Apocalypse Escape: Day One of Survival

’I’ll have to tie Mom up later, just to be safe.’

She was completely unprepared for her mother’s fever. It was something that had never happened in her past life.

”Alright.” Gu Chen nodded. ”In her condition, moving her around really isn’t conducive to her recovery.”

”Brother,” Zhai Ruobai said, surprised.

’He couldn’t help but feel it was incredibly unsafe to leave Ms. Ning and her mother here, especially with her mother running a high fever!’

”After we get Mr. Wu and the others to the safe zone, I’ll come back for you,” Gu Chen said, not waiting for Xie Ning to respond. ”It’s settled.”

Old Mrs. Song sat to one side, dabbing the corners of her eyes. She said nothing, only watched her eldest daughter on the sofa with a worried expression.

Song Yaoguo squeezed her hand. ”Don’t worry, You’ai will be fine.”

Xie Ning looked at Ji Taixian. ”Tai Xian...”

”Sis, you don’t have to say a thing. I know! I’ll take good care of Grandma and Grandpa. Don’t worry about food or supplies; everything will be fine.”

”Sis... if we go, you’ll be all alone.” Song Kexin started to say, but trailed off.

”I’ll be fine. As soon as Mom recovers, I can catch up and join you.”

”Ms. Ning, we’ll leave the RV for you and take the van.”

”I’m counting on you,” Xie Ning nodded.

Gu Chen stepped forward, took her ice-cold hand in his, and pressed two warm eggs into her palm. ”After we leave, don’t overthink things. Make sure you eat. I’ll come get you and your mom tomorrow.”

Xie Ning nodded obediently.

She watched as the group departed with brisk efficiency.

”Wait! Wait for me! Wait, I don’t—I don’t have a fever! Take me with you!” Seeing everyone leaving, Fang Jiawen hastily threw on her torn, tattered raincoat and heedlessly chased after them.

Xie Ning stood on the villa’s steps, watching as Xiao Gu’s convoy departed, one vehicle after another.

The villa suddenly felt empty and silent, the only sound being the TICK-TOCK of the clock on the wall.

Xie Ning sent out a long Metal Spike, pulling the two iron gates closed and remotely sliding the metal bolt into place.

She turned, shut the villa’s front door, and sat on the edge of the sofa to change her mother’s cooling patch.

’Mom, you have to pull through for me.’

The two eggs had filled her up, so for lunch, Xie Ning simply opened a cup of instant noodles and added hot water from the villa’s smart water dispenser.

When Xie Ning changed her mother’s fever patch again, she was delighted to find that her mother’s complexion had improved significantly, and her forehead wasn’t nearly as hot as before.

Her heart soared.

Xie Ning paced back and forth in front of the living room sofa, rubbing her hands together in glee.

’It looks like Mom’s fever is about to break!’

Just then, her phone screen lit up.

Someone had tagged her in the group chat.

No. 97 Golden Years: Did Big Brother’s whole family take off? So that’s it, you all just snuck away without a word! Leaving me and Third Brother’s family here to tremble in fear.

No. 85 NingLovesGossip: I’m here.

No. 97 Song Fu: Xiao Ning, you didn’t go with them? Are you home alone now?

No. 85 NingLovesGossip: Mhm, I’m with my mom.

No. 97 Golden Years: Xiao Ning, you still got food at your place? Bring some flatbread over for your Second Great-Uncle’s family to tide us over.

Xie Ning coolly ignored her second great-uncle’s request.

’His family can’t be short on food. For him to be crying poor now... he’s clearly trying to fool me.’

Just as Xie Ning was about to put her phone down, a message from Gu Chen came through.

Is your mom feeling any better? We just reached the safe zone, and things are pretty busy. I’ll come over tomorrow morning.

Xie Ning had considered telling him not to go to the trouble, that she and her mother could just go with the soldiers from the 54385th Regiment.

But on second thought, she decided against it. Going to the safe zone with Gu Chen early would be fine, too. It would keep her grandma and grandpa from worrying so much that they couldn’t sleep at night.

Song You’ai woke up at one in the afternoon. The unhealthy flush on her face had faded considerably.

She rolled over and sat up, her mouth parched.

Xie Ning handed her a bottle of water, which Song You’ai guzzled down. ”Ningning, where’s the rest of the family?”

While delirious with fever, she thought she’d heard people coming and going. How was it that when she opened her eyes, only she and her daughter were left in the house?

Xie Ning recounted everything that had happened, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her mother. ”Mom, did you awaken a superpower?”

She pointed to her chest and stomach. ”Can you feel an energy source?”

”I think so.” Song You’ai closed her eyes to concentrate, and a thin stream of water suddenly shot out from her hand.

Mother and daughter stared at each other, stunned for two seconds, then suddenly shrieked with joy and hugged each other. ”We can wash our hair and take showers!”

Song You’ai was as thrilled as if she’d just won the lottery.

Half an hour later, Song You’ai stared at the half-filled basin of water with a mournful look. ”Sigh. I guess I’ll need a lot more practice if I want to produce enough water to wash my hair and take a shower.”

”Sweetheart, this stream is barely stronger than a trickle of pee.”

Xie Ning looked at her mother, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. ”Mom, this is already amazing.”

’In the apocalypse, Superpower Users with a Water Ability were a hot commodity on any team.’

Song You’ai nodded repeatedly. ”It’s better than nothing. I’m not complaining, not at all.”

”Xiao Gu said he’s coming to get us tomorrow.”

”He’s making a round trip for us?” Song You’ai chuckled and nodded. ”Xiao Gu really is a good kid.”

As it turned out, all of Gu Chen’s plans were disrupted by a sudden torrential downpour that night.

Before dawn, Gu Chen took his men to inspect the winding road on Lanshan.

Due to a flash flood, a section of the road had collapsed. It would take four to five days of manual labor to clear a path.

The man pursed his lips, clutched his phone tightly, and stood ramrod straight like a pine tree at the start of the blockade.

’The network’s down. I can’t even send a text, let alone a WeChat message. Damn it.’

”Start repairs, now,” he ordered through gritted teeth.

Zhai Ruobai and the others, drenched in sweat, had no idea if their boss wanted them to prioritize fixing the network or the road...

Xie Ning got herself cleaned up first thing in the morning and joined her mom in the living room to practice their superpowers together.

She waited and waited, but Xiao Gu, who was supposed to arrive that morning, was nowhere to be seen.

Song You’ai grew anxious. ”You don’t think something happened to him on the way, do you?”

Xie Ning walked to the window and looked out. ”The rain has stopped.”

”After that huge storm last night, I’ll bet there was a mudslide on the mountain pass that blocked the road.”

”Right, right, the Lanshan road always gets blocked when it rains.” Song You’ai breathed a sigh of relief. ”That must be why Xiao Gu couldn’t make it.”

Xie Ning picked up her phone and glanced at the silent group chat.

The last message was still her second great-uncle’s from yesterday.

”It’s okay, Mom. The network is down now, so Gu Chen is probably just as anxious. Let’s just wait.”

Song You’ai nodded and rolled up a sleeve. ”Is it just me, or is it getting a little hot?”

”It is a little stuffy,” Xie Ning said with a frown. ”I’ll get out a small electric fan.”

Song You’ai waved her hand dismissively. ”Let’s just put up with it for now. Don’t waste the battery.”

She muttered, ”Don’t tell me the weather’s getting weird again.”

Her mother’s comment was offhand, but for Xie Ning, it struck a nerve. Her heart skipped a beat.