CH 193

Villainous Zombie King (12)

“Miaomiao, don’t be afraid. I was just joking with you,” Song Xu Yi said, unexpectedly realizing how scared Zhao Miaomiao was of Ye Shuiyu. Quickly changing the subject, she asked, “Miaomiao, do you have any other family members at home?”

“No, I don’t,” Zhao Miaomiao replied, biting her lip and glancing at Song Xu Yi before lowering her head. “I was raised by my grandparents. They were attacked by monsters, and before they left, they told me not to open the door for anyone. They piled up a bunch of food next to me, including some delicious treats that I’m usually not allowed to have…”

“After they locked the house from the outside, they never came back.”

Song Xu Yi was momentarily stunned. Zhao Miaomiao’s words had revealed a lot, indicating that something unfortunate had happened to her grandparents. It was clear that Zhao Miaomiao had formed some assumptions in her mind. Song Xu Yi lowered her head, unable to find the right words to continue the conversation.

The atmosphere became awkward and stagnant. Song Xu Yi suddenly found herself at a loss for how to carry on with the day.

On the other hand, Ye Shuiyu, who was standing by, seemed to sense Song Xu Yi’s awkwardness. She turned her head and glanced expressionlessly at Zhao Miaomiao before sneering, “I can’t see where you like me, to be honest.”

“Really!”

Zhao Miaomiao raised her head, trying hard to put on a brave expression as she looked at Ye Shuiyu. “Sister Shuiyu, you’re so beautiful. I really like you…”

As Zhao Miaomiao’s attention was diverted, Song Xu Yi breathed a sigh of relief and turned her head to focus on driving.

During the rest of the journey, perhaps to prove that she wasn’t lying, young Zhao Miaomiao became like a devoted follower of Ye Shuiyu.

Throughout the journey, Song Xu Yi repeatedly heard Zhao Miaomiao’s attempts to strike up a conversation with Ye Shuiyu:

“Sister Shuiyu, do you want some water?”

“Sister Shuiyu, you look so beautiful, like a fairy in the sky…”

“Sister Shuiyu, I have chocolate beans in my bag that mom gave me. Do you want them?”

Perhaps because Song Xu Yi was present, Ye Shuiyu couldn’t appear too aloof. Therefore, each time Zhao Miaomiao asked a question, Ye Shuiyu would respond briefly and indifferently with a simple “Hmm” or “No need.” Young Zhao Miaomiao, who had been living alone in the house for so long, proved to be a resilient child. She wasn’t deterred by Ye Shuiyu’s cold attitude. On the contrary, she became more determined and racked her brain to maintain the illusion of “getting along well with Ye Shuiyu.”

Upon hearing that Song Xu Yi secretly gave chocolates to Zhao Miaomiao, Ye Shuiyu’s gaze immediately turned towards Song Xu Yi. Song Xu Yi instinctively felt a chill down her spine and hurriedly explained, “Shuiyu, I was afraid the chocolates would give you a stomachache, so I didn’t give any to you…”

Ye Shuiyu’s expression softened only then, and she turned her head back.

The journey was incredibly dull, but the voices of Zhao Miaomiao and Ye Shuiyu provided a rare interlude along the way. Witnessing Ye Shuiyu’s reluctant yet obligatory composure towards Zhao Miaomiao, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but feel a subtle sense of satisfaction: “So, you also have moments like this, where you have to put on a pleasant façade…” Although she knew it was inappropriate, Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but experience a strange mix of emotions.

With the incessant chatter of Zhao Miaomiao, Ye Shuiyu, who used to be quiet during their conversations, became extremely reserved. There was a moment when Song Xu Yi looked at Ye Shuiyu’s profile and even felt as if she had transformed into another cold and distant adult.

This feeling was peculiar and complex, like watching a flower gradually mature. Despite knowing that the past couldn’t be changed, Song Xu Yi still wished to make Ye Shuiyu’s life a little happier.

“Sister Shuiyu, are you tired sitting in the passenger seat? The passenger seat also requires wearing a seatbelt. How about we switch?”

