The Post-Apocalyptic Rival Who Crashed My Wedding with a Baby - Chapter 22

Facing Shen Qingyu’s insistent gaze and the toddler’s sparkling eyes full of expectation, Jiang Weiqing couldn’t hold out. She let out a few dry coughs and said, “Baby, don’t blink. Your birthday present is coming right up.”

With a subtle flick of her finger, a small blue sea fish manifested out of thin air. It swam gracefully through the air toward the child, playfully brushing its tail against her fingertips. The slippery sensation and the creature’s cute shape were a total novelty to the toddler, who immediately burst into giggles. She carefully held out her tiny, flat palms, and the little fish tucked itself right into her hands.

Her dark, round eyes darted back and forth, and she tugged at Shen Qingyu’s sleeve as if bragging about her prize. Jiang Weiqing chuckled softly. The little one was so easy to please—just one small fish and she was over the moon.

But since this was her baby (at least in this dream), a single fish wasn’t nearly enough.

Jiang Weiqing swept her arm across the air. Suddenly, dozens of tiny octopuses, baby sharks, and miniature dolphins appeared, floating on ripples of air around the child. Whether by instinct or chance, the toddler immediately let go of the fish and hooked her finger around an octopus’s tentacle. The transparent creature didn’t struggle; it let her knead it like a piece of putty.

Relieved by the child’s joy, Jiang Weiqing shot a smug look at Shen Qingyu. “Not a bad gift, right?”

“It’ll do,” Shen Qingyu replied with a light laugh. Hearing a rare word of approval, Jiang Weiqing felt a swell of pride, her smile widening.

She sauntered through the house, and the interior layout took her by surprise. The daylight was perfect, filtering through the window cracks and casting soft patches of light across the wide, clean floor. The house was tidy and decorated in warm yellow tones that felt incredibly cozy—except for the dining table, which was strangely long. It felt a bit too spacious for a family of three.

Every other detail, however, was meticulously handled. The kitchen counters were custom-built to a specific height, sharp table corners were padded for safety, and the child’s toys were neatly organized in a corner. The air smelled faintly of baby formula—a scent that wasn’t unpleasant but instead made a warm current flow through her heart.

Dinner was already on the table, protected by covers. A few scattered building blocks nearby suggested the mischievous toddler had been playing there moments ago. The house was modest, about 50 square meters with two bedrooms and one bath—the perfect size for them. Peeking into one bedroom, she saw a pink, fluffy cradle next to a double bed. On the wall were Barbie stickers, and on the dresser sat a photo of the three of them smiling happily: herself, Shen Qingyu, and the baby.

Watching Shen Qingyu go to the kitchen for chopsticks, Jiang Weiqing felt a twinge of alarm. She was only in her mid-twenties; was this version of Shen Qingyu trying to trap her with the “cozy family” routine?

Despite her internal cynicism, the moment she tasted the seaweed soup, her heart was utterly conquered. The seaweed had just the right amount of chew, and the bone broth base was rich and milky-white. It was delicious enough to kick her appetite into high gear. She remembered an old saying: to win a woman’s heart, you must first win her stomach. She used to scoff at it, but now she felt its power.

After polishing off four or five bowls, she looked at Shen Qingyu non-chalantly. “There was way too much soup. We can’t let it go to waste, so I had to finish it.”

Shen Qingyu looked at the fridge and rolled her eyes. “I won’t make so much next time.”

Seeing Jiang Weiqing eating with such gusto, the toddler began smacking her lips. She pushed away the bottle Shen Qingyu offered and stared longingly at Jiang Weiqing, babbling, “Drink! Drink!”

Shen Qingyu calmly patted the girl’s bulging tummy, trying to use logic. “You’ve had enough formula today. No more.”

In this dream, the baby seemed even younger than in reality. While the adults ate, the child usually just chewed on her bottle. Only when she became truly desperate would Shen Qingyu give her a piece of meat to gnaw on—and only after rinsing it in hot water to remove all the seasoning.

The child pouted, pointing at Jiang Weiqing. “More! More than me!” For such a small child, her point was eloquently made: Mama drank way more than I did!

Jiang Weiqing finished the last of the soup and winked at Shen Qingyu. Suddenly, she made a pained face and rolled onto the floor. “Ouch! It hurts! I definitely drank too much!”

