75 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Chapter 75: The Spoiled Brat - Bonus Update The boy's grandmother and mother were agitated. The grandmother rushed to help the boy while accusing Chen Wan, "He's just a child. Why argue with him over a simple hug? My grandson isn't disgusted by you, which should be your honor, and yet you dare push him away." Cheng Cheng's grandmother cradled him in her arms, soothing him, oblivious that her grandson was already eight years old. Her reaction was as if he were merely three. Jia Xuan furrowed his brow and glared at Chen Wan. His brother, Jia Long, worried his brother might be at a disadvantage, stepped forward to assist, standing poised behind Jia Xuan, ready to jump in at any moment. Jia Xuan's confidence surged with his brother by his side; they were two male Alphas against two female Alphas. Omegas and the woman holding a child were ignored. They had no clue about the incident at the base entrance earlier; they only assumed Chen Wan and her group had some connection with Hong Mao. Feeling humiliated that his son was bullied, Jia Xuan wanted to reclaim his pride. "I am speaking politely because you're a woman. Apologize to my son, make him feel better, and this matter will end. Otherwise, don't blame me for bullying you," Jia Xuan declared, puffing himself up, clearly underestimating Chen Wan and her companions. Chen Wan chuckled scornfully and, without further ado, swung a punch directly at Jia Xuan’s face. Shockingly, Jia Xuan was sent flying into the crowd inside the tent, crashing onto someone else. Jia Long couldn’t comprehend why his sturdy brother was thrown so effortlessly. In the next moment, his cheek met with searing pain as Chen Wan's punch sent him flying as well. Cheng Cheng, nestled in his grandmother's arms, was frozen in disbelief. Seeing his father and uncle beaten, he didn’t dare cry. Cheng Cheng’s grandmother and mother, seeing their family members tossed by Chen Wan, rushed at her with the fury of a scorned woman. Chen Wan grabbed them both, threw them back into the tent, and they landed heavily on the ground. The previously unruly Cheng Cheng was now too terrified to cry as Chen Wan’s gaze swept over him. Her voice, though not loud, was clear to everyone in the tent: "If you want to pamper your little prince, do it yourself. To me, he's just a trivial brat. We don't want any disturbance. If you wish to stay alive, stay clear. But if anyone is eager to meet their doom, we're ready to oblige." Saying this, Chen Wan hoisted the small brat and tossed him back into their spot inside the tent. Cheng Cheng was so startled and hurt from the fall that he bawled out. The old woman, clearly shocked at Chen Wan's readiness to resort to violence, didn't dare approach again, instead turning to check on her sons with her daughter-in-law. One side of Jia Xuan’s face was already swollen, his mouth half-toothless from Chen Wan's punch, distorting his face like a swollen dough. Jia Long was in a similar state, his mouth bloodied, his jaw askew from the impact. Their family members, fearful yet resentful, silently helped them up and moved them out of the way. "I told you not to provoke them. Look at you both, beaten to a pulp. Is there no justice? My sons, my grandson!" The old woman wailed melodramatically, and Cheng Cheng, emboldened by his grandmother's crying, began to wail as well. Chen Wan didn't understand why these people felt they had a reason to cry. They were clearly the aggressors; if she weren't strong enough, it would have been her group suffering today. They approached under the guise of letting their child play, yet their true intentions were far less innocent. Did they think they could bully her group so easily? Within the tent, others who had grown tired of this family—especially given Cheng Cheng's ability to cause ruckus—felt emboldened now. Usually, living in close quarters meant keeping the peace due to similar power levels among residents. But now, things were different; with two Alphas de-fanged, some felt freer to speak up. The lanky man who had earlier gossiped about Chen Wan’s group was the first to speak: "Stop your wailing. Make that brat of yours quiet down. He never lets anyone get a moment's peace.” “Right, can’t you even manage your own child? Still think it’s just like before the apocalypse?” “Laughable, treating your kid like a prince. Keep causing trouble and you'll have yourselves killed sooner than later." In such a harsh environment, tempers naturally ran high. The comforts people expected didn’t manifest at the base, unlike pre-apocalyptic life. Instead, significant inequality persisted, and many tasks needed to be completed to earn food rations, with military supplies only enough to feed an adult once a day. This situation was unavoidable. Transporting goods was challenging; many soldiers never returned from supply runs. And Fu Nan City's base received a daily influx of new residents needing sustenance. Providing just one meal a day was already quite an achievement. Normally loud-mouthed, the old woman dared not speak up against the snide remarks from others in the tent. Jia Xuan and Jia Long were both in pain, rinsing their mouths while venting their frustrations. Jia