155 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

After Chen Wan and her companions encountered five more groups of people, they finally managed to sell off the entire truckload of rice and flour, exchanging it for 1,200 second-level zombie crystals. They even handed over the truck itself to the largest buyer among them. Having sold everything, Chen Wan and her group left Qingji City without a hint of reluctance, heading towards the small towns surrounding the city to rest for a few days. They planned to teach Ye Lan and the others how to use firearms—it’s always good to be prepared for when they might be necessary. Forty minutes later, Yi Yi parked their RV in an inconspicuous spot within a small town. The number of zombies in this area was sparse and posed no threat to them, especially without the burden of the truck. Chen Wan and her group felt very secure. Rain began to fall again, and soon the entire town was shrouded in a dense fog. The temperature outside dropped significantly, but thanks to the RV's excellent insulation, Chen Wan felt hot even wearing just a short-sleeved shirt. After several exhausting days, everyone could finally take a breather. They had ample food supplies, and Chen Wan planned to prepare a feast that evening to unwind. Chen Wan lowered the steel panels around them, leaving only the front windshield for monitoring any activity outside. Jiang Yan Xin sat in the driver’s seat with the little ones, watching the rain. The small child excitedly spun the steering wheel with her chubby hands, occasionally making "vroom vroom" noises as she pretended to drive. Those in the group who could cook competed for the kitchen space, eager to showcase their skills. Chen Wan used fish meat provided by the military to prepare sauerkraut fish, Ye Lan whipped up spicy stir-fried pork, Qin Ke crafted curry potato beef, while Jiang Wan Ning made braised pork. The main dish was rice cooked by Jiang Zhao Yuan. The aroma of various delicious dishes filled the RV. Having tidied up their small dining area, they pulled up a few extra chairs, gathering to enjoy the meal with orange juice, reminiscent of a gathering from before the apocalypse. Perhaps it was the melt-in-the-mouth braised pork that did it, but little Cai Cai devoured several mouthfuls, enjoying it thoroughly mixed with rice. Chen Wan also served Cai Cai a small bowl of mutant fish meat, tender and sans bones, paired with cabbage she’d added. Cai Cai happily wobbled her little legs as she relished the food, occasionally sipping some orange juice contentedly. Chen Wan took a sizeable bite of fish and playfully asked the little one beside her, "Sweetheart, is it tasty?" Cai Cai vigorously nodded her tiny head, "Yummy!" She loved eating meat; it was even better than snacks. The adults, seeing Cai Cai’s delighted demeanor, found their appetites increasing as well. After dinner, Jiang Yan Xin and Jiang Wan Ning volunteered to wash the dishes, while Chen Wan and Qin Ke played a game of "catch Cai Cai" in the RV, an effort to help the little one digest her meal. After all, her belly was round like a ball from eating so much. Cai Cai was overjoyed having so many playmates. She’d be caught by Chen Wan for a couple of kisses, and the moment she was back down, Shen Ming Yan would pick her up to play. Cai Cai’s big eyes squinted happily; she loved playing with her mom, mommy, and aunts! Just when Chen Wan and the others were having fun with Cai Cai, Yi Yi pulled Chen Wan aside, clearly wanting to say something. Though she was enjoying playing with Cai Cai, Chen Wan reluctantly withdrew from the game when she realized Yi Yi had something important to discuss, following her into their room. Chen Wan looked at Yi Yi quizzically, "What’s up with all this mystery?" Yi Yi’s eyes shone brightly as she looked at Chen Wan, "Is that new room upstairs meant for me and Wan Ning?" Chen Wan had sensed something between Yi Yi and Jiang Wan Ning for a while, but she hadn’t expected Yi Yi to be so straightforward. "You and Wan Ning have it all sorted out?" Chen Wan asked with a teasing expression. "Wan Ning’s a bit shy, so I’m here to speak first," Yi Yi replied with a smile. In matters of cohabitation, humans are often a bit bashful, so she decided to take the initiative. "Sounds good. If you two are together, you'll have a convenient place to stay," Chen Wan replied, giving Yi Yi a knowing grin. Yi Yi pondered, "Alright, it’s settled then. I’ll go talk to Wan Ning." With that, Yi Yi dashed out energetically, eager to put what she’d learned from the online courses into practice once they had their own room. Jiang Wan Ning was still playing with Cai Cai when Yi Yi took her by the wrist to the driver's seat. Ye Lan and Jiang Zhao Yuan sat nearby on the sofa in the small dining area, exchanging smiles at Yi Yi and their daughter's antics. Their little secret had long been discovered. One day, Ye Lan had risen early to make breakfast, only to find Yi Yi and her daughter sharing a moment. She quietly stepped back to avoid disturbing the young couple. Jiang Wan Ning was pulled to the side, her ears turning red as she glanced around nervously, relieved to see everyone still playing with Cai Cai and not paying them any attention. "What is it? Everyone’s watching," she whispered. "I just spoke to Chen Wan. The room on the second floor is ours now, Wan Ning. Shall we move in together tonight?" Yi Yi pleaded softly, her tone cajoling. She had picked up this trick recently, observing how humans often use acts of endearment to get their way, and found it quite effective. "Huh? Isn’t that a bit fast? My parents don’t know about us yet, what if it’s too soon?" Jiang Wan Ning’s face blushed deeply. Yi Yi quickly assured her, "It’s not too fast. We’re in an apocalypse now; who cares about all those human customs? But if customs matter, we did get some rings at the last auction for just such an