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

Bai Li took a clean set of pajamas, shorts, and underwear, and went to the bathroom to take off her dirty clothes. Although the house had a water recycling system, there was no need to wash clothes. The shopping malls outside were probably abandoned; she could just get new clothes from there later. She had long since gotten used to thinking like this. Clothes could be replaced. Small losses could be made up for. The real problem was always water, food, medicine, and anything that helped people keep going one more day. She set the dirty clothes aside, then paused and picked up the Tang sword leaning nearby so she could lay it safely against the wall. Even now, after using it so much, she still treated the sword carefully. It was one of the few things that had stayed reliable in this messed up world.

Bai Li took a comfortable shower in the bathroom, and casually summoned the system. "33, how many zombie cores did I get today?" The warm water hit her shoulders and back and instantly made her feel better. After being out all day, fighting, moving around, and staying tense the whole time, coming home to hot water felt almost too good. She closed her eyes for a second and let the heat wash over her. The dirt, sweat, and faint smell of blood started to melt away. She scrubbed her arms and neck, then ran her fingers through her damp hair while waiting for the answer. The bathroom itself was simple enough, but in this world that already counted as a small comfort. Hot water and a safe place to stand still were both things worth appreciating.

"Darling, hello! Today, darling killed 279 zombies, earning 279 Level 1 zombie cores. Adding to the previous 156, darling now has a total of 435 Level 1 zombie cores. Congratulations, darling!" The system’s mechanical voice rang in Bai Li’s mind. Bai Li froze for a second, then blinked hard, as if she needed to make sure she had heard correctly. After that, her face slowly broke into a grin. Four hundred and thirty five cores. That was already a lot. A very nice number, in fact. More than she had expected to collect in one day. She lifted a wet hand and rubbed her cheek in excitement, the water dripping down her wrist as she did. That kind of result made the whole day feel worth it. She had gone out, fought hard, and actually earned something useful. A lot of something useful.

Hearing this number, Bai Li excitedly rubbed her face. She now had over four hundred cores, which meant she would have more control over the next interdimensional market. Of course, this was assuming Yan Cijin was willing to draw for her; otherwise, given her luck, she’d probably only get things like Wahaha, a popular Chinese beverage. Bai Li thought about that and let out a soft laugh. That did sound exactly like the kind of annoying joke the system might pull on her. She could already imagine opening a draw with big expectations and then pulling out a random bottle of drink, some ordinary snacks, or something else so normal it would make her want to stare at the sky. If Yan Cijin helped her, the odds would be better. A lot better. Just thinking about the next interdimensional market made Bai Li feel more excited. Four hundred and thirty five cores meant she was getting closer to being able to choose with more confidence instead of relying on luck and hoping for the best. That feeling alone made her shoulders relax a little.

Bai Li lathered herself with shower gel and quickly showered. Her mind was preoccupied with Yan Cijin. She had a comfortable hot shower here, but Yan Cijin’s family had their water cut off. Not showering in the summer was unbearable, especially for her little one. The little girl was so young; what if she got a skin condition? Should she invite them to stay with her? The thought kept circling in her head while she rinsed the foam from her hair and arms. Summer was already bad enough even in normal times. Without water, it would be even more uncomfortable. Bai Li imagined Lili feeling sticky, itchy, and restless, and she frowned a little at the thought. Children were delicate in little ways like that. They got hot faster, uncomfortable faster, and upset faster. Bai Li did not like picturing the little girl having to endure all of that without a proper way to wash up.

She’d spent quite a bit of time with Yan Cijin’s family and knew Yan Cijin’s mother was a good person, and the little one was truly adorable. Bai Li simply couldn’t bring herself to ignore Yan Cijin’s family like a demon. It was not as if she had some big obligation to take care of them forever, but after seeing how they lived, it felt wrong to just pretend she did not know. Yan Laojin was a good mother. She was careful, considerate, and always seemed to be thinking about the little girl’s comfort first. And Lili was really too cute. The child had a way of making Bai Li soften without even trying. Whenever Lili looked at her with those round eyes and reached out for a hug, Bai Li could feel her own guard dropping a little. That kind of family, in a world like this, made it hard to just turn away. Bai Li did not want to act like a demon or a cold stranger. If she could help, then she should help. That was all there was to it.

Frustrated, she washed her face and finally made up her mind. Bai Li let the water run over her hands one more time, then splashed it across her face and breathed out slowly. There it was, the decision settling in firmly. She would invite them over. At least for now.

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TO BE CONTINUED.

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