Chapter 8 008 Naming
Xu Chuyao nestled tightly in her mother's arms, clinging to Bao Qiujuan's arm and refusing to let go, afraid that if she let go, her mother would leave her.
Although she is only in first grade and still young, everything that happened in the movie theater last night has given her a vague understanding of death.
Those horrific images still haunt her mind, refusing to leave.
She was the first to notice that the little boy sitting next to her had fainted.
Just then, she was about to remind her younger brother's mother that something seemed wrong with him, but before she could say anything, her brother suddenly woke up.
When the little brother woke up, his eyes were vacant, and he had lost his usual liveliness and cuteness. Instead, he bared his teeth and pounced on her, trying to bite her.
Recalling that moment, Xu Chuyao couldn't help but shudder.
She almost turned into a monster like her little brother, one who only wanted to bite people.
"Yaoyao, don't be afraid, it's alright now."
Bao Qiujuan gently stroked Xu Chuyao's hair, her voice gentle but unable to hide her exhaustion.
Xu Chuyao could feel her mother's hands trembling as she held her; she knew her mother was also afraid.
In the theater, the little boy's mother noticed his abnormality and reached out to stop him, but was bitten on the palm and eventually turned into a monster just like her little boy.
She didn't want to become a monster, nor did she want her mother and mother to become monsters.
Xu Chuyao buried her head in her mother's arms, smelling her mother's scent, seeking a sense of security.
Hearing her sister tell their mother that if they wanted to thank someone, they should thank her, Xu Chuyao looked up in confusion.
She didn't help at all, so why should her sister ask her mother to thank her?
Xu Luo was equally puzzled, but she wasn't one to mince words, so she asked directly, "Can I ask what the reason is?"
Chi Yingdong did not answer immediately, but instead looked down at the kitten on her chest that was listening attentively to their conversation.
After being discovered to be able to understand human speech, Meng Qinghe made no attempt to pretend. Sensing that Chi Yingdong was watching her, she stuck out a small part of her tongue and acted cute.
Chi Yingdong was amused, but he still had to ask the questions that needed to be asked.
Noticing Chi Yingdong's actions, Xu Luo had a bold guess.
Xu Luo had always known that her child liked small animals, so could it be related to this cat?
Sure enough, she heard Chi Yingdong ask, "Does your daughter like cats?"
When Xu Luo mentioned her daughter, her expression softened instantly.
“She likes cats, but her mother is afraid of them, so she doesn’t keep one. However, there are quite a few stray cats downstairs in our community, and I often take her there to feed them.”
Chi Yingdong nodded, then dropped a bombshell. "Your daughter has awakened a supernatural ability."
She paused briefly, as if organizing her thoughts, to describe it: "It's like having the ability to understand what pets are saying."
"Superpowers?"
Xu Luo was surprised and repeated.
Her work brought her into contact with many people, and she had heard that there was a group of people in China with special abilities who solved some unusual events for the country.
During her teenage years, she also fantasized about what kind of superpower she would gain in the future.
But she never imagined that her daughter would become one of these people, and for a moment she didn't know whether to be happy or worried.
"Was your ability to conjure ice crystals out of thin air also a kind of superpower?" Xu Luo asked.
Chi Yingdong replied succinctly, "Yes."
Xu Luo's feelings were extremely complicated.
She was both proud of her daughter's awakening of superpowers and deeply worried about her safety.
Social expectation theory suggests that as a person gains more ability, society's expectations of them increase, thus requiring them to assume more responsibility.
As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility.
But her daughter is still so young!
Xu Luo suddenly remembered that besides her family of three and Chi Yingdong, the twin brothers were also present.
Her gaze instantly sharpened as she looked in the direction of the twin brothers.
Fortunately, the two people were sensible and found a place to rest far away from them, so they didn't hear their conversation.
Chi Yingdong noticed the fleeting murderous intent in Xu Luo's eyes, but said nothing.
"Yao Yao." Xu Luo waved to Xu Chu Yao, signaling her to come over.
Hearing her mother's call, Xu Chuyao, though reluctant to leave her mother's embrace, obediently stood up and walked to her mother's side.
Xu Luo crouched down, looked Xu Chuyao in the eye, and asked softly, "You can understand what small animals are saying, right?"
Xu Chuyao nodded; she was also curious about her new ability.
"Was it that you could understand it before, or is it only today?" Xu Luo pressed.
Xu Chuyao blinked and answered seriously, "It's right in front of me, I can suddenly hear it."
Having confirmed the existence of his superpower with his daughter, Xu Luo's thoughts immediately raced.
Everything that happened today was too bizarre.
She thought of the zombies in the movie theater and had a vague idea in her mind.
"Are all those monsters outside...?"
Xu Luo still clung to a sliver of hope, hoping things weren't so bad.
"Yes." Chi Yingdong's answer ruthlessly shattered her illusions.
Having received an affirmative answer, Xu Luo's gaze fell on Xu Chuyao again, his eyes filled with worry.
As a mother, my first thought is always my child's safety.
After a moment of silence, Xu Luo spoke again: "How much do you know about these monsters? Can you tell me in detail?"
