Chapter 198: Zombies and Outing.
She just turned her little body around and drooped her head as she went back to find Yan Laojin. That tiny disappointed look on her face was enough to make anyone’s heart soften.
Bai Li’s eyes curved faintly at the sight. The little one really was adorable. Even when she was let down, she looked so soft and well behaved that it made people want to scoop her up and hold her for a long time. Bai Li had seen plenty of children before, but children who were this honest and this easy to coax were not common. LiLi was the kind of child who made people lower their guard without even trying. Just looking at her made the heaviness from outside feel a little less sharp.
"Let’s go, let’s put your things in your room first." Bai Li said this while looking directly into Yan Cijin’s eyes.
Yan Cijin immediately understood why she had said that. They had brought back a lot of things, and most of them had been taken from Bai Li’s spatial storage. If all of that suddenly appeared in front of Yan Laojin and the child with no warning, it would be too strange. The supermarket bags were one thing, but things like rice, flour, oil, seasonings, and even extra clothes just appearing out of nowhere would be hard to explain. Bai Li’s secret was clearly not something she wanted to expose casually. Even Yan Cijin herself was only guessing at the edges of it. She knew Bai Li had abilities that were difficult to explain, but she did not know the full shape of them, and she also knew better than to pry too hard.
"Okay." Yan Cijin nodded immediately, then turned to her mother. "Mom, Bai Li and I will go in for a bit."
Yan Laojin was holding the little girl, and although she looked a little confused, she still nodded without asking too much. "Go ahead, go ahead."
She watched the two young women head toward the room, still thinking to herself that she really could not guess what they were doing. They had only just returned, and now they were hiding away in the bedroom for a moment. Yan Laojin could not help but feel that these two were acting a little mysterious, but then again, ever since the apocalypse began, nothing had been ordinary anymore. She had already learned not to overthink everything. As long as her daughter and Bai Li came back safely, that was enough.
Once the bedroom door closed behind them, Bai Li immediately stopped walking and let out a small breath. Only then did she remember that she had made a huge mistake. She and Yan Cijin had only brought backpacks into the apartment. If they left behind a pile of rice, flour, oil, and all the rest, it would be too obvious. Yan Laojin was not stupid. Even if she did not say anything, she would definitely notice that something was off. The room itself also did not have much space, so these supplies would have stood out as if they had been dropped from the sky.
Bai Li shook her head with a wry smile. Well, Yan Cijin probably already had some idea anyway. At this point, hiding everything was almost impossible. Yan Cijin was clever, calm, and quick to notice patterns. She had already seen Bai Li take out too many useful things at once. Even if she did not know exactly what kind of ability Bai Li had, she could at least tell that there was something special. Bai Li thought about it for a second, then decided there was no point hesitating anymore. Since they had already brought these things back, they might as well place them properly.
With just a thought, several heavy items appeared one after another in Yan Cijin’s room. Two bags of rice were placed neatly by the wall. Two bags of flour followed right after, along with a bucket of peanut oil and a bucket of sunflower oil. Bai Li also took out soy sauce, oyster sauce, cooking wine, salt, sugar, vinegar, and a few other condiments that would make future meals much easier to cook. She even set a few of them on the floor in a row so they would be easier to move later.
Thinking about it again, Bai Li reached into her backpack and took out socks and underwear she had grabbed from the mini supermarket. She put them directly on Yan Cijin’s bed. The items were folded neatly, but that did not make the situation any less awkward. Seeing Yan Cijin’s gaze land on them, Bai Li cleared her throat a little and explained in the calmest voice she could manage, "Oh, the apocalypse has only just started. These things might be hard to find later. I left half for you to wear, so you won’t even be able to buy them if you want to later."
Yan Cijin’s ears turned red almost instantly.
The change was so fast that Bai Li noticed it right away. Yan Cijin lifted one hand and fanned herself, though she did not really know whether she was hot because of the room or because of the embarrassment that had rushed up her face. Her cheeks were warm too, and the tips of her ears looked like they were about to burn. Bai Li had no idea why such a simple explanation could make her react like this. It was not as if she had said anything strange. She had only been thinking practically. Under apocalypse conditions, clothes and daily necessities would always become scarce sooner or later. If she did not prepare now, there would be trouble later.
Yan Cijin’s gaze drifted down unconsciously, and she looked at the box of underwear on the bed. Her heart beat a little faster when she saw it. The mini supermarket had a surprisingly good selection, and there were even some rather private items mixed in with the rest.
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TO BE CONTINUED.
