Chapter 200: Central Command?
’It’s okay,’ he thought. ’Just getting a whiff of her scent is nice enough.’
Lily Hart didn’t notice him at all. She wandered around the first floor on her own, and when she was done, she went up to wander around the second.
Owen Warren silently got up and followed behind her, keeping a certain distance. With people coming and going, Lily Hart didn’t notice.
He watched as she first went to the buffet, picked up a plate of sliced watermelon, then added some cantaloupe and red grapes. He couldn’t help but secretly take note of her choices.
She walked and ate, looking completely carefree. She even went to the massage area to watch others get massages for a full ten minutes, looking quite tempted.
But she was only tempted. She continued to walk and eat until she had toured the entire second floor and finished the fruit on her plate. Lily Hart turned, ready to head back.
’The bathhouse is really up and running now,’ she thought. ’I won’t have to worry much about it anymore.’
But as soon as she turned, she met Owen Warren’s teasing gaze.
Lily Hart frowned. She instinctively crossed her arms, still holding the plate, and walked toward him.
The two stood face to face. The atmosphere suddenly grew a little awkward. Owen Warren thought for a moment, then hesitated for a long while before asking, "Want to watch a movie?"
Lily Hart blinked, then nodded in agreement.
To her surprise, they didn’t go to a crowded main theater but to a small private room. It looked like it could only hold about twenty people, and it was completely empty.
Lily Hart stood at the door, not daring to enter. ’Owen Warren isn’t planning on eating me in there, is he?’
Owen Warren had already found a seat. He leaned back, draped his arms over the sides, and crossed his legs like he owned the place. Seeing Lily Hart still standing at the door, he cast a quizzical look her way.
"Come on in," Owen Warren said, unable to resist prodding the sharp fangs in his mouth with his tongue.
Hearing that, Lily Hart squared her shoulders, held her head high, and walked right in. She sat down next to Owen Warren and asked casually, "What are we watching?"
There were two modes to choose from: one played movies randomly throughout the day, and the other let you choose a movie yourself. The main theater used the first mode.
Owen Warren swiped casually on his Light Brain a couple of times. "Let’s watch this one."
Lily Hart looked up at the screen. A pair of bloody hands suddenly appeared, blood dripping down, accompanied by the sound of dripping.
Her heart skipped a beat. Lily Hart was speechless for a moment. ’This guy, Owen Warren, he’s definitely doing this on purpose!’
As she continued watching, she realized—oh boy—it was a disaster film. The scenes were similar to the apocalypse she was living in, but without zombies; it was purely natural disasters.
In the end, all of humanity died...
Lily Hart frowned. ’Is this what Owen Warren wants to do?’
During the movie, Owen Warren produced a bucket of popcorn, a plate of fruit, and a plate of duck snacks from somewhere.
This kept Lily Hart so busy that she didn’t notice Owen Warren staring at her the entire time.
The movie finished, the food was gone, and it was time to leave. Lily Hart stood up and stretched. "That made me sleepy. I’m going to head back."
Owen Warren remained seated. He reached out and grabbed her, pulling her back down into the chair. She turned her head to look at him. The room was dim, but his eyes were bright, glowing with a scarlet light.
"What are you—"
Before Lily Hart could finish, she saw Owen Warren open his mouth wide, revealing two sharp fangs in his upper jaw. They were so white they seemed to glow, a stark contrast to his red tongue.
In an instant, a brutal image of a zombie devouring a person flashed through her mind.
She suddenly reached out and clamped her hand over The Zombie King’s mouth, covering it completely.
The Zombie King looked confused, tilting his head slightly to look at her. He couldn’t help but extend his tongue and lightly lick her palm. It was sweet with a hint of salt.
’I really want to take a bite.’
"!" Lily Hart’s eyes went wide. She babbled, "Are you crazy?! Are you sick in the head?!"
As she spoke, she tried to pull her hand back, but The Zombie King held it tight, and she couldn’t budge it an inch. The spot on her palm he had licked felt like it was on fire, burning hot.
"Let go!" Lily Hart said in a low voice.
Owen Warren obediently let go. The sweet scent filled his mouth, and he pressed his lips together as if savoring the taste.
Lily Hart saw this and cursed under her breath, "Owen Warren, you’re disgusting!" With that, she flung his hand away and hurried out the door.
A corner of Owen Warren’s mouth lifted. He let out a low chuckle, not refuting her words at all. He just smiled as he watched her leave, his tongue scraping against the roof of his mouth, his expression inscrutable.
Once outside, Lily Hart leaned against the wall, staring at her palm. She wished she could chop her hand off.
’On second thought, no,’ she mused. ’If I chopped it off, no matter where I threw it, The Zombie King would definitely be the first one to get to it. It’s better if it stays on my arm.’
Lily Hart went to the restroom and washed her hands twice. The burning sensation on her palm faded a little, but she couldn’t help but recall the feeling of his tongue licking her—like a cold, slick snake.
"Ew~" Lily Hart shivered and hurried downstairs, leaving the bathhouse.
She accidentally bumped into Logan Holland. They exclaimed in surprise at the same time, "What are you doing here?"
Logan Holland rubbed his chin. "I came to check out this bathhouse." Then he gave her a suspicious look. "Why is your face so red?"
Lily Hart shot him a glare. "None of your business." She walked past him, her back radiating anger as she left.
Logan Holland scratched his head, confused. ’Who pissed off Boss Hart?’
He couldn’t figure it out, so he gave up. His daughter, Tanya, was holding his hand. Hearing a sound, he turned and waved behind him. "Honey, hurry up! Let’s go in together."
The family of three entered the bathhouse hand in hand. They had heard it had everything, and since they weren’t short on points now, it was time to enjoy themselves.
Lily Hart returned to the RV, chugged a large glass of water, and took a watermelon from the fridge. She started cutting it up on her own, dicing it into small cubes and putting them in a bowl.
She cradled the bowl and sat down on a lounge chair to eat the watermelon. Diana Sharp looked at her quizzically. "Lily, are you hot?"
Lily Hart nodded instinctively and even fanned herself with her hand a couple of times. "It’s boiling hot outside!" she said with conviction.
Diana Sharp looked away and casually speared a piece of watermelon with a fork.
After a while, Lily Hart’s mood calmed down. She slowly finished off all the watermelon in the bowl. Just as they were getting ready for dinner, Logan Holland arrived with his wife and child.
He made himself right at home, plopping down next to Lily Hart.
He cozied up to her. "Boss Hart, are you sure you don’t want to set up a stall at Central Command?"
Lily Hart was taken aback. Why hadn’t she wanted to go before? Because she was stubborn and rebellious; the more someone told her to do something, the less she wanted to do it.
But now, she’d changed her mind. It might not be a bad idea to check out Central Command.
So, during dinner, Lily Hart announced very casually, "We’re heading to Central Command in a few days."
"CLATTER—"
Frost Shaw’s chopsticks fell onto the table. The half-eaten rib in Roman Rowe’s mouth dropped into his bowl. Everyone stared at her in surprise, knowing full well how resistant she had been to the idea.
"Alright." Leo Colby was the first to agree. He was bound to the hotel anyway, so wherever Boss Hart went, he went.
Roman Rowe hurriedly wiped his mouth and asked, a bit curious, "Huh? Why the sudden decision to go to Central Command?"
"I don’t know. I just feel like it now." Lily Hart shook her head.