Picking Up My Ex-Wife in the Apocalypse - Chapter 45

Si Qi didn’t have much at the Institute, even her clothes were just the few pieces Si Ruxu had given her later, so she went with empty hands.

As they walked, Si Qi instinctively tried to avoid the crowds, but Si Ruxu gently guided her onto the main road, claiming the scenery was better there.

Perhaps because the Great Purge had just ended and everyone was busy gathering resources, the road was exceptionally crowded today. Many people cast various looks at Si Qi and Si Ruxu: surprise, respect, or a hesitant desire to approach.

Si Qi turned her head and bared her teeth at the woman closest to her who seemed about to approach.

This made Si Ruxu chuckle softly. “Why are you so fierce?”

The woman wasn’t scared; instead, she froze as if she hadn’t expected such a reaction. Only after seeing a signaling glance from Si Ruxu did she hurriedly step forward. “Are you Miss Si Qi? I’m an Awakened under Base Leader Luo.”

Hearing Luo Fenghe’s base mentioned, Si Qi calmed down slightly. She gave a small nod, inviting the woman to continue, remaining as taciturn as a haughty cat.

“A few days ago, when you left our base, you left shelters for some stray cats and dogs. Since then, my mother has been taking care of them. She always said she wanted you to visit them. I wonder if you’ll have some free time during your stay at the base…”

The woman spoke politely, but her eyes were so earnest that it felt as if she might forcibly drag Si Qi along if she said no.

“Yes, I’ll go.” At the mention of the cats and dogs, Si Qi’s eyes brightened imperceptibly. Back then, she had divided her points into several portions: some for the elderly, some for the children, and some for the stray animals.

She didn’t know how many points she truly had, and she hadn’t held much hope that they could support the animals for a lifetime. She only hoped to give them a bit more time. She hadn’t expected that after so long, they would still be there—and apparently thriving.

“Did anyone else donate points to them later?” After a moment’s hesitation, Si Qi asked. If the elderly had to support them entirely on their own effort, she would feel guilty.

“Eh? The points you left were enough for them to eat for decades. No one else needed to donate,” the woman replied. Likely in a hurry for a mission, she waved at Si Qi and left.

Si Qi stood there bewildered, blinking. Finally, she turned her head and met Si Ruxu’s smiling eyes.

“How many points did you give me back then?” For some reason, asking this made Si Qi feel a bit uneasy, as if a life of hardship lay ahead.

“Our points were shared and universal.” In Si Ruxu’s sight, Si Qi’s expression visibly crumbled.

“Didn’t you know? When you were ‘settling your affairs’ and making your will, you gave away all of our joint assets.”

Si Qi cast a guilty, sideways glance at Si Ruxu.

Two years—two whole years of savings—casually distributed by her hand.

Wait… can Si Ruxu still support me? Do I need to volunteer to find work?

After a pause, she finally made a resolution. “I’ll work to support you.”

Si Ruxu’s eyes curved, her voice soft and light. “Mhm. Okay.”

Si Ruxu wasn’t lying; every single point had indeed been given away. It was her first time experiencing the lack of funds to buy things.

But she absolutely wouldn’t let Si Qi work. This girl was terrified of pain, yet when things got serious, she would throw herself into danger without regard for her life. She feared Si Qi would come back covered in new wounds just for a few points.

The thought made her heart ache.

She figured she could sell a few energy crystals later. They were a scarce commodity now; selling just a few would be enough to buy milk for Si Qi. She would keep the rest, just in case Si Qi overextended her second ability again…

****

The main gate wasn’t heavily guarded. A few Earth-type Awakened were leaning against the wall eating, greeting Si Qi enthusiastically when they saw her.

“Hey! Isn’t that the Great Hero? Quick, open the gate! Si Qi’s here to play!”

The gate rumbled open. Si Qi’s ears felt a bit hot, and she hid slightly behind Si Ruxu.

“Great Hero! The base just developed a new multigrain pancake! It’s in Sector A—don’t forget to try it!” the gatekeeper shouted with familiar cheer.

Si Qi gave a vague nod and walked inside.

Si Ruxu took out a wristband similar to her own and put it on Si Qi. After carefully checking it, she took Si Qi’s hand. “Don’t lose this one again, okay?”

Si Qi froze for a second, then nodded.

People greeted them all along the way. Si Ruxu followed the map toward the Resource Exchange. Since they were currently penniless, even with Luo Fenghe providing room and board, there would be inconveniences.

Like that multigrain pancake. Although Si Qi was walking fast, Si Ruxu sensed a slight hesitation in her steps. She clearly wanted to eat it. Si Ruxu remembered that Si Qi had always loved food.

