The Post-Apocalyptic Rival Who Crashed My Wedding with a Baby - Chapter 16

As a Level 3 Wind-type mutated raven, Little Black’s flight speed was anything but slow.

After flying east for about forty minutes, a white mountain highway quickly appeared before them. Old, dilapidated vehicles were strewn haphazardly across the asphalt, with the occasional nearly-new car interspersed among the wreckage.

Once Little Black dropped everyone off, its body immediately shrank back to its original size. It let out two weak caws and leaned against Lin Yunxia’s shoulder. Yunxia instantly cast a healing spell; the warm white light made the raven squint its eyes in comfort.

Shen Qingyu stroked its head. “Thank you, Little Black.” Beside her, the baby followed suit, chirping in her milky voice, “Sank you, Ittle Black!”

She drew out the last syllable, her grape-sized eyes full of innocence. Little Black cawed happily, even using its wings to cover its face in a display of bashfulness.

Jiang Weiqing rolled her eyes at the sight. She truly wondered if her normally arrogant raven had been possessed; she had never seen it act so submissive.

She let out a heavy cough and tapped her eyelids with two fingers, activating her Spirit Eyes. “There’s a gas station one kilometer straight ahead. Only three Level 1 zombies inside. We can head there to scavenge some fuel.”

An Songyu immediately thumped his chest. “Captain, I can handle that alone.” As a Level 4 Earth Esper, taking out three Level 1 zombies was child’s play.

Jiang Weiqing shook her head. “I’ll go with you. We can carry more fuel back that way. Yunxia, the rest of you find a suitable vehicle.”

Jiang Weiqing scanned the area, hoping they could find a solid business van—something large enough to fit five adults and two children. As for Lu Yan, she was a cat and didn’t take up space. Of course, Jiang Weiqing wasn’t about to be the first one to suggest they all share a car.

Miao Jialing looked surprised. “With this many of us, we’ll probably need two cars.” She glanced at the mess of vehicles. “Does it even require ‘searching’? Just pick any one that isn’t broken.”

Before Jiang Weiqing could come up with a retort, Shen Qingyu spoke up. She casually patted a small black sedan. “Don’t go to the trouble. The baby and I will just take this one.”

Jiang Weiqing pointed at the basketball-sized hole in the window and arched an eyebrow. “You’re sure you want to drive that?”

Lin Yunxia teased from the side, “Captain, are you worried about Sister Qingyu?”

“As if!” Jiang Weiqing denied it instantly. Her eyes darted over and met the baby’s bright gaze. “I’m obviously worried about the baby. What if the cold wind gives her a cold?”

Shen Qingyu blinked. “I doubt it.”

As she spoke, the metallic energy in the air began to coalesce around her. The surrounding vehicles started to rattle and shake. In a scene straight out of a sci-fi blockbuster, mechanical parts detached themselves and floated through the air, systematically assembling themselves onto the car beneath Shen Qingyu’s hand.

The dilapidated old sedan underwent a total metamorphosis, transforming into a spacious, six-person C-class motorhome.

The vehicle was nearly six meters long, three meters wide, and four meters high. Inside was a four-person seating area separated by a height-adjustable table. To the sides were a compact kitchen, a sink, and a bathroom. The vertical space was perfectly utilized: six storage cubbies were lined up at the top, followed by an air conditioner and a fourteen-inch screen. In the middle was a 1.5-meter bed decorated with the baby’s favorite stickers. Beneath the chassis was a five-square-meter storage hold. The grey-and-white design was minimalist and stylish.

But it differed from a traditional RV. The roof was fitted with nearly ten solar panels shimmering in the sun, and the entire body seemed to glow with a faint, metallic white light.

An Songyu’s eyes went wide. He secretly applied pressure to the vehicle’s frame, but despite his Level 4 strength, the shell didn’t yield even a fraction of a millimeter. “Man, this thing is incredible,” he muttered.

“This is the most badass, luxury RV I’ve ever seen in the apocalypse!” Miao Jialing’s eyes were practically sparkling as she stroked the exterior.

Even the composed Lin Yunxia couldn’t hide her awe. “It would be amazing if we could take this to Chonghai.” An RV meant they could eat and sleep in comfort, and the hardened shell would protect them from zombies and mutated beasts.

Shen Qingyu offered generously, “You all can ride in here.” The team cheered and piled inside.

An Songyu immediately sank into a cushioned chair with a satisfied groan, reclining the seat. “This is the life.”

Yunxia inspected the kitchen; it was large enough for two people to work in, complete with a dish rack, a spice organizer, and even a built-in dishwasher. She pulled out a hidden two-meter-long prep table—it was perfect for chopping vegetables.

Xu Bairan obediently took out his homework, clicking on a warm yellow reading light to start scribbling on his scratch paper. Lu Yan and Little Black were less well-behaved; the cat and the raven explored the space like tourists, wandering around to “claim” their territory. One moment they were on the bunk railing, the next they were batting at the glass or pestering Bairan.

Watching this scene, Jiang Weiqing felt a rare, inexplicable sense of warmth. “Warmth” was a luxury in the wasteland. She rubbed her chin and prepared to saunter inside, only to be stopped at the door by Shen Qingyu.

