Chapter 268 Family

Lin Xi showed off two hamburgers while writing.

This is a taste I haven't had in eight years, and this body happens to be in its growth period, with an astonishingly large appetite.

Lu Wei advised, "...There's no rush now, you can finish eating before you write."

There are still 13 years until the end of the world, so there's no rush. What Lin Xi needs to do can't be rushed either.

She stopped writing and slowed her eating: "I'm used to it."

She was used to high-intensity work. Although she couldn't eat while conducting experiments, she often analyzed data and read documents at the same time as eating.

She had just returned from the apocalypse and hadn't yet adjusted to this world.

Before long, the unfinished snacks were left to sit on the side, the ice cream had melted, and both of them were focused on their laptops.

The list contained a long sequence of names.

Lu Wei had seen some of them: "Back then, the information Shen Hua gave me did indeed include him."

Lin Xi: "What a coincidence, the information I have here was also given to me by Shen Hua."

Before leaving, Lin Xi memorized all the information and dates she had collected, and now she silently wrote them down in her notebook without reservation: "Do you want to write one down too?"

Lu Wei took the notebook but shook his head: "No need to copy it, I can remember it."

The boy in front of me looked somewhat different, but his calm demeanor remained the same.

Lin Xi knew that he was indeed very quick at memorizing things, after all, the original Lu Wei was a lawyer.

“But I can’t find this person right now.” Lin Xi circled the name of the person with the most intersections on the network diagram, and subconsciously said, “Could you have someone check it out…”

She paused.

Lu Wei currently lacks military rank and authority to investigate individuals. Although their memories have not declined, their abilities have decreased with age, not only physically but also in terms of social status.

Lu Wei understood what she meant. "We still have a long time ahead of us, and there are many of us. Let's think of another way."

"There are more of us." Lin Xi repeated these four words, a smile unconsciously creeping onto her lips.

Yes, there are many of us.

She patted her pockets, but couldn't find her phone or watch or any other means of communication. She would need some time to adjust to these things.

"Why are there so many people in that group? How did you manage to get all your old friends back so quickly?" Lin Xi asked.

Lu Wei knew many of her doomsday companions. Lin Xi had seen the list of names left for her in her will and the contact information from back then, but if we go back 13 years, those contact numbers might not still exist.

Lu Wei: "No, that's a gaming group."

Lin Xi: "Where's Xiong Er?"

Lu Wei: "I haven't been able to contact him yet. Now that I've finished my exams, I can start preparing to contact him."

Lin Xi nodded: "I thought you wouldn't contact me. At least not so soon."

Because that unique version of myself that grew up is in another world. The "Lin Xi" in this world is the original Lin Xi, a timid, ordinary person with little survival ability.

Lu Wei simply shook his head and didn't reply.

When Lin Xi was reborn, she was prepared to face the blank Lu Wei, but she still planned to form a group with the three people. Although the initial Lu Wei did not join the military or politics, he had good skills and courage, and with the information gap she provided, there should be no problem.

Moreover, if Lin Xi succeeds in what he's trying to do, it's very likely that the four-person team won't need to fight a bloody battle.

If Lu Wei were to encounter Lin Xi again, what would he do?

Lu Wei had finished writing down the names and important information, and closed the notebook: "I will find you, at least to prevent this 'you' from the tragedy of 2015."

Remembering her mother's voice that morning, Lin Xi lowered her eyes; that was something she desperately wanted to avoid. She whispered, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, we are family..." Lu Wei stopped there.

The family that shares life and death only came into being after the zombie outbreak; Lin Xi has already found her family since returning to peacetime.

Having family in this life, she will protect what she cherishes at all costs.

Returning to the topic of the small group, Lin Xi asked again, "Why were I and Xin Xin added to a game group?"

“Let’s take it slow in making friends. Let’s find some common topics to talk about and get to know each other.” Lu Wei glanced at Lin Xi meaningfully. “If you just directly ask people to join you in saving the world like that, I’m afraid you’ll block me.”

After all, Lin Xi had been blocked by Xiang Xin before.

Lu Wei was mocking her.

But she didn't care. She was in a great mood to be back in the world with her family, and she didn't shy away from her problems: "Okay, I'll learn how to make friends."

"You don't need to study deliberately. You have plenty of time, and you'll make friends naturally. You can grow up slowly."

Before her values ​​were formed, Lin Xi had a few classmates she got along with, but after her parents passed away, she became bad at interpersonal communication. Even when she was chatting and laughing with a group of people, she was the kind of person who was only superficially friendly and didn't really fit in.

