Apocalypse: I'm the Landlady of the Refuge

Ji Wanwan was stunned.

The man claimed to be accustomed to it, yet the distress in his eyes betrayed his true feelings.

As clever as she was, she immediately thought of the abnormalities Zhou Kai had shown when he was in Jiang City. "So, you returned to Jiang City for them as well?"

Zhou Kai looked down at the photo in his pocket watch, his gaze softening. "Yes..."

He slowly shared his story with Ji Wanwan until the sun rose and the first ray of light spilled into the room through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Only then did Zhou Kai finally smile with relief. "I don’t know if my mom and sister are doing well over there, but I imagine it’s got to be better than this purgatory-like apocalypse here."

After hearing Zhou Kai’s story, Ji Wanwan felt nothing but heartache.

His strength was merely for the sake of one day securing the apology his mother deserved.

No wonder she felt Zhou Kai was unreasonably cold when she first met him. To maintain such a pure and kind heart after experiencing such turmoil was incredibly precious...

With a deep sense of earnestness, she patted Zhou Kai’s shoulder. "Brother Kai, just as you hope they’re doing well, they definitely hope the same for you. So even if this apocalypse is as cruel as purgatory, you must live well!"

Looking at the young girl in front of him, who was younger yet admonishing him with such a grown-up demeanor, Zhou Kai tugged at the corner of his mouth and chuckled lightly.

The man’s deep voice was laced with laughter. "I will."

He closed the pocket watch, took Ji Wanwan’s hand, and placed the watch in her palm. The look in his eyes was tender and affectionate. "Boss Ji, thank you.

Thank you for taking me in, for giving me the opportunity to grow, and for valuing me so much that you’d let me help you manage the base.

At the start of the apocalypse, I broke into your refuge with nothing but this pocket watch that represented all my past.

I don’t have much to give you, only this pocket watch that I’ve cherished for a long time. I hope you won’t despise it..."

Ji Wanwan was astonished and opened her mouth in surprise.

This was the treasure Brother Kai cherished filled with memories!

After a long moment, she said incredulously, "You want to give me something so important?"

Zhou Kai smiled gently, the light in his eyes sparkling like fragmented stars. "Yes, because you are as important to me as they are."

It was as if a bomb went off next to Ji Wanwan’s ear, making her feel feverish, her mind dizzy, and her cheeks warm.

His straightforward words and his intense gaze made Ji Wanwan’s heartbeat chaotic and her body uncontrollably numb.

She simply couldn’t withstand it.

She wasn’t a saint; how could she resist such beauty?

"Ahem..." She coughed softly, shyly lowering her head and slowly extending her hand. "Well, then, alright... When you miss them, feel free to take it back anytime..."

Seeing the girl’s flushed cheeks, as shy as the blossoms in March, Zhou Kai couldn’t help but smile with his eyes crinkling. "As long as you don’t disdain it, it’s fine."

...

By the time Zhou Kai left, it was already broad daylight.

Hearing the door close, Xia Li opened her room door, leaned lazily against the door frame, and teased Ji Wanwan, "You’re as important to me as they are~~~~"

Ji Wanwan: "?"

Feeling immensely embarrassed, Ji Wanwan turned bright red. "Damn it! Please stop your performance!!" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Hahahaha!" Xia Li was extremely amused by her playful tease.

Stretching her muscles, she said, "Alright, I’ve got nothing to give except this ironclad body of mine, so savor it slowly. I’ll go eat some food, and then I’m at the dear lord’s service~"

Ji Wanwan couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time.

The official expansion of the base was scheduled for 8:30, with one hour left from now.

Ji Wanwan thought that she would be very busy in a moment and probably wouldn’t have the extra energy to take care of Qi Hao. It might be better to put him into the System Space now to prevent accidentally hurting him in the chaos.

Thinking this, she headed to Qi Hao’s room.

As she pushed open the door and saw the scene inside, Ji Wanwan was slightly startled, then overwhelming joy filled her heart, causing her to burst into tears.

"Brother Qi Hao..."

On the bed, the sickly pale man leaned lazily against the headboard. The moment he saw Ji Wanwan enter, his dim eyes instantly brightened.

"Wan...Wan..."

His hoarse voice, like a broken zipper, the man swallowed with difficulty, moistening his throat that was so dry it felt on fire, and slowly called out the name of his beloved.

After he spoke, sweetness filled his throat, and, unable to bear the burden, he started coughing.

Ji Wanwan panicked, hurriedly rushed forward, and took Qi Hao’s hand, using Equivalence Healing to help him recover: "Brother Qi Hao, don’t talk! Let me treat you first!"

Qi Hao moved his lips, wanting to say it wasn’t necessary. After all, he had already woken up and there was no need to waste resources.

But seeing the girl’s tense and serious face, his heart warmed greatly, and he especially cherished the feeling of being cared for by his loved one at this moment.

After a while, the voice of System came: [Qi Hao’s current Physical Strength is 90%, spiritual power is 60%. Host, do you still want to continue using Equivalence Healing?]

Ji Wanwan subconsciously looked up at Qi Hao.

Noticing that the man’s complexion had indeed become much rosier, she sighed in relief, but their eyes met and the intense love in the man’s gaze made her heart tremble uncontrollably.

She murmured softly, "Feeling better now?"

Qi Hao nodded slightly, his smile tender: "Much better."

The man’s voice had returned to its usual clarity, no longer hoarse. Ji Wanwan withdrew her hand and sat next to him: "That’s good."

Qi Hao looked up towards the window.

Having not seen the light for a long time, he squinted uncomfortably at the glaring sunlight outside.

He couldn’t help but lower his gaze to his own hand: "Wanwan, how long was I unconscious?"

Before he completely lost consciousness, he knew the extent of the attack he had suffered and thought he was doomed. He hadn’t expected to see the light of day again.

He realized the girl by his side must have worried a lot about him.

Ji Wanwan thought for a moment: "47 days and a half."

Looking at the girl’s serious profile, Qi Hao couldn’t help but smile: "You remember so clearly, huh?"

Ji Wanwan blinked at him: "Of course～"

Qi Hao nodded slightly, love deepening in his eyes.

Having nearly died but miraculously revived, Qi Hao had a lot he wanted to say but didn’t know where to begin.

Similarly, Ji Wanwan was also feeling a whirlwind of emotions.

During these 47 days and nights, there wasn’t a moment when she wasn’t thinking about how to wake Brother Qi Hao.

She had accumulated many things she wanted to say to Qi Hao, but now that he really was awake, she didn’t know where to start, only knowing to sit dumbly by his side, feeling his every move.

The person she had always cared about was back at last. The feeling... was truly wonderful...

Suddenly, she looked up at Qi Hao: "Brother Qi Hao, long time no see, I missed you a lot..."

At the same time, Qi Hao, who had narrowly escaped death, also spoke: "Wanwan, I love you..."