It wasn’t until Zhao Miaomiao asked this question that Ye Shuiyu’s demeanor showed a noticeable fluctuation.

Ye Shuiyu turned around, furrowing her brow and looking at Zhao Miaomiao with a cautious gaze. “No switching!”

“The passenger seat is where I’ve been sitting all along,” Ye Shuiyu restrained herself, but couldn’t help but speak up. “Zhao Miaomiao, don’t push it too far!”

As she looked at Zhao Miaomiao’s bewildered expression, Ye Shuiyu’s tone carried a hint of satisfaction and warning. “Only the passenger seat allows me to constantly see Xu Yi’s face, observe her mood. The backseat can only see the back of her head. Only a fool would want to switch with you…”

Zhao Miaomiao’s eyes widened in surprise!

It turned out that Ye Shuiyu had misunderstood.

Clearly, young Zhao Miaomiao hadn’t considered that aspect when asking the question. After being reminded by Ye Shuiyu, she looked at the passenger seat enviously. However, she didn’t dare to argue or compete with Ye Shuiyu. She sighed and said, “So sitting in the passenger seat is so nice!” Afterward, she quieted down. But after a while, Zhao Miaomiao asked Ye Shuiyu another question.

Being only four years old, Zhao Miaomiao probably sensed that Ye Shuiyu wasn’t as scary as she had imagined. Her questions gradually became more cunning, such as, “Sister Shuiyu, who is mom to you exactly? Is she your friend or relative?”

“Why do you want me to call you sister when you and mom look like the same age?”

This time, even Song Xu Yi couldn’t help but slow down the car and turn to look at Ye Shuiyu. The current Ye Shuiyu had a mental age of ten, and a ten-year-old girl naturally realized that she wasn’t Zhao Miaomiao’s mother.

However, Ye Shuiyu avoided eye contact with Song Xu Yi.

She turned her head from the passenger seat and coldly looked at Zhao Miaomiao. “Zhao Miaomiao, you’re tired.”

“I’m not tired!” Young Zhao Miaomiao was incredibly puzzled and widened her eyes, looking at Ye Shuiyu. “Sister Shuiyu, are you trying to put me to sleep?”

Ye Shuiyu pursed her lips, her expression turning even colder in an instant.

Her icy gaze met Zhao Miaomiao’s, and her tone turned cold as if mixed with shards of ice, repeating once again, “Zhao Miaomiao, you’re really tired!”

“Huh?” Zhao Miaomiao uttered in confusion, but then she yawned and her voice lowered. “That’s strange, Sister Shuiyu, I do feel a bit sleepy…”

“Shuiyu, this isn’t right,” Zhao Miaomiao was clearly being put to sleep by Ye Shuiyu’s supernatural ability. Song Xu Yi sighed and couldn’t help but speak up. “Miaomiao likes you and wants to be friends with you. You should try to communicate more with her. Miaomiao is actually very cute…”

“She’s not cute!” Hearing Song Xu Yi compliment someone else, Ye Shuiyu seemed a bit unhappy, pouting her lips. But then she seemed to suddenly realize something and turned back to look at the drowsy Zhao Miaomiao. “Zhao Miaomiao, you’re not cute at all. You actually lied to us, didn’t you?”

Song Xu Yi didn’t expect Ye Shuiyu to react like this and was about to intervene, but then she saw Zhao Miaomiao nodding in agreement.

Song Xu Yi stood frozen in place.

“Do you have other family members at home?” Ye Shuiyu’s lips curled up, continuing her questioning.

Once again, Zhao Miaomiao nodded.

Song Xu Yi’s eyes widened, witnessing how Ye Shuiyu skillfully extracted the address of Zhao Miaomiao’s family through a series of questions.

“I knew it!” After obtaining Zhao Miaomiao’s family address, Ye Shuiyu once again put her to sleep, but this time she looked up at Song Xu Yi with a smug expression. “Xu Yi, Zhao Miaomiao is indeed a little liar. She’s not cute at all!”

Song Xu Yi never expected Zhao Miaomiao to be so skilled at deception at such a young age.

