The Post-Apocalyptic Rival Who Crashed My Wedding with a Baby - Chapter 26

Granny Huang, the director of the orphanage, seemed to notice the strange looks on their faces. She put on an expression of kind bewilderment and asked, “What’s the matter with you all?”

“Nothing… it’s nothing,” Jiang Weiqing was the first to dismiss it.

After all, it was just a ghost story she had made up on a whim. The world was full of coincidences, and even people with the same names existed everywhere. This was likely just a chance encounter with two people who shared names with her characters. Even so, a lingering, creepy sensation crawled up her spine.

Chen Huawei also masked his expression and composed himself quickly. He began to study the girl, Xiao Mi. She looked to be around twelve or thirteen years old—the age of a middle schooler before the apocalypse. Likely because of her run-in with the zombies, she was covered in filth, her hair was knotted, and her dusty face hid her features. However, her eyes were as pure as a fawn’s, strikingly beautiful.

It has to be a coincidence, he muttered to himself. The Xiao Mi in the ghost story was an adult who could speak to ghosts, whereas the girl before him was young and mute—they were worlds apart.

“What coincidence?” Granny Huang asked, the confusion in her eyes deepening.

Chen Huawei offered a sheepish laugh and waved his hand. “Nothing, nothing at all.” He pulled a bottle of clean mineral water from behind his back and handed it to Xiao Mi, pointing at her face. “You can use this to wash up.”

Xiao Mi looked at him cautiously. Only after Granny Huang gave a small nod did she accept it. Instead of washing her face, she took two tiny, careful sips and then clutched the bottle to her chest like a precious treasure.

Lin Yunxia silently agreed with Chen Huawei’s logic. She couldn’t see anything suspicious about these two. Maintaining a gentle smile, she took the initiative to speak. “Granny Huang, Xiao Mi, we’re heading to Lingshui Village too. Why don’t you ride with us?”

If they left them here, the two would almost certainly encounter more zombies, and their chances of survival were slim.

Granny Huang’s eyes lit up at the offer. Having Espers as bodyguards made the road ahead much safer. However, she hesitated, looking uncertain. “Is that… is that alright?”

Jiang Weiqing gave a light smile. “It’s fine. We’re going the same way.” She reached out a hand, intending to pat Xiao Mi’s head, but the girl nimbly dodged her touch.

Granny Huang’s face darkened instantly. She scolded the girl, “Where are your manners, child?”

“It’s okay,” Jiang Weiqing quickly played peacemaker. “Kids this age are just like that.” She assumed Xiao Mi was simply wary of strangers, but as she watched, she saw the girl walk straight up to Shen Qingyu. With a shy gesture, Xiao Mi offered her precious water to the baby.

The friendliness she showed now was a stark contrast to her reaction a moment ago. A wave of awkwardness hung in the air. Jiang Weiqing’s lip twitched; she wondered why she was suddenly so unpopular with children.

Granny Huang noticed this as well and quickly pulled Xiao Mi back. “Hurry up and thank the masters…”

Xiao Mi kept her head down, staring at the ground. She made a quick hand gesture and immediately ducked back behind Granny Huang, moving almost like a puppet on the old woman’s strings. Seeing Granny Huang’s displeasure, Lin Yunxia and the others stepped in to smooth things over.

“Xiao Mi is a good girl.”

“She’s young; it’s normal to be scared.”

“I think she’s quite sweet. She even offered her water to the baby.”

Hearing this, Granny Huang’s expression softened. She followed them onto the RV and remarked, “Xiao Mi didn’t used to be like this…”

Soon, the engine roared to life again. The vehicle accelerated, easily leaving the low-level zombies behind. For the Longyu Squad, Level 1 and 2 zombies were no longer a threat. Before long, the blue road sign for Lingshui Village appeared at a fork in the road.

An Songyu glanced at it and prepared to turn left, but Granny Huang, sitting at the dining table, slapped her thigh and shouted, “Young man, you’re going the wrong way! You’re going the wrong way!”

An Songyu scratched his head, confused. “Granny, I’m following the sign. It says Lingshui is to the left.” Despite his confusion, he slammed on the brakes. Fortunately, Hutong was keeping a safe distance behind them, so there was no collision.

Chen Huawei, sitting in the passenger seat of the Jeep, began grumbling. “Does An Songyu even know how to drive? What if he jolts the Goddess and the baby out of their seats?”

Hutong rolled his eyes and gave Chen Huawei a long look. “Chen, you’re always ‘Goddess this’ and ‘Goddess that.’ Why didn’t you just ask her to ride in our car?”

Hutong was usually a man of few words; the fact that he was speaking with such sarcasm showed just how much Chen had been annoying him.

Chen Huawei looked heartbroken. “You think I don’t want to? But if she sat next to me, my heart would jump right out of my chest from excitement! Besides…” He rolled his eyes. “That RV belongs to her. If anyone has to leave, it should be Jiang Weiqing’s team. Why should the Goddess move?”

He then looked at the idling RV and complained, “Lingshui is right there. Why aren’t they moving?”

Duan Muyu looked up from the sea of data on her tablet and said nonchalantly, “Because they took the wrong path and need to turn around.”

******

In the RV, Lin Yunxia spoke patiently. “Granny, the sign clearly points left. The sign wouldn’t be wrong.” She assumed the old woman simply couldn’t read.

Granny Huang shook her head vigorously. “I might be illiterate, but I know these roads. I remember now—we put that sign there to confuse outsiders. The real path is to the right.”

An Songyu was skeptical, but Granny Huang’s absolute certainty made him waver. Miao Jialing frowned and spoke bluntly, “Granny, we don’t know the area. Don’t go leading us in circles.”