Chi Yingdong wanted to befriend Xu Luo, so he patiently explained things to her.
"The moon suddenly turned red last night, and these zombies appeared after the red moon. Not only in our country, but all over the world, people have turned into zombies. Some experts speculate that it is caused by changes in the world's matter."
“Some people say this is the beginning of the apocalypse,” Chi Yingdong said in a heavy tone. “But the world has also left people with a glimmer of hope.”
"Some people will awaken superpowers, but the timing and type of superpower are unpredictable. Superpower levels can be increased, but whether zombies will evolve, and whether they will awaken superpowers after evolution, is currently unclear."
Xu Luo listened quietly, her heart filled with a mixture of worry and anxiety.
She knew that the world had completely changed, and she and her family had to find a way to survive in this apocalypse.
The most pressing question is: with zombies everywhere outside, is it even possible to go home?
Is she capable of getting her wife and daughter home safely?
Xu Luo knew that she didn't have it, at least not yet.
At the same time, she also knew that Chi Yingdong was very strong, and if she could team up with him, her family's safety in the apocalypse would increase significantly.
As for why Chi Yingdong took action, she also figured it out.
Chi Yingdong loves her cat very much, and therefore values her daughter's ability to understand cat language.
Perhaps she can take advantage of this.
Xu Luo asked, "There are zombies outside, what are your plans?"
Chi Yingdong didn't dislike Xu Luo's petty thoughts; on the contrary, she enjoyed communicating with intelligent people.
However, she currently only intends to befriend Xu Luo and does not fully trust her, so she does not plan to reveal many things.
Chi Yingdong: "I haven't decided yet. We'll see if any other dangers arise later."
Hearing Chi Yingdong say this, Xu Luo struggled with how to bring up the topic of being in the same industry.
Chi Yingdong spoke first, casually saying, "I don't have time to take you back, but I have an empty apartment in the neighborhood where I live now, you can stay there temporarily."
The surprise came so suddenly that Xu Luo was stunned by the impact.
Xu Luo, ever the opportunist, flattered, "Wouldn't that be too much trouble for you?"
Chi Yingdong glanced at her, and Xu Luo immediately shushed him. The other party wasn't one for polite formalities; they shouldn't make things worse.
Since it was inconvenient to receive supplies with Xu Luo's family, Chi Yingdong planned to take them back to the 19th floor first.
Although the twin brothers were some distance away from them, they had been keeping an eye on them. When they saw that the twins were about to leave, they immediately went up to say goodbye.
"Our parents are waiting for us to go back home, so we won't be going with you anymore."
Xu Luo wanted to remind the two that it was not safe outside and they should not act alone.
Seeing that Chi Yingdong didn't react at all, she knew she couldn't help the twin brothers, so she fell silent.
Xu Luo gently reminded them, "There are probably still zombies outside, so please be careful on the road."
The twin brothers nodded, lifted their feet and walked away, taking the same path as the young couple ahead.
In response, Chi Yingdong chose the opposite path, not wanting to clash with them again.
Xu Luo made it safely down to the first floor, keeping an eye on the situation on each floor the whole way.
She noticed that every floor was empty, with all the goods on the shelves gone. She guessed that it was related to Chi Yingdong, and decided to lead her family to cling to Chi Yingdong's coattails.
Chi Yingdong, with his sharp ears, heard a familiar voice.
It was the voice of the girl who called for her to stop at the front.
The screams were filled with intense fear; it seemed the two had encountered zombies as soon as they left the mall and had to retreat back inside.
Although the specifics are unclear, judging from the emotion in his voice, it must be worse than before.
Xu Luo also heard the sound and gripped his weapon, ready to fight.
Chi Yingdong noticed the emergency exit out of the corner of his eye, patted Xu Luo on the shoulder, and pointed to the right front.
Xu Luo understood.
The four of them went down to the parking lot, and Xu Luo remembered that her car was parked nearby.
Xu Luo's car was an SUV. Bao Qiujuan wanted to give the passenger seat to Chi Yingdong, but Chi Yingdong refused.
Xu Chuyao looked at the kitten expectantly, wanting to chat with it. The kitten had asked her what her name was earlier, but she hadn't told it yet.
"Kitty, my name is Xu Chuyao, what's your name?"
Meng Qinghe had been in this world for so long, and this was the first time she hadn't worn the annoying seatbelt while riding in a car. She was in a good mood and started chatting with the kitten.
"Meow meow meow meow".
I don't have a name yet; my owner hasn't given me one.
"Huh?" Xu Chuyao looked at Chi Yingdong angrily, "Sister, why didn't you name the cat?"
In fact, Meng Qinghe had wronged Chi Yingdong.
Adhering to the principle of autonomy, Chi Yingdong had previously selected several names and written them on slips of paper, wanting the cat to choose one.
As a result, the cat didn't choose any of them, which is why it was delayed.
Chi Yingdong found a comfortable position and said lazily, "Then help me ask my kitten what name she wants."
You can choose your own name, and Meng Qinghe immediately started meowing.
Little Xu Chuyao helped pass on a message: "Maomao said she wants to be called Qinghe."
Chi Yingdong readily agreed, "Okay, then that's her name from now on."
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