The Villainous Female Side Character Pretends to Be an Omega in the Apocalypse and Raises a Cat - Chapter 19

Chi Yingdong sat on the sofa, fingers interlaced over her knees, her posture relaxed.

The kitten sat pressed closely against her on the couch, their expressions perfectly synchronized.

Both had calm eyes, as if nothing in the world could disturb their peace of mind.

Jiang Yun remained lost in her own thoughts, like a soulless doll.

No one in the room spoke. Even the child, Xu Chuyao, felt the oppressive atmosphere and quietly retreated to her room.

Chi Yingdong closed her eyes to rest, recalling the earlier scene of chasing that shadowy figure.

The opponent had used wind-based abilities while escaping. Being able to utilize wind abilities so flexibly indicated their power level couldn’t be low.

The apocalypse had only begun days ago, suggesting the opponent likely awakened their abilities before the catastrophe.

Chi Yingdong never believed that being reborn once would make her the protagonist of this world.

If she could be reborn, others might have been reborn too.

Then there was the kitten, completely different from her previous life, its body might house an adult soul.

This world had become utterly chaotic, where even the most absurd things now seemed plausible.

The kitten’s gaze remained fixed on Jiang Yun. Watching her hang her head, having cried until no tears remained, stirred complex emotions within the kitten.

The foul insults Jiang Yun had hurled at Chi Yingdong still seemed to echo in the air.

Every time she recalled those words, the kitten’s whiskers trembled with rage, wishing she could use her claws to tear that vicious mouth apart.

Yet seeing Jiang Yun now, broken and desolate, like a drenched stray puppy, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of pity for her.

Xu Luo glanced at the empty coffee table and said to Bao Qiujuan, “Go pour some water for everyone.”

Bao Qiujuan wanted to refuse. “I, ”

But after just one syllable, Xu Luo shot her a glare, making her swallow her words.

With floodwaters still not receding, clean water was becoming a scarce resource.

Now they had to share a single bowl of water among three people. Bao Qiujuan was reluctant to offer any to others.

However, with outsiders present, Bao Qiujuan decided to give Xu Luo face, not wanting to argue and become a laughingstock. She turned to prepare the water.

With no electricity to boil water, Bao Qiujuan simply poured mineral water into cups and brought them over.

The crisp sound of ceramic cups meeting the coffee table slightly broke the tense silence.

Everyone was waiting for Jiang Yun to explain.

Fortunately, Jiang Yun didn’t keep them waiting too long.

“I won’t tell you who she is,” Jiang Yun suddenly spoke, her voice raspy like sandpaper.

She slowly raised her head. Under the dim flashlight beam, the four scratch marks on her face looked particularly terrifying.

“If you want to kill someone, kill me. No matter what, I won’t tell you who she is.”

Chi Yingdong leaned forward slightly, meeting Jiang Yun’s gaze. She clearly saw the resolve in Jiang Yun’s pupils.

Understanding dawned, she wouldn’t be able to extract much information about the person behind this.

Better than nothing, Chi Yingdong gave a slight nod. “Then tell me what you’re willing to share.”

Jiang Yun’s eyes fell on the teacup, her gaze gradually growing distant, as if seeing into a faraway past through the water.

“We attended the same school, both studying performing arts.”

“Last week,” Jiang Yun paused, “or maybe earlier, she suddenly became very busy. At first, she just skipped classes, then eventually stopped coming to school altogether. I didn’t know what she was doing, and I couldn’t reach her no matter how hard I tried.”

“Until the apocalypse broke out and I awakened my supernatural ability, she suddenly came back to school to find me.”

Recalling the night the apocalypse first erupted, Jiang Yun felt a pang in her chest.

The scenes in her memory were terrifyingly vivid.

That night, she and her roommate had just finished practicing dance and were heading back to their dorm. The route passed through the busiest area of the campus, where the ground was littered with bodies.

Even her roommate didn’t last long, collapsing alongside the others.

Realizing the danger, Jiang Yun sprinted back to the dormitory.

The floors of the dormitory building were also covered with people lying motionless. She saw some of them twitching, then staggering to their feet.

As she passed one person, they reached out to grab her ankle. Fortunately, she was quicker, darting into her room just in time.

Thanks to her habit of reading novels, Jiang Yun quickly realized these people had turned into zombies.

The dormitory door was soon surrounded by zombies, pounding relentlessly, trying to break in.

It was at this moment that her ability awakened. Not only could she conceal her form, but more importantly, she could mask her presence.

Unable to detect the scent of a living person, the zombies no longer crowded her door, though they continued to wander outside.

Jiang Yun considered using her ability to escape, but one look at the zombies’ faces extinguished her courage.

In the midst of this chaos, that person fought her way through, finding Jiang Yun’s dormitory.

“She asked me if I would go with her,” Jiang Yun lifted her head, a bitter smile on her face. “I agreed.”

As a Beta, she had never been someone who left a lasting impression.

Even though her performances were captivating and her academic scores were among the top, her ordinary appearance relegated her to the background on stage, never catching the audience’s attention.

But that person was different, she was the protagonist under the spotlight.

Even now, with a fierce scar under her eye, she still commanded attention.

Jiang Yun looked at Chi Yingdong. “She dislikes you, but I can tell she doesn’t want anything to happen to you either.”

“I was the one following her earlier, just to see if I could find you.”

After saying this, Jiang Yun quickly glanced at Chen Xuluo and Bao Qiujuan.

“Her task for me was to find a way to join your group, stay with you at all times, and report your situation to her.”

Looking back now, that meticulously orchestrated tragic act made perfect sense.

A vulnerable student who had lost everything, capable enough not to be a burden, yet not powerful enough to pose a significant threat, it was the role most likely to evoke sympathy and acceptance.

