150 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Chapter 150: The Arrival of the Unwelcome Fluffy happily devoured her fill, eventually even asking Chen Wan for a small bowl of dumpling soup, which she slurped down enthusiastically. Afterwards, Fluffy's little tummy was delightfully round. Chen Wan placed her on the ground, encouraging her to go play with the flowers, worrying that such a full stomach might lead to indigestion. Chen Wan herself had eaten quite a number of dumplings. To aid her digestion, she was busy washing the pots when she suddenly heard Fluffy's cries. Quickly drying her hands, Chen Wan rushed over to check on Fluffy. She found the little one with her face buried in Big Flower's thick fur, her tiny bottom sticking up as she sobbed uncontrollably. Chen Wan and Jiang Yanxin exchanged bewildered looks. Just moments ago, Fluffy was the epitome of joy after her meal—why was she now crying so desperately? Qin Ke and Yiyi also approached to console her, but Fluffy continued to sob, her little body shaking with distress. Chen Wan gently stroked Fluffy's back, asking, "Sweetheart, what's wrong? Who upset my baby? Mommy will take care of them for you." The flowers perked up their ears, seemingly ready to avenge Fluffy if she mentioned someone had bullied her. In between sniffs and sobs, Fluffy managed to say, "Mommy, the bad ones are coming, woowoo~ the bad ones!" Chen Wan and Jiang Yanxin glanced at each other, equally confused. Everyone was baffled by Fluffy's words. There had been no signs of unusual activity—even Yiyi hadn't detected any threats in the vicinity. Yet Fluffy continued her heartbroken cry, thoroughly soaking Big Flower's fur with her tears. Chen Wan could only pick up the little one, gently rocking her in an attempt to soothe her, but Fluffy remained inconsolable. She buried her face in Chen Wan's arms, pointing toward the sky and crying, "Mommy, woowoo· the bad! They're coming!" No amount of soothing could calm Fluffy, and Chen Wan felt her heart ache with sympathy. About five minutes later, a disturbance started to arise in the previously serene neighborhood, the sound evidently originating from the sky. Handing Fluffy to Jiang Wanning, Chen Wan hurried to the front window. The sky above was filled with the distant roar of helicopters circling above the parking area of the neighborhood, having clearly spotted Chen Wan and her group. With the RV upgrade in process, there was nowhere for them to hide. Qin Ke, sensitive to the sound of the helicopters, also rushed to the front to assess the situation outside. "The military seems to have found us," Chen Wan warned everyone. "Let's put everything down for now." "The RV must not be moved," Yiyi reminded them urgently. "If the upgrade stops, all the materials will be wasted." By this time, Jiang Yanxin had already pulled out her sketchbook, flipping to Athena's page. Within moments, the woman clad in serpentine armor, wielding a spear, and holding the Aegis shield appeared before them. Fluffy stopped crying for a brief moment, her curiosity piqued as she wiped her tears. She stared in amazement at the foreign aunt she had never seen before. Athena found it hard to maintain her enigmatic aura under Fluffy's gaze. Considering her father had mentioned being materialized from the sketchbook to power the RV, Athena feared she might be summoned to help Jiang Yanxin care for the child, something she believed Jiang Yanxin was capable of demanding. However, as Athena received the command to protect the vehicles from the military, she felt relieved. Her figure flickered and appeared outside on the open space before the RVs. Fluffy wiggled her little legs in Jiang Wanning's arms, pointing at the helicopters and insisting, "Auntie, forward. I want to see." With Fluffy finally calm, Chen Wan took her from Jiang Wanning, holding her as they observed the unfolding scene from the RV's interior. The helicopters hovered above, seemingly awaiting orders or reinforcements from ground troops. Fluffy sniffed, and her expression hardened as she glared at the helicopter. Its infrared targeting apparatus felt invasive, beaming into the confines of the RV. Fluffy, frightened and indignant, pointed at the helicopter with her tiny hand, furious, "Hit the bad!" With a wave of her small hand, a few small trees outside lifted from the ground as if by an unseen force, spiraling through the air and crashing into the helicopter. The pilot of the targeted helicopter, taken by surprise, panicked and opened fire on the RV with a machine gun. But even the aircraft's weaponry could not harm Athena. Human power paled compared to that of a mythical goddess. Athena effortlessly deflected the assault with the Aegis shield. In a blink, her passive skill materialized and retaliated, preventing the helicopters from causing further chaos near their RV. With another wave of her shield, the helicopters were thrust far away, crashing only at a safe distance outside the neighborhood, followed by a loud explosion. Concerned about lingering