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

Chapter 299: The golden fruit 10.

Yan Cijin looked at her hand before taking it.

"What?"

"If I tell you to retreat, you retreat. If I say something is too dangerous, you listen."

Yan Cijin nodded.

"And you do the same."

Bai Li blinked.

"What?"

"If I tell you to stop being reckless, you listen too."

Bai Li looked at her for a few seconds.

Then she laughed.

"Fine."

Yan Cijin stood.

For a moment, neither of them let go of the other’s hand.

Bai Li noticed first and slowly loosened her fingers.

Yan Cijin did the same.

Neither of them said anything about it.

Neither of them dared to.

But both of them felt the strange warmth that remained after their hands separated.

Outside the room, LiLi’s small footsteps could be heard approaching.

"Mommy? Aunty?"

Bai Li smiled.

"We’re here."

LiLi pushed the door open and looked at both women.

"Are you friends again?"

Yan Cijin glanced at Bai Li.

Bai Li smiled.

"We never stopped being friends."

LiLi looked satisfied.

"Good."

She ran over and hugged Yan Cijin’s waist, then reached one hand toward Bai Li.

Bai Li took it.

The three of them stood there together for a moment.

Bai Li looked at Yan Cijin.

The Golden Fruit was still waiting in Jiangbei City.

The road there would be dangerous.

The mall would likely become a battlefield.

There would be zombies, monsters, desperate survivors, and awakened humans fighting over the same prize.

But now she would not be going alone.

She had someone beside her who had chosen to face the danger with her.

Bai Li did not know that Yan Cijin was hiding powers far beyond what she had shown.

She did not know about the memories of previous lives hidden behind that calm expression.

And Yan Cijin did not know that Bai Li’s feelings had already gone far beyond simple companionship.

Neither woman knew the full truth about the other.

But perhaps that was okay for now.

There would be time later for secrets.

For now, they had a destination.

And they had made their decision together.

Bai Li looked toward the window.

Jiangbei City.

Inorbit Supermall.

The top floor.

The Golden Fruit of Immortality.

She had wanted to face that danger alone because she was afraid of losing Yan Cijin.

Now she understood that sometimes protecting someone meant teaching yourself when to let them stand beside you instead of keeping them behind you.

She looked at Yan Cijin again.

"We’ll prepare tomorrow."

Yan Cijin nodded.

"Tomorrow."

Bai Li smiled.

"Then we’re going together."

Yan Cijin smiled back.

"Together."

Bai Li and Yan Cijin did not waste any more time after the system finished explaining the golden fruit of immortality. The moment they decided to go to Jiangbei City Inorbit Supermall, the whole atmosphere inside the apartment quietly changed. A few minutes earlier, the place had still carried the ordinary feeling of a home where people were trying to eat, rest, and pretend that tomorrow would be no different from today. Now, every movement had a purpose. Every item they picked up was being considered in terms of whether it could save their lives twenty kilometers from home.

The mall was not particularly far by ordinary standards. Twenty kilometers was a distance that people in the old world could cross without giving it much thought. They could drive there, spend some time shopping, and return home before dinner. In the current world, however, twenty kilometers could feel like crossing an entirely different country. Roads were blocked, abandoned vehicles were scattered everywhere, zombies moved through the streets without any pattern, and the number of monsters appearing outside the city had already gone beyond what normal people could understand. The closer they got to a crowded commercial district, the greater the danger would become.

Bai Li stood near the dining table while checking the things they had already prepared. She had changed out of her casual clothes and was now dressed in a pair of dark fitted cargo pants with a simple black shirt. The shirt was slightly loose around her shoulders, but the sleeves had been rolled back just enough to expose her forearms. Her clothes were practical, easy to move in, and somehow made her look even more handsome than usual. She had tied her hair neatly back, leaving a few loose strands near her forehead. With the sharp lines of her face and the calm look in her eyes, she looked less like someone preparing for a dangerous trip and more like someone who was already certain that whatever appeared in front of her could be handled.

Yan Cijin came out of the bedroom a little later.

Bai Li looked up and stopped checking the backpack for a moment.

Yan Cijin was also dressed for movement. She wore a pair of dark blue jeans that fit her legs well, along with a fitted long sleeved shirt in a muted gray color. The shirt was simple, but the way it followed her waist and shoulders made her figure stand out. Her long hair was tied into a low ponytail so that it would not get in her way during a fight, and she had tucked a few loose strands behind her ears.

For a moment, Bai Li simply stared.

Yan Cijin noticed it almost immediately and looked at her suspiciously. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Bai Li’s eyes moved from her face down to her clothes and then back to her eyes. She smiled faintly. "I’m just thinking that this outfit is a little dangerous."

Yan Cijin blinked. "Dangerous?"

"Yes." Bai Li nodded seriously. "You’re making it hard for me to focus on the mission."

Yan Cijin stared at her for two seconds before understanding what she meant. Her ears turned slightly red, and she looked away while pretending to adjust the sleeve of her shirt. "Stop talking nonsense. We are going to a mall full of zombies and monsters."

Bai Li’s smile deepened. "Exactly. That’s why I’m worried. With you dressed like this, I might have to spend all my energy protecting you because there will definitely be a lot of things trying to look at you."

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TO BE CONTINUED.