Chapter 17 017 An Act for Her
"Knock knock knock—"
The urgent knocking interrupted Chi Yingdong's thoughts.
She put down her chopsticks and hurried towards the door.
Xu Luo was standing outside the door, but her condition was clearly not right.
His face was as pale as paper, and his cuffs were stained with suspicious brown bloodstains, which stood out starkly against the light-colored fabric.
"You're injured." Chi Yingdong frowned slightly. "What happened?"
When asked what happened, Xu Luo's expression darkened, his thin lips pressed into a line, and he said in a low voice, "When I went back, there was a group of people guarding the stairwell on the 19th floor."
Upon hearing this, Chi Yingdong's expression immediately turned serious, for this was something that had never happened in his previous life.
"When I walked past them, they ignored me, so I thought they weren't coming for me."
Xu Luo spoke faster and faster, "As soon as I opened the door, they surrounded me."
Chi Yingdong immediately understood that these people were after her.
"What did they want to ask you?"
As Chi Yingdong asked, he pondered who it could be.
Xu Luo's voice was a little tight, "They asked me where the original owner went, and I said I didn't know, this house is rented by me."
Chi Yingdong glanced quickly at Xu Luo, his brows furrowed as he pondered the matter. "What do they look like?"
“They were all wearing black masks, so I don’t know what they looked like.” Xu Luo paused, then added, “However, the woman standing at the back has a scar under her eye.”
Although this person was at the very back, they seemed to have little presence.
But Xu Luo had met too many people. With just one glance, she could tell from the aura of a person that this person was not simple, and she remembered their characteristics.
"There's a scar under my eye..."
Chi Yingdong murmured softly, quickly searching for relevant information in his mind.
She had lived in this neighborhood for several years and had never seen anyone with such features before.
On ordinary days, apart from some necessary interactions with security guards, she hardly interacts with anyone, let alone makes enemies.
Chi Yingdong immediately thought of the people who tagged her in the homeowners' group chat.
If it's the same person, then the other party must be a resident of this community.
Did they hurt you?
Chi Yingdong's gaze fell on Xu Luo's blood-stained cuff.
Xu Luo followed Chi Yingdong's gaze to his own cuff, nodded first, and then shook his head.
“They didn’t believe me and insisted on searching the house.” Xu Luo’s voice was tinged with embarrassment. “I stopped them from going in. The woman in the lead might also be a superhuman.”
Xu Luo's Adam's apple bobbed. "That person just pushed me, and I flew straight out and crashed into the glass."
Xu Luo was somewhat embarrassed to speak of being pushed away so easily.
So many days have passed since the apocalypse, and she shows no sign of her superpowers awakening.
She'll probably just be an ordinary person for the rest of her life.
However, during her first encounter with someone with superpowers, she deeply felt the gap between ordinary people and those with superpowers.
She didn't know how long the apocalypse would last, and she feared she wouldn't be able to protect her wife and daughter.
Chi Yingdong was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "After a while, after the zombies upgrade, crystal cores will appear in their brains, and some people can use the crystal cores to awaken their superpowers."
She looked Xu Luo straight in the eye and said, "I can help you."
Xu Luo's eyes lit up instantly, and she looked at Chi Yingdong with surprise, "Really?!"
If she had superpowers, her family of three's chances of survival in the apocalypse would increase significantly.
But the light in her eyes quickly dimmed again.
Xu Luo: "Isn't there a risk?"
“Hmm.” Chi Yingdong responded, “There’s a 50% chance of failing if you try to awaken your ability using a crystal core. You can consider it.”
Xu Luo's expectations lessened somewhat, and hesitantly asked, "What will happen if I fail?"
If failure only means not awakening her superpowers, she's willing to take the gamble; if failure means becoming...
Chi Yingdong's gaze swept quickly over Xu Luo, ruthlessly shattering her fantasy, "Become a zombie."
Xu Luo's body visibly stiffened.
If there's a 50% chance she'll turn into a zombie, would she still take the gamble?
She has a wife and a daughter; she is the pillar of her family.
She dared not place that bet.
But if they don't go down, the memory of being pushed away by a superhuman is still fresh in their minds.
But how long can an ordinary woman like her protect her wife and daughter?
Xu Luo said with difficulty, "Give me some time, I'll think about it some more."
Chi Yingdong nodded in agreement, "Contact me anytime if you need anything."
It will take some time before the zombies level up, and Xu Luo can take his time to consider it during this period.
Chi Yingdong did not intend to tell Xu Luo that he had a way to help her avoid the risk of turning into a zombie.
In the apocalypse, without a strong will, one cannot survive for long, and she did not want to carry a burden on her.
They are allowed to live on the 19th floor now, entirely because of Xu Chuluo.
Xu Luo then remembered the important matter at hand. His gaze swept over the dining table in the room, only to find that his daughter was eating.
Startled, her already pale face turned even whiter. Xu Luo quickly apologized, "I'm late, I'm sorry to have disturbed your meal."
Three days ago, Xu Luo wouldn't have restricted her daughter's meals at any one's house; she could have invited her daughter back afterward or sent her some gifts.
But things are different now. Food is so scarce, and every grain of rice is especially precious.
This morning, when she couldn't find Chi Yingdong, she went out to find food.
She went to the convenience store in the neighborhood, but the store was flooded, and only the items on the top shelf were intact.
She brought them all back, but not many, not even enough for her family of three to eat for a week.