Fortunately, Zhao Miaomiao’s family address happened to be on Song Xu Yi’s way to Beijing City, so there was no need to take a detour.

After waking up, Zhao Miaomiao forgot everything she had revealed earlier and was pleasantly surprised to find that Ye Shuiyu had been treating her much better. She thought she had managed to win Ye Shuiyu over and that she was no longer being targeted. Little did she know that Ye Shuiyu’s change in attitude was solely due to hearing Song Xu Yi say, “Let’s take Miaomiao home first!”

Originally, upon discovering that Zhao Miaomiao had no family, Song Xu Yi planned to bring her to Beijing City and provide her with a place to stay. However, now that it was known that Zhao Miaomiao still had family, the best course of action was to find her relatives and ensure that she stayed with them.

Therefore, in Ye Shuiyu’s mind, Zhao Miaomiao had become a departing person. Although Song Xu Yi’s meticulous care for her made Ye Shuiyu somewhat dissatisfied, she realized that simply handing Zhao Miaomiao a glass of water could earn her Song Xu Yi’s approving gaze. As a result, Ye Shuiyu began to pretend to take care of Zhao Miaomiao.

After three more days had passed, the group arrived in the city where Zhao Miaomiao’s family lived.

Following the pattern of gaining one year’s worth of memories each day, Ye Shuiyu’s memories had now expanded to thirteen years. However, her character visibly grew gloomier with each passing day.

Even though Ye Shuiyu no longer initiated discussions about her feelings, Song Xu Yi knew that all of this was probably related to Ye Shuiyu’s father.

On the third day, upon waking up early in the morning, Song Xu Yi noticed Ye Shuiyu staring at her with a pensive look. Her gaze seemed peculiar, but when Song Xu Yi inquired about it, Ye Shuiyu brushed it off, claiming that nothing was wrong.

The system in her mind also confirmed that Ye Shuiyu had likely had a nightmare, which explained her odd behavior of scrutinizing Song Xu Yi upon waking up.

Since the system assured her that everything was fine, Song Xu Yi set aside her concerns and focused on finding Zhao Miaomiao’s relatives.

Fortunately, in this post-apocalyptic world, there were established settlements, and the city where Zhao Miaomiao’s family resided had a small base, indicating that her relatives might still be alive.

Considering Zhao Miaomiao’s previous reluctance to go home, Song Xu Yi and Ye Shuiyu devised a plan. Song Xu Yi would inquire about Zhao Miaomiao’s parents while Ye Shuiyu stayed in the car with Zhao Miaomiao, not revealing their intention to take her home just yet.

However, the news that Song Xu Yi heard was far from favorable. While Zhao Miaomiao’s parents were indeed alive, they had a notorious reputation in the city.

The reason Zhao Miaomiao grew up with her grandparents was solely due to her paternal grandparents’ preference for male heirs. Zhao Miaomiao had three older sisters, and when she was born, her father had intended to abandon her. It was only due to the intervention of her maternal grandparents, who couldn’t bear to see her discarded, that Zhao Miaomiao was raised by her grandparents.

When Zhao Miaomiao was one or two years old, her parents used to visit her occasionally at the request of her grandparents. However, two years ago, after the birth of Zhao Miaomiao’s younger brother, her parents stopped visiting her regularly. They only made occasional trips, mostly during the Lunar New Year.

In the aftermath of the apocalypse, Zhao Miaomiao’s eldest sister became an esper, and now the family relies on her for support.

Song Xu Yi never expected the situation to be like this in Zhao Miaomiao’s family. No wonder Zhao Miaomiao was reluctant to go home.

However, since they had arrived, Song Xu Yi wanted to see how Zhao Miaomiao’s family treated her.

Using the excuse of poor security in the city and the need to avoid drawing attention, Song Xu Yi and Zhao Miaomiao changed into worn and dirty clothes and entered the city together. Zhao Miaomiao had never returned home, unaware that this was the city where her reluctant parents lived. She excitedly observed her surroundings as they strolled through the city, guided by Song Xu Yi, until they reached a small stall owned by Zhao Miaomiao’s second sister.

