Cohabitating With My Sworn Enemy After The Apocalypse - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“Speak.” Shi Qingwan, now seated in the car, couldn’t wait to hear the answer.

“Don’t rush. We have plenty of time,” Wan Qiyun said helplessly. She was not in a hurry to explain.

She casually put on a piece of calming music, perhaps intending to ease the tense atmosphere in the car. The mellow melody slowly flowed within the confined cabin.

Shi Qingwan could only suppress her impatience, waiting for Wan Qiyun to speak.

The streets were slick and wet. Neon lights shattered into colorful patches in the puddles.

Traffic moved slowly on the road. After a while, Wan Qiyun slowly spoke: “Actually… this company is owned by my family.”

Shi Qingwan turned sharply, her pupils slightly widening. “What?”

Her brain slowly processed the information. It took her a good while to accept this massive revelation. She pursed her lips. She worked so hard to avoid Wan Qiyun, only to crash right into her nest?

“I only went to Xinghuo before to gain some experience; I didn’t plan on staying long,” she continued, looking at the lingering shock in Shi Qingwan’s eyes. “Returning now was part of my original plan.”

A light rain began to fall again. Colors blurred in the rainwater, obscuring the entire world.

Then she completely misunderstood Wan Qiyun, thinking she had ulterior motives, and she hadn’t given her a kind look all day.

She felt embarrassed, and also a little self-mocking. She had thought too highly of herself.

A small figure like her, whether she existed or not, wouldn’t affect Wan Qiyun at all. Only she herself was holding a grudge.

“Qingwan, I don’t know why you suddenly started avoiding me so much, but I truly harbor no ill will toward you,” Wan Qiyun’s voice was so soft it almost melted into the sound of the rain.

“I won’t be staying in the project team for too long. Once this project is finished, I will be transferred elsewhere.”

Once the project was complete, she would leave.

Hearing her words, Shi Qingwan felt an emotion she couldn’t quite describe: relief mixed with a strange sadness.

Her tense defense mechanism gradually relaxed. Since she understood the reason and knew that Wan Qiyun wouldn’t be staying near her for long, she no longer looked at Wan Qiyun with excessive wariness.

Seeing Shi Qingwan slowly relax, Wan Qiyun gripped the steering wheel a little harder.

“I understand…” Her voice was hoarser than expected. Shi Qingwan cleared her throat. “I apologize. I overreacted.”

She sincerely apologized to Wan Qiyun. “I will cooperate fully with you. This project will achieve good results.”

Shi Qingwan’s gaze fell on the constantly retreating neon lights outside the window. The colorful patches twisted and merged in the rain, much like the chaotic state of her mind right now.

Her vigilance and evasion might just be an insignificant farce in Wan Qiyun’s eyes. This realization embarrassed her, her cheeks slightly flushed. She felt a strong urge to get out of the car, to hide from Wan Qiyun.

Wan Qiyun’s gaze lingered on Shi Qingwan’s face for a moment. She could clearly feel the anxiousness of the person beside her, a desire to escape, like a child whose secret thoughts had been exposed, radiating discomfort.

“It was my fault for not explaining clearly before, which led to your misunderstanding. I’m the one who should apologize,” her voice was calm and gentle, doing her best to communicate with Shi Qingwan without strong emotion.

The calm tone helped Shi Qingwan’s emotions settle considerably. To prevent the atmosphere from becoming awkward again, she proactively spoke, “Then in the restroom, why didn’t you explain clearly?”

“Just now in the restroom, you were puffed up like an angry kitten.” She suddenly chuckled softly, her tone carrying a hint of helplessness, mixed with a trace of subtle tenderness. “At that moment, your emotions were running high. Even if I explained, you probably wouldn’t have listened.”

Shi Qingwan subconsciously recalled how she had behaved just now. Her words were indeed barbed, and she looked ready to argue at any moment.

But she couldn’t blame herself; she was provoked by Wan Qiyun’s actions.

“It’s your fault for looking at me with that strange smile, many times, it was inexplicable,” Shi Qingwan complained in a low voice. If it weren’t for Wan Qiyun’s frequent, abnormal behavior, she wouldn’t have been so reactive.

“A strange smile? I didn’t…”

With the conversation flowing, the atmosphere in the car became relaxed. The song had changed to a lighter tune at some point, the melody accompanying the gradually harmonizing atmosphere.

After Wan Qiyun drove her home, Shi Qingwan’s attitude toward her at work became much more normal. After all, Wan Qiyun wouldn’t be here once the project was finished.

She would go on to greater things in a broader world.

All Shi Qingwan could do was assist Wan Qiyun in making the project successful, considering it an apology for misunderstanding her.

At 2:00 PM, the administrative department posted a notice in the large company group chat.

“According to the Municipal Flood Control Headquarters notice, the super typhoon ‘Siren’, expected to make landfall on the 21st, may make landfall earlier due to sudden changes in air currents. Our company has decided to adjust to work-from-home starting August 17, 2025. The specific resumption of work date will be announced later.”

“This is inhumane! It’s not a holiday, it’s work-from-home!”

“It was the same last year, just get used to it.”

