113 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Chen Wan gently patted Qin Ke on the shoulder to comfort her. "Don't worry, you've done so much for her. It'll definitely work out, and then our RV will be bustling." Qin Ke replied, "I hope so." Despite having everything prepared, she felt a tinge of fear, her hands cold and clasped together. Her slightly curly black hair cascaded by her face, clearly showing her anxiety. However, at this moment, she could only process it on her own; no amount of comforting would help. In Qin Ke's room, Yi Yi had laid out some items: a mobile battery, steering motor, controller, sensor, actuator, steel, memory alloy, synthetic human skin, and metal alloy. She began her work, intent on fitting a central cooling system for Yan Yan, whose CPU often overheated. It would be much more effective than a small fan, and with that thought, she got to work. Chen Wan remembered the toys they picked up from the recycling company for Cai Cai and took the unopened set of mini shovel, hoe, and bucket to the sunroom. Inside, the little one was already playing with the soil using her chubby little hands. Somehow, there was a smudge of it on her left cheek. Chen Wan chuckled, wiping Cai Cai's face clean. She teased, "Little rascal, playing with dirt? Mommy brought you a little shovel and bucket, and a bulldozer too. Here, enjoy." Cai Cai giggled at Chen Wan and exclaimed, "Dirt is fun." Cai Cai was sitting on a cushion Jiang Wan Ning found for her, enjoying the toys Chen Wan gave her. With her little hands grasping the shovel handle, she fervently dug into the earth, occasionally switching to the bulldozer to plow the patch in front of her. Chen Wan crouched down to join Jiang Wan Ning in playing with Cai Cai. Truth be told, the toy set was quite comprehensive, with everything included. Together, she and Jiang Wan Ning started shoveling the soil alongside Cai Cai. When Jiang Yan Xin walked into the sunroom after finishing her conversation with Ye Lan, she saw the two adults and one child delighted with the toys. She couldn't help but laugh, "Are you watching Cai Cai, or are you just wanting to play yourself?" "We're just playing with Cai Cai, of course," Chen Wan defended righteously. Jiang Yan Xin noticed Cai Cai's legs and arms were covered in dirt, and she teased, "You'll need to give Cai Cai a bath afterward. She's practically a little mud child now." "Mud child!" Cai Cai giggled, shaking the dirt off her little shovel onto her leg. Jiang Yan Xin affectionately pinched Cai Cai's chubby arm. "Aren't you just a little mud child? You little rascal, go ahead and play. Your mommy will bathe you later." "Mommy, let's build a big house," Cai Cai said, shoveling soil before her, her small hands expertly gathering dirt. Jiang Zhao Yuan, having already planted seeds in his field, looked up to see the group playing with Cai Cai in the dirt. He was amused yet a bit exasperated—it was hard to predict whether they were dependable or not. He quipped, "You all just keep playing over there. I've planted the seeds here already; don't dig them up." "Dig!" Cai Cai enthusiastically brandished her little shovel, speaking with determination. Jiang Zhao Yuan chuckled, addressing the little one, "Sweetheart, you mustn’t dig up Grandpa’s seeds. We’ll be having delicious food from them in five days.” Hearing about yummy food, Cai Cai nodded her little head in agreement. After playing with Cai Cai for a while, Chen Wan headed out to help Ye Lan with cooking, leaving Jiang Yan Xin and the others to keep Cai Cai entertained. Just as Ye Lan finished washing the rice, Chen Wan came downstairs with a smile and offered, "Mom, let me help you cook." "No need, I can handle it. Do we still have beef?" Ye Lan asked, a bit concerned. They had been eating quite extravagantly lately, with beef at every meal. Ye Lan was worried they might run out. "Don't worry, Mom. We have plenty of beef, and we can always hunt more if we run out," Chen Wan reassured her, a large slab of beef already on the cutting board. "That's good," Ye Lan replied, feeling at ease with Chen Wan's reassurance. Chen Wan considered for a moment, then said, "If we're steaming rice, I'll make some braised beef chunks. The beef and broth will go well over rice." Saying this, Chen Wan began slicing the beef and placing it in the pot with spices to braise. Soon, the aroma of the beef wafted through the air. Seeing the beef nearly done, Chen Wan went upstairs to call everyone down for dinner and took Cai Cai to the bathroom to wash away the dirt, promising she could play with the soil again tomorrow. When Chen Wan carried Cai Cai downstairs, Jiang Yan Xin was serving the rice and Ye Lan was topping it with a large spoonful of beef and broth. Cai Cai's eyes widened, pointing