Apocalypse: I'm the Landlady of the Refuge

When the chaos at the refuge subsided, the sky had already grown dark.

All around was a mess, with incessant sobbing that weighed heavily on the heart.

Ji Wanwan and her companions gathered in the small earthen house, discussing the aftermath.

The small house, originally meant for two, now felt excessively crowded, but Ji Wanwan found it immensely comforting, perhaps because having family and companions close by was reassuring.

Faced with the devastated refuge, everyone agreed to take the survivors who were willing to return with them to the base; as for the others, they respected their choices.

After a brief introduction, nearly half of them agreed to go to the Liancheng base, while the remaining half believed that all places were equally bad, and that it was better to rely on oneself.

Having experienced what happened at the refuge, it was not surprising that these people felt this way. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Ji Wanwan and her group expressed their respect and let them know that they could seek shelter at the Liancheng base anytime they wished.

Having said all that needed to be said, Ji Wanwan led the survivors on their journey back to the base.

Although only half of them were willing to return with them to the base, the number was nearly a hundred, which was not small.

To avoid confusion with so many people suddenly returning, Ji Wanwan reached Liancheng Bridge and used a walkie-talkie to give Wen Yuheng and Mrs. Ji advance notice to get ready.

As per the usual practice, new survivors must be quarantined for three days at the base to ensure they are not infected with the zombie virus before they can officially join.

When the group returned to the base, 001 and 002 had already cleared out five independent villas for quarantine purposes.

Mrs. Ji, meanwhile, led some old ladies in handing out packed lunches to the weary survivors to fill their stomachs.

The packaged meals were simple, a single dish of meat, two of vegetables, and came with a small bowl of mung bean soup to quench their thirst.

Despite its simplicity, for those survivors who were accustomed to compressed biscuits and instant noodles, this meal was more delicious than a lavish feast; many with shallow eye sockets wept as they ate, leaving Mrs. Ji somewhat at a loss.

After having settled the survivors, Ji Wanwan told her companions who had returned from Jiang City to also rest, and that they would have a battle summary meeting tomorrow. She then dutifully patrolled the base before finally returning to her personal space.

By that time, Xia Li had already returned early and had taken a bath with Ming Jing’s help.

Upon entering the house and seeing Xia Li napping on the sofa, Ji Wanwan quietly closed the door.

Even though the sound was very soft, Xia Li opened her eyes instantly.

Ji Wanwan gave an embarrassed smile, "Did I wake you up..."

Xia Li shook her head, "I’m a light sleeper."

Ji Wanwan chuckled, walking over to sit next to Xia Li.

She carefully examined Xia Li’s body and noticed that the limbs that had been previously severed had grown significantly since she had left the base. At this rate, she believed it wouldn’t be long before Xia Li recovered completely.

Thinking of the time at Redemption Shelter and how everyone had taken such good care of Xia Li, Ji Wanwan felt warmth in her heart.

She touched Xia Li’s newly grown arm, "Ah Li, get well soon. Once you’re better, we’ll eat hotpot together again!"

Xia Li’s eyes sparkled, "I can eat even if I’m not fully healed! You just have to feed me!"

Ji Wanwan couldn’t help but laugh out loud, "Alright! I’ll feed you! I’ll feed you tonight!"

While Xia Li’s improvement brought joy to Ji Wanwan, her gaze unconsciously drifted towards the room where Qi Hao was.

During those days in Jiang City, she had gathered quite a few supplies, and perhaps, this time Qi Hao would wake up.

With hope in her heart, Ji Wanwan arrived at Qi Hao’s side, full of anticipation.

Seeing the familiar features of the man inside the hibernation pod, Ji Wanwan felt a pang of pain in her chest.

"Brother Qi Hao, I went to Jiang City for a trip. I planned to only go for 3 days, but some things came up, so I was delayed a bit. But don’t worry, I’m fine, I didn’t encounter any danger, and everyone is doing well. How about you? How have you been these days?"

Even though she knew Qi Hao wouldn’t respond, Ji Wanwan kept talking to herself.

She smiled gently, "You won’t tell me, huh? It’s okay if you don’t, I’ll check for myself—"

With that, she raised her hand and touched the data display of the hibernation pod, "System, monitor Qi Hao’s vital signs."

System: "Subject’s spiritual power 20%, physical strength 25%, vital signs unchanged."

Having received a response, Ji Wanwan withdrew her hand and lazily leaned on the hibernation pod, "It seems you’ve been resting quite well these days..."

As dusk approached, the colorful sunset spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the room, covering everything inside with a layer of golden hue akin to an oil painting.

Ji Wanwan fluttered her eyelashes, her eyes filled with a bewildered haziness.

Eventually, as the sun tilted westward, about to slip away from the room, the warm sensation slowly faded and the chill of early autumn gradually engulfed her. Ji Wanwan sat up, rubbing her sore wrists, a trace of determination crossed her eyes.

"Brother Qi Hao, once the hibernation pod is opened, the outcome is uncertain. If there are irreversible consequences, will you hate me?"

"Beep... beep... beep..."

The room was very quiet, only the steady beeping of the monitor responding to Ji Wanwan’s words.

Ji Wanwan lowered her eyes, her sadness palpable as she gently caressed the man’s brows and eyes through the hibernation pod, "Brother Qi Hao, I miss you, so this time, you must wake up, okay..."

The last ray of sunlight also leapt out of the window, plunging the entire room into darkness, and Ji Wanwan’s eyes dimmed with it.

Looking up again, the sadness in Ji Wanwan’s eyes had faded, leaving only a firm resolve filled with hope.

"Huff—"

She exhaled a breath lightly and pressed the switch to open the hibernation pod.

As the pod door opened, the vital signs monitor connected to Qi Hao emitted a sharp alarm.

Ji Wanwan’s eyebrows furrowed, and without even having time to disconnect the various lines connected to Qi Hao, she directly grabbed his hand, "System! All resources for Equivalence Healing! Do not stop until Qi Hao’s vital signs are above 70%!"

System: "Understood, Host!"

A faint green energy wave spread from Ji Wanwan’s palm, surrounding the dim room like a ring of fireflies, looking incredibly beautiful.

Time ticked by, it didn’t seem very long, yet it felt like an eternity.

The alarm of the vital signs monitor ceased, and a comforting ’beep beep’ sound filled the room.

System: "Host, Qi Hao’s physical strength is now 75%, spiritual power 30%. I tried to continue using resources for Equivalence Healing, but only physical strength is recovering, spiritual power remains unchanged. Should we continue?"

Ji Wanwan pursed her lips, "Keep trying, remind me when the physical strength reaches 85%."

System: "Okay, Host."

Another agonizing wait ensued, and the System’s voice sounded again: "Host, Qi Hao’s physical strength has now reached 85%, but his spiritual power remains at 30%. Should we continue?"