74 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Even Hong Mao furrowed his brows. Despite living in District C, they had managed to drive away everyone assigned to their tent due to their gang reputation. As a result, their tent housed only the four of them, making it quite spacious. Fearing he might upset Chen Wan, Hong Mao cautiously glanced at her expression. A slight furrow creased Chen Wan’s brow. Living in such conditions, she worried Cai Cai might fall ill. Yet, wandering from place to place was not a solution. Their primary goal for this visit was to find someone. Once they located that person, they could promptly leave the base. "Hong Mao, where do you and your friends live?" Chen Wan directed her gaze at him. Startled, Hong Mao almost collapsed in a heap. Hearing Chen Wan inquire about their residence, he misinterpreted her intentions as wanting to take over their tent. Nonetheless, he obediently replied, "Sis, we live in Tent 874 in District C. The environment here isn't great. How about you and your friends stay with us instead?" He said this through gritted teeth. They had grown accustomed to their tent, and certainly did not want to give it up, only afraid they might lose their lives otherwise. "That's unnecessary. I have a task for you and your friends," Chen Wan remarked, glancing his way. "Anything you say, Sis. As long as it’s something we can accomplish, we’re at your service," Hong Mao responded with a sycophantic smile. "I need you to discreetly gather information on a few people. If you find out anything, tell me immediately. I'll wait until six this afternoon. If you haven’t found anything by then, I’ll have to have a chat with you and your friends,” Chen Wan said lightly, her gaze floating back to him. Hong Mao swallowed hard, bending over respectfully. "Don't worry, Sis. We'll diligently search and report back to you right away. No funny business, I promise. Just let us know what you need." Chen Wan moved to the side of the tent, beckoning Hong Mao over. In a low voice, she instructed, "The three people are Jiang Zhao Yuan, Ye Lan, and Jiang Wan Ning. Any news about them, report back to me promptly. Understand?" "Understood, Sis. I'll get on it right away," Hong Mao replied with a deferential nod. "Alright, get to it, and remember to be quick," Chen Wan reminded him, prompting Hong Mao to depart. Chen Wan was aware that Hong Mao and his companions were not benevolent individuals, but she had no other choice. In the current chaos of District C and D, finding people was incredibly difficult. It was better to have locals like them assist; they might uncover something faster. She returned to the group of Jiang Yan Xin and the others. Jiang Yan Xin and Qin Ke had cleared a small area at the entrance for them to rest, while Yi Yi held the little one. The little one had lost all energy. Even nestled in Yi Yi's arms, he silently kept his head down. The ground was far from clean. Jiang Yan Xin had taken clothes from the backpacks of the men and laid them on the ground for everyone to sit on. As they sat and rested, the atmosphere within the tent grew heavy. Many people surreptitiously glanced at Chen Wan and her companions, whispering about them. Chen Wan paid them no mind. Their purpose at the base was solely to find people, with no intention of staying. With thirty people crammed into one tent, Chen Wan feared that lingering would lead to disease. Noticing Jiang Yan Xin’s worried expression, Chen Wan reassured her, "Don't worry. I've already sent someone to look. We should hear something soon.” Jiang Yan Xin nodded, though the worry on her face persisted. It was understandable; they had encountered several issues shortly after arriving at the base. It was only due to Chen Wan and her companions' skills that they managed to make it in smoothly. Jiang Yan Xin worried about her parents and sister, all ordinary people, in such a chaotic environment, feeling a growing sense of fear. The conversation within the tent gradually picked up as everyone noticed Chen Wan's group only resting at the entrance. "Hey, do those girls know Hong Mao? Those people aren’t good news," a tall, thin man said to his companions. "Keep it down. It’s none of our business as long as we don't cross paths. We don't want Hong Mao retaliating; they’re not to be trifled with," a buzz-cut man quietly advised. "You know, it's a shame. Two of those women are alphas, yet they’ve ended up with Hong Mao's group right after arriving. Such a waste," a burly man with a dark complexion commented, occasionally stealing glances at Chen Wan’s group. "Ah, forget it. You can dream all you want, but none of those beautiful women would look your way. Don't entertain impossible thoughts or you'll end up regretting it," the buzz-cut man teased, though he too often looked over at Chen Wan's group. On