occasion!” Yi Yi’s eyes lit up, quickly rushing off to find Chen Wan, since talking about the rings required her consent. Jiang Wan Ning tried to hold her back but was too slow, and heard Yi Yi already asking boldly, "Chen Wan, can I have two of the rings from the auction? I want to propose." Though Yi Yi’s voice was not loud, the content was explosive enough that Chen Wan and others who were playing with Cai Cai stopped at once. Even in Qin Ke's arms, little Cai Cai had been wriggling, but hearing this, she too focused her wide eyes on Yi Yi. The gazes of Ye Lan and Jiang Zhao Yuan also zeroed in on Yi Yi. But Yi Yi remained unbothered by their gazes, eager to propose immediately so she could be with her girlfriend daily, learning from instructional videos online how to cuddle in a soft bed. Jiang Wan Ning didn’t expect Yi Yi to be so direct. She bashfully retreated to the passenger seat, pretending the whole matter didn’t concern her. Yi Yi explained calmly, “I’m going to live with Wan Ning, but we lack a ceremonial aspect. Isn't proposing popular among humans? So, I’ll propose, and then we can house together.” Jiang Wan Ning buried her face in her arms. Yi Yi, that rascal, had disclosed everything so blatantly—but she had to teach her not to blurt things out so easily. Chen Wan was stunned for a few seconds before hastily passing Yi Yi a pair of rings along with their box, "For such a big event, it’s inappropriate not to celebrate with a little wine. Why didn’t you mention the proposal earlier? We could've helped set things up." Yi Yi was puzzled, was the ceremonial feel of marriage really that important to humans? She muttered quietly, “It’s not too late now.” “True enough.” Chen Wan smiled at Cai Cai, "Sweetheart, I can’t play with you right now. Auntie Yi Yi is going to propose to your aunt, let’s help them, shall we?" Cai Cai nodded eagerly, not understanding what a proposal was but sensing it was a lot of fun! She loved fun and games! “Okay! I’ll help too,” Cai Cai exclaimed, bouncing her tiny legs with excitement. Chen Wan mentally cataloged the items in her storage. In their rushed scavenging for bedding sets from the mall, they hadn’t been picky about colors, simply grabbing immaculate packages. Fortunately, there was a set with vibrant red roses. She retrieved it with a thought, along with some bottles of red wine and beer, and a stash of snacks like chips and dried fruit. Qin Ke chuckled, “Then Ming Yan and I will retrieve more fruits to slice up and arrange nicely for the atmosphere.” “Great.” Chen Wan was clearly delighted too. She and Jiang Yan Xin, alongside the little one, headed to the opposite room on the second floor to prepare the bed for Yi Yi and her partner. Cai Cai was thrilled to see her mom and mommy setting up the bed. The little one adored the vivid colors, clutching the bedspread tightly, her little face lifted in joy as she chirped to Chen Wan and Jiang Yan Xin, "Mommy, mama, I like the red one~" Chen Wan chuckled, pinching Cai Cai’s cheek fondly, teasing her, "Sweetheart, is there anything you don't like? You little rascal." Cai Cai giggled up at Chen Wan with her big eyes, as if inspired by a new idea, she clapped her tiny hands and joyously announced, “Mommy, mama, can I sleep with Aunty Yi Yi and little aunt tonight? That way, I can sleep on this pretty red bedspread.” Chen Wan and Jiang Yan Xin exchanged a glance, both laughing so hard they doubled over, with Chen Wan nearly rolling on the floor from amusement at Cai Cai's antics, tears almost escaping from her eyes. Cai Cai couldn’t understand why her mom and mommy were laughing. She believed she was right—sleeping with her aunts meant she could sleep on the red sheets. Besides, she was so adorable; surely her aunts would welcome her warmly! Cai Cai thought, feeling quite pleased with herself. “What are you laughing at, mommy and mama?” Cai Cai asked with an innocent expression, confused as she looked at her mom and mommy. Jiang Yan Xin, her sides aching from laughter, leaned close to Cai Cai and gave her two playful kisses. “Yang Yang, how are you so adorable?” she cooed. Cai Cai snuggled against her mom, feeling proud. Of course, she was adorable—everyone loved her. As Chen Wan joked around with Cai Cai, she couldn’t help but tease, “Sweetheart, if you try to join Aunty Yi Yi tonight, she might just throw you out, you little rascal.” “No way! Aunty Yi Yi wouldn’t do that. I’m so cute, she’d definitely want to cuddle me to sleep,” Cai Cai retorted with a huff, turning her little bottom to Chen Wan in mock indignation. Chen Wan took the chance to give a playful pat, noting how delightful it was to interact with this little bundle of joy. After their laughter subsided, Chen Wan and Jiang Yan Xin quickly comforted Cai Cai, “Sweetheart, a new marriage is a very significant event. Your Aunty Yi Yi and little aunt need to be alone together, so you can’t join them for now.” “But, but…” Cai Cai began, but couldn’t quite articulate what she wanted to say. Chen Wan was quick to promise, “If you sleep well with mommy and mama tonight, you’ll get two extra candies later, how about that?” Hearing "candy," the little sweet tooth couldn’t resist, licking her lips as she eagerly insisted, “I want strawberry-flavored candies.” “No problem at all.” Chen Wan scooped up Cai Cai for a reassuring hug, finally feeling relieved. After all, new couples don't usually share their space with a little "light bulb." As Chen Wan extended her hand, Cai Cai placed her tiny one on top, sealing the agreement with her mommy. Still, the self-proclaimed adorable "little light bulb" continued to curiously grasp the red bedding with her small hands, clearly still intrigued by the idea of sleeping there. Once Chen Wan and Jiang Yan Xin had finished changing the sheets and bedding in the room, they quickly ushered Cai Cai out, lest the little one keep trying to sneak in and join them.