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

People were talking too much in the hallway, carrying water, checking doors, and stacking supplies wherever they could find space. It was only a matter of time before things got messy. If Bai Li had a safer place and more useful systems in place, then moving was not a bad idea. The old woman looked toward Yan Cijin and said softly, "Think carefully. It would be good to have a safer place."

The little dumpling, who did not understand the full weight of the conversation, still sensed the change in the atmosphere. She reached out and grabbed Bai Li’s finger with both hands, then asked in a tiny voice, "Auntie, are you taking us home?"

Bai Li looked down at her and smiled. "If you want, yes."

That answer made the little girl immediately light up. She kicked her feet under the table and practically beamed at Yan Cijin, as if she had already made the choice for everyone. Yan Cijin saw that little face and felt her guard soften a bit. No matter how many practical issues there were, LiLi was still the main reason she had to think so carefully. A child did not understand danger in the same way adults did. She just knew who she liked, who felt safe, and who made her laugh. If Bai Li’s place could really make daily life easier, then maybe moving there was not just a convenience. Maybe it was the right thing.

Bai Li saw Yan Cijin’s silence and knew she was thinking. She did not push too hard. Instead, she turned back to the sink and started stacking the bowls one by one, speaking in a lighter tone so the room would not feel so serious. "I am not asking you to decide this second. I just think we can save a lot of trouble if we live together. Right now the building is still okay, but once the water gets worse, people will start doing anything to get more. You know that better than I do. If there are any issues outside, at least we can watch out for each other."

Yan Cijin came to stand beside her. "You say that like it’s very simple."

"It is simple," Bai Li said. "The hard part is people making it complicated."

Yan Cijin could not help but laugh a little at that. Bai Li always spoke like she had already seen through the important part of a problem and had no patience for the extra nonsense. It was a little irritating and a little reassuring at the same time. In truth, Yan Cijin had already been thinking about moving her things anyway. Her current home was familiar, but not particularly suitable if conditions got worse. The building was not weak, but it was still just a building. Once the world truly turned, a place with stronger defenses and more stable systems would matter a lot more. Still, she was used to handling things on her own, so the idea of moving into Bai Li’s place made her feel like she was crossing into a different kind of arrangement. It was not bad, but it did require her to think more seriously than before.

After they finished the dishes, the little dumpling slid off her chair and went straight to Bai Li again. She wrapped her arms around Bai Li’s thigh and said in a soft voice, "Auntie, can I go with you?"

Bai Li bent down and picked her up with ease. "Of course you can."

The child gave a little happy squeak and pressed her face against Bai Li’s shoulder. Her hair still smelled faintly of baby shampoo, and her body was soft and warm from the meal. Bai Li carried her into the living room and sat down on the sofa while LiLi immediately started pointing at things in the room and chattering about them. She pointed at the stuffed toy on the shelf, then at the water cup on the table, then at Yan Cijin’s backpack by the wall, as if every object was suddenly important. Bai Li listened with a smile, answering every random thing the child said. It was the kind of conversation that did not matter at all on the surface, but somehow still made the room feel much brighter. Yan Cijin stood a little farther away, watching the two of them. She noticed that Bai Li was very patient with LiLi, not the kind of patient that came from forcing herself to tolerate a child, but the kind that came naturally when she was with her. That made Yan Cijin feel strangely at ease. If Bai Li was only acting kind, it would be easy to worry. But if Bai Li was genuinely like this, then LiLi would really be happy around her.

The little dumpling soon got tired of sitting still and wriggled down from Bai Li’s arms, then ran over to Yan Cijin to show her the way she had been bouncing in Bai Li’s lap. Yan Cijin crouched down and held the child steady before gently asking, "Did you have enough to eat?"

"I did!" the little girl answered proudly.

"Then go play for a little while," Yan Cijin said.

But LiLi did not leave. She stayed close, one hand holding Yan Cijin’s sleeve, the other still trying to grab Bai Li’s hand whenever she got close enough. It was such a small thing, but it showed very clearly who she wanted to stick to. Bai Li let herself be pulled along by the child for a few steps, then sat down again and looked around the room with a more serious expression. Her eyes passed over the water buckets, the storage cabinet, the neat stack of daily items near the wall, and the small marks of ordinary family life all around them. This was a good place, but the apocalypse would not care how warm it looked. Any place could become dangerous if it was not prepared. She was thinking about that when Yan Laojin brought out tea and sat down too.

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TO BE CONTINUED.

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