In her previous lives, when she was reborn and returned to her student days, she was depressed because of the apocalypse, and she used all her energy to enrich herself.

She does now have time to grow up all over again.

They were exchanging information when it was already past 4 o'clock, almost time for school to end.

"I have to go home now." Lin Xi stood up, her eyes full of joy. "We'll talk about it next time."

Lu Wei stood up with her: "I'll see the little one off."

Lin Xi: "Have you ever seen a primary school student who is several decades old?"

Lu Wei: "I've never seen that before. I've only ever seen middle school students who are in their forties or fifties."

"..."

Okay, let's chat a little longer.

They've known each other for decades, and while they can talk about anything, they've always maintained certain boundaries.

Just like Lin Xi wouldn't ask what the original contents of that suicide note, which was torn down to only three lines, were.

It was almost time to say goodbye after we got off at the subway station.

Lin Xi's gaze drifted to the small cakes sold at the entrance of the snack shop. The designs on them were the ones Xiang Xin liked, so she took a second look.

A short while later, Lu Wei bought it.

Before she could even take it, someone suddenly called her name: "Lin Xi!"

Both of their eyes were drawn to it—

A middle-aged man and a woman walked towards us.

They seem like people who have stepped out of a dream.

Lin Xi took a step forward, about to run over, when she saw the two people running towards her first.

Zhao Qiong raised her arm, and Lin Xi also stretched out her hands.

However, her mother's arm wasn't meant to hug her; instead, it swung towards Lin Xi.

Zhao Qiong's eyes flashed with a fierce light: "You brat! I told you to study properly and you skipped class!"

Zhao Qiong wanted to pinch Lin Xi's ear, and her hand was already down, but looking at the bustling station, she thought that girls shouldn't be touched in public. So she suppressed her anger and put her hand on Lin Xi's back to push her.

"Mom. Dad." Lin Xi smiled at them and reached out to hug them both.

Zhao Qiong and Lin Yi exchanged a glance, confused about the situation.

Although Zhao Qiong's anger hadn't subsided, it wasn't as intense as when she first met Lin Xi. "Stop with the act, acting cute won't work. Go home and write a self-criticism."

Lin Yi then called out to Lin Xi from behind, "Don't go!"

Lu Wei paused, turning his head to ask with his eyes: Me?

But his intuition told him he should hurry up and leave.

At fifteen or sixteen years old, Lu Wei was already about the same height as Lin Yi, but Lu Wei still felt the oppressive aura emanating from Lin Yi due to his anger.

Lin Yi took the small box containing the cake from Lin Xi, walked up to Lu Wei, and handed it back to him.

Lin Yi killed the boy in front of him with his eyes.

When Lin Yi heard that his daughter had skipped school by climbing over the wall and hadn't returned all afternoon, he could hardly believe it was Lin Xi's doing.

Lin Xi had no means of communication, so no one knew where she had gone after skipping class.

Lin Yi and Zhao Qiong were initially very anxious.

Lin Xi was not a child who would cause her parents any worry, but now that she had skipped class and was being questioned by the teacher, they were surprised, anxious, and angry.

Then I saw Lin Xi walking with a stranger, who even gave her a cake.

Lin Yi wanted to call the police to catch the human trafficker, but when the man turned around, he was just a teenager, and the way the two talked didn't seem like complete strangers.

Lin Yi was even angrier, but he didn't call the police to arrest the person suspected of abducting elementary school students.

Although Lin Yi and Zhao Qiong kept their faces stern on the way home with Lin Xi, Lin Xi walked among them with a smile, completely unafraid to write a self-criticism when she got home.

Nanhua's home still looks familiar.

Zhao Qiong had just promised to cook something delicious for Lin Xi that morning, but she wasn't in the mood for it right now.

Lin Yi prepared dinner, while Zhao Qiong interrogated and lectured Lin Xi:

Why did you skip class?

Who is that person?

"Do you know you'll be graduating from elementary school in 10 days? Skipping class could result in a disciplinary action! Do you want to go to junior high with a disciplinary record?"

"You are not allowed to accept things from strangers from now on."

"Even if you know someone, don't accept things from boys!"

"Mom is very angry! You are not allowed to watch TV or go out to play until you graduate from elementary school this month!"

"Do you realize your mistake? If you do, you still need to write a self-criticism."

No matter how angry Zhao Qiong was and how much she scolded Lin Xi, she would always say, "I know I was wrong, Mom," and "I won't do it again."

