(This is the third update, and the third update yet. I sincerely ask for your collection and recommendations.)

We will grow old there, and you will grow up there.

...

"Is my brother dead?"

The little girl's question left Lu Jing and me at a loss; I hadn't expected her to ask so bluntly.

Lu Jing looked at me, waiting for my answer.

Only Fei Lichao, Pu Weichao, and I know about Zhong Linxuan's death. Li Qiming is still in a coma and can't tell us.

While no one was fully aware of the details, many already understood that Zhong Linxuan was likely dead.

Seeing that I didn't answer, tears welled up in the little girl's eyes, and she said, "Brother Xiaonan, just tell me, I can handle it. I'm already fourteen years old, I'll graduate from junior high this summer, and I'll be going to high school soon!"

I asked her to sit on a stool, then moved another stool over and sat down in front of her, saying, "Yes, your brother is dead."

The little girl couldn't hold back her tears, but she didn't cry out loud. Instead, she asked, "Just like Sister Wu Shuang, right?"

Wu Shuang? I paused, reached out and wiped away the tears on her face, and said, "Yes, just like Wu Shuang."

"I won't see my brother anymore, right?"

"Hmm." I nodded, without saying anything vague like "see you in the next life." Although reality is cruel, in today's world, only cruelty can keep people alive, and only cruelty can make people understand that the world has changed.

Tears streamed down the little girl's face, her beautiful eyes brimming with moisture. She remained silent for a long time, like an adult, before asking me, "Brother Xiaonan, my father and brother are gone. What should I do now?"

I was taken aback, and Lu Jing was also surprised.

We thought the little girl would burst into tears, but instead she asked a question that was inappropriate for her age.

Even I don't know what to do right now.

I took a deep breath, glanced at Lu Jing who was already crying beside me, and said, "Live on, live on with Brother Xiaonan, live on with everyone. From now on, we are all your family, your brothers and sisters. In the future, we will find a safe place and settle down there. In that place, we will no longer be hurt, and no one will die."

“We will grow old there, and you will grow up there.”

"I want to go home." The little girl sobbed and threw herself into my arms, unable to hold back her tears any longer.

I held the girl in my arms, tears welling up in my eyes. "You're home now. Wherever we are, that's your home. From now on, we'll need you to protect us."

"Yes, when I grow up, I will kill all those monsters outside! I will protect you, protect my brother..." Zhong Linyun said, crying.

Lu Jing cried very hard, but she didn't make a sound.

...

The little girl hugged me for a long time. She had just lost a loved one, and after crying, she completely relaxed and fell asleep.

I handed her over to Lu Jing and said, "You stay here and watch over this girl. I'm going out to check on things."

"Okay, you go ahead, I'll stay here." Lu Jing nodded, her eyes red-rimmed.

It's getting late. I glanced at the watch Wu Shuang gave me on my wrist; it was already five o'clock.

Dinner will be prepared around six o'clock.

As soon as I stepped outside, Ke Jiamin saw me and ran over to me.

As for Ke Jiamin, I hadn't paid much attention to her after rescuing her. She was a pretty well-behaved girl and always obedient, so I didn't really care. I didn't know why she was here at this time.

"Lu Xiaonan, can I ask you something?" Ke Jiamin asked cautiously.

I looked at her with surprise, noticing that her expression was a bit strange, and asked, "What's wrong? What do you want to ask?"

Ke Jiamin asked, "Yes, it's about Sister Yunlan and the others."

So she was asking about those three celebrities. No wonder she had that expression on her face. I said, "They're with Fei Lichao and Pu Weichao. What's wrong? Are you a fan of theirs?"

Ke Jiamin shook her head decisively and said, "No, I know them."

I chuckled and said, "I bet everyone here knows them; they're celebrities."

Ke Jiamin stared at me helplessly and said, "That's not what I meant. I meant that I'm their colleague, and I'm also an actress, even though I haven't graduated yet."

"What do you mean?" I frowned at Ke Jiaming. "You said you're very familiar with those three celebrities?"

Ke Jiamin shook her head: "I wouldn't say we're very close. It's just that before the zombie outbreak, I was filming in the same production crew as them. Sister Yunlan and Sister Qingya were both very nice to me."

After she said that, I suddenly remembered that a long time ago Ke Jiamin told me that she used to stay at the Linshan Hotel, but she was arrested when she went out to find food.

"Could it be that they are your companions?" I asked.

Ke Jiamin nodded: "Yes, didn't I tell you?"

I stared at her with a wry smile. "Yes, but you didn't tell me they were celebrities!"

Ke Jiamin tilted her head and thought for a moment before asking, "No?"

I rolled my eyes. "Let's not talk about that. What were you going to ask me again?"

Ke Jiamin came to her senses and said, "Oh, right, what did Fei Lichao and the others take Sister Yunlan to do? Why haven't they come back yet? I was going to go and check on them, but Pu Weichao sent me back."

I glanced at the room at the end of the corridor and wondered if they were still interrogating me. It had been almost half an hour, and they still weren't done.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!