Chapter 72 Mother, have mercy!
Xu Zhili's body stiffened slightly, a subtle movement that was almost imperceptible to others.
Those days of surviving alone in the apocalypse were truly filled with hardship.
With no friends to support each other and no relatives to comfort me, every day of survival felt like a lonely struggle in the dark. Living seemed to have lost too much meaning, leaving only a numb continuation.
She buried her face in her mother's warm neck, greedily absorbing this real sense of security. Her voice was muffled, with a hint of vulnerability that was barely perceptible: "It's all over, Mom. I'm used to being alone... It's just that I miss you so much. Whenever I felt like I couldn't go on, I would think that Mom must be waiting for me somewhere... Now, I've finally found you."
Xu Nuoyan's tears fell silently as she hugged her daughter tightly, as if she wanted to meld her into her very bones and blood to make up for the decades that had been lost.
"It's all in the past, my darling. I swear, in this life, I will never leave you again. If anyone dares to touch a single hair on your head, I will fight them to the death!" The ferocity of this post-apocalyptic mother was on full display at this moment.
Xu Zhili raised her head, her face no longer showing any vulnerability. She hugged her mother back and whispered a promise that was both soft and incredibly solemn: "Yes, Mom, we will never be apart again. In this life, it's my turn to protect you. We will be fine, better than anyone else."
In the shadow of the haystack, the figures of the mother and daughter embracing each other appeared exceptionally resilient in the cold wind.
The mental shield is like a warm cocoon, enveloping the family ties they had lost and regained.
Hardship is just the beginning; their journey to the stars and the sea is quietly beginning from the deepest darkness.
The pale moonlight outlined the silhouettes of the ruins.
Xu Nuoyan, wrapped in a patched old blanket, warily scanned the darkness.
Xu Zhili stood a few steps away, with her sturdy "new home" not far behind her, its lights shining like a vigilant eye in the darkness.
Xu Zhili's voice carried a hint of deliberately suppressed excitement, and her eyes shone exceptionally bright in the shadows.
"Mom, don't you really want to see your precious son An'an? An'an is so well-behaved now, but his little face is so pale. Once I take good care of him, he'll be fine."
As she spoke, she moved closer to her mother, reached out and hugged her arm, gently nuzzled against it, and took a small step forward.
At this moment, she had a seemingly casual smile on her lips, her eyes fixed on her mother, wanting to see her every move, not wanting to miss even the smallest reaction.
She was filled with curiosity and eager to know how a mother would react when she had a child who was her own flesh and blood.
"Oh, then son, it's fine if you don't want to see him." Xu Nuoyan said, but her gaze lingered tenderly on Xu Zhili's face, as if she couldn't get enough of looking at her.
"Huh? Why?" Xu Zhili blinked, leaning closer with a hint of coquettish confusion.
“Silly girl,” Xu Nuoyan reached out, instinctively trying to brush away any stray hairs that might not even be there from her forehead, his fingertips filled with affection, “It’s so late already, and our son can’t run away. We can see him anytime we want. But you…”
She paused, a hint of barely perceptible pity in her eyes, "Running out so late at night, aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"
Xu Zhili caught the concern in her mother's eyes, and her heart warmed. She smiled and took Xu Nuoyan's arm, shaking it gently: "Mom, you suddenly find that you have another flesh and blood. Aren't you surprised? Aren't you happy?"
She deliberately used an exaggerated tone to try and lighten the mood.
"You naughty pear!" Xu Nuoyan feigned anger, but a smile appeared in her eyes. She pretended to pinch her cheek. "You dare to make fun of your mother, huh?" As she spoke, she gently pinched Xu Zhili's earlobe and twisted it symbolically.
"Ouch! Mom! Mom! It hurts!" Xu Zhili exaggeratedly shrank her neck, leaning her head on her mother's shoulder, pleading in a sticky voice, "Mother, please have mercy! I'll never do it again! Really, my ear is going to fall off!"
Xu Nuoyan felt the familiar weight and warmth of her daughter, and the force in her hands had long since turned into a gentle caress.
Their eyes met, and seeing their own smiling faces reflected in each other's eyes, a long-lost intimacy instantly welled up in their hearts, and they couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Such lighthearted and uninhibited playfulness was an ordinary part of their daily life before the apocalypse.
Xu Zhili rubbed her ear, which didn't actually hurt at all, and deliberately took a small step to the side. The smile on her lips was like a blooming pear blossom: "Mom, you're too rough. If you keep twisting it, my ear will really become a protruding ear. How am I going to find a boyfriend in the future?"
Xu Nuoyan rolled her eyes at her, her eyes filled with the pride of "my daughter is the most beautiful in the world," but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to touch her.
She gently patted Xu Zhili's back, with a hint of urging and reluctance: "Stop being so talkative, go back now. Your little brother just arrived at his new home. When he wakes up and can't find his sister, he'll cry."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the faint outline of their new home in the distance with a complex expression. Her tone softened, carrying a hint of barely perceptible worry and tenderness.
“You silly child, why did you build your new home here… It’s noisy, dirty, and smelly. Don’t disturb your peace. Go back now. An’an must be worried after being away for so long.”
"Okay, Mom."
Xu Zhili nodded vigorously, stepped forward, opened her arms and gave Xu Nuoyan a brief but tight hug, her voice muffled against her mother's familiar shoulder, "I'm so happy to see you again, Mom."
Xu Nuoyan's body stiffened visibly for a moment, then relaxed, and he awkwardly but gently patted his daughter's back twice.
Feeling her daughter loosen her grip, she turned around and whispered, "Mom too." Her voice was soft, but it carried a heavy weight.
She didn't turn around, but with her back to her daughter, she slightly raised her hand, as if saying goodbye, or as if she was trying to hold back something.
Xu Zhili looked at her mother's somewhat stubborn and lonely back, her nose tingled slightly, then she smiled warmly, turned around, and walked briskly toward the lights of her new home.
Xu Zhili's new home.
She caught a glimpse of the curtain in the inner room moving slightly out of the corner of her eye. Xu Zhili's heart tightened, and she quickly tiptoed over. Sure enough, she saw a small head timidly peeking out from behind the door, with a head of soft, fluffy hair from sleeping. It was her younger brother, Xu Zhian, who had just turned six.
His little face still bore traces of wet tears, and his big eyes were filled with unease.
"elder sister……"
The little one rubbed his eyes, his voice heavy with sleepiness and still tinged with the babyishness of someone who had just cried, his little mouth pouting in grievance, "I... couldn't find my sister just now."
He reached out his little hand and instinctively tried to grab Xu Zhili's clothes, as if afraid she would disappear again in the next second.
Xu Zhili's heart melted instantly, and she quickly squatted down, opened her arms, and hugged him tightly.
The little one immediately clung to her like a fledgling returning to its nest, wrapping its little arms tightly around her neck, burying its face in the crook of her neck, and still sobbing softly.
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