at the beef and rice, "Yummy, I want some!" "Don't rush, sweetheart, you're getting your share," Chen Wan assured, setting Cai Cai down on the sofa and bringing her bowl over. The combination of beef and rice was indeed delicious. Cai Cai dug in eagerly with her little spoon, while Qin Ke seemed distracted, unlike her usual self where she and Chen Wan could both easily have two bowls of rice. After dinner, Qin Ke was still pacing anxiously in the RV until Yi Yi's voice came from upstairs, "All done." Qin Ke rushed to the elevator like an arrow, and Chen Wan and the others followed her up to the second floor. Qin Ke cautiously approached the bed in the second-floor bedroom, where a woman in her twenties lay with her eyes tightly shut, not showing signs of waking. Tears welled up in Qin Ke's eyes as she clasped the woman's hand, her voice trembling with emotion. "Yan Yan, Yan Yan, how are you? Look at me, it's Qin Ke. We're safe now, we'll never be apart again." As Qin Ke spoke, tears streamed down her face. She looked at Yi Yi and asked, "What's wrong with her? Why isn't she responding?" Yi Yi smiled at Qin Ke, explaining, "I just finished setting everything up and called you immediately. Her core needs some time to adjust to the new body structure. It's normal and will take about ten minutes. Don't worry." She then turned to Chen Wan, “To activate Yan Yan’s body, we used 3 level 1 mutant animal cores and 3000 level 2 zombie cores. With today's haul from the recycling station, we’re left with only 527 level 2 zombie cores, and we've used up all the mutant animal cores." "It's alright. As long as Shen Ming Yan is safe, we can get more cores. That’s not an issue," Chen Wan replied. As long as everyone was safe, collecting cores was just a matter of time. "Yes, since Yan Yan's core began as a level 1 zombie core, I upgraded it with mutant animal and level 2 zombie cores to bring it to level four, equal with the RV. Her body is similar to mine—synthetic, yet essentially a level four zombie. Level four zombies have intelligence akin to humans. Coupled with this advanced body, she won’t differ much from you regular humans," Yi Yi explained, keeping her explanation straightforward for everyone’s understanding. “I see. Whatever she is, as long as she’s Qin Ke’s Yan Yan, it’s fine,” Chen Wan said with a smile. They all watched the body on the bed, waiting for it to awaken. Time ticked by, and inside a chaotic dream, Shen Ming Yan felt the pain of a fierce bite and wished Qin Ke could escape their hellish predicament, thinking she’d never see her again. Shen Ming Yan's brain throbbed painfully as awareness gradually returned to her, alongside an acute sense of her new state. Though transformed into a zombie, she could now feel the throb of her heart and the presence of a glowing panel in her mind, puzzled by the unfamiliar sensation. As her consciousness cleared, she realized her flesh was interwoven with unknown wires and her frame constructed from metal, all while thought she was dead. This stark contrast left her deeply perplexed. “She moved, she moved.” Qin Ke saw the frown on Yan Yan's forehead and turned joyfully towards Chen Wan and the others, her face wet with tears. "Yan Yan? Yan Yan, wake up! It's Qin Ke. I've waited so long for you. Wake up and look at me, please? I miss you so much." Qin Ke softly sobbed, clutching Shen Ming Yan tightly. Recalling the last time Qin Ke cried was at the police station, Chen Wan sighed and gestured to the others. “Let's give them some space, and Yi Yi, once Shen Ming Yan wakes up, will she be okay?” "Yeah," Yi Yi nodded, "like me, she doesn't need to eat, but she does need an ample supply of energy cores." Following Chen Wan, Yi Yi stepped out of the room. The door slowly closed, leaving Qin Ke alone inside, clinging to the person in her arms, crying like a child. She only wished for her Yan Yan to wake up soon. In a haze, Shen Ming Yan thought she heard someone calling her name. The voice sounded like Qin Ke’s, but how could that be? They were in that hellish police station, and she must have been completely killed off after becoming a zombie. How could she be conscious again? It must be a fleeting moment of clarity before death, Shen Ming Yan reasoned. But then, the panel in her mind lit up, "Body activation successful. Current physical status normal. Core energy sufficient. Upgraded to level 4 zombie. Capable of normal activity." Shen Ming Yan was bewildered by the words. Level 4 zombie? Was it referring to her? How could that be? She was powerless when she lost consciousness after being bitten, so how could she be a level 4 zombie now? As the words displayed, her hearing sharpened, and she began to sense her surroundings. It seemed like someone was holding her, crying?!