C21 Anger!

After their collective efforts, they finally managed to drive the bus away, bringing a sense of immense relief to everyone on board. They were optimistic that, barring any further obstacles, they would soon reach safety.

The mood on the bus was jubilant; no one had anticipated reaching a safe haven so swiftly. Yet Shen Faang sat in silence, motionless and speechless, leaving the others puzzled about his state of mind.

After some time, Wang Mengyan sensed that something was off and approached Shen Faang. "What's wrong?" she inquired. "Everyone's elated that we've escaped the zombies. Aren't you happy too?"

Shen Faang remained silent, his lack of response leaving everyone in the dark. No one dared to press him further. Even after Wang Mengyan's attempt at conversation, Shen Faang continued to feign deafness, deterring others from engaging with him.

But Shen Faang was well aware of his own feelings; he was actually quite angry with himself. He was frustrated that he hadn't used his cloning ability earlier. If he had, he wouldn't have been vulnerable to the zombie attack, and his arm would not have been at risk.

The fact that Shen Faang possessed the cloning technique was his secret alone; fearing the potential repercussions, he had chosen not to reveal it. Now, he was furious with himself for not having the resolve to use his skill, allowing the zombies to believe he was incapable of fighting back, which only encouraged them to pursue him relentlessly.

He was disappointed in himself. He had never intended to use the cloning technique in combat against the zombies, confident in his own abilities to defeat them. But the close call with death during the recent skirmish had left him deeply frightened, dreading the possibility of facing the zombies alone.

Thus, Shen Faang remained withdrawn and quiet throughout the journey, and the others, recalling Wang Mengyan's unsuccessful attempt to converse with him, were too intimidated to try speaking with him again.

The more Shen Faang behaved this way, the more Wang Mengyan grew concerned. Their relationship had deepened previously, so her concern for Shen Faang was significant.

She feared that an encounter with the zombies might have altered Shen Faang's personality. So, she approached him once more, intent on understanding what was truly going on.

Wang Mengyan observed Shen Faang, who was still as stone, and smiled reassuringly. "Shen Faang, what's going on? Please talk to me. Don't leave me anxious. If you don't, I have no idea what I might do out of worry. Have the zombies hurt you, or has something changed? If there's any issue, you must tell me right away. We need to address it immediately to avoid dire consequences. Do you understand?"

She continued to engage Shen Faang in conversation, earnestly hoping he would open up about what was troubling him, but he remained silent.

He was internally berating himself for not using the Clone Technique earlier, which nearly cost him his life. If he had perished, everyone else would have fallen victim to the zombies, and his mission would have remained unfulfilled.

Yet, Shen Faang had a profound trust in Wang Mengyan. He recognized that her persistence stemmed from concern for his well-being. Eventually, Shen Faang offered her a smile in response to her relentless questioning, which delighted Wang Mengyan.

She had always believed that persistence pays off, and sure enough, Shen Faang responded to her words. Her joy was evident, and when the others on the bus heard Shen Faang finally speak, they too felt a wave of relief.

Knowing Shen Faang was unharmed meant there was hope for them to evade the zombies. Otherwise, even if they managed to reach the train station, they would be at a loss for their next move to escape the undead threat.

Once Shen Faang began interacting with Wang Mengyan, the others felt emboldened to speak up. They had been unsure of how to proceed or how to encourage Shen Faang to recover more quickly.

Shen Faang turned to Wang Mengyan and said, "Don't worry, Mengyan. I was just frustrated with myself. I didn't give my all in the fight against the zombies, and it nearly cost me my life. I'm filled with regret now."

After listening, Wang Mengyan understood why Shen Faang was so upset. However, he didn't blame Shen Faang and continued to offer words of comfort.

"It's not your fault. If I had been in the same situation as you, I might not have handled it as well because we didn't know what was going to happen. We were all anxious and nervous after encountering such an unexpected event, so it was impossible to consider everything.

"Don't keep beating yourself up. We're out of danger now, so try not to dwell on it too much. I believe that since we've managed to survive this ordeal, we'll be safe from now on and won't face such troubles again."

Shen Faang smiled in response, unsure of how to express to Wang Mengyan that he too could use the cloning technique to battle the zombies.

Although he was aware of Mengyan's affection for him, he chose not to disclose his feelings just yet. She needed to carefully consider their next steps and couldn't assume everyone was a confidant.

Seeing that Shen Faang was nearly back to normal and no longer silent, everyone felt a surge of relief and gathered around him, curious about what had transpired earlier.