Jiang Weiqing arched an eyebrow. “What? Isn’t there a spot for me in this big RV?”

She felt smug; she figured her rival had made the vehicle this large specifically to invite her squad. They were the famous Longyu Squad, after all. With them as escorts, her rival was the one getting the better end of the deal.

Shen Qingyu looked at her with a cold expression. “This is my RV. You can come in, but it’ll cost you ten Level 1 crystals a day.”

Jiang Weiqing’s brow furrowed. She pointed at the others. “Shen Qingyu, could you be any more obvious? They aren’t paying.” She coughed. “We’re supposed to watch each other’s backs in the apocalypse. Don’t be so petty.”

Shen Qingyu patted the drowsy baby. “Because they all have jobs.” She looked at An Songyu and Yunxia. “Driver. Chef.”

Miao Jialing raised her hand proactively. “I’m the baby’s wet nurse. I’m in charge of childcare.”

“I’m the pet, meow,” Lu Yan added. Little Black nodded in agreement, pointing at itself as if to say, Me too.

Jiang Weiqing felt like she was spitting blood. She had been completely isolated by her own teammates. She pointed at Xu Bairan. “What about Xiao Bai?”

Shen Qingyu didn’t hesitate. “He’s the baby’s playmate.”

Bairan nodded solemnly over his homework. “Sister Qingyu, I’ll study hard so I can be a good academic role model for the baby.”

Jiang Weiqing’s lip trembled with rage. “Fine! What if I scavenge gasoline for you?”

“This RV runs on solar, wind, and water power,” Shen Qingyu replied. “I don’t need gasoline.”

Miao Jialing burst out laughing. “Tsk tsk. The Captain’s only use has been stripped away.” She grinned. “Captain, you shouldn’t be in the car, you should be on the car.”

Jiang Weiqing: “…”

******

In the end, after some very unfriendly negotiations, Jiang Weiqing was relegated to the roof. She was told she could enter once she had “earned” ten days’ worth of fees.

Jiang Weiqing rubbed her frozen hands, hugging herself. She had never been more excited for a zombie encounter in her life. She had frozen half to death in the air, and now she was on “outdoor rooftop” duty.

Under the pressure of the cold, Jiang Weiqing’s combat efficiency exploded. Miao Jialing, playing with the baby inside, watched through the window as water arrows occasionally rained down from above, sniping the heads of zombies ten meters away.

Apparently deciding that wasn’t fast enough, Jiang Weiqing intentionally drew in a group of low-level zombies, conjuring a massive sphere of water and slamming it down. It was a localized rain of zombie parts; grey-white brain matter splashed against the pavement like vomit.

Miao Jialing’s face paled. She quickly covered the baby’s innocent eyes and complained to Shen Qingyu, “The Captain is too much. Can’t she kill them with a little more consideration for our feelings?”

“When has she ever considered anyone else’s feelings?” Shen Qingyu replied calmly.

Jiang Weiqing’s wild, unbridled personality had been the same since university—like a brilliant sun, drawing everyone’s gaze whether they wanted to look or not.

Miao Jialing gave Shen Qingyu a long, meaningful look. “Sister Qingyu, you seem to know our Captain very well.”

“She’s a rival I’ve loathed for a long time,” Shen Qingyu said impassively, though a flicker of shadow passed through her eyes.

Jialing rubbed her chin. Sister Qingyu doesn’t look like she sees the Captain as a rival at all. Then again, only someone with the Captain’s ‘bad taste’ would fall for a snake like Lin Qitong. Sister Qingyu is much smarter.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp, piercing male voice from outside.

“Jiang Weiqing? Why are you on the roof?”

“Did being dumped by Lin Qitong leave you this destitute?”

A spacious Jeep pulled up alongside them. A tall, thin man leaned out of the passenger window, his face full of mockery. On the right side of the back seat, a window was lowered halfway. A woman in a white lab coat pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses, her fingers flying across a tablet. Dense green data reflected off her lenses.

Jiang Weiqing scowled. “Chen Huawei? Why is it the Perpetual Runner-up?”

Chen Huawei and Jiang Weiqing had both been squad captains at Dragon City. They’d had a falling out over some minor grievance, and because Chen was always one step behind her in rank and mission completion, he’d earned that nickname. He’d vanished after a mission to Yuanfeng Base, and she hadn’t expected to run into him here.

Chen Huawei sneered. “Call me Lucky Chen.”

Shen Qingyu, holding the baby, appeared at the edge of the roof. She looked at the woman in the back seat. “Duan Muyu. Long time no see.”

Duan Muyu—the only Brain-type Esper in the world. Chief of the Yuanfeng Research Institute. Her terrifying calculation abilities were legendary, and she had developed serums that drastically increased crop yields. She was also a dual-elemental, having awakened rare Ice powers.

A flash of surprise crossed Duan Muyu’s eyes at the sight of Shen Qingyu. She looked back and forth between Shen Qingyu and Jiang Weiqing, her gaze finally landing on the toddler.

She spoke with absolute, clinical certainty: “Is this your child?”

Support