123 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Chen Wan glanced back at the people in the courtyard and then approached Ye Lan and Jiang Zhao Yuan, saying, "Dad, Mom, it's hard to refuse such kind hospitality. We'll go take a quick look. You and Mom, along with Yang Yang, can wait for us in the RV." Ye Lan looked at the people outside and whispered to Chen Wan, "Maybe you shouldn't go. Could it be dangerous?" Chen Wan gave Ye Lan a reassuring look and said, "Don't worry, Mom. We'll be back soon. Let's first get you back to the RV." After speaking, Chen Wan made sure Ye Lan, Jiang Zhao Yuan, and Yang Yang were safely in the RV before following Han Qi to the hall. Han Qi glanced at Shen Ming Yan, searching for an excuse to start a conversation. "Ming Yan, how did you end up here? I remember you used to work in Funan City." Qin Ke wrapped an arm around Shen Ming Yan's waist, her gaze coolly fixed on Han Qi. Feeling Qin Ke's possessiveness, Shen Ming Yan's lips curved into a slight smile as she nonchalantly replied, "I heard there's the largest base in the province here, so I came along with my girlfriend." Han Qi's smile froze momentarily as he looked at Qin Ke's hand on Shen Ming Yan's waist, trying hard to maintain his composure. "You have a girlfriend? Congratulations." Despite his disappointment, he managed to squeeze out the words. Afterward, Han Qi mainly introduced the village situation, to such an extent that even Chen Wan almost believed him, marveling that if Han Qi had entered the entertainment industry before the apocalypse, his acting skills would have outshined those of young popular actors. Fifteen minutes later, they followed Han Qi to the village hall of He Shang Village, where round tables were already set with a few dishes, albeit mostly wild vegetables. Han Qi quickly welcomed everyone. "Please, have a seat. Let's pause for a moment. These ten are the new members who joined our village yesterday; three couldn't make it due to special reasons. Let’s all share a meal together. From now on, we're all like family." Chen Wan scanned the room, noting that not only were there alphas present, but quite a few omegas too. It seemed like her assumption was somewhat off; omegas in the village had some degree of autonomy. Feeling someone's gaze, Chen Wan turned abruptly to see an omega with bangs and another ponytailed female omega smiling at her from a distance. Surprised at Chen Wan's sudden turn, they looked startled. The omega with bangs smiled shyly at Chen Wan, her face flushed; she was Er Niu's sister, Liu Mei Mei. The ponytailed omega beside her was Liu Mei Mei's good friend, Er Mei, who had been eyeing Chen Wan and her group from the moment they entered. Especially Liu Mei Mei, whose gaze never left Chen Wan. Er Mei nudged Liu Mei Mei's arm and laughed softly, "She's looking at you. Didn't you say that Brother Qi promised you to her? She’s indeed very pretty, definitely city-bred. If I had known, I would've asked Brother Qi for her too. Look at her—so fair and pretty, even when she’s expressionless, and her fingers are so long and slender." The more Er Mei looked, the more envious she became, wondering if she still had a chance with Brother Qi. Liu Mei Mei blushed at the comments, pulling Er Mei aside, "Stop it, or we'll be found out." "What's wrong? Feeling shy? If you don't want her, let me have her," Er Mei teased, pretending to look for Han Qi. In the village, unmarried omegas were few, and married ones largely obeyed their household's alpha. Those who desired a city alpha rarely dared to act on it. Here, it was ultimately the alphas who called the shots, and incoming alphas were often dealt with accordingly in the warehouse. "I never said I didn't want her. Isn't there still an alpha, Shen Ming Yan's girlfriend? You can ask for her," Liu Mei Mei quickly held Er Mei back, afraid she'd snatch her potential partner. Jiang Yan Xin, noticing their intense gazes, nudged Chen Wan, "Why are they staring at you?" Chen Wan chuckled softly, appeasing her, "How would I know? I can't control other people's eyes, but in my eyes, there's only my own wife." She pulled Jiang Yan Xin into an embrace, calming her jealousy. She indeed felt possessive. Others staring at her alpha made her uncomfortable. Thanks to Han Qi's arrangements, Chen Wan and the group sat down, barely minding Liu Mei Mei's incident. Chen Wan was primarily curious about the villagers' true intentions rather than interested in the meal. Having eaten beef-stuffed dumplings earlier that morning, they certainly weren’t hungry yet. Apart from a bowl of steamed buns, there were three large plates of wild vegetables on the table. Han Qi smiled and said, "Please, everyone, eat. After we finish, I'll explain the division of labor among alphas, omegas, and betas in the village." Chen Wan and her friends did not touch the food, watching instead as Han Qi and others began eating. It wasn't