Chapter 20: Really treat her as a younger sister (2)
Bai Qingqing and Fu Chen walked into the room together and she frowned when she saw the single wooden bed. What should she do tonight? Sleep with Fu Chen? Before the end of the world, poor families would squeeze themselves on a bunk bed, and because of her amnesia, did that mean she had to share the bed with her fake brother?
Fu Chen opened the quilt naturally and turned to ask her: “Aren’t you tired?”
“Hm…” Bai Qingqing stared at the bed, then at him, and answered: “Not yet.”
She smiled, pulled the chair over, and sat on it obediently. She put her feet on the bar of the stool and looked at him with her chin on both hands.
“Brother, let’s talk. Who is going to take the bed tonight?”
Fu Chen leaned against the wall and his brows rose slightly: “Is it worth discussing?”
Bai Qingqing replied with a bitter expression: “Brother, are you really going to let me sleep on the ground? I am your sister, do you really have the heart to let the delicate me sleep on the cold floor?”
Fu Chen looked at her pitiful face. The corners of his lips hooked and in the dimly lit room, his smile looked a little evil.
“Do you have the heart to let your brother sleep on the floor? Hm?” His voice was low and magnetic.
Bai Qingqing blinked a few times and sincerely answered: “Brother, you are so strong and fit. It’s okay to sleep on the floor for one night or two.”
Fu Chen didn’t keep teasing her: “Take a blanket out.”
Bai Qingqing smiled and took a quilt and a pillow from her space before saying coquettishly: “Brother, I will help you make the bed.”
Like a good sister, she carefully set his sleeping quarters on the floor for him. Fu Chen stared at the girl’s back and his eyes gradually darkened. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him.
Bai Qingqing raised her delicate and confused face: “What’s wrong?”
Fu Chen looked down at her, just like a brother who cared about his sister’s feelings, and asked with some hesitation: “What do you think about Xiao Yang?”
Bai Qingqing bluntly answered: “What about him? I get along well with him, he is very nice.”
Fu Chen didn’t realize she was deliberately throwing the good person card and, ignoring his slightly unhappy heart, he asked again: “Do you like him too?”
Bai Qingqing’s beautiful eyes went wide, as if she was surprised, and her cheeks became red. A bit angrily, she shouted: “I don’t!”
Fu Chen frowned and observed her expression carefully, trying to decide whether she was lying or not. Bai Qingqing lowered her eyelashes and tried to pull her arm away from his grasp: “Brother, let me go. I’m angry.”
Fu Chen kept holding her slender arm tightly and pulled her even closer to him. Firmly imprisoned in front of her, he said in a deep voice: “Why are you showing your temper just after a few words? Who taught you that?”
His cold tone had a strong sense of oppression, which made people feel a little afraid.
“Raise your head.”
Bai Qingqing looked like a threatened little animal. She didn’t dare to move and pursed her lips instead of doing what he ordered. Fu Chen stretched out his slender fingers to pinch her chin, raised her small face, and was shocked to find her big eyes filled with tears. This kind of beautiful appearance aroused people’s desire for possession.
Bai Qingqing met his eyes and her heart skipped a beat. In a sob, she said: “Brother, I know everyone dislikes me and misunderstands me.” She choked: “Do you also think I am seducing Xiao Yang? I have been trying my best to stay away from him these days… What more do you want?”
With this last question, tears flowed from her eyes and fell into Fu Chen’s palm. The tears were warm and he felt as if they were burning his hand; he let go of her face and stared at her.
“Okay.” He didn’t know how to coax people and stiffly said: “Don’t cry. Brother doesn’t misunderstand you.”
Bai Qingqing sniffed: “Really?”
“Take a tissue out. Wipe your tears.”
“Oh.” Bai Qingqing did as he said and Fu Chen took her to sit on the bed.
“Brother asked how you felt about Xiao Yang just to know if you liked him. If you do, you can stay with him when we reach the Beijing base.”
Bai Qingqing watched him, thinking to herself Fu Chen really treated her as his sister and was worried about her future. Unfortunately, she was destined to be the Sea King and she had to seduce everyone. The Sea King had to raise fishes and could only play ambiguously, never revealing who she really liked.
She was not as capable as Bai Tiantian and able to make everyone bow down at the same time and without the female lead halo to protect her, she was afraid she would die miserably.
“Brother, I don’t like anyone.” Her bright eyes blinked and she added with a smile: “There is only one person that I like, and it’s my brother.”
Fu Chen was slightly startled and he pursed his lips before saying: “Rest early.”
