Apocalypse: I'm the Landlady of the Refuge

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: She is My Mother

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: She is My Mother

After a long moment, Ji Wanwan suppressed the pain in her eyes and looked up, “Ah Li…”

Before she could finish, Xu Siming interrupted her, “I’ll go check; you guys wait outside.”

He had once witnessed his own father being mercilessly mauled by zombies, a pain that pierced through his heart, unforgettable for a lifetime.

Having experienced such pain, he thought it unnecessary for the world to have another person who could only watch their loved ones suffer without being able to help.

After awakening his superpower, Xu Siming’s physical condition had improved several times over compared to before. He walked deeper into the house, and under the not-so-clear moonlight, he saw the scene inside clearly.

A middle-aged woman in a floral dress was completely disfigured due to bites, and was currently pinned under a toppled cabinet that trapped her legs, rendering her immobile.

She lifted her head, her crimson eyes fixated on Xu Siming, continuously emitting beast-like growls.

Next to the middle-aged woman lay a dead zombie, the back of its head featuring a sharp triangular gap, shaped like the edge of the cabinet.

From the traces at the scene, it was not hard to deduce that the middle-aged woman had engaged in a fierce fight with this zombie before she turned.

The broken features of the middle-aged woman bore some resemblance to Xia Li, leading to the easy guess that she was Xia Li’s mother.

Xu Siming felt a pain in his chest and his eyes began to feel sour and swollen.

“Ah…”

Incapable of harming Mrs. Xia, he sighed gently, planning to let Mrs. Xia fend for herself.

Just as he was turning around, Xu Siming froze slightly.

Seeing Xia Li, Ji Wanwan, and two others behind him left Xu Siming dumbfounded.

Damn it!

How did Xia Li get in!

At this moment, the only thought in Xu Siming’s mind was not to let Xia Li see this scene.

He quickly raised his hand, covering Xia Li’s eyes, his voice trembling, “Don’t look!”

Ji Wanwan’s nose tingled, and her eyes reddened.

Qi Hao also turned his head away somewhat unbearably.

Ji Xing lowered his eyes, sighing inwardly: not everyone could be as lucky as his family, who had gathered together the day before the apocalypse erupted.

Hearing the noise, the Mrs. Xia on the ground let out even more intense growls.

This sound made everyone present feel like they had a fishbone stuck in their throat.

Feeling the wetness in his palm, Xu Siming was extremely at a loss.

After a long silence, Xia Li raised her hand to pull away Xu Siming’s hand, “She is my mom…”

She took two steps forward, allowing hot tears to stream down her cheeks, “No matter what she has become, she is still my mom…”

Xu Siming’s heart trembled, instinctively reaching out to hold Xia Li back. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Just then, Mrs. Xia on the ground, as if sensing something, suddenly stopped growling and stared blankly with her crimson eyes at her daughter in front of her.

Xia Li cracked a smile, “Mom, you recognize me, don’t you?”

The Mrs. Xia on the ground made an indistinct whimpering sound, a tear falling from her blood-red eyes as she slowly reached out a hand towards Xia Li…

“Mom, I knew it! You wouldn’t fail to recognize me!”

Xia Li sniffled, breaking into a shaky smile, and also reached out her right hand toward Mrs. Xia.

Just as Xia Li was about to grasp Mrs. Xia’s hand, Ji Wanwan’s brows furrowed, “Ah Li!”

“Roar!”

A burst of chilly wind accompanied by a roar suddenly freed Mrs. Xia from the cabinet, freezing her in place; Xia Li stumbled backward a few steps and abruptly fell to the ground.

She looked at her frozen mother in shock and disbelief, her eyes full of incredulity.

“Mom… it’s Xiao Lizi…”

As Ji Wanwan, who had acted at the same time as Xu Siming, glanced at Mrs. Xia inside the Space Barrier, she stepped forward with a mixture of heartache and helplessness to help Xia Li up.

The moment she came close to Xia Li, Ji Wanwan stiffened, her eyes widening in fear.

On the back of Xia Li’s right hand, two distinct claw marks suddenly appeared!

Ji Wanwan’s face instantly lost all color as she anxiously looked toward Mrs. Xia inside the Space Barrier.