that she wanted to eat what Han Qi was offering, aware there might be something suspicious in it. Seeing Shen Ming Yan and the others not eat, Han Qi asked, "Ming Yan, why aren't you eating? Is it not to your taste? It’s already a luxury to have this in the post-apocalyptic world." "We already ate and aren’t too hungry. Let's just hear what the village chief has to say about the duties," Shen Ming Yan replied without much expression. Han Qi, sensing their resistance, nearly ground his teeth. At Zhou Shu's table, they were discussing, "Look at those folks with the RV, not even touching the food. So difficult to deal with. I think the village chief is too soft. It's better to capture and deal with them straight away." "That won't work. It's still better to deceive them. Omegas aren’t a problem, but some alphas are strong. We should deal with them first. In that group of ten, there are four alphas; we should handle them first," Sun Da Ye whispered. Er Niu protested, "That's not okay. Brother Qi promised one of those female alphas to my sister. We can't handle all of them." "Keep your voice down. Your sister has her share. None of us want the alphas, so no need to shout about it," Zhou Shu shot Er Niu a look. "Fine, I'll lower my voice," Er Niu quickly complied, lowering his voice further. Meanwhile, at Liu Mei Mei's table, omegas gossiped about the newcomers. "Those male alphas really don't measure up; they deserve the warehouse, but those female alphas are indeed decent." "Of course they are, and in high demand. Mei Mei has already reserved one through Brother Qi—the one in the army green shirt. Brother Qi promised her to Mei Mei," Er Mei remarked enviously. "Ah, what about the one in the white short sleeves sitting next to Shen Ming Yan? With so many of us, how do we decide?" a bespectacled omega asked anxiously. "I heard from my brother that the remaining female alpha, Brother Qi, plans to share with everyone. But since I've got one, I won't compete," Liu Mei Mei said, sneaking another glance at Chen Wan with a smile. "Listen to her, already so protective even before having her in hand. We ought to act fast if there's a good alpha around, or risk losing the chance. But with so many of us and even those omegas in their forties and fifties at the next table, how long before she gets to us?" Er Mei griped. "Exactly! I should have acted sooner. Who knows if such a fine alpha will come along again. Mei Mei is really lucky," added the bespectacled woman. "Oh, I’m content with just this one. Future alphas are all yours," Liu Mei Mei replied shyly, flustered by the teasing. "Of course, you'd only need one. Just look at her face, her hands—every part is stunning. Don’t play coy with us," another omega sitting at their table said with feigned jealousy. Meanwhile, Han Qi, sensing most had finished eating, and noting Chen Wan and her companions hadn’t even touched their food, gathered himself to address them. Fei Ming's group, though having eaten, felt unease seeing the others abstain entirely, reminding them of the lurking danger and urgency present in the apocalypse. Despite finding the village somewhat strange, Fei Ming couldn’t believe Han Qi would mean harm. With everyone having paused their meals, Han Qi smiled and began, "Now that we've shared a meal, we're like family. It's tough in the apocalypse; everyone in the village contributes labor for food and resources. Alphas usually handle carrying or farming, while omegas and betas do tasks like picking. So, we'll need to separate into groups, but don’t worry. You’ll have villagers guiding you, and you’ll quickly get used to it. It's quite safe here." Chen Wan's lips curled into a cold smile; their true intentions were finally showing. This division was definitely problematic. Fei Ming, having eaten from their plate, was the first to ask, "So we'll have to split up?" "Yes, indeed," Han Qi replied with a smile. "The tasks for alphas are a bit heavier compared to omegas and betas. They also need to take part in guarding the village entrance. But don't worry, everyone here is easy to get along with; otherwise, we wouldn't all be as harmonious as a family. Now that everyone is full, how about I have someone take you to see where you'll be working? We'll start officially tomorrow, as the village doesn't support idlers." Fei Ming and his group quickly agreed, "Alright, let's go take a look." Han Qi's detailed arrangement helped to ease Fei Ming's concerns. Chen Wan chuckled softly, squeezing Jiang Yan Xin’s palm reassuringly and giving Yi Yi a quick glance. They weren’t worried even if separated—Jiang Yan Xin had powers, Yi Yi and Shen Ming Yan were biomechanical humans. Only Jiang Waning needed a bit of protection, which Yi Yi could provide. As for herself and Qin Ke, no explanation was needed; they were capable enough not to seek trouble, and refraining from making life difficult for each other was already considerate.