Jiang Yun’s account came to an abrupt halt. “She probably thought you hadn’t awakened any abilities, which is why she sent me to follow you. That’s all I can tell you.”

Chi Yingdong’s fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the sofa.

Performing arts major…

She searched her memories carefully but found no relevant clues.

She didn’t know anyone from the performing arts department.

If what Jiang Yun said was true.

What kind of mindset lay behind such contradictory actions?

On one hand, she despised her, stirring up conflict in the residents’ group and pushing her into the spotlight of controversy.

On the other hand, she feared something might happen to her during the apocalypse, sending someone to keep an eye on her.

“Forget it.”

Chi Yingdong let out a soft scoff, deciding not to dwell on it and to let things take their course.

She reached out and pulled the kitten into her arms.

The soft fur brushed against her wrist, the tingling sensation easing her tense nerves slightly.

The flashlight’s beam was gradually dimming, the batteries were running out.

Day after day of overcast rain, coupled with the power outage, meant that as the last glimmer of light was about to vanish, the entire room was enveloped in a suffocating gloom.

Chi Yingdong stood up, the fabric of her clothes rustling softly.

She knew there was no more valuable information to extract from Jiang Yun.

The 19th floor was too dark; she needed to return to her own home.

Chi Yingdong left, holding the kitten in her arms.

Only Jiang Yun and the couple, Xu Luo, remained on the 19th floor. The three of them exchanged glances, none of them speaking first.

Outside, the rain continued to fall, and the other party was still injured.

Xu Luo had no idea whether she should ask Jiang Yun to leave.

Jiang Yun could sense the dilemma Xu Luo and her family were in. She touched the blood-stained gauze on her ear, the cold sensation sending a shiver down her spine.

Slowly, she rose to her feet, the hem of her school uniform wrinkled from sitting for too long.

“I’m sorry to have troubled you. I’ll be going now.”

Xu Luo stared at the girl in the school uniform, even though she knew Jiang Yun was technically an adult.

But her slender frame and youthful uniform still gave Xu Luo the illusion that she was just a child.

After a long internal struggle, Xu Luo finally spoke up to stop her. “Wait.”

Jiang Yun paused mid-step and looked back at Xu Luo.

Xu Luo felt somewhat uncomfortable under her gaze, her eyes darting away. “Um… does the person behind you know that Miss Chi lives on the top floor?”

Jiang Yun shook her head. “I’m not sure. But I didn’t tell her that Miss Chi… lives on the top floor, so she probably doesn’t know.”

Xu Luo gritted her teeth and made a decision. “You can stay.”

Having made such an abrupt offer, Xu Luo hurriedly tried to justify it, convincing others as much as herself.

“I need to keep an eye on you for Miss Chi’s sake, so you don’t go back and reveal where she lives.”

Jiang Yun wanted to argue, but the words caught in her throat, eventually turning into a sigh.

That wind blade had clearly been aimed at her life, she couldn’t go back now.

It seemed she had nowhere left to go.

Jiang Yun lowered her head, staring at the floor. After a moment, she said, “Thank you. I’m sorry for the intrusion.”

And so, Jiang Yun settled in on the 19th floor.

The next day, Xu Luo nervously went upstairs to tell Chi Yingdong about the situation.

The apartment belonged to Chi Yingdong, and she had taken it upon herself to let someone stay without consulting the owner.

Xu Luo rubbed her hands together, trying to ease her anxiety. “I let Jiang Yun stay on the 19th floor.”

Chi Yingdong didn’t even lift her eyelids, merely waving a hand dismissively. “Do as you see fit.”

Once they migrated north, these houses would be no different from a handful of dirt.

Xu Luo had initially taken Jiang Yun in out of pity, but it unexpectedly turned into a win-win situation.

Jiang Yun didn’t stay with Xu Luo for free. Whenever Xu Luo went out to scavenge for supplies, Jiang Yun would quietly follow.

Although her ability seemed useless at first glance, in her invisible state, even the zombies couldn’t detect her.

At first, she could only maintain it for ten minutes, but with frequent use, her ability improved significantly.

Now, she could remain completely invisible for up to half an hour and could even bring Xu Luo along with her.

Thanks to this ability, the two of them were much safer while gathering supplies outside.

Meanwhile, Chi Yingdong stayed home with the kitten, no longer venturing out.

Under her training, the kitten’s endurance had noticeably improved, and its tiny limbs were gradually developing some muscle.

After their workouts, the two would snuggle together and leisurely watch a movie or variety show.

If it weren’t for the relentless rain outside, one would hardly feel they were living in an apocalypse.

During this period, Xu Chuyao would always be sent upstairs by Xu Luo to sit for a while and chat with the kitten.

Every time Xu Chuyao visited, she brought news from the outside, gradually becoming the intelligence source for Chi Yingdong and Meng Qinghe.

The floodwaters rose higher and higher. While the sixth floor had remained untouched until recently, it was now half submerged.

In the past couple of days, people who had been hiding indoors since the apocalypse began were gradually venturing out to search for supplies.

When hunger blurred their senses and their lives were at risk, even zombies seemed less terrifying.

In their building, a lightning-element ability user took the lead and organized a rescue team dedicated to gathering supplies and clearing out zombies.

The team leader, an avid anime fan, gave the squad a distinctly otaku-inspired name: the Electromagnetic Squadron.

Her real name was likely unpleasant, as she forbade others from using it and insisted her team members call her “Thor.”

The team’s daily routine involved going door to door, knocking on each one.

If there was a response from inside, they moved on.

If there was no answer, they forced the door open and scavenged any food inside.

Though their methods were somewhat bandit-like, the cleared-out rooms provided temporary shelter for residents whose homes had been flooded.