Xuan stood up and slapped his wife, spitting with a lisp through his toothless mouth: "I work so hard to feed you all. How do you teach our child? Almost got me killed! Damn, it hurts like hell. Screw you!" He then kicked his wife, who, relying on him for survival, dared not voice her anger. This spectacle amused Chen Wan, who gave a soft snort as the tent fell into silence once again. “Aren’t you impressive, taking your anger out on your wife. If you have a grievance, come at me.” The man dared not respond, slinking down to hide his presence. Observing the tension within the tent, Jiang Yan Xin’s unease intensified. Chen Wan, noticing her concern, softly took her hand and reassured her, “Don’t worry. As soon as we get news, we’ll find them and leave. I don’t like it here either.” “Yes, Chen Wan, I have a bad feeling. I'm scared…” Jiang Yan Xin's voice trailed off, but Chen Wan understood her unspoken fear. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here. No matter what happens, we’ll face it together.” Chen Wan squeezed Jiang Yan Xin’s hand soothingly. Jiang Yan Xin leaned quietly against Chen Wan’s shoulder, overwhelmed by worry. In a place like this, it was hard not to think too much, especially given her sister’s beauty; she was even more anxious. Yi Yi, cuddling Zai Zai, noticed the little one was unusually quiet. She gently jostled him, trying to comfort, “Yang Yang, why aren’t you playing with Auntie today? How about I tell you a story?” Zai Zai lifted his little head slightly, wary of his surroundings, and whispered to Yi Yi, “Auntie, we can’t talk loudly outside. The bad guys will catch us and throw us away.” Yi Yi chuckled softly, reassuring the little one, “I’m here. No one can take you or throw you away. Don’t be afraid. Shall I continue with the little white bunny story?” Tempted by Yi Yi's words, Zai Zai glanced at Chen Wan. Seeing Zai Zai looking at her, Chen Wan smiled warmly at him, “Listen to the story. With Mommy here, our baby has nothing to fear, okay?” Seeing that Mommy still cared for him, still smiled at him, showing no intention of abandoning him, Zai Zai’s small heart finally calmed down, murmuring in his soft voice to Chen Wan, “Okay.” Cuddled by Yi Yi, she started telling the story. Her brain was brimming with tales, and being a talkative sort herself, Zai Zai quickly nestled into her embrace, absorbed in the story. The tent's atmosphere relaxed, and apart from the just-punished family, others resumed their conversations. Around noon, Chen Wan and her group brought out some biscuits and luncheon meat. After a morning of hunger, everyone started eating. When Chen Wan shared out the biscuits, everything seemed fine, but as soon as she opened two cans of luncheon meat, many in the tent couldn’t help but eye her group. “They’re living large. How long has it been since I last tasted meat? The smell is killing me. I’m drooling,” griped the chubby man with a dark face, eyeing his unappealing dry bread. “Yeah, just enjoy the aroma. I heard when I went out to relieve myself that those four women took down Er Hu’s gang at the base entrance earlier,” whispered Cun Tou to his two buddies. “Damn, even Er Hu was bested? Those women know a thing or two,” said the lanky man, swallowing hard, grateful he hadn’t stirred up trouble with them. "Hey, it's not just getting beaten," Cun Tou whispered conspiratorially, his eyes filled with a mix of fear and awe. "They were killed outright—nine of them, not a single one left. They got dragged away right then and there, all by these women. And, I've heard, it was only two of them who actually fought. Hong Mao was so terrified, he ended up kneeling to that woman in the military green shirt. She's not Hong Mao's woman; she's more like his ancestor." The lanky man and the chubby fellow looked incredulous, thinking Cun Tou must be joking. "You've got to be kidding me. How could that be possible? Nine men, most of them Alphas, taken down by two women?" The lanky man shook his head, clearly in disbelief. "It's true. Those thugs were nearly scared to death. Otherwise, with how attractive these women are, do you think they could have gotten away unharmed? Look at that woman in the military green shirt; there's still blood on her," Cun Tou continued. "That's true then. We better behave ourselves, keep quiet and don’t make eye contact," the chubby man hastily added. On Chen Wan's side, Yi Yi symbolically took a piece of the biscuit, though she didn't need to eat. The remaining rations were divided between Chen Wan and Jiang Yan Xin, each taking half a can of luncheon meat, while Qin Ke and Zai Zai shared the other half. The little one, now more at ease in Yi Yi’s embrace, was munching on the luncheon meat contentedly, savoring every bite. Chen Wan's group quickly ate, ready to move at a moment’s notice should anything happen. Meanwhile, after being thoroughly intimidated by Chen Wan, Hong Mao and his three comrades set out to look for help. They started by asking around in Area C but found that no one knew those women. Left with no choice, Hong Mao focused his efforts on Area D, desperately hoping to find more information. After all, that woman was a force of nature, and he certainly couldn't afford to cross her!