Apocalypse: I'm Bound to a Mobile Lottery Shop

Chapter 20: Chapter 20: Dip and Eat

He thought for a moment, picked up a french fry, and slowly stood up to eat it.

Lily Hart: "?" ’Why is he standing up?’ The thought flashed through her mind, and a moment later, she burst out laughing.

She reached out and pressed on his shoulder. Frost Shaw obediently sat back down and looked up at her. "Weren’t we supposed to dip them and eat?"

Lily Hart was still laughing. It was only now that she felt Frost Shaw was like a teenager; he was usually so uptight.

"Stop laughing." Her unrestrained, hearty laughter made Frost Shaw feel mortified.

For the first time, a hint of insecurity crept in. He could only feign seriousness, trying to act like his usual self.

But Lily Hart was laughing so hard she couldn’t stand up straight. When she finally managed to calm down, one look at his "grown-up" expression sent her into another fit of laughter.

Frost Shaw: ’So annoying!’

’What do I do?’ He resentfully picked up a fry, shoved it in his mouth, and took a vicious bite.

’I’ll just pretend this fry is Boss Hart.’

Lily Hart finally calmed herself down, rubbing her stomach and chest while murmuring, "I almost laughed myself a six-pack. Good thing, good thing."

She looked down to grab a fry and met Frost Shaw’s resentful gaze. The corner of her mouth twitched as she struggled to hold back her laughter.

"Okay, okay, I won’t laugh anymore. Quick, eat up," Lily Hart said hurriedly, afraid she’d laugh until she was full.

Frost Shaw lowered his gaze, hiding the secret, imperceptible smile in his eyes. He began to earnestly eat the small portion of food Lily Hart had shared with him.

Eating together with him, Lily Hart found her appetite had inexplicably improved. ’Maybe this is the effect of having a companion?’

She pondered this silently, sneaking a glance at Frost Shaw. He hadn’t put on the hood of his cloak this time.

His well-behaved hair, high-bridged nose, and the extremely serious way he ate, wasting nothing, were all on display.

The more she looked... the more Lily Hart felt he was like a little brother.

For some reason, Lily Hart felt a pang of protectiveness toward him. ’He must have gone through the apocalypse at such a young age for his personality to turn out like this, right?’

A jumble of thoughts ran through Lily Hart’s mind, and before she knew it, she had stuffed the only hamburger into his hand.

In a slightly commanding but generous tone, she said, "Eat it! Eat more. Look at you, you’re so thin you’re almost a beanpole."

A question mark slowly formed over Frost Shaw’s head. He hesitantly glanced down at his stomach. Although it wasn’t visible...

...he was a man with an eight-pack. ’Besides, black is slimming, okay...?’

’Seriously, a beanpole? Does Boss Hart even know how to talk...?’

But looking at the hamburger filling his palm, he comforted himself again. ’Whatever. As long as there’s food, who cares if I’m a beanpole or not.’

Having reassured himself, Frost Shaw didn’t eat the hamburger. Instead, he stored it in his space.

Since it was given to Frost Shaw, it was his now. Lily Hart didn’t ask any questions. The two of them then quietly finished the food on the tray.

"I’m stuffed..." Lily Hart mumbled.

A flash of white light occurred, and the tray, along with all the trash, disappeared. Frost Shaw didn’t ask too many questions. Some things didn’t need to be explained; it was enough to understand.

He glanced at her, gave a casual wave as a farewell, and turned to leave.

Lily Hart pulled down the partition to take a noon nap—an essential part of her daily routine. If she missed it, she’d have no energy in the afternoon.

Frost Shaw walked alone for a long time. He didn’t look fast, but each step was like a short teleportation, carrying him dozens of meters forward with a WHOOSH.

The zombies smelled his aura and gave him a wide berth. Frost Shaw stopped in front of an alley.

He looked left and right before entering. At the end of the alley stood a boy, about six or seven years old, with a serious, tense expression and a sharp gaze.

The moment he saw Frost Shaw, his face broke into a wide grin, and he ran up to greet him. "Brother Frost, you’re here!"

Without taking off his hood, Frost Shaw looked down, smiled at him, and patted his head. The two of them entered a house, one after the other.

It was a courtyard house at the end of the alley, resembling a siheyuan, and it had retained its pre-apocalyptic appearance.

In the middle of the courtyard grew a banyan tree, lush and thriving.

A steel wire was wound around a branch, stretching to the eaves. A few pieces of clothing hung on it, crumpled and wrinkled. They didn’t look like they’d been washed; rather, they seemed to have been worn for a long time and taken off just to air out in the sun.

Frost Shaw and the little boy passed under the tree.

"Brother Frost, can I go out with you to kill zombies?" the boy asked resolutely.

"No." Frost Shaw refused. He was still too young. The dangers outside weren’t just zombies, but also people...

The boy wasn’t disheartened by the rejection. He secretly vowed that when he was a year older, he would ask Brother Frost again.

’He’ll definitely agree then. Once I kill zombies and get Crystal Cores, I can exchange them for supplies to buy food for my friends!’

The two entered the house, and the light instantly dimmed. The boy announced happily, "Brother Frost is here!"

The room immediately burst into life. Several children ran over, surrounding Frost Shaw, their small faces tilted up as they looked at him with adoration.

The group of children included boys and girls, all of similar ages, between six and ten.

The clothes they wore were ill-fitting, either too big or too small, and all of them were patched and mended.

Each one of them was sallow and thin with chapped lips, clearly suffering from long-term malnutrition, but they were generally clean.

Frost Shaw crouched down to their eye level. He extended a hand, palm up, and said mysteriously, "Guess what I have this time?"

The boy’s name was Easton. He said eagerly and excitedly, "It must be that fruit we had yesterday! The really, really sweet one!"

A little girl next to him gave Easton a gentle push. "I think you’re just saying that because you want to eat it!"

Easton, hands on his hips, puffed out his small chest and retorted, "Well, don’t you want to eat it?"

The girl replied meekly, "I do."

A smile played on Frost Shaw’s lips as he watched the children’s interaction. His palm was still facing up, as if performing a magic trick.

Suddenly, a hamburger appeared in his palm, instantly adding a fragrant aroma to the stuffy room.

"Wow, what is this? It smells so good!" Several children crowded around, their heads bumping together, their eyes nearly glued to the hamburger.

But not a single one reached out to take it. They all knew the rules: it was up to Brother Frost to distribute it.

Frost Shaw thought for a good while but couldn’t remember what it was called. ’Boss Hart never told me.’

He said casually, "Something tasty." Then he placed it in Easton’s hands, instructing, "You guys split it. Make sure everyone gets a piece, okay?"

"Hooray!" the children cheered, about to turn and share the food.

Frost Shaw stopped them. "Don’t go yet, there’s more." As soon as he said that, all the little heads immediately turned back.

"What is it? What is it?" they asked, full of anticipation, their eyes sparkling and their smiles full of childish innocence.

"Watch," Frost Shaw said softly. Everyone’s breathing unconsciously grew lighter; they even held their breath in quiet anticipation.

The next moment, a large, tall takeout container appeared in Frost Shaw’s hand. He had cooked all the leftover hot pot ingredients to bring back.

The faint aroma of chili oil wafted out, assaulting Easton and the others’ senses. They were impatient yet restrained. "It smells so good, Brother Frost!"