws.

This was the arrogance of youth, fearless and brazen as ever.

Though Officer Zhao had doubts, Qi Qi had indeed helped the police.

When they left, Qi Qi finally exhaled in relief.