Granny Huang insisted she wasn’t lying, and Xiao Mi pointed her finger toward the right as well. With the engine idling and An Songyu’s hand hesitating on the wheel, Shen Qingyu suddenly spoke up. “Listen to Granny Huang. Go right.”

“Go right,” Jiang Weiqing echoed. If Shen Qingyu trusted the woman, she would too. An Songyu immediately turned the wheel, executing a smooth turn onto the right-hand road.

Chen Huawei watched the maneuver and turned to Duan Muyu in surprise. “Boss, they really were going the wrong way! But the sign said left?”

“It’s just a sign,” Duan Muyu said flatly. “Signs can be faked.” The entire map of Xiushan was etched into her mind; such a small trick wouldn’t fool her. However, her gaze deepened as her eyes landed on a line of text on her screen:

The Sea God feeds on human desire, treating heaven and earth as an altar for a communal feast.

******

Granny Huang let out a sigh of relief as they turned. She turned her gaze to the child in Shen Qingyu’s arms and smiled. “Your child looks so healthy and clean. The Sea God loves children like her the most.”

As she spoke, she reached out to touch the baby’s cheek. Shen Qingyu stepped back, pulling the child away. “Sorry, she’s sleeping.” Lately, the baby’s appetite and sleeping hours had both increased significantly. Since no one else knew what a “normal” child’s schedule was like, they simply assumed it was a growth spurt and kept quiet so she could rest.

Miao Jialing felt a flicker of unease at Granny Huang’s words. Healthy and clean… those two words felt odd when used together like that. But then she remembered the woman said she had no education, so she didn’t pursue it.

“Yes, yes,” Granny Huang chuckled awkwardly. “Children sleep a lot at this age.”

Suddenly, Xu Bairan looked up, his face full of innocent curiosity. “Granny, who is the Sea God? Would he like me too?”

Granny Huang’s eyes crinkled into a smile. She patted his cheek with a hand as rough as tree bark. “The Sea God is an omnipotent deity. If you worship him with a sincere heart, you will receive whatever your heart desires.”

“Even toys and food?” Bairan asked, blinking.

“You can ask for much more than that,” Granny Huang said, her voice rising slightly. Her eyes lingered on Jiang Weiqing’s team for a long moment.

Following Granny Huang’s directions, they finally arrived at Lingshui Village. As they passed the entrance, everyone’s jaw dropped at the sight of a towering statue of a squirting octopus that seemed to reach the clouds. Fruit platters were laid out at the base of the pool, and clouds of incense smoke swirled around the area. People were gathered there, bowing and chanting.

Shen Qingyu noticed that the worshippers’ expressions were genuinely devout; this wasn’t just for show. In the short time they stayed there, seven or eight people knelt down. It looked like a busy temple from the old world.

“Is this a local custom?” Shen Qingyu asked, frowning slightly. “Bowing to an octopus statue?”

“Yes and no,” Granny Huang chuckled. “That isn’t a mere octopus. That is our revered Sea God. He is great, and the people of Lingshui admire him from the bottom of their hearts. We bow and offer tributes whenever we pass by.”

She looked at Shen Qingyu with an inviting smile. “Our Sea God loves children most of all. You should take the little one to bow; it will bring her good fortune.”

Shen Qingyu shook her head coldly. “Thank you, but no. I’m not superstitious.”

As she looked around, a feeling of alienation washed over her. She had to admit this place was vastly different from the Lingshui Village in her memories. The geography was the same, but the people and the atmosphere were completely foreign.

“That thing must be ten meters tall,” An Songyu estimated, staring at the statue.

“You’re forgetting the section submerged in the pool,” Jialing corrected. “It’s probably fifteen meters.”

“It’s in perfect condition,” Jiang Weiqing noted. “It doesn’t look like it was built only two or three years ago.”

“Of course,” Granny Huang said proudly. “We maintain it every six months.”

“Every six months?” Jialing was shocked. “Even the outer walls of Dragon City are only maintained once every six months.” Such a project required massive amounts of labor and resources—something a small village shouldn’t be able to provide.

Granny Huang laughed. “Lingshui may be small, but we are well-equipped.”

“But you’re weak,” Jialing pointed out bluntly. “You almost got eaten by zombies.” The woman’s claim and her reality didn’t match at all.

Granny Huang didn’t take offense. “That was because Xiao Mi accidentally wandered out of the village, and I ran into trouble while looking for her. Lingshui is protected by the Sea God. We have no zombies, no mutated plants, and an endless supply of seafood.”

She leaned in, her voice sounding like a lure. She pointed at the massive octopus. “Are you sure you don’t want to believe in the Sea God?”

“No, thank you,” Shen Qingyu repeated firmly.

The others nodded in agreement. Jiang Weiqing looked up at the towering monstrosity again and realized something: the octopus’s eyes were closed. A playful, curious look crossed her face. She didn’t know the specific meaning of a closed-eyed octopus, but she knew the old saying: A Buddha with eyes open brings peace; a Buddha with eyes closed does not save the world.

Despite the rejections, Granny Huang’s smile didn’t falter. She offered a warm invitation. “You saved Xiao Mi and me. Please, come to my house for lunch.”

The team was silent, still feeling the oddity of the village. Surprisingly, it was the quiet Duan Muyu who spoke up. “Thank you, Granny. There are many of us, so please prepare plenty.”

Jiang Weiqing was baffled. She shot a look at Duan Muyu, asking why she would accept such a suspicious invitation.

“Where else would we go?” Duan Muyu said softly.

Jiang Weiqing had no answer. She had to admit that for now, taking it one step at a time was their best option.

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