100 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Two more days passed before Zai Zai finally caught sight of her mother and mommy. Having not seen them for several days in a row, Zai Zai was quite upset, choosing to ignore her mother and mommy by lying with her belly up in Jiang Wan Ning's arms, pretending not to see Chen Wan and Jiang Yan Xin. Both had cleaned up nicely, and the scent of pheromones had long dissipated from the room. Yet, a blush still lingered on Jiang Yan Xin's ears. Even though Chen Wan assured her about the soundproofing, Jiang Yan Xin still felt embarrassed. After all, she'd spent three days in bed with Chen Wan, neglecting even to soothe Zai Zai. Jiang Yan Xin wanted to visit her sister to see Zai Zai, but the little one turned her face away, pouting her tiny lips. Chen Wan followed, intrigued by how adorably angry Zai Zai looked, and coaxed gently, "Baby, why aren’t you looking at us? Did you miss mommy and mommy?" "Hmph, you’re bad~ didn’t take me to play. I don’t want to!" Zai Zai's little face remained turned away defiantly, her tiny legs kicking with displeasure. Chen Wan moved closer and pinched Zai Zai's chubby little hand, coaxing her, "Come on, baby, mommy and I are back now to be with you. We really had something urgent these past days. You're our cutest, aren't you? Don't be angry, okay?" Realizing Zai Zai didn’t pull her hand back, Chen Wan sensed hope. She reached out to tickle Zai Zai's tummy, continuing to cajole, "How about I take you for a fly? Fly high and we won't be angry anymore." Zai Zai looked at Chen Wan, wrinkling her little nose without responding. Sensing an opportunity, Chen Wan cautiously lifted her up, tossing her gently in the air and catching her swiftly, making the little one giggle with delight. Chen Wan quickly kissed Zai Zai’s little cheek and continued to cajole, "Mommy missed you so much these days. Didn't our little rascal miss mommy?" Once mommy picked her up, Zai Zai was no longer angry. She nuzzled against Chen Wan's cheek, "Missed mommy~" “Our baby is so affectionate. Your mommy also missed you. Let mommy hold you now,” Chen Wan said as she passed Zai Zai to Jiang Yan Xin. Holding the little one, Jiang Yan Xin rocked her gently. Indeed, she missed the little one dearly after days apart and kissed Zai Zai's tiny face, teasing softly, "You learned to be angry after a few days, huh? So dear." "Missed mommy~" Zai Zai responded in her baby voice, snuggling her face against Jiang Yan Xin and observing her intently with wide eyes. Then she noticed the little "strawberries" on mommy’s neck. Letting out a little “ya,” Zai Zai pointed with a chubby finger and asked with concern, "Mommy, what's that red on your neck?" Jiang Yan Xin coughed lightly, her ears turning red once again. What else could it be? Chen Wan's love marks, of course. Despite cautioning Chen Wan not to leave such obvious marks, they were there, and with no foundation or concealer in the apocalypse, she had no choice but to bear them openly. Faced with Zai Zai's question, Jiang Yan Xin quickly made up an explanation, "Ah, mommy got bitten by naughty mosquitoes. It'll be fine in a few days." Ye Lan and Jiang Zhao Yuan quickly averted their eyes, having caught a glimpse of their daughter's neck. Do young people face such intense susceptibility periods nowadays? Nonetheless, it indicated a strong bond between Chen Wan and their daughter, putting Ye Lan's mind at ease. Hearing that mommy got bitten by mosquitoes, Zai Zai immediately shook her tiny fists indignantly, "I'll help mommy get the bad mosquitoes!" Jiang Yan Xin teased, glancing affectionately at Chen Wan, "Alright, we’ll rely on our Yang Yang to get the mosquitoes for mommy, okay?" "Okay!" Excited, Zai Zai waved her little fists. Chen Wan, feeling wronged, blinked at Jiang Yan Xin. Wasn’t she just trying to make her wife comfortable? How did she become a "bad mosquito"? When Chen Wan and Jiang Yan Xin emerged from their room, it was already past six in the evening. Everyone planned to set off for Funan University the next morning, as they needed to allow Chen Wan some time to recover. The susceptibility period was challenging for both alphas and omegas. While eating, Chen Wan pondered about the sleeping arrangements that night. She planned to ask Yi Yi if they could add a small bed for Zai Zai in their room. After all, being three and a half, Zai Zai was ready to learn to sleep alone. Seeing mommy look her way, Zai Zai smiled back, blissfully unaware of mommy's secret plan to get her to sleep by herself. Later, when Jiang Yan Xin was telling Zai Zai a story, Chen Wan mischievously fidgeted behind her, disrupting Jiang Yan Xin’s narration several times. Glaring over her shoulder, Jiang Yan Xin succeeded in making Chen Wan behave and listen to the story with Zai Zai, though she still couldn't resist occasionally poking Jiang Yan Xin. Probably due to the disrupted rest over the past few days, Chen Wan, who had plans for after Zai Zai fell asleep, ended up dozing off even before Zai Zai. After putting Zai Zai to sleep and tucking her in, Jiang Yan Xin noticed Chen Wan asleep beside her. No wonder Chen Wan had stayed so quiet—the unexpected slumber had caught up with her. Chen Wan might’ve picked up some naughtiness from her during the susceptibility period, but Jiang Yan Xin found herself fond of her mischievous wife nonetheless. Early the next morning, everyone arose earlier than usual, especially