Surviving the apocalypse with a wife and a system! [GL]

The little dumpling nodded obediently, "Okay~"

"So good." Bai Li squeezed the little one’s hand, then put her down on the ground, letting her play by herself for a while.

Even after being set down, Lili did not run off immediately. She stayed close to Bai Li’s legs for a second, then held onto the hem of her clothes with two fingers like she was still a little worried that Bai Li might disappear again. Bai Li noticed that and lowered herself slightly so she could look the little girl in the eye. "I really will come back," she said in a gentle voice. "You can play for now. If you get bored, you can wait for me with your mother."

Lili considered that with a very serious expression, then nodded and finally let go. Before she turned away, she lifted her little hand and touched Bai Li’s sleeve again, just a quick little tap, like she was making a secret promise with her. Bai Li understood that kind of feeling very well, even if she had never said it out loud before. Sometimes you just wanted to make sure someone stayed nearby. Sometimes a child did not need a full explanation. They only needed a gentle answer and a promise that sounded safe.

When Yan Laojin saw Bai Li arrive, she quickly asked, "Bai Li, what happened outside? Are you alright?"

"I’m fine, it’s all been taken care of, don’t worry." Bai Li pointed to the room Yan Cijin had just entered. "Auntie, I need to talk to Dr. Mo about something."

Yan Laojin smiled at Bai Li, picked up the little one, and went to the opposite room to play with the kitten.

Yan Laojin did not push the question further when she heard that. She seemed to understand right away that Bai Li did not want to go into the details out here. She gave Bai Li another quick look, the kind older people always gave when they were worried but did not want to make a big deal out of it, and then she turned to Lili. The little girl was already looking at the kitten with bright eyes, and when Yan Laojin lifted her into her arms again, she made a tiny happy sound and reached out toward the fluffy little animal. Bai Li watched that for a moment and felt the tension in her chest loosen just a little. Lili really had a way of making the room feel warmer. Even the simple sight of her reaching for the kitten made the whole place feel much softer than before.

Bai Li stood outside Yan Cijin’s room, feeling a little lost. What should she say after she went in? She scratched her hair in frustration; coaxing someone was much harder than fighting zombies. Bai Li took a few deep breaths, as if making up her mind, and finally reached out and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, the sound of the door opening came from inside. "I didn’t lock the door anyway, come in."

Bai Li stepped into the room with a careful pace. She did not rush, because she had the feeling that if she moved too fast, the awkwardness would only get worse. Yan Cijin’s room was neat and quiet, and the stillness inside it made Bai Li feel even more aware of her own footsteps. She kept her gaze polite and direct, not staring around too much, not wanting to seem nosy. She had already made enough of a mess in Yan Cijin’s heart earlier. The least she could do now was be steady and sincere.

Yan Cijin was standing not far away, and Bai Li could tell from the way she held herself that she had not completely relaxed yet. Bai Li did not try to pretend nothing had happened. That would have been worse. Instead she stopped a respectful distance away and opened her mouth, but for a second no words came out. She rubbed the back of her neck again, feeling the familiar awkwardness crawl up her face. This was exactly the kind of moment where she wished she was better with words. If she could talk like she fought, maybe things would be much simpler. But emotions were not zombies. They did not just fall over when you hit them.

So Bai Li took another breath and said honestly, "I came to apologize."

Her voice was a little low, but it was clear. She did not say it in a fancy way. She did not wrap it in a bunch of pretty words. She just said it straight. "I know I scared you earlier. I know I made you cry, and that was not what I wanted. I was being too reckless with what I said, and I should have thought more carefully before I spoke. I am sorry."

The room stayed quiet, and Bai Li could feel her own nerves a little more because of it. But she kept going anyway, because she had already come this far. "I am not good at comforting people," she admitted. "I know that. I am really bad at saying things the right way. Sometimes I think I am being careful, but the other person still ends up feeling bad. That was my fault this time. I did not come here to make excuses. I just... I wanted to see if you were okay."

That last part was honest enough to make her feel a little embarrassed after she said it. Bai Li looked down at her own hands for a second, then back up again. She was not trying to say something sweet just to smooth things over. She really did care about whether Yan Cijin was okay. Even if the reason had started with guilt, it had become something more real by now. She had not wanted to leave things hanging between them. She did not like the feeling of Yan Cijin hurting because of her. It felt wrong in a way she did not know how to explain.

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TO BE CONTINUED.

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