Ideal Mary Sue

When Su Ning woke up, she found herself alone in the bed. She rolled over and slowly sat up.

Lin Yu was standing by the window, observing the gathering situation of zombies outside. Hearing her stirring, he drew the curtains and walked over.

In a relaxed environment, Su Ning would always take a few minutes to fully wake up, her eyes open but not yet focused.

As Lin Yu sat down by the bed, Su Ning was drawn to him like a magnet, inching closer to nestle in his arms. She rested her head against his chest, playing with the buttons on his shirt collar, twisting them around and giving them a tug, her gaze fixed on her hands.

Lin Yu didn’t disturb her, embracing her waist with one hand while the other gently swept away the hair falling across her forehead, revealing her smooth, fair skin. He silently traced her features with his eyes, especially captivated by her bright, beautiful eyes, which were enchanting even when not looking at him.

This was the quietest moment of her day.

“Lin Yu, I need to wash up,” she said, finally stopping her button-twisting. Fully awake, Su Ning sat up and looked around the bedside as if searching for something, then kicked her feet against his leg and looked at him, “Where are my shoes?”

“On the other side of the bed.”

Lin Yu watched her expressionlessly as she crawled out of his embrace, rolled across the big bed to the other side, found her shoes, put them on, and ran back around the bed. Her target was not him, but the large bundle next to the bedside table.

She unzipped the bundle, took out a few smaller bags, and began to sift through her clothes. “It feels like it will be hot today; I should wear something lighter…” she mused.

After some thought, she decided to check the weather first before choosing what to wear. Su Ning set down the clothes and walked over to the window, opening the curtain. The bright light made her instinctively shield her eyes, exclaiming, “Wow, the sun is so bright today!”

Lin Yu got up and walked over, turning her around to face away from the window and leaning her back against him.

His eyes, cold and detached, watched a group of people being chased by zombies below. One of them was emitting a dazzling white light, which had no effect on the zombies but made escaping a painful ordeal for his companions.

“It seems it’ll be hot today; I’ll wear something light…” Su Ning murmured, rubbing her forehead against his chest. “No strawberries today, I want chilled watermelon…”

“Mm-hmm.” Lin Yu nodded and was about to close the curtain when he saw the group running towards the small western-style building where his car was parked.

He frowned, closed the curtain, and said calmly to Su Ning, “You can go to the bathroom to wash up; the water is ready.”

“Mm-hmm.” Su Ning obediently nodded but didn’t move, hesitatingly playing with his buttons again. “…I also want to wash my hair…”

Lin Yu took a black hair tie from his coat pocket and skillfully tied up her black hair, looking into her eyes as he said, “The bathtub is filled; go take a bath, and call me with the pager when you want to wash your hair.”

“I’ll prepare breakfast downstairs.”

“Okay!” Su Ning cheerfully nodded, crawling out from under his arm, picking up the pager from the bedside table and running into the bathroom, carrying the clothes she had picked out and the small bags filled with shower gel, body lotion, and other bottles.

After having used an automatic hair washing machine in her previous world, Su Ning missed the luxury of lying down for a full wash, cut, blow dry, and massage. She thought she’d have to endure without it in this world but found that she not only lived a life of comfort and luxury but also enjoyed a full-body hair washing and massage service. It was incredibly satisfying!

Watching her close the bathroom door, Lin Yu headed downstairs.

By then, the group of people had escaped into Lin Yu’s zombie isolation circle, astonished to find the zombies that had been pursuing them now aimlessly darting around.

Lin Yu’s isolation circle worked by soundproofing and scent-blocking, making it impossible for zombies to trace people within the area.

The glowing man sighed in relief, his glow fading. A woman in her twenties with short hair slapped him on the back, whispering, “Next time you do that, we’ll leave you behind!”

“…Okay.” The glowing man scratched his head, mumbling, “…I’m sorry…”

As the group reached the entrance of the small western-style building and debated whether to break in, the door opened.

Lin Yu stood inside, his eyes coldly fixed on them.

The group, composed of men and women, mostly in their twenties, plus a woman in her forties carrying a little girl, looked pale and weary. But their guarded stances indicated they weren’t as harmless as they appeared.