the right side of the tent lived a family of seven or eight, including a seven or eight-year-old boy. The child grew interested upon seeing Cai Cai in Yi Yi's arms. Seeing that Chen Wan's group consisted of women, he gradually became bolder. The boy struggled in his grandmother's embrace, insisting on getting down: "Grandma, I want to play with that kid. Let me down, please." "Don't go there, be good. Those women aren't good people, and that child isn't clean either. Be a good grandson, don't go there. We have plenty of people here to keep you company. What's so special about them?" his grandmother coaxed. But the boy, who was already spoiled, didn't understand the situation. Or maybe he already knew which groups were safe to provoke. You wouldn’t catch him trying to play with any alpha-led squads. "But I want to! I want to play with her, I don't care!" The boy's voice grew sharp as he threw a tantrum. His father intervened, "Mom, let it go. Let Cheng Cheng play if he wants. I’ll take him over." The child's mother shot her husband a glare, snapping, "You just want an excuse to talk to the pretty women, don’t you?" The man glared back, "What nonsense. I bust my back in the base to bring food to the table. If you don't want to starve, keep your mouth shut." His words silenced the woman. As an Omega, she had little means of earning points. Often, she had to wash dirty clothes for those who avoided the chore. Her husband occasionally managed to earn points by transporting military supplies. The family mainly relied on him and his brother for income. That thought left the woman in silence. Cheng Cheng’s grandmother warned again, "We shouldn’t get involved with those women, Jia Xuan. The base is chaotic. We can't afford to offend the likes of Hong Mao." Jia Xuan, the man's name, shrugged dismissively. "Mom, Hong Mao and his gang always have new women. They won't care about them. It’s all just a game to them. Besides, I don't intend to do anything. I'm an alpha, and I'm not interested in other alphas. I'm just letting Cheng Cheng play with that child for a bit." "Jia Xuan, just don’t cause trouble. Let Cheng Cheng play with that child, but really, don't start anything," Cheng Cheng's grandmother insisted. In her arms, the boy grew impatient. "I want to play. I want her to play with me, Grandma!" "Alright, alright, let your father take you," the old woman sighed, placing him on the ground. Cheng Cheng immediately dashed toward Chen Wan’s group. "Cheng Cheng, wait for your father," Jia Xuan called after him, not really intending to stop his son. "Who are you? I want to play with the kid in your arms. Or you can play with me instead," Cheng Cheng declared loudly after scanning Chen Wan’s group. He had grown tired of playing with his grandmother and mother, none as pretty as these ladies. Naturally, he wanted the pretty sisters to entertain him. Yi Yi looked at the boy with a half-smile, marvelling at how human men could be so ordinary yet so self-assured from such a young age. Jia Xuan was captivated by Yi Yi's smile until she looked at him, unimpressed. He quickly tried to straighten the greasy hair he hadn't washed in over a week, attempting to make a good impression before speaking, "Ladies, this is my son, Cheng Cheng. He wanted to come over and play with your child. There aren’t many kids in the base. Perhaps they could play together for a bit. Is your little one a girl? Maybe my son could look out for her as a sister. Right, Cheng Cheng?" "Hurry and let her down so she can play with me. Or you play with me. Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you mute?" Cheng Cheng grew impatient as none of the ladies responded, trying to dive into Chen Wan’s arms, seeking to be held like Cai Cai. "This kid is just playful, but he's quite adorable. He's been fond of pretty sisters since he was small..." Jia Xuan rambled on to Yi Yi. Among the women, he was most taken with Yi Yi. The reason was simple: Chen Wan and Qin Ke were alphas and did not interest him, while Jiang Yan Xin had kept a cold demeanor throughout. Only Yi Yi had been smiling, leading Jia Xuan to presumptively believe that she was interested in him. Chen Wan had already stood up, deftly avoiding the boy, who fell to the ground and immediately burst into tears. "You hurt me! Boo hoo! Daddy, Grandma, she didn’t catch me and I got hurt!" Since arriving at the base, Chen Wan’s mood had been sour. After dealing with two groups of troublemakers, she had wanted nothing more than to wait for Hong Mao’s news quietly. Yet, various bothersome individuals kept approaching. Chen Wan was not one to tolerate nonsense. A child of seven or eight attempting to be picked up without asking was either silly, inherently creepy, or simply spoiled at home. But none of this concerned Chen Wan; her patience had long since run out.