77 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

The moment Kai Zi brought people over, and when they saw the state I was in, they would insult my parents and demand points. If we didn’t comply, they’d resort to violence. The wound on Dad’s left cheek still hasn’t healed. I’ve been nothing but a burden to them.” As Jiang Wan Ning recounted her woes, her sobs only grew more heart-wrenching, as though she was unloading all her grievances in a dream to her sister. The people inside the tent were also paying attention to Chen Wan and the others. Two who had been resting left the tent midway through, and others returned one after another, puzzled by the commotion on Jiang Wan Ning's side. Jiang Yan Xin held her sister tightly. On her way, she had expected her sister to be suffering, and she had even prepared for the possibility of not finding them. However, seeing her sister like this still made her heart ache, as if being torn apart. Chen Wan and the others clenched their fists upon hearing Jiang Wan Ning’s ordeal, especially Qin Ke, whose thoughts drifted to her own experiences with Yan Yan. Those who forced others into submission didn’t deserve to be called human; they were nothing but beasts. Seeing Jiang Wan Ning still somewhat disoriented, Chen Wan leaned over and felt her forehead, finding it burning hot. Quickly, Chen Wan retrieved the two backpacks she had been carrying. She had packed her own with basic medicines, including fever reducers. She found the medication, gently tapped Jiang Yan Xin's back, and softly said, “Yan Xin, Wan Ning has a fever and isn’t in good condition. Let’s have her take some medicine first to avoid any complications from the fever.” After all, high fevers could lead to damage to the ears or brain, which wasn’t uncommon. “Oh, right, right. Wan Ning, listen to your sister and take the medicine first.” Jiang Yan Xin gently pushed her sister slightly away from her embrace. Chen Wan had the pills and water ready and handed them over. Jiang Wan Ning sniffled, looked at Chen Wan with weary eyes, and attempted a strained smile. Despite the tears in her eyes, she said, “This must be a dream. You were all going to divorce. How could you still be together? This dream is too realistic; even needing to take medicine.” Caught in a feverish haze, Jiang Wan Ning was struggling to distinguish between dreams and reality, speaking incoherently. “Okay, whether it’s a dream or not, just take the medicine first, like a good girl.” Jiang Yan Xin offered the medicine to her sister. Jiang Wan Ning obediently took the pill in her hand. She held it in her mouth without grabbing the bottled water from Jiang Yan Xin's hand, her face contorting from the bitter taste. Only after a while did she take a few sips of water and swallow the fever-reducing pill. She looked at Jiang Yan Xin with a sense of grievance, “Sis, why do the medicines in dreams taste bitter? This dream is too real, but it's good. I can have one last good look at you before I leave.” After saying this, Jiang Wan Ning hugged Jiang Yan Xin and broke into more tears. Jiang Yan Xin comforted her for a long time. Due to Jiang Wan Ning's weak physical state, she soon drifted off to sleep. Chen Wan took out two men's jackets from her backpack, covering Jiang Wan Ning, and handed a tissue to Jiang Yan Xin to wipe away her tear-stained face, softly coaxing, “Don’t cry. Wan Ning is okay. We’re not too late. Let her sleep well, and she’ll sweat out the fever. As for her allergies, I'll go and see if we can trade some points for allergy medicine. Oh, and we’ll need to watch her closely this time, no more jerky for her.” Jiang Yan Xin, resting against Chen Wan’s shoulder, let her friend gently wipe her face. Qin Ke and Yi Yi padded their seats with clothes and sat down in the tent. The tent gradually filled with whispers, and an elderly woman lying in the middle, noticing they indeed seemed like a family, hesitated before advising Chen Wan and the others, “Young ladies, you might want to leave the base. It’s not safe here.” Chen Wan glanced at the old lady and thanked her, “Thank you for the warning. Once we find my parents, we’ll leave. Do you know where they’re working by any chance?” “It’s hard to say with the cargo handling, no fixed place. The washing area is deeper inside the base, by the river. You’d better wait here. It’s getting late, they should be back soon,” the old woman suggested. “Alright, we’ll wait here for a bit.” Chen Wan quickly thanked her. Yi Yi handed the cub she was holding to Qin Ke and smiled at Chen Wan, saying, “I’ll go trade for the allergy medicine, and you all stay here to keep watch.” Chen Wan nodded, unable to leave the tent to exchange for the allergy medicine. Among them, aside from herself, Yi Yi was the next most competent, comparable in level to their RV system. After all, zombies were only level one, while their system was already level three. Chen Wan hadn’t even seen Yi Yi in action yet. “Be careful, Yi Yi,” Chen Wan couldn’t help but remind. Yi Yi chuckled, “Don’t worry. I finally get to talk more; nothing’s going to happen.” After Yi Yi left, the tent fell