A chestnut-haired young man with a large backpack smiled amiably, “Sir, may we come in and take shelter? We’ve been running from the city for two days without rest. We only need to stay for one night. We can give you food, clothes…”

A short-haired woman in a jean jacket added, “We have plenty of water; you can have as much as you want.”

They both tactfully avoided mentioning why the zombies hadn’t entered the area around the building.

Knowing they would likely stay even if he refused them entry, Lin Yu averted his gaze, stepped aside, and said calmly, “Come in.” He was planning to leave with Su Ning soon, so their staying or leaving didn’t matter much to him.

…

A group of people entered the room and began to tidy things up. They laid out a thick, wide, and long wool blanket in the living room, not even going into the other rooms. They only sat on the wool blanket, some drinking water, others eating. Some were so exhausted that they fell asleep halfway through their meals.

A man with chestnut hair held up a plastic bag filled with several bottles of water and biscuits and presented it to Lin Yu, who was standing nearby, smiling and saying, “Sir, this is some food and water for you, as payment for rent. Thank you for taking us in!”

“No need,” Lin Yu shook his head, his brown eyes sweeping over everyone on the wool blanket, coldly adding, “All I need is for you to keep quiet and not go upstairs.”

The living room was not large, and those still awake nodded, eating more quietly. Even a little girl, about five or six years old, seemed to understand and covered her mouth with a small hand.

It was very quiet when a panicked, helpless, soft female voice coming from the pager around Lin Yu’s neck drew everyone’s attention.

“Lin Yu, Lin Yu, what do I do, wuwu, I got my period!”

“Period?” Lin Yu was taken aback, looking towards a woman in her forties holding a little girl and giving her water. The woman’s hand trembled, spilling a few drops of water on the floor.

Several young women in the room blushed, then seeing Lin Yu’s puzzled look, chuckled quietly. Some young men also turned their heads, looking somewhat uncomfortable.

“Wuwu, Lin Yu, come up quickly… bring some paper!”

Sensing that he probably hadn’t understood the true meaning of her words, Lin Yu reassured her through the pager, “Don’t panic, I’m coming up right now.” Without another thought, he turned and went upstairs.

After he left, a woman in a denim jacket with short hair laughed, “I didn’t expect this guy to have a delicate girl hidden away…”

A girl with a ponytail also smiled, “Yeah, it’s just her period, why is she so scared? It really is…”

A man with shining hair scratched his head, confused, “Yeah, Meng Lin, it’s been over a month, isn’t menstruation supposed to cause bleeding? Why haven’t I seen you attract any zombies?”

The short-haired girl slapped him on the back of his head, “Why do you care? Got nothing better to do?”

Meng Lin rubbed her wrist, watching him hold his head and whine. For some reason, she felt an itch in her hand again.

A pale-faced man with a sleazy look turned his eyeballs and said slyly, “I’ve seen Sun Qian go out and take out the trash at night before, so I followed and saw it. The package says ‘odor control, leak-proof, double-layered!’ And,” he raised three fingers, exaggerating, “she uses three pads each time!”

“Wow!” the other men exclaimed, impressed by the revelation.

Sun Qian immediately picked up a noodle package and threw it at his head.

“Pervert!” she yelled.

…

Lin Yu had just knocked on the bathroom door when it opened.

Su Ning, wrapped in a bath towel, pounced on him, her body still damp with steam. Tears were in her eyes, and she buried herself in his arms, sobbing, “It’s over, it’s over… I totally forgot about this… I didn’t prepare any pads… the zombies will definitely smell it and come… What should I do? What should I do?”

1414 said that fresh blood would attract many zombies.

Su Ning was frantically hopping around, regretting not stocking up on enough pads when they passed the supermarket earlier. Now, there certainly wouldn’t be any in Lin Yu’s space, and using paper would be completely ineffective.

They could drive to shake off the zombies, but they couldn’t keep driving for days on end!

1414 was also unwilling to give her credits to exchange for odor-removing pills.