At the small stall, Zhao Miaomiao’s mother was helping out. Zhao Miaomiao bore a striking resemblance to her mother, except now her mother had a tired and haggard expression on her face.

Song Xu Yi led Zhao Miaomiao and deliberately engaged in bargaining with Zhao Miaomiao’s second sister, pretending to be poor. Meanwhile, she observed Zhao Miaomiao’s mother’s reaction. It was evident that Zhao Miaomiao’s mother recognized her daughter, as her pupils suddenly contracted, and she uncomfortably lowered her head. However, even as Song Xu Yi finished purchasing the items and left, Zhao Miaomiao’s mother didn’t call out to stop her.

Zhao Miaomiao seemed oblivious to the fact that her family was right there around her, still happily observing her surroundings.

The attitude of Zhao Miaomiao’s family was becoming evident. Song Xu Yi was genuinely worried about letting Zhao Miaomiao return home. However, during this time, Ye Shuiyu had been eagerly anticipating Zhao Miaomiao’s return. Song Xu Yi was afraid that Ye Shuiyu might become emotional, so after bringing Ye Shuiyu home, she privately spoke with her.

To Song Xu Yi’s surprise, Ye Shuiyu didn’t outright refuse. After glancing at Song Xu Yi, she shyly lowered her head and softly spoke, “I want to talk to Zhao Miaomiao alone.”

Zhao Miaomiao looked at Ye Shuiyu with a cautious expression. Despite the slight change in Ye Shuiyu’s attitude towards her during this time, Zhao Miaomiao still felt a sense of fear when being alone with her.

“I can agree to let you stay by our side,” Zhao Miaomiao heard Ye Shuiyu softly speak, “but I have one condition.”

“What condition?” Zhao Miaomiao was overjoyed. She never expected Ye Shuiyu to share this news with her. She happily jumped up and looked at Ye Shuiyu expectantly, saying, “Sister Shuiyu, as long as you’re willing to let me be with you, I’ll agree to any condition…”

A faint blush appeared on Ye Shuiyu’s cheeks, and she cleared her throat before glancing at Zhao Miaomiao. Then she softly spoke, “Remember when you asked me about my relationship with Song Xu Yi?”

Even though she knew that Song Xu Yi couldn’t hear them, Ye Shuiyu instinctively blocked out the outside world and said, “I’ve figured it out! I think I’m pursuing Xu Yi, I like her…”

At the age of thirteen, Ye Shuiyu received her first love letter.

The letter described how the person felt their mouth going dry and their limbs becoming immobile upon meeting Ye Shuiyu, claiming it was love at first sight.

As Ye Shuiyu reflected on the description in the love letter, she couldn’t help but think of Song Xu Yi. When she first encountered Song Xu Yi, she experienced the same sensations—her gaze fixed, her limbs stiff, and an overwhelming desire to embrace and even kiss Song Xu Yi…

At that time, her mind was in chaos, unable to distinguish between infatuation and true affection. Moreover, Song Xu Yi’s healing ability naturally made people feel closer to her. It was why her mind went haywire, embarrassingly calling Song Xu Yi “Mom”…

But now, she understood her feelings for Song Xu Yi! Song Xu Yi was so wonderful, and she was undeniably attracted to her…

But Ye Shuiyu faced a clear dilemma before her—ever since she persistently clung to Song Xu Yi, Song Xu Yi had treated her solely as a junior, without any other romantic intentions…

With this in mind, Ye Shuiyu lifted her head and looked at Zhao Miaomiao with a serious expression. “I want you to help me pursue Song Xu Yi.”

“Now,” facing Zhao Miaomiao’s astonished gaze, Ye Shuiyu raised her head. “Starting from when you change and address me as ‘Aunt Shuiyu’…”

The author has something to say:

Thirteen-year-old Ye Shuiyu: How can I pursue Song Xu Yi when we have a different seniority?

That’s why the little brat must address her as ‘Auntie’; it adds a sense of ceremony (^^)~