Qin Ke, who was up just past five. The trip to Funan University was crucial to her, and it had been on her mind even as she slept, hoping for smooth proceedings that day. Around six, Chen Wan carried a still-drowsy Zai Zai to freshen up, coaxing her with promises of beef buns for breakfast, which managed to cheer the little one up. The beef buns had been prepared by Ye Lan and Jiang Zhao Yuan along with others, concerned that everyone might grow tired of constant noodles. They happened to have enough flour in their compressed supplies, so they made dumplings to store in the fridge for convenient breakfast steaming. Zai Zai, perched on the sofa, only opened her sleepy eyes upon smelling the savory buns, her small mouth eagerly munching, rousing her bit by bit. Finishing her bun, Chen Wan thoughtfully said, "When we head to Funan University to get the supplies later, I’d like mom, dad, and Wan Ning to stay in the vehicle with Yang Yang. Zombies have evolved to level 2 by now, making it particularly dangerous. Just the four of us can handle it; Yan Xin could be near her breakthrough with her abilities. Let's see if this trip activates her power. It's a challenging mission, so everyone, please stay safe." "Alright." Jiang Yan Xin nodded. She was eager to discover what her powers truly were. Seeing Wan Ning looking a bit downcast, Chen Wan hurried to reassure her, "Wan Ning, you take a few days to replenish your body with crystals. When we return, Yi Yi will teach you how to handle a gun, and then you can join us on missions. This time, it’s all too sudden with no time to teach you properly." "Mm, I understand, Sister Chen Wan. Please take care of my sister." The young girl nodded, eager to become as impressive as the others. But Sister Chen Wan had promised to teach her gun skills upon their return, and then she would be able to help contribute. "Rest assured," Chen Wan assured her with a smile. After breakfast, everyone quickly tidied up. Realizing they couldn't offer much help with Chen Wan’s mission, Ye Lan and Jiang Zhao Yuan took on washing all the dishes and pots. Jiang Wan Ning looked after Zai Zai. Chen Wan retrieved the weapons needed for this outing. Each of the four carried two handguns and a bag of ammunition, allowing Qin Ke an extra bag for her specific ability. Alongside these, each was equipped with a machete for close combat; Qin Ke also had a rifle strapped on her back, with ample rifle ammo among her gear. Their equipment seemed well-prepared. Turning to Yi Yi, Chen Wan asked, "Where exactly is the lab we're targeting? And which floor?" Yi Yi quickly checked the information about their objective, responding to Chen Wan, "The bionic biology lab we're looking for is on the sixth floor of Diligence Building at Funan University. It's a tall building, and we can expect there to be no shortage of zombies on campus. Everyone should be very cautious." "Understood. We’ll drive the RV into Funan University, lowering the steel panels around it to encase the RV. This level of zombie shouldn't easily breach the vehicle. We’ll need to hurry upstairs to find what we need and avoid combat. Obtain the items and retreat to the RV as soon as possible." Chen Wan thought it over, reminding the group, needing the RV due to its durability against a zombie horde, besides allowing them to gather a haul of level-2 zombie crystals. With plans discussed, Yi Yi went to start the car while Chen Wan and Jiang Yan Xin consoled the small one. "Darling, mommy and I need to go out to work soon. We'll be back by the afternoon at the latest. Can you stay here with grandma, grandpa, and auntie?" Zai Zai nodded her little head, quite accustomed to being alone in the past. Now, with company, she wasn't afraid, only puzzled as to why mommy and mom were perpetually busy, "Mommy, didn't you already finish working the other day?" "Ah, sweetheart, this work is different from last time." While attempting to reassure, Chen Wan felt a sharp pinch on her waist. Turning, she noticed Jiang Yan Xin had pinched her. Chen Wan gave her wife a soft, apologetic look, whispering, "It really is different, isn’t it?" "You dare to talk back?" Jiang Yan Xin rubbed her hands together, looking at Chen Wan with feigned sternness. Chen Wan immediately cuddled Zai Zai protectively, quickly admitting her fault, "I wouldn't dare, my dear. I was wrong." Jiang Yan Xin was amused by Chen Wan's antics. Ye Lan and Jiang Zhao Yuan observed their interaction with quiet smiles, reassured that their previous concerns were unfounded. It was evident that the two shared a deep bond, and, as their daughter mentioned, Chen Wan was very attentive to her. "That's more like it," Jiang Yan Xin responded, satisfied. After comforting Zai Zai for a bit, Chen Wan handed her over to Jiang Wan Ning and went to sit beside Yi Yi in the front passenger seat. When they were in the suburbs, they encountered level 2 zombies only in sparse numbers—groups of two or three—which posed little threat. However, as soon as they entered the city, the situation changed dramatically. Zombies swarmed towards their RV in packs of dozens, and rather than merely ramming into it, they had learned to avoid collisions and even climb onto the RV. Fortunately, the RV was equipped with mechanical arms that relentlessly pulled the zombies off and flung them away. Those zombies unable to dodge were knocked off course, allowing Chen Wan and the group to proceed relatively smoothly.