Living with My Aloof Ex-Wife After the Apocalypse - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Sister Qing Meng, Do You Dare to Play?

Qing Meng’s expression didn’t change much; she never wore her emotions on the surface for others to gaze at. However, the expressions of everyone else shifted in an instant. There was sympathy, and there was pity.

Auntie Chen felt it most of all. Even though she had lost her memory, a constant sense of unease reminded her that a vital piece of her heart was missing the space reserved for a daughter. Having guessed Doudou’s situation, the tenderness in her eyes grew even deeper.

Xing He felt a pang of worry.

But there was one exception. Fan Hua was also looking at Doudou, but her eyes held only pure adoration perhaps for Doudou’s chubby cheeks, or maybe for the pigtails atop her head.

Doudou didn’t quite understand why everyone suddenly looked so sad. She instinctively felt she might have done something wrong and nervously toyed with her fingers. “I don’t know how to do anything, but… I still hope everyone can like me…”

Before Doudou could even finish, Fan Hua chirped up loudly. “So cute! Can I call you Little Doudou?”

Doudou turned shy, her face flushing pink. “Yes.”

Fan Hua scooped Doudou up and rubbed her cheek vigorously against the little girl’s, as if she were cuddling a kitten. “Little Doudou, you are the cutest child I’ve ever seen. Can I be your friend?”

Doudou’s face was being squished out of shape, but the little one seemed to quite enjoy the attention. “Okay!”

Seeing the two of them getting along so well, Xing He finally let go of the worry in her heart.

After the meal, everyone felt much closer. With full stomachs, Xing He led Fan Hua and Chen Xia on a tour of the courtyard. Since they were going to live together and she had a decent grasp of their character, Xing He didn’t hide anything; she showed them exactly what resources and equipment they currently had.

From the moment she entered the yard, Chen Xia had noticed how special this place was. There were facilities that would usually be considered niche or secondary, but by pure coincidence, they were exactly what was needed for the apocalypse. Supplies that would cause a riot among survivors in any other corner of the world were piled neatly in an entire room here.

Chen Xia couldn’t say for sure what Xing He had been thinking when she built this place, and she didn’t want to speculate. But she was certain of one thing: this wasn’t an ordinary civilian house; it was a legitimate, professional bunker.

Despite having no intention of leaking Xing He’s secrets, the two women became a bit nervous under her blatant transparency, worrying they might accidentally let something slip later.

The sleeping arrangements were easy enough to solve. Xing He planned to clear out one of the storage rooms on the first floor for Fan Hua and Chen Xia. However, she hadn’t anticipated having this many people, so she hadn’t bought extra beds.

Chen Xia noticed her hesitation. “We can just sleep on the floor. Don’t go to any trouble.”

Fan Hua raised her hand in agreement.

Xing He spoke after a moment of thought. “While the resources outside haven’t been completely picked over, I’ll go out in a couple of days and bring a bed back for you.”

Just then, Qing Meng’s gaze drifted over. A sudden chill swept down the backs of the three women.

Fan Hua: “I don’t need a bed! My bones are sturdy; the floor is actually great, hahahahahaha.”

Chen Xia: “You don’t have to go out and find a bed. How about I go chop down a tree tomorrow and make one? I don’t want to trouble you.”

“Stop joking. Sleeping on the floor permanently won’t work,” Xing He said. “The winter temperatures are too low, and your mental state won’t hold up. I’ll go out with Qing Meng later and look for one.”

She was speaking to Fan Hua and Chen Xia, but the emphasis was clearly on the words “with Qing Meng.” Noticing Qing Meng’s expression return to normal out of the corner of her eye, Xing He finally breathed a sigh of relief.

With that settled and seeing Xing He’s substantial stockpile, Fan Hua felt much more at ease. Likely wanting to lighten the mood, she suddenly suggested having a “bonfire and drinks” party.

The first person she asked was Auntie Chen.

Auntie Chen thought for a moment and offered a practical suggestion: “How about we do a barbecue tonight? Things like the pork and vegetables might spoil if we keep them much longer. We should process them while they’re fresh.”

Fan Hua agreed enthusiastically, even waxing poetic: “Last night we were being chased by zombies, and today we can drink and eat barbecue. It turns out the opposite of ‘hysterical’ is ‘delicious’!”

Xing He didn’t understand the trendy pun, but she liked the proposal. In the apocalypse, one needed far more than just supplies and a bunker. Given their current high-strung state, even if the courtyard faced no external threats, their spirits might break from within. A stable mind and a glimmer of hope were the real factors in surviving to the end.

Moreover, though they had eaten a late brunch, the two extra unplanned mouths meant everyone was only half-full. A barbecue party would fill their bellies and serve as a perfect welcome.