***
The next day.
After the Thunder Squad finished eating, they were divided into two groups. One group went to the underground auction house to find Bai Tiantian while the other went to the city to find supplies. Shen Mingxuan, Liang Zhiyu, and Xiao Yang went one way and Fu Chen and Cheng Rui took Bai Qingqing to wander around Wucheng.
The traffic flow in Wucheng was relatively small and all kinds of materials were lacking in the last days. People who used fuel were of high status; in addition to patrolling off-roads vehicles and a few other cars, there were a few buses. Cars would occasionally drive in the street with gifted people coming back from outside missions and the stench of blood and rotten flesh would follow.
The three of them walked around Wucheng and found out the goods in stores were extremely expensive, several times higher than everywhere else. A loaf of bread would be sold for several hundred yuan, which ordinary people couldn’t afford. Fortunately, Bai Qingqing had collected a lot of materials before and didn’t need to buy anything here, or she would not have been able to pay.
After shopping for a day, the three of them returned to their rooms. The other group wasn’t back yet and they ate and rested as they waited.
Bai Qingqing took the time to enter her space. She had earned a thousand points for completing the side mission last time and had decisively exchanged them for seeds. She had planted her favorite strawberries in a corner and because she could control the flow of time in her space, her strawberries had become ripe within two or three days. She looked at them from the distance, a happy smile on her face and as she got closer to pick one and have a taste, she heard a chirping sound. She frowned and looked over only to notice a small purple plant eating her strawberries and chewing in a delight.
Damn it, it was stealing her strawberries!
Bai Qingqing rushed over and quickly grabbed the purple plant.
“Chirp, chirp.” The little plant twisted and tried to struggle, and Bai Qingqing remembered she had caught this thing in the forest; she had thrown it in her space and forgot all about its existence. And after not seeing it for a while, the little plant had grown up comfortably and learned to steal her food!
Bai Qingqing stared at the purple grass and scolded: “Stop crying! If you steal my stuff I must chop you off!”
“Chirp, chirp.” Hungry, hungry.
“…”
Weren’t plants supposed to absorb nutrients from the soil?
Bai Qingqing put it on the ground, squatted down, and stared at the little plant: “I will feed you, don’t eat my strawberries.”
“Chirp, chirp.” Understood.
Bai Qingqing patted it and said: “Good.”
She took a big strawberry and took a bite. The sweet and sour taste filled her taste buds and it was delicious. In the last days, food to fill the stomach was gradually getting scarce and fruits were almost entirely gone. She had not eaten strawberries since she had transmigrated here and she showed a satisfied expression.
After leaving her space, Fu Chen said to her: “Wait here. Cheng Rui and I will go to the auction house.”
Bai Qingqing immediately disagreed: “I want to go with you.”
“The auction house is very dangerous.” Fu Chen frowned.
“So is leaving me here alone.”
Fu Chen thought for a while before finally agreeing: “You have to stay by my side at all times.”
Bai Qingqing nodded.
The auction house was located in the western part of the city, near Area C where the slums were; there was a lot of chaos and all kinds of people stayed there. Because Wucheng was a place where strength was respected, as long as they had strong abilities, criminals could rule the city.
Bai Qingqing followed Fu Chen into the auction house, which had been converted from an old gymnasium and where women and various exotic goods were put to auction. The apocalypse should have been humankind’s chance to redeem itself but the world had become even crueler for women. Bai Qingqing scanned the screen displaying today’s auction and found Bai Tiantian’s name.
In an iron cage on the stage, a woman in rags was kneeling on the ground. The auctioneer sometimes poked her with various props, particularly degrading her. The cage was opened and the collar of the woman was pulled; she fell to the ground, her head hanging low.
Bai Qingqing keenly felt something was wrong; the auctioneer stomped on the woman’s body with his feet, enjoying the feeling of trampling her with a sadistic expression. He laughed like a maniac and the next second, he was cut open. The bloody scene shocked all the people who had come to watch the auction or make a purchase. Some screamed and some tried to escape and panic instantly spread in the air.
Most people in Wucheng had no abilities and many of these people were ordinary people. Stomping, shouts, gunshots, sounds of abilities being waved and chaos pierced the eardrums. Bai Qingqing was pushed away by the turbulent crowd and was separated from Fu Chen.
“Qingqing!” Fu Chen tried to grab her but the girl was knocked away before soldiers with heavy weapons surrounded the auction house, blocking everyone from leaving. She clenched her fists tightly and looked at the situation with a tense expression. Was this…?