The Post-Apocalyptic Rival Who Crashed My Wedding with a Baby - Chapter 7

Back to the matter at hand. After finishing her “lesson” with Lu Yan, Jiang Weiqing turned to her teammates with a look of surprise. “How did you all find this place?”

Lu Yan was currently basking in Lin Yunxia’s warm white light, soothing the muscles in her face. She raised an arm to gently massage a bruised spot, then lifted her head with a smug expression. “Did you forget how sharp my nose is, meow?”

Jiang Weiqing fell silent, realizing she had indeed overlooked that detail.

As a Beast-shifter, Lu Yan inherited all the traits of her animal counterpart, including a cat’s hyper-sensitive sense of smell. Tracking people or objects was second nature to her. Whether it was Jiang Weiqing’s scent or Little Black’s, she knew them both by heart.

Having shifted back into human form, Lu Yan wore a daring, backless red dress with a deep V-neck that left little to the imagination. The exquisite tailoring accentuated her perfect S-shaped curves, and her upturned cat-eyes shimmered with a seductive charm—a stark contrast to her low-profile black cat form. Unfortunately, the bruised scrapes on her arm were quite an eyesore.

Jiang Weiqing glanced at her injuries and let out a dry chuckle. “I thought you were supposed to be agile?”

As a feline-type shifter, grace was expected. But against a barrage of high-speed water spheres, getting hit was also a certainty.

“You’re a Level 5 Water Esper, meow!” Lu Yan muttered resentfully. The rest of the team were only Level 4; they naturally couldn’t beat her. “Captain, couldn’t you have held back a little, meow? If I get a scar, I’ll end up with a bald patch, meow!”

Jiang Weiqing glanced at her mental countdown and laughed, changing the subject. “With Yunxia here, you don’t have to worry about scars.”

She shifted her gaze away. In less than an hour, she would no longer be a Level 5 Water Esper.

An Songyu looked at Lu Yan’s skimpy attire with clear disapproval. “Can’t you wear something with a bit more fabric?” He pointed to his own black long-sleeved shirt. “Pure cotton. Comfortable, practical, and cheap.”

An Songyu remembered that dress. Lu Yan had traded for it with other Espers during a mission, spending a hundred Level 0 crystals. In the apocalypse, while food, weapons, and fuel prices had skyrocketed, luxury items had plummeted in value. A box of branded clothes or watches could often be had for ten crystals; five if you were a good haggler. To An Songyu, Lu Yan’s purchase was the height of wastefulness.

“This is specialized gear for shifters, meow,” Lu Yan said, exasperated. “It works for both forms.”

“They make cheaper versions of those, too,” An Songyu countered.

Knowing his stingy nature, Lu Yan just rolled her eyes. “You’re a hopeless ‘straight man’ with zero aesthetic sense.” She pulled a lady’s cigarette from somewhere, lit it, and took a long, blissful drag, looking utterly relaxed.

An Songyu immediately covered his nose. “Smoking is bad for your health. Put that out.”

Xu Bairan also looked disapproving. “Sister Lu Yan, please stop.” His health was poor, and the faint scent of smoke already had him falling into a fit of coughing.

Lu Yan stepped away to avoid the boy, speaking with righteous indignation. “I’m in pain right now. I need the nicotine to numb the ache, meow!”

She took two more deep drags, her long, wavy black hair fluttering in the breeze. The white smoke framing her face made her satisfied expression look even more alluring. The rest of the team shared a look of weary resignation.

Just as Lu Yan was feeling triumphant, a shadow fell over her.

“Smoking is bad,” a tiny, milky voice said. “Bad girl… no, no.”

Before Lu Yan could react, a small, soft white hand plucked the cigarette right out of her mouth. Because it happened so suddenly, Lu Yan didn’t have time to tighten her grip. A small droplet of water appeared, extinguishing the cherry instantly.

The child held the cigarette, sniffing it curiously before wrinkling her nose. With a determined squeeze of her tiny hands, she shredded the tobacco and paper. She looked up at Jiang Weiqing tentatively, and seeing no anger on her face, she waved her hands happily.

Lu Yan felt her heart bleed. Her source of happiness—her very last cigarette—now lay as a pile of yellow shredded fluff on the ground, beyond salvation.

“That was my last one!” Lu Yan wailed. The team hated her smoking and searched her constantly; she had worked so hard to hide this one. She’d only had two drags before it was ruined.