Shen Qingyu caught on immediately. She looked at the child. “See, baby? That’s what happens when you overeat.”

The toddler looked confused at first, but as Jiang Weiqing’s “groans” grew more tragic, a look of fear crossed her face. She buried her head in Shen Qingyu’s arms. Pleased with the success of her scheme, Jiang Weiqing shared a secret smile with Shen Qingyu. But the moment the child looked back, she hid her expression and patted her stomach. “Baby, don’t be like me. My tummy is going to explode. I feel so, so bad.”

Away from the child’s sight, Shen Qingyu gave Jiang Weiqing a secret thumbs-up. She knew this woman was full of tricks.

Moved by pity, the toddler pulled off her bib and threw it at Jiang Weiqing. “Ptui-ptui!” In the child’s world, if you ate too much, you just spit it out to feel better. Feeling the damp, milky-scented bib in her hand, Jiang Weiqing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

She kept the act going, looking solemnly at the girl. “Thank you, baby. I think I’ll feel better if I spit it out.” The child laughed joyfully and reached out for a hug.

Jiang Weiqing’s heart turned to mush. She wanted to scoop her up and cover her face in kisses. But a cold shiver of logic woke her up. This is all a hallucination. The baby isn’t mine, and Shen Qingyu isn’t my partner. We are rivals at each other’s throats. The warmth felt like a cruel trick.

Suddenly, a knock at the door shattered her thoughts. Shen Qingyu looked toward the door with a smile. “That’s probably Jialing and the others. I was worried they wouldn’t make it back from their mission in time.”

She opened the door to reveal the Longyu Squad. Miao Jialing and Lu Yan were at the front; Lin Yunxia was holding Xu Bairan’s hand; and An Songyu was shouting at the top of his lungs, “Sister Qingyu! Captain! Open up! We’re back with birthday presents for the baby! I missed your cooking so much!”

The quiet cottage was instantly filled with life. Jiang Weiqing was stunned. The hallucination had simulated her entire team, and their personalities were pitch-perfect.

They sat down to eat the noodles Shen Qingyu whipped up. Miao Jialing leaned against the kitchen door, watching Jiang Weiqing help with the prep. “Captain, you and Sister Qingyu are the model couple of Lingshui Village. I’m so jealous.”

Jiang Weiqing felt like a bone was stuck in her throat. To stay in character, she just rolled her eyes. “Jealous? Go find your own partner then.”

“If I could find a woman even half as strong and capable as Sister Qingyu, I’d have married her long ago,” Jialing joked. In the apocalypse, strength was everything, and Jialing worshipped Shen Qingyu’s skill—both in the kitchen and in combat.

An Songyu rubbed his chin. “You might be single forever then.”

Jialing’s face darkened, a fireball appearing in her hand. “What did you say, An Songyu?” The big man immediately cowed. “Nothing! I said nothing! Spare me, oh great hero!”

Jiang Weiqing watched them with a smile. “They’re certainly lively.”

In the other room, Lin Yunxia helped the baby unwrap gifts. The squad had brought a collection of odd toys: a traveling frog, a rattle, a mask-changing panda. The toddler was star-struck, clutching them to her chest and saying a clear, “Thank you.”

“Little Black! You’re here too?” Jiang Weiqing looked up as the raven she had personally tamed landed nearby. It was carrying a diamond as a tribute. Little Black was usually stubborn and mischievous; it had taken her years to win its trust. Seeing it so fawning and eager toward the child and Shen Qingyu made Jiang Weiqing cover her eyes. It’s not that the bird isn’t affectionate; it’s just not affectionate to me.

That night, because of the limited rooms, Jiang Weiqing, Shen Qingyu, and the baby shared the same bed. Xu Bairan and Yunxia took the utility room, while the others slept in the living room.

Jiang Weiqing felt awkward, pressing herself against the wall. “Cough… the bed is pretty small. Maybe I should sleep on the sofa.”

The toddler, who was busy crawling to the center of the bed, immediately pouted. Her eyes filled with tears. “No! No!”

Jiang Weiqing’s heart broke instantly. She tapped the girl’s nose. “Why are you such a crybaby?” She glanced at Shen Qingyu. This kid is my weakness; she was born to defeat me. “Fine, fine. I’ll stay.”

She didn’t notice that her and the toddler’s pouts were identical.