Su Ning clung tightly to his clothes, imagining a horde of zombies surrounding their small house, sniffing the scent. The more she thought about it, the more scared she became. Lin Yu was strong, but he couldn’t possibly deal with so many zombies at once. The previous villa full of zombie bodies had been cleaned up by Mu Ling’s group during their retreat.

In this crisis, she bit her lower lip, closed her eyes, and said, “…you… you go on without me, go quickly!” Worst comes to worst, she’d get bitten by a zombie. Then 1414 would surely take her away, but Lin Yu was different; he didn’t have a system and couldn’t take such a risk.

Missions and the like were completely unimportant now!

Lin Yu hugged her tightly, and as his eyes scanned over the trash can filled with bloodstained tissues, he finally understood the real meaning of period. As someone who was more familiar with ancient times and seldom exposed to the modern world, he searched for ‘pads’ in the system store and instantly found hundreds of products from this era.

Seeing her fear and how tightly she was clinging to him, Lin Yu felt a pang of heartache. He wanted her to always be happy and carefree, not worrying about these matters. He comforted her, stroking her hair, “Don’t be afraid, I won’t leave you,” and then handed her a plastic bag filled with various brands of sanitary pads, calmly saying, “If it’s not enough, just ask me for more.”

Su Ning took it, slightly bewildered.

Although she had felt this sense of being taken care of before, this time it seemed strange.

Oh right, how would he be collecting pads at the end of the world?

Perhaps he had an entire supermarket in his space. Yes, that must be it…

Lin Yu took a dry towel and wiped the water droplets from her neck and wrists. He couldn’t resist planting a kiss on her reddened eyes. After quickly reviewing information like ‘what to pay attention to during menstruation,’ and ‘how to deal with it,’ his expression remained unchanged as he said, “Go change your clothes; you won’t wash your hair today.”

He took another dry towel, wrapping her damp hair, and said, “I’ll wait for you here; after changing, come downstairs to dry your hair.”

Previously, to dry her hair, Lin Yu had brought a generator. As she had complained about its loud noise, unpleasant smell, and unattractive appearance, Lin Yu had placed it downstairs, running only a single extension cord for her hairdryer and tablet charging.

“…I won’t wash my hair… but I still want a shoulder massage…”

Su Ning never missed an opportunity to enjoy some comfort.

“Okay, I’ll give you a massage.”

Seeing her return to normal, Lin Yu relaxed, standing guard at the bathroom door like a door deity. He frowned when he heard the sound of the shower starting again inside.

After a long while, Su Ning finally emerged dressed, her steps lively and her eyes bright. Clearly, her mood had greatly improved.

Before she could throw herself at him, he reached out to embrace her, noticing that her hair was wetter and her light brown eyes were gazing into his, his tone filled with a questioning note, “Did you get wet again?”

Su Ning hugged his arm, her eyes shifting as she deliberately changed the subject, “My hair is so wet, let’s dry it first…”

Lin Yu’s lips tightened, his expression unhappy, but he decided to take her downstairs first.

On the stairs, noticing his lips almost pressed into a thin line, Su Ning immediately hung her hands around his neck, pestering him for a hug. Sure enough, his frown relaxed.

Ah, he’s good in every way, but he’s so clingy!

Su Ning nestled in his arms, her eyes squinted with pleasure, showing no signs of complaint or dissatisfaction, but rather enjoyment.

She raised her hand to his face, her eyes curved with a smile, saying, “Smell this, it’s fragrant! Does it smell different from yesterday?”

Lin Yu’s nose touched the back of her hand, and he nodded with a sound of acknowledgment.

It was clear that he was no longer angry.

Just as Su Ning was marveling at her improved coaxing skills, her view was filled with seven, eight, nine… well, more than ten people, both men and women, all looking at her with indescribable expressions.

Ignoring the question of why there were so many people in Lin Yu’s living room, Su Ning’s current thought was: Why does acting coy and asking for hugs feel so natural in front of Lin Yu, but feel so embarrassingly shy when surrounded by strangers?

Su Ning silently withdrew her hand and buried her face in Lin Yu’s chest, without a word.

Lin Yu set her on the sofa, facing the living room.