After receiving the notice, the chatter in the office was like ripples spreading across a shallow pond after a stone is thrown in.

“We have the rest of today and then we’re off! I need to rush home tonight and stock up on food. Last year, my fridge was empty for two days, and I almost went crazy eating only bread.” Xiao Zhang calculated, rubbing her chin, her fingertips unconsciously tapping the desk.

“Food alone isn’t enough. Candles, power banks, and bottled water are also essential. The old neighborhood I live in had a power outage for three days last year. Not only did the elevator stop, but the tap water was also cut off.”

This was a coastal area that frequently experienced typhoons, so they were used to such occurrences.

A moment later, Wan Qiyun came out of her office with bad news: “I just communicated with Party A to see if the project could be postponed due to the super typhoon. Party A clearly stated they will not accept any delays.”

“So, I apologize for the extra effort required from everyone. The company has set up a secure channel, and project files will be synced to the cloud. Do some extra work at home so we won’t have to rush too much after returning to the office.”

Everyone vented their frustrations about the unyielding Party A. After complaining, everyone calmly accepted the reality and started discussing what items they needed to take home.

After giving her instructions, Wan Qiyun returned to her office, letting them discuss outside.

Shi Qingwan packed her things. As she left work, she glanced at Wan Qiyun’s office. The person was still inside, seemingly preparing to work overtime.

In the past few days, regardless of whether Shi Qingwan worked late or not, Wan Qiyun was always still in the office when she left.

This project must be truly important to her.

Shi Qingwan left the company building with the flow of people. The evening breeze carried a hint of heat, making people feel somewhat lethargic. She habitually looked up at the sky, and her steps abruptly halted.

The western sky was like an overturned palette. The entire sky presented a bizarre orange-red color. The clouds were as vibrant as if they had been set on fire, slowly changing shape as the wind pushed them.

Pedestrians on the street also stopped, pulling out their phones to photograph the rare, beautiful sight, marveling at the view.

Such a sky, beautiful yet ominous.

Shi Qingwan had studied here for so long and had experienced several typhoons. Such abnormally brilliant sunset clouds were often a precursor to a typhoon’s arrival.

Like the calm before the storm, the more beautiful it was, the greater the hidden danger.

The clouds in the distance were already beginning to grow thick, faintly exuding a heavy, oppressive atmosphere. The wind also seemed stronger than before, making the leaves on the roadside trees rustle loudly, as if issuing a silent warning.

Shi Qingwan quickened her pace toward home, though a thought kept returning: When would Wan Qiyun get off work?

The typhoon was coming soon. Would she be in danger working overtime alone at the company?

She hesitated, but ultimately decided not to message Wan Qiyun. After all, they were just professional colleagues now; showing too much concern might be inappropriate.

After arriving home, Shi Qingwan checked the items she had brought back and realized she was missing a data disc—the most crucial one. After carefully recalling, she remembered lending it to Xiao Zhang for a moment before leaving work.

“The data disc is on my desk. Too much going on when we left, I forgot to give it back to you. I beg for forgiveness.jpg”

Shi Qingwan looked out the window. The orange-red sunset had faded, replaced by rolling, lead-gray clouds.

If she went back to the company now, she should still have time, right?

Shi Qingwan stood in front of the company building. Gusts of wind mixed with rain lashed against her face. The few scattered lights illuminating the office building looked exceptionally lonely in the downpour.

She left her umbrella at the door and used facial recognition to enter the company. The light was still on in Wan Qiyun’s office.

Shi Qingwan’s heart gave a slight jump, and her steps slowed by half a beat.

Why was she still working overtime?

The office light spilled out through the gaps in the blinds, creating thin streaks of light on the floor, seemingly beckoning her silently.

Shi Qingwan took a deep breath and gently knocked on the office door.

“Come in,” came Wan Qiyun’s slightly fatigued voice from inside.

Pushing the door open, Shi Qingwan saw Wan Qiyun looking down and flipping through documents. Her hair hung slightly, glowing softly under the light.

“Qingwan?” She looked up, clearly not expecting Shi Qingwan. “Why haven’t you gone home yet?”

As she spoke, her gaze involuntarily went to the window, her eyebrows gently furrowing.

It was barely 8 PM, but the sky outside was already as dark as midnight. Heavy, inky clouds, like soaked cotton, pressed down heavily over the city. Even the lights of the distant tall buildings appeared dim, as if they could be swallowed by this thick darkness at any moment.

“I forgot something and came back to the company to retrieve it. I’ll leave immediately. You should hurry home too. It looks like a heavy storm is coming,” Shi Qingwan warned her, preparing to leave.

“Wait for me. I’ll drive you,” Wan Qiyun called out, quickly getting up to gather her things.

“No need—”

Before she could finish her sentence, large raindrops slammed against the glass with a loud crackling, as if trying to shatter the entire window. The storm arrived suddenly, giving no warning.

Looking at the torrential rain, Wan Qiyun’s expression darkened. In such heavy rain, driving was dangerous, and Shi Qingwan’s home was far away. She immediately made a decision.

“Qingwan, come home with me.”

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