When she was young, she was thin because there wasn’t much to eat. After she grew up, she once gained over twenty pounds in a single month and spent the next year trying to lose it. But Si Qi loved to eat; she wanted to taste everything and was never picky. Often, things Si Ruxu didn’t like would be quietly polished off by Si Qi after sitting on the table for a while.

If it was something Si Ruxu did like, Si Qi wanted to taste it even more. Sometimes after finishing her own portion, she would look at Si Ruxu expectantly, making the older woman chuckle and share more.

At the Resource Exchange, Si Qi suddenly stopped, looking embarrassed. She gently tugged Si Ruxu’s sleeve. “No need to pawn anything… I’ll go find a day-job…”

Si Ruxu smiled gently. “Wait until the apocalypse is over and your wounds are healed, then you can work to support me, okay?”

“I still have many crystals. We’ll exchange a few first. I… want to try that multigrain pancake they mentioned.”

Si Qi pursed her lips and nodded sheepishly. She knows I’m the one who wants to eat it, she thought. Si Ruxu’s standards for food were usually high; a multigrain pancake likely wouldn’t catch her eye.

They entered the exchange. The person at the front desk was an ordinary human. Seeing Si Qi, he stood up abruptly, then slowly sat back down, his eyes fixed on her with hidden anticipation.

Si Ruxu stepped ahead of Si Qi. “Can we exchange energy crystals for points here?”

“Yes, yes! It’s 100 points for a Level 1 crystal, 300 for Level 2, 1,000 for Level 3, 2,000 for Level 4, 4,000 for Level 5, 10,000 for Level 6, and 20,000 for Level 7. Which level would you like to exchange?”

Crystals were more expensive than Si Qi had imagined, but then she remembered the long string of zeros she had squandered. How many crystals would it take to get that back?

Si Ruxu eventually exchanged fifty Level 1s and ten Level 2s, bringing the balance on the wristband to 8,000 points. Si Qi wasn’t entirely sure of current prices. She remembered a bowl of coarse rice being 10 points and dry bread being 100.

Si Ruxu was about to leave but turned back to pawn a single Level 6 crystal. The balance jumped to 18,000 points. For an ordinary person, this could last half a year, but for supporting Si Qi, it was far from enough.

*****

They walked to Sector A. Most people here wore coarse cloth and lacked energy fluctuations. They were ordinary humans. Their living conditions were much better than in the Commander’s base; they had food, water, decent clothes, and weren’t bullied by Awakened.

The sun hung lazily behind the clouds. The sky in the apocalypse felt low, but at this moment, it wasn’t oppressive. Ordinary people were shouting their wares; there was coarse rice, vegetables, and fruit.

To avoid being recognized by too many people, Si Qi asked Si Ruxu for a mask. Fortunately, the apocalypse was full of oddities, so wearing a mask didn’t make her stand out.

Si Ruxu stopped at a stall, crouching down to look at some decent-looking chili peppers. Surprise flickered in her eyes. “You don’t have to turn these all over to the base?”

“We hand over eighty percent. The rest we keep to eat or sell freely. The Awakened have been taking good care of the soil these years, and the seeds are well-bred. You must be from another base, Miss. Want to buy some to take home?” The old man sounded cheerful. The treachery and gunfire of the outside world seemed not to have affected the people here. They were well-protected by Luo Fenghe’s shield.

“How many points for these?”

“Five points each. Pick whatever you like.”

Si Ruxu picked out twenty peppers and paid 100 points. Accompanied by the old man’s “come again,” she took Si Qi’s hand and continued. Milk, a rarity, would still need to be bought at a formal market, but for now, she just wanted to walk with Si Qi and get those pancakes.

“Why buy peppers?” Si Qi asked. Are we going to eat them raw? They were cheaper than other things… Guilt crept into her heart again, realizing Si Ruxu had to sell crystals because of her. “I’ll eat a bit less.”

Si Ruxu didn’t know what Si Qi was imagining. Her amber eyes held a trace of confusion before they curved into a smile. “I’ll buy some meat too, and make you chili-shredded pork. We’ll buy some fine rice and cook at home, okay?”

Si Qi blinked, not reacting for a second. “We’re not just eating raw peppers?”

“Why would we eat raw peppers?” Si Ruxu blinked slowly, finally understanding why Si Qi had been sighing. She misunderstood. Even if they were short on cash, she wouldn’t make Si Qi eat raw peppers.

Si Qi’s eyes curved. “Then let’s go home and cook.”

The setting sun painted halos on the clouds, casting a generous glow on Si Qi’s bright profile. It was the look she used to have—the one Si Ruxu had loved so deeply.

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