Xu Chuyao was swept by her mother's gaze, and immediately jumped up from the chair like a deer that had done something wrong, and ran quickly towards the door.
Chi Yingdong explained, "I invited her to stay for dinner."
Looking at her daughter's timid eyes, Xu Luo ultimately couldn't bring herself to scold her.
Chi Yingdong opened the door wider and stepped slightly to the side. "Would you like to come in and have something to eat?"
"No, no need," Xu Luo quickly waved his hand in refusal. "I've already eaten something, I'm not hungry yet."
Chi Yingdong did not force her and looked at Xu Chuyao.
Xu Chuyao glanced at the dining table reluctantly, but still obediently took Xu Luo's hand. "Sister, I'm going home now. I'll come back to play with the cat next time."
Chi Yingdong raised his eyes and glanced at the stairwell without making a sound. "I can't finish it all by myself. Let Xu Chuyao stay and help me finish some. I'll take her downstairs later."
Xu Luo felt embarrassed and wanted to refuse again, but then she remembered the result of her previous refusal and finally agreed.
After the meal, Xu Chuyao helped clear the dishes. The little girl stood on tiptoe and neatly stacked the dishes into the dishwasher.
Chi Yingdong pressed the start button, and the dishwasher emitted a slight hum.
"Let's go downstairs." Chi Yingdong picked up the kitten with one hand, closed the door tightly with the other, and led Xu Chuyao toward the fire escape.
The power went out in the community, and the motion-sensor lights in the stairwell stopped turning on in response to footsteps. Considering the child, Chi Yingdong quietly took out a flashlight from his spatial storage and handed it to Xu Luoyao.
Xu Chuyao took the flashlight, and its beam illuminated the path ahead.
Chi Yingdong's fingertips unconsciously stroked the kitten's soft fur.
Someone in the neighborhood harbored ill intentions towards her.
Although she wasn't afraid, the thought of having eyes watching her from the shadows at all times, and that someone occasionally causing trouble, was truly annoying.
I originally thought it would take some effort to find these people, but I didn't expect them to be so impatient.
Chi Yingdong took the fire escape to reach the 20th floor.
Her gaze fell on the ground, and Meng Qinghe followed suit, looking down at the ground as well.
Now that there are elevators going up and down the floors, the fire escape routes are basically never used, and even the property management is too lazy to clean them.
The fire escape route was originally covered with a thick layer of dust, and each step left a footprint.
The steps are now covered with messy footprints, the newest ones still damp with water stains.
"Help! Help me!!"
A heart-wrenching scream suddenly rang out from behind the safety door.
Chi Yingdong paused, turned around, and pushed open the door to the fire escape.
The security door, which is not frequently used, makes a piercing creaking sound when pushed open.
As soon as the door opened, the zombies that had been running desperately to chase the living were immediately attracted by the sound and turned to run towards them.
Chi Yingdong immediately activated his supernatural power, a cold glint flashing from his fingertips.
Meng Qinghe only felt a blur before his eyes, and the zombie had already collapsed to the ground with a small bloody hole between its eyebrows.
The rescued girl stood there, dazed and confused.
The girl stared intently at the zombie corpse, then stumbled back the next moment.
The girl looked quite young, and she was wearing the uniform of the junior high school with the best teachers in their area.
As she approached the zombie corpse, the girl's knees seemed to suddenly lose their support, and she slammed heavily onto the cold floor tiles.
Tears streamed down her dirty face, leaving two clear streaks. She reached out her hand, trembling, but recoiled as if electrocuted just before touching the zombie.
Suppressed sobs echoed in the corridor, like the mournful cry of a wounded animal.
The girl's behavior made it clear at a glance that she had a close relationship with this zombie.
Chi Yingdong had seen too many scenes like this in his previous life, and was already numb to them.
Moreover, this "deep mother-daughter bond" is clearly a carefully prepared trap for her.
The girl sobbed softly.
Chi Yingdong turned around indifferently, gently patted the kitten's back to soothe it.
Xu Chuyao's face turned pale as she forcefully suppressed the discomfort in her stomach.
She secretly glanced at the girl kneeling on the ground, sobbing, her small brows furrowed tightly.
The girl's cries were heart-wrenching, but her trembling hands dared not touch her "mother" who was so close.
Xu Chuyao felt that there was something strange about the scene.
If it were her mother lying on the ground...
Xu Chuyao wondered what she would do. She would definitely hold her mother tightly and not let go. She couldn't bear to see her mother leave her.
The moment the thought crossed her mind, Xu Chuyao hurriedly shook her head.
Xu Chuyao: "Pah, pah, pah."
Her mother wouldn't turn into a monster!
Xu Chuyao spat three times, as if such unlucky words would be nullified.
She finally understood the problem: why the girl was afraid to touch her own mother.
Xu Chuyao followed Chi Yingdong with small, quick steps.
Meng Qinghe leaned on Chi Yingdong's shoulder, looking at the scene from her angle.
The girl who had been crying her heart out immediately stood up and silently followed them as they left.
Meng Qinghe's ears twitched alertly as she watched the girl's every move, torn between telling Chi Yingdong that the girl was following them.
But soon, Meng Qinghe relaxed again.
She recalled the time she hid behind the curtains trying to scare Chi Yingdong.
At that time, she thought she was extremely well hidden and that Chi Yingdong would never be able to find her.
In the end, Chi Yingdong still managed to pinpoint the problem accurately.
Chi Yingdong didn't need her reminder.
A note from the author:
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