For some reason, Zhao Qiong felt that Lin Xi's eyes were bright as she was being lectured, and she didn't seem to feel sad or ashamed because of being scolded. In fact, the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve up, as if she was about to laugh out loud.

Lin Xi poured Zhao Qiong a glass of water after she had finished scolding her.

Zhao Qiong was waiting for her.

Lin Xi expressed her wish very directly, and she leaned closer to Zhao Qiong.

"Here we go again? It's no use. You still have to write the self-criticism!" Zhao Qiong said irritably, but Lin Xi held her tightly.

This might be a new way of admitting mistakes, and Zhao Qiong could only sigh helplessly: "How old are you, still hugging your mother?"

"I can carry any age."

Lin Xi thought to herself: My mental age is indeed very old.

-

For the next few days, Lin Xi went to and from school on time. Because the exams were approaching, she couldn't watch TV or play computer games. As a primary school student, Lin Xi didn't have a mobile phone and couldn't contact Lu Weixiangxin. She could only do her homework and read books in an orderly manner.

This is somewhat difficult for her—

The homework and study tasks were too easy for Lin Xi, and there were no scientific research books at home, only elementary school books and classics.

Lin Xi was forced to grow up slowly and on schedule.

She secretly planned to add some things to her room after she graduated from elementary school.

But just like in elementary school, the thing I look forward to most every day is going home after school.

Lin Yi and Zhao Qiong usually get home later than Lin Xi. Lin Xi would use her pocket money to buy groceries and cook.

When Mom and Dad got home, a delicious and colorful meal was already laid out on the table.

Zhao Qiong and Lin Yi exchanged bewildered glances again: "Has a 'fairy godmother' come to our house?"

They were the people who saw Lin Xi every day and knew her best. Gradually, Zhao Qiong and Lin Yi realized that their daughter seemed to have become a different person—

She has become very sensible and excellent. Although she seems to be doing well, she is no longer the same girl who would make some small mistakes but would not cause her parents any worry.

She remained silent.

Lin Xi didn't know what topics she used to talk about with her parents at this age, and after so many years of not seeing them, she didn't know what to say.

The saying "the closer one gets to home, the more timid one becomes" probably describes this feeling.

On this day, Lin Xi graduated from elementary school.

Lin Yi came home a little late from get off work, carrying a pretty cardboard box.

The taciturn man opened the cardboard box, took out the contents, and placed them together with the food Lin Xi had prepared.

It was a cake, and the cartoon character on it was Xiang Xin's favorite character.

This cake was the same as the one Lu Wei had bought casually before, but Lin Yi's was bigger. He noticed that Lin Xi had accepted that cake that day and assumed his daughter liked it, but he didn't want her to accept a gift from someone else, so he bought a similar but bigger cake for himself.

It was ostensibly to celebrate Lin Xi's elementary school graduation.

But Lin Xi's parents didn't have this sense of ritual in their memories.

Sure enough, after dinner, Zhao Qiong chatted with Lin Xi again, saying earnestly, "Xiao Xi, your father and I scolded you harshly last time. But it was for your own good, so please don't be angry with us. Your father and we still hope you can be happier."

Don't suddenly become so sensible.

Being too sensible can be overwhelming and cause some concern.

I never knew my family could care for me so deeply.

-

The truancy incident caused Lin Yi and Zhao Qiong a lot of worry, and they paid special attention to Lin Xi for a period of time.

However, Lin Xi did not exhibit any other inappropriate behavior; on the contrary, she became even better.

She got every test paper right, and every time she came home, the house was cleaned and the prepared food was laid out on the table. Her cooking skills were even better than theirs.

Although things have improved overall, Lin Xi, who is now mature and sensible, is still somewhat unfamiliar to her parents.

Lin Xi would use her allowance to buy many profound books, but she would also buy anything that children her age liked, which Lin Yi and Zhao Qiong specially bought for them.

Only when facing her parents does Lin Xi behave and act like their child.

Lin Xi started working out and practicing Sanda (Chinese kickboxing).

A young body has greater vitality and plasticity, and all the skills and experience are in the mind. What needs to be done now is to train this body and integrate the skills into it.

Lin Xi would go to the gym with Lu Wei during her online time and watch the latest anime series with Xiang Xin.

She used to talk to people her age, but the world of anime, which she had never been involved in before, seemed quite interesting. She also unexpectedly learned that Lu Wei had watched those shonen manga when he was young, so he could understand Xiang Xin.

Lin Xi seems to have truly grown up all over again.

Growing up is a process that cannot be fast-forwarded. Lin Xi improves herself while slowly picking up where she lost in life.