Jiang Weiqing nodded, pinching the child’s cheek in approval. “Good job, baby.” She tossed Lu Yan a fruit drop. “Here, have a candy instead.”

The others were quick to join in the praise.

“As expected of the Captain’s kid. Well done!” An Songyu cheered. He hated smoking. It was a waste of money and health. In the apocalypse, tobacco and alcohol prices were absurdly high; a single cigarette could go for a crystal on the black market.

Xu Bairan gave a thumbs-up, pressing it lightly against the child’s cheek. “You get a like from me.”

Lin Yunxia clapped with a gentle smile. “So smart, baby.”

Miao Jialing, the girl from the Miao village, couldn’t stop grinning. “You’re too clever for your own good!”

Bathed in the team’s adoration, the child’s smile grew even more radiant, even if she didn’t fully understand the words.

Lu Yan, huffing in annoyance, crunched the hard candy between her teeth. With a meow, she shifted back into a small black cat and curled around Xu Bairan’s neck, turning her back on everyone.

After the laughter died down, Jiang Weiqing suddenly recalled An Songyu’s words. She frowned. “Who told you this was my kid?”

“Huh?” An Songyu looked up, confused. “But everyone outside is saying it.”

Jiang Weiqing’s lip twitched. “Don’t you have any critical thinking skills? Shen Qingyu and I haven’t seen each other in three years. How could we have a child?” She sighed. “Besides, we’re both women. How would that even work?”

She then added with absolute certainty, “Shen Qingyu probably just picked her up from a dumpster somewhere.”

Lin Yunxia, however, offered a different perspective. “Captain, it’s possible the child is Shen Qingyu’s. Two women can’t have a kid, but a woman and a man certainly can.”

Jiang Weiqing’s heart skipped a beat. For some reason, she recalled the System’s cryptic hints. She coughed awkwardly. “Impossible. Shen Qingyu was like me in university. She only likes women.”

“Sexual orientation can change, Captain,” Lin Yunxia’s soft words felt like needles pricking at Jiang Weiqing. The Captain’s grip on the child tightened unconsciously, and her gaze grew complicated.

Sensitive to the shift, the child began to squirm. Miao Jialing saw Jiang Weiqing’s internal struggle and reached out. “Captain, let me hold her. I have experience with kids.” Her eyes dimmed for a moment, her lively expression softening.

Jiang Weiqing knew Jialing was thinking of the family she had lost. Everyone in the wasteland had a story. Jialing was from a Miao village in the mountains where everyone looked out for one another. She had three older siblings and two younger sisters. They weren’t rich, but they were happy.

Then the earthquake hit, followed by the apocalypse. Jialing was both lucky and unlucky: she survived and awakened Fire powers, but she was the only one in her village to do so. Watching everyone she knew die had left a scar, yet she remained remarkably resilient.

Jiang Weiqing handed the child over. “Sure. Just don’t drop her. She’s Shen Qingyu’s; I can’t afford the replacement cost.”

“As if!” Jialing laughed. She settled the girl into a professional carry, supporting her waist and neck. The child squinted happily and let out a content sigh.

As Jialing moved, the three silver bracelets on her wrist jingled. The sound fascinated the toddler, who reached out to touch them. The cute display melted Jialing’s heart. “If you like it, baby, you can have one.”

She slid a smaller silver bracelet onto the child’s ankle. Every time the girl kicked, it let out a clear, melodic chime.

“Jialing,” Jiang Weiqing said, surprised. “Didn’t you say those silver pieces house your venomous insects?”

The Miao people were masters of Gu (venomous parasites). Their silver jewelry often served as hives. These insects were difficult to raise and incredibly valuable, yet Jialing had given one to the child without a second thought.

“She’s just too cute,” Jialing shrugged. Then, she placed a hand on the child’s pulse. Her expression turned hesitant. “The child is very weak, but I can’t pinpoint why. It feels like internal damage. My Baiyi insect can help nourish her body.”

The Baiyi insect was “all benefit, no harm”, the perfect remedy for a frail child.

Lin Yunxia immediately sent another wave of healing light toward the girl. Aside from a slightly rosier complexion, there was no major change. After a moment, Yunxia shook her head. “My powers aren’t working on her. We need to find a doctor.”

Jiang Weiqing nodded. “I’ll talk to Shen Qingyu about it.”

And… she thought, I’ll ask her exactly what is going on with this child.

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