Even without looking, she knew those sitting or standing were surely watching her.

What to do? She wanted to cover her face with paper…

Lin Yu brought over a hairdryer, sat her on his lap, draped a dry towel over her shoulder, and noticing her silence, handed her a fully charged tablet from last night. Then, with one hand, he turned on the hairdryer, warm air blowing her hair, the other hand resting on her shoulder, massaging her with just the right amount of pressure.

Those who were initially calm could not keep their composure at this scene.

The women saw a cold-faced, devoted, and considerate handsome guy with his petite, affectionate, and cute girlfriend, their hearts almost bursting.

The men noticed the electrified power strip, all touching their dead phones in their pockets, eager to charge, but knowing they had to wait until he finished using it.

Only the woman holding a child was still feeding cookies to the little one.

Su Ning, playing absentmindedly on the tablet, felt the even hotter gaze from the living room, and her face turned red.

But she thought to herself: Haven’t you ever seen a dutiful boyfriend? Holding and drying hair is very normal, you immature youngsters!

Her hair dried quickly, and Lin Yu turned off the hairdryer. As he was tying her hair with a black hair tie, a young man in a gray shirt approached with a bag of chips. He set it down beside the power strip, smiled ingratiatingly at Lin Yu, and said, “Big brother, I’ll give this to you. Can you let me charge my phone?”

Lin Yu glanced at Su Ning’s tablet, only 98% charged, and was about to shake his head when the young man continued, “Big brother, is this your girlfriend? You look great together!”

Noticing Su Ning’s hand pause on the screen, Lin Yu looked back and said indifferently, “You may use it.”

“Thank you, thank you!” The young man in the gray shirt was ecstatic, immediately plugging in his prepared charger, satisfied to see his phone screen light up.

Others, closely watching this scene, followed.

“Big brother, you are really handsome! Can I borrow the power strip too?” A young man with a fair face rubbed his hands, laughing flatteringly, “The world’s most handsome!”

Lin Yu glanced at him coldly, not responding.

The young man’s smile froze on his face.

Another man quickly pushed him aside, saying, “Big brother, you and your girlfriend are a perfect match!” even giving a thumbs up.

“Uh-huh.” Lin Yu nodded, “Go ahead.”

“Thanks, thanks, haha!” The man looked contemptuously at the previous young man and plugged his charger into the second socket.

People began to praise Lin Yu one after the other, catching on to the trick.

“Big brother, I can read faces, you and your girlfriend are a once-in-a-century match!”

“Big brother, you two are a talented man and a beautiful woman!”

“Big brother, you will surely grow old together!”

…

Su Ning pulled her coat over her face.

Never mind, she thought, there’s no need to blur her face, she might as well not have it.

“I want to go upstairs,” Su Ning muttered in his arms.

Her slippers were left on the stairs, so he would have to carry her up!

But Lin Yu didn’t pick her up; he just left her on the sofa and went into the kitchen to bring out the prepared breakfast, placing it on the table in front of the sofa. “Eat breakfast first, then go upstairs.”

“No, I want to eat upstairs!”

“There’s no table upstairs.”

“I can eat holding it.”

Su Ning turned her head and pushed away his hand, holding a spoon, trying to feed her porridge.

Lin Yu looked at her indifferently, put down the spoon, and stood up to pull out another power strip from the generator room. Those who had not lined up to charge flocked around like flies.

“Big brother, your girlfriend is so beautiful!”

“Big brother, your girlfriend is so cute!”

“Big brother, you are so fortunate!”

…

Su Ning fell silent.

Lin Yu picked up the bowl and scooped a full spoon of egg and lean meat porridge to her mouth. She did not resist but obediently opened her mouth to eat. Under normal circumstances, Su Ning would certainly have thrown a tantrum by now, but in front of a group of strangers, she chose not to fuss or act annoyed.

A boy with chestnut-colored hair watched this scene and smiled, but his eyes were very gloomy. Not far from the window were several corpses of spiders, crawling left and right outside the isolation layer, but not coming in.

The manager had said that they needed to find a way to keep Lin Yu around.

They could not afford to startle the snake in the grass.