She just hadn’t expected the small, sweet-looking Fan Hua to be a fan of drinking.

Fan Hua turned toward Qing Meng, striking a playful pose and giving a wink. “Sister Qing Meng, what do you think? Do you want to join?~”

Xing He pretended to be indifferent, but her ears were practically twitching. How will she answer?

“Okay.”

It was Qing Meng’s signature cold, crisp voice.

Fan Hua cheered, a bright smile on her face. “Yay! I knew you were the best, Sister Qing Meng!”

Xing He blinked. She remembered that Qing Meng didn’t actually like barbecue, nor was she the type to enjoy social drinking circles. Yet she had agreed so easily.

An inexplicable feeling of discomfort rose in Xing He’s chest. Because of who? Because of Fan Hua? It made sense Fan Hua was lively and vibrant, always the center of attention, like a little sun. Even if no one spoke, she could keep the atmosphere warm by herself. Who wouldn’t like a girl like that?

If Fan Hua was like a colorful little songbird, then Xing He was probably just a dull parrot. Xing He didn’t realize she was comparing herself; she only felt a sudden, unknown sourness when she heard how easily Qing Meng had accepted the invitation.

The last time Qing Meng had invited Xing He to drink in the courtyard was the first time Xing He realized she even could drink. Who did she learn to drink for? Has she ever been drunk in front of others? Who would walk her home? Would that person take the chance to stay over?

Xing He knew that as an adult in the professional world, one couldn’t avoid social drinking, and even someone like Qing Meng was no exception. But right now, a single thought was screaming in her mind: I don’t want anyone to see what Qing Meng looks like when she’s drunk.

Distorted by these strange emotions, her voice came out a bit sharp: “Chen Xia, are you participating?”

Xing He stared at her, her eyes practically shooting sparks. Say it! Say you’re not joining!

Suddenly called out, Chen Xia was completely bewildered. This is a group activity; do I look that anti-social? But since Xing He asked, maybe she had her reasons?

“I’m participating.”

Fan Hua was more observant; she easily picked up on something unusual. For a second there, she felt a wave of inexplicable hostility. She looked at the stoic Chen Xia.

No, Fan Hua thought firmly, she wouldn’t dare.

Could it be… Fan Hua scrutinized Qing Meng and Xing He for several beats. Qing Meng’s face was as emotionless as ever. Xing He’s face, however, was a kaleidoscope of shifting colors—turning from dark to pale—looking distinctly abnormal.

Oh—someone is jealous. A bit of mischief rose in Fan Hua’s heart. “Aww, look at me, how could I forget the most important person? How can we have a party in the yard without the owner’s permission?”

She squeezed out a pitiful expression. “Sister Xing He, you won’t mind if we have a party at home, right? Alcohol is such a precious resource; would it be a bit wasteful for us to drink it now?”

Chen Xia considered this seriously. “Alcohol can be used for disinfection or even made into Molotov cocktails to fend off zombies. It really is a bit wasteful.”

Fan Hua thought viciously: You show-off! Who asked you to speak! She secretly pinched Chen Xia’s thigh. The dense police officer shut her mouth in pain.

Xing He instinctively replied with courtesy, “It’s fine. Treat this place like your own home. Drink as much as you like; consider it a welcome party.”

For some reason, the expression on Qing Meng’s face beside her turned a few degrees colder as well.

These two are so fun, Fan Hua laughed internally, though she kept her face straight. “We can play Truth or Dare. Do you know how to play, Xiao Xia?”

Chen Xia thought everyone was being weird today. She had played Truth or Dare with Fan Hua at class reunions before; she obviously knew she could play. “I know how.”

Satisfied with the answer, Fan Hua turned back to Xing He. “Do you know how to play, Sister Xing He? Oh, wait, I forgot. You were in the military for so many years, you’re probably a bit out of touch with society. You wouldn’t know how, right?”

Truth be told, Xing He had never even heard of Truth or Dare, let alone how to play. But since Fan Hua asked like that, admitting she didn’t know would feel like losing the psychological battle entirely.

“How could I not? Of course I can play.”

“Oh~ that’s good then.” A mischievous glint flashed in Fan Hua’s eyes. She was clearly cooking up a plan. “Then, Sister Qing Meng, do you dare to play?”

With Qing Meng, the question changed to whether she dared.

It had to be said, Fan Hua was a good judge of character. While Qing Meng was indifferent to most things and people, she occasionally had a strange, inexplicable competitive streak. For instance, right now, the reverse psychology clearly worked.

Qing Meng spoke just one word: “Play.”

Hearing the adults discussing so excitedly, Doudou also hopped up and raised her hand. “I want to play too!”

Xing He pinched her little cheek. “You can’t. Little children have to go to bed on time.”

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