Even through the ice, she could clearly see the fresh, blood-red color of the flesh at Mrs. Xia’s fingertips.

That was Ah Li’s flesh!

Ah Li was injured!

The men present all noticed something was off with Ji Wanwan.

Xu Siming was the first to sharply realize that Xia Li was injured.

He rapidly recalled what had just happened in his mind.

He believed that both he and Ji Wanwan had acted quickly, so Mrs. Xia shouldn’t have been able to hurt Xia Li.

But the fact was, Xia Li was injured.

Regardless of whether Mrs. Xia was responsible for the injury, he couldn’t allow Ji Wanwan and Xia Li to maintain such close proximity!

Xu Siming immediately reached out, pulled Ji Wanwan to his side, and forcefully moved backwards with her, maintaining distance from Xia Li.

At that moment, Ji Xing and Qi Hao had also noticed the anomaly and involuntarily stepped back.

Xia Li was still sitting on the ground when she saw everyone moving away, and she looked up in confusion, “What’s wrong with all of you…?”

As she moved, everyone shockingly discovered that the wound on Xia Li’s right hand had started to turn grayish white, and her right eye also showed an abnormal, faint crimson tint.

Ji Wanwan shook her head in disbelief, “No… this can’t be happening…”

She suddenly broke free from Xu Siming’s grip and dashed to Xia Li’s side, grabbing her hand and beginning to heal her.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay…”

“Sis!”

“Wanwan!”

“Junior!”

[Warning: Equivalence Healing cannot treat subjects infected with the virus!]

[Warning: Equivalence Healing cannot treat subjects infected with the virus!]

[Warning: Equivalence Healing cannot treat subjects infected with the virus!]

[…]

The System’s voice echoed ominously, repeating over and over in their ears.

Ji Wanwan’s eyes blurred with tears, yet she stubbornly refused to stop.

“Ahh!!!”

A breeze of cool air swept past, and Ji Wanwan’s hands and feet were bound by the Water Rope. She watched helplessly as her brother controlled the metal to push Xia Li away from her.

She screamed in anger, tears streaming down her face.

Why?

Why couldn’t she protect Ah Li even in this new life?

If she couldn’t even protect the one she wanted to safeguard, what use was the refuge System to her?

“Wham!”

A powerful burst of energy fluctuations erupted around Ji Wanwan, breaking the Water Rope controlled by Xu Siming.

“Junior…”

Xu Siming instinctively stepped forward, wanting to protect Ji Wanwan behind him.

As he moved, she gave him a bleak glance and said in a cold voice, “Don’t come any closer.”

Her expression was so icy, it sent chills down one’s spine.

Xu Siming instinctively stopped in his tracks, feeling as if he had never truly known Ji Wanwan.

With no one stopping her, Ji Wanwan successfully reached Xia Li’s side.

At this point, Xia Li was cornered by Ji Xing’s metal and was convulsing on the ground.

Convulsing—a precursor to mutation.

Xia Li, who still retained a sliver of consciousness, knew what was happening to her.

She restrained her bloodthirsty instincts and looked up at her mother and then at Ji Wanwan, managing a tragic smile, “Wanwan, stay away from me, just go back. It’s good for me to be with mom…”

Ji Wanwan covered the sadness in her eyes and smiled as if chatting idly, “I’m not going anywhere. Whether you live or die, I’ll be watching. If you really mutate, I’ll end your suffering right away! How’s that for a best friend?”

“Hahaha…” Xia Li couldn’t help but laugh: “Even at a time like this, you still say things to tease me!”

The pain in her body intensified, and this ripping pain made her acutely aware that she was nearing the limit of mutation.

Xia Li clenched her fists tightly and buried her head in her knees, “Wanwan, once I mutate, kill me. I don’t want to become a walking corpse, a zombie.”

Ji Wanwan felt a sting in her heart and gritted her teeth in frustration, “What nonsense are you talking about! Just get better soon!”

“Ahh…ahh…ahh…!!!”

As Xia Li’s screams of pain became more severe, she whimpered softly, but unlike other zombies who would eerily stand up, she simply fell still…