Shen Qingyu stayed up under a small lamp, sewing a patch on the child’s clothes. Watching her, Jiang Weiqing thought, She’s totally faking it. It’s too dark to see; those stitches will be crooked and everyone will laugh at the baby. She reached out and snatched the sewing kit away. “Stop it. Go to sleep.”

Shen Qingyu nodded. “Alright.” She lay down, placing a hand on the baby’s back. The bed creaked under the weight of another person. The proximity was awkward, but Jiang Weiqing was glad the baby was between them. She fell into a fitful sleep.

In the middle of the night, she woke up feeling freezing. She thought Shen Qingyu had stolen the blanket, but then a sudden heat spread through her limbs.

Wait! Jiang Weiqing snapped her eyes open, only to see eight tangled tentacles.

Where are my arms? My legs? She tried to move but instead slid smoothly across the mattress. She looked into a mirror and saw a purple octopus the size of a palm. Panicked, she forgot her rivalry and crawled onto Shen Qingyu’s face, her soft tentacles brushing against the woman’s skin. “Shen Qingyu! Wake up! Wake up!” she squeaked.

She didn’t wake Shen Qingyu, but she did wake the baby. The girl looked at the purple creature with wonder, scooped it up, and stuck out her tongue to give it a lick. Jiang Weiqing was relieved the child didn’t have many teeth yet, or she’d be a goner.

“Baby, put me down!” Jiang Weiqing squeaked. The toddler just tilted her head, confused.

“Baby, let her go,” Shen Qingyu’s voice finally reached them. “That’s your Mama.”

The word “Mama” triggered the child’s obedience. She opened her palm. Jiang Weiqing, tears of joy in her octopus eyes, scrambled up Shen Qingyu’s arm and made a heart shape with her tentacles.

Shen Qingyu, expressionless, peeled her off and used a tissue to wipe away the slime. “You’re an octopus now,” she sighed. “You can only get drool on my face. Forget about ‘that other thing’ for now. Especially with the baby here.”

Jiang Weiqing felt as if she’d been struck by lightning. She finally understood the “heat” in her body. It wasn’t a fever; it was desire. Hearing Shen Qingyu say it so coldly crushed her pride. She tried to crawl back up to prove a point, but her body felt weak, like she’d drunk too much high-proof liquor.

Seeing her struggle, Shen Qingyu got up, filled the tub with cold water, and tossed the little octopus in. “You’re leaving me alone in here?” Jiang Weiqing squeaked, her tentacles splashing in the water. But the cold water felt amazing, and she squinted in comfort.

She expected Shen Qingyu to leave, but instead, the woman stepped into the tub, scooped the octopus to her chest, and closed her eyes to sleep. She even threw a rubber duck in for company. Jiang Weiqing’s complaints vanished into the water. She poked the duck with a tentacle, then shoved it away so it wouldn’t make noise.

The next morning, Jiang Weiqing woke up and saw Shen Qingyu’s damp clothes and pale face. A pang of guilt hit her. She realized that in the apocalypse, people could turn into beasts—like Lu Yan with her Beast Serum. But she was an Esper; she shouldn’t be turning into an octopus. Even if this was a dream, dreams were usually built from memory.

Why am I an octopus?

A loud banging at the door interrupted her thoughts. “Captain! Are you up?” “Can we come in?” “Don’t sleep in!”

The teasing voices made Jiang Weiqing panic. She couldn’t be seen like this! She looked at Shen Qingyu, who shared the thought and immediately turned on the shower. Splash, splash. Shen Qingyu pointed to her chest, and Jiang Weiqing dove into the robe.

“Sister Qingyu, why did it take so long?” Jialing asked, eyeing the robe suggestively. “Where’s the Captain?”

Suddenly, Jiang Weiqing walked out of the bathroom in her own robe, protective and imposing. She felt a wave of relief; at the last second, she had shifted back to human form.

Downstairs, Lin Yunxia was making breakfast. They all sat down, and Miao Jialing asked with a grin, “Captain, do you remember how many days are left until your wedding anniversary?”

Jiang Weiqing’s heart skipped. She didn’t even know they were “married.” She guessed a number. “About a month?”

The room went silent. The expressions on their faces changed. “You’re not the Captain.”

The world began to tilt and distort. The scene dissolved into a swirl of blue sky and golden sand.

A familiar voice reached her ears, making her pupils shrink in shock.

“Sister Weiqing, are you heading home now?”

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