quiet for a while before whispers resumed. “Oh dear, Jiang Wan Ning seems to have crossed paths with Kai Zi and his gang. And with looks like theirs, they’re bound to be targets, aren’t they?” a short-haired female alpha murmured with her companion. “I heard a few fearsome women arrived at the base today. They were all over six feet tall and built like tanks. They took out Erhu’s crew. Could it be them?” a bald male alpha chimed in. “Nonsense, look at them. Frail as they are, none of them is six feet. Those two alphas are barely 5’7”. No way it’s them,” the short-haired alpha woman promptly dismissed the idea. “Well, they’re in trouble then. Kai Zi has seven guys, plus backing from big shots in District A,” a buzz-cut beta quietly chimed in. “Right, Kai Zi is just relying on those big shots. I heard he specifically supplies new prey for that guy in District A. None of the men and women he sends over ever come back alive,” the short-haired alpha whispered, only heard by her companions. “Doomed again. When will this never-ending cycle end? I thought living in the base would mean peaceful, stable days like before,” the bald man lamented. “But it’s got nothing to do with us. We’re not standouts; blend us into a crowd, and you’d lose us. As long as we don’t cause trouble, staying in the base is much better than being outside. At least there’s no worry about zombies,” the short-haired alpha reflected, relieved even, at her plain looks—a blessing in disguise in these harsh times. Chen Wan and the others rested and waited for Yi Yi’s return, with Jiang Yan Xin periodically using a short-sleeve shirt as a towel, wetting it with water and wiping Jiang Wan Ning’s face. Chen Wan watched on, unaware of how rumors were inflating the situation. By afternoon, the morning incident had twisted into a tall tale around the base, claiming Chen Wan and her group were all over six feet tall and could knock people out with one punch. Even the cub was rumored to be a little powerhouse, muscular and daunting. Yet, despite the wildness of the rumors, some found them believable. After all, the embellished version of a weak group taking down Erhu’s team was far easier for people to handle. However, regardless of how things spread, Chen Wan didn’t care as long as she found her parents and could leave promptly after some rest. Elsewhere, Yi Yi ventured out with points in her pocket, casually inquiring a nearby female alpha about the way to the medicine exchange point, “Excuse me, can you tell me how to get to the medicine exchange area?” The long-haired alpha with a ponytail was caught off guard, flustered by Yi Yi's approach, and stammeringly replied, “Just go straight, then take the first corridor to your left. It’s on the ground floor of that building.” Yi Yi gave her a smile, “Thank you!” The woman hadn’t expected Yi Yi to merely ask for directions. She had imagined a romantic encounter, only to realize she was overthinking it. Watching Yi Yi walk toward the exchange point, the woman felt a pang of concern. In a place as chaotic as the base, beautiful women and male omegas rarely met good fates. Unaware of others’ thoughts, Yi Yi, though an android, also disliked the oppressive base. If not for her host, she would never have come here. Often, human maltreatment of their kind could surpass that of zombies. Upon reaching the exchange point, Yi Yi noticed a group of men, both alphas and betas, following her, clearly with bad intentions. Inside, the exchange point staff, all alphas, were surprised to see Yi Yi come alone to trade. A male alpha glanced outside and, in a mechanical tone, asked, “What do you want to exchange?” “I’d like some allergy medicine. How many points do I need?” Yi Yi asked, unfazed by the staff’s indifference, still smiling. After all, being stuck in the system for too long herself, she understood how tedious their jobs must have become, just like her own endless monotony inside the system. The male alpha glanced at her, maintaining his robotic demeanor as he spoke, “One box of loratadine is 10 points.” “Alright.” Yi Yi handed a 10-point voucher to the man, who then gave her the medicine. In these exchange points, goods were only given after points were received, due to the unreliability within the base. Of course, robbing an exchange point was a serious crime, warranting imprisonment in the base's dedicated jail. As Yi Yi took the medicine and was about to leave, the man, while organizing items at hand, softly advised her in his monotonous voice, “Best wait for your family or friends to come fetch you. Don’t look back; you’re likely being watched.” Incidents of people being targeted for coming to buy things alone were plentiful, especially for someone as striking as Yi Yi. The staff working there witnessed numerous robbery attempts daily. Some took action right outside the doors, and others on the road, leading most to come in groups for exchanges. Few dared to come alone. Yi Yi chuckled softly, shaking the medicine box as she walked out, dismissing his concern with, “Thanks, but it's fine.” Then, as if oblivious to the five men by the entrance, she walked straight ahead.