danger, Jiang Yanxin didn't send Athena back immediately. Instead, she invited Athena into the RV for safety. Chen Wan wasn't surprised by Athena's prowess but was curious about the levitating trees aimed at the helicopter. Turning to the others in the RV, she asked, "Who used their power for those flying trees just now? Was it Wanning or was it Dad and Mom?" Everyone shook their heads. Chen Wan realized that given the short time they'd started consuming crystal cores, they couldn't have developed abilities so quickly. Her gaze then fell on Fluffy, nestled in her arms. Fluffy looked a little pale, seeming somewhat exhausted. She still cuddled with Chen Wan, miffed about "fighting the bad." Chen Wan quickly checked Fluffy's face, "Sweetheart, why are you so pale? Don't scare Mommy, are you feeling unwell?" Fluffy rubbed her head against Chen Wan and weakly said, "Mommy, I hit the bad~" Noticing their concern, Yiyi quickly explained, "The trees were indeed moved by Yangyang. She used a significant amount of mental energy for the first time and got a bit exhausted, but with training, her mental threshold can expand." Chen Wan was astonished, never expecting Fluffy to also have a mental ability. Eagerly, she asked, "Yangyang's power, what is it?" Yiyi hesitated for a moment, looking at the little one. "Yangyang's ability is telekinesis. She can sense unknown dangers and use mental power to move objects and attack the enemy." Appreciative, Chen Wan affectionately bounced Fluffy in her arms and kissed her cheek, "Oh Yangyang, I had no idea you were so talented! From now on, if Yangyang says 'bad is coming,' then bad is definitely on the way." Fluffy’s perception gave them a crucial five-minute head start to prepare and strategize. Chen Wan saw value in Fluffy’s ability to sense danger and launch telekinetic attacks—a useful gift indeed. As Fluffy regained her strength and sensed no more threats around, her interest turned back to Athena. Her bright eyes watched the goddess in fascination and, in her cute, gentle voice, she called, "Auntie~ hug?" Chen Wan laughed, patting Fluffy's tiny bottom. "Found a new auntie to charm you, haven’t you, little troublemaker?" Fluffy pursed her lips shyly, nodding eagerly, eyes filled with hopeful anticipation as she looked at Athena. Caught off guard by Fluffy's gaze, Athena conceded, setting aside her spear and shield before extending her arms to hold Fluffy. Passing Fluffy to Athena, Chen Wan noted how delighted the little one was about being in the arms of a foreigner. Fluffy, ever-curious, studied her new auntie closely, her big eyes sparkling with intrigue, rubbing her little head affectionately against Athena. The goddess found herself smiling at the endearing child. After playing with Athena for a while, Fluffy's face scrunched into worry again. She pointed toward the direction where the helicopters crashed, announcing, "The bad ones are coming again." Jiang Yanxin retrieved Fluffy, passing her to her mother while instructing Athena to step outside. Chen Wan, Qin Ke, Yiyi, Shen Mingyan, and the others followed, standing quietly in front of the RV, awaiting the military's arrival. Before long, four large armored vehicles approached with a thunderous roar. From them, over fifty soldiers disembarked, accompanied by the intimidating presence of cannons trained on their RV. Through the crowd marched a woman adorned in full combat gear. From afar, Chen Wan found her vaguely familiar. As she focused, she realized it was Major Yao, whom they had previously encountered at the Busan City base. Chen Wan let out a cold laugh. "I didn't expect Major Yao to still be around. So many innocent civilians died because you abandoned the Busan City base, yet here you are in Qingji City, creating trouble again." Major Yao was caught off guard by the confrontation with Chen Wan and her group. Though Chen Wan's words struck a nerve, she maintained her composure, narrowing her eyes at Chen Wan. "We were only following orders from our superiors. What happened in Busan City was unfortunate, but we had no choice. We had to leave quickly to secure core personnel and preserve the strength needed to rebuild the world in the future." "That all sounds so noble, but anyone can spin a good story. The fact remains that many people died in Busan City. Today, you abandon civilians for convenience; tomorrow, you might send your soldiers to their deaths just to save your own skins. Your rhetoric is truly admirable," Chen Wan retorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. One of the soldiers by Major Yao's side couldn't bear to listen any further. He raised his weapon, shouting at Chen Wan, "How dare you insult our Major!" Major Yao stopped him, knowing full well how formidable Chen Wan could be. She hadn't expected them to survive the apocalypse without military protection. However, she couldn't dismiss her own team's strength, as she'd brought along four espers and four armored vehicles. She refused to believe Chen Wan and her companions could overpower this force.