Apocalypse: I'm the Landlady of the Refuge

"Grandma..."

Ji Wanwan struggled to muster a smile, taking heavy steps towards Qi Hao’s Grandma, and reached out to support her.

Qi Hao’s Grandma affectionately patted the hand Ji Wanwan wrapped around hers, "Wanwan, I heard from Haohao that you’ve run into some trouble these past few days and had to leave the base to take care of it. How did it go, is the trouble taken care of?"

So, Qi Hao hadn’t told his grandma the truth?

For a moment, Ji Wanwan didn’t know how to respond.

After thinking for a bit, she asked, "Grandma, did Haozi mention what the trouble was?"

The grandma shook her head, "He didn’t go into details, but I noticed that his whole demeanor was off these past few days, so I guessed that the matter must be quite thorny."

She paused, then lifted her head hesitantly before speaking, "Wanwan, tell me the truth, have you run into some serious trouble?"

Qi Hao’s Grandma might have been advanced in age, but that didn’t mean she was foolish.

Her grandson was usually carefree, but these past days, Haohao had been constantly frowning, practicing his superpowers now and then while sighing, seemingly restless and weighed down with heavy thoughts.

She had tried to probe Haohao indirectly, but hadn’t expected that, though he seemed carefree, he was tight-lipped, not revealing much to her.

But did the foolish child think that she couldn’t guess if he didn’t speak of it?

After all, she was the grandmother who had watched him grow up!

As a grandmother, how could she not notice that her precious grandchild was behaving differently than usual?

The look in Qi Hao’s Grandma’s eyes made Ji Wanwan’s nose tingle, and she almost burst into tears. She hurriedly shook her head, "There was trouble, but it wasn’t anything major, just a little conflict between our base and another. It’s all resolved now."

"Resolved?" Qi Hao’s Grandma stopped in her tracks, looking at Ji Wanwan anxiously, "Then why hasn’t my dear grandson come back yet?"

Thinking of the sacrifices brought back to the base that day and the superpower users covered in wounds, Qi Hao’s Grandma’s heart suddenly panicked, and her voice began to tremble, "Wanwan, tell me the truth, has something happened to Haohao?"

Ji Wanwan’s grip tightened suddenly, almost too much to contain.

She bit down hard on her teeth, swallowing twice with great effort, and managed to control the sob in her voice. Smiling, she patted Qi Hao’s Grandma’s arm, "How could that be? You’re worrying too much, Grandma. Haozi is fine. He just went on a mission to Jiang City with Xia Li. The mission this time might take longer, so it could be a while before he returns. But as soon he comes back, I’ll have him come to see you right away to reassure you, okay?"

Qi Hao’s Grandma nodded with a hint of suspicion but didn’t speak.

Supporting Qi Hao’s Grandma, Ji Wanwan slowly walked towards the elevator, "Grandma, it’s not convenient for you to go downstairs with your mobility issues. While Haozi is on a mission, let me look after you, okay?"

Qi Hao’s Grandma smiled lovingly, "I’m an old fart that can still move around. You have so much on your plate, it doesn’t seem right to always be bothering you."

Ji Wanwan cozied up to Qi Hao’s Grandma, "What are you talking about, Grandma? To me, you’re just like my own grandma. Tell me, how can looking after one’s own grandma be considered a bother?"

Moved by the genuine sentiment, Qi Hao’s Grandma couldn’t help but laugh, "You sweet talker."

Ji Wanwan immediately beamed with a sweet smile, "Then it’s settled. I’ll look after you during this time!"

As they spoke, Ji Wanwan had already helped Qi Hao’s Grandma back to her suite, "Grandma, you should move around less and sunbathe more. In the next few days, I’ll have someone make me a chaise lounge and a couple of footstools. When the weather is nice, you can sit on the balcony and get some more sunlight!"

Qi Hao’s Grandma knew Ji Wanwan was always sensible and filial, and patted her hand appreciatively, "My dear child, there’s no need for all that trouble, the small sofa in the room is very comfortable. There’s so much to do in the base; go ahead with your work. I can manage on my own."

Ji Wanwan smiled obediently, continuing to chat with Qi Hao’s Grandma for a while before finally getting up to leave.

Just as she was about to leave, Qi Hao’s Grandma suddenly called out to her, "Wanwan!" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The urgency in that cry made Ji Wanwan pause slightly.

She turned around in bewilderment, "Grandma?"

Qi Hao’s Grandma had red eyes and a somewhat hoarse voice, "Wanwan, if something happens to Haohao, you must tell Grandma, okay? Grandma isn’t afraid of trouble, Grandma’s only fear is not having Haohao return to her side. We’re family, after all, no matter what, we must be together..."

At that moment, Ji Wanwan, who had been holding back for so long, finally couldn’t hold back anymore.

Just before the tears fell, she awkwardly conjured up a smile, "Grandma, don’t worry. Haozi will be back in a few days. You should rest early. I must be going now..."

No sooner had she finished speaking than she hurriedly closed the door and fled, fearing she would burst into tears the next second.

Yes, Qi Hao’s Grandma had experienced so much in her life. How could she not see how amateurish her own acting was?

Grandma was simply trying not to make things difficult for her, so she played along with her act.

But the more it happened, the more distressed Ji Wanwan felt.

She teleported to the operating room and silently leaned against the side of Xia Li’s surgical bed, quietly weeping.

At this moment, it seemed that only tears could ease the pain in her heart.

After crying for a while, Ji Wanwan had vented enough.

When she looked up again, the weakness and sadness in her eyes had dissipated.

She never despised crying. Crying didn’t mean weakness; it was just an outlet and expression of emotions. True weakness was only knowing how to cry, without ever confronting the problems and root causes of the tears.

Now that she had cried enough, it was time to tackle those problems.

Ji Wanwan stood up and looked at Xia Li on the bed.

Beside her, 001, who had been afraid to move or disturb Ji Wanwan’s crying, finally dared to speak up, "Host, although Xia Li is unconscious and her vital signs are very poor, she has a heartbeat, and the heartbeat’s frequency is gradually stabilizing."

Upon hearing this, Ji Wanwan glanced at the heart monitor beside the surgical bed.

Just as 001 had said, Xia Li’s heartbeat was indeed very stable now.

True to her reputation as a Zombie Hunter, that powerful self-healing ability was truly enviable.

Even though Xia Li was still unconscious, returning to normal was just a matter of time, and Ji Wanwan’s heart was somewhat relieved.

Thinking of the other half of her worries, Ji Wanwan involuntarily lifted her gaze toward the direction of her private space.

She had just told Qi Hao’s Grandma that Qi Hao and Xia Li had gone to Jiang City for a mission. Since Xia Li would need time to recover as well, it would be better to take Xia Li to her own private space to prevent Qi Hao’s Grandma from accidentally running into Xia Li and getting worried.

Having decided that, Ji Wanwan removed the various monitoring devices connected to Xia Li and teleported with her into her own private space.

Now that the battle was over, Xiao Lu and Yinyin had each returned to their dormitories, leaving only Qi Hao sleeping in the hibernation chamber in the private space.

Ji Wanwan settled Xia Li into the last available bedroom and then went over to Qi Hao’s side...